Mail Order Bride
Chapter 1
The coach rattled and swayed uncomfortably in the blazing heat and a young woman sat ramrod straight squeezed between two ruffians, who hadn't the decency to bathe before the trip, they leaned on either side of her shoulders, snoring with their mouths agape and emitting the worst halitosis while their heads lolled to and fro with the rhythm of the coach. Unable to reach for her scented (but dirty) handkerchief to cover her nose, she remained patient and stoic. Only a little while longer and the coach would arrive at Lone Butte in the afternoon. With all discomfort she was weakened into a moment of homesickness and she allowed a few tears to slip down her cheeks as she thought of the life she had left behind.
Two months earlier, Kyoko Mogami had impulsively answered a posted advertisement in the Boston Gazette and was surprised to receive a prompt reply, with train and stage coach fare enclosed in the brief letter. The journey would be three days to Lone Butte, South Dakota, a bustling, burgeoning town of ranchers, merchants, and gold rush prospectors. It was an exciting new start and a way to sever the dependency she had on her adoptive parents who ran a failing restaurant. She felt she could no longer accept their charity while they were in such straightened circumstances. They let her leave, insisting that they would always have a place for her to stay. Kyoko encouraged by the trending slogan "Go West!" bravely embarked on her adventure.
Stepping down from the Wells Fargo coach, Kyoko finally took out that soiled handkerchief and dabbed away at the perspiration trickling down her temples and neck that had smudged together with the three days' worth of road dust that clung to her skin. Her chestnut hair which had been pulled tightly into a bun at the start of her journey was now slipping out of its pins and the shorter hairs around the nape of her neck were curled in damp sweaty tendrils. She fought the unladylike temptation to stretch after being so long confined in the coach, and instead briskly brushed off her brown threadbare dress, and tried to press out the wrinkled material that had been crushed from sitting so long.
"Well, I can't get rid of the shine, but at least there aren't any visible holes." She thought.
She took in the scenery in front of her, observing the busy Main Street and boardwalk bordering the store fronts. It was a contrasting view from the desolate wide open plains dotted with dwindling buffalo herds on her trip. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and she squinted through her fingers that shaded her eyes from the direct noon day sun that was causing her to sweat so profusely. She never imagined there would be so much traffic for a town so far out west! Wagons, horses and carriages, loaded with supplies and people going this way and that, and townsfolk walking briskly while going about their business.
Being free of the coach's claustrophobic interior gave Kyoko a second wind of energy and she took a deep breath of fresh air. It wasn't any cooler but the rank smells of bad breath, old sweat, and motion sick vomit, from the nauseated child sitting across from her on his mother's lap during the journey, were now gone. Her spirits lifted and she briefly scanned the letter in her hand for the address enclosed while she patiently waited for the coach driver to remove her trunk from the roof of the coach. He jumped down empty handed.
"What colour was that trunk miss?"
"The trunk was plain brown with leather straps."
"Sorry Miss, but it ain't here - you made sure you brought it?"
Kyoko felt her stomach drop in a pang of dreadful foreboding - her most prized possessions, the only things left to her in the world!
"Of course I did, it is all I have! I saw you secure it! Where could it have gone? We didn't stop anywhere."
He stroked the long grey moustache on his weathered face as he recalled the trip.
"Well, Miss, there was that spot a good while back that warn't easy drivin' and it could be that they done bounced off when we hit that mess o' ruts in the road. I had ta drive real fast through Injun territory. They ain't too friendly with us takin' over their land n'such ya know. Sorry 'bout that - I couldn't hear nothin' what with the gallopin' and shakin' goin' on."
No change of clothes! - Her nightgown, her one and only alternative "better" dress, her under garments, petticoats and pantaloons. Nothing to wear while she washed her clothes! And one other item more important than all the rest! Why didn't she keep it in her handbag as she was used to? No! Oh no! Moisture pooled in Kyoko's sherry amber eyes and threatened to spill over as she struggled for composure. She was a filthy frazzled mess from head to toe! How was she to make a good impression on Mr. Fuwa, her husband to be, who had sent for her to come out all this way to become his wife and helpmeet for his new hotel and saloon, without something fresh to wear?
