Bright Morning Star (21 page)

Grumbling, standing the gun against the wagon wheel, Father answered the two boys. Tom and Jim were running about, jumping and asking questions, the dogs barking beside them. “We’ve got Claire, I think Calum has been shot. You’d better go see about Bonnie.”

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Claire looked up at her Mother and the little girl. “Don’t just look at me, don’t let me get this mud all over the bed.”

Mary Anne disappeared to fetch water and towels while Elizabeth Wimberley touched the clump of mud and weeds that were stuck to her daughter’s hair. “This should be an interesting story. Stand up, let’s get you out of all this, then we’ll see what we can do about your hands and hair.”

As she threw a clump of mud out of the back of the wagon, she heard Robert’s stern voice asking Henry to repeat his explanation.

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Bonnie pressed against the wound, heard Calum moan again. The bullet had struck high on his shoulder near the top left button. In horror, she realized how lucky he was to have the two rows of brass buttons. She spread her fingers across to touch the one beside his heart and closed her eyes in prayer.

The men were there, urging her back to examine the fallen soldier. As they pulled him from her, one man ordered the others. “Bring a light, I’m a doctor.”

Bonnie pushed her heavy wet hair back from her face and moved forward to lift the shotgun and stare where the renegades had been pulled and plopped onto the bank.

“Are they dead?” she hollered.

“This one is, he pointed to the one in blue. Think the other is still alive.”

Finally, Bonnie stared down at Tiller, the one who had threatened and insulted her so many times. His body looked unmarked, until one man held a lantern down and she saw the hole through his neck.

The other man was still unconscious, but Bonnie noted the ragged rise and fall of his chest. His shirt was splattered with small holes and both arms were bleeding. “Best tie his hands and feet. If he doesn’t die, the army plans to take him home to execute,” she said.

One of the men laughed. “Are you kidding?”

Suddenly two soldiers were standing beside her. “No, do as she says. Then we’ll take him.”

Bonnie reached out a hand to either side of her and clutched her brother’s hands. “Calum was shot.”

“Is he going to be all right?” Shawn asked.

With a deep, indrawn breath she whispered, “He has to be.”

Claire told her mother how she and Bonnie was talking long after everyone went to bed.

“I know how it is, trying to catch us with old friends,” Mother said.

“Then she told me how the Indians bathe every day and how she couldn’t believe how lax I had become about my appearance. At any rate, we decided while all the men were asleep, we would go down to the little pool they have marked off for bathing beside the river.”

“What little pool?” Mother sounded curious and Claire would have gone into more detail, but the little pitcher with big ears was sitting there listening.

“Calum Douglas knew where it was, and offered to escort us there since he’s in pursuit of a couple of real scoundrels and he said we ladies would need protection from any peeping Toms.”

“Tom wouldn’t do anything like that,” Mary Anne said, but then she looked a little unsure.

“It’s an expression, dear. For the man who watched when Lady Godiva made her ride nude through the streets to argue against some law.”

“I don’t know that story, can I read it somewhere?” Mary Anne asked, but Mother had turned her attention fully back to her daughter. Claire was using the soap and vigorously washing her hands, arms, knees, and feet. She couldn’t help but wonder how anyone could bathe in a mud hole and come out clean. She would have to ask Bonnie for the secret.

“Claire,” Mother snapped. “I thought you said you and Bonnie were alone. How did the Lieutenant know you were going to bathe?”

Claire looked up, wrinkling her brow with suspicion. “He did show up rather quickly.” She shook her head decisively. “No, he was on patrol and saw us getting ready to leave the campsite. When Bonnie told him where we were going he insisted on going along to keep us safe.”

Mother seemed to accept her explanation and after Claire rinsed, she ordered. “Lean over, we’ll do what we can with that hair. Then I want you two,” she looked over her shoulder at a sleepy Mary Anne and smiled. “I want you three girls to get some sleep. You know how your Father feels about getting an early start.”

Claire leaned forward so her hair hung over her face into the bowl and very patiently sat still while her mother poured cup after cup of water over it. Finally the water was too dirty to do any good. She emptied the pan out and handed the bowl to the sleepy child. “Careful, don’t drop or chip my basin. Fetch another and then you can go to bed while we finish up.”

Mother straightened and stretched, twisting from side to side. Claire sat with the towel over her shoulders and brown water dripping onto it.

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Later, as Claire tried to fall asleep with Mary Anne beside her, she heard her father and mother talking in whispers. The stacked boxes between them was no sound barrier.

“Well, what did he have to say for himself? You saw how she looked when he carried her back to us,” Mother said.

