Just then the door opened and Dr. Horton stepped through. He looked into Jake’s agonized eyes and smiled reassuringly. “You have a beautiful daughter, Jake.”
Jake’s face was white. “How’s my wife?”
“See for yourself.” The doctor gestured toward the bedroom.
Jake jumped forward like he was shot out of a cannon. The rest of the family followed him eagerly. Amelia lay against the pillows with a little more color in her cheeks. A tiny face with a tuft of dark hair peeked out from under her arm. Jake sank to his knees beside his wife and daughter and stared at them with awe.
Amelia smiled up at them. “Isn’t she beautiful? I’m glad we decided to name her Gabrielle. God’s messenger. She really is a wonderful message from God.”
“You’re beautiful,” Jake told her. He kissed her gently on the forehead, then turned his attention to his daughter. “She looks just like you,” he said in wonder.
“Does she really?” Amelia looked up at her friends questioningly.
“Without a doubt,” Rand said.
“Aren’t you going to hold her, Jake?” Sarah said. “First you, then it’s my turn.”
Amelia lifted the baby and Jake took her awkwardly. Her blue eyes, so like Amelia’s, stared up at him and he swallowed hard. After a few moments of mutual inspection, he handed the baby to Sarah.
She took her eagerly and snuggled her expertly. “Oh, Amelia, she’s adorable!”
Amelia smiled and her eyes closed wearily. Emmie saw her friend’s exhaustion and motioned them all out. She was just about to shut the door when Amelia opened her eyes and motioned to her to come back. “What is it, Amelia?” she said gently. “You need to get some rest.”
“Thank you,” Amelia said. “And thank Morning Song for me. You both saved my life. I was so surprised to see her. Tell her I want to have a long talk when I’m stronger.”
Emmie smiled and smoothed Amelia’s hair away from her forehead. “I’ll tell her. I told you there was nothing to worry about. You’re going to be here to take care of your own husband and baby.”
Amelia smiled, then her eyes closed again and Emmie tiptoed out.
By the time they had all exclaimed over the baby’s perfection and had taken turns holding her, it was nearly time for supper. Emmie reluctantly handed the baby to Jake, and they all bundled up to head home. Weariness slowed her steps and she lagged behind the others as they walked across the parade ground toward their tiny quarters. A figure loomed out of the shadows and she choked back a scream before she realized it was Isaac.
He fell into step beside her. “Amelia and the baby okay?”
“Yes, thank God,” Emmie said fervently.
“I heard you and Morning Song were the heroines of the hour. You’re a gritty little thing.” His tone was admiring.
“I didn’t do anything but hold her down,” she told him. “Morning Song and the doctor did it all.”
“Doc Horton said he had you help because he knew you wouldn’t faint. He was pretty sure Sarah would. He said you have a lot of backbone.”
Emmie felt a warm glow at the words. “I didn’t think I could stand it,” she admitted.
Isaac stopped and took her arm. “You’ve gotten a lot more confident in the past few weeks. I think it’s because of your faith. Don’t you think God wants you to put the past behind you? You gave Him your fear. Can’t you give Him your past and all its hurts?” His fingers grasped her chin and he tilted her head up until he could look into her eyes. “I love you, Emmie. Can you look me in the eye and tell me you don’t love me?”
Emmie tried to draw away, but his fingers under her chin were insistent. His usually smiling blue eyes were serious as he stared down at her. “I–I don’t know,” she said unsteadily. “I don’t want to love you.” She burst into tears. “I don’t want to be hurt again,” she sobbed.
Isaac drew her into the shelter of his arms and rested his chin on her head. “I won’t hurt you, my love. From the first moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one I’d been waiting for. I want to be your baby’s father. I’ve seen the gentle, loving spirit you have. You may not want to love me, but I think you do.” He drew back and tilted her chin up again. “Don’t you?” He bent his head and kissed her.
As his lips touched hers, Emmie felt all her resistance melt away. She did love Isaac. She’d tried to deny it to herself, but it was true. She loved his goodness, his devotion to God, his unwavering kindness to his friends, his sense of humor, everything about him. She gave a choked sob and wound her arms around his neck as she kissed him back.
