LEATHER AND LACE
Chapter 29-Welcome To Indiana
Brandenburg, Kentucky, August 1818
August 10, 1818
For the next week, Sam and Quinn fell into a daily routine with the Palmers, taking advantage of the downtime from traveling. They decided to wait one week to see if any of their prior companions met them there to go together north into Indiana.
When Quinn wasn't working around the farm, she found time to paint. Sam had set up her easel in a shady area facing west. She'd take her paints there, plus an apple or two and a cup of lemonade, and paint and be alone with her thoughts. One evening, at sunset, the colors of the western sky inspired her, and she painted something for the Palmers.
She and Sam also sat down and wrote a return letter to Quinn's parents and one to Sam's father.
Dear Father and Mother,
We have received your letter at Uncle Jn Palmer's. We arrived here on Aug 8. Jn and Mrs. Palmer are very gracious hosts. We are enjoying our rest here before setting out for the northern wilderness of Indiana. We await our traveling companions to join us. The Palmers have two young boys, Wm and Stith, who are very happy souls.
Your letter brought us joy and sorrow. We were so sad to hear about Grandmother Feazel's passing and Father's and Mother's illness. We hope this letter finds you all in good humor. We miss you all dearly. I especially miss rocking Jimmy, and I very much wish to meet baby Hudson Fabray. I am so excited for Kate! Please keep us posted! Tell the boys to bring their lady friends lots of flowers...girls love flowers. Sam is very pleased to hear about the success of the furniture venture.
The town of L'ville was bustling! So busy! Many shops and homes of all kinds. The river is like a city in and of itself. The ride to Jn Palmer's on a flatboat was interesting. Jn has been showing Samuel how to operate such a boat! There are steam boats on the river, as well. When we leave for Indiana, we will be taken back to L'ville on a steam boat.
Our news: We have taken in a dog on our journey. His name is Charlie; he is small of stature but very protective of us. Sam had to swim in the Ohio R to rescue Charlie! Also, Sam and I are expecting a baby in March of the next year. I have been ill to my stomach and a bit fatigued but nothing else. We will hopefully be in Indiana soon to find our land and build a home well before winter sets in. I saw a nurse in L'ville who said I appeared healthy. Please keep us in your prayers.
We have been told that once we cross over into Indiana finding a mail carrier might prove difficult. We will send word as soon as we're able.
You remain ours with love, Quinn and Samuel Evans
Sam then added a message for Joseph at the end of the letter.
Joseph, Pleas put a white flower on my gr'mother's grave. I thank you kindley.
"She liked white flowers," he said to Quinn.
Quinn quietly folded the letter and sealed it with wax. On the front, she wrote Mr. Thomas Fabray, Franklin County, Virginia. She handed it to Sam who promised to take it into Brandenburg the next day to mail it.
He wrote the letter to his father.
Dear Father and Jane,
Quinn and I have made it to Kentuck in goode time. We met folks along the way and also found a dog that Quinn named Charley. He saved my life from a mad wolf attack so I am indebbted to him. Quinn fell ill after we passed through the mtns, so we rushed to get to L'ville to see a fine doctor. It turns out she is with child yet again. Please keep us in your prayers. We think of you all often and hope this finds you all as well as you culd be. We keep young Amos in our prayers also. We are staying at Jn Palmer's for just a few more days, then shall begin our jurney into Indyana. Will write from there once we find a post.
With love, Samuel B and Quinn A Evans
xxxxx
August 12, 1818
Sam and Quinn were sitting with the Palmers, enjoying the sunset after a busy day of work, watching young William chase Charlie around the yard. Quinn was quite happy at the Palmers, sitting outside looking at the gently rolling countryside, the breeze mussing her hair every once in awhile. They all heard the rumble of wagons from the road, along with voices that seemed to be hollering.
Sam and Jon went to the front of the house to investigate and returned with Noah and Sugar Puckerman and Artie and Rachel Abrams. Quinn couldn't believe her eyes. She jumped and ran to the girls and hugged them. She pulled them over to America to make introductions.
"America Palmer, this is Mrs. Noah Puckerman, or Sugar, and Mrs. Arthur Abrams, or Rachel. We met them on the trail through the mountains. I can't believe they made it here!" Quinn hugged them again. This meant they'd be traveling through Indiana with them and not alone.
"Pleased to meet you both! Friends of the Evans' are friends of ours. There is room in the loft if you don't mind sharing with Sam and Quinn," America told them.
"We don't mind! They can even have the bed!" Quinn said, excitedly. Sam overheard her and wondered if she'd lost her mind. He was talking to Noah and Artie about the continuation of their travel, how they liked Louisville, where the others had gone, et cetera.
