Cora's Deception (9781476398280) (17 page)

“I don’t know.” She brushed at the tears on
her cheeks. “Do I have a choice?” Her voice became mocking. “He
says I can pick the day in June for my wedding. All right. I pick
the thirtieth. Maybe I’ll die before then.”

“Don’t, Cora. Please, don’t say that.” Eliza
wiped at her own tears. “Why don’t you get Aaron to marry you?”

Cora laughed a short, bitter laugh. “As if
Mother would let me.”

Sweet, gentle Aaron. His face filled her
thoughts, his blue eyes kind and his smile causing her heart to
trip. Oh, yes, if she had to marry someone in this wilderness, why
couldn’t it be Aaron. As quickly as the thought filled her mind,
guilt drove it away.

“Why would you say such a thing, anyway?
George will come, I know he will.” She frowned at Eliza.

Eliza sighed. “I suppose. He still could
before then, couldn’t he?”

At Eliza’s words, a faint hope stirred. Ben
would be back in May with news of George. Maybe George would come
with Ben and Father. Then it wouldn’t matter what Mother said. She
and George could still marry or elope if they had to. In the
meantime, she’d let Mother think she was reconciled to marrying Mr.
Reid.

Cora’s new resolve gave her an outward calm,
while anger and rebellion burned below the surface. Only to Eliza
did she speak of her aching heart. Only to herself would she
entertain the heart-felt longing for something beyond her reach.
Something that even George might not be able to satisfy.

~*~

One day near the end of March, Cora helped
her sister haul a large basket of dirty clothes to the creek where
their mother waited for them to help with the laundry. Halfway
there, Eliza stumbled. She dropped the basket handle and grabbed
her foot.

“This is so primitive.” Eliza hopped a
couple of steps, her long light brown braids flying out behind her.
“Laundry day was never like this until we moved here.”

Cora let her end of the basket go. “No, Mrs.
Brooks did all the work. All we had to do was throw our dirty
things down the laundry chute.”

“I wonder how Mr. Reid does his washing.”
Eliza bent to pick up the basket handle and looked at Cora from
under her eyelashes.

Cora’s nostrils flared. “I don’t care how
Mr. Reid does his laundry or anything else. Furthermore, I don’t
ever intend to find out.” Sudden tears sprang to her eyes. “Oh,
Eliza, what will I do if George doesn’t come in time?”

Eliza straightened and turned toward the
creek. Mother bent to poke a stick into the fire under the large
boiling pot.

Compassion shone in Eliza’s eyes as she
turned back to Cora. “There’s really nothing you can do, is
there?”

Cora crossed her arms. “No, and I hate them
for it, but I hate Father most of all.”

“Why?” Eliza frowned. “What did he do?”

“When he left, he promised we’d have a long
talk on his return. Why didn’t he just tell me then? Was he afraid
I’d say no?” Cora laughed a short, bitter sound. “I did say no and
look where that got me. Father’s a coward. He knew how I’d feel, so
he left Mother to smooth it all over before he got home.”

Eliza shook her head as if she didn’t
believe the truth.

Cora huffed. “Why don’t they auction me off
like they do the slaves? Oh, I forgot! There’s only one wealthy,
old man in this god-forsaken place, so they can’t. They’ll just
sell me straight out. I wonder how much they’ll get for me?”

Eliza’s face twisted as if she might cry at
any moment. “Oh, Cora, you know that’s not true.”

“Oh, do I?” Cora’s laugh sounded strange to
her own ears. “Why else would a mother and father do this to their
own daughter? They didn’t give me a choice, Eliza.”

“I don’t know about Father, but Mother
thinks Mr. Reid’s a wonderful man because he’s from Boston.” Eliza
glanced at Mother. “We need to move before she notices us.”

Cora picked up her end of the basket and
walked with Eliza.

As they drew near their mother, Eliza leaned
closer and whispered. “Mother is throwing a fit about Vickie and
John leaving, and I don’t think it has anything to do with the
baby. I think she’s trying to keep you from marrying George so you
won’t go away too. She doesn’t want any of us to leave her. I think
she’s scared.”

Cora walked the last few feet to Mother and
dropped the heavy basket. So Mother was trying to keep her from
marrying George, was she? Well, it wouldn’t work. That was exactly
what she would do just as soon as he came. Why should she care what
Mother wanted? George might not be the kindest man in the world, or
the most handsome, but he was better than anyone in this
wilderness.

