Threads of Love (15 page)

“I know that’s what you think now, but once you get to Colorado, who knows what will happen. I realize your intentions are to return, but if your father’s health is restored and he wants you to stay, or if you meet someone else… It’s better you leave and make no promises to return.”

“That’s unfair, Jonathan. You make it sound as though I have no allegiance to my word and that I could not honor an engagement—if you ever asked me to marry,” she haughtily answered.

He looked down into her face, feeling such a deep love rise up in him, he thought he would die from the thought of losing her. “Phiney, I would be honored to have you as my wife, but I’ll not ask you for your hand in marriage until you return to Kansas. You’re an honest, courageous woman, and I know you would make every effort to honor your word, but I’ll not try to hamper you in that way. It would be unfair. We’ll talk marriage if you return. Right now, we need to talk about getting you ready to leave.”

“If that’s what you truly want, Jonathan. But we will talk marriage when I return,” she answered adamantly.

They talked until late deciding how to accomplish all that needed to be done before Jonathan could take her to Council Grove to meet the train. By the time they had completed their plans, both of them were exhausted. Delphinia bid Jonathan good night from the front porch, and as she watched him walk toward his cabin, her heart was heavy with the thought of leaving this family she had grown to love. Yet deep inside, she ached to once again see her father and knew she must go.

Morning arrived all too soon, and both Delphinia and Jonathan were weary, not only from their lack of sleep but from the tasks that lay ahead. The older children uttered their disbelief that Delphinia would even consider leaving, sure they could not exist without her. Amidst flaring tempers and flowing tears, preparations for her departure continued.

Mrs. Aplington agreed to make arrangements with the neighboring farm women to feed the harvest crew, and she talked to Jennie O’Laughlin, who knew a widow who agreed to come and help care for the children. Delphinia packed her smallest trunk in an effort to assure Jonathan she would not be gone long, and the next morning, after many tears and promises to write, they were on their way to meet the train.

It was a trip filled with a profusion of emotions. Fear of riding the train and meeting a stage by herself, traveling such a great distance, leaving the farm, the children, and man she now loved so dearly, all mixed with the anticipation of seeing her father.

“We’ve got time to spare. Let’s go over to the hotel restaurant and get a hot meal,” Jonathan suggested, trying to keep things seeming normal.

The meal smelled delicious, but somehow the food would not pass over the lump in her throat, and she finally ceased trying. The two of them made small talk, neither saying the things that were uppermost in their minds.

“Better finish up. The train is about ready to pull out. They’re loading the baggage,” Jonathan remarked.

“I guess I wasn’t as hungry as I thought. Let’s go ahead and leave,” she answered, pushing back the wooden chair, causing it to scrape across the floor.

She waited as Jonathan paid for their meal and slowly they trod toward the waiting train.

“Looks like there’s not many passengers, so you should be able to stretch out and relax a little,” Jonathan stated, trying to keep from pulling her into his arms and carrying her back to his wagon.

She smiled and nodded, knowing that if she spoke at this moment, her voice would give way to tears, and she did not want to cry in front of these strangers.

“Them that’s goin’, let’s get on board,” the conductor yelled out.

Jonathan pulled her close, and Delphinia felt as though his embrace would crush the life out of her. She tilted her head back and was met by his beautiful blue eyes as he lowered his head and covered her mouth with a tender kiss.

“I love you, Delphinia Elizabeth Hughes, and the day you return, I’ll ask you to be my wife,” he said as he lifted his head.

“I love you also, Jonathan, and I shall answer ‘yes’ when you ask for my hand in marriage,” she responded, smiling up at him.

He leaned down, kissed her soundly, and then turned her toward the train. “You need to board now. You’ll be in our thoughts and prayers,” he said as he took hold of her elbow and assisted her up the step and onto the train.

Standing on the platform, he watched as she made her way to one of the wooden seats, trying to memorize every detail of her face for fear he would never see her again.

Peering out the small window, trying to smile as a tear overflowed each eye, she waved her farewell while the train slowly clanked and chugged out of the station, leaving nothing but a billow of dark smoke hanging in the air.

Exhausted from the days of preparation for her trip, Delphinia leaned her head against the window frame and was quickly lulled to sleep by the clacking sounds of the train. She startled awake as the train jerked to a stop, and the conductor announced their arrival in Junction City. Gingerly stepping onto the platform, she made her way into the neat, limestone train depot and inquired about her ticket to Sheridan, half-expecting to be told they had never heard of her. Instead, the gentleman handed her a ticket, instructed her as to the whereabouts of a nearby restaurant, and advised her the train would leave promptly at 4:20
P.M.
and that she best not be late.

The information she received was correct. As they pulled out of the station, Delphinia noted it was exactly 4:20
P.M.
She found pleasure in the sights as they made their way farther west, but as nightfall arrived, she longed to be back at the cabin, getting the children ready for bed and listening to their prayers. They were due to arrive in Sheridan the next morning at ten o’clock, but the train was running late, causing Delphinia concern she might miss her stage although the conductor assured her they would arrive in ample time.

Once again, she found her ticket as promised when she arrived at the stage line, although the conductor had been wrong. She had missed the last stage and would have to wait until the next morning. That proved to be a blessing. She was able to make accommodations at the small hotel and even arranged to have a bath in her room. It was heavenly! In fact, later she tried to remember just how heavenly that bath had been, sitting cramped on the stage between two men who smelled as though they hadn’t been near water in months. The dust and dirt billowed in the windows of the stage, making her even more uncomfortable, but at least she hadn’t been forced to eat at the filthy way stations along the route. The hotel owner’s wife had warned her of the squalid conditions she would encounter on the trip, counseling Delphinia to take along her own food and water, which had proved to be sound advice.

