Chapter 5

5

R obert Talbert .

That had to be Simon's brother. Had he come all this way to find her? She knew Simon wanted her inheritance, but was he really this desperate? How had they been able to track her? She'd been so careful to appear as a common traveler.

Questions swirled through Leah's mind as she watched Robert climb the staircase, following the bellboy to his room. They continued past the landing for the second floor and disappeared around the wall as they climbed toward the third level. Leah's room was on the second—at least they wouldn't be on the same floor.

"Excuse me, miss, but we have a table prepared for you."

Leah turned quickly to see the waiter, bowing slightly, with his hand gesturing for her to precede him. She had completely lost her appetite. The last thing she wanted was to run into Robert Talbert taking his evening meal.

"Um…I'm not feeling well at the moment. I believe I'll take my meal in my room, instead."

He dropped his hand to his waist and deepened the bow. "As you wish. I will send a tray to your room then, Miss Townsend?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Very good then."

As soon as the man turned away, she shot a glance toward the top of the staircase. Seeing no one, Leah squared her shoulders and made her way upstairs, moving as quickly as a genteel lady was allowed.

For the next several hours, Leah paced the floor in her hotel suite. What now? She couldn't stay in her room for weeks until he went away. Finding work required getting out. But staying in the same hotel with the man meant he was sure to see her coming or going.

Should she find different lodgings? That was an option, but if he was able to track her from Richmond all the way to St. Louis, he would surely find her at a different hotel in the same city.

Should she try to find Emily's friends, the Barnetts? Leah moved toward the desk and found their address in the papers Emily had given her. Wash Avenue. She didn't recognize that street name from her wanderings over the last few days. Maybe she could find the address tomorrow.

Leah allowed a long sigh to escape. She really did want to make it on her own. Maybe she should move to a different city. Perhaps south to New Orleans? Or she could find a new city on the East Coast. But the thought of another week-long train ride made her sink into the desk chair.

She absently rifled through the papers on the desk, picking up the Richmond Enquirer. Her eyes landed on the curious request for a wife in the Montana Territory. Wasn't that where the man with the emerald eyes on the ferry had said he was from? But it was surely a huge place with thousands of men.

She read the advertisement again. An intelligent young rancher of twenty-five years, six feet height, red hair, green eyes. An image of an auburn-haired rancher came to mind. Interesting that he mentioned his green eyes. Age, height, and hair color seemed to be normal enough information for a man to use to describe himself, but eye color?

The young lady should be between eighteen and twenty-five years, pleasant, and God-fearing. This Abel Bryant must be God-fearing, as well, for him to seek that characteristic in a wife. What would make a man seek a wife through a newspaper advertisement? Were there really so few women in the Montana Territory?

She herself fit the description requested in the ad. She was twenty-two years old, tried her best to be pleasant, and sought God's will in every area of her life.

Guilt washed over her as she realized she'd not sought God's direction that evening, since finding that Simon's brother was in town, searching for her. With a penitent heart, Leah bowed her head.

After pouring out her heart and fears to her Heavenly Father, Leah finally changed to a nightgown and snuggled her weary muscles under the soft covers. She descended into an exhausted sleep.

Leah wasn't sure when the dreams began, but she found herself running through the darkness. The cobblestone street beneath her slippers tossed up rocks to sabotage her flight. Simon Talbert stood a stone's throw behind her. He just stood there, arms locked over his tailored suit, a greedy look on his middle-aged face. Even though he never moved a muscle, Leah couldn't outrun him. She pushed her legs faster, her side and lungs on fire. She could hear Simon's ominous laughter behind her.

Finally, the dream changed and she was standing near the top of a mountain, looking out at the most beautiful sight she'd ever beheld. A herd of cattle grazed in a distant valley, looking like brown and black dots on a pallet of green. Beyond them, more mountains rose up majestically, their sides covered with trees around the bases, but the color gradually changed to white caps of snow on the peaks. She stood there with the wind gently ruffling her hair, filled with the most amazing sense of peace.

She jerked awake, her heartbeat loud in her ears. But as she lay in bed with sunlight filtering through sheer curtains, the feeling of peace lingered. She stretched and sat up in bed. When she rose and padded to the desk to retrieve her Bible, memories of the evening before flitted through her mind. The recollection of Robert Talbert wasn't enough to completely steal her peace, though.

Underneath the Bible lay the Richmond newspaper, and Leah again saw the advertisement for a bride in Montana. She picked up both the Bible and paper, then moved back to snuggle cross-legged in her bed. As she fingered the paper, glimpses from her dream wandered through her mind. Mountains, cattle in a valley, a sense of rightness.

Did God want her to go to the Montana Territory? Surely not. What was in Montana anyway? Ranches, apparently. She pictured a vast field with hundreds of cattle, a two-story ranch house in the distance with a wrap-around porch and friendly lanterns in the windows, welcoming her home. The scene felt warm and homey—a place she would like to be.

