A Love of Her Own (25 page)

“April, this is Lenora,” Morgan said.

Lenora stretched out her hand. “I’m happy to meet you. I didn’t realize my husband had hired another driver,” she said with a slight frown as her eyes swept over April.

“Oh, heavens, no. I don’t work for Morgan.” April giggled and saw the relief flood Lenora’s face. “I’m just along for the ride.”

Lenora looked at her husband, one eyebrow raised, and Morgan said, “It’s a long story, Lenora. Why don’t we all get settled in for the night?”

“I’ll go take care of the horses and see you for supper quicker than you can spell Mississippi!” Leon said.

Lenora gave a short giggle, and Morgan harrumphed. “That’ll be the day. Can you even spell Mississippi?”

“Go on with you,” Leon said, then waved them off and traipsed back over to the stage to tend to the horses.

By morning’s light, they’d hit the trail bound for Lewistown with the latest bag of US mail and the strongbox from the bank. April had gotten to know Lenora during supper the previous night and found her to be pleasant and very much in love with Morgan, which she thought was sweet. Morgan returned her affection, squeezing her waist several times during their meal. He hung on to every word Lenora had to say about her stay with her folks and tales of their friends back home. Her speech was educated and she had excellent manners, which overshadowed her shyness. Before long, they excused themselves, with Morgan reminding Leon and April to be ready early.

April was surprised by how much she’d enjoyed their company. She was used to fancy dinner parties that her mother hosted and the best cuisine prepared by their cook, followed by board games or an occasional dance with a string orchestra. Here, meeting people with everyday problems in a relaxed atmosphere made April feel included in something bigger than herself. Maybe she’d try to express her thoughts in a letter to her parents later. Or, better yet, maybe she could convince them to come to Montana to see Josh.

The second day of the trip back, April sat opposite Lenora in the stuffy stagecoach. It was an uneventful, breezy day that Leon said would bring cooler temperatures by nightfall.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what brought you to Montana, April?” Lenora asked.

April smiled. “My brother Josh’s wedding. I couldn’t miss that for anything. My mother and father are in Ireland for their anniversary, so I really wanted to be here for Josh.”

Lenora smiled, showing off her perfect teeth. “I’m glad that you and your brother are close. Family is so—”

Lenora’s words were cut short when gunshots suddenly rang out. Her eyes were wide with fear as the coach sped up and the shots continued. April wanted desperately to look out the window but feared she might face a bullet.

“It must be robbers. They might know that we have the US mail and the money in the strongbox,” Lenora cried. “Oh, Lord, help us!”

Fear shot through April. “Maybe we can outrun ’em!” She hoped that would be true, but when she felt the stagecoach slowing down and the sound of the rings and riggings as the horses halted, she heard voices.

Suddenly the door of the stagecoach was yanked open by a cowboy with a bandana over his face, holding a six-shooter. “Get out!” he yelled.

April and Lenora did as they were told. April looked up and saw Morgan slumped down on the seat, a red stain on the front of his coat. She heard Lenora suck in a breath and cry, “Morgan!” But he didn’t move. Leon, who’d been riding next to Morgan, now lay sprawled out on the roof, but April couldn’t tell if he’d been shot and if he was alive or dead. She feared the latter since he wasn’t moving. Alarm filled her, and though she was terrified, she knew she must do something. Lenora reached for her hand, but April’s eye was on the shotgun that lay next to Leon.

“Just you be quiet and don’t move an inch,” the robber said. From the front of the coach, another rider still on his horse ordered his cohort to get the strongbox. His face was covered as well, and he seemed nervous. The first one reached in the stage and yanked the strongbox down to the ground. He fired one shot at the lock, and the women jumped back, startled. April’s heart beat furiously against her ribs, and her hands shook.

“Well, don’t just stand there, get the money and let’s go!” the man on horseback yelled.

“Give me time, Boss,” he said, lifting the heavy metal lid. “What the—” His jaw dropped. “There’s only a bunch of government documents in here!”

April and Lenora didn’t move a muscle for fear of what the men would do to them. But what had happened to her money and the bank’s? This had to be some terrible mistake! April wished that Morgan and Leon hadn’t been shot. She wasn’t sure what to do. Any sudden move and the bandits might shoot.
Think!

“You fool, you said that the transfer from the bank was on this stagecoach!”

“Like I said, I
told
you that’s what I overheard at the station yesterdee,” he spat out at his boss, then turned to the women. “Where’s the money?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” April said. “I’m traveling with my maid from the South. We’ve been on the stage since Billings.”

Lenora picked up on April’s game. “Yes’m. That’s shore ’nuf true, mister. I’s only jus arrived. Please don’t hurt us none—”

“Shut yore mouth!” The boss regarded her with disgust from his perch on horseback while the other one snickered. Lenora lunged at him with fists raised, her eyes flashing with rage. April pulled her away just before his arm came down to hit Lenora.

April held Lenora as she sagged against her, crying. “You’re a sorry excuse for a man! Why don’t you leave us alone? There’s no money on this stage,” April said. She prayed silently that she sounded confident and that they would leave. She couldn’t bear to think about Leon and Morgan. “You’ve already shot two people, what good will two more do? There is no money!”

The man on the ground searched the inside of the coach again, dumped out the mailbag’s contents, then climbed up behind Morgan and poked around under the seat.

“Empty your handbags!” the boss shouted at them. Lenora did as she was told and dumped out a few bills.