The image of Aaron Stark slipped unbidden
into her mind. His dark, brooding gaze filled her memory until she
couldn’t remember what George looked like.

“Cora, we don’t have time for daydreaming.”
Mother’s voice cut into her musings. “Can you help Eliza put those
clothes in the cold water to soak?”

As Cora pushed articles of clothing under
the water with a short, smooth stick, Eliza pulled a pair of John’s
heavy denim pants and spread them across the oak log Father had
split in half for a battling bench. The rough, flat surface was
about twelve inches across and four feet long. Father had notched
the ends of three pine poles, thirty-two inches long, and nailed
them, one on each corner, to the bench for legs.

Eliza beat the pants with a short pine
paddle, turning them over and over as she worked. Battling was one
job Cora hated. Still, as she watched Eliza smack the bench again
and again, the band around her heart tightened. She stepped forward
and held out her hand. “Let me do that, Eliza.”

Eliza stopped mid-stroke, her eyebrows
lifted. “You want to battle?”

“Yes.” She would burst if she couldn’t hit
something. With Mother looking on, battling was her only choice.
She took the paddle from Eliza’s hand and smiled at the confusion
on her sister’s face.

Smack! That was George for not coming when
he said he would. She slammed the paddle down again. That one was
for old men who wanted young girls. Another smack. Mothers should
never force their daughter to marry against their will. Smack!
Fathers should be honest with their daughters. She lifted the
paddle again.

“Cora, we don’t want a hole in John’s
pants.” Mother pulled the pants away and dipped them in the
boiling, soapy water. “Please, try not to hit so hard. Besides
ruining our clothing, you’ll wear out your arm.”

Eliza laid a sopping wet shirt on the bench.
She leaned close and whispered. “Are you feeling better?”

Cora laughed and nodded. Nothing escaped
Eliza’s notice. She did feel better. Still smiling, she lifted the
paddle again.

~*~

As March blew itself out, Ralph Stark
surprised Cora by visiting Eliza. He didn’t stay long, only through
the evening meal. Eliza walked outside with him when he left. When
she returned to the house, a smile sat on her lips and sparkles
filled her eyes.

April brought a strange mixture of sunshine
and showers. Early in the month, on a sunshiny day, Esther and
Rebekah came to visit with a large bouquet of colorful wildflowers,
which Esther presented to Mother. “These were growing by the
wayside. I couldn’t resist picking them for your table.”

“Why, thank you, Esther. They’re lovely.”
Mother took the yellow and purple flowers and went in search of a
container to put them in.

Cora welcomed her friend. “I’m so glad you
came. Ben will wish he’d been here.”

Esther was always beautiful, but today she
glowed. Her large blue eyes sparkled from an inner happiness that
Cora envied. Esther’s love for Ben showed every time his name was
mentioned, and her expression brightened.

At one time Cora thought she was in love
with George. Now she wondered. In less than a year, so much had
happened. So many changes. Had she changed as well? Had he? If
George came, would they still feel the same as before? For a
fleeting moment, she brought Mr. Reid to mind. Although she refused
to acknowledge her betrothal to the man, the fact hung over her
head as a dark cloud. No matter how much she and George had
changed, she needed him. If she didn’t go with him, she’d be forced
to become the wife of an old man she would soon detest.

It’d been so long since George promised.
Maybe he’d changed his mind. Her breath came in quick gasps. She
couldn’t do it. She couldn’t stand by that old man and take vows
binding her to him for life. She’d rather die first. Mr. Reid
repulsed her. If she married him, her life would be a living death.
How much nicer it would be to lie in Aaron’s beautiful valley for
eternity. At least there she’d have peace.

Cora shoved the morbid thoughts from her
mind and helped set the table.

As they ate lunch, she almost choked on her
soup when Mother spoke to Esther. “Cora has been doing some
beautiful embroidery work on things for her hope chest. We’ve all
been sewing every chance we get—there’s so little time for all that
needs to be done—but Cora’s work is the finest. I’m sure she’d love
to show you what she’s been doing.”

Esther’s eyebrows arched in question as she
searched Cora’s face. “Of course, I’d be honored to see.”