Sugar and Rachel tried to dissuade Quinn from giving up the bed but were unsuccessful. The rest of the introductions were made, and the men went to take care of the two other wagons and teams. America and Quinn put together some food for their guests. Noah, Sugar, Artie, and Rachel took their meals outside to continue talking with the Palmers and Evans. Once the two young boys had fallen asleep, Jon pulled out a jug of what he called 'moonshine'. He said it was a sour mash whiskey, that his brother-in-law had a still across the road. When he helped make the moonshine, Jonas Stith paid him in moonshine, which was completely fine with Jon.
Jon also had three tin cups in his hand and sloshed the whiskey into them. He then balanced the jug on his arm and lifted it to his mouth, chugging the noxious fluid down. From where Quinn sat, next to Sam, she could smell it and her stomach flip-flopped. Sam took the tin cup and brought it to his nose. He had drunk refined whiskey before but never whiskey from a backwoods still. The smell of it caused him to squeeze his eyes shut and wince, quickly regaining his normal look in front of the other men. He knew he was going to have to drink it in front of them or be laughed at. He watched Noah and Artie throw back their cups in the firelight. He glanced at Quinn; her eyes were wide open. He took a very deep breath, then threw the nasty drink down his throat...as much as possible. He heard Noah and Artie coughing and sputtering, then Artie tossed the rest of his into the fire causing a large flame to ignite and disappear. Sam tossed the rest of his drink over his shoulder in the dark. The shot he had drunk nearly made him vomit but he had managed to stave that off. Jon thought this was funny and poured the three men more in their cups. Again, Quinn eyed Sam with her wide eyes, but he wouldn't look back at her. When he saw the other three men toss back their heads, he tossed his drink over his shoulder again...making Quinn giggle quietly.
"Noah, let me try your drink," Sugar asked him. She was sitting on his lap. Everyone stopped talking and stared at them.
"This drink ain't fit for the ladyfolk," Jon said, chuckling and swigging more down.
"Is that so?" she said, taking Noah's tin cup and holding it out to Jon. "Fill me up!"
Jon looked to Noah who shrugged. The rest of the group was quiet, watching Sugar's reaction. Jon poured a bit into the tin cup, and Sugar immediately drank it.
She smacked her lips together, ran her tongue over her lips, didn't look fazed at all. In fact, she held the tin cup up to Jon for some more.
It continued in this manner until Noah was lying on the ground, muttering to himself; Sugar still sitting in her seat, staring at the waning fire, looking bored; Quinn sitting next to Sam who was acting drunk; Artie and Rachel kissing, as well as Jon and America doing the same. Finally, the men decided to get Noah up off the ground, but Sugar said to just leave him lie. She said he'd probably wind up losing his supper and she didn't want him in the Palmer's house when he did. The others retreated to the house. They decided among themselves that Quinn, Sugar, and Rachel would share the bed while Sam and Artie slept on the floor.
The girls prepared a sleeping area for the men with quilts and pillows and then the three of them squeezed into the bed. The girls whispered and giggled into the night, especially at Sam and Artie's snoring.
"Guess what?" Quinn whispered.
"Hmm?" Rachel mumbled, half asleep.
"I'm with child!"
Rachel and Sugar were both suddenly awake, hugging Quinn between them.
"Is that why you were sickly?" Sugar asked her.
Quinn nodded. "And still am. That drink tonight smelled awful! How did you swallow it down?"
"It was a lot like something my mother gave us for sore throats," she said, giggling. "It reminded me of medicine."
"Are you excited?" Rachel asked her.
"A little, I guess," Quinn replied. "Worried about traveling again."
"Don't you worry a bit! We'll be with you! We'll take care of you!" Sugar said, hugging her again, then lying back down and promptly snoring.
Rachel and Quinn giggled at that. "I guess the medicine finally took hold of her!"
They lay back against their pillows.
"I'm so happy that I'll have you girls with me," Quinn whispered in the darkness.
"Goodnight, dear Quinn," Rachel whispered back.
xxxxx
The next morning, they found Noah propped up against a tree near where he had passed out. He sat there motionless as they approached.
"Good day, Mr. Puckerman!" Jon yelled at him.
Noah grabbed the sides of his head and moaned. "Not so loud…" he whispered in a very harsh voice.
"We brought you something for your head, Noah," Sugar said, handing him a cup. He squinted and peaked inside, taking a sniff, screwing up his face.
"What is it?"
"Bicarb and apple cider vinegar…the rest of us have had ours and feel refined," she said. "Besides, you need to build up your strength. We leave tomorrow for Indiana."
