Chapter Seventy-Three

Before Shiloh came down the stairs, the men had all the valises and trunks loaded in the wagon and in the boot of Shiloh's coach.

Shiloh came downstairs, looking crisp in a light black and white striped traveling dress with a fitted jacket and a black hat wrapped in a black tulle scarf holding a group of white feathers. Amalee came down after her. Both were holding little hands as they all came down the stairs.

Adam had stopped at the last valise at the front door, watching Shiloh come down the stairs, smiling that she still bore a youthful beauty, especially while caring for their children. Lightly elbowing Beau who had just come in from the wagon, he asked, "Did you find a place for the book?"

"I did," said Beau with a smile. "And even if she opens the valise, she won't see it unless she starts digging."

Adam laughed. "We'll just have to keep her busy so she doesn't go into that valise."

Once the ladies presented themselves in front of the men, Shiloh's eyes met Adam's before she closed them and let out the breath she had slowly sucked in.

Adam lifted Anna onto his arm while his other hand went to the small of Shiloh's back. They led the rest, Amalee with Aaron and Beau with Abel, out the door and to the coach.

Ben and Micah were already there waiting. Ben took Anna from Adam so he could help Shiloh into the coach, but he paused to allow Micah to say goodbye to his sister.

"Micah, you didn't have to see me off. I will be back," said Shiloh.

"I know. But it'll be a while." Moving his hands to her upper arms, he said quietly, "Have I told you lately how proud I am of you." When her lips folded and tears formed, he said, "What is this? You're too old for this."

Shiloh sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I wish Mama and Daddy were still here. And I'll miss you all."

"You'll be so busy you won't notice the time going by," said Micah. "You'll be back before you know it." He pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her head. "Just…do what you do best, and you'll be fine. I can't wait to read about you."

"Come see me," she whispered. "With the train, it's not that far away anymore."

He smiled, kissed her forehead and stepped back out of Ben's way.

"Young lady, I know you'll make us proud," said Ben with a loving smile.

"Does that mean I haven't yet?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

Laughing, Ben wrapped his arms around her. "You have. But this will be almost like going home, won't it?"

She looked away as she thought. "No. I might have said that a few years ago, but this is my home, and I'll always come back. Maybe a little more…settled?"

"As long as you don't change," Ben said, touching her nose.

Adam passed Anna back to Ben to help Shiloh into the coach. He paused, looked into her moist eyes and whispered, "It's too early for that. We have a couple of hours yet." He kissed her nose, then her lips, after which he turned around, took Anna from Ben and passed her to her mother, then took Aaron from Beau, setting his feet on the floor of the coach. He followed with Abel. "Up you go," he said as he swung Abel into the door of the coach. "You and Aaron get settled over there," Adam said, pointing to the seat opposite their mother. Next, he helped Amalee into the coach, then stepped back for Beau to enter.

He turned and shook his father's hand. "We'll be back before supper, Pa."

"Good. Come straight to the house then. Hop Sing and Lo have something cooking up."

Adam laughed and called up to the box. "Hank, ready when you are."

"Just as soon as you're in, Mr. Adam."

"Hank, you drive carefully," said Ben.

"Sure thing, Mr. Cartwright."

Ben waved them off, and Hank pulled the coach out of the yard, followed by Charlie driving the wagon on their way to Reno to catch the train.

The coach was quiet save the children playing. Shiloh sat Anna on her father's lap, knowing the trip, once they left him, would be a challenge.

Somehow reading her mind, Adam said, "I put two more puzzles in one of your valises, so if she gets difficult, pull one out."

Once at the station in Reno, porters, who were told to watch for the coach, hurried out to help unload the wagon and the boot of the coach. "Mrs. Cartwright, Mr. Crocker sent his accompanying car for your trunks, unless you would like them in the passenger car. It could be quite tight with them all."

Pointing, Shiloh said, "These trunks can go in the luggage car. The rest should go in the passenger car. This trunk should go in the sitting room. I'll separate the valises going forward."

The porter smiled and bowed. "Yes Ma'am." He had turned to walk away, but stopped.
"Oh, one more thing, Mrs. Cartwright. Mr. Crocker already provided lunch and dinner for today. It's all in the icebox in the kitchen. The kitchen will be restocked at the first stop of each day, including when you transfer to the Union Pacific."

She smiled and nodded, and both she and Adam watched the porter walk away. He had made sure the other porters made quick work of loading the cars.

The whistle blew once, the signal that the train would be leaving in a few minutes.

With Anna on his arm, Adam followed Shiloh onto the railcar while Amalee brought Aaron aboard. At the second whistle, he pulled Shiloh away toward the back of the car and enveloped her. "I'll miss you," he whispered just before he kissed her. "I love you. Don't ever forget that. And I'll get to you as soon as I can." Moving his hands to either side of her face, he said, "Keep that promise in your heart."

