"Return to Paradise Trail" PART TEN
Gentle streams of sunlight slowly enraptured that little hotel room as the city of St. Louis barely had awoken to the start of a new day. Charlotte gently twisted and turned in her sleep, subconsciously turning to face the stream of light that highlighted the floor from the window next to the bed. Her eyes then fluttered open, the memory of the previous night immediately flooding her heart with joy as she smiled and gripped the quilt snuggly under her chin. Taking a deep breath in vain hope that it would dispel the morning chill, she let go of the covers and stretched just a bit before sitting up in the bed, watching her husband from the corner of her eye while trying her best not to wake him. She then reached for that familiar book, her well-worn journal that had survived much already and still held many empty pages yet to be filled.
Day fifty-nine: You could hardly tell that hardship has even touched us as I write this. Sunlight is constant this morning, and joy fills the depths of my heart. For yesterday I was married. It was a simple affair and nothing to say much of. But it was mine nonetheless. And I shall treasure it for as long as I live. Molly organized the perfect little gathering after the ceremony where I spent most of my evening enjoying her good cooking and the talk of friends. We shared thoughts of our futures and dreams for the trail. We exchanged truths from scriptures and advice from our lives. No better family could a young woman have than what I have been blessed with. Then as the evening came to its destined end, Sam and I retreated to town and the little hotel room I've lived in since coming to St. Louis. The night was filled with love and was beautiful. I could not have experienced a more perfect evening with the man I love if I had dreamed of it before hand.
Charlotte paused and glanced upward, her mind remembering just how special last night had been. She smiled and turned back to her journal.
Despite the glories of a new era in my life as Charlotte Brazos, we still have a hard journey ahead of us. And if everything goes well, we should leave St. Louis by early next week. I only pray God's hand preserves us all the way to our new home.
Charlotte's wandering thoughts were spirited away as Sam stirred beside her, softly smiling as he turned over to admire her. "Morning."
"Good morning." Charlotte set her journal back on the nightstand and bent over to give her husband a kiss.
"I hope my snoring didn't wake ya any." Sam had a bit of a twinkle in his eye as he spoke, slipping his hand out from under the bedding to Charlotte's hand. He gave it a soft squeeze and waited for her to speak.
Charlotte simply shook her head. "No. Not at all. I just like this time of day. Gives me an opportunity to gather my thoughts on paper before starting the day."
"That journal…" Sam nodded as if pointing to the unseen object. "Have you written much in it?"
"As much as I can." Charlotte kept her eyes on their intertwined hands as she remembered how she had come to begin writing in the little book. "I'm almost convinced Mr. Wooster knew something I didn't when he ordered too many of those things." She laughed softly. "I pestered him for days when they kept sitting on the store shelf collecting dust. But he would just smile and say, 'Someone will find use for them. You'll see.' So I let the matter go. And—and here I am, filling one with a story I thought only happened to other folk." Charlotte wanted to cry at the memories that filled her mind but couldn't seem to as Sam's comforting presence seemed to make her forget all the bad times.
"I suppose I should get going." Charlotte gave Sam's hand one last squeeze and his lips one last kiss before she slipped away from the warmth of the bed and crossed to the basin by the wall.
Sam creased his forehead, squinting against the sunlight as he tried to remember what plans she had made. "Wait…where are you going?"
"I promised Molly I'd help her with something today."
"So soon?"
Charlotte quickly braided her hair to the side, turning around briefly as she did so to give Sam a smile, longing to return to his side as much as she wanted to help her best friend. "Molly and I have an important errand to run. And we have to do it as soon as possible."
Sam finally surrendered, sitting up and out of bed to reach for his beige trousers. "You mind if I ask why?"
