The Handsomest Man in the Country (6 page)

"Who is it?" he growled.

"I'll tell everyone in a few minutes.” All at once I wanted it over and done with. As I had walked away from Web, I had pondered the idea of asking Mr. Hayes for a few more days in order to get to know Trahern. But if we didn't marry tonight, Calvert or Elliot would pick a fight with him and either kill or maim him if they could.

I had seen it happen once in Tennessee. The man had been beaten and shot dead by his rival. I was not going to give anyone a chance to do that.

It also ruled out the idea of hiring Trahern to work for me. They would go after him then, too, even if I stayed discreetly away except when telling him what jobs to do.

I was running out of time while Calvert was standing smoldering beside me, trying to think of what to say to get me to change my mind.

"Excuse me," I said and stepped hastily away from him and almost ran over to Axel's wagon.

Hedda had finished feeding five of her children and was inside nursing the baby. She looked up as I clambered in.

"There you are. What's going on, Mallory?"

"I'm going to marry Trahern, Hedda. I decided I need a man."

"Now that's as good a reason as any...but Trahern? I never heard of him."

"The man Web found out on the plains."

"That one? What d'you know about him?" she demanded, rightly.

Nothing,
I thought. "He's a good man, Hedda," I said. "A stayer. A man among men."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes." It was all made up but sounded mighty fine, so I added, "He's something special; a big man out here." That should convince her I wasn't just taking the best of a poor choice, or depending upon the word of a guide I had met less than a month ago. "Mind you, he doesn't look like much right now."

"Anna said right away."

"Yes. I've got to go talk to Mr. Hayes. I just wanted you to know first."

"Thanks, Mallory. I hope you'll be happy."

"Oh, I will," I assured her while all the time I was getting more and more scared. My feet were icy cold and my brain was a-churning to make butter of my thoughts. Jumping down from the wagon wheel it took me only a few seconds to spot Mr. Hayes. He had gathered the young men together and I could see them busy combing their hair and beating the dust out of their clothes.

I stepped over toward them, my eyes casting about for Web. Where was he? I needed him to alert Trahern.

As I came nearer to the group, I could see Web standing slightly behind them, and catching his eye, gave him a quick nod. He tilted his head over towards where Trahern lay, and I nodded again. As he walked away between the wagons, I stepped up to Mr. Hayes.

"Mallory. Good. Here are the men; all fine fellows. Who will you marry?"

Joe Peters was among them; that would make Calvert mad. He was blushing bright red as I looked curiously at him. If I had chosen him, Calvert would have killed him for sure. Yet what kind of danger might I be putting Trahern into?

I didn't even know Trahern well enough to know if that was his first or last name. Come to that, I didn't know what he looked like either, except he was tall. Well I'd know soon enough.

It was like going to a slave auction. All of them, especially Elliot, thought they had a chance at me and my outfit. Some of them were going to be mighty poor losers. I had to stall for time until Trahern was ready. "Do you have someone who can perform a wedding?"

"Yes. Mark Van de Meyer. He's a justice of the peace. Used to do weddings back in Iowa." That exit was closed then.

"Have you told him? Is he ready?"

"Yes." Mr. Hayes was getting impatient. "Now which one of these—"

"I want to pick the spot, first, and I want to change my clothes."

"Fine. But you got to let these men know, so as they can get ready, too."

How to tell them, without saying Trahern's name? They would know who he was for sure. Would they have time though, to do anything? Probably not, but I wasn't one to take chances unnecessarily. "It's a surprise. You all go back to your wagons. My man already knows who he is."

They looked amongst themselves, each trying to see if it was the other. "What?" Mr. Hayes wasn't too pleased, but I wasn't trying to please him. He knew it wasn't Elliot because his son would have told him and he'd have announced it and saved all this hassle.

"I've things to do," I told them and cleared out of there right quick.

I wasn't going to tell Mr. Hayes privately. He'd claim Trahern was too weak to give me any help and insist I marry someone else. But if everyone was present, he'd not be so likely to speak up.

