LAND OF STARS: The Texas Wyllie Brothers (Wilderness Dawning Series Book 2) Page 16

  “All the more reason to find these poor souls a shelter,” Father said. “Even if it’s only a temporary reprieve from the hell of their lives on that plantation.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Steve agreed. “When can you take them in?”

  Father slapped his knee. “Just as soon as you can get them here.”

  “I’m sure they’ll need food,” Rebecca said. “We have three cooks and a cookhouse for all our workers. I’ll have them start preparing extra food for the evening meal right away.”

  “There’s no need to buy a lot of supplies,” her father told Steve. “Just get each of them a couple of blankets and a bar of lye soap. And we’ll need Dr. Grant to continue to care for them if any of them are ill.”

  “You couldn’t stop Baldy from caring for his patients if you tried,” Thomas said. “Once he starts, they’re his until they’re cured. He’s already started treating those with fevers with quinine.”

  “Then it’s settled,” Father said.

  Steve’s face lit with gratitude. He obviously truly wanted to help these unfortunate people. “We can’t thank you enough, Sir.”

  Rebecca’s already fine opinion of Steve rose a few more notches. Here was a man whose heart was as full of kindness as it was of courage. She loved how he wanted to help those in need. And she would do all that she could to help him help them.

  “I’d better go speak to the cooks now,” she said. “They’ll need time to make bread and let the dough rise. And it takes time to cook a large batch of beans and ham. I’ll also let our manager know we will soon have guests. He can get their cots set up. I’ll see you soon, Steve. And Thomas.”

  She glanced back as she left, somehow knowing she would see Steve’s gaze fixed upon her.

  In his eyes, she saw something intense and beguiling. It almost made her turn back, but she didn’t. They both had to put aside their growing feelings for now. They had people who needed their help.

  But something about him touched her soul, and she knew she would ponder her strong attraction to him the rest of the day. And tonight, she definitely planned to dream about him. Because in her dreams, she was free to imagine. To imagine what it might be like to be held in his arms. To be kissed by his lips. Having never had a man kiss her, she had no idea what it would feel like, so she had to rely on her imagination.

  Smiling, she hurried outside to find the cooks.

  Steve stared after Rebecca as she left, and something wonderful inside of him seemed to leave with her. He wanted it back. Each time she was around him, a tremor of hope, excitement, and joy rippled through him. When she wasn’t near, a deep longing and sharp yearning filled him, like an unsettling void inside his heart. He’d never felt anything like it.

  Could this strange feeling be love?

  How did love begin anyway? Was it gradual, beginning with a tiny, flickering spark? Or was it fast, flaring into a raging firestorm all at once? He was certainly no expert. He only knew that at first sight of her he’d felt an immediate and intense attraction. And that feeling had grown into a wild infatuation. Ever since their thrilling ride together, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

  He knew one thing for sure. He wanted those feelings to grow. He wanted to court Rebecca. And as an honorable man, he needed to make his intentions known.

  “Mr. Tyler, Sir, I must speak to you about something,” he said.

  “Of course, Steve,” Tyler replied.

  “Privately,” he said with a pointed look at his brother.

  “I’ll just go wait in the wagon,” Thomas said and quickly dashed away.

  Steve waited until Thomas shut the door to the study. “Sir,” he began with a crack in his voice. “I would like to request your permission to court Rebecca.”

  Tyler studied his face with an enigmatic gaze.

  “I know I’ve only known your daughter a short time. Just now was only the fourth time we’ve spoken. But frankly, I knew at once that she was a special woman. She’s intelligent, warmhearted, and courageous. She proved that today. And she’s so beautiful. I’ve never reacted to any woman as I have with her. Each time I’m with her, I grow more fond of her and I want to spend even more time with her.”

  Mr. Tyler nodded as though he understood. “I have been impressed by you, Steve. But what of your family?”

