Bright Morning Star (31 page)

“Strudel Wednesday, Crumcake Thursday, and Poffertjes Friday, you say Fritters?” she looked at the startled girl. Doughnuts Saturday, draw an even bigger crowd.”

Claire laughed. “You think it’s a good idea?”

“Ja, people come more that follow their stomachs, not just to see the prettiest blue-eyes out west. “Put up a sign, say -- if it ain’t Dutch, it ain’t much. Henry, you paint the sign.”

The mousy little man in the back made a squeak. “What, what must I do now?”

Henry stopped and kissed his pretty wife. Claire wondered how much else Ida heard or saw from her high stool and blushed. Henry was driving her mad. All day he was stealing kisses or pinching her when she bent over, but at night, he went to sleep. Only on Saturday night, she blushed at the thought. But today was only Wednesday.

She saw the sparks in his eyes and knew he was having the same thoughts as she was. For a minute she wondered, Ida had said the prettiest blue eyes out west and Claire had taken it as a compliment for herself. But no man had bluer, more teasing eyes than Henry Lambton. And today, those eyes were tormenting her.

<><><>

The doorbell rang and Claire stepped away from him.

Helga snapped at her husband. “Go see how little Henry is doing, I’ll check out the young one myself.”

Claire watched the big man laugh and slap his wife’s ample bottom. Today the breathtaking woman had a basket with her son inside. But when she set him down, he started crying. “He wants his Papa,” Helga said. Claire watched as the giant miner returned and carried off the basket and boy. The baby had stopped crying instantly.

Lynne was expecting. She had shown Claire the special drawstrings worked into her pretty lilac dress as she shared the news. What would her son call Phillip-- Papa, Dada, or Father? For a second, she wondered if she had a child, what would he call Henry? Lost in sweet thought, she stood at the grocery counter and sighed.

“Never mind, Henry. I’ll let your pretty little wife help me today. I need some new…,” she didn’t finish as Henry blushed and excused himself to go back to check on the soup.

Claire looked around for Ida, saw the woman nod, and walked over to help the towering blonde. “I have a new design to show you. With your décolletage, it could be stunning.”

“Fine, but what has you looking down in the mouth. Married only a month to such a handsome, attentive young man.”

“What kind of undergarments did you need?” Claire asked.

Claire lifted down the box that were the first thing she had ordered from San Francisco. When she opened the box with the newest step-ins, the woman was delighted by the silk and lace garments. She especially liked the ones in colorful silk.

“Maybe these are what your Henry needs. Come on, tell Helga everything. I am an expert on men and love.”

As Claire blushed again, the woman bent down and moved so she was seated in the customer’s chair Henry had added the week before.

“I don’t know, it must be me.”

“He does seem very attentive, are you sure you’re not imagining it?”

Claire looked back toward the rear of the store, watched Henry sip the hot soup from the ladle. When he saw her, he turned his back to them. “We, he, we only make love on Saturday night. I don’t know if that is normal, the way it should be. I daren’t ask Ida. She thinks…” Claire blushed again and knelt beside the chair, looking up at Helga’s expansive assets. Henry had insisted he didn’t need any more than her own bosom, but he obviously admired Helga and Bonnie more.

Helga laughed, placed a hand on the sad girl’s tidy hair in its little bun, and then laughed again. “You are so precious, but your Henry is English. Tell me what you do each night, to get ready for bed.”

Claire half rose out of her crouch and saw her husband had now filled a bowl and was eating soup and bread like a guilty child. “I go up, take off my clothes behind the screen, put on my gown, and get in bed. Henry comes up later, after locking up and checking everything again. He waits until he thinks I’m asleep, reading and smoking his pipe. Then he gets into bed and stares at me.”

They heard Johnson’s booming voice and then Henry standing, saying of course, “Join me.”

Claire tried to imagine the giant fitting in the tiny space behind the Vandermere’s table but couldn’t.

“Quickly, if I don’t get Johnson, the rest of you will have nothing to eat for lunch. Tonight, wait on him.”

“He would wonder why,” Claire stated.

“Fine, stop by and visit the Vandermerees, make up some excuse. Wait until you hear him go into your room.”