"Well," Charlotte paused to pour some water in the basin from the pitcher before splashing the cool liquid onto her face. She shivered a bit as she reached for a dabbing of soap of which she quickly rubbed into a lather and scrubbed onto her face. After splashing some more water on her face to rinse, Charlotte reached for the towel and dabbed herself dry as she turned to pace back to the bed. "It's rather time-sensitive. We're putting an advertisement in the paper. We hope to have it answered before we leave next week."
"I see," Sam nodded and smiled before standing and slipping each arm through a clean red shirt. "You want me to come with you?" He looked around for his boots and quickly found them left by the foot of the bed where he had absentmindedly left them the night before.
"If you'd like. But Molly and I may do a few other errands along the way." Somehow she sensed Sam wouldn't mind letting her go alone if she hinted that shopping would be a part of the errand.
"Well," Sam let out a bit of a sigh as he sat on the edge of the bed to slip on his boots. "Since you put it that way, I suppose I could bear to be apart from my bride for a short while."
Charlotte couldn't help smiling to herself as she slipped into her petticoat and then her ankle-length skirt before choosing her favorite blouse to go with it. It was a rather plain outfit for the city. But she didn't want to stand out either. Besides, she had much too many good things on her mind to be concerned with what others thought of her. Today was much too joyful of a day for such nonsense.
Molly met Charlotte outside of the hotel within the hour, finding Sam and Charlotte together and waiting near the door as several people entered and left the building. Wanting to be sure Charlotte left with Molly safely, Sam insisted he stay until she arrived. Had Charlotte known any better, she would have assumed Sam to be a bit overprotective. But it didn't really matter much since it was an excuse to spend a bit more time together than if he had let her wait alone.
"Well, good morning you two." Molly beamed a smile and winked to Charlotte.
"Good morning, Molly." Sam tipped his hat before giving Charlotte one last kiss as he moved away. "I'll see you for lunch at the camp."
Charlotte cherished that last kiss before nodding and bidding him good day as he left most likely in route for the docks to check on the river levels. He had checked them every day at about this time without fail, hoping that any day they could be given the go ahead to leave out.
Molly glanced over the street, cupping a hand at her eyes to guard from the sun as she tried to find the first newspaper office. "John said it wouldn't be too far from here."
Charlotte too looked and spotted it, sending smiles across both of their faces as they slipped their arms in together and jovially started across the busy street for the said office.
"So tell me," Molly paused as they dodged a few pedestrians. "How did it go last night?"
Charlotte still couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. "It was perfect."
"Good." Molly gave her friend's hand a soft squeeze as if to convey that she couldn't be happier for Charlotte's good fortune.
Arriving at the newspaper office, Molly held the door open while Charlotte entered first. It took a moment for both of them to adjust to the darkened room. Only one shade had been lifted off of the three windows in the front and didn't do much good to help light the place any. Both ladies exchanged wary glances as the vacant nature of the place played on their imaginations while the constant whirring of the press in the back kept their focus stirred. Someone had to be there.
"Well, hello there!" A bright face appeared from around back. Its sprightly nature belonged to a gentlemen not far from fifty by quick assumptions. "What can I do for you two young ladies?"
Molly and Charlotte walked together up to the counter, not denying a bit of shock amid their smiles as they felt their heart rates return to normal.
Molly took charge and pulled a slip of paper from her reticule on her wrist. "We would like to put an advertisement in your paper if that is okay with you, sir."
"Why, that my dear lady is a brilliant idea! You've come to the right place. Why, the St. Louis Herald is the most-read piece of literature this side of the Mississippi and between here the Comanche." The man's voice boomed and echoed a bit as he turned, a laugh on his lips as he retrieved a couple pieces of paper.
Molly and Charlotte tried to sort out the meaning of the man's colorful words as they watched his excitement. At least he enjoyed his job.
"Here we are! Let's see. How many words, ma'am?"
Molly extended the piece of paper she still held onto. "I think all you'll need is here. If not, I can answer any questions you may have."
"Why thank you, little lady," he chuckled, lightly accepting the note with a tip of his head towards Molly. "Not many folks that come through here are so nice. Clearly you folks aren't from these parts. How long are you staying with us?"