  “I come from a fine Christian family. My father, who is a widower, is a man of honor. All three of my brothers are respectable married men. One brother lives in Arkansas. The other two are here with me. My eldest brother is Samuel. His wife, Louisa, just gave birth to a healthy son. Thomas’ wife, Abigail, is going to have a baby as well. We are all camped, temporarily, north of town.”

  “Have you courted other women?”

  “Despite my twenty-two years, I am a man who has never before seriously courted a woman. Only because I never found one as special and beautiful as your daughter. From the first moment I saw her, I’ve felt…” Steve struggled helplessly for the right words.

  Mr. Tyler chuckled warmly. “I believe I understand and I think she’s special and beautiful too. I’m glad to have met a fine young man who agrees with me. But what of your ability to support her?”

  “I work with my older brother’s operation, Wyllie Cattle Company, which he intends to reestablish here. We supply beef to frontier forts. I earn more than a fair wage and I’ve been saving up. Someday soon, I will be starting a similar operation, only with horses. Like my Uncle Sam did in Kentucky, I want to import registered stock early on to upgrade my herd. He uses breeding to develop different types of horses for different types of work.”

  “I would suggest that you consider raising draft horses. Here in the West, we need heavy, calm, well-muscled hauling animals. I think there’ll be a great need for horses for hauling heavy loads, plowing fields, and other tasks that require pulling ability. I could use more good draft horses myself.”

  “That’s an excellent suggestion. My father thinks a lighter, more energetic horse will also be needed for riding across the great distances of Texas.”

  “And for the cavalry and militias,” Tyler said. “For those saddle mounts, I’d suggest you cross my favorite breed, Morgans, with a thoroughbred. The Morgan for athleticism and temperament and the thoroughbred for speed and intelligence.”

  “My father’s stallion, George, is an exceptional thoroughbred.”

  Tyler nodded approvingly. “It appears you have an ambitious but achievable plan.”

  “I believe it’s doable. And I don’t believe in failure.”

  “Do you intend to stay in Nacogdoches?”

  “Settling close to Nacogdoches was our intention when we came here. But the Alcalde is giving us problems. Despite my brother’s and my large bribe, he tried to give us land without water.”

  Tyler grimaced. “The weasel has done that before to other land applicants. Unhappily, that is likely the least of his crimes. The man is a ….”

  “A what?” Steve asked.

  “Let’s just say he has far worse unsavory traits. What are you planning to do now?”

  “Our grant is yet to be resolved, but we have an idea that will perhaps persuade him to favor us with good land. And it needs to be soon. My brother’s herd is large, about five-hundred head, and our hands are moving the herd this way.”

  “That is a problem. I hope your idea works,” Tyler said.

  “We’ll figure something out. My father and brother both have strong minds and strong wills. When they set out to do something, it gets done.”

  “I suspect you also have a strong mind and will, Steve. However, be careful if you decide to just buy acreage instead. Two generations of landowners have staked claims in the area without valid titles. Moreover, Mexicans of bad character and some cunning Americans are engaged in forging old land titles.”

  “We heard the same from Solicitor Navarro. That’s why we are seeking a grant instead,” he said. “We have also learned that several smaller Indian tribes consider East Texas as their permanent home.�
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  “That’s true. At least for the time being they are peaceful tribes. Although that may change as the number of Americans coming into Texas swells.”

  The considerable challenges they faced here seemed nearly as big as Texas. But the opportunities were immense as well. Somehow, they would maneuver their way through these difficulties. His priority at the moment was Rebecca. If he had a future in Texas, he wanted a chance for that future to include her.

  “If we may, Sir,” Steve said, “can we return to the subject of your daughter.”

  “Yes, yes.”

  “If I may ask, does Rebecca have any other suitors?”

  “She’s a beautiful young woman and the daughter of one of the town’s wealthiest men. What do you think?” Tyler asked him.

  Steve nearly gasped. He hadn’t considered that there might be others who would want to court her. The thought greatly disturbed him.

  “Are any of them serious?” he asked feeling rather awkward.

