Bartered Bride Romance Collection (28 page)

Granny Willodene wandered past with some laundry over her arm. She chuckled. “Never thought that honesty was a sin. Does a woman good to speak her mind sometimes. We’re taught always to be nice. Turn the other cheek. Grin and bear it. Well, seems to me that Christ got mighty hot at the temple when folks were doing wrong. He didn’t mince His words with them Pharisees neither. Choose your battles, and keep a kind heart; but don’t let the sourpusses like Lavinia spoil your joys, because if you do, you’ll turn into someone just like her. Find happiness in the ordinary—it makes for a pleasant life and a serene heart.”

Bethany clung to Josh as they took the Independence Crossing over the Big Blue River. “Where to next?” she groaned once the train started moving again. “We’ll travel along the east side of the Little Blue.”

She gave him a disgruntled look. “Who named all of these places ‘Blue’?”

“Someone with no creativity,” Josh quipped. When his lighthearted attempt fell flat, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Not to rub in the word, but are you feeling blue today?”

Suddenly, the spot on the hem of her apron demanded her full attention. Josh watched as she tried to smear away the smudge. He tilted his head forward to see past the brim of her sunbonnet and noticed her cheeks carried an unexpected flush.

“Bethany? What is it?”

“You’ve mentioned children.” She paused then blurted out, “Not this month.”

He stayed silent for a few moments then stroked her upper arm. “We have plenty of years ahead of us. The next months are going to be difficult on everyone—speaking both as your husband and as a doctor, I’m just as happy for you not to be in the family way yet.”

She gave him a stricken look. “I thought you wanted children!”

“I do. I’m looking forward to a houseful of them, and you’ll be a wonderful mother. For now, it’s nice for us to have time together, alone.”

“Oh.”

He couldn’t interpret her reaction. Was she simply surprised, or was she disappointed? Before he could pursue the issue, Penny came over and started to tag along, just like she had when she was a five-year-old pest. She chattered about Anna Schmitt gossiping about Megan Crawford and how Megan was a really nice girl who promised to teach them a new crochet stitch that night. Within seconds, Bethany livened up.

Josh withdrew his arm. Bethany didn’t even seem to notice.

Chapter 10

T
hey traveled along the east side of the Little Blue and halted for a day at the Hanover Pony Express stop. “Can you imagine?” Rawhide switched his wad of tobacco to the opposite cheek and continued, “The day after we left, the first Pony Express reached Caly-forny. They’re a-running slick as cain be.”

Papa brightened. “Excellent. It’ll be no time at all before we’ll have dependable mail service back to Boston so I can correspond with other scholars.”

Everyone took advantage of the mail delivery and wrote letters home. Most sent several letters to friends and relatives. Bethany sent a single missive to Mrs. Throckmorton. The next day, they traveled fifteen more miles to the Holenberg station. Again, folks sat around chewing on pencil stubs and scribbling notes to loved ones. Bethany used some of her Baker’s chocolate powder and Rumford baking powder to make three cakes.

“Sweetheart, wouldn’t you like to send a letter to your uncle?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Last I heard, he planned to tour Europe. I have no idea where he is.”

“I’m sure he’d welcome a letter waiting for him when he gets back.”

She shook her head. “I wrote him faithfully for years. He never responded.”

“Never?”

“Well, I did get one letter.” She scooped more coals onto the dutch oven so the cakes would bake evenly. “When I told him of your proposal, he sent the note that he’d instructed one of his workers to acquire the wagon and oxen for us. When that man delivered them, he mentioned Uncle would be out of the country.”

He tipped her face up to his. Instead of saying a word, he gave her a soft-as-spring-rain kiss. Her whole life had been devoid of gentle love and affection. He was more than willing to shower her with all of the care and attention she needed.

When they reached Rock Creek Station, Josh didn’t bother to ask Bethany if she had anything she wanted to mail home. Instead, he sat beside her as she sewed. He’d learned if she curled one leg up beneath herself, she was content. He’d come to share the bench with her and smiled to himself as he watched her absently slip into that catlike position. “What are you doing?”

She bit a length of white thread from a spool and spoke slowly as she concentrated on threading her needle, “Your shoulders are getting broader. I’m letting out your shirts.”

“We can buy some supplies here if you need anything.”

Her eyes sparkled as she whispered, “Rawhide warned us not to. Mr. McCanless watches who spends a lot or dresses well. Then he charges more as they cross his toll bridge.”

Though he’d heard the same, Josh enjoyed her animation, so he asked, “How much more could he charge?”

“Anywhere from ten to fifty cents per wagon!”

“That’s quite a range. Then again, the stage comes here.”

