Turner's Vision (31 page)

“Oh, no you can’t.” Laura turned to her husband. “Tell her she can’t go up in the mountains in her condition, Nathan.”

“Laura, you said yourself the baby won’t be due for months. If you and I go along and stay until we’re sure things will be all right, I don’t see a reason why Claudia should have to remain down here with us. Besides, Micah is bound to return before the first snowfall. If they’re all going to live up there, they’d better get a head start on the planting season. Even in Micah’s valley, the growing season is shorter than down here.”

He walked over to the door and signaled Hank to enter the house. “I’ve talked to Hank and the boy has a good head on his shoulders when it comes to farming. He’s been tending the land on their old plantation almost single-handedly. I think it just might work.”

“Good, that’s settled then.” Claudia stood as Hank entered the room, taking his arm to guide him over to Laura. “Hank this is my oldest and dearest friend, Laura Cantrell. Laura, meet Hank Turner.”

“My pleasure, ma’am.” The young man had the same drawl as Micah—deep and smooth.

“I know your brother quite well, Hank. He’s a good man.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Hank and Claudia exchanged looks at her remarks. “Are things ready for us to move on to the cabin?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Claudia and Nathan answered at the same time.

“What do you mean, no, Nathan?” This time Laura voiced her puzzlement. “I thought you agreed it was a very good idea.”

“I still do, darlin’,” he said. “But your friend isn’t going anywhere until she’s had a few days’ rest, and Dr. Dawson has a chance to examine her.”

“I don’t need a doctor, Nathan,” Claudia protested.

“Nathan’s right, Claudia. You have never looked this pale in your whole life.” Laura took her friend by the arm and wheeled her toward the stairs. “In fact, I believe a nap before supper would be the best thing for you. Then if you still want to discuss it, we’ll be happy to do so over supper.”

The two women left the room, leaving the three men to laugh at Laura’s bossiness as she gave Claudia instructions all the way up the stairs.

“I think it would be a very good idea if Claudia saw the doctor, sir.” Hank continued to stare at the stairway. “She was sick a good way of the trip here.”

“How sick, son?”

“She threw up most every morning, sir.”

“Come on, Hank. Let’s see what those boys are up to out there in the barn.” Nathan opened the door, scooping up his daughter and her coat on the way out. “I believe there’s some things you need to know about women and babies.”

* * * * *    

Three days later, the wagons were again on the move. Dr. Dawson had assured Nathan and Laura that Claudia and her baby were both fine.

Claudia enjoyed the slow progress up the mountainside. The forest changed and deepened, the farther away from town they went. She loved the area as much as she loved her husband. Both were untamed and beautiful in their wild ways, harsh and demanding upon occasion. Yet, she believed they’d be worth all the effort it would take to tame them.

“If you need to rest,” Henderson said from beside her, “just let me know. Nathan is prepared to stop whenever you want.”

“Actually, I’ve been feeling a little better since Dr. Dawson suggested I eat soda crackers before getting out of bed. I wish I’d known about them on the train trip here. It would’ve been a more pleasant experience.”

“Yes, it would have, for all of us.” Henderson chuckled as he looked up at Hank riding one of the grey’s they’d purchased from David Burnside, a rancher near Doverton.

“Poor Hank,” sighed Claudia, smiling at the young man’s distress over her illness. “He didn’t handle it well, did he?”

“No, he didn’t.” Henderson’s face sobered. “However, it did reassure me of his loyalty to Micah. He couldn’t be that concerned for you as his father’s wife, if he held any of Stephen’s hatred.”

“He knows he’s Micah’s son, you know.” She watched the young man lean over and pull Joey off Nathan’s wagon to ride with him. “Micah has several problems awaiting him when he returns. I hope he’s up to it all.”

“I have a feeling he’s up to all his problems but one, Claudia.”

“And what’s that, Robert?” She swung her attention back around to her old friend.

“He has yet to really feel the full extent of your anger. Remember,” he admonished her, “the ultimate goal of all of this is to form a family.”

“I know.” A weary sigh escaped Claudia. “Just keep reminding me of that in the weeks to come, my friend.”

