Madeline: Bride of Nebraska (American Mail-Order Bride 37) (3 page)

It wasn’t long before they reached the town of Chimney Rock. It was a small town just south of the North Platte River with only a few buildings in it, but Madeline thought it looked lovely. The mercantile had a beautiful tree in front of it, which was surrounded by park benches. There was also a pretty little white church with a small steeple across from the mercantile, as well as several modest houses along the street.

Ella pulled up in front of a cozy little two story house, which was next door to the church. “Here we are,” she said cheerfully as she hopped down from the wagon. She frowned when she realized that Mr. Stark had still not arrived, but decided to get Madeline comfortable before she worried about that. Worst case scenario, she would have an overnight guest until they found out what had happened to Madeline’s groom.

The two ladies took Madeline’s luggage in through the back door and met Reverend Young, who headed outside to move the wagon into the barn and unhitch the horse. He was a quiet elderly gentleman, and had merely smiled and nodded at their brief introduction.

“Let’s get you settled into that bath, and then I’ll find out if the reverend has heard anything about Mr. Stark.” With that, Ella led Madeline into a small room just off the kitchen.

A small wood stove sat in one corner and a large copper bathtub, half-filled with water, stood along the wall. The stove had obviously been stoked for several hours, as the room was pleasantly warm. Two buckets of water sat on the floor near the stove, and Ella lifted them and placed them on top of it to warm them.

“Why don’t you go get your things out of your trunk in the kitchen and you can hop in the tub as soon as we warm the water back up a bit? It was nice and hot when I left, but I’m sure it’s cooled down by now.”

Madeline went to retrieve a new dress and some clean underclothes. She also brought her carpet bag, which held her toiletries. When she came back into the room, Ella had already set out a towel, wash cloth, and a bar of milled soap.

“I can’t believe you actually have a real working bathtub out here,” Madeline marveled, then blushed a bit as she realized that could sound insulting. She certainly hadn’t meant it to be an insult. She had heard that things were not as modern out west as they are back east.

Ella laughed heartily. “Oh, Maddy! Come, sit here and I’ll brush your hair while we wait for the water to heat.” She patted a stool near the stove as she spoke. Her eyes twinkled with merriment.

Madeline reached into her carpet bag and pulled out her hairbrush, then did as she was bid. She and her roommates used to help brush one another’s hair. It was a familiar and comforting gesture on Ella’s part, and Madeline certainly wanted to take her up on it.

“Now, we don’t have actual plumbing like you do out east,” Ella began as she worked the pins from Madeline’s hair. “The reverend likes a good soak in the bath, so we pieced together some basic plumbing for the drains, both here and at the kitchen sink. They drain out into the side yard, where we’d throw the used water if we emptied them by hand in the first place. Come winter we have to check the drains, to make certain they haven’t frozen over, and we have plugs we keep in them to keep the mice and other vermin out.”

“That’s really clever,” Madeline marveled. Apparently the water still needed to be hand pumped and brought to the bathtub, but it certainly saved energy to empty them this way. “Any idea if Mr. Stark has a similar arrangement?” She was hoping he did.

Ella paused as she considered her answer. “Honestly, I have no idea, but if he doesn’t, we can help him set it up for you. It’s easy as pie.”

Madeline smiled. “That’s very kind of you.”

“Pish-tosh,” Ella clucked. “It’s what friends do, and I do hope we will become fast friends, Maddy. I like your pluck.”

Ella hummed as she brushed through Madeline’s thick brown hair. She took her time, as she wanted to have hot water to add to the bath when she was done.

Madeline closed her eyes as Ella rhythmically brushed her hair. After days on the train, having someone pamper her like this was a welcome respite. She caught herself nodding off from time to time, and wondered if she would fall asleep in the bathtub.

To keep herself awake, she began asking Ella questions. “What is Mr. Stark like?”

