Bright Morning Star (28 page)

“Goodnight, darling.” She bent and kissed Claire’s mouth and then left. Each of the girl’s lingered after she left, then both laughed as Claire stared up at them. “Phillip and I are going to walk Bonnie to the station and wait with her for the train. We’ll send your bridegroom up. Don’t bother screaming for help, no one will hear you,” Lynne said and Bonnie scolded her.

“Just relax and let him do what he wants. It will be over in a minute. See you and Henry next year for the cabin raising. Don’t forget,” Bonnie said. Claire fought the urge to grab at them and hold them back. Instead, she sat smiling bravely, the long full sleeves fluttering over her hands. Henry loved her, she was not going to be afraid. But as soon as the door closed over her laughing friends, Claire began to pray.

Henry watched his father-in-law leave, then nervously downed the second brandy. He gulped and it made him cough and his eyes water. Phillip slapped him on the back and rose as Bonnie and Lynne descended the staircase.

A little tipsy, and with great trepidation Henry climbed the stairs and entered the room. On her knees in the middle of the bed, a pale and trembling Claire sat praying. Henry closed and locked the door, and watched her jump as he turned the key. He felt a little guilty, realizing the women must have treated her to the same routine the men had given him. He sank onto the edge of the bed and gave her a timid smile. Instantly she relaxed and moved into his arms. Tenderly Henry kissed her before blowing out the light.

He stood and removed his clothes in the dark, then slipped between the covers to gather her into his arms. She made a little squeak as she put out a hand and touched his smooth warm skin. Exercising infinite patience, Henry began with light kisses to her face, but when he reached for the buttons on her gown, she backed fearfully away.

He relaxed back onto his half of the bed, let his tired head sink into the pillow. Maybe it would be wiser to wait until dawn when he was sober.

Claire heard his soft snore and relaxed on her side of the bed too. Then she realized if he fell deeply asleep, Father would be knocking on the door, telling them to rise and shine and pack up to hit the trail. She would still be a virgin and not a wife. Because of her silly fears, she would be the only one of the three girls to not know what marriage meant. Irritated at herself and at Henry, she scooted closer to the relaxed man in her bed.

Curious, she pushed back the covers enough to see his bare chest, slowly rising as he slipped deeper into sleep. She reached out a hand, felt the rounded mound of his chest, the tiny flat button of his nipple. As she moved her hand across his warm body, she wished Henry hadn’t turned out the light. Her finger caught in one of the few swirls of hair on his chest before she touched his other nipple. Curious, she leaned down and put her tongue on his left nipple as he had on her that night on the benches. If it changed, she couldn’t tell. Emboldened, she pushed the covers lower.

Henry’s breath caught, his world clashing around him. His shy Claire was no longer terrified. He had to struggle to keep his eyes closed and not move before she grew frightened again and drew back. The air in the room had cooled down with the breeze through the bottom of both opened windows. He wondered what would happen if there were some magical way to turn the lights back on. Would she be pleased, or frightened by what she saw?

Claire trailed her curious hand lower across the flat plane of his stomach. One wayward finger led the way, tangling through more hair until she touched him. His body’s reaction betrayed him and he let out his breath in a whoosh as she flung herself back on the bed, eyes wide, chest heaving. Fully awake, Henry turned to stare into her wild eyes.

“Hello, dear wife. Are you ready to try this again?” Henry asked, his voice warm with laughter.

Claire smiled back at him and then giggled. “Yes, dear husband.”

<><><>

Phillip escorted the two pretty women across to the rail station and sat on the bench beside them. He was surprised that Bonnie had only one small worn leather bag at her feet. She wore the same brown dress, the lace trims starkly white in the dark shadows. She and Lynne both wore their bonnets again, hiding their faces and hair.

“Well, that should be an interesting wedding night. Did you ever see two more frightened lambs?” He said as he sat down on the other side of his wife.

The women laughed and Bonnie spoke first. “We did try to put the fear of God into Claire. But Henry was married for two years, he should be fine.”

“It’s always your first time when you actually love the woman,” Phillip said and Lynne wrapped his arm around her.

“See, I told you I had the most romantic husband in the world.”

“Claire’s not the same silly goose, we knew in Boston. After Tarn beat me and I lost the baby, Claire took care of me. She forced her parents to take me in, and helped me regain my strength and courage. She found us new jobs after the mill closed. Talked Henry and his wife into believing they needed her help. We were clerks at Lambton’s Clothiers.”

“I can see Claire doing that and loving it, but you were a clerk Bonnie?” Lynne said.

Bonnie raised her legs straight out in front of her on the bench as she laughed. “Wore a ruffled burgundy smock with my name embroidered on it in white.”