He groaned and swigged back the concoction.
xxxxx
They spent that day preparing their wagons to continue their journey. Sugar and Rachel had told Quinn that Sugar's parents and brother and Santana and Brittany were in Louisville and all quite taken with the town. They said Mr. Motta had missed a city and so had Mrs. Motta and they were considering staying there. Santana and Brittany still planned to move farther west. Noah, Sugar, Artie, and Rachel had stayed in Louisville for a couple days before finding the Evans so they felt well rested and were excited about seeing the land of Indiana.
There were the daily chores to be done, as well as washing their clothes, re-packing the wagon, and going over the wagon one final time to make sure it was ready for travel. The neighborhood surrounding the Palmers, their friends and family who had been swimming with Sam and Quinn, presented the travelers with foodstuff from their own supplies. The ladies of the group also gave Quinn a tiny baby quilt. They said it was an extra one, but Quinn could tell it had just been stitched. It brought tears to her eyes and made the pregnancy feel very real to her.
At supper with the Palmers that evening, Quinn gave them her painting. She had painted a picture of their homestead, their home and outbuildings, with the beautiful sunset she had witnessed as the background, purples, pinks, and blues. She included abstract figures for Jon, America, William, and Stith. America said she was very pleased with it and propped it up on the fireplace mantel. Jon surreptitiously gave Sam, Noah, and Artie each a pint-sized bottle of the moonshine for when "the going on the road got rough," he said, chuckling.
Jon started another bonfire and they sat outside watching the stars come out. Quinn held young William on her lap, rocking him. Sam sat next to them, playing with her braid every once in awhile. She'd glance over at him and smile, the firelight dancing on her face. He decided that when they slept that night they'd be sleeping together.
xxxxx
They agreed to let Sam and Quinn have the bed for the final night since she was the only one expectant. The other two couples spread their bedding out far apart from one another in all corners of the loft. Sam crawled into bed quietly and eased himself behind Quinn, nuzzling at her neck. They had the two windows of the loft open and heard far-off thunder rumbling. She pressed against him, enjoying his hands roaming over her body. The breeze picked up and the thunder got closer. Lightning was streaking through the sky now and again.
She felt Sam's hand caressing her thigh, then moving her shift upward. She could feel his hardness between them...he could never hide that from her...he had been lightly pressing against her for some time. Once he had her shift moved up, his hand dipped to her front side, to between her legs. Her breath caught when his finger slid between her folds.
When he felt the wetness on his skin, he held his breath. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, knowing others were nearby, but he had to have her. Something about the way she looked at him after supper, drove him mad with desire. Now, he was rigid in his trousers, she was wet and seemingly ready for him. She had reached behind her and grabbed his hip, pulling him against her. He moved his hand away from her heat, up over her bare hip, to between them to unfasten his trousers. The storm was moving closer, judging by the lightning and thunder. Soon, the rain would pour and the storm would be directly overhead.
She felt him unfastening his pants between them, then pushing them down his hips. She readjusted herself, wanting to feel him against her.
He felt the cool skin of her buttock rub against his hot member and groaned a bit into her neck. He could feel her moving her hips to line up with him and then the tip of his cock brushed against her wetness. There was a crash of thunder that scared them all and he instinctively pushed into her, causing her to gasp. He held her hip against him.
"Are you okay?" he whispered behind her.
She nodded and placed her hand on his on her hip. They heard sprinkles of rain, then a deluge poured down. The storm was upon them.
Sam began moving as quietly as possible against Quinn. He kept his lips at her neck to muffle his moans. His hot breath at the nape of her neck sent shivers through her body. She felt him kissing her, whispering incoherently, rocking against her. The storm was raging outside and he let himself be somewhat more vocal. His fingers were pressing into her flesh and his movements were becoming erratic, quicker. The angle from which he entered her was different to him and the feeling was making him lose control.
She heard him whispering her name in her ear, felt his thrusting intensify, then he groaned and held her against him. She could feel his release as it happened. He continued to grunt through the thrusts when he came, slow, deep thrusts. He was so thankful that storm blew up to mask any noise from their lovemaking. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her, his cock limp and shocked by the coolness of the room. He gently tugged her shift back down over her hip. She rolled over to face him. His chest was still heaving from their coupling. She kissed him deeply and whispered she loved him. He let her tuck his penis back inside his trousers and refasten them.
"I love you," he whispered to her, wrapping themselves together to get comfortable for sleep. They both were soon fast asleep, relaxed in each other's arms.
xxxxx
August 14, 1818 Leaving for Indiana
The rooster crowed and caused the stirring of the six adults in the loft. Sam and Quinn untangled themselves from one another, quietly laughing about it. The mood of the morning was happy, even though Quinn was a bit sad to be leaving her uncle's home. She had grown attached to their young sons and even America and a tiny part of her wished Sam's letter about his land grant included Kentucky. She would've stayed there at the drop of a hat. However, the letter stated land in Indiana or Illinois, so they prepared to set out for Indiana that morning. She was excited to be reunited with her aunt and grandmother, as well, so she had that to look forward to.