The trip was long and arduous, and when the man beside her said they would soon be arriving in Denver City, she heaved a sigh of relief. The stage rolled into town with the horses at full gallop and then snapped to a stop. Delphinia’s head bobbed forward and then lurched back, causing her to feel as though her stomach had risen to her throat and then quickly plummeted to her feet. Not to be denied refreshment at the first saloon, her traveling companions disembarked while the coach was still moving down the dusty street. She almost laughed when the stage driver looked in the door and said, “You plannin’ on jest sittin’ in there, or you gonna get out, ma’am?”

“I thought I’d wait until we came to a full stop,” she answered with a slight smile.

“Well, this is about as stopped as we’ll be getting, so better let me give ya a hand,” he replied as he reached to assist her down.

“Thank you,” she answered, just in time to see the other driver throw her trunk to the ground with a resounding
thud
.

“You got someone meetin’ ya?” he inquired.

“I’m not sure. Perhaps it would be best if you’d move my trunk from the middle of the street into the stage office. I would be most appreciative,” she said.

Delphinia was on her way to the office to inquire if her father had left a message when she heard a voice calling her name. Turning, she came face-to-face with the man who had called out to her.

“Miss Hughes, I’m sorry I’m late. We expected you on the last stage. Your father was so upset when you didn’t arrive that I’ve had to stay with him constantly. He went to sleep just a little while ago, and I didn’t notice the time. Please forgive me. The time got away before I realized. I hope you’ve not been waiting long.”

“No, I just arrived,” she responded. “But how did you know who I was?”

“Your father told me to look for a beautiful blond with big brown eyes. You fit his description,” he answered with a grin.

“I find it hard to believe my father would say I’m beautiful, Mister…I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name.”

“It’s Doctor…Dr. Samuel Finley, at your service, ma’am. And your father did say you are beautiful; you may ask him,” he replied.

“You’re the doctor my father wrote about? The one who diagnosed and has been treating him for consumption?” she questioned.

“One and the same. I’m also the acquaintance who penned the letter to you and made arrangements for your trip,” he advised.

“Well, I suppose my thanks are in order, Dr. Finley. I’m sure my father appreciates your assistance as much as I do. Will you be taking me to my father now?”

“Since he’s resting, perhaps you’d like to get settled and refresh yourself.”

“If you’re sure there’s time before he awakens, that would be wonderful,” she answered.

Having loaded her trunk, he assisted her into his buggy, and after traveling a short distance, they stopped in front of a white frame house with an iron fence surrounding the neatly trimmed yard. Small pink roses were climbing through latticework on each end of the front porch, and neatly trimmed shrubs lined both sides of the brick sidewalk.

“Is this my father’s house?” she asked with an astonished look on her face.

“No,” he replied. “This is my house. Your father needs almost constant care, and since he had no one here to stay with and I’m alone, we agreed this arrangement would be best.”

When she did not respond but gave him a questioning look, he continued by adding, “It’s really easier for me. I don’t have to get out to make house calls since he’s right here with me.”

“I understand,” she answered as he led her into the fashionably appointed parlor, although she was not quite sure she understood anything.

“You just sit down and make yourself at home while I fetch your trunk, and then you can get settled,” he advised, exiting the front door.

Delphinia watched out the front window as Dr. Finley walked toward the buggy. He was tall, although not as tall as Jonathan, perhaps an inch or two shorter. He had hair that was almost coal black with just a touch of gray at the temples and a slight wave on either side, gray eyes, and the complexion of a man who worked outdoors rather than practiced medicine. His broad shoulders allowed him to carry her trunk with apparent ease, and he carried himself with an air of assurance, perhaps bordering on arrogance, Delphinia thought.

She moved away from the window as he entered the house, and when he beckoned for her to follow him, she did so without question.

“This is to be your room; I hope you will find it adequate. But if there is anything you need, please let me know. You go ahead and freshen up, and I’ll check on your father. I promise to let you know as soon as he’s awake,” he said as he left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

After washing herself, she unpinned her hair and began to methodically pull the short-bristled brush through the long blond tresses. Leaning back on the tapestry-covered chair, she took note of her surroundings. The walnut dressing table at which she sat was ornately carved with a large oval mirror attached. The bed and bureau were both made of matching walnut and boasted the same ornate carving. All of the windows were adorned with a frilly blue-and-white sheer fabric, the coverlet on the bed matching the blue in the curtains. A beautiful carpet in shades of blue and ivory covered the floor, complementing the other furnishings. It looked opulent and was a startling contrast to the rudimentary conveniences on her journey. She found herself wondering why a doctor would have such a feminine room in his house. Everything, she noted, including the blue-and-white embroidered scarves on the dressing table, emphasized a woman’s touch. A knock on the door and Dr. Finley’s announcement that her father was awake brought Delphinia’s wandering thoughts to an abrupt halt.

W
hen Delphinia finally opened the door, Samuel Finley came eye to eye with a beautiful young woman. Her hair, golden and wavy, hung loose to her shoulders, making a wreath around her oval face. The paleness of her skin was accentuated by her deep brown eyes that held just a glint of copper, and her lips seemed to have a tiny upward curve with a very slight dimple just above each end of her mouth.

He stood staring at her until Delphinia, not sure what he was thinking, reached toward her hair and remarked, “I guess I was daydreaming. I didn’t get my hair pinned up just yet.”