Cora frowned as her mother stood and began
clearing the table. She’d been working on things for George and
her—not Mr. Reid. She sighed and shoved her chair back. “I think
most of it’s upstairs.”

In her room, Cora pulled out a pair of
pillowcases she’d been working on.

Esther spoke in a low voice. “I didn’t know
your mother knew about you and the boy from your old home. I’m
surprised. She seemed happy about it.”

Esther sat on the bed, her hands folded in
her lap. Her long, wheat-colored hair was braided and wrapped
around her head like a halo. Her large baby-blue eyes
questioned.

She was pure and innocent. How could she
understand the turmoil stirring in Cora’s soul? Esther wouldn’t
understand the rebellious thoughts eating away at her mind like a
cancer. This was something they couldn’t share.

Cora handed the pillowcases to Esther.
“Mother wasn’t talking about George. My parents have decided it’s
time I marry. Mr. Reid has asked for my hand, and Father said yes.
I agreed to the thirtieth of June if Father is back in time.”

Esther eyes widened. “But I thought you were
so sure. Isn’t Mr. Reid . . .?”

“What? Old? Yes, he’s thirty-two.” Cora
didn’t want to even think of Mr. Reid. She certainly didn’t want to
talk about him. She grabbed a dresser scarf and shoved it at
Esther. “This was Mother’s. It was plain when she gave it to
me.”

Pink roses bloomed on either end with a vine
and leaves growing along the edges. Esther touched one of the
roses. “You do wonderful work, Cora. The roses look alive.”

“Thank you. I enjoy sewing.” Cora stood and
took her cream-colored dress from its hook. Three scalloped tiers
formed the long skirt. “Mother has insisted I go through all my
clothes. Most of them were too short.” She held the dress up to
her. “Since Mother didn’t tell Father to bring fabric from St.
Louis for a wedding dress, I’ll have to make do with my party dress
from last year.”

She giggled. “I have a red dress. George
insisted I get it once for a party, and I only wore it that one
time. Mother never approved, even though it’s very dark red, almost
black. It has a low neckline with white lace trim. Maybe I should
get it out and make it over for my wedding.”

Esther frowned. “You wouldn’t really, would
you? I mean a wedding . . .”

Cora shrugged. “If I have my way, there
won’t be a wedding to Mr. Reid. I’d do anything to keep from
marrying him.”

“I’m so sorry.” Esther’s eyes glistened.

Cora hung her dress back up. Esther could
sympathize all she wanted, but it wouldn’t do any good. Nothing
would. Only George could rescue her, and she didn’t know if she
could count on him. She turned to the door. “It’s stuffy in here.
Wouldn’t you like to go outside?”

Esther stood. “Actually, I need to find
Rebekah and start back home. Ma said we could come since the early
garden is all planted, but there’s always plenty to keep us busy. I
hate to leave it for Ma to do. She has enough without doing our
work too.”

Cora watched the Newkirk wagon roll out of
sight. Eliza went into the house while Cora walked around back. The
outhouse would give her the privacy she needed for a good cry.
Esther’s happiness and love for Ben made her own misery more
pronounced. June would be here too soon. Somehow, she had to
escape. Tears blinded her as she stepped into the tiny, wooden
outbuilding. Never had she felt so without hope.

~*~

“They’re here. Ben and Father’s back.”
Lenny’s yell from outside sent Cora hurrying to the door. He ran
toward the house with both arms waving and Nicholas trailing far
behind. “Father and Ben’s coming! Me and Nick saw ’em.”

Mother shoved past. “Oh, thank the
Lord.”

“Come on, Cora, let’s go meet Father.”
Vickie, careful in her condition, pushed back from the table where
she and Cora had been making bread. “We can finish this later.”

Cora hesitated while resentment from the
past six weeks held her prisoner. She longed to run into her
father’s arms, yet bitterness and hurt warred with love and the
longing to hear Father say he’d never given her away to a man she
scarcely knew. Surely, he wouldn’t do such a thing. Only he had.
Mother couldn’t have made up such a story. She would have no reason
to.

Vickie waited with her hand on the small of
her back. She looked large and clumsy. Maybe Ben had word from
George. Cora hurried outside and matched her steps to her sister’s
slower ones.

The two wagons were little
more than recognizable as they followed the creek from the
east.
Oh, Ben, please have good news for
me.
Cora picked up her pace.