Around the River's Bend (23 page)

“Why, of course. Why would you ask that?”

“You seem to be made for finer things than a log cabin out in the wilderness.” Hammond was a handsome man with smooth features. His hands were not as rough as Sabrina's other dance partners' had been. He was better dressed, and the quality of his clothes was much higher than his neighbors'.

“Why, you live here, don't you?”

“I do for now, but someday I'd like to go east. Perhaps New York or Washington. I'm not much of a frontiersman, I'm afraid.”

“Well, I'm afraid I'm not much of a frontier lady, but I have little choice.”

Hammond's hand pressed against her back, and she was aware of his magnetism. “I don't think you'll stay here,” he said.

Sabrina looked up and smiled into his eyes. “We all do things we don't particularly want to do.”

“Not me. I do what I want to.”

“Sometimes you do, but sometimes you can't.”

“You're right about that. My father's a little tight with the purse strings. One day, though, I'll be able to do exactly as I please.”

Sabrina knew quite a bit from that simple statement. He evidently had a rich father who was rather tight on his son. She said no more to him but threw herself into enjoying the dance.

The music and the dancing went on, then finally everyone piled into wagons or got on horses and rode away. Sion and Sabrina went back to the Spencer house, for the new cabin had no roof. As Sabrina rode back, she felt a sense of security.
Tomorrow I'll have a roof over my head and a house of my own
.

****

The next morning Sabrina and Hannah were washing the breakfast dishes at the Spencers'. Fox had come over early and was out back showing Sion how to load and shoot a musket. Fox was an expert shot, of course, and as Sion shot, Fox was able to give him a lot of help. “You're a natural good shot. You have steady hands,” he said. “What you need is practice.”

“You've had lots of that, I suppose.”

“All my life. There were times when if I didn't shoot straight, we didn't eat.”

The two men shot for some time, and finally Fox said in an offhand manner, “You've gotten to know the Spencers very well, haven't you?”

“They're fine people. I've never known better.”

“Aye, they are.” He hesitated, then said, “I didn't have anything to offer Hannah before, but now that I've sold my place, I do.”

Sion suddenly turned, his eyes open wide. “Oh, is that right! Are you engaged to her?”

“No, nothing like that, but we've always liked each other.”

“She's a fine woman. I don't know as I've known a nicer one.”

His answer brought little comfort to Fox. He yearned to ask Sion what his intentions were but did not know the man well enough for that. He looked up as two men rode in and said, “There's Caleb Files.”

“Caleb Files . . . Isn't he the man who has an interest in Sabrina's land?”

“I guess I hadn't heard that. He's not too particular about how he gets his land. He's a big landowner to the east of us here. I don't care much for him. I don't know who that man is with him, though.”

Sion suddenly straightened up and narrowed his eyes. “I know him. His name is Jack Fry.”

Fox stared at him. “How could you know that?”

“I had a little trouble with him on the way out here.”

Fox did not ask any more questions. On the frontier a man didn't ask those questions unless they were better friends than he was with Sion. But he determined to find out about it. He watched as the two men dismounted and then shook his head. “Miss Fairfax better watch her step dealing with him.”

Caleb Files nodded to the two women as they rode up. “Hello, Miss Spencer.”

“Hello, Mr. Files,” Hannah said coolly.

“I don't believe you know Jack Fry.”

Fry pulled off his hat. His hair was shaggy, and he grinned, showing yellow teeth. “Howdy,” he said. “Seems to me we've met before.”

“Is this Miss Fairfax?” Caleb Files asked.

“Yes.”

“I came out to have a little business talk with you, miss, if you have the time.”

“Why, certainly.”

“I'll be in the house if you need me, Sabrina,” Hannah said as she turned to go. Sion and Fox watched from a distance in case there was trouble.

———

“I'll make this brief. I'm buying up land, and I'd like to make an offer on yours.”

Sabrina remembered what Jackson had said about this man and was cautious. “I'd rather you wouldn't right now. I just had a house built, and we've already planted some crops.”

“Ma'am, a woman can't make it out here by herself.”