“It was plausible. The Lieutenant is wounded and in Henry’s wagon now. I’ll try to talk to him tomorrow, get his confirmation. But Henry says they were never alone together, that it was a dark night and the escapees the army were hunting were in the area, not to mention a lot of men from the two wagon trains. Well, he’s right, the girls needed someone on guard to protect them.”

“I can’t understand wanting to take a bath in the middle of the night. It’s nearly ten o’clock, now.”

“That part made sense too. They were up anyway and it was a moonless night. Well, even you were wishing Claire would pay more attention to her grooming.”

There was a pause and Claire swallowed. Even Mother had been embarrassed by how she looked.

“She doesn’t know, has no idea of how cruel the world can be to a girl without a good reputation. You and I may believe him, but what are other people going to say?” Mother said.

“I didn’t want to corner him on that just yet. He looked upset, and they were getting the Lieutenant settled and moving the boys out. Bonnie will be with the twins sleeping in the tent again.”

Claire twisted in the bed, so that her back was to the whispering voices. She had heard enough. Mother was wrong if she thought Claire didn’t know about losing one’s reputation. She had seen it happen to girls in the factory before. Hadn’t it almost happened to Bonnie? That was why she married Tarn Michaels. Other girls weren’t so lucky. They lost their jobs and often ended up on the streets when their names were compromised.

She had done nothing wrong. Nothing intimate had happened between them. Well, he had come to her rescue, covered her nearly naked body from the eyes of all the other men who arrived minutes later. Claire could still feel Henry’s arms around her, hear the softly whispered words, “Little goose.” Ordinarily it would have made her angry, but from him, in those moments, it had made her feel cherished.

Smiling, relaxing, Claire slipped into blissful sleep.

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It was stuffy and warm as Claire woke to the voices of men outside the Lambton wagon talking to Bonnie. When her mother started to say something, she whispered, “Shh.” Together, they sat, shamelessly listening.

The corporal told Bonnie. “I don’t think we should be moving him just yet. The Doctor removed the bullet and a partially embedded brass button from his shoulder, said he lost a lot of blood.”

Claire had heard two men speak, but for some reason Bonnie wasn’t answering. She could tell from the way the men were talking that they knew she was distracted.

“Figure he would want me to get the men back to headquarters, now we’ve captured that gun runner and done for Tiller. That was our mission, you know?”

Bonnie must have nodded, because an older voice said. “Monroe wasn’t as bad hurt as we thought. He’s the one you filled with buckshot. Know the General wants to personally see him shot by firing squad. He could take a turn for the worst or maybe even escape again, lest we head on back.”

Claire heard the stomp and snicker of horses just outside her wagon. Quickly she stood to dress. Mary Anne was already gone. Mother turned back from her listening post and began to get ready as well.

Dressed, Claire climbed out of the wagon and looked up in surprise at the mounted troopers behind them. Several tipped their hats and smiled at her and Claire brushed her frizzy blonde hair back from her face. She was torn between going back to brush and braid it and finding her friend.

The other wagons of the larger train were going to clear out first. She waved good morning to the twins walking back with the oxen and she watched Father Wimberley and Henry Lambton yoking the teams.

Claire sidled around the wagon and up behind Bonnie. Somehow the tall girl knew she was there and held her hand behind her back for Claire to grab her fingers.

“Figure if the Lieutenant is going to make it, he’ll need some nursing,” the sergeant said.

“Don’t worry, we’ll assign a couple of men to stay behind so he doesn’t have to return to camp alone. Figure maybe if they follow your wagons on in, they can take the train back to Fort McPherson. Only going to be another week or so,” the corporal added.

“Three weeks,” Bonnie said.

“Really, that long,” the corporal said as he scratched his head. The sergeant elbowed him.

“Probably take about that long for them cattle to make it at that. Reckon the Lieutenant there ought to be fit as a fiddle time he gets back to headquarters, what with all that rest and recreation,” the corporal said with a grin.

The sergeant was scowling and shaking his head and Bonnie wondered what the two men were up to. But Calum moaned and she forgot everyone else as she climbed back into the wagon and bent to wipe his face with a cool cloth.

Claire watched as the two men grinned at each other. The sergeant turned to the mounted men and their moaning prisoner. “Hey, you two pups fall out,” he jabbed a thumb at them, but the Magee boys already spurred their horses out of line.

“Boys, your orders are to keep an eye on the Lieutenant. When you see he’s fit enough, you’re to bring him back to headquarters. Just ride up to the track and signal the train. They know to stop for military. They’ll bring you all three back to the Fort.”