Ella stopped brushing for a moment and chewed her lower lip as she considered her answer. She resumed brushing as she spoke. “Well, now…he’s a quiet one, at least around me. Polite. Kind. Always helps a neighbor out if they need help.”

Madeline nodded. She was pleased to hear that he did indeed sound like a good man. It was one thing for an investigator to check into someone, but another to hear it from someone who knew him personally.

“He’s tall,” Ella continued. “Strong. Took over his parent’s ranch after his pa died. Not to speak ill of the dead, but he runs it better than his pa ever did. Maybe that’s because he grew up doing that sort of work, where it was new to his pa.”

“So, he was born here in Nebraska?” Madeline asked. She was hearing more than she dared hope when she first asked her question, and was quite pleased about that.

“Born right in that house of his, though it was smaller back then. His older brother never liked working the ranch. He moved out when he was eighteen and became the local blacksmith. Moved into their uncle’s old house. It had been vacant for years.” Ella set the hairbrush down on the washstand and checked the temperature of the water in the buckets. She smiled and reached for a pair of leather gloves that were laying on a shelf near the stove.

As she poured the hot water from the first bucket into the bathtub, she looked up at Madeline. “Do you want me to help you with your hair? My sisters and I used to help each other all the time. It’s so much easier for someone else to see if you have all the soap out.”

Madeline smiled. “That would be wonderful.”

They heard the back door open and close, and Ella smiled. “That would be the reverend. I’ll be right back.”

Ella headed back into the kitchen with the one empty bucket and softly swung the door closed behind her. It didn’t quite latch, but offered Madeline a degree of privacy.

Madeline picked up the second bucket of hot water and used the corner of her shawl to protect her hands from the heat of the metal as she tipped it into the bathtub. She set the bucket down next to the tub and checked the water. She was surprised to find it as warm as it was.

Given the amount of water in the tub, the two buckets they had just added should not have made it as hot as it was. Even with the proximity to the stove, the reverend must have been heating water for her while Ella had come to fetch her at the train station. Madeline could not remember ever taking a bath in such warm water and looked forward to the treat.

Ella returned a few moments later with the bucket once again full of water. She closed the door behind her, set the bucket on the stove, and removed the leather gloves. She chattered away the entire time. “The reverend hasn’t heard a word from Mr. Stark, so he’s heading to the ranch now to find out what has happened. He agrees it’s very peculiar that Mr. Stark isn’t here yet. In the meantime, we’ll get you a nice hot bath. Ready?”

Madeline couldn’t help but smile. Ella was a true godsend. Even if Mr. Stark never came for her, she was glad that she had met this woman. “Ready,” Madeline answered eagerly.

While Madeline undressed for her bath, Ella turned her back and busied herself with moving the chair closer to the tub so Madeline could reach the soap and washcloth herself if she chose. She then moved a stool behind the tub where Madeline’s head would rest and turned to stoke the stove.

Madeline stripped down and slipped into the tub. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back against the tub and relaxed. The hot water felt so good after days of riding on a train that she thought she might fall asleep. She could feel her sore muscles begin to relax almost immediately.

Ella heard Madeline sigh and turned to see her relaxing in the bathtub with a look of sheer bliss on her face. “Exactly what the doctor ordered,” she said with a grin. “Shall we wash your hair first? That way I can comb it for you while you just relax before washing up.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Madeline sighed. She sat upright in the tub and tipped her head back as Ella scooped and poured the hot water over her head with a tin cup.

Ella took her time washing her new friend’s hair. Every bride deserved to be pampered a bit on her wedding day, and this one in particular. What on earth could have kept Mr. Stark from his bride today? He had seemed so excited when he had stopped by a couple of weeks ago to talk to the reverend about the wedding. She hoped it wasn’t anything too serious.

*****

Reverend Young was halfway to the Stark ranch when he spotted a rider coming toward him, fast. He pulled his horse to a stop and waited to see if the rider stopped or continued on past him.