  “Not to her,” Mr. Tyler said. “But there are a few who refuse to give up. They’ve called on her about once a week. But she always has me send them away.”

  “Why?” Steve asked.

  “She finds two of them dull and boring. Another is downright unattractive. And a fourth is mousy and poorly attired. And none have met with my approval. My daughter is beyond special to me. Rebecca must find her suitors intellectually her equal and attractive. But I must also believe the young man is capable of defending and protecting her; he must be a man of God and honorable; and last but most importantly, he must love her.”

  “Sir, I believe you will come to know that I am all of those things. But do you think Rebecca would favor my courtship?”

  “I do. If Rebecca is agreeable, you have my permission to court her young man, on one condition.”

  Steve regarded him with a questioning gaze.

  “You must promise if your courtship becomes serious and you decide to propose, that you will keep Rebecca in Nacogdoches. Her mother and I would both wither away if our only child left. For reasons I won’t get into now, having her close is important to both of us. Very important.”

  “I understand, Sir. I’ll make that promise, and thank you!”

  Tyler’s smile widened with approval. “If you can bring some happiness into Rebecca’s life, it will be I who will thank you. It will be nice to have a young man around the house again.”

  Steve detected a sudden tinge of sadness in the man’s eyes. He reached out and shook the man’s hand. Tyler’s grip and the expression on his face were warm and welcoming.

  “If you’ll excuse me, Sir, I’ll go purchase those blankets and then bring the slaves here this evening.”

  “Don’t forget the lye soap. Each man, woman, and child should have their own bar. I won’t have lice crawling on the people who live and work here,” he said. “If the lye soap doesn’t work, the cooks will have to wash their hair with vinegar.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Drive the wagons carrying them to the back. Just past the mill, you’ll see three buildings to the left across from my sugarcane fields. I’ll have my manager watch for your arrival. His name is John Tunstall.”

  “Thank you, Sir.”

  Steve hurried out to the wagon. He couldn’t believe his good fortune. He had a lady friend! And he had high hopes that she would soon be more than a friend. But what did her father mean by ‘a young man around the house again’? Did she recently have a suitor? Was he still a part of her life? The thought made jealousy grip his chest.

  Chapter 18

  Steve and Thomas listened while Baldy explained to all the slaves where they would be going. As much as he tried to reassure them that they would be leaving their makeshift camp for a safe indoor shelter at the sugar farm, their expressions remained wary. They had little reason to trust a white man.

  Afterward, they hitched the mules onto Watson’s buckboard wagon. Then they helped all ten children and an older woman climb into the back of the wagon. Next, they loaded the few cooking pans and other supplies they had brought with them and Watson’s saddle.

  They used a second wagon that Baldy had brought to load Amos’ father and Watson. Baldy wanted to care for the two at their camp.

  Steve took Watson’s stallion and tied him to the back of the wagon that held Watson. The poor horse needed a good brushing and some grain. He decided he would take care of the stallion until Watson was able to.

  Looking fatigued and forlorn, the adult slaves walked behind the wagons. Steve wondered if any of them would run away as they made their way to the Wyllie camp. But, when they arrived, they were all still together.

  The slaves all waited patiently while Steve and Thomas helped Samuel and their father unload first Taynay, a big and muscular man, and then Watson, who was an average size man and slender. Watson was still feverish and mumbling incoherently, and his normally impeccable attire was crumpled and dirty. They placed both of them on pallets near the doctor’s wagon. Baldy, Melly, and Adam all set to work caring for them.

  It irked Steve to have to bring Watson into their camp, but it was the right thing to do. It still felt odd, though, to bring a man like Watson among them. He hoped it would not prove to be a mistake.

  In contrast, Steve grew misty-eyed when little Amos wept with relief at the sight of his father. The boy ran to him and hugged his father’s chest. At the sound of his son’s voice and sobs, the slave awoke from his pain-killer induced sleep and managed a smile at Amos before nodding off again.