Back at my wagon I climbed in and looked through my aunt's things until I found her lace shawl. I'd not had time nor energy to comb and do my hair. I had only one other dress I had packed out of the mountains and it was dirty and not any better than the plain one I had on, so the shawl would have to do.

If Trahern was able to drive the rig while I got some sleep, it would be worth it to have him with me. I didn't know how badly he'd been injured, but I'd heard enough stories about what happened to folks who had been captured to know he was lucky to be alive.

A scratching on the outside of the wagon cover announced Web's presence and I climbed out to join him.

"I got him over to Axel's wagon, Mallory. Figured you'd want it there."

"Thanks." I paused, a million questions thrusting forward, wanting answers. "What's he like, Web? How old? What's the rest of his name? Where's he from? Have you known him long?"

He chuckled. "You'll find out. But, lass, I'm doing right by you. Don't worry none. Let's go, they're a-gathering."

So this was it, then...what I had dreamed about since I was sixteen and starting to look at the young men who were starting to look back. Mainly the Courtney boys. And Gage Courtney in particular. But this was different. So very different.

As I walked up to the group, I got my first look at the stranger.

Trahern was propped up by Axel's wagon, unshaven and dressed in some of Uncle Dem's clothes. He looked like a paddy stuffed with straw to chase the crows away from the corn. Was Web right? Was this the best there was?

His gaunt face was still marked from the trouble he'd been through. His gray eyes were deeply sunk under black craggy brows. Long, dark hair that tended to wave slightly. Enough beard to cover his chin and mouth effectively so that I couldn't see anything.

He was a big man...tall and rawboned, carrying his weight in his shoulders and chest. Uncle Dem's clothes were a shade too short for him, and Uncle Dem had not been a short man.

What was I getting into? The reality of all that marriage entailed was beginning to rear up and scare me.

"Who you want to stand up with you? Axel?" Burt Hayes asked, and I looked at Web meaningfully. He had played matchmaker, let him do it. He backed away, but I pointed, insistent. "Web."

"Web?" Hayes didn't know the connection and I wasn't a-going to tell him. "All rightee, then. Let's get on with it. Time's a-wasting." He pointed towards the group of young men standing silently by, a puzzled look on all their faces. "Which one is it to be?"

"None of them." His face darkened and as he began to sputter, I looked over to Trahern. Axel had been standing in front of him, effectively screening him from Mr. Hayes, and now he stepped aside. Trahern stood up and walked slowly over to take his place beside me. "I'm marrying Trahern."

You could see Burt Hayes didn't like it, not at all. A murmur went through the gathered group. No one knew Trahern and my action was totally unexpected.

"Now look here—"

I interrupted him, something I'm not given to do, but I didn't want him tying a knot in my plans. "Trahern is my choice, Mr. Hayes. Now let's get on with it."

He looked at the tall man beside me, quietly observing the goings on, and asked him, "You willing to marry this girl and support her? She's been orphaned twice; she's going to need somebody steady, not some drifter."

"I take care of my own." They were simple words, but boldly stated, and they steadied me a lot. He hadn't denied being a drifter nor had he challenged Mr. Hayes' right to question him.

Besides, I was eighteen now. Yesterday had been my birthday. I was a girl no longer. I looked at Mr. Hayes defiantly and he must have decided that I would cause trouble if I came into his family—which I would have. I would take orders from my husband, but not any father-in-law unless I wanted to.

Burt Hayes shook his head as if to be shut of the both of us. "Well, then. Let's get on with it." Web stepped up beside me and the ceremony began.

Mr. Van de Meyer knew the words by heart and ran through them quickly. I had one of Aunt Edith's rings and I handed it to Trahern to put on my finger. We wrote our names on some paper and as soon as the witnesses signed, Mr. Hayes handed the paper to me and stalked away.

He must have been plenty put out with the way things had turned out. Maybe I would be, eventually, but I had made my choice—or at least Web's—and must now live with it.

There was a quick time of congratulations although I noticed that both Elliot and Calvert neglected to step forward. Hedda gave me a kiss while Axel pumped Trahern's hand, both of them assuring him he'd got a "prize."

I was kissed and wished luck and several would have stayed to talk longer, but I could see Trahern swaying and begged tiredness myself for both our sakes.