Squeezing her eyes closed, she nodded. "I love you, too. Please don't be too long. And get Abel into bed on time," she said, smiling as her tears flowed. After another kiss, she sniffled and said, "I need to say goodbye to Abel and Beau.

Adam turned without moving his feet and waved Abel over to his mother, then lifted Aaron into his arms. "You be a good boy for Mama, and I'll bring you something special from San Francisco."

"Da go?" Aaron asked.

"I have to go, but I'll be coming to New York in a few weeks," said Adam. "Then we'll all be together."

Aaron threw his arms around his father's neck and held on tight.

Shiloh had bent down to look Abel in the eyes. "Abel, you're a big boy now. Your father has some important work to do, so you be good."

"I will, Mama. I miss you," he said.

That started Shiloh's tears again. She pulled Abel into her arms, moving a hand to his head. "I love you, Abel. I'll miss you so," she said, trying not to cry.

But Abel knew better. He moved his hands to either side of her face and kissed her. "Mama you not cry. You see me soon. Promise."

Her laugh made him smile, and he nodded his head as if his work to make his mother happy was done.

Shiloh walked Abel over to Beau. "Beau, I wish you'd reconsider coming to New York. It would be nice to have all of us there together. And seeing that you've landed on your feet…that you're all right without them…and that you're happy…just might be the medicine those who knew you before need to set them straight."

Beau took her arms at the elbow, leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry about Abel. I'll keep an eye on him."

"And what about New York?" she asked.

"I'll give it some thought. I promise. But I wouldn't want to cause trouble for my father if Mr. Bridger decides to pay him a visit because of me."

Shiloh smiled. "Surely you know by now that Adam can take care of himself quite well. I wouldn't worry. And while you're with him in San Francisco, you might also pay attention to what he does. You just might find you're interested in architecture. In fact, get him to show you his old Roman and Greek books."

"Romans and Greeks?"

"Why yes," Shiloh laughed. "The original architects."

Beau and Shiloh turned in time to see Abel hugging both his little brother and little sister at the same time. It was sort of a ring of three hugging. Aaron and Anna were deposited on one of the cushioned seats by the window so they could wave goodbye.

At the third whistle, Adam started moving Beau and Abel off the train. He descended the steps to the ground with Shiloh following him to the bottom step. Turning, he moved his arms around her and kissed her again.

They gazed at each other for a moment before the train slightly moved forward. Taking Shiloh's hand, Adam walked next to the car as it began to move, eventually letting her fingers slide from his hand as the train began to pick up speed. They watched each other until the train was past the station.

At this point, Anna realized her father wasn't coming with them and commenced her screaming.

Adam continued to watch even when the train was but a line of cars getting smaller and smaller. He hadn't noticed when Beau and Abel came to stand beside him.

"You'll be spending the rest of your lives together," said Beau. "You've got lots of time."

Adam smiled and bowed his head. "That doesn't make the time apart any easier."

It could be said by those who observed them leaving, based on Abel holding up his head and keeping pace with his father without holding his hand, that the three Cartwright men walked to the coach and left quietly for home, only to make the trip to Reno again the next morning.

XXXXXXXX

"Pa?"

Adam was standing in the washroom off his bedroom when he heard the young voice near the door. He had been shaving, but stopped what he was doing, turning his body toward the voice, wearing a curious grin. "Pa? When did you stop calling me Da?"

"Beau don' call you Da," said Abel. "He call you Pa. Gra'pa is your Da, but you call him Pa."

Adam chuckled proudly, recognizing that his oldest son was learning to reason. "What can I do for you, Son?"

"Me and Beau…we ready to go. Mr. Lo say he ready, too," said Abel whose voice faded away.

After wiping the excess lather off his face, he watched Abel look around the master bedroom. "Abel, is something wrong?"

Abel nodded his head. "I miss Mama…and Aawon and Anna."

"Already?" said Adam. "It hasn't even been a full day."

Looking down at the floor, Abel pouted. "Mama sing to me at bedtime."

"Oh? What'd she sing?" Adam asked.

Abel's shoulders jumped up and down, but Beau had arrived at the bedroom door and overheard the conversation. "She hummed Amazing Grace."

Adam smiled. "Just how do you know that?"

"Well, considering my bedroom is right next to Abel's, I often leave my door open so I can listen."

"I see. Well, tonight, I'll see if I can hum Amazing Grace as well as your mother," said Adam as he buttoned his shirt. He finished tucking it in, grabbed his jacket off the end of the bed, then looked around the room. "Both of you take one more look in your rooms to make sure you didn't forget anything. We won't be coming back to the house once we're on our way to New York."

Beau stiffened. "What if I decide not to go?"

"Then your grandfather will be meeting us at the Reno train station. And Beau, I'm not going to say anything about it after this. I agree with Shiloh. We'd both be proud to have you with us. But it's your decision. You just need to tell me before we leave San Francisco, so I can make arrangements for your grandfather to meet us in Reno."

Beau nodded. "I'll think about it."