Jessica had never had another female besides her mother compliment her, not even one as tiny as this one. “Thank you,” she said, a bit at a loss. “So are you.” She was surprised to find she meant those words. The little girl looked angelic with her soft blond curls tied back in a blue bow and her big blue eyes round with admiration.
The little girl’s eyes grew even bigger. “I am?”
Jessica nodded. “Very pretty. Would you like to sit on my lap?” She wanted to catch the words back as soon as she spoke them. What if the child had jam on her fingers? But it was too late to back down now. Even Letty looked astonished as Franny climbed onto Jessica’s lap and settled there contentedly.
Jessica was surprised at how comforting the warmth of that small body felt pressed against her. She’d never had time for children. Actually, she’d never been around many small children. She awkwardly shifted Franny into the crook of her arm and took the coffee Ellen handed her.
“What brings the two of you to Fort Casper?” Ellen asked.
Letty glanced sideways at Jessica. “We’re on our way to Fort Bridger. My husband died in the Fetterman disaster, and I’m going to care for his brother’s children.”
Jessica tossed her head. “Tell them the truth, Mama! You’re marrying another man, and my father isn’t even cold in his grave yet.” She didn’t care if she embarrassed her mother. She deserved to be embarrassed. How could Mama be so heartless? Had she really even loved Papa? She gave a mental shrug. What was love, anyway? A temporary madness that enabled a woman to get a man to do what she wanted. Jessica herself had never been in love. She doubted if there was such a thing.
She eyed Clay surreptitiously from under her lashes. He was quite amazingly good-looking. A fine male specimen actually. He wasn’t in uniform, so he wasn’t a soldier. Perhaps he was a settler or a guide? It didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that he wasn’t married to timid Ellen. A mild flirtation to relieve the boredom was all Jessica wanted.
Ellen was no competition. She was short and pudgy with thin, flyaway brown hair and a mouth too wide for her face. Jessica dismissed her after a cursory look. She must find out more about Mister Clay Cole.
“Do you live here at Fort Casper?” she asked him.
Clay gave her a glance from his hazel eyes and shook his head. “Just passing through on my way to Bridger.”
Before Jessica could respond, Franny slid to the floor. “Uncle Clay, you haven’t seen my new dolly. Daddy gave it to me.” She took Clay’s hand and tugged. “Come see.”
“Okay, angel-face,” he said with an indulgent smile. “Show me your dolly.”
“May I come, too?” Jessica asked. What a perfect opportunity to get Clay to herself!
Franny nodded. “But you can’t hold her. Only Mommy and me can hold her.” She led the way to a tiny room, more a closet than a bedroom, with a small bed pushed up against the wall. She picked up a rag doll from the bed and held it up proudly. “This is Molly.”
Clay squatted in front of the little girl. “She’s very pretty, Franny. Almost as pretty as you.”
Jessica admired the doll too, then stood close to Clay and looked up into his eyes. “I’m so glad you’re going to be going to Fort Bridger. I do hope you’ll find the time to come see me after we arrive. I’d really like to get to know the brave man who saved us from the Indians.” She laid a hand on his arm as she spoke and gave him a tiny smile that she knew showed her perfect white teeth to advantage.
Clay looked down at her for a moment, then gently pried her hand from his arm. “I’m immune to beautiful women, Miss DuBois. But I’m sure there are plenty of men in Bridger who will be glad to dance attendance on you. I have better things to do.” He swept Franny up into his arms, then turned and strode from the room without a backward glance.
“You, you—” How dare he speak to her like that! Jessica couldn’t think of a suitable word to express just what she thought of him. She stamped her foot, but there was no one left in the room to see. She put her hands to her hot cheeks. He had snubbed her! Her! No man had ever snubbed her before in her entire life. There had been men who had walked away later, but never a man who had been immune to her beauty right from the first meeting.
She swallowed her anger and arranged her face into a bored smile. He mustn’t see that his words had bothered her one bit. She’d had years of practice at hiding pain and disappointment. No backwoods cowboy was going to have the satisfaction of hurting her now. She took a deep breath and walked back into the kitchen.