Breakfast was prepared by the women while the men lined up the wagons and made all final adjustments. Charlie could sense the excitement in the air and was excited himself. Sam even passed the dog a bit of bacon during breakfast. After breakfast cleanup, it was time to say goodbye. Quinn was holding baby Stith and didn't want to give him back. She did, reluctantly, then hugged William.
"Thank you so much for having us stay, America. It has been a joy meeting you and spending time here," Quinn said, tearing up. "I hope we weren't too much trouble."
America hugged her. "No trouble at all! We loved having you! Maybe we'll come visit you when you're settled in the land of the Indian...to see your new baby. Write to us when you get to where you're going." Quinn hugged her uncle, and Sam shook his hand, thanking him for the whiskey that he had no intention of ever drinking.
They climbed up onto their wagon and set off for Brandenburg proper to find a steamboat to take them upriver to Indiana.
xxxxx
Quinn liked the steamboat even more than the flatboat. This vessel moved swiftly up river using steam power. She sat at the bow with Sam, holding Charlie on her lap. They were lucky enough to have caught the Belle of Louisville making a stop. She was empty so Sam, Noah, and Artie commissioned her to haul all of them up river to the dock on the north side of the river across from Louisville, a town called Jeffersonville.
They unloaded the horses and wagon in Jeffersonville and went to a nearby park to decide their next course of action. Jeffersonville wasn't quite as bustling as Louisville on the other side of the river, but it wasn't a sleepy town either. The three men discussed their travel.
"We'll be going a bit eastward, then northward...to Jefferson County, to Franklin County, to Wayne County, then to Henry County," Sam told them. "Quinn and I will be stopping in Henry County."
"We're in Clark County now, correct?" Artie asked. Sam nodded.
"So, we need to find our way to Jefferson...do we just follow the river?" Noah asked.
"I think that'd be best...should be trails of the red man we can follow," Sam answered. "In Jefferson County, we find Madison, then turn north."
They had been warned by Jon Palmer and Jonas Stith of the dangers in Indiana...no real roads to follow, just Indian traces; buffalo and bear and cougars; Indians; and thieves.
While in Jeffersonville, they stopped at the general store to replenish their ammunition. The man there pointed them in the direction of a town called Charlestown, then they were to swing east. After that, they were on their way.
xxxxx
The trail to Charlestown was well traveled. They could hear the river but not actually see it. It took them the day to reach Charlestown.
They made camp outside the small town and ate a light supper before trying to get some sleep. The sounds in the darkness were frightening to the women, keeping the men awake. There were sounds they'd never heard before, howling and growling, causing Charlie to sit next to Sam, fully alert, sometimes whimpering. In the morning, they all agreed that they had slept very little.
August 15, 1818
That day, they traveled to a town called Vesta. Other than for a trader's post, there was not much to the town. That night, the animal sounds kept them awake yet again. Sam insisted that Quinn sleep in the wagon while he and Charlie slept, or tried to sleep, outside. Thankfully, all they were experiencing were the sounds of the wild animals, never actually seeing one.
From Vesta, they headed toward Bethlehem, which was right on the Ohio River. They found a post office there, so Quinn dashed off a quick note to her family, letting them know they were in Indiana territory now. From Vesta, they were headed for Hanover.
Sometimes the path they followed led them right next to the water; sometimes, they couldn't even see the river. The trail they used was well traveled already but only wide enough for one wagon. Sometimes, there were clearings and sometimes the trees were dense. It was during those times that Quinn felt as if eyes were on her, watching them. The sway of the wagon didn't seem to be affecting her nausea as they traveled slowly, for which she was thankful.
Hanover was a pretty little town, right on the banks of the Ohio River. They stopped at the general store there for provisions and were told to go to Logan's Point. They did and had a spectacular view downriver. They had their supper there, then went back into Hanover to stay at an inn for the night. They stopped at a building that looked as if it didn't have a tavern attached, called the Parker Inn. Sam and the other two men went inside to procure rooms.
The man running the desk said he was the proprietor, a Dr. A. G. Parker.
He had two rooms available in the brick establishment, so the Puckermans and Abrams decided to share giving Sam and Quinn the smaller of the two rooms. In Sam and Quinn's room, there was a small bed and a chair. It felt more like a closet to Quinn. They lit a lamp to hang on the wall, and Quinn sat in the chair trying to catch up on her mending. Sam lay on the bed reading his mother's Bible. They had sneaked Charlie into their room, and he lay on the floor on the braided rug at the door. They could hear their traveling companions a few doors down, apparently enjoying the moonshine.
