Heartbreak Trail (36 page)

Justice came swiftly in Hangtown, a place aptly named. A man accused of a serious crime got a fast trial, held in one of the saloons or occasionally in the street. If found guilty, and he usually was, he was immediately hauled in a wagon to a large oak tree that grew just outside town and hanged.

When Lucy and Abner arrived, Hangtown consisted of just two rows of buildings with a street in-between, but it was constantly growing. Hundreds of emigrants arrived daily, not only to stake claims in the surrounding hills but to take up lots to build homes and businesses.

Abner was among them. The very day he arrived, he found a store for sale and bought it with the remainder of his cash. Taking Lucy along, he went to the town’s only bank and deposited most of Jacob’s hoard of gold coins, keeping just enough to buy new inventory.

Americus Washburn, owner of the bank, gave them a grand welcome. “I trust you and your lovely wife will enjoy living in Hangtown, Mister Schneider.”

“
My wife and I surely will.”

Lucy silently bristled.
I am not your wife. How dare you!
Best not say anything. At least for the moment.

Within a week, the two-story, wooden frame structure situated next to the Gold Dust Saloon became Schneider’s General Store, open for business. An instant success, it stocked a variety of miners’ equipment as well as general merchandise. The store occupied the first floor. The Schneider family lived on the second floor. Soon Lucy found herself racing up and down the stairs, helping in the store and taking care of Amy at the same time.

On the third day after the store opened, Lucy was working behind the counter when she heard someone call, “Lucy! I can’t believe it!”

That voice
. “Cordelia!” Lucy fairly ran around the counter to hug and greet her friend. “I had no idea you were here.”

“
It was Chad’s idea. Remember how he said he wanted to come to Hangtown? Well, here we are, and now I’m looking to open a boarding house.”

Lucy took her friend upstairs and gave her a tour of the two bedrooms, living room, and kitchen that made up her new living quarters. Located out back, the privy seemed the height of luxury after the inconveniences endured on the trail. “I thank my lucky stars I’m not living in a wagon anymore. Don’t you feel the same?”

“
Of course,” Lucy answered, almost by rote. Her joy at seeing Cordelia was short-lived. These days, try as she might to conceal it, a constant heaviness hung over her heart. When she lost Clint, she lost her spirit. Nothing, it seemed, could ever bring it back.

Cordelia seemed to perceive something was wrong. “I wondered where you’d gone. Everyone did. But Hangtown? With Abner? Don’t tell me you married that awful man.”

“
No, but everybody thinks I did.” Lucy proceeded to tell her friend about Abner’s threat to murder the baby. “He meant it. I know he did.”

Cordelia listened with increasing horror. “You must leave him at once. The man’s a maniac. You’re not safe.”

“
I can’t afford to leave.” Lucy’s smile was rueful. “I had some money—gold coins Jacob had left—but Abner took everything I had.”

“
What about Clint? Why hasn’t he come after you?”

“
When we left, Abner told everyone we were going to Downieville. If Clint went after me, he doubtless went in the wrong direction. He has no idea where I am.”

“
How monstrous.” For a time, Cordelia sat silent. “Perhaps you could send him a letter?”

“
And how should I address it? To Mister Clint Palance, The Sierra Nevada Mountains, somewhere between Truckee and Sacramento?”

Cordelia gave a sigh of defeat. “When I open my boarding house, you can come and stay with me.”

Lucy raised her chin high. “Thank you. You’re more than kind, but I won’t be a charity case. Don’t you worry. I’m fine for now.”
But for how long
? Silently she vowed that from now on, she would only grieve on the inside, not just for Clint but for the loss of her independence, the end of her dignity and self-respect. Abner had taken all that away, leaving her with nothing but a numb emptiness in her heart. She put on a bright smile. “As you can see, I’m making the best of it.”

“
So how does Abner feel about living next to the Gold Dust?”

