Chapter 2

2

L eah breathed a sigh of relief when she entered the breakfast room early and found Emily already seated at the long mahogany table. A faint shadow under Emily's eyes was the only sign in her otherwise impeccable appearance that she may not have had a restful night's sleep.

Leah, on the other hand, knew from an earlier glance in her mirror that she looked like she may have slept an hour at the most. And that was fairly accurate.

After she'd felt God's direction to flee Richmond, Leah had spent an hour packing four trunks with the personal items she might need on her journey. Then she'd spent another hour unpacking two of the trunks, after deciding she should travel light so as not to receive undo attention from the bellboys and luggage handlers wherever she went.

Now she was down to a minimal amount of clothing, toiletries, books, and the five hundred dollars she had saved from her spending money. Most of Papa's money was in the trust held for her twenty-third birthday, except the monthly stipend she received for personal expenses.

She waited impatiently for the housemaid to remove the covers from their full plates, and then fill each of their mugs with warm coffee. Even after Papa was gone, Emily had insisted they continue to eat formal meals so Leah wouldn't lose the habit.

"Thank you, Amanda." Emily was always full of grace and kindness. The servant girl curtsied and scurried from the large dining chamber. As soon as she was gone, Leah leaned forward to place a hand on the table.

"We're leaving Richmond. You and I. Today. God directed me to flee and escape, so we have to leave this morning."

Emily dabbed at her mouth, not looking as shocked as Leah had expected. "And where do you plan to go?"

Leah had given that a great deal of thought, but hadn't come up with a good answer. "I don't know, really. I don't have any family left, and we never did much traveling, so all of my friends are in Richmond. I guess I'm thinking we should go to Charleston for a while, since we used to vacation there and I know the city a bit." She frowned. "I'm not sure what I would do there, though."

Emily shook her head. "No, you need to go to St. Louis. It's in Missouri, and I have family there…of sorts. My sister's husband came from that area, and I know his family will help you. Their name is Barnett, and they're good people. I'll send them a wire after you leave, so they'll be expecting you."

"But you have to go, too."

Emily's eyes shone—with kindness or unshed tears? "No, I think this is also the opportunity God's given me to spend some time helping my sweet sister. It's been hard on her since her Robert died, and I think it would do her good to have someone with her right now."

"But don't you think you should leave town?" Panic welled in Leah's chest as she thought about getting on a train by herself. Walking away from the only friend she had left—the only life she'd ever known. And Simon had threatened Emily—words she'd told her friend.

Emily's face dissolved into that gentle look of affection. "Leah, love. I spent many hours last night praying, too. God told me He has a special plan for you, and this is the way He wants you to start. He has other plans for me." She dipped her chin and raised her brows. "I know he'll keep me safe. I'm not worried about Simon Talbert."

Leah's heart filled with both relief and panic at Emily's answer. "Are you sure?"

She patted Leah's cheek in a motherly way. "God has you safe in His hands, love. And you can know for sure I'll be praying for you every step of the way."

And then Leah did what she'd been trying not to do all night. She cried.

In less time than she'd thought possible, Leah stood in front of a Richmond, Fredericksburg, & Potomac train car. The observation car's exterior may once have been a cheery yellow, but the harsh sun and the layer of ashen soot from the steam engine had rendered it a murky beige. She felt like a stranger in the simple homespun dress—gray, with no frills, lace, or bustle—and only a faded carpet bag in her hands. Not a soul would recognize her as a Townsend in this depressing—and scratchy—costume.

When Emily got an idea in her head, there was no one save the Lord Himself who could stop her from acting on it immediately. She had inspected Leah's trunks and approved of most of the items inside, but changed out a few of the gowns for more ‘serviceable' clothing. Then she'd found the homespun wool dress from who-knows-where so no one would recognize her at the train station, sent for a hired hack so no one from Townsend Manor would know where she'd gone, and had their cook pack a lunch to put in Leah's satchel. On the way to the train station, Emily had given so many instructions that Leah's mind was exhausted already. And it was only nine o'clock in the morning.

Emily had kept their goodbye short and hopeful, pressing several papers into Leah's hand. "Please send me a note as soon as you arrive in St. Louis to let me know you're all right." It was the first time she had shown any kind of reluctance for Leah to leave. "Do you have the letter for Mr. Shelton?"

"Right here." Leah reached into her reticule and pulled out the sealed stationery addressed to her father's steward, Mister James Shelton, Esquire.

Emily reached for it, her eyes meeting Leah's. "You didn't tell him where you're going, did you?"

Leah shook her head. "Only that I was leaving town and would contact him next year after my birthday to arrange my inheritance. And then I detailed the conversation I overheard between Simon and that other man, and also the things Simon said to me. I asked him to inform someone in the police department—someone he trusts."