Everyone was seated at the table once again, chattering animatedly.
“Oh, there you are, dear,” her mother said. “I was just telling Ellen she must travel in the ambulance with us tomorrow. It will be so pleasant to have another woman to talk to.”
“You’re going to Bridger?” Jessica sat back down in her chair without a glance at Clay. “Is your husband being transferred?”
A look of pain passed over Ellen’s face. “My husband was killed last week,” she said quietly. “Clay is arranging for me to work at Fort Bridger.”
Uh-oh. Maybe she was competition after all. Not that Jessica cared after the way Clay had talked to her. But what satisfaction there would be to have Clay Cole eating out of her hand before she tossed him over! She knew exactly what she would say, too. But, Clay, dear, you can’t possibly want to marry a beautiful woman. You’re immune. Remember? Run along and see if Ellen will have you. I certainly won’t.
Jessica was so lost in her pleasant daydream of crushing Clay under her heel that she missed what else Ellen had to say about her job. “That’s nice,” she said absently. “We’ll be glad to have you to tea when we get settled.”
She saw the strange glances both her mother and Clay gave her. What was wrong with them? She shrugged mentally and fixed a bright smile on her face. “Franny can spend some time with me while you’re working.”
“You’ll be much to busy to bother with Franny,” Ellen said with a nervous laugh. “She can help me with the laundry.”
Laundry? Ellen did her own laundry? How odd. But Jessica was too full of plans to humiliate Clay to give it much thought. Revenge was such a sweet word.
two
Over the next few days, Jessica did not find much opportunity to put her plans into action. She only caught occasional glimpses of Clay when she got out of the ambulance to stretch her legs and walk.
Ellen and Franny often joined her, and she found herself relaxing in Ellen’s company. She’d never had a girlfriend before. She didn’t trust women, and she trusted men even less. But Ellen was different. She didn’t seem to have a bad word to say about anyone; she always had time to listen to her little girl, and she shared her thoughts and feelings with Jessica. Jessica still hadn’t shared anything meaningful about herself, but it was pleasant to feel as though she could, and Ellen would keep her confidences private. Maybe someday she would tell Ellen about her childhood.
One bright morning Jessica saw Clay walking his mare behind the ambulance. He didn’t seem in any hurry to leave, so she decided it was a perfect opportunity to pique his interest. She knew sunshine enhanced the sheen of her red hair, so she loosened the ribbon that tied it back and climbed out the back of the wagon.
Clay looked up with a wary expression as she fell into step beside him. “Where is Ellen?” he asked.
“Taking a nap with Franny,” she said. “She needs the rest. Martin’s loss has been hard on her.”
“I’m surprised someone like you would notice.”
Jessica bristled. “Like me? You have no idea what I’m like. We only exchanged a few words, and that was days ago. What makes you think you know anything about me?” She realized she was scowling and quickly rearranged her face. Why did the man bring out the worst in her?
He smiled. “It certainly looks as though you’ve had everything you’ve ever wanted. Riches, adoration. I’m not the kind of man a woman like you would normally notice.”
Rich! If he only knew. But
still, at least he was talking to her. “My father didn’t leave much money.” She tossed her head and saw his eyes stray to her cascading hair. She suppressed a smile of triumph.
Clay raised his eyebrows, and his smile widened. “Oh? A little poverty is good for the soul. You might learn something.” He broke off when a soldier from the front of the procession hailed him. He swung up onto his mare and cantered away without a backward glance.
Jessica gritted her teeth and stared after him. What a beautiful man. She would make him fall in love with her. She had to figure out what he admired in a woman. She looked thoughtfully toward the back of the ambulance. Maybe when Ellen awakened, they would have a little talk about “cousin” Clay.
Hoping Clay might come back, she walked along a few more minutes, then shrugged her shoulders and climbed back into the ambulance. Ellen and Franny were both awake and chatting with Letty. Jessica tied the canvas flap in place and joined them on the seats along the outside walls of the wagon.
“Your cheeks are pink,” her mother said. “I do wish you’d take your parasol when you’re out in this bright sun. Your skin will burn if you’re not careful.”