"Sounds as if they're having a jolly good time," Quinn said, giggling a bit.
Sam looked over at her. "It does sound that way. I'm having a perfect time with you."
"You wear your stockings clear through, husband," she said, laughing and holding up a sock of Sam's.
"It's hard work being a man, wife," he replied, setting the Bible down. "C'mere..."
"Sam...your socks..." she said, smiling slyly.
"My socks can wait...c'mere..." he asked again, his voice deep.
She gave him a sideways glance, him lying on his side on the bed facing her. She dropped the mending and went to him.
"We're close, aren't we, Sam?" she asked, curling up against his chest, listening to his heart beat.
Having her next to him relaxed him even further and he felt himself drifting off.
"Hmm?"
"Close to what will be ours, where we'll live forever..."
"Mhmm..."
Right before he fell into a deep sleep, he felt the weight of the dog jump up onto their bed, then all three of them were sleeping.
xxxxx
Sam woke up to Charlie licking his face.
"Ready to go out, boy?" he asked, sleepily, pulling himself up from the bed. He glanced at Quinn, still sleeping soundly. He reached out and touched her hair, then her cheek. He pulled on his boots and shirt and picked up the dog to go outside to relieve themselves in the early morning light. The sun had yet to crest the horizon to the east as Sam stood behind the inn peeing, Charlie had run off sniffing all the scents before finding the spot to do his business. What had Quinn said to him last night? He had been so exhausted he was half-asleep when she crawled into bed with him. Something about they were close, close to it being theirs forever. He hoped her intuition was correct. He knew there was still quite a bit of travel and the travel would be difficult through heavily forested land as they moved northward away from the river.
Sam finished up, as did Charlie, and they returned to the inn. He went to the room of the Puckermans and Abrams and pounded on the door, laughing as he did so.
"Rise and shine, sleepyheads! Time to head out!" he called, walking back to his and Quinn's room.
"I heard you all the way in here, Samuel Evans!" Quinn said, laughing when he entered the room. She was up and gathering their few belongings in preparation to leave.
"I'm sure they'll all be in the bicarb today," he said, sitting down. "Next stop, Madison!"
xxxxx
Once their four friends stumbled out of the inn, squinting in the sunlight and complaining of head pain, they finally got on the road to Madison, Indiana, another river town fairly close to Hanover. The travel was short, and they were to Madison in time for their noon meal. There were many lookout spots on banks high above the river so they chose a shady spot and ate a quick lunch.
"My head feels awful," Rachel mumbled, lying on the grass.
"Why'd you drink the moonshine?" Quinn asked her.
"I thought it'd be fun..." Rachel groaned, clutching her head in her hands.
Noah and Artie were faring better than the ladies. Even Sugar was feeling the effects of the whiskey that day.
"It's so hot here..." she said, fanning herself. "And it smells like fish!"
"Did you all drink all your whiskey?" Sam asked. He was sitting next to Quinn, his knees propped up with elbows resting on them, munching on an apple.
Artie grunted what sounded like yeah.
"No wonder y'all feel awful," Sam said, chuckling. "Do you think you can watch the wagons? Quinn and I were going to walk into town; she needs to buy a spool of thread."
Noah muttered a reply, and Sam and Quinn took that as a yes so they got up and walked into Madison proper with Charlie leading the way.
There was a mix of brick and wood frame buildings, one or two of the smooth gray stone. Sam handed Quinn two dollars and left her at a shop of notions, and he went to the feed store to place an order to be picked up when they left town.
Quinn wasn't sure what a notions shop was, but the picture showed a needle and thread and that's what she needed. A tiny bell rung when she pushed open the door.
"Could you just prop that door open, honey?" a voice asked Quinn. She had no idea where it came from. It was hot in the tiny structure with a fire going in the fireplace. There was a back door already propped open. Quinn looked around the dirt floor for something to use to hold the heavy door open, saw a large rock and used it.
There was now a nice breeze flowing through the room and more light. Quinn looked around her, amazed by all the colors she was seeing. She was used to yellow thread and white thread if made at home. Sometimes, her father would bring back colored thread from his travels, but that was a rarity and usually only black. She stood in front of a wall of shelves filled with every color imaginable. There was also different sewing and quilting instruments and stacks of materials.
"Whatchya lookin' for, honey?" There was that voice again. This time, it came from Quinn's right. She looked over and saw counter there but no person.
"I'm down here!" the voice said again, cackling with laughter. Quinn's gaze followed the voice downward and there she saw the woman. She was a tiny lady, older, and sitting in a wheeled chair.
"I-I'm sorry, ma'am, I-I didn't..." Quinn stammered.
"Tis fine, darlin'! When I'm in this dagblasted chair no one can see me!" The fact that the little old lady had basically swore out loud in a public place shocked Quinn. "You've come lookin' for notions?"