Her new start was threatened with disaster. With all her belongings lost, only God knew where, all she had to present to Mr. Fuwa was her disheveled self! She squeezed her eyes and mouth tightly together to hold her quivering chin.
"Ahm sorry, Miss! Please don't cry! Ahm sorry, but it's most likely gone for good if'n we dropped it way back thar.
"Haa haha!" Kyoko's laugh bordered on hysteria as she realized the depth of her loss. She covered her face with her hands to collect herself. Well, there was nothing to do but meet her trouble head on. "Yes!" She lifted her hands, sniffed back her tears and smiled brightly.
She straightened her shoulders with determination. "Well I'm really starting from scratch aren't I? Then, my good sir, would you please direct me to the Rising Sun Hotel?"
The driver startled and his eyebrows furrowed in concern.
" 'Scuse me, Miss, where was it you wanted to go? I'm not sure I heard ya right." He inquired, touching the brim of his dusty white hat politely.
"The Rising Sun. Where is it?"
"Miss, that ain't no place for a young lady..."
Just he was starting to explain, a very handsome young blonde man approached the coach. He was smartly dressed in a fine grey suite and vest with a string tie.
"I'm looking for a Miss Kyoko Mogami? Is anyone here by that name?"
Kyoko stepped up to him "I'm Miss Kyoko Mogami and who might you be, Sir?
"Sho Fuwa, the owner of the Rising Sun Hotel and Saloon." He looked Kyoko up and down with derision, narrowed his eyes and frowned. "You're nothing like what your letter indicated, what am I supposed to do with you?"
Kyoko had also been scrutinizing Mr. Fuwa. She was taken aback by his good looks, but never one to judge a book by its cover; she waited until he had finished his appraisal of her and realized the letter he had sent to her revealed nothing of his real personality. She could see and hear, from this first meeting, that he had thoroughly misrepresented himself! Well she wasn't going to allow herself to be trampled on.
"My goodness you are blunt, Mr. Fuwa! Well I expect just what your letter explained; I'm to marry you and help run the business!"
Sho Fuwa was incredulous. "Marry you? Pfft! A girl like you? Have you looked in a mirror? A plain boring woman like you isn't even fit to serve in the saloon let alone marry me! The best position I have for you is the housekeeping position. You can change the linens and empty out the chamber pots! After all you need to reimburse me for the travel fares."
Kyoko flinched at his words, stung to the core. She straightened up, took a step toward him and retorted. "Mr. Fuwa, in case it didn't occur to you, I'll remind you that I've been traveling for three days, without any time to clean up, what with the dust and jerking around in that god forsaken coach, just what were you expecting?"
Mr. Fuwa looked at her impatiently. "Well something better than what is in front of me, that's for sure! Tche! Well come on then! Follow me! You can change and freshen up when you get to the hotel. I've ordered your trunk to be sent there. Then maybe we'll see about a serving position." His tone was doubtful. Fuwa turned his back without waiting and proceeded along the boardwalk.
"Wait! Mr. Fuwa, excuse me! There's something I have to tell you...my trunk!" Fuwa continued walking and ignored her. Kyoko trotted after him but had difficulty keeping up with his brisk pace while she avoided collisions with the pedestrians going in the opposite direction.
The hotel was a short walking distance from the stage coach stop, a newly erected building next to the popular stores, situated to attract the first arrivals in Lone Butte. As she followed Fuwa through the saloon doors, Kyoko took in her surroundings, the place of which she expected to become the proprietress. There was a long mirrored back counter with a variety of spirits, mostly whiskies and bourbons behind it. There was a man tending the bar and several patrons from different walks of life were leaning up against it. Tables and chairs were assembled in groups and a few gentlemen were sitting smoking cigars and cigarettes while playing cards. At the back of the saloon was a staircase and there was a man and fancy dressed woman laughing and flirting. She was pulling him up the stairs. It was all so much to take in!