  They now knew Amos’ father was called by two names. An old woman among the slaves explained that Taynay was his private name used only between slaves. When Steve asked her why he had two names, she said that private names served as a form of soul preservation and gave slaves a sense of control over their lives. Private names also provided their children with a sense of their heritage.

  To Watson, Taynay was known belittlingly as Buck.

  They all decided to call the man Taynay.

  Abigail and Melly loaded the clothes they could all spare into the back of the wagon that held the children and the old woman. Stephen gave the old woman a blanket to sit on, and Louisa gave a young woman who held an infant to her breast, a shawl, and some changing cloths.

  Thomas climbed up to drive the wagon and agreed to take the wagon back to their camp when they were done unloading the slaves.

  Steve rode Stardust so that he could visit with Rebecca afterward. He wanted to spend every minute he could with her.

  As they left their camp, the sunset splashed brilliant oranges and pinks into the clouds, and the soft, warm light made the ebony skin of the slaves glow.

  The trip to the Tylers took almost an hour, and Steve exhaled a sigh of relief as soon as all the slaves were safely delivered. Tyler’s manager, John Tunstall, seemed like a capable and kind man, and his gentle manner seemed to set the slaves at ease.

  “Thank you for helping to get these people fed and settled,” Steve told Rebecca as they stood side-by-side near the outdoor cook fire beside the workers’ quarters. Thomas had already left in the wagon. Rebecca’s father had gone inside to check on his wife.

  One of the cooks stirred a large hanging cast-iron pot holding bubbling beans while a second cook dished the food out to the line of waiting slaves. A third cook kept slicing piece after piece of hearty-looking bread loaves that were quickly snatched up from the table where she worked. One of Tyler’s workers filled cup after cup of water from a water barrel.

  Now that they were being fed and welcomed by the other Tyler workers, the slaves seemed much less apprehensive. For the first time, Steve actually saw some of them smiling.

  They both glanced down at the grinning faces of several of the children as they gobbled dripping spoonfuls of the savory beans in their bowls.

  One little girl jumped up and hugged Steve’s leg. “Tanks,” she said through a toothy smile and then plopped down again spilling a little bit of bean juice on her already filthy and
ragged dress.

  Steve adored the pronunciation of children. The simplicity of their language skills only seemed to make them uniquely eloquent. He couldn’t wait for Samuel’s new son to start talking.

  “You’re most welcome. But I just brought you here. It is Miss Tyler here and her father that you should thank for their food and shelter,” he told her.

  “Tanks, Miss Tyler,” the girl and several of the other children said.

  “What is your name?” Rebecca asked the little girl.

  “Venus,” she said. “Like that star.” She pointed at the planet, clearly visible in the night sky.

  “A pretty name,” Rebecca said. “And who are your mother and father?”

  “My mother drown,” the girl said. Her big eyes teared up and sparkled in the light of the cook fires.

  “I’m sorry,” Rebecca told her.

  “She told me my father is Mr. Waston.”

  “Mr. Watson?” Rebecca turned to Steve.

  He nodded. “Entirely possible.”

  Rebecca sighed. “How many of these children are orphans?” she asked him.

  “Six of them,” Steve said. “But some of the other mothers and fathers have taken them under their wings.”

  When they’d finished eating, some of the adults stood and thanked Rebecca and the cooks as well. The gratitude in their eyes warmed Steve’s heart.

  The old woman drew very close to Steve, her eyesight likely failing. Her amber eyes held concern when she glanced up at him. She was a thin, lighter-brown woman with deep and saggy wrinkles on her face, a bent back, and bristly, white hair.

  “What will happen to Taynay?” the woman asked. “And Amos?”

  “Dr. Grant will care for Taynay at our camp. He thinks he can save his foot. Amos will stay with his father there,” Steve said. “Mrs. Grant is taking care of him. She’ll feed him well.”

  Appearing satisfied, the old woman nodded and turned away.

  “Please wait,” Steve said. “What is your name and why are you asking about them?”