Chapter 12
In the following days, Lou and Kid completed the preparations for the wedding and Rachel, despite an initial unfavorable opinion from the committee, thanks to Teaspoon's intervention was able to start teaching at school. Buck and Diana had resumed their routine and Buck filled her with attention and cuddles. Diana finally felt safe and extremely happy. They resumed cuddling and making love often in their bathroom where they loved to relax in the evening and Buck loved holding her close to him and massaging her belly. He had already started talking to their child and making plans whether it was a boy or a girl. Diana adored him in those moments and told him that she wanted their children to know everything about his Kiowa traditions too.
Two days before the wedding, Kid and Jimmy had a special run, during which Jimmy again met a woman, Rosemary Burke, the wife of Isaiah Burke, a man who helped slaves free themselves and start a new life. Isaiah had been killed and Jimmy had promised Rosemary to bring Teaspoon an encrypted list containing the names of Pearson's gang, a man who was hostile to her husband's work and who had caused his death. Jimmy had initially hidden from Kid the real reason for Rosemary's presence with them on the return trip and when Kid found out, the two had argued violently, so much so that Kid had told his friend not to show up at his wedding.
Frank James, Jesse's brother, a staunch supporter of the Southern cause, also belonged to Pearson's gang. Frank had previously clashed with Teaspoon, Jimmy and the other riders because he wanted to take Jesse with him, but the boy didn't feel ready and had decided to stay with his friends from Rock Creek. Now Frank wanted to take Jesse with him permanently.
Rosemary had managed to convince Jimmy to go to Kid and Lou's wedding despite the argument and Jimmy had taken her with him.
On their wedding day, Lou looked beautiful and Kid was in seventh heaven. The joy increased even more when the doors of the Church opened and Jimmy entered.
Teaspoon celebrated the ceremony but the wedding was ruined by the arrival of a young soldier, a friend of Lou, who announced a huge massacre of soldiers and practically died in the woman's arms.
Only half of the guests showed up at the reception, as they were all shaken by the latest events which had seen the critical situation of the war worsen more and more.
Cody had decided to enlist, Noah would have done the same but they had made him understand that a black man would not be welcome in a white army.
Diana and Buck saw the world around them gradually crumbling and decided to break the news of the baby the following evening, to try to cheer up their friends a little.
They invited everyone to dinner at their house, including Rosemary because they understood that a feeling was growing between her and Jimmy and before starting to eat, Buck spoke up: "We wanted to gather you all here because we fear that these are the last days we will spend all united. The war is getting worse and worse, Cody has already enlisted and I fear that all of us will soon take the path that our heart or our homeland will show us. Diana and I wanted to give you some news before this all falls apart. We are expecting a baby"
They were all surprised by this announcement and Diana, seeing that a moment of silence had been created, said: "I have known since the day before Camille arrived; I told Buck when he picked me up at the hotel. We wanted to wait to tell you after the first trimester, to be more sure, but given the latest news, we wanted to share our joy with all of you, a glimmer of light in all this horror."
Everyone congratulated them and for a few hours it seemed that the atmosphere was the same as it once was, even though everyone was aware that things would never be the same again.
The next day, in fact, an expedition left to capture Pearson and his men and Rosemary took a horse to follow the army and Cody: she wanted to be sure that her husband was avenged. Noah saw her and tried to stop her, but she was adamant and so he decided to accompany her. Unfortunately, the expedition ended badly because Jesse had leaked the army's plan to Frank and Frank had warned Pearson. During the fight, Rosemary was injured. Noah stepped in to protect her and received two blows to the chest. Cody saw him and helped him onto his horse. When they were out of danger, Cody said to Noah: "Man, you gave me a good scare earlier", but saw Noah slumped over his horse. As soon as he touched him, the man fell like a dead body. Cody immediately rushed to his side but could only witness his friend's death.
Cody hugged him tightly and promised to take him home. When he returned to the city, he had to tell the others the news. Kid lashed out at Rosemary, holding her responsible for Noah's death, while Jimmy accused Jesse of betraying them by revealing the plan to his brother. Jesse fled with Frank, who swore to him that he did not know Noah was there and that his death was an accident.