Jessica shrugged. “I forgot it. Ellen, I saw Clay just now. He seems so aloof, and I was wondering about his background.”
Ellen laughed. “Clay, aloof? You just don’t know him well enough yet. With five sisters, he learned early on how to hold his own with women. He’s actually Martin’s cousin, you know. But he’s been a good friend to me. Whenever he passes through our area, he always spends a few days with us.”
“Has he ever married?”
“Not Clay. He doesn’t think it would be fair to a woman to ask her to share his nomadic life. But he is attractive, isn’t he? He wouldn’t have any trouble finding a wife, if he were so inclined.”
Just then the shout of “Bridger ahead!” brought their conversation to an end.
Letty fluttered her hands and lurched to her feet. “Oh my,” she whispered. “My hair is a rat’s nest. What will Samuel think?”
“You look fine, Mother,” Jessica said impatiently. “Uncle Samuel isn’t expecting a fashion plate after a trip across the wilderness.” Grabbing up her ribbon, she tied her hair back, then sighed and clasped her hands in her lap. Another fort. Each one was almost like the last one; it was such a boring life. Why couldn’t she be arriving in Boston instead? Why couldn’t she be looking forward to parties instead of dealing with her cousins?
The ambulance wagon lurched to a halt and moments later she heard Uncle Samuel’s familiar gruff voice. He sounded so much like her father that a lump grew in Jessica’s throat. Life was so unfair! Why couldn’t it be Papa’s voice outside the wagon? Why, why, why? The questions had no answers.
Her mother hurried to untie the canvas flap at the back of the wagon, and Samuel climbed aboard. He smelled of fresh air, tobacco, and the cloves he was always sucking. His broad shoulders made the tiny space seem even smaller. The lump in her throat grew larger; her uncle had the same silky, dark hair and square-jawed face her father had had. Her father’s jawline had enhanced his air of authority, while Uncle Samuel’s jaw was a bit softer and more blurred. He looked genial, prosperous, and good-natured.
And why shouldn’t he look good-natured? Jessica sniffed and bit her lip. He was getting her mother as a drudge to cook and clean and take care of his brood. But not her. She wasn’t about to kowtow to a man like that. She couldn’t imagine a worse fate than laundry and cooking and cleaning up after other people.
“I’ve been watching the horizon for days,” Samuel said in a hearty voice. “The kids are excited, too.”
I’ll bet. Jessica bit her lip to prevent it from curling. If she knew Miriam, she wasn’t any more eager to spend time together than she was. She gazed past her uncle’s burly form, but all she could see were milling soldiers and rough log cabins. Where were the cousins, anyway? She and her mother began to gather their possessions and hand them to Samuel.
He turned and bellowed out the back of the ambulance wagon, “Caleb!”
Jessica’s eyebrows raised as her cousin Caleb appeared. At fifteen he was already taller than his father and looked nothing like the eight-year-old boy she remembered. He was scrawny, but with the promise of slender good looks to come. He nodded to her and her mother, then stood and accepted the bundles his father passed to him.
“Where are your sisters?” Samuel demanded. “They should be here to greet their new family.”
Caleb shrugged. “Miriam said something about baking bread, and Bridie was reading.”
Samuel sighed. “You’ll have to take them in hand, Letty. They’ve been on their own too long and don’t mind the niceties much.”
Letty fluttered her hands and nodded. “I shall enjoy it, Samuel. We always wanted more children.” She glanced at Jessica’s mutinous expression and fell silent, then gave a cheery wave to Ellen and Franny. Samuel lifted her down from the wagon, and she smoothed her skirts and smiled up at him.
Jessica wanted to throw something and scream at the look of devotion on her mother’s face. How could she look like that at another man? Uncle Samuel might look a bit like Papa, but he was a stranger to both of them. Her mother had only seen him two or three times and Jessica only once. And that talk of wanting more children! Papa had always said Jessica was all the family they had ever wanted.