“I don’t carry a handbag, as you can see,” April spat, which seemed to infuriate the bandits further.

The second man stood with his feet apart, his eyes slowly looking her over from head to toe. “I shore can tell that’s a fact, with you in men’s britches.” He started toward her, and April backed up.

“We’ve been duped! All for nothin’! Git on your horse and let’s scatter,” the boss ordered. “You two, git on back into the coach and close the door. You best stay there for fifteen minutes, or else!”

Lenora pulled April toward the coach with fear in her eyes. They’d barely stepped foot inside when the two highwaymen galloped out of the clearing. Immediately, April sprang out again, scrambled to the top of the coach, and picked up Leon’s rifle, bringing it up to her shoulder. Her heart thumped like crazy in her chest from the adrenaline rush. She barely had time to aim at the moving target before firing. One of the men, the boss, jerked in his seat and grabbed his shoulder. She could’ve killed him if she’d wanted to—her father had taught her to shoot when she was thirteen—but at least she knew he’d been hit. He’d be easier to track. Not too many people walked around with a bullet hole in the back of their shoulder.

She turned back to Leon and noticed a gunshot wound in his right temple. Sudden nausea clenched her gut, and she felt weak. She closed her eyes momentarily and took in several deep breaths to control herself. April reached down to his neck and felt no pulse, so she pulled his eyelids down. She’d have to get him down somehow.

“Lenora, what about Morgan?”

Lenora was already in the front checking her husband. “He’s badly wounded, April. He needs a doctor. We must do something fast.” She looked over at Leon hopefully, but April just shook her head.

18

Together, Lenora and April were able to pull Leon’s body to the edge of the stage’s roof and roll him over. Between the two of them, they picked him up and laid him on the seat inside. Lenora covered him with a lap robe left there for travelers when it was drafty. April’s hands were shaking and she was sick at heart. She had lost a good friend. Why had this happened? But she didn’t
have time to think about it now, while Morgan lay wounded.

They hurriedly scooped up the strewn mail, stuffed it back into the mailbag, and placed it and the strongbox on the floor of the stage. April stopped long enough to push her hair out of her eyes. “I’ll drive the stage, Lenora. We still have a few hours before we get to Lewistown. You sit next to Morgan and hold on to him. At least he’s breathing.”

“Please hurry, April,” Lenora pleaded, her voice cracking.

“Don’t you worry about a thing. Can you get Morgan’s gloves off for me? Since I’ll be driving longer, I’ll need the extra padding.”

Lenora removed the gloves, and Morgan groaned. “Baby, everything’s gonna be just fine. I’m here with you,” Lenora said, her tears splashing onto her hands as she held him close.

April let off the brake and yelled “Giddyap!” Then she laid the whip across the horses’ backsides, spurring them into an all-out run down the worn wagon road, with rocks and dust flying in all directions.

Hours later, exhausted and feeling as though her arms would fall off, April roared into Lewistown, turning a few heads as she flew past townsfolk in the streets. Instead of going to the depot, she drove straight to the doctor’s office and stopped the stage, blocking one side of the street. She jerked the brake back and nearly fell as she climbed down. Ignoring a man who asked what the trouble was, April flew to Mark’s office door and banged hard enough to shake the glass panel. A bystander looked up, saw Lenora, and hurried over to help get Morgan down as another citizen walked over to help. A crowd started to cluster around, buzzing with questions.

“Did she drive that stagecoach all by herself?” a woman in the crowd asked.

“Yep, she sure did! I saw her coming down the street. I wonder what happened.”

Mark hurried out to assist. He told the men where to place Morgan as he followed close behind then shut the door. He looked at Lenora, whose eyes were red-rimmed, and led her to the waiting area with a firm hand.

April turned to the men for their help. “Leon’s been shot and he’s in the coach,” she said. “Better go for the sheriff . . . and the undertaker. Leon didn’t make it.” Her voice choked and her eyes stung with unshed tears. She collapsed into a chair next to Lenora, her shoulders slumped forward.

The two men shuffled back outside. April hoped they would send for the undertaker. How had the beautiful reunion earlier with Morgan and Lenora been shattered so tragically? She reached over and grabbed Lenora’s hand, giving it a squeeze. Lenora sat stiffly in the chair as if at any given moment she would spring up.

“Don’t fret, Lenora. Mark is a good doctor.” Then, surprising herself, she added, “We just need to pray and ask God for His mercy.”

Lenora slowly lifted her head and looked at April through her tears. “Yes. I know Mark, but thankfully we haven’t had need of a doctor before, although Morgan has been complaining about his rheumatism in his letters to me. I just hope the doctor can stop the bleeding.” She sniffed into her handkerchief. “Morgan loved Leon, you know. It didn’t matter that they were different colors or different backgrounds. They completely accepted each other. Morgan will be lost without him.”

April leaned toward Lenora. “He has you, and you’ll like his young helper he recently hired. His name is Billy.”

“All I can think about is Morgan right now.”

April looked down at Lenora’s bloodstained hands clasped in her lap. “We need to wash your hands, and mine too. That’ll make us feel a lot better. Follow me to the washroom.”

When they returned, the sheriff was waiting for them. “Evening, Miss Lenora,” he said, then his gaze swept over April, a strange look passing over his round face. “Are you the young lady who drove the stage in?”

“Yes, I am.” April stuck out her hand and gripped his big palm in a firm handshake. “I’m April McBride.”

“You don’t say. Josh’s sister?”