They laughed together for a minute, then Bonnie continued to talk. “I think she’s been in love with Henry since the first day they met. But she never did anything to tempt him away from his wife.”

“What was she like, Henry’s first wife?” Lynne asked.

“Bella, well Bella was bitter. I once watched them working side by side at the shop. Both were similar in height and build, but Claire was all golden hair and laughter, and Bella was black eyes and hair, and frowns. She had a son who had some kind of wasting disease. He grew weaker and more helpless all the time, but I’m sure Barney lived longer than the Doctor’s predicted.

Bella’s first husband divorced her because of the child and her parents put her son in an asylum for care. Calum probably shouldn’t have, but he told me what Henry shared about his marriage. He married her because he wanted to start a business and her parents paid for it; bought her another husband. It wasn’t a love match. But Bella was terribly jealous of him.”

“They both died on the trip?” Lynne asked.

Bonnie nodded, “Bella was shot with an arrow, Barney died two days later. Ian and Shawn, my brothers, fought for who would carry his body back to his Mother’s grave for burial. They came with Calum to rescue me from the Indians.”

Lynne turned to look at her, “Good, I’ve always thought of her as our little sister, the one we have to protect. I like thinking of her as grown up.”

“Well, it’s not her fault her parents spoiled her. She’s their only child. But when I was stolen by the Indians, she stepped up and learned to make a fire and cook for all our party. She took care of the children and walked beside the oxen, something she swore she would never do.”

“Were you carried off in the same attack?” Phillip asked.

Bonnie shook her head. “No, I was taken earlier, by a different tribe of Indians.”

“I didn’t realize that,” Lynne said. “Do you want to talk about your captivity?”

Bonnie sighed, “I don’t know when I’ve talked so much.” She coughed to clear her throat and Phillip apologized and started across the street to the saloon. “Soda pop,” he called.

“Beer,” both girls said together.

<><><>

It was almost one before the train pulled out. Lynne had enjoyed all Bonnie’s stories, especially the ones about Calum Douglas. She had no doubt her friend and the handsome Lieutenant would be a happily married couple, like she and Phillip.

When Phillip started to sweep her into his arms like a tired child, Lynne protested. “I’m fine, or were you already wanting to carry your baby to bed?”

He let her feet down carefully and held her protectively in his arms.

When Bonnie looked out the window to wave she saw the silhouette of the lover’s kissing under the gaslight of the station.

She settled back on the hard bench to rest as much as she could, lulled by the clack of the train. Tonight it seemed all of their dreams had come true. Lynne had found a perfect husband in Phillip. Claire had found and finally won her perfect husband in Henry. And in the morning, Bonnie would finally find her own true love and be able to call him husband dearest. The train wheels seemed to be calling two names as she drifted into her dreams. Calum and Bonnie, Calum and Bonnie, Calum and…

<><><>

Claire woke to the sound of a train whistle. She smiled, still satisfied, and stretched between the rumpled sheets to reach out and touch Henry.

The bed was empty. Sitting up, she pulled the discarded gown with its endless row of buttons back on and tried to button it without calling out to Henry. In the silent room, she heard a noise behind the screen. She stopped buttoning the gown.

Of course, a private moment. But as she lay there anticipating his return, Claire heard a bark like noise then a clear sob.

She scrambled up and padded barefoot toward the screen. Before she could touch it, she heard Henry groan. “Oh, Bella, poor Bella and Barney.”

In horror, she stood there, then as she heard him blow his nose, she turned back to slip into bed. Working frantically, she wormed out of the half-buttoned gown and pushed it off and onto the floor before trying to fake sleep. With her eyes squeezed tight, the tears began to leak from her eye, dripping across her nose and onto the pillow. What a fool she had been. He stilled loved Bella and felt guilty, as though he had betrayed her in loving Claire. Why had she been such a fool? She had been right when she told Mary Anne that she didn’t want a second-hand-husband. If only she had steeled her heart against him.

When Henry returned to bed, he slipped under the covers and listened, hoping that Claire was still asleep. When he heard no sound, he relaxed, then turned so he could put a hand on her soft shoulder. He would follow Phillip’s advice. But he had never dreamed love-making could be so wonderful. Afraid to move closer, aware of how much he needed the sweet woman again, he settled for leaving his hand on her shoulder.

With Bella, he had only made love to her out of duty. Every Saturday night, he had taken a bath and made love to his wife. It was what his father told him a good husband did for his wife. But he was unsure if he could control himself around Claire. He wanted her now, had thought of nothing but possessing her from that ridiculous night on the bench when she had been so responsive to him. Tonight, she had been as receptive, more, she had initiated the sweetest night of love-making he had ever known.