She followed them slowly and looked around. Fort Bridger had neat log cabins laid out around the usual parade ground, where the soldiers practiced their maneuvers and gathered for roll call. The stream gurgling through the center of this parade ground was a bit unusual. Across the way she could see the warren of tradesmen establishments. A couple of emigrants argued with a short, stocky blacksmith, and further down several horses milled in the stable. A wagon train sat curled in its circle of protection just beyond the fort proper. Perhaps there would be more than just soldiers here. Ellen had told her that Bridger was a favorite stopping-off place for emigrants on their way further west.
“Where are our quarters, Samuel?” Letty asked in a timid voice.
Samuel hesitated. “If you’re agreeable, I thought we would be married this afternoon, and you and Jessica could move in right away.”
Letty blushed and bobbed her head. “Is there a preacher on the grounds?”
“Supposed to be one come in with you,” he said. “I’ll go check and see if he came.”
Jessica waited until his broad back disappeared around a wagon, then turned to her mother. “Mama, don’t let him railroad you into a hasty marriage! You don’t even know him all that well. He’s not Papa! I want to spend a little time in our own place before we move in with him.”
Letty shot a sidelong look at Caleb standing a few feet away, then whispered, “Don’t make a scene, dear. I’ve already agreed to marry him. What difference does it make if the wedding takes place today or next week? I’m not going back on my word.”
Jessica sniffed and turned away. There was nothing more she could say. But the minute she could, she was getting out of this place. She would put up with her uncle and her cousins since she didn’t have a choice at the moment, but surely it wouldn’t be for long.
Samuel appeared a few minutes later. “The reverend is here. He’ll come to our home in about an hour to perform the ceremony. Let’s take your things to our quarters, and you can both freshen up.”
They followed him across the parade ground. Jessica noticed this fort didn’t seem to have the air of gloom that had hung over Fort Phil Kearney. She glanced back toward the wagons and waved at little Franny. The little girl started to run to her, but Ellen stopped her, then waved at Jessica, too. Warmed by the exchange, Jessica squared her shoulders and prepared to meet Miriam and Bridie again.
The small home was surprisingly comfortable. The walls were lathe and plaster, decorated with cheerful garden prints. A rug in soft greens and golds covered most of the floor. The fire blazed in the fireplace, and the aroma of some sort of stew greeted them as they stepped
into the parlor.
Miriam sat on the sofa with her feet up. She looked up when they entered, then swung her feet to the floor. “So you’re here,” she said matter-of-factly. She turned and yelled down the hall, “Bridie! Aunt Letty and Jessica have arrived.”
Miriam hadn’t changed much. And when Jessica looked into her cousin’s gray eyes, she knew the old animosity was still there. The girls were only a year apart in age, and Miriam had always been jealous of Jessica’s beauty. Jessica gave a tiny sigh. She was too tired for her cousin’s attitudes today, but she wasn’t about to let her know. Never give an inch to the enemy was her motto. Put on a stiff upper lip, and don’t let anyone see your weakness. But sometimes it got awfully lonely.
Bridie came in then, a pretty girl of thirteen with a wide smile and shiny brown hair. “Aunt Letty!” She kissed her aunt warmly and turned to kiss Jessica. Jessica offered her cheek and stepped back quickly. She didn’t like being touched by someone she didn’t know well. It was all right if she did the touching, but she didn’t want someone else to touch her. Still, Bridie seemed nice enough. Better than Miriam, at any rate.
“You can freshen up in, uh, in our room,” Samuel said hesitantly.
Letty blushed, and Jessica gritted her teeth. Couldn’t the man give her mother even a night or two on her own to get to know him? She followed her mother into the small bedroom and closed the door behind them. She couldn’t do anything about it; she was just too tired to make any more objections tonight.
The small bedroom was furnished with a beautiful sleigh bed covered with a burgundy comforter. A hip bath hung on the wall and several hooks for clothes were spaced around the room. Jessica gave a sniff, took off her bonnet, and shook her hair free. The curls were limp and dull from the dust of the trail. Thank goodness she wasn’t seeing Clay again today. She ran a brush through her hair and pinned it up again.
“Aren’t you going to change your dress?” Letty asked when she saw Jessica put on her bonnet.