“I heard. Eloise Bearnoo is going back East on it instead of heading on to California. She says she’s sick of being dirty, thirsty, and tired.”

“You’re heartier than that.” He gave her an approving grin. “Tell you what: You might not be able to get some of the items later on the trail that they sell here. Go on in and get whatever we need. We’ve been out of eggs for a while. Get as many as you can.”

She perked up. “Putting them in the cornmeal kept them from breaking till I used them up. I can do that again.”

“Sure enough. Buy as many as they’ll sell. Maybe get a little something special for Papa since his birthday’s next week. I’ll go speak with Mr. McCanless.”

That afternoon, Orson Millberg blustered as he paid a full dollar to get both of his wagons across the bridge. Bethany scooted so close, she was practically inside Josh’s shirt as he drove their wagon across. McCanless waved them, Papa, the parson, and the Coles’ wagons across without asking for a dime.

As they stopped for the night, Parson Brewster walked up and shook Josh’s hand. “That was kind of you—unnecessary, but kind.”

“Appreciate your fine sermons. Seems like the least we could do.”

Moments later gunfire sounded. Everyone gawked as Bert and Buck Cole wandered over to the Rogerses’ wagon carrying five writhing rattlesnakes. “We reckon we’d like to repay your generosity today. We brung supper.”

Rattlesnake, Josh decided that night, was a fine meal. It didn’t taste half bad. Better still, as Bert fried it in two big pans, Bethany refused to leave Josh’s side. To her relief, she hadn’t found a recipe for preparing snake in the
Great Western Cook Book
. Best of all, Penny couldn’t even sit at the supper table; and after the meal was done and folks left, Josh got to spend the rest of the evening just how he wanted to: without Penny or Papa hovering, completely alone with his wife.

Bethany shoved her bonnet back and wiped perspiration from her brow. Mrs. Throckmorton would be mortified to see any of her young ladies in such a deplorable state. When they’d learned about the trail, some of the more basic truths got left out—like the fact that the Platte River was so shallow and muddy, they hadn’t had fresh drinking water in days … so bathing and laundry were impossible. Add to that, she’d eaten rattlesnake twice in the last week, and Josh seemed to be losing his wits because he raved over what a delicacy it was.

A good wife unquestioningly follows her husband … but why can’t Josh lead me to a big bathtub and pork chops?

As if he’d read her thoughts, he said, “We ought to make Fort Kearney late tomorrow.”

Bethany held out hope until she spied the fort. Instead of the orderly military installation she expected, the plot of land was dotted with the saddest collection of ramshackle buildings she’d ever seen. Most of the buildings were soddies, and the soldiers lounging around them needed haircuts, razors, and baths even more than the pioneers. Almost a dozen men in patched uniforms went from wagon to wagon, offering, “I’ll pay ya a dollar fer a half pint of whiskey.”

The wagon train before them bought out most of the supplies at the store, so the stop barely seemed worthwhile. Upset that she’d find no respite here, Bethany tried not to reveal her feelings. Josh sat beside her and gave her a searching look. “Don’t be so upset, sweetheart. We’re doing fine—especially since you stocked up back at Rock Creek.”

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying and bobbed her head in agreement. Later, as she tried to hide her tears, the biscuits burned again.

“Wait a second. I need that bucket.” Bethany ran up to Josh before he watered the oxen. She leaned over the bucket and carefully slid two eggs into the water and held her breath. Both bobbed beneath the surface, and she let out a sigh.

“Fresh or spoiled?”

She plucked them out of the water and didn’t even mind getting her cuffs wet. It helped cool her off a bit. “Neither. They’ll do for baking, though.”

“We can’t spare much water,” he warned.

“I know. I’ll use a can of Borden’s condensed milk and fix custard.” Josh started to water the oxen. “I’m not keen on you using that canned milk. The Millbergs got sick on their canned lobster and East India sweetmeats.”

“I already promised Papa I’d make it.”

Josh slammed the empty bucket onto the sandy soil. “Does it ever occur to you to consult with me?”

Hurt, Bethany stepped backward and stared at him. He continued to glower at her, so she figured he expected an answer. “You took guard duty last night, and this morning you paid a call on Jeremiah to take off his cast.”

His jaw jutted out as he shifted his gaze toward the rolling sandy hills. “Fine. Keep your word.”

The rest of the day played out in silence. Papa and Penny raved about the custard. Josh and Bethany barely swallowed a bite. The rest remained in their bowls, and she finally scraped it out for the dogs.

“Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.”
The verse played through Bethany’s mind. She couldn’t very well go to bed and sleep next to Josh with this dreadful tension between them. She summoned her nerve and went to speak to him.