Up ahead, Laura sat nursing William to the rocking motion of the wagon. Rachel sat between her and Nathan, watching the boys take turns riding with Hank on the greys.

“What do you suppose will happen to all of them?” Laura asked Nathan.

“Darlin’,” he answered as he turned the draft horses up into the trees along a wide path, “Micah is not going to be happy his wife went against his wishes. He’s part Scot, you know. It tends to give him a stubborn streak. He also sets great store in his feelings and visions. I’ve never known one to go wrong, yet.”

“He can really see the future?” Laura switched William to the other breast, shielding him from view with a blanket. She was still shy about feeding her son in view of anyone, even him.

“Micah can’t tell you your future like some Gypsy at a fair. It’s more like important events that are about to occur in his life or those of the people he’s closest to. He told me once that the closer he is to someone, the more intense the feeling. He also said he only has visions of those he cares the most about. That’s why it’s so significant he has visions about Claudia.”

“Has he ever had visions of you?”

“Once, during the war, that I know of. He kept trying to tell me about a young gunrunner we were to escort to the front. I didn’t believe him and it nearly cost us our lives.”

“Did you kill the traitor?”

“No. The traitor shot us both.”

“That’s where you got that scar on your chest.”

“Darlin’,” he laughed, “I didn’t realize you noticed.”

“Nathan Cantrell, there isn’t anything about you I haven’t noticed. Now go on and tell me what happened. Who was this man?”

“Jonathan Gibson.”

“The same one involved in this conspiracy?”

“The one and the same, darlin’. If he’s been mixed up in this, you can bet no good will come of any of it.”

“Nathan,” Hank called, pulling up to the side of the wagon. “Henderson says Claudia needs to rest. She’s looking a bit tired back there, if you ask me.”

“Sure thing there, Hank. Why don’t you ride up a ways and spot us out a nice sunny spot to stop. I think there’s one just ahead in those trees there.” He turned to his wife. “I dare say you and Rachel could use a rest to stretch your legs a bit, too.”

“How much longer until we reach the cabin?”

“We won’t reach it tonight.”

“In that case, we’ll just have something light to eat now. When we stop for the night, I’ll make something more filling. You’re sure we’ll reach it tomorrow?”

“I think so. Why?”

“I don’t like the idea of Claudia traveling this long. And besides,” she added, grinning up at him impishly, “I don’t think my behind can take more than one day riding on this hard seat.”

“Then we’ll have to give you something else to ride on, won’t we?” He returned her grin with one of his own.

“Nathan, you’re terrible. Rachel is right here listening to you.”

“I meant a horse, darlin’. I have no idea what you meant.” He laughed to see her blush so deep. Once again he was surprised by the ease in which he could make his wife blush. In all his years with Rachel’s mother, he never once knew her to be innocent enough to be embarrassed. God blessed him with a truly wonderful woman the second time around.

He glanced back at Claudia. Despite her pale skin and queasy stomach, the woman never seemed to complain. He wondered if Micah knew just how lucky he was to have a wife who wouldn’t give up on him? A thought occurred to him as he looked over all the belongings Claudia had hauled clear across the country.

“Laura, is Claudia rich?”

“I suppose in a manner of speaking she is.”

“Just how much of a manner are we speaking?”

“Well, her father was a very influential banker in the nation’s capital. He held lavish parties for many of his clients. I believe he left Claudia with an estate worth in the hundreds of thousands. Why?”

“I wonder if Micah even realizes her worth.”

“She’s worth more than just money, Nathan.” Laura’s cheeks pinked again, this time as her anger sparked to life.

“Calm down, darlin’.” He pulled the wagon into a small clearing where Hank, Joey and Adam were waiting. “What I meant was, she must love him a great deal to give up such an easy life in the city, to come and live with him in an isolated cabin in the woods. Micah is a very lucky man indeed.”

“On that I couldn’t agree more.” Laura handed him the baby then hopped down from the seat. “Just remember, sir, you are every bit as lucky as he is.”

“I doubt you’ll ever let me forget that, wife.”

Laura laughed as she walked into the clearing to begin preparing a light meal for the group. Rachel chased after both the boys. Their laughter filled the glen.

