It wasn’t long before Sorcha received a response to her letter from the farmer in Montana. She sat at the table she, Annis and Denholm shared their meals at while Annis sat in a rocking chair, her feet propped up on a log of wood and a pillow behind her back.
Sorcha read aloud.
Dear Miss Breck,
Your letter has been received with much enthusiasm. Please make your way to Rocky Creek, Montana. I have included fare for you to secure transport.
I would have come to meet you in person but my associate has borrowed my wagon and horse for a trip deep into the mountains for some prospecting and isn’t due back for a spell.
Thank you.
Latham Teeds
She smiled crookedly.
“Well, he ain’t much for courtin’.” Annis looked sadly at her sister. Her belly had gotten bigger and when she wasn’t crying she was eating.
“Taint no time fer courtin’, Annis. This is a wealth of money he sent. I can travel first class.”
“Are you really thinkin’ of riding the iron horse all the way?”
“Well, I don’t think a train will take me right to Rocky Creek. But I’ll get pretty far before I hitch up with a wagon train.”
“What about injuns? Ain’t you scared of the savages?”
Sorcha rolled her eyes at her sister. Those stories were exaggerated, she insisted in an attempt to sooth her emotional sister’s fears. But deep down Sorcha was scared. She was terrified to go alone. But there was no other way.
“What do you think he looks like?” Annis asked, wiping her eyes and grabbing a piece of cornbread left from the morning breakfast.
“Probably tall, dark and handsome with lots of muscles and a full beard and hair so wavy it looks like he’s under water.” Sorcha gave her sister a sly grin, bouncing her thick, wild eyebrows up and down, then bursting out laughing.
“Oh, Sorcha. Don’t be cruel to yerself.” Crumbs fell from Annis’ full mouth.
“It’s not cruel to know the truth, Annis. I’m homely. Maybe even ugly. But I’m here and I might as well make the best of it. Mr. Teeds says looks are unimportant. Lucky for me.” She slapped her knee like Denholm would do when he made a joke or heard one of Sorcha’s funny stories about Annis.
Just then, as if feeling the need to add its opinion into the conversation, the little black kitten that was getting as big as Annis's belly, let out a heartfelt meow and stood at Sorcha’s feet.
“And what do you want?” Sorcha said bending down. The Kitten meowed as if she had perfectly understood what her mistress had asked. She had named the little animal Ruth after one of her favorite stories in the Bible.
“I guess you’ll be takin’ Ruth with ya, too?” Annis asked pushing herself belly first up out of her chair to stretch. Walking into the small cubby that was their kitchen, she took a wooden ladle that hung from a string and dipped it in a bucket of clean water to drink.
“She doesn’t take too kindly to you, Annis. I think I better.”
“What’r you talkin’ about.” She reached her hand down to the animal. “She likes me.”
Ruth began to hiss and arch her back. Quickly she inched over to Sorcha, peeking at Annis from behind Sorcha’s hem.
“I don’t get that wee Kitten.” Annis shook her head.
Sorcha scooped Ruth up in her arms and scratched her affectionately under the chin.
“I best be gettin’ packed.”
Without another word the sisters went into Sorcha’s bedroom. Annis took a seat on the bed, resting, as she was wanting to do most of the time while Sorcha bustled about, tucking every belonging into her carpet bag.
“Please won’t you let Denny and me send you off with a weddin’ present?”
“No, sister. You need to be plannin’ for that urchin of yours.” She pointed to Annis’ belly. “What do I need? Nothin’.”
“I’m going to miss you so much!” Annis began to sob in wails and hiccups owing mostly to her pregnancy, but sincere none-the-less. Running to her sister’s side, flopping down on the bed next to her and taking her hand Sorcha laughed through tears.
“I’ll write as soon as I’m there. I won’t miss a single detail.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”