Calico Brides (34 page)

All that remained were the open fields and plains. Dru couldn’t have run far, but where was she headed? Did she even have a specific destination in mind?

You don’t know our Dru
. Allan’s accusation repeated itself in Beau’s mind. No he didn’t. How could he? He didn’t know much about girls, not even his own sister. He’d expected Dru to have returned by now, to have run out her anger. But she was still out there. He’d thought he knew boys better, but his nephews defied his understanding as well.

What was it David said in the Psalms?
O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me. “Why don’t you ask Me about the children? I am acquainted with all your ways. I’ll lead you to Dru.”

Beau halted his horse and looked up at the heavens, where the white ceiling was lowering close to the ground and cold air blew from the north.
Forgive me, Father, for thinking I know better. You made these young’uns. You understand them inside and out. You created women different from men, and I ask You to give me enough understanding of my niece so I can find her before she gets hurt
.

“C’mon, boys. It’s time to extend our search.” The boys mounted their horses. “Has Dru done this kind of thing before? Do you have any idea where she might go?”

Guy immediately shook his head, but Allan hesitated before nodding.

“What is it?”

The expression on Allan’s face could have passed for a smile in other circumstances. “There were a couple of times Guy and Dru ran away and camped out by the river for a night. Ma had me keep an eye on them. Pretty much as soon as they ran out of food, they came on home.”

“Oh yeah. I wasn’t thinking about those times.” Guy pulled the reins tight. “But those were in the summer. Not like…this.”

“Take me to the spot by the river.”

Five minutes later, they had reached the place. Beau could see how it would make a pleasant summer hideaway. Plenty of water, shade too, maybe good fishing. Next year he would check it out.

Although they dismounted the horses and searched the banks on both sides, they found no traces of recent disturbance. They rode up and down the river from that favorite spot. Once Guy spotted something that turned out to be the beginnings of a beaver dam. Another time Allan found the remnants of a fox den.

With the storm hovering, the sky dimmed fast. They continued their search, knowing Dru might be only a few feet away and they wouldn’t see her. At one point, Allan came to Beau and shared a slice of bread and a slab of ham along with a swig of cold coffee from his canteen.

The sky grew gray, then black, the soddy little more than a smudge on the horizon. Beau decided to call a reluctant halt to the search and whistled for the boys to join him. “We’d best get on back.”

Both Allan and Guy nodded their acceptance. “I’d say to come out again with torches, but…” Allan shrugged. “We wouldn’t be able to see very far.”

“We’ll start at first light tomorrow.” Beau would pray all night long for God’s protection of Dru during the long hours.

Even taking a straight path to the soddy took longer than expected, and Beau realized how far they had searched. How far could a girl in ordinary shoes and a long dress travel on foot? He didn’t know. His last hopes for a happy ending to the day were dashed when they arrived at an empty soddy, devoid of light or warmth. Dru had not returned.

After they finished chores, they built a small fire and collapsed onto the beds without seeking further refreshment. Against all expectations, Beau fell asleep quickly, his rest punctuated with snorts of wakefulness. Each time, his chest tightened, and he sensed his heart had been carrying on its own conversation with God even while his body rested. He woke early in the morning and rustled up some eggs and hardtack that brought the boys to wakefulness. After a quick breakfast, Beau discussed what to do. “We didn’t check much west of the yard yesterday. I thought we’d start that way today.”

Allan shuffled his feet. “I was wondering if she’d circle back to the road once she got away from here. She might have gone into town. One of us should head that way in case she’s heading home. I can ask when I get to the bank.”

Allan had proven himself a strong presence in this emergency. He might never make a good farmer, but he had courage and common sense. “Tell you what then. Guy, you finish up the chores here and wait for my return.” Cows had to be milked and animals fed, no matter what. They decided to meet back at the soddy at lunchtime. “And if it starts to snow…”

“Don’t worry. I know what to do.” Guy interrupted before Beau could continue his lecture. Revelation upon revelation about his nephews was piling up on this day.

Ruth woke early Monday with a heavy heart. Every weekend since Beau’s arrival, she had run into him somewhere. A couple of times he had dropped by Aunt Kate’s diner. He had shown up at the sewing circle more than once, and he’d been mentioned every week. That thought brought a blush to her cheeks. Then there was Finnegan’s Mercantile, the parsonage, and even the school. His absence this past weekend troubled her more than it should.

She wasn’t truly distressed until the family missed church. Was one of them sick? By Sunday, Dru’s distress should have subsided. After attending each week as faithfully as the pastor did, their sudden absence created a void on the third pew on the left side of the church, their usual spot to sit. She checked it before the service started, glanced during the morning prayer—and caught the gaze of young Georgie Polson. Even though she didn’t hear any opening or closing of the church doors, she kept hoping they had snuck in without her knowledge until at last Papa said the final amen and she made her way down the aisle.

The weather turned cold, hinting that the first freeze of the season would arrive before morning. But Beau didn’t seem like the sort to let a little cold keep him from what he wanted to do. If anything, he’d plow his way through six feet of snow if he set his mind to it. Her concerns about the wellbeing of the family increased. All Sunday long she fought her conscience about making another unannounced visit to the soddy. Someone else should go, but she still felt like the “someone” meant to help the Pratts was her.

Monday morning dawned chilly, air whisking through the chinks around her window, and she dressed in underthings designed for cold weather. Hopefully the temperatures would rise as the sun came out. If the clouds covered the sky all day, sunshine wouldn’t stretch the warmth very far.