Claire nodded and started to protest. “I don’t want to do anything that will make him think I’m a trollop.”

Again Helga laughed. “Silly, little bride. Instead of the screen,” she rose and escorted Claire to the counter where Claire rushed to box the three pair of underwear and chemise, and wrapped them for the woman, all the time listening. “How much you will have to take off, you will find out. He is young, probably no more than a shoe or stocking. But you will stand by the fireplace.”

“We have a small black stove, but it’s not lit,” Claire protested.

“You raise your foot up, lift your skirt and petticoat out of the way like so.” She demonstrated, revealing her ankle and a glimpse of her other leg. “You struggle, you remove one shoe. He notices when you bend over?”

Claire blushed. She certainly had the little blue marks to prove it. Ever since the day she had pinched him, he had taken to surprising her with little pinches as well.

“That is it. You undress slowly, maybe ask for help with your buttons. But I seriously doubt you will get that far.”

“How, I don’t understand?”

“He is a man. When he sees you, it will raise his attention.” She raised her hand and Claire blushed even more. “Once you raise his attention, the rest will follow as the night the day.”

Claire thanked her as Helga called in a loud voice. “Johnson and Albert, time to go.”

Impulsively Claire hugged her and Helga laughed. “Men, they are all so simple. You will see.”

THE END

Henry complained that they couldn’t leave the store, but Claire insisted. She had waited too long to visit her parents and her friends. The chance to travel on past the Gant’s ranch to Fort Keogh to visit Bonnie, her brothers and husband and to see the new children she had written about was now. They needed her to help raise Bonnie’s dream cabin.

All along the train ride to Butte, Claire mused on the reasons while Henry napped. Claire knew how devastated Bonnie was at losing her first child. Ever the warrior, Bonnie had written with tears on the page about this new loss. Claire could not wait to hug her again. Bonnie had claimed God must have known how empty her heart was because he had sent not one, but two beautiful boys for her to love and raise. The two were children of a woman, Stella Jamison, who had taken her own life after a brutal rape. It was such a sad story, but Claire knew the two boys could not have more loving parents to raise them.

Then there was Lynne and Phillip’s new son. Claire could not wait to see and hold him. Mary Anne had insisted he was the most beautiful boy in the world. The words made her smile as she read them. She knew if she had a little boy, he would be the most handsome in Butte. That was the other reason Henry was reluctant to make the journey. Claire had reminded him how Lynne drove cattle to Ogden when she was pregnant. A woman wasn’t a fragile egg.

Still, as she planned, she was glad that the train route had been extended and they would only have an hour long buggy ride to reach the Gant’s ranch. Her parents would drive from Helena to the ranch and visit with all the children until they arrived. Then Phillip had sent a message by wire. They would meet them along the route and all would travel on to the Fort by train. Henry had surrendered.

<><><>

The first leg of the journey had been quiet. There were only three miners sharing the car as they traveled back to the mines after a long but lucky weekend. At least from the way the men talked they were lucky. They hadn’t gambled away all their pay and would have money left even after the train trip. Claire wondered if her old suitors had found any luck at mining.

Claire remembered the rush to leave this morning. She had expected that Henrique would be the one to be upset, but it was Ida, who cried when they said goodbye. Claire reminded her they would only be gone one week. With luck, she hoped that it would become an annual occasion. Surely they deserved one week away from the store.

Still, until the train pulled to a halt beside the track, she couldn’t hold onto her nerves. She was so anxious to see everyone. It was nearly six weeks since her parents had visited town with the children. Claire had so much to tell them. The train slowed along the flat line of track where a buggy full of people waited.

The first to rush inside the open door when the train stopped were the two boys. Tom and Jim were now taller than Claire. Twelve years old, anyone would have thought they were older. She wondered if the next time they met, they would be taller than Henry. She was amazed when Tom held out his hand and she squealed and backed into Henry.

“You brats,” she protested. Jim laughed and then apologized, “It’s harmless Aunt Claire. Just a horny toad. When Tom saw him beside the track, we had to catch him for you.”

“For me?” she gasped, finally brave enough to lean forward. Tom held the horrible gray animal out again and it wiggled and she squealed and jumped back into Henry’s arms.