When Isaac finally drew back, he was trembling. “Does this mean you’ll marry me?” he asked with a teasing smile.
Tears hung on Emmie’s lashes and she brushed them away. “Yes, I’ll marry you,” she whispered. How can I tell him the truth about Monroe? she thought. I must wait for the right time.
He put an arm around her and led her toward the Campbell quarters. “Let’s go tell everyone.”
The kitchen was bustling with activity when they arrived. Morning Song was cutting up venison while Sarah peeled potatoes. Rand and Joel were putting the bread and butter out and setting the table. Emmie and Isaac stood and watched for a few moments before Sarah looked up and saw them.
“Oh,” Sarah breathed. “What’s happened? You look so—” She broke off as she ran out of words.
“I’ve finally worn down Emmie’s resistance,” Isaac said. “She’s going to be Mrs. Lieutenant Liddle.”
Sarah shrieked and dropped her potatoes on the floor. She flung her arms around Emmie and danced her around the room. “I just knew you two were meant for each other,” she crowed. “I knew God would work it out.”
Rand slapped Isaac on the back. “I told you to keep trying,” he grinned.
Sarah gaped at her husband. “You told me to stay out of it,” she said with a merry scowl.
“He thought one meddling Campbell was enough.” Grinning, Isaac chucked her under the chin.
Morning Song kissed Emmie on the cheek gently. “I am happy for my sister,” she said. “I pray the Lord’s blessings upon your life.”
Emmie was touched. “Thank you, my friend,” she said, near tears.
Joel gave a disgusted shake of his head, then shook Isaac’s hand.
“You won’t think it’s so dumb in a few years,” Isaac said as he ruffled Joel’s hair.
“When’s the wedding?” Rand asked a few minutes later as they sat around the table eating supper.
Emmie looked hesitantly at Isaac. “We haven’t discussed it yet,” she said. “It’s all so sudden.”
“Soon,” Isaac put in. “I’ll talk to the chaplain. How long will it take you to get ready?”
Emmie looked at Sarah helplessly. “How long?”
“A month, at least,” Sarah said. “We have to make you a dress and get the food ready.”
“Today’s the seventeenth of December,” Isaac said. “How about we plan it for January seventeenth?”
“Make it the eleventh. That’s my birthday,” Rand interrupted. “I’ll give you a gift on my birthday. You couldn’t ask for a better gift than a new wife. The Bible says, ‘Whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing.’ ”
Her head reeling from the speed of everything, Emmie nodded. As they cleaned up after supper and made plans, she felt as though it was all happening to someone else. She couldn’t be this happy. It wasn’t possible. She kept stealing glances at Isaac’s profile in the parlor, where he talked with Rand. God was so good. He was giving her the desires of her heart, just like the Bible said. But what if Isaac didn’t believe her about Monroe? What if he thought she had deceived him? Her mouth went dry. She had to tell him soon.
After he took his leave, she went to her bedroom and knelt. Help me find the right words, Lord, she prayed. Help him understand. As she snuggled under the buffalo robe, she suddenly remembered Jessica. What would her reaction be? Would she really tell Isaac her perverted version of the so-called
marriage? She shivered in spite of the warmth of the buffalo robe. She must tell him tomorrow. If he heard the truth from her own lips, maybe he wouldn’t believe Jessica’s story.
ten
The smile on Isaac’s face the next morning provoked much teasing among the men. The news of his engagement was all over the small fort encampment before he ever showed his face at officers’ mess. Rooster just said, “When a woman starts draggin’ a loop, there’s always some man willin’ to step in.”
When Isaac reported for duty, Colonel Carrington congratulated him, then asked him to take a woodcutting detail out to the bend of Big Piney Creek. Although the sky was clear, the trek was slow going, with huge drifts of snow left by the blizzard. Several lines of enlisted men tramped the snow down for the horses; otherwise, the animals would have been walking through chest-high snow in some places. Isaac sat atop his horse and watched the surrounding hills for signs of trouble. The men had only felled one tree and begun to cut it up when he heard the whoops of a war band as they charged over the hill to his right.