But was she really thinking about marrying this man? A perfect stranger? Hadn't she learned her lesson yet? But the "God-fearing" part was a promising sign. She couldn't remember a time that Simon had ever brought up the subject of God.

But to agree to marry a man, sight unseen? Maybe she could stay at a hotel for a few months while they became acquainted. She didn't have to commit to anything until she was sure he wasn't a secret wife-killer. If she didn't feel comfortable with the proposed husband, she could find another situation in that area—far away from Robert Talbert or anyone else Simon sent after her.

She just had to make sure she wasn't followed.

That sounded like the most reasonable plan she'd come up with yet, so she set the paper aside and rose to begin her morning toilette. Now all she needed to do was find a way to get to Montana.

The farther Leah walked down Walnut Street, the fishier the air became. Finally, the wharf stretched before her, the mighty Mississippi expanding behind it. Lined along the river's edge were double-decker boats, chimney stacks rising from both sides like horns. Each boat had a large wheel on either side, at least those she could see. In addition to the ships lining the shore, a few more loitered in the middle of the river, as if they were waiting for an invitation to join the party at the shore.

Party may not be quite the right description of what was happening on land, but it was definitely a large gathering of people and things. Wooden crates were stacked everywhere, some laying around haphazardly, while many others were stacked in tall rows, creating formidable walls. Wagons and horses waited patiently along the road as men moved between them, unloading and loading the wagons like armies of ants carrying crumbs of food. To add to the bedlam, herring gulls soared around the sky, occasionally floating down to land and waddle along the river's edge, picking at remnants of who-knew-what.

Leah turned onto Main Street, walking parallel to the wharves and trying her best to avoid the moving wagons, and the muck left behind by the horses that pulled them.

Not only was the place busy, it was noisy too. Men called commands or banter to each other, each one trying to be heard above the din of the others. The gulls screamed their part of the conversation too.

Leah tried to appear inconspicuous as she made her way among the working men. Thankfully, she'd worn a simple brown walking dress so she didn't stick out as much as she would have in a bright lavender or red gown.

Apparently she wasn't completely inconspicuous, though, because almost every man she passed either doffed his hat to her or, if his hands were full, nodded in greeting. Most seemed respectful enough, but a few stares had made her itch. She moved swiftly past them.

As she strolled, she imagined the adventures each man had experienced aboard the various ships. Two men talking on a dock caught her eye. They weren't in motion like most of the others, but seemed to be in the midst of intense conversation.

The older appeared rather distinguished, with a full but trimmed beard and a quick eye. He wore a well-fitting suit that didn't disguise his lean, muscular frame. His companion, dressed more like a ship's mate in shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows, was speaking with great animation. The man with the beard had his head bent slightly, listening to his friend's discourse. His piercing eyes caught Leah's and watched her while he listened to his companion. Something about the man's demeanor made her stop and wait while they finished speaking.

After giving a short answer—which sounded more like a command—to his friend, the well-dressed man moved toward Leah and presented her with a formal bow.

"Good day, fair maiden." His voice was deep and resonant.

"Good day." She gave him a polite nod.

"It's not often our humble wharf is graced with the presence of a lovely lady amidst the cargo."

Wisdom had taught her to ignore a comment like that, even if the way he said it sounded more fatherly than crude. "Is that your ship docked behind you, sir?"

He turned to glance at the craft in the water. It wasn't the largest boat there, but his voice took on a hint of pride. "Aye, the De Smet. She's a strong little lass. Only been in the water a couple o' years, but she's earned her salt. Can skim the Missouri better'n any raft out there." He waved a rough hand in the general direction of the other boats.

It was hard not to smile at such obvious adoration. "So you generally travel the Missouri river north? Do you journey all the way to the Montana Territory?" Her chest tightened as she awaited his answer. It was too much to hope the first ship captain she spoke to would be going to Montana…and have passage available for her.

"Aye. She's aimed for Fort Benton at daylight tomorrow. I've a regular supply run."

Fort Benton, Montana. The hotel clerk had said that was the farthest town that could be reached by boat on the Missouri River. Her heart picked up speed.

"Do you…also carry passengers?"

He gave her a slow perusal, not trying to hide his appraisal. What was he looking for?

"A few." He eyed her speculatively. "Who wants to go?"

Leah raised her chin and eyed him back, a move she'd seen her father make on many occasions. "I need to purchase passage to Fort Benton."

His face was impassive. "And what's your business there?"

She couldn't imagine how that was any of his business. But she could give basic details.

"I'll be visiting a friend…near Butte City."

He seemed satisfied with that explanation. "Fare's $300. You won't find a vessel to get you there faster than the De Smet."

Leah's heart surged, but she tried to hide her excitement with a nod. "Thank you. What time should I be prepared to leave in the morning?"

"Be here with your bags at six o'clock. We'll be wavin' goodbye to Louey by seven."

"I will." Leah reached a hand to shake on the deal, as her father had always done. He seemed mildly surprised but reached out to clasp her hand securely.

"It's a pleasure, ma'am. I'm Captain La Barge, by the way."