Shawn started to argue, but Ian shot him a look and Shawn swallowed the words. “Yes, sir, Sergeant. You can count on us, sir, I mean Sergeant.”

The corporal rode to the head of the line, the two scouts grinned and waved and soon the whole platoon was out of sight.

Bonnie looked out at her puzzled brothers. “Well, if you’re to stay with us, best earn your keep. Help Tom and Jim with the oxen. I’d ask you to keep your eyes peeled for something to shoot for the dinner pot, but following all that ruckus ahead of us, it will be no use today and probably the next. Go on with you.”

Claire boosted herself up to look inside at where the tall Lieutenant was stretched out under Bonnie’s watchful gaze. “Do you two need anything?” Claire asked.

Bonnie shrugged, “If you were to drive this wagon, then I could tell you when we need water or food. He’s too hot and feverish right now. I’ve been trying to keep him sponged and cooled off.” Claire looked indecisive. Bonnie said, “Well, that would make it easier for me.” She stared at her friend’s clean cheerful face. Took in the wild, unbound hair.

Claire blushed as she tried to squeeze it in her hands to stay down. “At least Mother got the mud out of it. I was rushing, in case you needed me and I thought I needed to make breakfast.

“Mary Anne passed out tinned biscuits and jerky earlier. There was time, but your Father didn’t want us to wake you or your mother,” Bonnie said.

Henry Lambton appeared in front of her and Claire looked down at the ground, too embarrassed to speak after last night. Henry looked equally unsure as he stored the tent pegs and poles and made room for the canvas whenever the boys and their dogs finished pulling and folding it. The Magee brothers stepped in and she heard them giving directions to the younger boys on how to fold and store a tent correctly. Henry looked in their direction and smiled.

He looked into the wagon at the unconscious soldier. “Still no change?”

Bonnie shook her head. “No, but Claire said she would drive this wagon to be on hand to help me.”

Henry turned to acknowledge her presence for the first time. He saw her wild head of hair and smiled instead.

Minutes later he was handing her up onto the wagon seat as Ian and Shawn Magee galloped back to peek into the wagon. Claire wasn’t surprised when the boys stopped beside Henry. “Bonnie said we’re to drive the oxen while you and Claire ride and help keep an eye on the Lieutenant. Not sure what that means, but we’re ready.”

Claire smiled at the two boys, recognizing Bonnie in their features despite their blue eyes. “The twins can show you,” Henry and Claire said at the same time. The boys each had soft red mustaches and she smiled as they finger combed them until Tom and Jim ran up. Each was excited to have the job of training the older boys and soon they were pulling into their place in line.

Claire felt twitchy with energy. After the last few weeks where she had taken Bonnie’s job, she was used to being busy. She hadn’t cooked this morning and she wouldn’t have to walk along beside the oxen trying to keep up. For a minute, she couldn’t tell where to put her hands and her feet kept moving inside the wagon box with each turn of the wheel like imaginary strides beside the wagon.

“I guess I need to get my comb and mirror and do something with my dreadful hair. Everyone is staring at it and trying not to laugh.”

“No need,” Henry reached behind the bench to fumble around before dropping a small wooden box on her lap. Claire felt a chill sweep up her spine, but then curiosity won and she pushed the little enameled star on the clasp and it opened. Inside, as she had feared, was something of Bella’s. A small, beautiful vanity set rested against a molded red velvet lining, each piece carefully secured in its own snug little space.

She should have handed it back immediately. Didn’t he realize how personal something like this was? Bella would have opened and used it each morning and evening. Silver, with beautiful inlays of blue enamel bands and a bold yellow star in the center, it was obvious it was an expensive gift from her parents. Like Claire’s own had been when she was ten. Mother had given her a set for her birthday. From that day on, she was expected to comb and arrange her own hair, and she had. Unless she were sick or had a bad day, then her mother would use Claire’s comb and brush and mirror to groom her hair for her.

Claire lifted the brush, removed one strand of raven black hair that was long enough to have reached Bella’s waist. The woman had always worn her hair in a severe bun, or like the night at the St. Louis hotel, in a braided chignon. Instead of dropping it, Claire wound the dark hair in a tight circle around the base of the silver handle. Shivering, forcing herself to smile, she brushed at her own wild tangle of hair.

When she had one side smooth, she brushed the other. She had just lowered the brush when James Temple trotted up beside the wagon. Claire tried to pretend to be unaware of his presence or of Henry’s beside her as she carefully and deliberately used the small silver comb to part off six sections. Winding the first, she used one of the pins she’d found in a round silver box to secure it, then wound the next section.