Since the hour was early, she could go to the bank and speak with Allan before school started. But what if he wasn’t there? She discussed the problem with Mama.

“I’m truly concerned something has happened. A soddy isn’t the best place to pass a winter, and Beau doesn’t have much experience. I’m afraid something’s happened to one or all of them.”

“I pray you’ll find Allan at the bank and everything is fine.”

Bless Mama, she didn’t tell Ruth her concern was unjustified. “But if he’s not there?”

Mama took a seat opposite Ruth and looked her straight in the eye. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to ride straight out to the farm and check. A man probably should come with me. Except I can’t go to the farm and start school on time.”

Mama waved that concern away. “I’ll stay with the children. You’ve planned your lessons so well, they’re easy for me to follow.”

Ruth sped from the parsonage to the bank, arriving at the same time as Allan.

“Miss Fairfield!” He looked flustered, and dark circles ringed his eyes, confirming her fears.

“What’s happened?” Ruth stepped away from the entrance of the bank. A few children crossed the street in front of them on their way to school, and Ruth waved.

“It’s Dru. She’s run away. We haven’t seen her since Sunday morning.”

The first flat snowflake floated between them, landing on Ruth’s coat like a strand of wool from an unraveling sweater.

R
uth glanced back at the bank. “You need to get to work.”

Allan shook his head. “I’m going to ask them if I can take the day off and look for Dru. I know Uncle Beau is going to ask people to help search.”

After his departure, Ruth glanced up and down the streets, looking for someone to come with her. Not seeing anyone, she decided she could make the trip on her own. She shouldn’t have any problems if she left in time to get back before the snow made travel difficult. Backtracking to the parsonage, she saddled her horse and headed west down the rapidly disappearing road.

She kept her speed slow, in case she caught sight of Dru or the road grew slick underfoot. Each plop of the horse’s hooves thudded in her heart. Dru, dear, sweet, Dru, who had trusted her like an older sister, had run away. In her heart, Ruth knew the way she had pushed Beau had something to do with it. Before she said one word to Beau about his niece, she’d better ask his forgiveness for interfering and for how that had led to today’s events.

The flakes grew closer together and smaller, the kind of snow that could end in great drifts. A coated and hatted figure emerged from the whitening horizon—Beau.

He saluted her with his hat. They both picked up speed and met, about a yard’s distance between them. Ruth said, “Allan told me about Dru. Oh Beau, I feel like this is all my fault. If I hadn’t interfered”—a lump formed in her throat— “this might not have happened.”

Allan must not have told Ruth the whole story. The fault belonged entirely to Beau.

“I’m the one who needs to ask your forgiveness. If I hadn’t been so determined to do things my own way, this wouldn’t have happened.” Beau swallowed. “I put my pride ahead of my family’s needs. I want to talk more about that with you later. But you haven’t seen Dru?”

“No.” The wind blew a strand of Ruth’s dark hair away from her face, a whirlwind of white snow and dark circles of hair. “I want to help.”

She would. Regardless of how little help a woman would be searching through a snowstorm, she’d think herself equal to the task. “But what about school?”

“Mama took over for the day. Although if the weather keeps up, she might send the students home soon. The one we have to worry about is Dru.” Ruth paused. “I expect she found shelter somewhere. She’s too smart to let herself get caught out in this.” One bright red mitten embraced the gray horizon. “But we need help. We should—” She paused, her face flaring a pretty red like her mittens. “That is, if you agree with me.”

He gestured for her to continue.

“I’m sure my sewing circle friends would be willing to help. And their beaus.” Her voice stumbled at the wordplay between his name and the common usage of the word.

His heart surged with warmth in spite of the swirling snow. Could Beau be someone’s beau? Could he be Ruth’s beau?
Another time
. “That sounds wise. We could cover more territory that way.”

He, Guy, and most of all, Dru needed help. Beau had already decided to drop his pride and accept the help a circle of good Christian people wanted to give him. “I’m supposed to meet up with Guy at the soddy at noon. Let’s gather everyone and cover the town before we head back out this way.”

As they rode back into town, the wind blew from every direction, pushing them first one way then the other. The horses plodded steadily along. Beau’s stomach suggested the hour had reached midmorning, but he couldn’t tell by the sky.

“We’ll reach Finnegan’s Mercantile first,” Ruth called against the wind. “Mr. Finnegan can circulate word for people to keep a look out.”

His family at the center of the town’s gossip mill.
Your will, Lord
. Beau swallowed past his pride.

Ned hovered at the door to his store, Birdie at his heels, locking the door behind them. “You almost missed me.” He unlocked the door. “What can I do for you?”

“We don’t need to buy anything,” Ruth started to explain.

“Come in out of the weather.” Ned held the door open, and Beau waited for the ladies before ducking his head under Ned’s arm.

“My niece, Dru, is missing. She ran away.” Beau stated the cold, hard facts, not caring what they might think. Pride was running away from him as rapidly as the snow accumulated.

“We’d like your help in looking for her.” Ruth took off her mittens and rubbed her hands in front of the small fire Ned had left burning in the store. “We’re going to ask everyone in the sewing circle to help get the word out. Can you get in touch with Annie while we go for Gladys and Haydn? Tell everyone we’ll meet at Aunt Kate’s diner in half an hour.”