“None of that boys,” Henry scolded. “She’s in a delicate condition.”

Mary shot inside, just in time to hear Henry’s announcement. She turned and yelled at the couple fussing with the small bundle. “They’re going to have a baby, too.”

Lynne handed the baby to Phillip as she charged inside. “You boys, I am going to pin your ears back, frightening her and…”

“Claire, I am so happy for you. When are you due, come on, sit down. Boys get rid of that nasty thing! You’re going to get warts.”

While Lynne rushed her friend off to a row of seats apart, Henry looked at the children, then surprised them and himself as he held his arms open wide. They all hugged and Claire looked back in amazement as she saw his damp eyes and those of the children. She smiled as she watched Tom slip the toad into her too proper husband’s pocket.

Phillip came in last, helping her Father and Mother in and sending the boys back for the bags. “Did I hear you’ve made an announcement? It’s about time, Henry.”

Henry blushed, swallowing the words ‘we’ve been trying,’ but Phillip was grinning as though he had said them. Henry shook hands with his Father-in-law, who embraced him. Then Claire’s Mother ignored his hand and took a big hug, reaching up to kiss him. They had been to visit twice before. But Claire’s father had been busy and pushed too. He and mother had moved to Helena, where he had become indispensable to the mine owner who bought his equipment in St. Louis. It seemed the harder he worked, the happier and fitter he became. As Mother worked her way up to Claire and Lynne, Father grabbed and shook the two boys, hauling them into hugs. As soon as he released them, Mary Anne reached up to hug his neck.

“Well, this is coming at just the right time. I need to talk to you young men about an interesting proposition,” Father said.

Mary Anne joined the women and Phillip carefully handed the little girl his son and took his place with the men at the other end of the car.

Claire was so happy, she was alternating between laughing and crying. Each of the women took turns patting and hugging her and doing the same thing. Finally Lynne reached over for her son as the train lurched into motion.

“What about your buggies?” Claire asked as they moved past. The driver in the first buggy waved and Claire sat back down. Of course, Shorty and Bane were driving them home.

Lynne again smiled, for a girl they called Goose, Claire was always observing and thinking about details. Together, they had worked out a great system of making custom clothes. Judging by the sales and amount of work, they were dressing most of the women in Butte.

<><><>

The baby was asleep and Claire was trading recipes with the women when Henry yelled and stood up. Claire was drowsy but she still enjoyed his dance as much as everyone else. She was astonished when her usually reserved husband went after one boy, then the other, not stopping until he had stuffed the toad down Jim’s neck.

“Hey, I didn’t put it in there.” Jim jumped up and straddled his giggling brother and with Henry’s help, managed to stuff the frog down the front of his shirt.

It was not until the baby started crying that Phillip and Robert got the three settled down.

“Hey, if I get warts on my neck,” Jim said.

“They’ll be on my back,” Tom said.

“You deserve them,” Robert said. “You’re lucky he didn’t stick it down your pants.”

As the boys looked in horror at each other, Phillip said, “Now get rid of that thing.”

While the boys carefully carried it to the back of the car, Phillip leaned over to whisper to the other men. “They’re really a lizard, not a toad.”

Mother called the boys over and told them to bring her bag. All watched as each lad blushed in embarrassment, but shed their shirts so she could wash them clean with alcohol. “This may or may not work, but at least we can try,” she said.

“You sure you want to go into business with those two?” Phillip asked.

“I must be crazy. But you work with them every day, what do you think?” Robert said.

Phillip made a face, “I’ll miss them. They give a better day's work than most men I’ve met.”

“Claire will love having them close again. But will Mary Anne be able to stay without them.” The men looked over to where the little girl had rocked the baby back to sleep singing with her small, sweet voice.

“Lynne will never give up all three. Just be prepared for her and the girl to come for lots of visits.” Phillip turned to stare at Robert. “You sure you want to start another career. A stable is a hard business to make a living at.”

“Well, the mines are petering out already. My work installing equipment is past. The owner just keeps me on salary to play chess with him. Besides, I think with the boys help, designing wagons and buggies will keep us in meat and potatoes for a long time.”

“We’ve noticed a lot less traffic. We used to have at least one wagon train a week. Then the train would bring another car full of get rich quick men,” Henry said.