A joint expedition of the army and Teaspoon's men set out. Rachel begged Cody to have mercy on Jesse, he was just a boy after all, and Diana begged Buck to be careful. The latter ordered her not to do anything stupid and not to follow him, she had to think about the baby and Rachel promised him that she would not lose sight of her. Lou and Kid also joined in: "Just because we're married, doesn't mean we can't fight for our family", Lou told Teaspoon.
Pearson's gang was routed, Pearson himself was killed, and the riders all gathered at Noah's funeral. Jesse told Frank that he had one more thing to do before leaving and promised his protesting brother that he would join him at the end of the day. He went to Noah's funeral and attended it from afar, obtaining from a distance, with a nod, the blessing of Teaspoon and Jimmy who had forgiven him after realizing that Noah's death was not the boy's fault.
Teaspoon gave a touching speech and everyone returned to their homes, aware that from that day on nothing would ever be the same again.
On October 26 of that year, two days after the arrival of the telegraph in Salt Lake City, which connected the city to Omaha and Sacramento, Teaspoon made the last run of the Pony Express in Buck. The company had decided to close the service.
The news led to deep reflection on the part of the whole family: Cody decided to definitively join the army: he led the guerrilla war against the Indians from 1861, he enlisted in the 9th cavalry regiment in 1863 and remained there until to 1867. He still kept in touch with his Express family through letters and tried to return to Rock Creek when he could, as long as anyone remained in town.
The same evening the Pony Express closed, Kid spoke to his wife: "Lou, I have to leave. Here we no longer have a future, our family is breaking up and I feel obliged to fight for my country. I know it will mean fighting my brothers, but I would not be a man of honor if I shirked my duty. I thought we could pick up Theresa and Jeremiah and go to Virginia with them, so you wouldn't be alone in an unknown place while I was at war."
Lou was devastated when she heard those words and tried to reason with her husband: "But Kid, our family is here, there's Teaspoon, Rachel, Jimmy, Buck and Diana and their baby who will be born in a few months. How can we abandon them?"
"Sooner or later they will all leave. You will see that Jimmy will follow Rosemary and even Teaspoon once said that if things got bad he would have to go home"
"I feared this decision of yours, deep down in my heart I knew that you would propose it to me. I'm your wife and we have to start building something somewhere. I'll follow you to Virginia, Kid, but I won't sit idle. While you are at war, I will work to build a farm that can help us live while you are away and that can feed us when you return from war. My brother Jeremiah will help and Theresa will support me with the housework"
"Okay, Lou, I know I can't ask you to sit idle and wait for me. Tomorrow we will communicate this to the others and start organizing things. You wire St. Joseph at the orphanage that we will soon pick up your brother and sister. Since this machine has taken away our jobs, may it at least help us rebuild our lives"
Lou hugged him tightly, anguished about their future.
The next day, the two newlyweds announced their intentions to their family and within two weeks they left.
Rachel and Diana, with tears in their eyes, said goodbye to them and Lou hugged them as if she never wanted to leave them.
"Diana, please let us know immediately when the baby is born and take care of Buck, I would really have liked to see him in the role of father"
"I will, Lou. I am confident that we will all see each other again after the war, our paths cannot part so definitively"
"Diana is right, when this is all over, we will see each other again and our days will be brightened by all your beautiful children", Rachel added.
The stagecoach left, taking away a piece of the heart of those who remained. Kid had entrusted Kathy, his beloved horse, to Buck. He didn't want to lose it in the war and he knew that his friend would take care of it as if it were his own.
Jimmy also soon announced his departure. He would go with Rosemary and help her resume her husband's mission. He kept in touch with everyone through letters and soon Buck and Diana learned that at the end of 1861 he was a wagon master, but in September 1862 he was discharged for unknown reasons.
The relationship with Rosemary hadn't worked, he didn't entirely agree with her choices and so they broke up. He later joined General Lane's Kansas Brigade and, while serving with the brigade, met Cody, who was serving as a scout.
Teaspoon, as he had anticipated some time before, decided to return to Texas. He had asked Rachel to accompany him, but she had refused, she wanted to stay next to Diana to help her with the baby.
Before leaving, he had entrusted Buck with the role of marshal: "Son, I have a duty to return home. Now that the Pony Express is no more, you need a job to support your child. This assignment will help you put away some money. I know this won't be your future, I know you too well now, but it can be a good solution until you find your way"
"Thank you Teaspoon, you have always been more than a father to me, I will never forget you and I hope that one day we will see each other again, my children will need their grandfather"
They hugged each other and wished each other good luck.