“Take cover!” he shouted. He slid off his horse and flung himself down behind an outcropping of rock. “Lord, send help,” he prayed as he saw the number of Sioux storming into the fray. The soldiers were outnumbered by at least three to one. Even with the repeating rifles some of them had, they would soon be overwhelmed. He knew the lookout on Pilot Knob could see the battle, but Carrington would need at least fifteen minutes to muster the men and come to the rescue.
§
Morning Song had taken Joel to the sutler’s store while Emmie and Sarah cleaned the kitchen. Emmie lifted her head as she heard the volley of shots in the distance. She stopped and put a hand to her pounding heart. She knew Isaac was out with the wood detail. Men were milling around the parade ground and running frantically to saddle horses. She saw Rand and Jake ride past in the first company of cavalry led by Lieutenant Fetterman. Then Colonel Carrington led a small force of mounted men out across the creek.
Sarah put her arm around Emmie. “Let’s pray for the men right now,” she said. The women knelt together. Emmie couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. She knew she should be trusting God, but it was so hard when she knew how dangerous the situation was. They had grown accustomed to the wagon bringing in dead and wounded men daily. She just couldn’t bear the thought that it may be Isaac’s body brought in bristling with arrows. Now that she had finally admitted how she felt, she couldn’t help fearing that he would be taken from her.
“Lord, we put our loved ones in Your hands right now,” Sarah prayed. “We know You love them even more than we do. Guard them with Your might; give them insight and wisdom on how to deal with this situation. Nevertheless, not our will, but Yours, Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”
They continued to kneel beside the living room cot. Emmie felt her heart resume its normal beat and peace flooded over her. She knew He was in control, and she felt her terror ease away. She lifted her head and smiled at Sarah. “Let’s go see if we can do anything for Amelia.”
Sarah nodded. “I’m still worried about her. It was such a hard labor. She shouldn’t be there alone.”
But their fears were unfounded. Amelia was sitting up in bed with her hair brushed, a clean nightgown on, and the baby nestled in her arms. She looked up from her inspection of Baby Gabrielle as they tiptoed in the room.
“What is all the excitement about?” Amelia asked with a worried frown. “I heard the men shouting and the trumpet calling assembly.”
“Nothing for you to worry about,” Sarah said with a soothing hand on her friend’s forehead. “Just a little skirmish with the Sioux.” She frowned. “You seem a little warm. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” Amelia said. The frown eased off her face. Looking down at the sleeping infant, she said, “I can’t believe she’s really here. Isn’t she the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? I just somehow knew I would have a baby girl.”
Emmie leaned down beside her and touched the baby’s face. “She’s wonderful,” she said. “You’re so blessed. It’s going to seem like such a long time before my baby comes now that you have her. Sarah and I will probably wear out our welcome in the first week.”
“Don’t count on it,” Amelia said with a smile. “I can never see too much of you.” She sat up in bed a little straighter and patted the side of the bed. “Sit down both of you and tell me all the fort news. Have you heard from home lately? What has Jessica been up to?”
Emmie sat on one side of the bed and Sarah pulled the cracked straight-backed chair up closer to the bed and sat down. “Well, I do have some exciting news,” Emmie said with a shy smile.
“Don’t tell me. Let me guess,” Amelia said. She looked into Emmie’s shining face for a moment. “You’re engaged to Isaac.”
Emmie gaped at her and Amelia burst out laughing. “I’m not a mind reader. Jake told me last night.” She leaned forward and hugged Emmie. “I’m so happy for both of you. Isaac is a wonderful man.”
“God is very good to me,” Emmie said softly. “I just hope I don’t disappoint Isaac.” She stood and walked to the window. “How well do we really know someone else? I’m not very brave, you know. I’m just afraid that when Isaac gets to know me better, he’ll wish he had married someone else. And how will he react when he knows I was never really married to Monroe?”
Sarah stepped quickly to the window and turned Emmie around to face her. “You’re not to think like that anymore,” she told her firmly. “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and a sound mind. Remember? Isaac is no fool. He knows you well enough now to know you aren’t a loose woman.”
