Chapter Two
Oklahoma Territory, Mid December 1882
Peter sighed as he looked at his fellow Council members.
“This is definitely a problem,” he said.
“There’s just not enough money, Peter,” Tom Johnston said.
Mr. Lytell nodded. “Those kids are going to have to do without a new schoolhouse.”
Peter shook his head. “We’ve got to find a way. The schoolhouse is so crowded that the children are having trouble learning. They have to compete for the teacher’s attention and Ms. Pare is threatening to quit now instead of waiting until Spring. There’s a young woman coming with her sister that we have a contractual agreement with to split the school up; we’ve got to find somewhere for them. If we simply replace Ms. Pare with her, we’re bound to lose this teacher too. It is simply too much for one teacher.”
Old Jedidiah Crimper shook his head.“I don’t see how we’ll come up with that kind of money to get the schoolhouse finished in the spring. And it’s ridiculous to try and cram two teachers into the schoolhouse. It’s hard enough for her to teach the different levels without interference from the others. They’d be shouting over each other.” One of the oldest town citizens, his family had been a founding family. His small store was starting to thrive, as more people moved into town and Lytell couldn’t keep up with demand. As a prominent member of the town, he had earned himself a spot on the Town Council.
"What if we can find an alternative place in the meantime?” Peter asked. “There are a couple empty shops along the main street. We could patch one up for the winter and hold classes there.”
The men thought about it.
“There’s that empty shop just down from my store,” Mr. Lytell said. “I ain’t seen no one trying to work in it for a while.”
“It belonged to that tailor, from New York,” Peter said. “Good thinking. We can go check it out now, make sure it’s usable.”
The others agreed and they took the walk to the store. As Mayor, Peter had a key to most of the unoccupied stores, and helped with the leasing of them. They let themselves in. The five men stood, surveying the store.
“Kind of small,” Lytell commented.
“They may be sitting on the floor but we can split up the older kids and younger kids. There’s more of the older boys and girls; we can leave them in the schoolhouse. The younger kids can be here.There’s a small fireplace there in the back over there and it’s sandwiched between two other buildings, so it shouldn’t be too awfully cold. It could be sufficient to get us through the winter, and until the new schoolhouse has been built.”
“But then we go back to the question, Peter, of where we’ll get the money.” Lytell argued.
Peter nodded. “We’ll have to ask for donations.”
The others shook their heads. “People have been donating, Peter, but it’s just not enough. Some of the harvests just wasn’t as big as expected, and it’s looking like we might have a long winter. No one has extra to spare.”
Peter nodded his acknowledgement. There was a way to get the money, he thought.
Peter ran into another problem a short while later. The building they wanted to use now belonged to one Ben Riker. Peter was not happy to realize that Riker had been buying up buildings quietly and privately, as they went out of business.
After some asking around, Peter determined Ben was most definitely up to something. With a generous purchase price, the occupants were willing to leave quickly, and Ben assured them he’d file the paperwork with the mayor. Which of course, he hadn’t. Peter was not looking forward to having to deal with the young man.
At the rate he seemed to be moving, Peter expected Ben could easily own half the town’s businesses by the end of winter. Which meant a whole new pile of trouble coming.
***
Brian and Lillian rode towards Crabapple Farm. It wasn’t snowing today, but Brian had decided he needed to tell his family about his marriage before someone from town did. It wouldn’t be long before people realized there was a woman living with him. Lillian hadn’t left the small apartment over the office for four days, but Brian knew he couldn’t put it off much longer. Her lips were better and the swelling had gone down but her eyes and cheek were still a stunning shade of purple. Her blue eyes were hooded and distant, and she didn’t say much as they drove along.
She looked lovely though, he thought, in her new blue dress. Wrapped around her head was a long blue scarf that his mother had made for him a couple of winters ago. It matched her eyes, he thought. Diana had been a tremendous help in selecting necessities and clothing that Lillian was going to need. Lillian hadn’t wanted to leave the apartment; she was terrified Swegin was going to come after her. Brian promised Diana she’d meet Lillian soon, but he wanted her bruises to fade more before he introduced her around.