Buck, Diana and Rachel watched for a long time as the man who had welcomed them, fed them, comforted them and made them who they were, walked away. Rachel deep in her heart wanted to go with him. For some time now she had understood that her friendship for Teaspoon had transformed into a deeper feeling, but she had not spoken about it to anyone, fearing that she would hinder the sense of duty of the man she loved. For the same reason she had decided to stay: helping Buck and Diana with the baby and working at the school would have made her miss Teaspoon and Jesse less, who she had always considered as a son. She was terrified of what the future would hold for the boy; Frank's company would only bring him trouble. In fact, they learned that Jesse had joined the gang Quantrill's guerrilla fighter who was actually operating against the Union. At the end of the Civil War, after the Union victory, Jesse together with his gang robbed several banks in numerous states of the Union, reaching as far as Mississippi. He managed to derail a train and steal the valuables box. In this way Jesse wanted to show his people that the war was not over and that they could continue to fight using different ways and systems. During his robberies he killed a total of twelve civilians, as well as several Northern soldiers. For this reason the United States army attempted to capture him, but never succeeded. Rachel and Diana followed the events of their "guy" in the newspapers and suffered for the path he had taken.
Buck, upon Teaspoon's departure, therefore assumed the role of marshal. The citizens of Rock Creek initially protested because they were skeptical about being controlled and guided by a half-breed, but incredibly it was good old Thomkins who took their defense and convinced the citizens that it was the best thing to do after leaving by Teaspoon.
At the town meeting that was supposed to decide whether or not to accept Buck, the well-known merchant said: "Don't make the mistake I made in Sweetwater when I met him. Like you, I was skeptical and I lashed out at him when I met him, I even kicked him out of my shop. Then I learned to know and appreciate him, just as many of you have done and as everyone should do by now. He always fought for the law, he helped Teaspoon and his friends to maintain order in the city and bring outlaws to justice, he always tried to mediate in Indian affairs and never played dirty. He helped me when they burned down my shop and would have had a thousand reasons to abandon me to my fate. He also tried to get me to mend my relationship with my wife and daughter when they were returned to me after the Indians had kept them in their camp for 7 years and if I had listened to him, maybe my wife would still be alive and my daughter Jenny would be living with myself. Buck is the right guy for this town, listen to an old bear like me who's seen a lot in this world."
There was a long murmur, but in the end the citizens decided to accept Buck as marshal.
As they left the lounge, Buck approached Thompkins and said: "Thank you, I never expected to hear you sing my praises. I owe you"
"No Buck, it's the least I could do to try to make it up to you for all the times I misbehaved with you. You are a good guy and you deserve to be happy with this beautiful wife and the child you are expecting."
Buck unexpectedly hugged him, embarrassing the old man.
On the way home, Diana told Buck: "It was amazing to see Thompkins stand up for you, a memorable day."
"Yeah, like so many lately. I must now choose a deputy, I have no intention of spending the nights away from you, especially with the baby on the way. I have to find someone who is willing to do night shifts and it won't be easy"
"You'll find it soon. Listen, speaking of Thompkins, what was he referring to when he talked about his wife and daughter?"
"I never told you about it? One day I was asked to accompany the army to a Lakota camp to free some white prisoners. Among these women there were also Thompkins' wife and daughter who believed him dead and he also believed that they had died in the ambush of which they had been victims. Sally, Tompkins' wife, had been taken under the protection of the chieftain and together they had a son, Two-Poni. When Thompkins found out, he kicked both women out of the house. Rachel took them in and Sally decided to return to camp to prevent her son from growing up unhappy like me, a half-breed in a white world. Black Wolf, the betrothed of Jenny, Thompkins' daughter, killed the friends of the women who were bringing Sally back to the camp and this sparked the wrath of Jenny and the tribal chief. I challenged him to a fight to free Jenny from her promise of marriage and when he realized he had lost her, he tried to shoot her but hit Sally who died trying to defend her daughter. Jenny never forgave her father, even though he had since repented and was on his way to take them back, so she left Swwetwater and refused to live with Thompkins. That's all"
"What a sad story. Why did you have to challenge Black Wolf?"
"Because there is a law among the tribes according to which if two men want the same woman they must fight for her and the winner gets her. By winning the fight Jenny would have been mine and would no longer have to marry Black Wolf. Obviously I let her go, I would never have taken her against her will"
"Were you in love with her?"