He felt emotionally raw, as though this night had opened his chest and all his feelings were spilling out. He had cried, for heaven’s sake, just like a woman. Loving Claire had done that to him.

When he heard her make a small sound, Henry sighed and trailed his hand down the sweet curve of her back, then lower to rest on the round curve of her sweet bottom. Claire rolled over and in the dawn light, he could see tears in her blue eyes. “Oh, Claire, my love. Are you all right? Did I hurt or frighten you, darling?”

For a moment, Claire wanted to cling to her hurt pride and anger. She could rail at him, the way Bella had always done. Maybe Bella had felt the same sense of betrayal. Was it Henry’s fault his wife was so unhappy? Hadn’t he been angry, furious, when Bella’s son arrived? He was a man who had no interest in emotional ties.

But there was such tenderness in his voice, and an aching need. It called to her own need and desire. She released the anger and moved into his arms, wriggling closer until her flesh was pressed against his own. She needed to touch him in order to keep her fears and jealousy at bay. When Henry moaned in delight, she wiggled even closer. He might still love Bella and feel guilt, but he was her husband now. Claire was determined to make him think only of her when they shared a bed.

In the morning light, Henry stood beside the bed. The curtains hung limp without a breeze, and he could hear noise from the dusty street below. He was full of doubt. He had tried to follow Phillip’s advice, but when Claire turned into his arms again last night he had been unable to resist. Slowly, as gently as he could, he had made love to her. Now awake, he wondered if he had deluded himself. How could an innocent know just how to touch him, what to do to arouse and satisfy him so completely?

Claire stretched, suddenly aware of Henry standing there, staring at her. She wiped at the corner of her mouth, worried that she might have drooled in her sleep. Then she sat up, raising and tucking the sheet beneath her arms, uncomfortably aware that he was dressed in his wedding suit and she was still naked.

Henry felt his heart thump in his chest. Claire sat cross legged, rubbing at her eyes and face like a little kitten. She was staring up at him with her big blue eyes under a wild cloud of yellow hair. He finally found his voice.

“Hurry, darling. We’ll be leaving soon,” Henry said.

Claire couldn’t help it, her lower lip extended in a pout. Everything felt suddenly wrong, like it had last night when she had heard Henry crying about Bella.

“I need my gown,” she said.

Henry looked around, found it on the floor and shook it out before handing it to her.

Again, Claire felt her lip betray her. Why didn’t he hold it and help her into it, instead of throwing it to her.

“I’m going down to get breakfast and see what the plans are for the day,” he started for the door and Claire called out.

“Wait, wait,” she was flapping her way into the gown.

He stopped and stared at her.

“I don’t want to face everyone alone. They’ll know what we were doing last night,” she said in a strangled voice as her head emerged through the top of the gown.

Henry stopped, realized she was right. He didn’t want to face them alone, either. Lynne and Phillip would both tease them if not the others. Then there were those silly friends of the rancher, Shorty and Banes. Those two would be full of eye rolls and chuckles this morning.

“Hurry, then,” Henry snapped as he walked back to sit on the corner of the rumpled bed.

Claire slid out onto the floor, her fingers working frantically on the long row of buttons. As she took a step, she stopped and made a face. In minutes Henry was around the bed to reach out a supporting arm. “What’s wrong, did you step on something?”

Claire pushed the hair back from her face, forced herself to straighten. Gave him a trembling smile. Henry looked from her, back to where the stained sheet was now revealed.

Feeling a total fool for doubting her, Henry reached out to sweep her off her feet and into his arms. He sank with her cradled to him as he kissed her brow, her damp cheeks, her soft trembling lips.

“I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you, to be such a beast. Here, just sit here. I’ll get you ready.”

Claire shook her head, smiling happily now. “Don’t be silly, it’s the way it’s supposed to be. I’ll be fine.”

But Henry ran around the room, found the washcloth he had used earlier and rinsed it out, and squeezed it dry before returning. As he knelt by her feet and raised her gown to wipe at the brown stain on her thigh, Claire shook. She put a hand on his bowed head, felt the full texture of his thick sandy locks. When he raised his face, she could have drowned in the liquid blue of his eyes. Their lips met and she knew she would never have another moment as glorious as this. She felt cherished.

<><><>

Claire had to scold Henry when he wanted to carry her. He settled for offering her his arm and she accepted, but only after he promised not to give her another pitying look. When they came down the stairs, still dressed in yesterday’s clothes, they were greeted by the wedding party, now seated at two tables in the dining room, the men at one, the women and children at the other.

“There they are. Guess Banes, you and Shorty won’t have to pack that bed, with them in it, after all,” Phillip called.

