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Authors: Melody Carlson
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beautiful spot by the river,” he said suddenly. “Quiet and serene…with wildflowers abounding. In fact, that’s where the girls found the strawberries yesterday. Would you like to take a walk there with me?”
The idea of a place like that was very enticing…and yet…she wondered what Eli would think if he saw her with Will. And then she wondered why she wondered that. What difference should it make? Besides, she still had some legal questions concerning Brady for him. Why not?
“Come with me, Elizabeth. I know you’d enjoy it.” He gave her a wide smile. “I’ve seen you and your family toiling so hard while others are enjoying a short holiday. I think you deserve some time off as well.”
She glanced over at where the girls were still standing by the tailgate of her wagon. Perhaps they had managed to engage Mrs. Taylor. And even if they hadn’t, she had no intention of spending such a glorious day cooped up with her. With resolution, she reached for her prairie bonnet.
“I do believe I will take you up on that offer.” Elizabeth called out to her mother now. “I’m going to walk down to the river with Mr. Bramford, Mother.”
“Have a lovely time, dear,” Clara called back.
Elizabeth did her best to make small talk with Will as they walked toward the river. At the same time, she tried to suppress the nagging concerns over what Eli or anyone else might think to see her out like this, alone in the company of a man. But being part of a wagon train seemed to break a lot of conventional rules. And after all, hadn’t her own mother sounded pleased to send her on her way? Besides, she reminded herself, Eli hadn’t been around to see her in days. In some ways she felt as if he were purposely ignoring her.
“Excuse me?”
She turned to see Will looking curiously at her.
“What?” She paused, trying to figure out what she had missed.
“You seem to be lost in your own thoughts.”
“Oh…” Her hand went to her mouth. “I’m sorry. Did you say something that I completely missed?”
He chuckled. “I know that we legal types have been known to put our listeners to sleep sometimes. At least that’s what my children say. But I must say it doesn’t usually happen while walking.”
“My apologies.” She focused her attention on tying her loose bonnet strings.
“You seem to have a lot on your mind, Elizabeth.”
She nodded. “I suppose I do.” Now to distract him from guessing what she’d really been daydreaming about, she brought up the subject of Mrs. Taylor, briefly explaining her dilemma. “It’s not that I would throw the poor woman out,” she said finally. “It’s just that I was unprepared for such a burden.” She sighed. “I have my children to think of, and then there’s Brady with this unfortunate legal news. And of course, I must stay focused on all that pertains to having a successful journey to Oregon.”
“You certainly have more than enough to occupy your thoughts.”
“I know we’re not supposed to fret about tomorrow…”
“According to whom?”
“The Bible, of course.”
“Oh, yes, of course.”
“But it’s hard not to want to figure out a few things in advance.” She glanced at him, hoping for some wise counsel. “For instance, how long am I supposed to care for Mrs. Taylor? Should I encourage her to depart the wagon train at the next post? Will my family need to pay for her passage back to the East?”
He nodded, rubbing his chin as if taking this all in. “Good questions, all of them. First of all, I must ask why you are caring for Mrs. Taylor in the first place. She’s a grown woman. She chose to come on this journey. She stubbornly refused to part with her piano, which is greatly responsible for her husband’s untimely death. But none of that is your fault.”
She let out a long sigh of relief. “Yes, that’s how I feel too.”
“It was kind of you to take her in. But I do not see why you should hold yourself responsible for her
The idea of a place like that was very enticing…and yet…she wondered what Eli would think if he saw her with Will. And then she wondered why she wondered that. What difference should it make? Besides, she still had some legal questions concerning Brady for him. Why not?
“Come with me, Elizabeth. I know you’d enjoy it.” He gave her a wide smile. “I’ve seen you and your family toiling so hard while others are enjoying a short holiday. I think you deserve some time off as well.”
She glanced over at where the girls were still standing by the tailgate of her wagon. Perhaps they had managed to engage Mrs. Taylor. And even if they hadn’t, she had no intention of spending such a glorious day cooped up with her. With resolution, she reached for her prairie bonnet.
“I do believe I will take you up on that offer.” Elizabeth called out to her mother now. “I’m going to walk down to the river with Mr. Bramford, Mother.”
“Have a lovely time, dear,” Clara called back.
Elizabeth did her best to make small talk with Will as they walked toward the river. At the same time, she tried to suppress the nagging concerns over what Eli or anyone else might think to see her out like this, alone in the company of a man. But being part of a wagon train seemed to break a lot of conventional rules. And after all, hadn’t her own mother sounded pleased to send her on her way? Besides, she reminded herself, Eli hadn’t been around to see her in days. In some ways she felt as if he were purposely ignoring her.
“Excuse me?”
She turned to see Will looking curiously at her.
“What?” She paused, trying to figure out what she had missed.
“You seem to be lost in your own thoughts.”
“Oh…” Her hand went to her mouth. “I’m sorry. Did you say something that I completely missed?”
He chuckled. “I know that we legal types have been known to put our listeners to sleep sometimes. At least that’s what my children say. But I must say it doesn’t usually happen while walking.”
“My apologies.” She focused her attention on tying her loose bonnet strings.
“You seem to have a lot on your mind, Elizabeth.”
She nodded. “I suppose I do.” Now to distract him from guessing what she’d really been daydreaming about, she brought up the subject of Mrs. Taylor, briefly explaining her dilemma. “It’s not that I would throw the poor woman out,” she said finally. “It’s just that I was unprepared for such a burden.” She sighed. “I have my children to think of, and then there’s Brady with this unfortunate legal news. And of course, I must stay focused on all that pertains to having a successful journey to Oregon.”
“You certainly have more than enough to occupy your thoughts.”
“I know we’re not supposed to fret about tomorrow…”
“According to whom?”
“The Bible, of course.”
“Oh, yes, of course.”
“But it’s hard not to want to figure out a few things in advance.” She glanced at him, hoping for some wise counsel. “For instance, how long am I supposed to care for Mrs. Taylor? Should I encourage her to depart the wagon train at the next post? Will my family need to pay for her passage back to the East?”
He nodded, rubbing his chin as if taking this all in. “Good questions, all of them. First of all, I must ask why you are caring for Mrs. Taylor in the first place. She’s a grown woman. She chose to come on this journey. She stubbornly refused to part with her piano, which is greatly responsible for her husband’s untimely death. But none of that is your fault.”
She let out a long sigh of relief. “Yes, that’s how I feel too.”
“It was kind of you to take her in. But I do not see why you should hold yourself responsible for her
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