Claire watched as Edwina and Stella walked up to the restaurant to eat breakfast. Claire had dropped by to talk to Mary before heading off to school.
The boys had ran off to play with the other children when they jumped off the buggy. But after picking up some fresh muffins from Scotty to take to the children, she stopped by the table where Stella and Edwina sat eating.
"Good morning…I see you're up early."
Both women looked at her. Edwina smiled.
"Yes, I was doing some reading this morning and I'll be doing some sewing later on. I picked up some fabric at the mercantile."
Stella sniffed.
"I have to go check to see If have any mail from back in Carson City," she said, "I'm sending for some of my things."
Claire's eyes widened.
"You're planning on staying in Paradise."
"Why yes…to marry your uncle. I just know that he's going to pick me."
Edwina sighed.
"You don't know that. Neither of us know who he's going to pick yet. It might not be you Stella."
The other woman scoffed.
"I know it'll be me. There's something between us that can't be denied."
Claire looked puzzled.
"But Uncle Ethan doesn't talk about you back home," she said, "He's not mentioned you once. Oh wait, he's mentioned Edwina once…but he doesn't talk about you."
Stella looked perturbed by that statement.
"I don't think he tells you everything in his life. Just what you need to know. After all, you're still a child."
Claire shrugged.
"I'm just telling you what's happening. Not to hurt your feelings or anything."
Stella harrumphed.
"Well you still don't know anything and he's a grown man, there's going to be parts of his life he won't hare with children."
Claire smiled.
"Whatever you say. I'll tell him that I ran into both of you. He said something about having a mid-day meal with Edwina."
Stella looked over at Edwina who beamed.
"Oh yes…we were supposed to do that yesterday but he had to cancel. He had to help Amelia find her friend."
Stella rolled her eyes.
"Amelia again? She should be off looking for Miranda elsewhere and not here. Let Ethan get on with his life."
Claire sighed.
"He's just trying to help her. He still cares about her no matter what happened."
Edwina nodded.
"That's well and good. It shows he's a compassionate man who can move on from a painful past."
Stella wiped her mouth with her napkin.
"He's going to move on with me," she said, "I just know it. The rest of it is just formality."
She got up to leave while both Claire and Edwina watched her go.
Edwina resumed eating.
"She seems very confident in herself. I wish I had that."
Claire didn't seem concerned.
"I know my uncle and he's going to help Amelia no matter what."
Amelia woke up and got dressed before heading to the post office. She wanted to check for wire messages even though Ethan told her that not enough time had passed.
She'd dreamed about when Miranda had her baby. It'd come unexpectantly when her husband had left her battered after another argument. One he started because she looked at him wrong, or didn't respond quickly enough to one of his questions.
Amelia didn't remember. Her own reaction had been to try to get Miranda out of Virginia City but the baby had other plans.
She didn't know how to deliver human babies. She'd helped deliver foals and calves when living in Australia but people…still somehow she'd known what to do. Miranda had calmed down with her coaching and the baby had practically fallen into her hands. Slippery, wet and at first very quiet…but after she cleared out its mouth and toweled it dry it started crying.
She cleaned up the baby girl and handed her off to her exhausted but grateful mama who'd bonded with her straight off.
It'd been one of the most beautiful and pivotal moments in her own life. She'd never had babies of her own, not with Pierce certainly. He'd seemed too much of a little boy refusing to grow up himself to take responsibility with a new life.
One of the blessings of her marriage was that she hadn't gotten pregnant. Or so she'd thought until she delivered her first baby. Then she wondered if she'd missed out on something special…but then when her husband left, what would she have done?
"I'd have raised it on my own…"
Greta looked up from where she'd been taking a message on the telegraph.
"What is it Amelia?"
Her skin flushed. She hadn't meant to say it out loud.
"Oh nothing…is there anything for me?"
Greta looked through the messages, then pulled one out.
"Here's one…from a man named Butler…"
Amelia frowned. She didn't know anybody by that name. But she read the message which said for her to meet him at a hotel in San Francisco.
She nearly dropped it. It had to have something to do with Miranda. Had she really made it that far and how?
"Thank you…"
She left the wire office to go find Ethan. She located him in his office.
"What is it Amelia?"
She dropped the message on his desk.
"It says to meet him in San Francisco," she said, "and I'm going there tonight."
He frowned.
"Oh no you're not Amelia. Not by yourself and not without me."
She put a hand on her hip.
"Ethan he didn't give us much time."
"He gave us enough time," he said, "and we don't know if he's who he claims. It could be a trap."
"I considered that Ethan but I've got to go anyway," she said, "I'd feel better if you went with me."
He nodded.
"We'll ride out to the train station day after tomorrow," he said, "I have to arrange for someone to watch the children and make the arrangements."
She nodded.
"That seems fair enough," she said, "you know if you need someone to look after the children, I have a good idea."
"What?"
She smiled.
"Why don't you have both Stella and Edwina tend to them? The children won't be left alone and it'll give them a taste of what that part of being married to you."
Ethan considered it.
"I might try that. But I haven't decided which one to marry."
"You will Ethan…I know it…and I know you'll be very happy."
She started to walk away because she had a lot to do in the next day before they left for San Francisco.
"Amelia…"
"What Ethan?"
"I'm happy that we're working together to find her."
She nodded.
"So am I Ethan…"
More than you know, she thought as she walked away.