Emmie smiled, then nodded. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
“When is the wedding?” Amelia asked.
“January eleventh. It’s Rand’s birthday. He’ll give me away.”
Amelia’s face brightened. “I’ll be back to normal by then. Too bad Gabrielle won’t be bigger. She could be in the bridal party.”
Emmie caressed the baby’s face. “She’ll be there and that’s good enough for me. You certainly had us frightened.”
Amelia sighed and adjusted her blankets. “I had some kind of silly premonition that I was going to die. I’m just so thankful it’s over and we’re both all right.”
Sarah took her friend’s hand. “We wouldn’t let anything happen to you. You’re too special to us.”
Amelia squeezed Sarah’s hand. “Sometimes God decrees otherwise,” she said softly.
Sarah gave one final pat to Amelia’s hand, then leaned over and kissed the baby. “We’d better be getting back. We’ll come back and bring you some nice soup for lunch. Do you need anything else before we go?”
Amelia shook her head. “I think I’ll take a little nap while Gabrielle is sleeping.” She snuggled down into the blankets.
“I’ll put her in the cradle so you can rest better.” Emmie gently took the baby and placed her in her cradle beside the bed. Jake had spent many evenings carving a woodland scene on it. Bunnies frolicked among flowers in a meadow, beautifully done. She tucked the blankets around Gabrielle, then followed Sarah out of the room.
They checked the fire and made sure it had enough wood before they hurried across the parade ground toward the sutler’s store. They’d been gone nearly an hour. Any news of the fate of the wood detail would be known at the store.
The store teemed with soldiers and other wives. Sarah saw Frances Grummond standing by the counter. Frances waved and immediately made her way toward them. She clutched at Emmie’s arm and burst into tears.
“I’m so frightened,” she sobbed. “Lieutenant Smith says Fetterman took a company of infantry and one of cavalry to the relief of the wood detail, while Colonel Carrington and George went with a small detail to cut off the Indians’ retreat. But the scouts say our men were heavily outnumbered. At least one officer has been killed and several more men wounded. No one knows who yet.”
The lump in Emmie’s thro
at threatened to choke her. Please keep our men safe, she prayed silently. Sarah invited Frances back to their quarters to await any further news. The day passed in fitful periods of conversation. A pall of fear hung over all three women as they tried to keep up their spirits. They sang hymns, took meals to Amelia, worked with Joel on his studies, and above all, prayed. Finally, about nine o’clock in the evening, the bugle sounded the return of the troops. They hastily threw on cloaks and hats and hurried across the parade ground to greet the returning soldiers.
Emmie watched fearfully as the men filed through. Their faces were strained and red from the cold wind. Sarah cried out in relief as she spotted Rand, then Jake. Emmie strained her eyes in the dark, trying to see a familiar set of shoulders. Where was Isaac? She whispered another prayer and scanned the melee again. There! There he was. She felt tears of thanksgiving well up in her eyes as he turned and saw her. He smiled and waved. The men couldn’t speak with them for some time, but at least they were safe.
“No-o-o!”
Emmie turned at the drawn out wail. Mrs. DuBois screamed and beat at her daughter’s restraining arms that held her from rushing to the ambulance.
“Major DuBois must be the officer who was killed,” Sarah whispered.
Emmie wanted to go offer her condolences, but she knew Jessica wouldn’t welcome them. At least not yet. It was hard to believe that the strong, vibrant Major had been felled by a Sioux arrow.
Isaac was exhausted and didn’t stay long when he dropped in later that evening, so Emmie had no chance to talk to him about Monroe. It was only by God’s grace that all the men hadn’t been killed, Isaac told her before he left. If the Sioux had managed to surround them, all would have been lost. She fretted as she lay in bed again that night until she reminded herself that God was in control. He had taken care of Isaac, and He would take care of her.
§
The next day, Sarah and Emmie went to pay their respects to Mrs. DuBois and Jessica. Emmie’s heart pounded and her mouth was dry as she followed Sarah across the parade ground to the Major’s quarters. Jessica was sure to have heard the news of the engagement by now. How would she react? Emmie had not had an opportunity to tell Isaac about her “marriage.”