Meanwhile... back at the ranch.
The horses were all harnessed and they shuffled and nickered restlessly. Ren Tsuruga stepped up into the wagon, along with his business partner and best friend Yukihito Yashiro who was joining him for the quick overnight trip to Lone Butte to pick up supplies and do a few errands. They had just recently bought several sections of land and a modest sized herd of cattle and although the land was mostly unfenced and free range, they needed materials to build a corral and paddocks for breaking horses and calving for next spring. It was a ways off time wise, but everything had to be planned in advance.
They had just completed building Ren's ranch house and also were working on the barn and outbuildings. Earlier that that day Ren looked over the design Yuki had drawn up for the iron brand, in the form of the lotus that represented Lotus Ranch, they would use for branding the herd in spring after the calving. It would be made up by the black-smith while they were in Lone Butte.
The two men headed out and planned to enjoy themselves while they were away.
Ren and Yuki had been travelling for some time, when off in the distance they saw something moving on the road ahead, it was a white fluttering on the ground and another object had caught the wind and was tumbling rapidly away.
"Ren, do you see that? What the heck is that?"
"I'm not sure but it looks a lot like petticoats. Perhaps someone in distress."
Ren clicked his tongue and shook the reigns of the horses to pick up the pace and they cantered faster towards the fluttering object. They passed an open trunk that had several items of clothing strewn across the dusty road.
"We'll come back after we've checked ahead!" He shouted over the sound of the now galloping horses, Ren was concerned there was a damsel lying helpless.
A few minutes later they pulled up to what they discovered was a single petty coat with its flounces billowing out in the wind gusts.
"Well I'm glad there wasn't a woman wearing that - I was worried someone might have been attacked around here!" Ren was relieved.
He was familiar with the local indigenous people, being a quarter blood himself from his grandmother on his father's side. There were a few physical features that he carried from her family, he was tall, tanned and strong, and the blending of his inherited races made him extremely attractive to the opposite sex which made him a formidable rival of most men. His dark hair was longer than what was considered in style and he had the most piercing green eyes with an enigmatic aura that repelled the inquisitive. His predilection towards darker clothes added to his mysterious persona. He kept to mostly to himself with the exception of his best friend and partner much to the chagrin of many a single (and married) woman.
"It looks as if the coach lost some of it cargo recently. If it's on schedule it might have passed through this way about an hour ago. Yashiro, do you mind if we go back and pick up that trunk and its other contents? I don't doubt some young lady might be needing these items."
They returned to the trunk in question a few minutes later, it was much the worse for wear from its fall from the coach. The contents, vulnerable to the wind, were strewn in a manner reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel's bread crumbs marking a pathway. Ren and Yashiro made a thorough search for the stray pantaloons and camisoles that had blown farther away. A short time later Ren had gathered up most of the unmentionables and with his arms full of plain white lace and simple flounces and a few dainty smaller items was walking back to the wagon, when something caught his eye. A glittering blue stone in its raw state stood out on the red powdery dust of the deeply rutted coach road. Pictures of the past flashed in his memory as he instinctively lunged for it. His arms were so full of material he could barely pick it up. But the urge was irresistible. Yashiro was waiting at the wagon with the trunk in the back.
"Did you find everything?"
Ren looked distracted.
"I wouldn't know, Yuki, but looking at the quality of the items I've recovered I'd say we have most of it. This woman has a limited income if I were to guess."
He crammed the clothes in the trunk and sealed it as best he could. But the latches were worn and hard to close. The blue stone he kept in his pocket.
"We'd best get going if we're to get to town by sunset." Ren and Yuki climbed into the wagon and Ren shook the reigns and the wagon started forward. Ren's mind turned over and over with the rhythm of the wagon wheels.
