Right now Audrey and Willow went about their regular routine beneath that same moon. Yet the distance between her and her friends seemed even more remote than the distance between her and the twinkling stars. âI understand youâre from Dublin?â
âThat I am, but I try to speak only good Englishâand Iâm doing a wee bit of fine job, wouldnât you say?â
âOhâ¦to be certain.â She grinned.
Mail began to arrive and Mike put the letters in a leather satchel. One by one a family member would hand him an envelope, and their expressions told that homesickness occupied minds tonight. Many had left mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, some whom they might never see again. Even Redlin dropped a letter beside the young Irish lad. It was all Copper could do to contain her sudden interest. Now whom would he be writing a letter to?
Frank Richardson whistled, and Mike sprang to his feet and trotted to the Richardson wagon.
Easing closer to the leather bag, Copper bent, trying to read the upside-down address on Redlinâs correspondence. Drats. His penmanship was disgraceful.
She smiled hello to a couple of latecomers and nudged the satchel wider open with the toe of her boot to accept their post. When the couple moved on she bent and quickly flipped the wagon masterâs letter right-side up, the address now easily readable.
Mrs. Susan Farris
31 Front Street
Dallas, Texas
Susan Farris. Love interest? Couldnât be his wife, or he would address her as Susan Redlin. Sister? Niece? Could be his mother, but the last names werenât the same.
Mike trotted back and dropped a handful of envelopes into the sack. By now it was getting late and folks were heading to their wagons.
The great mystery would have to wait until another time. Copper reached for her crutches and eased to her feet. Shedreaded the effects of the laudanum, yet craved the relief it brought. She hadnât thought to ask about the remaining distance to Fort Riceson. She dearly hoped it wasnât too great because Dr. Smith said time was of the essence. She recalled that phrase recurring over and over in her confused state.
How long could a person live in this pain and not go mad?
She wasnât sure, and she surely did not want to find out.
Chapter 8
M id-morning, a Risher and Hall Stage Line galloped by the wagon train. Four cavalrymen rode in front and four more rode in back. The stage lineâs brilliant red, green, and yellow colors were striking. The coach had striped spokes and doors, with a canvas-covered trunk and baggage rack.
Copper had decided to ride up front and avoid much of the boredom of travel. This afternoon Sadie was at the reins. Blissful snores floated from the back. Adele was asleep in her rocker, taking advantage of the break.
Sadie shook her head. âWonder where those folks are going in such a hurry.â
âDoesnât seem that an animal could keep up that pace for very long.â Copperâs eyes fixed on the six fine matched horses with silver mounting fixtures with white rings and a brilliantly colored tassel hanging from the cheek piece of the bridle. The driver wore gauntlet gloves with a long braidedlash whip in his right hand, and when he swung it over his head it sounded like a pistol shot.
âAn animal canât,â Sadie said. âI read all I could get my hands on afore we left home, and one paper said stage stations are somewhere between twelve and fifteen miles apart so the drivers change teams. Risher and Hall has one of the largest mail and stage lines in Texas.â
âWhy the cavalry escort?â
Sadie shook her head. âTheyâre protection. If the stage runs into Indians and the like, the escorts fall back and fight while the stage driver does his best to get to the nearest military post.â
âThatâs frightening. Couldnât that be miles and miles away?â
Sadie shrugged. âThereâs a post
âThat I am, but I try to speak only good Englishâand Iâm doing a wee bit of fine job, wouldnât you say?â
âOhâ¦to be certain.â She grinned.
Mail began to arrive and Mike put the letters in a leather satchel. One by one a family member would hand him an envelope, and their expressions told that homesickness occupied minds tonight. Many had left mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, some whom they might never see again. Even Redlin dropped a letter beside the young Irish lad. It was all Copper could do to contain her sudden interest. Now whom would he be writing a letter to?
Frank Richardson whistled, and Mike sprang to his feet and trotted to the Richardson wagon.
Easing closer to the leather bag, Copper bent, trying to read the upside-down address on Redlinâs correspondence. Drats. His penmanship was disgraceful.
She smiled hello to a couple of latecomers and nudged the satchel wider open with the toe of her boot to accept their post. When the couple moved on she bent and quickly flipped the wagon masterâs letter right-side up, the address now easily readable.
Mrs. Susan Farris
31 Front Street
Dallas, Texas
Susan Farris. Love interest? Couldnât be his wife, or he would address her as Susan Redlin. Sister? Niece? Could be his mother, but the last names werenât the same.
Mike trotted back and dropped a handful of envelopes into the sack. By now it was getting late and folks were heading to their wagons.
The great mystery would have to wait until another time. Copper reached for her crutches and eased to her feet. Shedreaded the effects of the laudanum, yet craved the relief it brought. She hadnât thought to ask about the remaining distance to Fort Riceson. She dearly hoped it wasnât too great because Dr. Smith said time was of the essence. She recalled that phrase recurring over and over in her confused state.
How long could a person live in this pain and not go mad?
She wasnât sure, and she surely did not want to find out.
Chapter 8
M id-morning, a Risher and Hall Stage Line galloped by the wagon train. Four cavalrymen rode in front and four more rode in back. The stage lineâs brilliant red, green, and yellow colors were striking. The coach had striped spokes and doors, with a canvas-covered trunk and baggage rack.
Copper had decided to ride up front and avoid much of the boredom of travel. This afternoon Sadie was at the reins. Blissful snores floated from the back. Adele was asleep in her rocker, taking advantage of the break.
Sadie shook her head. âWonder where those folks are going in such a hurry.â
âDoesnât seem that an animal could keep up that pace for very long.â Copperâs eyes fixed on the six fine matched horses with silver mounting fixtures with white rings and a brilliantly colored tassel hanging from the cheek piece of the bridle. The driver wore gauntlet gloves with a long braidedlash whip in his right hand, and when he swung it over his head it sounded like a pistol shot.
âAn animal canât,â Sadie said. âI read all I could get my hands on afore we left home, and one paper said stage stations are somewhere between twelve and fifteen miles apart so the drivers change teams. Risher and Hall has one of the largest mail and stage lines in Texas.â
âWhy the cavalry escort?â
Sadie shook her head. âTheyâre protection. If the stage runs into Indians and the like, the escorts fall back and fight while the stage driver does his best to get to the nearest military post.â
âThatâs frightening. Couldnât that be miles and miles away?â
Sadie shrugged. âThereâs a post
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