He knew Lillian was petrified. They had borderline argued over her going.
“Can’t you just tell them?” she pleaded. “They’re going to hate the idea and me, so you might as well just tell them and let them get started.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he tried to soothe her. “They’ll be upset at first that there wasn’t a proper courtship and they weren’t there, but once they get to know you, I know they’ll come around.”
She shook her head. “I was a whore, Brian, there’s no sugar coating that. Your folks are good, God-fearing people. They’ll be horrified and they’re likely to just disown you, so maybe you shouldn’t tell them at all.”
Brian shook his head and gently reached out to touch her hair. “You don’t need to worry. I expect there will be some adjustment time, but in the end, they’ll see it our way.”
Now they were almost to Crabapple Farm. Brian was glad Lillian seemed to know how to handle a horse. She could even cook, which was more helpful than anything else, since Brian wasn’t very adept at it.
The last four days of married life were atypical, Brian knew that. There was no consummation of the marriage, he hadn’t even kissed her. They slept next to each other, each careful not to touch the other. She cooked for him, he found her reading medical texts, the only books he had, when he would return home. They talked at length, mostly about his childhood. Lillian wasn’t ready to reveal much about hers, and he didn’t press. She had a slightly sarcastic sense of humor starting to come out that he found charming, and he enjoyed having someone to come home to. As she did enjoy reading,he had bought some dime novels from Lytell’s and Crimper’s for her.
She had started to open up, slowly, and Brian found himself entranced by her. Sleeping next to her without touching her was going to get difficult, real fast, he knew. The way she moved, even the tilt of her head sometimes, fascinated him. He had had other women, but he knew this one was worth waiting for.
When she finally started to open, he discovered she was the youngest of three girls and one boy. Her father was a strict, cold man, one whom she could never remember a kind word from, only criticism and insults. He wanted boys, and kept getting girls. His one son was a sickly baby, and once he survived scarlet fever, became a spoiled brat. Every whim was indulged, nothing was denied, regardless of how it affected a sister.
The older three had managed decent marriages and escaped at young ages, but Lillian was stuck. As punishment for smiling at a boy she liked, a poor farmer, her father arranged the marriage to the older man for wealth. That was when Lillian had had enough, and snuck away one afternoon while everyone was out. She had been stealing a coin here, a coin there, and before she left, went to the box she knew parents had hid under the bed. Grabbing the cash, she made her way to town and a train station. She hadn’t slept for two days as she made her way across the country, always looking over her shoulder.
Brian tried to cheer her with stories of his own childhood. Growing up in Sleepyside had been pretty quiet, except for Trixie’s shenanigans, then Bobby’s later on. Oridnary things to him, like letting the chickens out, riding off on a young wild Susie before she was fully broken in, picking apples every year. Brian had grown to despise the fall. He didn’t mind the wheat harvest of the Lynches, but the apple harvest and the subsequent apple-oriented winter menu grew tired.
Bobby and the Lynch twins were always in the woods, playing at some game, and all three didn’t care for school. But they went, and made decent grades, enough to keep their parents happy and their playtime optimal.
Brian wasn’t surprised Lillian was well read; she was eloquent in speech, unlike most of her former coworkers, and seemed interested in philosophy. He didn’t mind her reading his books, it pleased him that she took an interest.
She didn’t have a coat heavy enough for winter, but Brian had an older one that he wrapped around her tightly to keep her warm on the ride. While it wasn’t a long ride, it was very cold.
As they pulled up to Crabapple Farm, Brian couldn’t help admire the snow-covered scene. The sparkling white landscape was dotted with trees, the red barn the only splash of color. The white frame house blended in with the snow, even the green pine garlands on the porch were topped with snow.
“This is lovely!” Lillian said to him as they rode up to the barn.
