A Dream for Tomorrow (37 page)

T
he farther they traveled west on the Columbia River, the more stunning the landscape became. Towering evergreen trees contrasted against the brilliant sapphire blue river. The abundance of colorful waterfowl and birds of prey made them easy to spot. Interesting rock formations looked as if they’d sprung right out of the ground, reaching toward the clear blue sky and rolling clouds. And they even got glimpses of pointed snowcapped peaks towering majestically on both sides of the river. All so pristine and amazing that the beauty sometimes brought actual tears to Elizabeth’s eyes.

She peered over Ruth’s shoulder, watching as Ruth attempted to capture the natural splendor of this region. Today she was drawing a mountain peak with evergreens and the river, complete with ducks.

“You have become quite an artist,” Elizabeth told her.

“Thank you.” Ruth beamed up at her. “Do you think someday I’ll show these pictures to my own little girl? And tell her about when we came out here to Oregon?”

Elizabeth laughed. “I certainly hope so.”

“That’s what I heard Belinda saying the other day,” Ruth admitted.

“It sounds like Belinda looks forward to getting married.”

“Is Belinda old enough to get married?”

“I suppose she is.” Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder to see if any of their traveling companions were listening, but most of them were on the back end of the raft at the moment, watching as some of the men fished. “I guess that’s up to Belinda and her parents…and the lucky young man, of course.”

“Who
is
the lucky young man?”

Elizabeth tweaked one of Ruth’s braids. “I don’t know that there is one yet. But I’m sure Belinda will figure it all out when the time is right. And the man who gets her will be lucky indeed.”

“What about you, Mama?” Ruth looked up with bright eyes.

“What about me?”

“What about your lucky man?”

“My what?” Elizabeth looked around nervously again, worried that someone might overhear them.

“When will you get married again, Mama?”

“I…uh…I don’t know.”

“Belinda says that her father wants to marry you.”

“
Ruth
.” Elizabeth put her forefinger to her lips. “Some things are best spoken of in private.”

Ruth looked confused. “
Private?
”

“Not on this raft, Ruth. Not with everyone else around to hear. In
private
.”

Ruth nodded with a knowing look. “All right, Mama. I’ll wait and talk to you about getting married later—in private.”

Elizabeth just shook her head. “I’m going to go check on Grandma now.”

Of course, on the other side of the wagon, Clara had heard every word. And like Ruth, she wanted to talk about it. However, she had the sensibility to keep her voice low.

“It’s become rather obvious that Will is courting you,” she whispered. “The question on everyone’s mind is, how do you feel about it, Lizzie?”

Elizabeth let out a loud sigh.

“I don’t wish to intrude,” Clara continued. “But he is a good man, Elizabeth. And if you want him to court you, there’s no reason you shouldn’t let it be known.” She laughed. “You certainly aren’t lacking for chaperones. No one here would be concerned about impropriety.”

“Excuse me, Mother.” Elizabeth stood back up. “I think I will go speak to Lavinia now.”

But Lavinia seemed to have the same thing on her mind as everyone else. And eventually, Elizabeth found a quiet corner between the wagons where she could sit by herself without being forced to converse with anyone. But then Mrs. Taylor joined her. “Afternoon, Elizabeth,” she said as she pulled a chair next to her. “I just enjoyed a nice little nap.”

“Good for you.” Elizabeth smiled. “I think many of us have been catching up on sleep.”

“Isn’t this beautiful country?” Mrs. Taylor looked toward the tall trees along the river. “I hear we have only one more day on this raft.”

“Yes, can you believe it?”

“I spoke to your father in regard to my fare for the ship’s passage.”

Elizabeth was caught off guard now. She hadn’t even considered this. As far as she knew, Mrs. Taylor had no money.

“I have offered my services as a schoolteacher for the children when we settle,” she told Elizabeth. “In repayment for my fare.”

“Oh…?” Elizabeth was still unsure. “What did my father say?”

“He thought it was a good idea.”

Elizabeth smiled. “Well, so do I.” Elizabeth didn’t have the heart to tell Mrs. Taylor that Malinda had written of a school and church already there. She assumed that meant a teacher too. However, if life was in as much upheaval as Malinda described, perhaps they would need a teacher. Anyway, it didn’t really matter. It wasn’t as if she and her family could leave this poor woman stranded and on her own in Fort Vancouver. And certainly not after she’d assured Mrs. Taylor that she was family.

“I used to teach,” Mrs. Taylor told her. “And I played the organ in church too.”

“I doubt that there will be an organ where we are going, but you never know.”

“No…you never know.”

Elizabeth felt exceedingly thankful when they stepped off of the raft at Fort Vancouver. But her gratitude was suppressed by her anxious concerns regarding her son. Seeing livestock held in a nearby corral gave her hope. Was it possible they had already arrived? But on closer inspection, she realized those were not their animals. Still, they could have them penned up somewhere else. She looked out toward the fort, realizing this was a big place.

“Do you think Matthew and JT are here yet?” she asked her father. They were all waiting on the dock. Soldiers were bringing a team of oxen in order to help them remove their wagons from the raft.

“I don’t know.” Asa glanced around the busy dock. “But if they’re here, we’ll soon find out.”

Adam and Matilda Bentley were coming over now, carrying large bundles on their backs and in their arms. “We just want to thank you,” Adam told Asa and Elizabeth. “You’ve been a fine unit leader, and it was a privilege to ride the river with you folks.”

“Do you have people here?” Elizabeth asked Matilda. “Someone to stay with until you get settled?”

“Yes,” Matilda assured her. “Adam’s uncle has been expecting us.”

They exchanged hugs, and the young couple continued on their way.