Emily's mouth pinched in a grim line. "I hope he believes you. And I hope he finds the right person to investigate. Simon has an impeccable reputation and the money to sway any decision."

"I know." Urgency washed through Leah. "We have to get out of here. Simon will probably call at our home any minute."

Emily pulled her into a final fierce hug. "I'll be praying for you. Remember, I love you." And then she turned Leah around with a hand on each shoulder and practically pushed her toward the train.

After boarding, Leah made her way down the narrow aisle in search of an empty seat. She finally found a vacant bench, and collapsed onto the hard leather next to the window. She peered through the murky glass to get a final glimpse of Emily, and saw her friend waving and blowing kisses from the wooden platform. Leah waved back wildly, feeling her world slip away as the train jolted forward and Emily faded into the distance.

Leah leaned into the seat, her heart aching like it was in a vise. What was she doing? She was leaving everything she knew and the best friend she'd ever had. And for what? Safety? How did she know where she was going would be any safer than staying with Simon Talbert? Sure he was planning to kill her, but who knew what menace she would meet on a trip halfway across the country to a strange city in the middle of an even stranger state?

Leah gazed out the window for a final glimpse of the Richmond train station. Why hadn't she forced Emily to come along? As far back as she could remember, she had been her dearest friend and confidante. Emily was fifteen years older than Leah, but that had never mattered. Mama died when Leah was sixteen, and Emily had stepped in to fill the void. A tear trickled down Leah's cheek as she sank into self-pity.

"Oh, you poor thing. Is this your first time travelin' by yourself?"

Leah looked up to see a short lady carrying as many bags as would fit in her wrinkled hands. The woman's hair had likely been blonde at one time, but it was now mostly white with a few golden strands mixed in, and her lined face radiated a kind soul.

Leah sniffed and made an effort to pull herself together, beginning with her poised smile. "It is. Can I help you with those?"

With effort, the woman managed to set some of the bags on the bench, then leaned over to place others underneath the seat. For a second, she swayed like she might topple with the rocking of the train. Leah reached out to grasp her arm, surprised at how bony it was, then moved the bags from the seat and helped the older lady sit.

"Ah, thank you, dear. These trains can knock my old legs over some times. I didn't used to be so unsteady on my feet, but gettin' old can be rough." She patted Leah's arm.

Leah couldn't help but smile at the likable woman. "Do you travel often?"

Her clothing didn't appear lavish, but neither was it ragged. She wore a clean brown taffeta dress with a strip of lace around the high collar and long sleeves.

"My youngest daughter lives in Richmond with her four little ones. I try to visit a couple weeks each year to lighten her load a bit. Her oldest is barely in school and the youngest has started walkin' now, so she has more than a little on her plate. They're all smart as chickadees, though, and the two oldest can already read and recite sums."

She finally stopped to take a breath, then added, "I'm Louise Mathers, by the way, but everyone calls me Gram. And what might your name be?"

Gram was too bubbly to allow sadness to hover, so Leah relaxed against the cracked leather bench. "Leah."

"Ah, what a lovely name for a lovely girl. It's a pleasure to have your company. You remind me a bit of my Rebecca. She's my oldest grandbaby and has your pretty caramel-colored hair. She's a bit stouter than you, but she can sing like an angel. She'd like you, I'm sure…"

Gram chattered for another hour, then closed her eyes for a nap. When soft snores sounded from the older woman's open mouth, Leah took the opportunity to look at the papers Emily had given her.

Two scraps held addresses. One for the Barnett family in St. Louis, and the other for Emily's sister outside of Richmond. Next, she found a copy of the Richmond Enquirer. That was odd. Emily had always said it wasn't seemly for a young lady to be interested in newspapers and worldly affairs. The paper was open to one of the pages near the back, where rows of advertisements filled the space.

Her eyes wandered through the listings. In the "Lost.—Found." section, someone offered a five dollar reward for a missing lady's gold watch. The "Wanted…Situations …Females" took an entire column, but she couldn't bring herself to read too deeply. No doubt she would need to study those types of advertisements in detail when she reached St. Louis.

An advertisement in the "Personals" section just above the "Wanted" ads caught Leah's eye.

An intelligent young rancher of 25 years, 6 feet height, red hair, green eyes, seeks a wife in the Montana Territory. The young lady should be between 18 and 25 years, pleasant, and God fearing. Please send telegram or letter to Helena, MT addressed to Abel Bryant at Bryant Ranch, Butte City.

How curious. She'd heard of men placing advertisements for mail-order brides, but she'd never actually seen such a listing.

The snores beside Leah ended with an unladylike snort, and Gram raised her head from the seat back. She licked her lips and looked around, taking in the landscape still flying by outside the windows.

"Nothin' like the rockin' of a train for a good nap."