Quinn then noticed that the lady was little because she was missing most of her bottom half. She pushed herself around the little store with ease, straightening items as she went along.
"Whew...this heat has been awful this summer...makes for a bad winter, they say," she said, going to the door to catch a breeze.
"Did you do all these threads yourself?" Quinn asked her. "The colors..."
The upper lefthand corner of the shelf began with a white spool of thread, continuing to the lower righthand corner with black thread, and every color imaginable in between, it seemed to Quinn.
"One of the red men's wives...Light Feather, I believe she's called...she taught me how to dye the thread all those purty colors," the lady told Quinn.
"You're on friendly terms with the Indians, then?" Quinn asked her.
"Ayuh…they have shown us a lot in this wilderness," the lady said.
Quinn couldn't help staring at the woman's half frame.
"You wonderin' where the rest of me is?" the old lady laughed. "A falling tree accident when I was nigh on 4 years old. Said it was a miracle that I survived."
Quinn wasn't sure what to say. "I-I'm sorry…"
"Oh now, don't be sorry! I've made it this long, nearly 50 more years! Have three lovely daughters and two strapping sons…"
A look of shock must've crossed Quinn's face.
"Those parts still work, deary. Now, what are you lookin' for?"
"Um, uh, thread ma'am," Quinn stammered.
The lady wheeled right up next to Quinn. Quinn then noticed she had a long stick-like device lying across her lap. The lady used it to pluck a spool of thread from the shelves, held it out to Quinn, and dropped it in her hand. A spool of pink thread.
"You'll need this for your new baby," the lady said. She then plucked a spool of black thread from the shelves. "And this for your husband's stockings."
Quinn looked down at her surprised, then at the pink thread, then back to the woman.
"How did you-?"
"You just have a sense about you…I think you're carrying a girl-child," the lady said. "The spools are 25 cents apiece, darling."
Sam had given her two dollar bills. She bought the two spools of thread and two new needles, totaling 35 cents altogether.
"When are you to be confined?" the lady asked Quinn.
"March of next year," she replied.
"Ah, well then, you might need something like this..." The lady spun around and sifted through the piles of material, finally pulling out a soft pale pink cottony fabric. "You'll need something warm to wrap the child in."
She handed it to Quinn and Quinn ran her fingers over the impossibly soft material. She handed it back to the woman.
"I'm so sorry...I don't have that kind of money...but thank you so much," Quinn said quietly.
"No, honey, I want you to have it..."
"I couldn't possibly..."
"Please, deary..." The old lady shoved the pink fabric at Quinn that time so Quinn took it. She handed the lady a one-dollar bill, thanked her again, and left quickly.
Out on the street, she looked up and down for any sign of Sam. She headed in the direction he had gone and found him talking to a couple men at the feed business, Charlie sitting at his feet.
"I'll be back in a bit, fellas," he said to the men and he turned to Quinn. "Hello, dear wife! Did you find some thread? I know how my stockings are." He laughed and made her smile.
"I did, Sam...black thread even!" She chose not to show him the pink thread but told him of all the different colors. "The lady there, she wanted me to have this..." She showed him the fabric.
"Pink, eh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Quinn nodded. "She thinks it's a girl."
They began walking back to their camp.
"I told her I didn't have enough money for the thread and the material, but she told me to take it," Quinn told him. She went on to tell him about the woman at the notions shop. "She said they're friendly with the Indians here, too."
"Sound like you met a very nice lady...we ought to take her some apples or something," Sam said as they arrived at their wagon. Quinn put the material, thread, and needles away.
"Maybe I'll pick some of these wildflowers and take them back to her?" Quinn said, glancing off at a field full of colorful flowers.
"That'd be nice," he agreed. While Quinn wandered off with Charlie to pick the flowers, Sam talked to Noah and Artie about where they were going next.
"The men at the feed store said Versailles is the next largest town but we'll pass through heavy forest before we get there," Sam said to them. He kept his voice low so Sugar and Rachel wouldn't overhear. "They said there are many red men in those forests, the Lenape."
"Do we have enough ammunition? Or should we stock up?" Artie asked.
"Quinn said the lady she spoke to in town said they are friendly with the Indians here, so we might not need our guns," Sam told them. "The Lenape are a peaceful people."
"I'd rather be safe than sorry, Sammy," Noah said. "C'mon Artie, let's go find the magazine."
Sam sighed. He decided against adding anymore ammunition to his stash. He also had his bow and arrow, if needed, and Quinn had her rifle. He just hoped that if they did meet Indians along the trail it didn't come to gunfire.
