A Family Found (19 page)

Marmots scuttled through the rocks and overhead birds soared on the slight breeze. When Sophie stopped to look back at their camp, she was surprised how tiny the tents appeared to be. She noted that the summit, which had once looked so attainable, was much higher and farther away than she had figured. When they stopped at the Keyhole for a rest and water break, Belle sidled up to her. “I'm not sure Mr. Baker is going to make it. Look at his boots.”

Sophie winced in sympathy. They were brand-new, and the pompous man had made the mistake of removing one and peeling off his heavy socks. The blister bubbling up on his heel caused her to cringe. He would be lucky to get the boot back on, much less undertake the most difficult part of the hike. Meanwhile, Bill hunkered in quiet conversation with the more slightly built of the two city gentlemen, whose face was the color of pea soup. Bill put a hand on the man's head and pushed it between the fellow's knees. Then he stood and called out to the group. “This is it. If you are having any difficulty at all, I cannot permit you to endanger or delay others on our summit attempt. The air is thinner, the wind fiercer and the climbing far steeper from this point on. Mr. McConnell here—” he nodded toward the city man “—is suffering from altitude sickness and has elected not to proceed. However, I am unwilling to leave him alone. Anyone else ready to stay behind?”

No one answered. Sophie sneaked a peak at Baker, who continued staring at his foot as if it had betrayed him.

“Baker?” Bill's voice was more command than question.

“I will not remain. It's the place of one or both of these women to give up at this point. They have no business being here anyway.”

Sophie put a hand on Belle's arm to forestall an injudicious remark.

Clark Ellicott stepped nearer Baker. “They would not be here if our guide did not consider them prepared for what lies ahead. You, sir, are the one who failed to foresee the discomfort of new boots. I propose you put your boot back on and walk a few steps.”

Belle nudged Sophie, both of them knowing what would happen.

Somehow the man forced his foot into the boot, but not without much unsuitable language. When he stood up and put weight on his foot, he howled.

Bill walked over, plucked a tin of ointment out of his pocket and handed it to Baker. “You are not going anywhere. Not while I'm your guide. Take this ointment, apply it to your foot and, as soon as McConnell recovers, make your way back to camp. We should join you mid-to late-afternoon.” Then without a backward glance, Bill motioned for the others to follow him. “Carefully,” he ordered as he led them forward.

The trail to the summit followed the west side of the mountain. The way was narrow and below them opened up a wide, deep gorge. In the distance, closer mountains crowded on the horizon. A gusty wind blew beyond the Keyhole. Sophie paused to swallow the bile that had risen in her throat. A misstep could prove deadly, as one might bounce over rocks and slide on scree clear to the yawning chasm floor. Then her training kicked in.
Don't look down. Follow the leader. Take it one step at a time.
“You're doing great.” From his position directly behind her, Ellicott encouraged her. “Let your pace become rhythmic. And don't forget to breathe.”

Good advice, because Sophie had noticed greater difficulty in pulling air into her lungs in the thin air. “Have you done much mountaineering?” she asked to keep her mind off the perilous trail.

“Mainly in the Alps and the Adirondacks,” he answered.

“Where are you from?”

“New York. And you?”

Where
was
she from? Kansas? Colorado? “I'm in transition,” she finally responded.

They trudged on a few more feet. “Mountains have a way of clarifying things,” he said as if that was all one needed to know.

Preoccupied by the conversation, Sophie had failed to notice they were now going downhill, rather than uphill. “What in the world?” she muttered.

Ellicott must've heard her, because he said, “We have to go down before we can go up.”

She knew he meant those words literally, yet they took on greater significance when applied to her life. She looked ahead and saw that what he said was true. Bill halted the group at the point where their descent ended. “Before you lies some tricky climbing. Do not attempt anything foolish. Ask for help if you need it. Rests should be short. Do not sit down. Save your energy by gently pacing yourself.”