Hank helped Claudia down from the wagon and over to sit by Laura. She felt more tired than she had first thought. She stretched out on the blanket, listening to the sounds of the children at play. After only a few minutes, her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.

“Claudia,” a voice called. She opened her eyes to find Laura standing over her with a plate and cup. “I think you could stand some chamomile tea and bread, don’t you?”

“Laura, you shouldn’t have let me sleep while you did all this work.” She sat up on the blanket, drinking the tea and nibbling on the bread.

“I was in the same condition just this last year, remember? I know what it’s like to have all your energy completely leave you. I fed the men and the children while you slept. Now you and I can have a little visit until Nathan’s ready to move on.”

“Your husband is very nice. Was he like that at first with you?”

“No. In fact he was as mean as a bear, and as prickly as a porcupine.” She proceeded to tell Claudia the story of how she arrived at Nathan’s neglected home, how he’d treated her that first day, and how she got her point across with a well-placed carpetbag to his stomach.

“Oh, Laura, you didn’t.” Claudia laughed at the mental picture of her friend bringing the big farmer down to size with a carpetbag. Finished with her respite, she set aside the cup and plate.

“I did. And I still put him in his place every so often, when he gets too big for his britches.”

“What are you two laughing about?” Nathan asked as he approached them.

“Just women things.” Laura winked at Claudia, sending them both into peals of laughter.

“If you’re done laughing at my expense, I think it’s time to move on.” He stomped off for the wagons, issuing orders to the men and boys.

“How did he know we were talking about him?”

“Claudia, I have learned that when two women get together and laugh, any male in the vicinity naturally assumes they’re laughing at him. This time he was correct.” They folded up the blanket and gathered Laura’s pots.

“Is he going to be angry with you now?”

“I’ll soothe his ruffled feathers later.”

“And how will you do that, Laura?”

“The same way you got that baby, dear.”

This sent them into further peals of laughter and earned them stares from all the males in their party.

* * * * *    

Finally, after traveling through a pass between two mountain slopes the next day, the wagons pulled up at the opening of a clearing in the trees.

“It’s beautiful.” Claudia gazed at her new home for the first time.

The pines parted to reveal a valley surrounded by trees and mountains on three sides. Nathan paused the wagons for everyone to admire the scene. A large cabin sat nestled between an orchard on one side, and a running stream on the other. Rocky mountain cliffs stood directly behind it, protecting it from the westerly winds and any attacks by unwelcome visitors.

Stretching out to the far side of the valley, were fields of green pastures and a second stream. Nearly fifty horses roamed the land, grazing at will, their colts prancing around them in freedom.

“Nathan, no one told me Micah raised horses up here,” Hank said in admiration.

“Your brother herded these wild mustangs into this valley years ago. The animals are well-protected here. The only people who know the two ways in here are your brother and me. He cuts out twenty or so horses every year, breaking them to the saddle and selling them to the army. Between that and trapping, he makes more than enough money to take care of his needs.”

“There are two ways in here?” Claudia gazed out over the beautiful valley.

“We came in from the South. If you look to your left, you can see a slight depression in the rocks. There’s a narrow path that leads down to town. In fact it leads right to our house. We couldn’t come that way with the wagons. Maybe later I’ll show Hank and Henderson the way down. It’s quicker, in case you need us for some reason.”

“Can we go to the cabin now?” Adam asked from the back of the grey mare he’d been riding.

“You follow the wagons down, son.” Nathan started his team into the clearing. “And stay near Hank in case your horse decides to bolt. Keep an eye on him, Hank.”

The wagons moved down in a circular fashion to the cabin. Claudia held onto the side of her wagon tightly. She couldn’t believe she was finally here.

Micah’s home for the last sixteen years.

Now it was her home—hers and her family’s. She planned to dig her roots in firmly. If Micah wanted to get rid of her, he was going to find he had a fight on his hands.

He once told her that he kept what was his. Well, he was part of her family now. And she kept what was hers, too.

* * * * *    

By the end of two weeks, things started to take shape both in the valley and the cabin. The men plowed and sowed a portion of the land between the cabin and the entrance to the valley, far away from the grazing land of the horses. Laura helped Claudia decide what to plant for the coming season, promising to come back in the fall to help her preserve as much of it as possible.