Web helped me assist Trahern over to my wagon and we boosted the big man inside where he promptly passed out on the feather mattress.

"Give him a day or two more and he'll be ready to fight," claimed Web. "He was near enough dead when I found him. Western men recover fast."

I didn't know if to believe him or not, but climbed up into the wagon and fell asleep beside Trahern, too tired to worry anymore. I had to be ready to ride herd in the morning.

He was still asleep when I woke up and climbed out to release the mules and saddle up Comfort. I must have woke him though, for when I came in he had a small fire going, coffee made and flapjacks cooking. We shared with Web who had been out scouting around and came in for a bite before he rode off again. I had forgotten the bean pot, but it had a cloth over it and it didn’t look like nothing had crawled in during the night, so I put it back inside.

Trahern was a quiet man, working with no wasted movements. His injuries had taken a lot out of him and he could do only so much and then had to stop to rest. Web helped him into the wagon again while I hitched up the mules and got ready to travel.

I planned to ride for a while, then go back and see to him. I was still exhausted from the past week, but the good breakfast had lifted my spirits a heap and if I could get a little more rest so as I didn't fall asleep driving, I knew I could make it. The mules were trail broke so well they followed the team in front of them without guidance—if only they would keep up. When we had been traveling an hour, I tied the reins up and climbed over into the back.

Trahern had his eyes open when I handed him the canteen that I had filled that morning from the water barrel. He sat up slowly and drank, thirsty, but careful not to spill any.

"Thanks, ma'am." His voice was hoarse, his eyes still swollen red from ant bites, large scabs and dark bruises evident where he had been severely beaten about the face. There was no way to tell what he really looked like.

"Would you like some more?"

"No. I'd best sleep. Get well so as I can help you. Don't want to make extry work for you."

"I'll leave this here. I have another, up front."

"Thanks," he replied, and I left him then and moved back forward, figuring he'd sleep better with me away.

A stranger he was; one I knew nothing about. Web wasn't very talkative, but maybe he would fill me in. He must’ve known Trahern from somewhere before they met out here. Or had he? What if he hadn't met him before; just figured anyone would be better than the lot I had to choose from?

The noon stop was brief and Web appeared with some sort of weed he'd found out on the prairie, with instructions for me to lay some on Trahern's wounds and later boil some up and make a potion to bathe them with. I carried the ugly looking weed into the wagon and looked at the sleeping man. Where was he wounded? Loathe to wake him while he was sleeping so well, I laid the weeds beside him and climbed back out.

That day the trail was fairly smooth as it followed the prairie road that ran towards Fort Kearney. We were traveling up the Little Blue, gradually, almost imperceptibly climbing in elevation all the time. It gave Trahern a better chance to recover, enough so he was able to climb out of the wagon by himself that evening and help me pull the wagon tongue around after unhitching the mules. Or maybe it was the weeds that he had put to his wounds while we traveled.

I protested, afraid he'd re-open something, but he moved carefully. "I'll take the mules out. How we fixed for food?"

"Nothing fresh," I admitted. "But I have flour; we can have beans and biscuits."

"Good. Got any pork rind?"

“Yes." I found him some and he hacked off a small slice with a long sharp knife I recognized as Uncle Dem's.

“Add that to the beans. Gives ‘em substance.” He left, leading the mules out to eat and I looked at the empty sling under the wagon. I had gathered no fuel during the day, dozing at the reins. I would have to hunt fuel before I could start a fire.

Madge Ashley looked up as I walked by their wagon and called me to her. "Mallory. Duncan, Barney and I wanted to give you and your man a wedding present. I know you're starting off with Dem and Edith's things and can't take on more weight, but there must be something you would like that we could give you."

"Madge, right now, if you would share your fire, I'd appreciate it much. I didn't have time to gather fuel."

"You're easily pleased. You do that. I was wondering if you could use an extra dress. I'm near your size, and have several."

"Now that sounds nice. I need a dress more'n anything else. I'd sure be glad of another."

"Then put your pans on the coals and while things are cooking I'll look you out one. What does your man need? What's his name?"