Lucy laughed aloud, a rare occurrence these days. “He’s quoting his Bible verses again.” She stood and assumed Abner’s prophet pose. In a deep voice she pronounced,
“ ‘The drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty.’ I believe that’s Proverbs something-or-other. Oh, and you know how he feels about all the fancy women in town? ‘Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.’ ”

Cordelia broke into laughter. “Then I guess Hangtown fell into wickedness a long time ago, what with all those fancy women we’ve got around here.”

During the days that followed, Cordelia visited often, each time reviving Lucy’s lagging spirits. One day Cordelia came had a strange look on her face. “Is there something wrong?” They sat at Lucy’s kitchen table.

Cordelia opened her mouth to speak, then shut it again.

“
You were going to say something?”

“
Uh, no, nothing.”

Lucy was about to insist Cordelia speak when the baby started to fret. She took Amy from her cradle and cuddled her in her lap.

“
She’s so darling.” Cordelia wasn’t exaggerating. At nearly four months old, Amy was a rosy-cheeked baby with her father’s dark hair and her mother’s big blue eyes. She hardly ever cried, but instead spent her waking hours cooing contentedly, reaching her little fingers out to explore her new world.

“
I hate to leave her for a minute, but Abner wants me to work in the store. I’ve hired Molly Sawyer, the doctor’s daughter, to watch her while I’m downstairs. She’s only thirteen but quite responsible.”

“
I know who you mean. A pretty little thing. The doctor dotes on her.”

They chatted for a while, mostly about the tea party Cordelia planned to give in the parlor of her new boarding house. “I feel it will be an uplifting event for Hangtown. We could do with a bit of culture around here.”

Tongue in cheek, Lucy asked, “Are you inviting the ladies from the Gold Dust?”

Cordelia pretended to bristle. “Most certainly I am not! Only genteel ladies, if you please.”

“
That won’t leave many.” Despite Cordelia’s newfound tolerance, Lucy knew the town’s “painted women,” as Abner sneeringly called them, would never get invited to her parlor for tea.

Again, a peculiar look crossed Cordelia’s face. Again she started to speak, then seemed to think better of it.

Lucy looked her square in the eye. “Out with it. What do you want to say?”

“
Nothing ... well, I don’t know if I should tell you or not. It’s just a rumor.”

“
Now my curiosity’s aroused. You’ve got to tell me.”

“
I’m not one to gossip.”

“
Of course not.”

“
It’s about Abner, and you really should know.”

“
Just tell me.”

“
You know how men are.”

“
Indeed I do. Now for heaven’s sake, tell me.”

“
Sometimes I overhear the men talking at my boarding house. They say ... well, Abner has been seen coming out of the ... you know, the places of ill repute.”

“
Whorehouses?”

“
Yes, whorehouses, and just about every night.”

Pious, sanctimonious Abner? She couldn’t believe it. “That can’t be true. Abner would never ... They must be wrong. Yes, of course they’re wrong. They must have mistaken him for someone else.”

“
Perhaps, but on the other hand, how many tall men with a peg leg and a long black beard could there be in Hangtown?” At Lucy’s stunned silence, Cordelia continued, “I do believe it to be the truth, much as I hate to say it. May I ask a very personal question?”

“
Go ahead.”

“
You sleep in separate bedrooms?”

“
I sleep in Amy’s room.” Lucy smiled. “I once threatened to blow his head off if he touched me. Apparently, he hasn’t forgotten.”

Cordelia screeched with laughter. “Then that might explain ...” She screwed up her face, as if a battle raged within. She finally heaved a resigned sigh. “Since I’ve come this far, I may as well tell you everything. I guess you know Abner is a lusty man, with strong appetites for ... you know.”

“
Abner? I had no idea.”

“
Well, here’s what you don’t know. While we were on the trail, Abner got himself a bad reputation for bothering the women. He was always touching where he shouldn’t, getting up too close, making suggestive remarks. His actions made us angry, especially because he was so sneaky about it, always going around with that pious, holier-than-thou attitude.” Cordelia paused, apparently gathering her thoughts. “I never told you this, but Abner had the nerve to come to my wagon the night after Nathaniel died and ... it was just awful. He actually thought I would welcome his advances. He said he wanted to ‘comfort’ me and help me find solace in God. I was horrified.”