Brian chuckled. “There’s this fantastic slope between here and the Wheeler’s place, that we like to sled down. And we can skate on the pond when it gets cold enough. We used to have snowball fights too, with the Lynch family. They’re property is over that way.”
Lillian’s eyes shone at him at the thought of a normal, happy life.
After putting up the horses in the barn, Brian took her by the hand and they made their way to the house. One of his family had been out to feed the horses earlier, there was a broken trail through the snow up to the front door.
The front door opened as they reached it.
“Saw you coming,” Mart cheerfully, an apple turnover in his hand. “Ma just made some goodies. Hello, who’s this?”
Lillian felt herself drawing back but Brian urged her forward into the frame house.
His father came to greet them, surprised to see the young woman that Brian helped out of her coat. Brian’s old coat, Peter noted. Peter had a sinking feeling the pretty girl with the bruised face was Brian’s rumored night companion.
“This is Lillian,” Brian said cheerfully.
She was greeted politely but Brian knew his father was wondering what sort of young woman he had brought home, without warning, without formal introduction, without a last name, and with a beaten face.
Lillian was then introduced to the rest of the family, and she squirmed under Trixie’s inquisitive blue eyes. She wondered when Brian was going to make the announcement. His mother, Helen, seemed friendly, she thought, though she knew they all had questions. Especially about her face.
“I hope you like pork and apples,” Helen smiled. “We have plenty so I do hope you’re here for dinner.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Brian said.
Helen noted her son was in an awfully good mood, but seemed a bit on edge. His lady friend kept quiet, her eyes taking in the cozy surroundings and family dynamics. Helen also saw the thin gold band on Lillian’s ring finger. What was Brian doing with a married woman? Helen was going to pull her son aside at first opportunity and get some answers.
They were halfway through eating, Lillian enjoying the best meal she had had in months, when Brian said, “I do have some news for you all.”
The family paused in the various movements of eating, and Helen’s eyes went to Lillian. She had to something to do with it, Helen knew. Her blood ran cold. Had Brian impregnated the girl?
“I did have an ulterior motive in coming here today,” Brian admitted. “I have some news for you.”
Peter set his fork down and waited. Trixie’s eyes were on Lillian, not her brother, and Bobby looked up from his potatoes he was playing with. Mart too, had been studying the girl, trying to figure out why his brother had brought her.
“Lillian here is pretty special to me. In fact, special enough I married her four nights ago.”
Brian could have heard a pin hit the wooden floor. Helen paled slightly, Trixie’s eyes bulged and Mart just looked from one to the other.
“Well, this is sudden,” Peter said calmly. When was the child due, he wondered. And whose was it? He knew, he just knew, that this was the girl that saloon keeper had been shouting at Deputy Marshal Hardy about the other day. The one that had been “stolen” from him.
“It is,” Brian agreed. “And it’s a bit unorthodox. I apologize you weren’t there, it was in the middle of the night, and partly to save Lillian’s life.”
Peter raised one eyebrow. So there wasn’t a baby on the way?
“Are you in some sort of trouble, young lady?” Helen asked.
Lillian, too frightened to speak at the steel in her mother-in-law’s voice, looked to Brian for help.
“Lillian’s had a rough time of things lately,” Brian said, “and she came to me for help. It was my idea to get married, to spare her having to return to a bad situation.”
“Something that has to do with those bruises on her face?” Mart asked.
Brian nodded. “Yes.”
“You worked at the saloon!” Trixie burst out. “That’s where I’ve seen you!”
Color flooded Lillian’s face as Helen pressed her lips together. Bobby frowned, not entirely sure of what was going on, other than his mother extremely, extremely, displeased.
“Is this the unsavory business Riker alluded to?” Peter asked.
Lillian’s blush grew deeper.
“I’ve been friends with Lillian for a while,” Brian said steadily, meeting his father’s gaze. “And Ben Riker beat the hell out of her the other night. She had nowhere else to go. The best way I knew to protect her, was to marry her. As my wife, Swegin, the saloon owner, can’t touch her, and neither can Riker.”
