Bride of the Wild (27 page)

We walked for what seemed like hours, the sun moving in a westerly direction, disappearing behind the mountain. My dress fell in tatters around me, my hair tangled, yet dry, and I withstood the pain in my arm and feet, stepping on sharp rocks and twigs repeatedly. The socks did little to protect me from the rough earth, but I remained determined to overcome it. None of this would go on forever. The path would eventually end, and we would be in Fern Valley again. It was only a matter of time …

And an hour later, we came to the end, this area looking familiar, but evening had descended and exhaustion ran thick in my blood, slowing me to such a degree, I limped along, while Micah had gone ahead a few paces, eyeing the expanse of the Goldman farm, although the family had perished in the bear attacks.

“There’s nothing more we can do,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s miles to town, and we don’t have a horse.”

“Oh, drat.” A part of me had hoped someone would meet us, but how could they know we had emerged? “What will happen now?”

“Spend the night. I’m hoping there’s food left in the larder and clean clothes.”

I sighed, my arm throbbing. “All right.”

“Then, in the morning, we’ll walk to town. Someone will drive by and give us a lift.”

“I don’t want to go to town. I want to go home.”

“Whichever comes first.” He took my hand. “We’re safe now, Saffron. You can smile, if you want. We made it out.”

Tears filled my eyes. “I want to smile. I’m just too tired.”

He lifted me off my feet. “No matter. I’ll carry you the rest of the way.”

He stalked towards the farmhouse, which stood adjacent to the barn, although the animals were long gone. Someone would buy the property soon enough and take over the farm, but that had not happened yet. He placed me on my feet once we had reached the porch.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll try the door.” He turned he knob, finding it locked. “I’ll be right back.”

Alarmed, I glanced at him. “Where are you going?”

“To break in the back. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” He bolted down the steps, disappearing around the side of the house. It wasn’t long before the door swung inward. “See? Welcome home, my love.” He grinned.

“I’m glad, but I’d rather really be home.”

“I know. Tomorrow. Tonight we’ll recover the best we can and walk again in the morning.”

I glanced around the parlor, noting that someone had draped cloth over the furnishings. “It’s like ghosts live here.”

“Yes, it’s a bit strange, but we’ll manage.”

“I’m so tired.”

“Come sit in the kitchen. I’ll make tea.”

“Do they even have any tea?” That had my attention, my mouth watering at the thought. The last thing I had drunk all day had been smelly river water, which might make me sick. I hurried towards the back of the house, finding a musty room with cloth over the table and chairs. “I’ll look for a kettle.”

“I’ll go get water. They’ve a pump out back.” He had broken through the door, splintering it off its hinges.

“You kicked it in?”

“I did. I’m at the end of my patience. I can pick a lock, but I just couldn’t care at the moment.”

“I feel the same.”

A short while later, having gotten well water, which was then boiled, we sat at the table with a lantern, sipping hot tea and eating biscuits we had found in a jar. The fare, although slightly stale, tasted heavenly, filling my belly.

“There are preserves in the larder,” said Micah. “Pears and tomatoes and pickles and things.”

“That’ll make a strange supper.”

“It will.”

“I don’t mind. I’d eat the leather off my boot, I’m so hungry.”

“I’ve done that before.”

“What?”

“A storm caught me once on one of the mountain passes. I was holed up in a cave for five days without a thing to eat. I soaked my boots and ate the leather. It wasn’t the best tasting thing I’ve ever eaten, but it kept me alive.”

“That’s rather disgusting.”

“If you were starving, you’d consider it.”

“I suppose.”

“I’ll bring up the jars. We can have a feast with it all. There’s even pickled eggs.”

I smiled, feeling gladdened we had made it to safety. “Then it shall be a grand meal. I’ll look for a candle.”

“There’s brandy as well.”

“Is there really?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Oh, bring it up. I’d love some. Anything to ease this infernal throbbing.” I rubbed my arm gently. “I shall feel no pain soon.”

“I adore your smile.”

“I finally have something to smile about.”

He reached for me, carefully drawing me into his arms, for fear of upsetting my arm. “I love you, Saffron.”