Buck didn't dare answer the question, given how things had gone with Camille and what Diana had told him. Diana understood him and told him: "Buck, don't be afraid to speak, I know what I told you when you reached me at the hotel after the affair with Camille, but this time it's different. You two don't have any unfinished business and I'm sure of your love, you don't have to fear hurting me."
Buck felt relieved and replied: "I honestly don't know, I felt close to her because she had shared the laws and traditions of my world and perhaps if she had stayed I would have tried to court her, with all due respect to Thompkins, but she told me clearly her place wasn't here, so she foreclosed any possibility. I confess to you, however, that I am curious to know what happened to her, I don't even know if Thompkins heard from her by letter"
"You could ask him since you're friends now", Diana teased a little.
"I wouldn't tempt fate too much. Who knows, maybe one day I will."
They headed home and spent the evening cuddling and making plans for the future.
The next day, Buck placed an ad looking for a deputy willing to work the night shifts and within a few days, a guy a little younger than him named Timothy Redford from Abilene showed up.
"Oh, Abilene, so maybe you know Amanda, the owner of the chicest saloon in town", Buck asked him.
"Amanda? Of course I know her, we played cards together several times and not to brag, but I often put her in difficulty", replied the boy.
"Are you an avid gambler?", Buck asked cautiously. He didn't want any time wasters, he needed good help who was reliable, as the riders had been for Teaspoon.
"Oh no, absolutely not. I almost never play for money, unless I have to, it's more of a hobby to while away my free time. You can easily ask Amanda and she will confirm. You'll also wonder why I'm not at war like all the other men my age. Well, when I applied to join the army I wasn't really fit, I had had health problems and I was very thin, so they didn't want me, they said I wouldn't last a week. So I tried to look for work but because of the war I didn't find anything interesting. I want to settle somewhere, to put down roots and to do that I need a stable job"
"You'll always have to work the night shift, you know? The announcement was clear. I have a wife who is about to have a baby and I don't want to leave her alone."
"It doesn't scare me at all, I am now completely healed thanks also to Amanda who had me treated by a good doctor and I am a strong and resistant man. She and I often write to each other, if you want I'll send her your regards"
Buck thanked him and hired him for a week's trial.
"You will sleep in the back room of the office and if you need anything, feel free to come to the former Pony Express station, my wife Diana and I have our home there and you will also meet Rachel, the woman who helps us out and who is also the teacher of the city"
"Thanks Buck, you won't regret it. By the way, do you think I can convince your friend Rachel to let me go to school while working? I would like to get an education."
" Of course, Rachel will be happy and my wife Diana could help you too. Now she works for the newspaper but before she was a teacher. Let's do this, come to dinner with us this evening, so you can meet them both"
"Gladly, thanks Buck"
The two shook hands and Buck explained the work he would have to do. He then went to warn Rachel and Diana that they would have a guest for dinner.
In the evening, Tim, as he said he wanted to be called, showed up at Buck and Diana with two bouquets of flowers, one for each of the ladies who greatly appreciated his kindness. The dinner was pleasant: Tim told them about his difficult life and his desire to finally put down roots somewhere and Rachel and Diana said they were happy to help him with his studies: he would attend school when he was free from commitments as a deputy marshal and Diana would helped with homework sometimes. They were both convinced that the boy would go a long way with his determination and desire to learn.
The daily routine settled into its own rhythm and both Buck and Tim enjoyed working together. The boy had proven to be a serious and reliable person and he and Buck had formed a beautiful friendship.
Diana's pregnancy was progressing well and she divided her time between working on the newspaper and helping Tim. They often received letters from Jimmy, Cody and Teaspoon, a little more rarely from Lou who was trying to get the farm going with her brother, but things weren't going so well. She had discovered she was pregnant just after Kid's departure and didn't even know if the latter had received her letter telling him he was going to be a father. Lou had confided to Diana and Rachel that in her heart she hoped the news would choose Kid to take his leave, but the two women weren't so sure about it, Kid was determined to fight for his country.
In the last month of her pregnancy, Diana had decided to work from home, to avoid getting too tired and had made it clear to Buck that even after giving birth, she would resume her work at the newspaper. Buck had told her he wouldn't force her to give up anything. If she could handle everything, he wouldn't mind.