Belle came alongside Sophie and tilted her hat back to have a better view of the upcoming climb. “We've done some climbing like this. Just not as long or as steep. Success is going to depend on our perseverance.”

“We haven't come this far to turn back.”

“Especially not when I heard that rancher fellow and McConnell's friend guffawing and laying odds against our chances.”

Sophie glanced at the individuals in the party. “Our Englishman seems to be having difficulty despite his fancy gear. Every time he comes near me, he shakes his head and mutters, ‘Bother,' as if we are the reason he's struggling to keep up.”

Bill gave the order to begin the ascent, a winding path around the southwest side of the peak. “See you on top,” Belle said, before moving off.

“Good luck to you both,” Ellicott called as Sophie fell in behind Belle. She had known she would have to push past her discomfort. Her calves and thighs were burning and her breath sounded ragged. At this high altitude, the sun bore down, reddening her face, despite her wide-brimmed hat. One step, two steps...ten steps. She trudged mechanically, following wherever Belle trod. Visible ahead of them now was the summit. So close and yet such a rigorous climb lay between here and success. At that point Sophie blocked all other thoughts from her mind. Seventy-five steps...one-hundred twenty steps... The two-syllable rhythm she'd adopted seemed to be propelling her toward the overarching sky.
Char-lie, Char-lie, Char-lie.

* * *

Tate knew he couldn't spot the hiking party from his vantage point, but that didn't prevent him from looking through the telescope at intervals. He had to get out of the house before nerves did him in. He went looking for the boys and their dogs and found them outside, marching around the lawn as if they were hiking. Toby held a long stick in his hand as a make-believe alpenstock. “How about a real hike?”

Toby grinned broadly. “In the mountains like Miss Sophie?”

“No, more like in the hills behind the ranch, where we can get a better view of Longs Peak.”

“But not of the mountaineers,” Marcus pointed out. “But okay. It's kind of boring around here. We're excited for tomorrow when we can go to the trail.” Tate knew that if he himself was apprehensive about Sophie, his sons would be equally concerned until they saw her again, safe and in one piece.

“Do you think she's decided?” Toby inquired as they neared the top of the hill.

“To stay with us for the winter,” Marcus elaborated. “She's a really good teacher. She listens. And makes lessons fun.”

“Yeah, I can remember what I learn really good.”

If only she would stay, Tate thought to himself. The boys needed her. Yet there still remained the obstacles of propriety and his own tenuous self-control where Sophie was concerned. If money were all it would take... Yet he knew her salary weighed lightly in her decision compared to the tug of her Kansas home.

The three found a large rock. They clambered to the top and sat staring at the majesty of Longs Peak. Tate handed them each a square of the corn bread Bertie had sent with them. Then out of the blue, Marcus began a conversation that stunned Tate. “Papa, Miss Sophie didn't have a mother.”

Toby interrupted, “She died a long time ago.”

Marcus continued, “We don't really have a mother, either.”

Tate dug his fingernails into the lichen atop the boulder, dreading what was coming.

Marcus looked up at the sky, then into the valley, as if he wanted his eyes to fall anywhere but on his father. “I gotta ask,” he said finally.

Tate held his breath.

“Why did our mother leave us? Did Toby or I do something bad? We must've, because most mothers don't run away—”

Tate laid a steadying hand on the boy's leg in the attempt to stem the flood of emotions threatening to pour from his normally stoic son. “It was nothing you did, nothing at all.”

“But she didn't like us or she'd have stayed and been our mother.”

“Instead she left us,” Toby said forlornly. “She didn't love us. I don't remember her ever tucking us in bed like Miss Sophie did.”

Tate gathered each of them closer, and when he spoke, he willed away the tremor in his voice. “Your mother left us for a number of reasons, mainly because of decisions I had made that she found impossible to live with. I am the one who came west to try to make a fortune. She didn't ask for that. She would've preferred to stay in the East and live a comfortable life. She could not share my enthusiasm for Colorado and wanted us to leave. My business was too involved and successful by then for me to do that. When you and she came to join me in Central City, she didn't want to be there. Sometimes when people are very unhappy, they find it more and more difficult to cope with responsibilities.”