“I love you.” Safe and protected, we were surrounded by things to eat and drink, and I at last felt a measure of peace. “I’m so glad we jumped together.”

“You are?”

“It was a leap of faith.”

“Indeed it was.”

His look held all the promise of dreams yet to come true, of undertakings not realized, and I knew in my heart they would be in time, because we had found love.

Chapter Thirty

Although in pain that evening, I managed to clean up using a bucket of water and a square of soap, scrubbing the smell of the river from my skin and hair. I struggled with my clothing, as my broken arm throbbed with pain each time I moved it, but I was determined to make myself as presentable as possible, knowing I would see my family in the morning. Mrs. Goldman had dresses that fit and shoes, although they were a size too small.

Micah had said, “Wear his boots. It’s better to have them too big than too small. I don’t know how long we’ll have to walk tomorrow.”

He washed as well and changed, and once we had gotten ready for bed, we slept fully clothed on Mr. and Mrs. Goldman’s bed, lying side-by-side listening to the sounds of crickets through the partially opened window. The house had been closed up for some time, and it smelled musty. I wasn’t able to lie on my left side, tossing and turning, the arm throbbing most of the night. By morning, I felt exhausted, but ready and eager to see my family.

“I’ve breakfast!” called Micah from the kitchen. “Come get it.”

I smiled into a dusty mirror, chagrinned at the condition of my hair, because with only one hand free, it had been impossible to tame. “I’ll be there!” Mrs. Goldman’s bonnet would cover most of it, but tangled strands hung down my back. I left the room a moment later, finding Micah in the kitchen, whistling. “Are you always this cheerful first thing in the morning?”

“Only after I’ve slept with the love of my life.”

“Oh, gosh, that’s ridiculous. Who slept? All I did was toss and turn.”

“I know. You need to see a doctor.”

“How’s your face?”

“It’s a scratch, nothing more. Come have some coffee. I made griddlecakes. There’s no butter or milk, but there is sugar.”

“It’s fine. I can eat it with preserves. They’re delicious that way.”

His eyes roamed over me. “That color suits you.”

“I like purple. I wonder what will happen to all these things?”

“The entire family perished. I don’t know. If they had relatives nearby, they’d inherit, but like most people, their extended families are back east.”

I reached for a griddlecake. “True.”

“I’m grateful the house was here. We needed a reprieve.”

I smiled. “We did.”

Sleeping with Micah and sharing breakfast like a married couple felt entirely natural. I could envision this type of future, of spending my life with him, until I died of old age. Nothing appealed to me more.

“What are you thinking?” He took a sip of coffee.

“I … it’s like it’s our house. The land here is pretty and verdant. I know they were successful at farming. It’s too bad it’ll stand abandoned. Someone went through a great deal of trouble to bring the furniture out. I looked beneath some of the dust covers. There are some very well-made things.”

“I’ll ask if I can buy the place.”

My mouth fell open. “You’d buy it?”

“Only if you wanted it. It would save me the trouble of building a house.” He glanced around. “It could use some work, but the changes would be superficial. The roof was built well. I don’t see any water damage in the ceiling.”

“And it’s a short drive from pa’s farm.”

“It is.”

“Maybe we’ll inquire about it?”

“I don’t see why not.” He eyed my food. “You should eat. Let’s get going soon. There are families who need to know what happened. We have some grave information to pass along.”

My smile fell, and the pleasure of the moment faded. “Oh, my word. How awful. I’d forgotten about it. Now I feel guilty. We’re sitting here, pretty as you please, and Silas is missing. Everyone else is dead.”

“Don’t feel guilty. We just survived an ordeal that should’ve killed us. We were very close to death ourselves, Saffron.”

“I know.”

“Eat. We’ve a long walk ahead.”

“Yes, Micah.”

After tidying up, we left the house in good condition, although the backdoor needed fixing. Winding our way down towards the road, with lush fields on either side spotted with purple and yellow weeds, it wasn’t long before a farmer ambled by in a wagon, and Micah and I waved to him.

“Saffron Fossett?” he called. “Is
that
you?”

Relief washed over me. “It is!” Farmer Pete had found us.