The silence continued as the family thought about what Brian had just said.
“I realize this is a shock,” he continued, taking Lillian’s hand in his. “But I’m very fond of Lillian, and I hope eventually, you all will be too. I think as you get to know her, you’ll see what a gem she is.”
Peter couldn’t help but notice the way his son’s eyes had lit up as he started talking. Brian held Lillian’s hand tightly in his, and he was smiling at her. The girl was shy, Peter suspected heavy abuse form the timidity of her, but she appeared to have genuine affection for his oldest son.
“I must say, I wasn’t expecting this,” Helen finally found her voice.
“I know,” Brian said. “It was rather sudden. But I don’t regret it. At all.”
He met his mother’s stare evenly. Helen nodded and gave a forced smile to Lillian.
“Well, dear, welcome to the Belden family.”
***
“Do you think she’s expecting?” Helen asked. She and Peter lay in bed that night, long after Brian and Lillian had left.
“I don’t know,” he answered.
“If she is, Peter, there’s no telling if it’s Brian’s! She was a—a saloon girl!”
“I know,” Peter sighed. “But she is part of the family now, Helen. Whether we like it or not. Which means we treat her as family.”
Helen nodded. “Yes, I just…I thought he had a torch for Madeleine Wheeler. I was hoping that would reignite.”
“I would have loved to have Madeleine in the family,” Peter answered, “but I knew they wouldn’t make it. She and Brian were just not the best match. And from what Trixie says, Madeleine is quite taken with young Malley.”
“I just wasn’t expecting my first in daughter-in-law to have such a past.”
“Now, Helen, we don’t know her whole story. That girl has been abused more than just Riker hitting her the other night, I could see it in her eyes. She’s ashamed of her past, I think. Something tells me her chosen life was survival. I’d bet a dollar she ran away from her family.”
“That may be,” Helen conceded. “But Brian is my firstborn, and his happiness is important to me.”
“He’s happy, Helen. The boy has genuine feelings for her and he looked quite happy tonight, I thought.”
“Maybe,” Helen murmured. “But he’s still my baby, and I worry about him.”
It took Helen a long, long time to get to sleep that night, her mind on her new daughter-in-law.
***
“Your mother is furious,” Lillian murmured.
Brian took her coat and hugged her. “It’ll be alright. She’s just being a mother, and worried.”
“She thinks I’m pregnant and I trapped you.”
“Well, I know better,” he said sharply. “But you are to let me know if your cycle is off.”
She nodded. “I will. But Jannie had us drink some tea mixture frequently. Supposedly it prevents…that.”
Brian frowned. “I don’t know how effective that is, or safe.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just wanted to be sure that I didn’t…”
He nodded. “I understand. But no more of that kind of stuff, all right? There’s no telling what it might do to your insides.”
Lillian nodded, looked up at Brian and then moved to hug him. “Thank you,” she murmured.
Brian hugged her back, sincerely wishing that their marriage would evolve from one of convenience to one of affection.
***
Hallie rose where she sat in silence, at the Mother Superior’s beckoning. She followed her into the front hallway, where she almost stopped short when she saw Ben Riker.
“This man claims he has the papers of guardianship for you, and that you were brought here under false circumstances.”
Hallie barely managed to restrain her glee as she dipped her head. Ben was here for her!
“Your other guardian made no such news of this to us,” the Mother Superior told her. “So now you have two guardians, and I’m in a bit of a quandary as to what to do.”
“Yes, Mother Superior, it is true I was brought here under false circumstances,” Hallie said defiantly and then the lie came naturally. “I stand to inherit a large sum of money, and my uncle was trying to hide me here, so he could collect it.”
Thirty minutes later, Hallie walked out of the convent with Ben, the web of lies spun so neatly and a very generous cash donation had been made so that if the Mother Superior suspected she had been conned, she’d be willing to overlook it.
 
*** Author’s Notes
- A huge thank you to Julie, my editor! As always, she did a marvelous job editing and named the story.
- Word Count, 2,672
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