“Like us,” Marcus said flatly.

“Yes, like us,” Tate agreed. “Your mother has a delicate temperament and is easily made nervous, even to the point of illness.”

“I kinda think she didn't touch me much, and she yelled a lot,” Toby said. “I thought all ladies were like that until Miss Sophie. She even gives me hugs.”

“Your mother needed to return to the East, boys, and I couldn't.”

“So you had to keep us.”

“It wasn't like that at all, Marcus. I
got
to keep you. No gold or silver strike comes close to being as important to me as you are.” Tate took a deep breath. “I love you, and all I've ever wanted is what's best for you.”

Toby snuggled closer. “Miss Sophie. That's what's best for me.”

“I know, son. She is special.”

“That's why she has to stay this winter,” Marcus pleaded.

“If that were within my power, boys, I would make it happen.”

“You can do anything,” Toby assured him.

Anything but make Sophie love me. I am no Charlie.

Marcus turned to him, excited. “I know what will make her stay. It's simple. You can do it. Marry her, Papa.”

Toby clapped his hands. “Bully for you, Marcus.”

“Whoa.” Tate held up his hands in mock surrender. “Let's get the lady off the mountain. Then we'll see.”

“That's what you always say. ‘We'll see.'”

“Marcus, some things are beyond my control.”

Marcus stared at him, his mouth quirking in a mischievous grin. “All right, then. We'll see. And sometimes ‘we'll see' means ‘yes.'”

On the hike back to the house, Tate's emotions vacillated between distress that his sons had thought they were to blame for Ramona's abandonment and elation that the boys would welcome Sophie into their family. Passing the barn, Sam stuck his head out. “Two gentlemen to see you, sir. Major Hurlburt and a younger man.” He nodded toward the house.

Tate dismissed the boys to play stick ball, while he hurried inside. Robert, here? And another? Sure enough, when he entered the living room, Robert and a handsome, fit, younger man rose to their feet. “Robert, welcome. I didn't expect you. Is anything amiss?”

Robert strode across the room and shook Tate's hand warmly. “Not at all. We have come to witness the triumph of Sophie's mountaineering feat.” He turned to the other man, whose warm hazel eyes were fixed on Tate. “Son, I would like you to make the acquaintance of Caleb Montgomery. He's come all the way from Kansas to cheer for his sister.”

Sophie's brother smiled. “And to take her home. Despite her assurances to the contrary, I do not think she could endure a long winter by herself in this environment. She loves it here, of course, but I'm here to talk some sense into her.”

Tate felt the floor tilt beneath his feet. Of course. It made perfect sense. Her family loved her. They would not want her to suffer hardship. His mind raced with objections. He would not have long to make his case to Sophie, if there was even a case to be made now. Gathering his wits, Tate finally offered Montgomery a welcome and bid Bertie bring some refreshments.

He learned that Sophie had written the Hurlburts with the date of the summit attempt. At Caleb's request, Robert had telegraphed him. Caleb explained that the family, worried both about Sophie's groundbreaking hike and her winter plans, had designated him to convey the family's love and concern. The two men had ridden over from Dunraven's hotel, where they were staying. After fixing on an hour to come by the next day for Tate to lead them to the base of the trail, they left. Tate slumped into a chair. Montgomery had seemed so at ease, even pleased to meet him and discuss his plans for Sophie. Tate wondered if they suspected the toll that extending hospitality had taken on him when all he wanted to do was cry out, “No!” What chance would he have to influence Sophie's decision in light of the arguments of her loving family?

