“You know we’re far and few, Maddie. ”
“There does seem to be a drought of women and a flood of men. But that’s neither here nor there. I’d rather talk about Clay.”
“Is something the matter with Clay?”
“Aye, he’s lovestruck.” Maddie’s low voice spared Tessa another worried glance at the open door. “And you are the cause of such.”
“Lovestruck? That hardly describes Colonel Tygart.”
“It does indeed. If you were to somehow fort up longer than a few minutes, it might amount to something.”
“You’re woolgathering, Maddie.”
A rustle came from the bed. “You two done discussing Tygart? I’m parched and in need of water for my thirst and some whiskey for my misery.”
Both women looked to Cyrus, then burst out laughing. “Well, I’ll be switched,” Maddie exclaimed, going to fetch both. “Our patient has risen from the dead!”
Looking at her brother, seeing the pain etched in his sunburnt face, turned Tessa somber again. “How’re you feeling?”
“Never mind me.” Gently, Cyrus reached out and encircled her wrist with a work-worn hand. “Listen, Sister. Don’t forsake a chance to be with the colonel. He’s a good man. You won’t find better. I don’t want you to end up like Hester.”
“You know Ma looks to be leaving.”
“All the better. Pa’s passing has gone hard on her for too long. Westfall is a decent man, besides.”
“What about you?”
“We’re young yet. More women are coming into the country every day. In time, mayhap.”
His words bolstered and unsettled her all at once. Couldn’t she summon a thimbleful of gladness for her mother, who’d found love again? And take to heart Cyrus’s earnest words? Even Maddie encouraged her to be at the fort more often. Could it be done?
Her mouth twisted wryly. Rather, could she survive Hester?
25
The day unwound slowly, the watch changed, and fresh spies were sent out while saddle-sore ones came in on lathered horses. The country looked calm, all said. No other fort they knew of had taken so much as one musket ball, one arrow. All indications pointed north to the Warrior’s Path. The marauding Indians seemed to be moving toward the Ohio and beyond. Had they truly forsaken the settlements?
At nightfall, they all gathered in the west blockhouse for a wedding. Truly, Westfall was wasting no time. He wanted to return to farming and take Ma with him. Considering their fragile, ever-shifting circumstances, no one raised an eyebrow.
“We covet your blessing as the matron of the Swan clan,” Rosemary told Hester, who stood with arms akimbo, gaze trailing to Tessa. “Colonel Tygart has the authority to join people in holy matrimony.”
“Everybody but himself,” Hester muttered moodily.
While it was all moving along at a faster clip than Tessa found comfortable, she donned her best smile and stood up with Ma as the vows were said. Truly, few observed mourning on the frontier and often remarried at a pace deemed scandalous overmountain.
Touched by Ma’s look of girlish delight, amused by Westfall’s trimmed hair and new if wrinkled weskit hastily sewn of printed fabric from Cutright’s store, Tessa was hard-pressed to keep her eyes off Clay. He stole her attention as he read from a Bible in hand. His own? She liked him in the role of preacher, if that was what it was. His voice, thoughtful and resonant, carried to the far corners of the blockhouse as he pronounced the new couple man and wife.
Tessa looked to her feet as they kissed, the resounding cheers and huzzahs nearly as enthusiastic as those for her and Clay’s muster-day kiss. Her brothers were smiling, back slapping and hand shaking all around, before making their way outside. Hester had slipped out before the ceremony ended to mix her celebrated flip for the toasts to follow.
“Tessa.”
She turned, a step away from the door. Clay stood behind her, Bible closed but still in hand.
“Aye, Clay?”
“You at peace with all this?” The question surprised and touched her. Lately she was a bundle of emotions, her own feelings for him foremost, growing stronger the nearer she was to him. Did he sense that?
“I’m glad for Ma. Just trying to prepare myself for her being gone.”