The young couple blushed and Father raised his coffee cup in salute to the smiling couple. “Gentlemen, remember the children.”

Mother called, “Good morning, come sit here. I have the coffee pot.” Henry walked with Claire, helped her to be seated, and then joined the men at their table. The children and women all smiled at her as Tom McKinney bowed and said, “Good morning, Mrs. Lambton.”

The other children repeated the greeting, laughing each time Claire giggled. She took the full plate of food, could hardly swallow. When she raised her head to look at Henry, he was gobbling down his full plate, his face down, but his ears red enough to tell her the men were each teasing him.

At her sly smile, Mother, then Lynne reached over to hug her. Father was explaining their change in plans. “We decided to try our luck in Montana. Phillip Gant has rented a train car so our party can travel in style on to Butte. The boys have been so upset at having to leave Shadrack and Meshack, their pet oxen, that he has agreed to take them and the loaded wagon as well as the buggy and team he had bought for Lynne. He had planned to have Shorty and Bane drive them back to the ranch.”

When Lynne whispered something teasing, Claire raised her head. She smiled and teased her back about her own condition. The children were distracted, and started asking Lynne what she was going to name their first niece or nephew.

<><><>

Riding the short line train to Butte, they were there in hours instead of days. Claire wondered how Phillip Gant could spend so freely. Wasn’t he afraid of going broke?

If he were, he didn’t act it. She whispered to Henry about it on the train, but he told her to be quiet. The man wouldn’t do it if he couldn’t afford it and obviously it made him happy.

Later, Claire had a chance to say something to her father. He nodded and took Phillip aside. Claire was glad when he forced the young rancher to accept some money. She was surprised to see Phillip Gant staring at her appraisingly when he walked back to join his wife. What had Lynne called him, the “Dark Prince?”

It was hard to believe Lynne’s husband had been a gunfighter. According to Lynne’s letter, he had killed all the men in fair fights. He had fought in the Civil war, later against the Indians, then ridden for cattlemen as a hired gun, and had later killed men defending his ranch and cattle.

The tall, handsome man was such a southern gentleman. Claire had loved how he had escorted Bonnie to the telegraph office, not hesitating to do whatever Lynne asked for her friends and family. She knew Mary Anne and the twins were already in awe and half in love with the exciting rancher. Claire let Henry make a bolster of his coat and yielded when he insisted she lean against it to get a little sleep.

The last thing she saw before her eyes closed were Mary Anne and Lynne, eyes silver with joy, talking about the ranch while the twin boys crowded against them. Claire wondered what it would be like to have such a large family. Lynne and Bonnie both had so many people to love.

As she fell asleep, she wondered what type of family Henry planned for them to have. As she looked at Lynne, she changed the thought, to wonder how many children she would want to have.

Henry stared at his sleepy bride, wondered about the whimsical smile on her face as she fell asleep. He had been surprised when she suggested they repay Phillip Gant for his hospitality. He wished he had phrased his response to it more successfully. He had seen her get her father to approach the man and offer to pay for what? The dinner, the hotel, the breakfast, the train tickets? Like Bella, he could see they would have conflicts about money.

But he was taking a young wife into an unknown country where he would have to establish a business and home. Yes, he had money. Far more than he had imagined when he left England. But he had grown up too poor to take money for granted. He had watched his father, a prosperous store owner, lose his business, his savings, and his son’s future overnight in the banking crisis in England. Henry had worried that he might experience the same loss again here in America. Luckily, the Wimberley’s trek west gave him an opportunity to save the money and his future.

People who had never been poor, could not understand how frightening such a loss could be. Someday, he would try to explain it to Claire. But not on this, the first day of their married life.

<><><>

Lynne let the children go on with Claire’s parents when the train arrived. She stood smiling at the dozing newlyweds. For a moment, she remembered their first time as man and wife. Shorty and Bane had been snow-bound with them all week, but before leaving, had prepared a steaming bath for the two and left them alone together.

After a week, she had become used to Phillip’s stormy looks and moodiness. But his tenderness, his passion, she blushed remembering.

Claire woke and smiled at her blushing friend. She turned her head, stiff necked, as she stared at Henry where he leaned against her. She forgot Lynne as she studied his face, his cheek red and scrunched against her shoulder, his hair wild and disarrayed. She touched a hand to his damp cheek and brushed his fluffy little mustache. Henry grunted as he pushed her hand away, then coughed as he sat upright, embarrassed to be caught asleep by the two women.

“We’re here. I wanted to show you around town, introduce you to some of my friends while Phillip and your Father take care of unloading,” Lynne stood back.

Henry looked for their bags and Lynne waved her hand. “Shorty and Banes took care of them. There’s a room at the end of the car if you’d like to freshen up.”