Chapter Sixteen

D
espite the sun, the higher they climbed, the colder it got. Sophie had worn gloves initially, but now scrabbled bare-handed, seeking purchase in the barren rock ahead of her. Her fingernails tore in the effort and a steady wind buffeted her, yet each yard of progress was a small victory spurring her on. The party was more strung out as they confronted the steeper trail just below the summit. Whether it was the effect of the previous evening's strong drink or not, the rancher had dropped out halfway up the final ascent and had agreed to wait at that point for those closing in on the summit. Yet his condition didn't stop him from taunting the two women when they stepped around him. His ill temper only fueled Sophie's determination. She looked up and spotted Belle ahead of her, nearly spread-eagled in the attempt to inch up a large boulder. Sophie closed her eyes briefly, summoning every ounce of will. Her chest heaved with exertion, and her mouth filled with cotton. Yet she couldn't,
wouldn't
, give up.
Char-lie. Char-lie.
She tried to focus on his laughing eyes and merry disposition, but it was as if the more altitude she gained, the more elusive her memory of him became.
This is for you,
she wanted to say to him. With that thought, she barely had time to duck as a loose rock from above cascaded past her, echoing on its way to the bottom. She corrected herself. Although this climb would honor Charlie, it wasn't for him she'd undertaken the hike. It was for herself. She had been lost and needed to find her way. Muscles coiled and aching, she continued to climb. Then, as if she'd summoned them, came the words from the Bible verse on Lily's sampler: “...and He shall direct thy paths.” She acknowledged she was at a crossroads in her life and any decision could be made only with God's help.

After that, there was no time for daydreaming, only the relentless pressure to find the strength to put one foot ahead of the other. She could see the summit, yet even so, she had to pause to let a spell of dizziness pass.
Hang on, hang on,
she told herself over and over. Her ears filled with a muted roar, and she feared her chest would burst with the effort of drawing even a shallow breath.

“You're almost there,” Ellicott shouted down to her.

She dug deep into the last reserves of her will, planted her left foot, hauled herself up with her right hand and found herself on a narrow path where she could stand, her legs trembling beneath her. In the corner of her vision she saw such an awe-inspiring glimpse of the panorama awaiting her at the summit that she once again felt faint...
And He shall direct thy paths.
With a surge of energy, she climbed the last obstacle and reached the top of the world. At once she was enveloped in Belle's ecstatic embrace, both of them laughing and crying at the same time. “You did it, ladies,” Ellicott observed with a broad grin.

“We did it!” they cried, pummeling each other on the back.

Sophie withdrew a small American flag from her knapsack. “I told you I'd wave a banner if we made it.” Holding the emblem high above her head, she let the wind whip it horizontal.

Belle applauded before taking the stick from Sophie's hand and running in a large circle, exulting all the way.

Bill approached them. “I gotta tell you, I had my doubts, but you gals have made a believer of me. Congratulations.”

McConnell's friend nodded congratulations while the gasping Englishman shook his head in bafflement before collapsing onto a nearby rock.

Looking around, Sophie observed that only five of the eight who had started out with Bill had completed the climb. She began exploring the flat surface of the summit, larger than she had supposed. In every direction was a breathtaking vista. Mountain upon mountain rolling to the north, south and west. To the east, a long view of the smaller front range and finally a glimpse of the prairie. And the vastness, the indescribable sense of space. She could hardly make sense of the distances visible to the eye at every turn. An elation unlike any she had ever known filled her heart, and she couldn't help hugging herself at the wonder of it all, thanking God for this privileged view of His creation.

Then Clark Ellicott's simple words came back to her:
We have to go down before we can go up.
She had been down. She had lost two of the dearest, finest men in the world, Pa and Charlie. She had made a friend of sorrow. In the same way that her vision had been blocked in the lowland of grief and confusion, now the spectacle of these magnificent heights spoke of a broader view, of new beginnings, of possibilities beyond her limited understanding. Colorado...how could she leave? Pa had understood.
Be happy there,
he had whispered with his dying breath.

Overhead, clouds were forming and far to the west, she noticed the first streaks of lightning. She began to sense static electricity in the air. “Time to move out,” Bill bellowed.