As the rider neared, he recognized Hank Sanders, Mr. Stark’s senior ranch hand. His blood ran cold as he knew without a doubt that something must be seriously wrong.

Hank saw the reverend and pulled his horse up next to him. He quickly tipped his hat in respect before diving into the matter. “Reverend,” he mumbled by way of greeting. “Mr. Stark sent me to fetch you. It’s bad.”

Reverend Young took in the grim look on Hank’s face and nodded. “The ranch?”

Hank shook his head. “He’s at his brother’s house. Ben and Lily are dead. Murdered.”

The reverend closed his eyes briefly and said a quick prayer. “And little George?”

“He’s at the ranch with Walter. He walked all that way last night…” Hank was still shaken by the sight of that little boy, barely more than a babe, covered in blood as he was.

At that, both men turned and galloped towards Ben Stark’s house. The reverend did not know what he was walking in to, but he knew he was needed. That was all that mattered. Thoughts of the bride and the wedding flew out of his mind like quicksilver.

When they arrived at the house, they found Caleb and the sheriff standing under the elm tree near the barn. The wagon had been pulled out of the barn and the team of oxen had been hitched up to it. Inside the wagon were two hastily constructed coffins, as well as a few cages which held the family’s chickens. The nanny goat and the horses were tied behind the wagon as well.

Reverend Young quickly dismounted his horse and walked up to the two men, the reins of his horse in his hand. He could see the pain in Caleb’s eyes. “Caleb, I am so sorry. You have my condolences.”

“Thank you, Reverend,” Caleb choked out. It felt like he had just lost his mother not long ago and his father had been gone for over a decade now. To lose his only brother and his sister-in-law was just overwhelming. Thank God he still had little George.

“I’ll give the place another going over, Caleb,” the sheriff said. “If the man who did this is anywhere nearby, we’ll catch him. I promise I won’t stop looking for him until we do.”

Caleb, who was beyond words at the moment, merely nodded.

Hank looked around the yard. “Where are Jim and Silas?” The last he had seen of them, they had been placing the coffins in the wagon. Now they were nowhere to be found.

The sheriff spoke up. “They went to dig the graves.” He gave Caleb’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he headed back to the scene of the murder. He had gone over it a dozen times already, but he felt he owed it to his friend and neighbor to look one last time.

“Come on, son,” the reverend said gently as he placed his arm around Caleb’s shoulders. He slowly guided him to the wagon seat.

Caleb pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and blew his nose. Once he felt composed enough, he hauled himself up into the seat and picked up the reins. He glanced down to make certain the carpet bag with his nephew’s clothes and belongings was still sitting under the seat.

Then, with a flick of the wrists, the wagon pulled out of the yard, the goat and horses following dutifully behind. Caleb was thankful that Hank had thought to bring the farm animals back to the ranch with them. They would drop them off on the way to the family cemetery. He certainly did not want to visit his brother’s house, and the scene of his murder, any time soon.

Hank and Reverend Young followed alongside the wagon. Hank was on high alert, his rifle ready and held across his lap as they rode. There was no telling who had killed Ben and Lily Stark, nor how far they had gone after the deed. Until they found the murderer, he would stay on high alert.

*****

When they arrived at the ranch, Caleb and Hank quickly deposited the chickens, horses, and the goat in the barn while the reverend remained on guard outside. Once they had locked them in their proper stalls, Caleb climbed back into the wagon and drove the team of oxen on toward the graveyard.

The graveyard itself was located about a half mile from the house. A wooden picket fence surrounded the area and a linden tree grew in the corner. Caleb’s grandparents had died shortly after the family had arrived in Chimney Rock , which was well before the church had been built, and they had continued to use the family graveyard instead of the little one by the church ever since.

Jim and Silas were already there. They had two deep holes ready and waiting, with rope nearby to lower the caskets into the ground. Caleb was grateful to all the ranch hands. Over the years, they had become more than just men who worked with him. They had become family.