"We are a part of a wagon train," Charlotte smiled, hoping Molly wouldn't mind her speaking up.
"Oh, a wagon train of course! Are you joining one here?"
"No, sir," Charlotte shook her head gently. "We stopped here almost two weeks ago. Pennsylvania is where we started out. Utah is where we are headed to."
"My, my! You have traveled a spell already then." His hearty laugh bounced off of the walls as he unfolded Molly's paper and set to work copying down the information written. His lips moved silently as he stared below his spectacles and worked his pencil as fast as he could which was rather slow by usual standards. He finally finished and handed Molly her note back. "Now, you two take my word for it. If you both aren't careful, you're liable to get snatched up by some good-looking cowboy out west who's up to no good."
"Oh, we don't have that to worry about, sir." Molly chuckled lightly. "We both are married women."
The tall, grandfatherly gentleman smiled. "Well, I'll be. Then you best tell those two lucky gentlemen just how fortunate they are."
"I promise you, sir, they won't forget it," Charlotte inserted with a smile, before the man's rippling laughter followed.
"Okay then," the man ceased his laughter, focusing back on his work. "You mind if repeat this back to you, Mrs. Mason?"
"Not at all."
He cleared his throat and stood up straight with an inhale. "'Schoolteacher wanted. Five years' experience preferred. No age limit. Must be willing to travel with wagon train to Utah. Meals and lodgings provided. See Mr. or Mrs. John Mason with the wagon train outside of town for more information or if interested in position.' That sound okay, ma'am?"
Molly creased her forehead in thought. "Y—yes, that's okay."
"Great! I'll be right back with how much that will cost you."
Charlotte waited until the man was out of earshot, noticing Molly's concern. "Is everything okay, Molly?"
Molly nodded softly but Charlotte wasn't convinced.
"Molly, what's wrong?"
"Oh," Molly sighed. "The advertisement sounded okay when I wrote it with John last night. But I'm not so sure now. It seems so…impersonal. As if we lost a dog or something."
Charlotte took a deep breath and nodded, looking away briefly. "True. But is there any other way? You know I'd still teach the children if you'd let me."
"That's starting to become more tempting by the second." Molly smiled. "But I won't allow it. You're a new wife. Believe me when I say that you'll thank me for letting you learn how to be a wife before becoming a schoolteacher."
Charlotte finally let the matter drop with a smile, knowing that her best friend's sisterly advice was absolutely the safest thing a person could have told her although she was convinced she could handle both. Yet reevaluating the matter in her mind, she realized all she really wanted was to be a wife right now after all.
"Alright!"
Both Molly and Charlotte jumped slightly in unison at the sound of the man's returning voice.
"At a penny per word, you're total is forty-four cents."
Molly reached into her bag and gave him the said amount. "When will the advertisement be printed?"
"Well, little lady, we just got through printing today's papers early this morning. So it will be in tomorrow's paper first thing." He winked a bit as he stowed away the change.
"Okay. Thank you, sir." Molly nodded her thanks and led the way out of the office.
"No. Thank you!" The gentleman waved a goodbye before hurrying to the back of the office once more.
"Well, that's done," Molly stated matter-of-factly once the door of the newspaper office had closed behind them.
"Indeed it is." Charlotte let her gaze drift for a few seconds as they waited for a wagon to pass by so they could cross the street. If she hadn't known better, she thought she saw a face she knew. Or at least it was a face she had seen before. As she locked eyes with the woman, Charlotte offered her a smile of which was returned with pleasure in the woman's eyes, not at all like the tensed lady Charlotte had taken notice of several days before. Charlotte was tempted to greet the woman as she crossed the street to their side but decided against it. For whatever reason she couldn't see the use. Yet feeling a bit of regret about it, Charlotte prayed silently that the Lord would cause their paths to cross again if they were meant to meet.