Taking one last, lingering look at the scene before her, Sophie fell in with Ellicott and Belle as they made their way to the summit's edge for the descent. “You intrepid ladies will go down in history,” the man said. “Two of you at a time climbing Longs Peak with nary a complaint.”

“Thank you,” Belle said, “but I hardly know about ‘history.'”

“I do,” Ellicott replied, looking mischievously from one to the other. “Some of my colleagues have not only predicted your failure, but have made narrow-minded fools of themselves in the process. I, however, will tell quite a different story.”

Sophie raised an eyebrow. “Colleagues?”

The man tipped his hat. “Clark Ellicott, associate editor of the
New York Herald
.”

Sophie and Belle stared at him, then began laughing. He joined in. “Yes, indeed, quite a different story.”

* * *

Saturday morning, Robert and Caleb arrived bright and early at Tate's. Since it was several miles to the trailhead, Tate had Toby ride with him, while Marcus mounted a gentle mare. Along the way, Caleb spoke of Sophie in loving terms, even telling how it had been she who persuaded him to travel all the way to Saint Louis to pursue and court his Lily. Marcus raised some questions about the man's army experience, and although he answered pleasantly, if briefly, Tate could tell this was not a subject he preferred to discuss. Hard to say what he might have been through. In spite of himself, Tate took a liking to the man. If he could find fault, he could indulge his resentment of Caleb's mission to take Sophie back to Kansas. If her brother Seth and sisters-in-law were as fine a company as Caleb, though, Tate could understand why Sophie was considering returning there. Upright and straightforward, her brother was proving to be a thoroughly decent fellow. He had profusely thanked Tate for being such a good neighbor to Sophie and for offering her the tutoring position. He was a natural with the boys, treating them with the respect and affection innate in folks who enjoy children.

“Do you think Miss Sophie made it?” Toby had asked that question at least three times.

Each time, Marcus had replied with disdain, “Why wouldn't she?”

Montgomery rode closer. “It is quite dangerous, I assume.”

Tate nodded. “There was no dissuading her.”

Montgomery smiled. “That's our Sophie.”

Our Sophie.
It had a nice ring to it.

When the group dismounted for rest and lunch, Tate drew Caleb to the side. “I know you have come to persuade Sophie to return to Kansas with you, and I imagine you share my concern about her remaining in her cabin during our harsh winter. However, Marcus, Toby and I have asked her to consider staying with us during those months to continue her work with the boys. She is an exceptional teacher.”

Caleb looked him straight in the eye as if taking his measure. “Yes, she is exceptional, and I would not have her character compromised in any way. People talk, as you know.”

Discomfited, Tate nodded. “Although I have a housekeeper, I suppose gossip might follow. However, as I'm sure you're aware as a parent yourself, where the welfare of my sons is concerned, I will spare nothing. They are understandably quite attached to Sophie.”

“And what about you? Are you ‘quite attached' to my sister?” He made Tate wait. “It is my duty to protect her.”

Tate summoned words difficult to utter. “Sophie has told me about her Charlie. It is clear she loved him deeply. Despite my growing affection for your remarkable sister, I have done my best to keep my distance, respecting her devotion and grief where another is concerned. If circumstances were different, if I felt she were inclined to me, then...” His voice faded away.

Montgomery clapped him on the back. “Thank you. I think I understand the situation now.”

But did he? That was the question Tate mulled over as they neared Wild Bill's place. From a distance he could pick out the Harpers and Tylers, as well as some other neighbors. The grounds were teeming with onlookers, including some citified-looking enough to be newspapermen. The carnival-like atmosphere was boisterous with gibes being exchanged between those rooting for Belle and Sophie and their loudmouthed detractors. Toby turned around to face Tate. “Why are those men saying bad things about Miss Sophie?”

“Because they do not think women should climb mountains or that they can be successful in doing so.”

Toby appeared to be thinking over the comment. Finally he said, “That's silly. Miss Sophie can do anything.”

With that comment, Tate's stomach tightened. Could she do anything? Could she not only scale a formidable peak, but agree to stay with him in Colorado? Much as he liked and admired Caleb Montgomery, he would not let Sophie go without a fight.