“Are you struggling?” Phillip asked.

“No, we’ve had more business each week than the one before. The new store across the street, they’re closing up and planning to move. I asked the Vandermerees if they wanted to buy it, and they said certainly not.” The men stared and nodded as they listened to Henry talk, but neither said anything.

“The Vandermerees even talked to me about buying their place so they can go back to San Francisco.” Henry added with pride. Both men stared at him, curious if he would do it.

“Claire thinks we should seize the opportunity. She doesn’t think we should buy the Morrison’s store, but she has already calculated what it would cost for them to pack up their goods and ship it to Ogden where they plan to move. She made them an offer for all their stock which was only a few dollars less than that amount. They promised to give us an answer when we get back next week. Will probably take them that long to know it doesn’t make sense to do all the work packing stuff to ship.”

“If you do, will save you a ton on shipping as well. Increase your profits on the goods,” Robert said, thoughtfully.

“She has as good a head for business as her father,” Henry said. Both men sat smiling at the pretty blonde girl with pride.

Phillip laughed, “Looks like you married the goose that lays golden eggs.”

Henry smiled again, “I think Claire will like that one.”

<><><>

As soon as they approached the off-load ramp at the fort, they saw them. “My goodness, he is tall and good-looking, isn’t he,” Lynne said.

Claire had tried to prepare Lynne for her first meeting with Calum Douglas. It was hard to remember how they had been separated before Calum came to Boston. Lynne had arrived in this wild country first, married first, and it was not surprising that she had the first child.

Claire stared at Bonnie’s face, taking in her unique beauty. She was anxious to look into her eyes to know whether to greet her with sympathy or joy. The tall woman held a large baby in one arm who had dark skin and hair, Calum had a hand on a rambunctious little blonde boy who looked about two or three.

“Well, leave it to you, Bonnie, to get ahead of us again,” Lynne said, sailing out to the people with a smile on her face. Mother and Father kept the three children pinned as Henry helped his wife to the door. “Do you need me?” but she stepped down just as quickly as Lynne.

The two abandoned husbands stared after their wives, knowing how excited they had been about this trip and not wanting to spoil their reunion. They noticed the tall soldier now had both the squirming little boys in his arms and looked challenged to keep them from following their mother.

Both men swallowed and brushed at their own eyes as they saw the three girls embrace tearfully. Laughing and hugging like crazy fools, all three were talking at once.

“Well, he’s taller than Bonnie, but do you really think he’s all that good-looking,” Phillip asked Henry as they descended and walked around their wives to help the Major with his charges. Henry shrugged.

The children and older couple followed next. But before the twins could unload the bags, two young privates with sparse ginger whiskers ran up to hug the three McKinney children. A year later and the boys were still below enlistment age at fifteen and seventeen.

Claire looked around, saw the platform now crowded with all the people she loved. After this baby, she definitely planned to have another three or four. Henry had argued she was an only child and they only needed one. Claire smiled, now she knew how to get around those objections.

Lynne and Bonnie were comparing children and Claire tried to answer without slighting any of them. Bonnie’s two sons, Sean and Johnny of all names, were both handsome but wiggly boys. They both favored in looks, but one could see baby Johnny was part Indian. Was Bonnie naïve to think that it wouldn’t matter? No, she knew Willow had never told herself stories. She always saw the truth, but bent like a willow to adjust and be happy. If it were possible to raise a half-breed son who was kind and happy, Bonnie would find a way.

Lynne’s son, now he was awake, was as beautiful as Mary Anne had claimed. Claire saw he had Phillip’s looks and dark wavy hair, but the child had the most amazing light gray eyes. Bonnie said, “Oh Lynne, you clever girl. You’ve really created a heart-breaker here.”

Lynne laughed, “He is beautiful, isn’t he, but so are your lads. And they’re both so brawny and fit.”

“I’m pregnant,” Claire said, not wanting to feel left out.

Bonnie lifted her off the ground in an embrace. “Oh Claire, why didn’t you write me?”

“Well, I just found out last week. I thought it would be more fun to surprise you with the news.”

“With all the commotion about the toad, you forgot to tell me, when are you due?” Lynne asked.