“I'm not alone. I have a servant.”

“You need more than that,” Files said. “Besides that, I don't know if you know it, but I think I've got a claim prior to yours.”

“You'll have to talk to Mr. Jackson about that,” Sabrina said. She did not like the man and saw that her answer fronted him.

“Now, look, Miss Fairfax, let's get this over with easy. What's the use of going to court and paying the lawyers a lot of money, and then after it's over you'll have nothing and owe them to boot. I'll make you a good offer on the land, and we can avoid all that.”

“I'm sorry. I can't speak about it right now.”

Files stared at her for a moment and then made himself smile. “Ma'am, I'll get that land. I wish you'd make it easy on yourself.”

“Talk to Mr. Jackson.”

Sabrina turned and left the two men standing there. Files glared after her and then went back to his horse. The two men mounted and rode out.

Chapter Fifteen

Too Many Suitors

The water of the creek was almost as clear as air. As Sabrina eased herself into it, she saw a school of silver minnows hanging suspended as if frozen. The water was so clear that they seemed to be hovering in air, but as the ripples she made reached them, they turned as one body and darted away toward the center of the stream.

I wonder how they do that? It's like all of them have different bodies but only one brain
.

She heard a noise in the woods behind her, and she turned quickly, her eyes wide with alarm. She had come down to the creek to bathe, being tired of dirt and grime that could not be washed off in a basin. She had left her clothes on a nearby tree stump and was enjoying the warmth of the sun as it filtered down through the leaves of the sweet gums that lined the bank. She almost ran back to get her clothes, but then a large bird, the likes of which she had never seen, came down a tree upside down. It had ladder-like stripes on its back, a red head, and an enormous beak—sharp and pointed like a chisel. She watched it for a minute, the anxiety flowing out of her.

Sabrina reached for the small jar of soap she had left on the bank and scooped out a handful of the soft soap. Putting the top on awkwardly, she tossed it back to the bank, then holding her hand up over her in the air she submerged herself. The water was deliciously cool. The first three weeks of June had been very hot and humid, and the refreshing water seemed to go down into her very bones. She lay there on the sandy bottom of the stream, holding the soft soap up, savoring the coolness and the comfort of the water. Then she rose and lathered herself all over. Hannah had made the soap, and it had a sweet smell of some kind of perfume. It lathered well, and soon she had covered herself, almost like an ointment, with the fragrant soap. Finally she lay down in the water and let the stream rinse away the suds. She watched them as they were carried downstream swirling around a bend, and her eyes stopped on a turtle she had not seen. He had crawled out on a stub of a log extending over the water and was sunning himself. His wise old eyes regarded her, and she said, “Hello, turtle,” then felt foolish and laughed. “I'm going crazy out here in the woods—talking to turtles.”

Reluctantly she removed the last of the soap and then waded out of the water and back to where she had put her clothes. She dried off, dressed, and gave one last look at the creek, wondering what she would do in the wintertime when it was too cold for such bathing.

Making her way along the serpentine path that twisted its way through the woods, she stepped out into the clearing and saw that Hannah's mare was tied to a sapling. She hurried forward and as she approached the cabin, Hannah stepped out.

“Hello, Sabrina. I've been waiting for you.”

“I went down to the creek to have a bath. I couldn't stand being dirty any longer.”

“You're lucky to have a nice creek like that so close.” Hannah smiled. “I have to go nearly three miles to find a sheltered place.”

“You're welcome to use my creek,” Sabrina said. “Come on in. We'll see if we can make something to eat.”

“I've come over to give you a cooking lesson.”

“Well, I can use it,” Sabrina said ruefully. The two entered the cabin, which seemed dark and dreary after the bright sunshine. “I miss windows,” she said suddenly. “If I ever build a house—a real house, I mean—I'm going to put ten windows in it. One in every room, at least. This one window doesn't let in nearly enough light.”

Hannah opened the cotton sack she'd brought and showed Sabrina the contents. “This was part of our corn crop.”