"You're a wonderful man, you know that? Few husbands would allow their wives to work with a small child to look after", she told him one evening while they were cuddling on the sofa.
"I want you to be happy and if working makes you feel good, if you don't get too tired and you can manage everything, I don't see why you shouldn't do it"
Diana kissed him gratefully. She knew she was the luckiest woman in the world.
One afternoon in June, while she was reading a book on the veranda, Diana felt a strong pain in her belly and realized that the baby was about to be born. Very calmly she went to Rachel who was preparing the lesson for the next day. She found her absorbed in her work on the porch swing.
"Rachel, I think the baby is about to be born. Please go get Buck and the doctor."
"Oh Diana, how can I leave you alone?"
At that moment, Tim arrived, bringing Diana some spelling exercises he had done to strengthen himself a bit.
"Tim, good thing you're here. Run to Buck to tell him that Diana is having the baby and then go get the doctor. I'll take her home."
"Eh…uhm…yes, I'll go right away"
Tim was very agitated and rushed into Buck's office: "Buck, hurry, run, it's time, don't stand here, you have to move"
"Tim, will you please calm down and explain to me what you're babbling about? I have to move and do what exactly?"
"Ah yes, sorry, Rachel sent me, Diana is having the baby, run to her and I'll go get the doctor"
Buck didn't bother to answer Tim and rushed home. He almost broke down the door and asked Rachel who was coming up with some hot water: "Where is Diana, how is she?"
"Stay calm Buck, she's fine, she's in labor. Tim should have notified the doctor. Soon you will hold your baby in your arms."
"I want to go to her"
"It's out of the question, dad has to wait outside"
"But…"
"No buts, sit here and drink some hot tea, I prepared it in the kitchen"
Rachel went up to Diana who asked her between contractions: "Is Buck here? I heard his voice."
"Yes and he is so nervous that he wanted to come up to you"
"Let him up Rachel"
" What? No, men must not see their wives give birth"
"Oh Rachel, to hell with convention, I want my husband here, now!", she screamed in the pain of a contraction.
Rachel didn't dare contradict her and got off Buck just as the doctor was arriving.
"Diana wants you to go to her. Doctor follow me"
"But he can't…", the doctor tried to object.
"Doctor, if you want to try to convince Diana, please, but I don't think you will", Rachel warned.
"Oh well, it's not in the conventions but if you promise me Buck not to be in the way, I'll let you up"
"I swear, doctor"
They went upstairs and when Diana saw Buck she called him to her: "Darling, stay here with me, don't leave me"
"I'm here darling, I'm not going anywhere, the doctor said I can stay here with you"
"Stand next to her and hold her hand. Help her breathe and don't come this way for any reason, okay?"
Buck nodded, took Diana's hand and kissed her forehead, then whispered words of love.
It took a good hour, but then the cry of a baby was heard.
"It's a boy, Buck, congratulations", the doctor said.
Buck didn't have time to react before he heard Diana say: "Doctor, I still have the urges"
The doctor turned just in time to see another little head pop out.
"There are two! Quick Rachel, a clean towel"
Buck was speechless when he heard that they were two children. He continued to hold Diana's hand as she pushed, without saying a word, until the doctor said to him: "And here is a beautiful young lady, you have done really well, a beautiful pair of twins. Congratulations"
Diana, exhausted, shook Buck's hand who resumed the use of the word and said to her: "I love you Diana, you have made me the happiest man in the world. Now we'll have a lot to do!"
Rachel and the doctor cleaned up the two babies and the doctor gave Diana a few stitches, then left them alone saying he would come back the next day to visit the new mother.
Rachel placed the twins in the arms of the two new parents after helping Diana clean up and change.
Buck and Diana held those two little beings in their arms and felt immense joy and boundless love. They looked at each other with perfect understanding, smiled at each other and then Buck said to Rachel: "Rachel, meet Ike and Emily Cross"
Rachel smiled with tears in her eyes and after making sure Diana was okay, she left them alone saying she would be downstairs if they needed anything.
When she closed the door, Buck kissed Diana with immense love and said: "Thank you, my love."
She smiled and fell asleep. Buck lay down next to her, placing the two children between their bodies who had already fallen into a deep and peaceful sleep. Buck looked at all three with adoration and pride: finally he too was happy and Ike was with him in that important moment of his life.