In the field full of flowers, Quinn picked out black-eyed Susans, white daisies, and a pink flower that was new to her. She put together a nice bouquet and turned to head back to the camp when movement caught her eye at the tree line of the field going into the forest. She stopped and looked. When she saw movement again, she realized it was two tan, black-haired children wearing colorful clothing, running off, giggling. She had just seen Indian children.
She hurried back to find Sugar and Rachel doing their chores at the wagon, preparing to travel again.
"Girls! Girls!" Quinn called, clutching her flowers.
"Oh, aren't those pretty?" Rachel said, taking the bouquet from Quinn since she was flailing her arms about.
"I just saw...Indian children! Over at the tree line! They were watching me pick the flowers!" Quinn said, excitedly.
"Did they speak to you?" Sugar asked, eyes wide.
"No...they just spied on me, then ran off giggling."
"The menfolk were talking, didn't think we could hear them," Sugar said. "About passing through Indian territory on our way to the next town."
"I spoke to a lady in town who said the red men here were peaceful and they learn from them," Quinn said.
"Noah and Artie went to town to buy more bullets..." Rachel told Quinn. Quinn looked at them for a moment, grabbed her flowers and then turned to find Sam at their wagon.
Sam was reloading their belongings in the wagon, securing them to the inside so they wouldn't be shaken all around on the rough trail.
"Sam?" Quinn asked him.
He turned and smiled at her. "Pretty flowers you've picked."
She glanced at them. "Yes, thank you. The girls just told me that Mr. Puckerman and Mr. Abrams have gone into town to buy more bullets because they fear the red man. Is this true?"
Sam crawled out to the end of the wagon and sat on the back door.
"Yep, it's true. I chose not to go. After what the men at the feed store told me about the red men and what you told me the lady at the shop said, I figured I wouldn't need my gun to talk to the Lenape."
He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Quinn, if there is any trouble with the Indians I'll try my best to talk to them in some fashion. My first...and only...concern is for you and my unborn child. Do you understand?" Sam told her.
She nodded. "I understand..."
She rode with Sam to pick up the feed order, then stopped at the notions shop with the flowers.
"For you, ma'am, thank you again for your generosity," Quinn told the lady, now sitting on a high stool at the counter.
"Oh, such a thoughtful gesture!" The lady hopped off the stool into her wheeled chair and went to the back of the shop and returned with a glass bottle filled with water. Quinn put the bouquet in the bottle and set it on her counter. She watched the lady use her arms to get back up on the stool.
"These have brightened my day, young miss," she said, smiling.
Quinn smiled and went back to the wagon, and she and Sam returned to camp to get ready to continue their travel.
Noah and Artie returned to camp, whooping and hollering and from what Quinn could tell they were already in their cups. She was resting in the shade with Charlie watching them dance a little jig with Sugar and Rachel while Sam made sure the wagon was ready to go.
"Y'all ready?" Sam called to them.
The other four hollered and ran to their wagons. Quinn stood up and let Charlie lead her to their wagon. She climbed up onto the bench next to Sam.
"I'm ready," she said to him. He smiled back at her.
He snapped the reins and they were off.
xxxxx
The trail was bumpy heading northward out of Madison. Their goal was to reach Versailles by nightfall, but they weren't sure that'd be possible. People they had talked to in Madison said the path going there wasn't the best, plus there was the heavy forest to drive through. Sam, Noah, and Artie had been warned repeatedly about the Lenape and thieves that might be hiding in wait for people such as themselves. It took 6 hours on the rough trail and they approached the edge of the forest, surrounding both sides of the path. Sam stopped his wagon. There was maybe 3 hours of sunlight left, and the men at the feed store said it'd take at least a quarter of a day to get past the forest, or another 6 hours of travel. He left his wagon to ask Noah and Artie what they thought, should they continue on, knowing they'd have to make camp at some point, or make camp there on the edge of the forest and continue through it the next day.
"Personally, I'd like to camp here tonight. With Quinn's delicate condition, I don't want to stop deep in the woods," Sam said.
Noah and Artie agreed, so the men pulled their wagons into a triangular shape off the path, near a stream. The women went about preparing supper and other chores while the men hunted the outskirts of the forest. Quinn started a fire to cook over while Sugar and Rachel prepared some vegetables. They were hoping the men would hunt down a rabbit for supper. They had everything finished, so they gathered dirty clothes to go to the stream to wash them quickly and bring some water back to their campsite.
The day was hot, so they stripped down to their shifts to wade in the cool water.
"What was that song your pa was singing, Sugar?" Quinn asked.
"He sings all kinds of songs...I like this one..." She started humming and it was the song Quinn remembered when they were in the mountains.
Sugar and Rachel started singing:
Go to sleepy little baby...
Go to sleepy little baby...
Your momma's gone away and your daddy's gonna stay...
