Mail Order Bride- Illinois

Chapter 4

The next morning Abby was feeling more than a little embarrassed about what had happened that night. Abby started the fire for breakfast and the laundry to be done afterward. She was excited because she had finished one of the shirts for Jonathan to wear. Abby went into the wagon, found the shirt and swapped it with his old one. Jonathan wouldn’t wake for another hour or two, but she had lots of chores to do this morning so she didn’t want to risk it. Abby collected the eggs from the chickens, and went to milk the cow. Abby returned to the wagon and quickly mixed up the batter for flapjacks. She checked the temperature of the pan and started cooking. Abby got the laundry and soap ready, while she continued cooking. Abby was halfway through the batter when Jack and his sons approached.

“Good morning Mrs. Smith.”

“Good morning Jack, Josh, good morning Kevin.” Abby said and gave the eight year old a large smile. Abby grabbed the huge plate of flapjacks, “Here’s your share.” Jack grabbed the plate, and handed Abby some flour and molasses. Abby often cooked breakfast and sometimes lunch for Jack and his sons.

Jack was a widower and couldn’t boil water. It was the second day of the trail that they stumbled upon one another, they exchanged stories and came to an agreement. Abby would cook for them and Jack would give her food to cook with. It was a fair trade as far as she was concerned. She was cooking anyway, and she would rarely have to use her own food to cook with. The boys would often help her out as well. They were the only friends that Abby had made on the trail. She was very thankful to have found such good friends. They were some of the only friends she made on the wagon train, and she thanked God for them every single day.

“Josh when you are finished can you please haul the water near the river so I can wash laundry?” Abby asked as she continued to cook the food

“Sure thing ma’am,” Josh stated in between bites. The boys quickly finished their meal, and stood.

“As always an amazing breakfast Mrs. Smith.” Jack told her not wasting any time with formalities.

“Thanks Jack, have a good day.” Abby told the trio and Jack simply smiled as he walked with Kevin. Josh stood up and hauled the water bin down to the river bank. Abby continued to cook breakfast for her and Jonathan when she heard him move about in the wagon.

“Abby what is the meaning of this?” Jonathan boomed from inside of the wagon. She swung around and blushed from head to toe. Jonathan stood next to the wagon his new shirt in hand.

“What’s wrong?” Abby asked confused.

“Isn’t this the material for one of your dresses?”

“No it is one of the materials that i got for you when you told me to pick something for myself. As it turns out I over estimated and will be able to make a shirt for myself, or whomever.” Abby explained and Jonathan stood there staring at her in disbelief. She suddenly remembered the flapjacks and turned to the fire to flip them. They were slightly burnt, but still edible. She placed them on a plate a moment later, and put more batter in the pan. Abby turned back to Jonathan and saw that he hadn’t moved. Abby was confused,

“Does the shirt not fit? Is there something wrong with it?” Jonathan seemed to shake himself.

“No it’s perfect, thank you.” Abby blushed,

“I simply wanted to give you something.” Abby turned to the fire and poured a cup of coffee. Abby approached her husband and handed the coffee to Jonathan,

“Breakfast is ready.” She told him. Jonathan took a sip of the coffee, and moved to sit down. Abby handed him a plate, and took one for herself. The two of them ate in a comfortable silence.

“Are you all right?” Jonathan asked as he finished his coffee.

“Yes, hopefully today won’t be as hot as it was yesterday,” Abby said as she took her last sip of coffee.

“That’s not how I meant it, did I hurt you last night?” Jonathan asked and she blushed deeply suddenly understanding. Abby quickly stood and gathered the dishes.

“No you didn’t, I’m fine.”

“We have to get going, we will be leaving as soon as the sun starts rising.” Jonathan gave Abby a quick kiss before they quickly started to get ready for the long day ahead.

.

Jonathan spent most of the day staring at his wife. He had never met any woman like her in his life. She thought of everyone before thinking of herself. Caroline thought of one person, herself. Jonathan still couldn’t believe that he was wearing a new shirt made by her. He was more than surprised when back in Springfield he told her to buy something for herself she wanted an oven. He thought she would ask for jewelry or more clothes. Jonathan had watched her that day very closely as she picked out the items she bought. There was not a single item she picked for herself. Jonathan was still perplexed by her.

Jonathan was speechless when he saw the shirt laid out for him to wear. Jon’s old shirt had been mended too many times and Abby must have noticed. Jonathan didn’t mention anything about his shirt, he knew he was being ridiculous about something as simple as a shirt. But no one had fussed over him since his momma had died when he was a boy. Jonathan found that he liked it. He liked it a lot.

Jonathan had let Abby decide what she wanted to do today, and she decided to walk along side the team. Abby claimed it was because she was going to be covered in dust either way as they were at the back of the wagons. However, he knew it was because she was still sore from last night. Jon drove the team while Abby walked alongside the wagon with her dog running through her legs.

He couldn’t keep the erotic memories of last night out of his head. Jon had never met a woman as open as her in the bedroom, or wagon as the case happens to be. When they stopped at the nooning meal, she grabbed his hand and asked for help with the water. Abby often needed help with the water, but she had never touched him in public let alone held his hand. They quickly ate their quick meal, and returned to the trail after tending to the animals.

The middle day break was always the worst. It was just short enough to give a person the hope of a break without actually getting any rest in. Jonathan looked back at his wife and one could Abby felt the same. The wagon master quickly called an end to the break. and they were back on the trail again.

The trail that day was long, hot, and beyond tiring. Abby finally joined him on the wagon in the hot prairie sun.

The wagon master finally called an end to the day as the sun started to set and the real work began. The animals needed tended to, fires needed set up, and dinner to be made. It was a long, hard process that was done every night.