“
Why didn’t you speak up and complain? Why didn’t
anyone
complain?”

“
Far as I know, none of the wives ever said anything. You know what it’s like on a wagon train, what with the men’s tempers so short anything could set them off. Something like that ... well, you know they all have guns. It could have led to bloodshed.”

“
I had no idea.”

“
Nobody wanted to tell you, but at this point, I think you deserve to know. I suppose you can’t stop him, but you should be aware of what he’s up to every night. Quite frankly, I think we should all keep an eye on him. He doesn’t quite seem normal to me, like he’s some kind of pervert or something.”

“
Thanks for telling me. I needed to know.”

Cordelia eased into a warm, friendly smile. “Let’s get on to more pleasant topics, shall we?”

“
Yes, let’s.” Lucy didn’t want to think about that loathsome man any more than she had to.

“
Don’t forget my tea party.” Cordelia rose to leave. “Next Thursday afternoon. Perhaps you might ask Molly to watch the baby while you take some well-deserved time for yourself.”

That night, like every night, Lucy strained to keep the conversation pleasant between Abner and herself. It wasn’t easy; that horrible moment when he had put his hand over the baby’s face remained etched forever in her memory. Now this latest news ... Cordelia’s revelations simply gave her yet another reason to detest Abner.

“
You overcooked the roast,” Abner announced when dinner was done.

“
Really?” These days she wouldn’t dream of apologizing. Abner rose from the table and hobbled to the coat rack. A Hangtown doctor had fitted him with a peg leg, which thumped annoyingly across the wooden floor. He donned his coat and hat and headed for the door. “I’m going out.”

“
All right.” She’d wondered where he went every night. Now she knew and couldn’t care less. The more time he spent out of the house, the better, as far as she was concerned. She could hardly stand him anymore. Most of the time he treated her like a lowly servant. Only when they worked together in the store did he make any show of affection, all of it false, just meant to create a false impression that they were a loving, congenial couple. Oh, what a hypocrite he was!

She went to the baby’s room, where she could always find peace and comfort. With a troubled sigh, she sank into the rocking chair by Amy’s crib.
Trapped
. She gazed at the sleeping baby. She could run away, she supposed, but without any money, where could she go? Back to Boston in disgrace? She’d rather be dead.

Besides, how could she escape when she had a baby to care for? Amy came first, always.

If only Clint would find her! Was he looking? Did he care? No day went by when her agonized thoughts didn’t dwell on Clint. Was he well? Sick? Happy? Sad? Had he found someone else? Was he dead? What torture never to know.

The trunk she’d brought clear from Boston stood in the corner. On an impulse, she went and opened the lid. On top lay the pair of moccasins the Indians had traded for her pan of biscuits. That night on the trail seemed ages ago, almost another lifetime. She carried the moccasins back to the rocking chair. In the darkness, she started to rock, tenderly holding the soft, embroidered buckskin to her cheek. Clint had touched them once.
Clint
. Her heart swelled with longing. How could she live knowing he was gone forever?

She continued rocking, her tears dampening the moccasins still pressed to her cheek until, from out of nowhere, she remembered something Charlie Dawes had said.

“
Did it ever occur to you that you should do what’s best for you? There ain’t no person on this earth should have to be beholden to someone else. That includes you, even if you are a woman.”

Lucy sat straight up. By God, Charlie was right. Out of her own fear and guilt, she’d let Abner take the upper hand. Well, no more. “Follow your heart,” Hannah had said. Damned if she’d spend the rest of her life with Abner. Now wasn’t the time, what with the baby still so little, but the day would come when somehow, some way, she’d leave this place and go find Clint. It might take years. She might have to search the continent over, but once she escaped, she’d either find him or die in the attempt.