He brought his horse alongside, encouraging the animal to stop. “We’ve been on the watch for you. Ever since they found Silas Hefferman yesterday, everybody’s in a tizzy, worrying about the hunting party.”

“Is he alive?” I asked.

“Yes, ma’am. He is.”

Micah glanced at me. “Well, that’s good news.” He grinned.

That was astonishing. “Where did they find him? We were in the same river, and we didn’t see him.”

“Hop in the back. I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

“I need to see my family,” I said, scrambling into the bed of the wagon, although I had to be careful about my arm.

“Everyone’s in town, even your family. That’s where I’m headin’. A meeting’s scheduled at ten to discuss everything’s that happened.”

“Then we’re going to town.” Micah sat with his back to the seat, and I joined him, gazing into the field before us, as Farmer Pete called to the horse. The wagon jerked, the wheels turning.

“Silas is in sorry shape,” he said. “He’s got an infection, and he nearly drowned. He broke his leg as well. A fisherman found him downstream.”

“I’m so glad he’s alive.” What a happy coincidence and a relief, but I worried about his illness. I prayed he recovered.

“He was able to tell us a bit about what happened, but he’s on a heavy dose of laudanum, so some of what he said didn’t make much sense. They were waiting for him to be lucid before asking more questions. Women want to know what happened to their husbands. There are a coupla ladies in near hysterics at the moment.”

“We can discuss that at the meeting,” said Micah, a frown now replacing his smile. We knew the truth, we had lived the horror, but no one else could guess just how awful the experience had been, especially for those who had been murdered.

“Your pa’s very worried about you, young lady. He’s fixin’ to get a group of men together to go after you. Your brother Tom is going too.”

“That won’t be necessary now.” I hated that I would have to relay the events of the last forty-eight hours in detail, reliving every terrible moment, but it could not be helped. Those families deserved to know what happened to their loved ones. “We can fill everyone in on the details. We saw what happened.” I met Micah’s gaze, and he took my hand. “I’m going to need whatever strength I have left to get through this.”

He nodded in agreement. “It’s going to be a sad day for everyone.”

“I can’t celebrate having survived, because so many didn’t.”

“We’ll do it in private. We shouldn’t be made to feel ashamed for having lived through it. It’s quite a tale. It’s an adventure for the history books, to be sure.”

“I don’t care if I make history. I’d rather not. I’d give anything to have those men here with us. We should have all emerged triumphant, having killed the bear.”

Fresh air filled my lungs with each fortifying breath I took, in preparation of what was to come. The outlines of buildings lay ahead. The town bustled with activity, the streets filled with carriages, and several freight wagons had arrived, bringing goods to the businesses. I did not think I would ever see this again, because death had been a constant threat. Now it was over.

Someone shouted then. “Saffron Fossett!”

I waved, but refrained from smiling. People gathered, coming out from shops and the saloon to watch as Farmer Pete pulled the wagon towards the hotel, where the meeting would be held. Many other wagons and carriages had been left here, while a group of people had gathered out front.

“You need to see Doctor Walker,” said Micah. “That should be your first priority.”

“I will.” I craned my neck, hoping to glimpse my family. Pa appeared then with Tom and Amelia in tow. “Pa!” I shouted, my smile bright. I could not contain my happiness at seeing my family again.

“Saffron!”

Micah threw down the back, helping me out, and, as my feet hit the ground, I ran towards them. They stood on the boardwalk before the hotel. “Amelia! Tom!” My sister went to hug me, but I gasped from the pain. “Ouch.”

“What happened to you?” asked pa. “Where is everyone else?”

“I’ve a lot to say, but I really want to see Silas. Doc Walker has to set this arm.”

“Then we’ll do that.” He glanced at Tom. “Tell them to delay the meeting. She needs medical attention. We’ll have all the answers as soon as she’s seen to.”

“Yes, Pa.” He grinned, rushing into the building.

Micah led me away, his arm possessively around my shoulder. Pa, noting this asked, “So, my dear. It looks like you’ve had quite the adventure.”

“I have.”

Amelia was by my side. “You have to tell us what happened. We’ve been terribly worried, but even more so after Silas returned. He said something about everyone dying. That was truly shocking, and none of us wanted to believe it.”