They were sitting at the fire eating dinner when Zip walked up to Abby and started begging.

“No Zip, back,” Jonathan said in a firm voice.

“It’s no use Jonathan, when he was a pup I made the mistake of feeding him while I was eating.”

“I will not have a begging dog in my house,” Jonathan said more harshly than he meant to. Abby was taken aback.

“Okay,” Abby grabbed Zip by the neck and walked over to tie him up. She collected the dishes, not bothering to finish eating and went to wash them.

“Well hell,” Jonathan muttered to himself. He shouldn’t have been so short with her, hell he didn’t even know why he was. I mean it was a damn dog. Jonathan never liked dogs, and he let it get to him. Jon got up and followed her to the creek. “I’m sorry,” he said to her back.

“It’s fine,” she replied with a catch in her voice. Hell she has been crying. He tried to think of something better to say, but he just stood there while she finished the dishes, and started for their wagon. He doggidly followed, trying to think of something to say, but he simply watched as she silently put things away and stepped into their wagon and got ready for bed. He was getting ready to follow her in when he realized he couldn’t because he had guard duty tonight. Double damn.

“I have guard duty tonight,” Jonathan told Abby in the darkness. When she didn’t respond he said again, “I am sorry.”

Abby cried herself to sleep, even as she told herself she was overreacting. She should consider herself lucky that her husband agreed to bring her dog along. The next morning she greeted Jonathan with a smile and a kiss. He sighed with relief, after she told him she was sorry for overreacting last night.

The fight spooked him. Abby made him feel things, and after Caroline he knew better than to get involved with any woman ever again. Jonathan needed to shut this down.

Disaster struck the wagon train. Mrs. Ferguson died last night. No one was sure how she died, but the worst part of the part is going to be the panic that will ensue. Jonathan had seen it time, and time again. He just hoped that he and Abby would be spared the accusations.

Jonathan instructed Abby to boil all of the water, and to throughly cook all of the meat. Abby was scared, and Jonathan was unable to anything to ease his wife’s fears. Life was like that, unpredictable.

The situation didn’t get any easier, as the days went on. There was a tribe of Blackfeet following the train. Jonathan had been scouting last night, and found their camp. He let the wagon master know, and apparently Max had no idea. That fact didn’t ease Jonathan’s mind. So Jonathan picked up extra guard duty to make sure the wagon train was safe. He found the the same remnants of a similar camp the next night as well. Jonathan didn’t say anything so there wouldn’t be any panic. The wagon train was under enough panic after the death of Mrs. Ferguson.

That day Mr. Ferguson died. There was widespread panic. Max the wagon leader tried to calm everyone down. But people wouldn’t have it.

“Jonathan are you worried about the deaths?” Abby asked her husband.

“No, not really,” Jonathan told his wife honestly.

“Why not?” Abby asked her husband shocked.

“Well there’s nothing we can do about it. We can’t control the disease.” Jonathan said over the dinner Abby made. Jonathan gave his wife a kiss, and walked off for guard duty. Abby was shocked over her husbands behavior. How could some one become so cynical. So unfeeling.

Jonathan was determined to find the tribe shadowing them, and find out what they wanted. Jonathan walked out of the camp, and it took awhile but he found the small tribe of Indians. It was mainly woman, and children. They were starving, and scared.

“Hello, why are you following us?” He asked the one man in a small band of woman and children. The man was old, and frail. It was clear he couldn’t speak English.

“We are starving, we eat what you leave behind.” The young woman with a baby said. Jonathan’s heart went out to these people, but they needed to be more careful.

“You need to be more careful, if I can track you that means others can as well.” The man seemed to understand him, and he nodded. Jonathan simply turned around, and went back to his guard duty. Jonathan wished he could do something to help them, there was enough problems Jonathan had to deal with.

While the Indian issue was taken care of, the deaths weren’t. Some people on the wagon train were convinced it was tainted food, while others believed it was poison. The deaths had stopped, and that’s all that mattered.

Abby and Jonathan's remaining days on the wagon trail fell into a pattern. Abby cooked and tended to the wagon, while Jonathan would be on guard. There was a close encounter with Indians at the river last week, but Jonathan and the other men kept them safe. It was not the Blackfoot tribe following them. It was a band of renegades that were mad at the world. They seemed to recognize Jonathan, when Abby asked him about the encounter he didn’t say anything.

At night they ate in silence, except for a short conversation about their day. It normally consisted of ‘How was your day?’ ‘fine how was yours’ ‘fine.’ Abby was confused by this sudden change in Jonathan. She thought it could have been from their fight over the dog a couple of weeks ago. However, that didn’t make any sense as she had apologized for over reacting. She tied up Zip during meals after that to appease him, but it didn’t seem to matter.

While they were unable to communicate through talk they did through their bodies. After dishes were done Abby would climb into the wagon with Jonathan close behind her. They would make passionate, wild love. It ended with them completely satisfied and drained. Jonathan would often leave after, as he had guard duty. She didn’t believe him, up until a few weeks ago his guard duty was every couple of days, not every night. She didn’t say anything, just watched him get dressed and leave. As soon as he left she broke down and cried, until she fell asleep wondering why he couldn’t or wouldn’t love her, at least care for her.

She didn’t even know where this had come from, he had been so open and kind and caring. Then it was like a prairie storm, in an instant the clear sky gave way to a black night filled with thunder and rain. She had no idea what brought this change on, but she resolved her heart to be as cold and unfeeling as he had been. She was able to keep the pretense up during the day, but after their lovemaking and he had left the watergate spilled over.

She tried making excuses for him, maybe it was her fault somehow. She tried to figure it out, but frankly she was tired of trying. Abby just continued on with her life of hard work.