Just then Marcus, who had already tethered his horse, ran up to him and Toby. “Somebody saw them, Papa. Far away on a ridge. But coming. Coming!”

Tate watched Robert Hurlburt reach out to grab Caleb's hand. “Courage, lad. If I know Sophie, she's leading the pack.”

* * *

At the boulder field after a good night's rest, the party prepared for the ride back to Bill's base camp. Sophie did her best to tame her runaway curls and finally gave up, mashing them with her sorry-looking hat. She had done her best to wash some of the dust off her face and had covered her raw hands with gloves. She grinned. Hardly a fashion plate. In the interests of propriety and in anticipation of the judgment of those waiting to greet them, both she and Belle had donned knee-length skirts to cover their hiking bloomers. When they had returned exultant to their tents last night, they were met with McConnell's abashed congratulations and Baker's insincere and terse “Unbelievable.” Apparently unused to defeat, the rancher said nothing and sulked until bedtime. She supposed she and Belle would have to endure the same mixed judgment from others when their feat became public knowledge. As she mounted Ranger, she allowed herself a rueful grin. Men!

As they left the boulder field, Sophie turned for one last look at the grandeur of Longs Peak before the view was swallowed by trees. It would forever remain for her a symbol of the power and presence of God. It was there she had finally understood that life goes on,
must
go on, despite sorrow and setbacks.
Thank You, Lord, for directing my path.

As eager as she was to reach the end of the journey, she reminded herself to savor every turn in the trail and the delights it offered her. She, Belle and Ellicott brought up the rear, each lost in thought as if loath to conclude such an adventure. Ellicott was the first to speak. “Your menfolk must be very proud of you.”

Belle laughed. “My brother will be.”

“And my employer,” Sophie added.

“You mean to tell me neither of you is spoken for?”

“There aren't a great number of candidates up here,” Belle reminded him.

“Even so...” He rode on for a time. “It will take some fine men who appreciate strong women to match the two of you. If they see in you what I do, they will be extremely fortunate.”

“Thank you,” Sophie said simply. “Without you, this trek would have been much more difficult.”

“Yes,” Belle added. “We appreciate your open-mindedness.”

As eager as they were to reach the bottom, Bill halted them for an early lunch of biscuits and tinned ham. The women refreshed their canteens from a lively stream and sat with their backs against a boulder. “There's a bittersweet quality to what we just did, isn't there?” Sophie remarked.

“You mean because we succeeded and have no further goal?”

“It was such fun to look forward to this. And now...?”

Belle sat up straighter and looked at Sophie. “And now? We're going to begin planning for Pike's Peak.”

If she lived to be a hundred, Sophie would never be able to explain how Belle's words set her body tingling with excitement.
Exactly. That is exactly what we'll do.

When they were half a mile from Wild Bill's and the trailhead, Sophie tensed with apprehension. How would others, especially the naysayers, react to her and Belle's success? And how was she to deal with the decision facing her about remaining in Colorado to tutor the Lockwood boys or returning to her Flint Hills family? During this trip she had realized what she must do, but it would not be easy and might hurt some she cared about deeply. Before she let herself dwell on what might happen in the upcoming days, she reminded herself to enjoy the moment and take satisfaction from the obstacles she and Belle had overcome.

Then, rounding a bend, Sophie became aware of shouts and cheers echoing from the valley floor just below. She had assumed there would be a few folks waiting to greet them, but this sounded like a crowd.

Ellicott pointed ahead. “Get ready, ladies. You are about to be the center of attention.”

Sure enough, as the train of horses made its way across the pasture to Bill's, cheers and catcalls resounded. Reaching the hitching post, Sophie slid from Ranger's back and turned to face the spectators. The first person she saw was Grizzly, nodding happily, his face wreathed in a smile. The second was Toby, who ran toward her, shouting, “Did you do it, Miss Sophie? Did you do it?”