“Imagine carrying everything you owned like that,” Elizabeth said to her father as she watched the couple walking toward the fort.

“At least they made it to their destination,” he told her. “Not all the emigrants on our wagon train were so lucky.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

Now he nodded over to where Lavinia and Mrs. Taylor and some of the girls were peering up at a large boat. Happily chattering away, they were unaware that they were in the way of the stevedores unloading supplies. “Elizabeth,” Asa said quietly. “Why don’t you send all those females over to the fort?”

“You want to get them out of harm’s way?”

“Yes, and before someone gets knocked into the river.” He winced to see Mrs. Taylor nearly toppling off the dock, but Lavinia grabbed her arm. “It’d be a shame to make it all the way without anyone falling overboard, only to lose someone here. Tell them that anyone who’s not directly responsible for a wagon better just clear on out of here.”

Elizabeth went over to the women, explaining Asa’s plan. “We’ll meet up with you at the fort,” she assured them. “After we get the wagons relocated.” She locked eyes with Ruth now. “And the fort’s a big busy place, so I expect you to stay with Grandma until I get there.”

“Do you want us to go to the post office for you, Mama?”

“Yes.” Elizabeth nodded. “I would appreciate that.”

Sharing two teams of oxen, it took longer than expected to get the six wagons parked in a holding area, where they would be ready to be loaded onto the ship. Then they worked together to put the canvas coverings back over their wagons to protect them against elements in case the weather changed. “Be sure to take what you and your family need for the night,” Asa instructed them. “And we’ll have access to the wagons until they’re loaded onto the ship. After that, they’ll be in a hold. So you’ll want to get out anything you’ll need for the sea journey as well.”

It was just getting dusky as Elizabeth, Jess, and Ruby, followed by Asa, Hugh, and Will, walked toward the fort.

“Isn’t it beautiful here?” Ruby commented.

“I think this is the prettiest fort I’ve ever seen,” Jess said.

“It’s no wonder so many folks want to settle here,” Elizabeth added.

“Would you want to settle here?” Jess asked quietly. “I mean, if you found out your sister-in-law had returned to Kentucky?”

Elizabeth took in a deep breath. Although everyone was well aware of the situation with Malinda, no one had spoken of it much. And for that, Elizabeth was grateful. “I honestly don’t know,” Elizabeth confessed.

“Maybe there will be a letter here,” Ruby told her.

“Yes.” Elizabeth nodded. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”

“Do you think Matthew and the others are here at the fort?” Jess asked hopefully.

“I don’t know.” Elizabeth shifted her bag to her other hand and then reached over and squeezed Jess’ hand. “But I’m sure it won’t be long until we see them again.”

Jess just nodded.

“Can you believe it?” Ruby said loudly.

“What?” Jess and Elizabeth both asked.

“We made it! We got all the way to Fort Vancouver. At long last—we’re here!”

This amazing realization seemed to hit all six of them at once, and out there in the dusky light of the moon rising in the east, not far from the tall log walls of the fort, they all let out some happy whoops of delight—loud enough that they might have worried the soldiers if they thought there were hostile Indians nearby.

“Well done,” Will told Asa. “You’ve been a fine leader, and I thank you for it.”

“That’s right,” Hugh told him. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

“You Bostonians turned out to be a stronger, savvier lot than I ever imagined,” Asa admitted. “I’m proud to have had you in my unit.”

“And how about Ruby?” Elizabeth said. “When we started out, we didn’t know quite what to make of her and her lady friends. But now…” She clasped Ruby’s hand. “We are family.”

Asa nodded. “And you were fine at driving your wagon, Ruby. Just fine.”

They continued as they walked up to the fort, congratulating and slapping backs and shaking hands. Everyone was in high spirits.

“If Matthew and the others were here, we could have music to commemorate this happy occasion,” Ruby said.

“We’ll celebrate,” Elizabeth assured them. “In due time, we’ll celebrate.”

Despite her confident words, Elizabeth said a silent prayer for JT, Matthew, Brady, and the rest of their group. She prayed for God’s protection…for Godspeed…and for God to safely get them here.

The fort was busy and noisy inside with soldiers and settlers and even a few Indians, which Elizabeth found reassuring. She wanted to continue picturing Indians as peaceful and friendly, the way Eli had attempted to paint them. Or at least most of them. But she knew that they were no different from the white man—some were good, and some were not.

“There’s Clara and Ruth,” Jess told Elizabeth.

Ruth came running up with a piece of paper in her hand. “A letter, Mama! It’s from Aunt Malinda!”

“Oh!” Elizabeth took the letter and then moved them over to a less busy spot. Setting down her bag, she eagerly opened the envelope, quickly scanning the letter.

“Read it out loud, Mama.”

“Yes.” Elizabeth nodded. “I will.”

Dear Elizabeth
,

I received your second letter today, informing me that you and your family are already traveling on the Oregon Trail. This confirms to me that you did not receive my letter warning against this very thing. I addressed that letter to your farm in Kentucky, and I’m afraid it arrived too late. However, upon receiving your letter this morning, I must confess that I became quite giddy. It is entirely selfish on my part, but I am so very happy to know that you are coming. I can think of nothing that would please me more. Yet at the same time, you need to be forewarned that there are problems in my part of the world. Yes, it is just as beautiful as I’ve ever described to you, but alas, this land comes with its own troubles. I must also inform you that my John has passed away, leaving me, like you, a widow. I am keeping my message to you brief in the hopes of sending it back with the mail carrier on morrow. I will address it to the last stop that I expect you will be making in Fort Vancouver. If you get this letter, please, know that you and your family are most welcome to stay with me. I wish you all a safe ocean voyage, and I will look forward to seeing your sweet face in late September
.