“How did you grind it up?” Sabrina asked, letting some of the fine meal run through her fingers. “Is there a mill here?”

“Oh, no, we have to grind corn in a hominy block. . . .” She went on to explain how to make a mortar and pestle from a section of a large hardwood tree. A hole was burned in the top of the log, then corn was placed in the hole that was created, then a huge pestle made of hardwood would be used to crush the corn.

“It must be very hard, lifting that pestle and dropping it.”

“No, you attach it to a long sapling with a rope. When the sapling bends, the pestle hits the corn in the hole, then the sapling pulls it up again. I'm sure Sion will make a good one for you.” She broke off and said, “Someone's coming.”

“You have good hearing.”

“I think you get cautious living out here.”

The two women went to the door, and Sabrina groaned, “Oh, no, it's another one!”

“Another what? It's just Silas Bone.”

“It doesn't matter what his name is. I know why he's come.”

Hannah stared with surprise at her friend. “Silas lives about ten miles down the river. Do you know him?”

“Not yet,” Sabrina said grimly, “but I will. He's come courting.”

The two women waited until the man wearing buckskins stepped off of his horse. He pulled off his floppy hat and grinned at the two. “Howdy, ladies. How are you, Miss Spencer?”

“Oh, I'm fine. I don't believe you know Miss Fairfax here.”

“No, I don't believe I've had that pleasure.” Bone came forward. He was a weather-beaten individual showing the effects of a lifetime of labor. He had shaved recently, for his face glowed, and his hair was cut rather roughly.

“I'm might proud to know you, Miss Fairfax. I've heard a lot about you.”

“I'm glad to know you, Mr. Bone. Won't you come in? I think we have some tea.”

“That'd go down right well.” As he entered the cabin, Bone said, “I come lookin' for a horse that strayed away. Got a bay with three stockin' feet. I don't reckon you've seen her?”

“No, I haven't, Mr. Bone,” Sabrina said. As she prepared the tea, she listened as Hannah talked to the man about the affairs of the community. When she brought the tea, Bone picked his up and drank it without stopping, even though it was boiling. “That's right good sassafras.” He nodded with approval. “Well, Miss Fairfax, I'm not a feller to waste time. I heard you was here and you didn't have no man. So I've come to tell you that I'd like to join all them fellers been comin' to make you an offer.”

Bone reached into his greasy shirt pocket and pulled out a paper. “I got here a list of my ownin's, and I know you'd be interested in that. I got four hundred acres, over a hundred of it cleared, the rest in good timber. I got three milk cows, four beef critters, a fine flock of dominiquer chickens . . .”

Sabrina glanced over at Hannah, who was trying to cover up a smile while the two women listened to Bone's voice drone on.

Finally he finished his list, saying, “I lost my woman two years ago, and I got three young'uns—one boy twelve and two girls younger. I'd be mighty happy if you'd consider my offer.”

Sabrina cleared her throat and kept her face straight as she said, “It's very kind of you, Mr. Bone. I certainly will keep you in mind.”

“Well, I'll be moseyin' along. Good to see you, Miss Spencer, and good to meet up with you, Miss Fairfax. I hope we'll be seein' lots of each other. I think we'd team up together right nice.”

The two women went to the door and watched as Bone jammed the hat on his head, mounted his horse, and rode off with a cheerful wave.

“These men are going to drive me absolutely crazy!” Sabrina said, gritting her teeth. She crossed her arms across her chest and shook her head as she stared at the retreating man. “They show up at all hours of the day and night. All of them have got an excuse for coming. Some of them to bring a gift—more than a pound of butter or a quarter of a deer.”

“Are all of them as businesslike as Silas?”

“No. Some of them are very shy. One of them came two days ago and stayed half a day. I finally had to just say that I had work to do, and he blurted out, ‘I'd like to marry up with you if you're willing,' and then ran as if I had pulled a gun on him.”

Hannah laughed. She had a good, deep laugh that made her eyes crinkle shut. “Too many suitors! That ought to make you happy and proud.”

“Well, it doesn't! I wish they'd leave me alone. I have no intention of getting married.”