Didn't leave nobody but the baby...
Quinn joined in, mainly to cover up Sugar's atrocious singing voice:
Go to sleepy little baby...
Go to sleepy little baby...
Everybody's gone in the cotton and corn...
Didn't leave nobody but the baby...
You're a sweet little baby...
You're a sweet little baby...
Honey in the rock and the sugar don't stop...
Gonna bring a bottle to the baby...
The men returned to the campsite, each with a rabbit in hand. They began cleaning the hares and then heard the sweet melodic voices coming from nearby. They hung up the rabbit carcasses on a tree branch, hoping nothing would get to them, and followed the beckoning voices singing the lullaby.
Don't you weep, pretty baby...
Don't you weep, pretty baby...
She's long gone with her red shoes on...
Gonna need another loving baby...
The girls continued their song, sitting in their shifts upon rocks in the cool creek, rinsing and wringing out their clothing, not realizing that Sam, Noah, and Artie were watching them from the trees. They each trained their eyes on their loved one, their voices joining together in a beautiful harmony. Watching Quinn, sitting on a rock, her shift soaked through, her legs spread to work the clothes in the water, the sun glistening off her, he felt a familiar tingling in his groin, then felt himself growing at just the thought of her. He pushed the heel of his palm against the front of his trousers so the other two wouldn't notice his predicament. He had heard her sing before, of course, but around him she was always reserved. Here, with the other two girls, she was putting more emotion into the lyrics, seemingly lost in them as she handled the wet clothes.
Go to sleepy little baby...
Go to sleepy little baby...
You and me and the devil makes three...
Don't need no other lovin' babe...
Go to sleepy little baby...
Go to sleepy little baby...
Come lay your bones on the alabaster stones...
And be my everlovin' baby...
Sam didn't know if it was the singing or all the bare skin or what but the song drew him to her. It must've been the same for Noah and Artie because they were in the same trancelike state he was in. He glanced over and saw Noah staring at Quinn. He slapped him up the back side of his head.
"Hey! What was that for?" Noah asked indignantly, rubbing his head.
"Don't need to be lookin' at my wife, Puckerman..."
"I wasn't looking at your wife, Evans! I was listening to the purest voice of them all...my Sugar! Have you ever heard anything so divine?" Noah said, grinning broadly.
Sam looked at him like he was mad. He was surely referring to Quinn's beautiful alto or even Rachel's sultry soprano. Sam turned his attention back to Quinn.
As the girls sang the last lines of the song, the men made their way slowly to the creek. Surprisingly, the girls broke into a fit of giggles when they finished singing and then realized Sam, Noah, and Artie had been watching them. They were shocked, somewhat by their singing so candidly but mostly by their state of undress. At the water's edge, the men took off their boots and waded into the shallow water. Sam sidled up to Quinn; he felt like he was being led to her by his rigid length between his legs.
She stood up as he approached, and he took her in his arms. "Sam..." she whispered at his display of affection in front of the others.
Kissing her on the neck, he whispered, "You should sing more often..." His lips slid up to her ear and his hand slid down low on her hip.
"Can you help me hang these wet clothes?" she asked him quietly.
"Mhmm..." They reluctantly broke their embrace, and he helped her hang up the wet clothes.
The six travelers retreated to their camp for the evening. After supper and some more singing, this time the men joining in as well, the Puckermans and Abrams' crawled into their tents. It was a clear warm evening, so Sam and Quinn set up their bedding away from the group a bit to sleep under the stars.
Sam talked Quinn into stripping down to her shift for the night; she knew his intentions. Since feeling him hard up against her at the creek earlier, she had definitely known what he had planned on doing that night.
He made love to her, slowly, under a million stars. He lay on top of her, kissing her mouth, nuzzling her neck, pressing into her so slowly, hearing her moan in his ear. She raised her hips to him, grabbed the back of her thighs when his thrusting became urgent. He grunted when he spilled into her, and she wrapped her arms around him, holding him, kissing him under the stars. They finally pulled apart from one another, and she curled into his side after he whispered he loved her. They fell asleep easily, comfortable and happy and satisfied.
Sam heard a twig snap and it woke him. He opened his eyes and let them adjust to the still-dark morning. There were no more stars in the sky. He then realized he couldn't see the sky; it was being obscured. Quinn stirred next to him, pushing up on an elbow, mumbling Sam?
As quietly as he could, he shushed her and moved an arm over her, like he was trying to protect her. He sat up slowly, making sure she was behind him, he was her shield. They were surrounded by Indians.
A/N: I borrowed the siren scene and song from O Brother, Where Art Thou? with George Clooney. I love that scene in the movie and thought it'd be neat to have Quinn as Sam's siren here. Thanks as always for reading!
