Chronicles Of The Maca Collection

Chapter 25

The morning clouds obscured the early sunlight and a cool, crisp breeze swept over the prairie when Anna returned from the latrine area. Her mind and heart were in turmoil. This would be their last day on the trail. Mr. MacDonald was hooking the harnessed mules to the wagon tongue. His horse was not saddled, but tied to the back of the wagon.

He smiled at her and held the reins as she climbed up onto the seat. He kept the reins in his hands and climbed up beside her. “We twill be at yere brither"s place ere nightfall.”

Anna turned on him and put her arms akimbo. “Mr. MacDonald, vhat are du doing?”

“I am driving today.”

“I am not your horse riding.”

His smile was broader. “Mrs. Lawrence, ye are excited about returning to House. One minute I can see the elation in yere eyes and in yere walk. The next minute, ye close up and will nay look at me or anything else. Those mules twill feel the agitation from ye through the reins. If they decide to stop, they twill nay be easy to start again.”

She spoke rapidly in German. “Are you so eager to be rid of me?”

For a moment MacDonald looked shocked. “Mrs. Lawrence, I intend to adhere to all rules, but once ye are with yere brither, I wish to court ye.”

“What?”

“I wish to wed ye, Anna Lawrence. I have nay seen any like ye in this land.” He was pleading with his own words. “Ye are a magnificent woman. Ye fought like a Warrior when attacked. Ye did nay give in for two years. Tis an admirable display of courage. I am awed. Ye also are a Kenning Woman.”

It was Anna"s turn to be in shock. This strong, gentle man wished to wed her? Was he serious? Why would he joke now?

“Mr. MacDonald, du must know I am Christian and belong to a Lutheran church.”

“Of course, Mr. Schmidt has mentioned it, but I dinna ken. What tis Lutheran? Tis that somewhat like the Methodists?”

“No, we are looked down upon by Methodists because we permit alcohol. We are Christian. My children will be raised as Christians and our beliefs taught. I have not seen you praying. Do you have a Bible?”

“Mrs. Lawrence, we are on the trail. As a scout, I must travel light, but ye are correct. I dinna believe as ye do; however, I twould nay interfere with yere beliefs or practice.”

“And what if there are children?”

He swallowed. “I fear there twill nay be any. I, I had, how to say this, I dinna wish to offend ye.” He hesitated and then remembered the men talking about a trapper who came down with mumps. The man had not remained in bed and the swelling had descended to his balls. The men had guffawed about the man never being able to have children and called it the swelling disease.

“I had the swelling disease. I am told that that takes away the ability to have children.” It was the most plausible explanation he could devise.

She stared at him. “Not always.” Her words snapped out. “So, the question remains, would you object?” Anger was in her voice.

The half-smile was back on his face. “I twould rejoice.”

Her head was high and her mouth stiff. “You must know that you need to ask my brother"s permission.”

“Aye, I ken that, but I doubt if yere brither has that much control over what ye twill do.”

A small smile appeared on Anna"s face.

“Do you know me so well, Mr. MacDonald?”

“Mrs. Lawrence, I have told ye. Ye are a magnificent woman. If I twere nay driving this team, I twould kiss ye.”

Anna drew in her breath. “That is not allowed until we are married.”

“Are ye saying ye twill agree to wed?”

“I did not say that. A person should know what to expect from a suitor.” She looked down at her folded hands. Then she lifted her head and stared straight ahead and her voice became fierce. “I will not make that mistake again.”

“I can nay blame ye for that. Soon we twill be at the start of my land. I"ll show ye where I have planned to build a home. We twill nay stop, but ye twill agree it tis a wise choice.”

The morning had been sunny, but clouds covered the sky and the temperature began to slide. Shortly before noon, MacDonald topped a rise and pulled the team to a halt. He pointed at the prairie below where a spring could be seen sending a small rivulet of water towards the lowest area.

“I plan to build to a home just to the north of the spring where the ground tis higher. The spring can be capped…”

“And a springhouse built around it.” Anna"s grey eyes had widened.

“Aye, if that tis what ye want.” His rumbling voice filled with enthusiasm. “The barn and stables twill be to the south where the land rises again.”

“If and when I am granted a divorce, Mr. MacDonald, I will consider marrying you.”

He wrapped the reins around his left hand and turned enough to pull her close and taste her lips. It was a kiss unlike any Anna had known. Mr. Lawrence rarely bothered. This one started soft and then she could feel the demand for more, the gentle moving back and forth over the mouth, and finally firm, hard against her lips. And she was matching his every movement, wanting more, liking the smell of him, his touch, and the demand was in her lips.

She came up gasping for air. “Mr. MacDonald! That is not allowed.”

His smile was broad, his white teeth gleaming. “Of course, Mrs. Lawrence, it nay happened.”

He unwrapped the reins from around his hand and snapped them against the animals" backs.

“Schmidt"s Corner tis about three hours from here. We twill be there in the late afternoon. Let me know when ye wish to stop. If ye twould fish out some of that jerky we can have a bit of sustenance on our way.”

Anna reached back and pulled up his possible bag. She was still panting. Part of her wanted to slap his face, the other part wanted to tell him to stop and kiss her again. The latter, she suspected would be a sin or would become one. Her prolonged separation from her family, her children, from her known world had left her yearning for human contact. Anna would forever damn the Comanche for taking her children. She opened the bag, extracted the jerky, and handed him two strips.

“Ye should eat.”

“I am not hungry.” She stared straight ahead. Three hours he had said. What would Kasper and Gerde say when they saw her? Would they be horrified? What would their reaction be to Zebediah"s request that he be allowed to court her? It struck her that she just thought of him by his first name and she clasped her hands together in a prayer. Forgive me, forgive me, I am a silly woman.

Forgive me, forgive me, I am a silly woman.MacDonald seemed to realize that she had withdrawn again and remained silent for many a bumpy mile. There was a trail of sorts here from people and freight wagons coming from Arles going toward Schmidt"s Corner and the German settlements further north. The prairie grass was shorter, the ground cut into ruts in places when the wagons came through after a rain. Wheels and horses helped to pack the ground. The prairie grass was brown from lack of rain, drooping in places, and waiting, knowing the rains were soon to blow in from the south.

They pulled up near a scrub oak and MacDonald stepped down and tied the mules. They immediately began to munch at the grass. Anna was grateful as they had not stopped since morning. Both went separate ways to attend to nature"s demands.

He was leaning against his side of the cart when she returned. He heard her step, turned, and smiled.

“Shall I come around to the other side to assist ye up into the cart?”

“You know that isn"t necessary.” The fierceness was back in her voice and she bounded upward.

He shrugged, untied the mules, and resumed his seat. “Up Jennies, ye"ll soon have a rest and a cool drink of water.”

He turned towards Anna who was once again sitting with hands clasped while staring straight ahead. He decided to speak in German as she looked truly lost. “Just think, you"ll soon be with your brother"s family and have your Bible to read again.”

Her shoulders relaxed and her eyes closed for a prolong moment. “Yes,” she agreed. “Does Kasper still have other books?”

“He has a great many books—for out here. He kept some of his textbooks and is teaching me Latin.”

Anna stared at him. “Why Latin?”

“I chose it as the language to help me understand the other languages of this world.” He winced inwardly. He had let down his guard and referred to Earth as “this world.”

“But you already know German.”

“I know enough to read it also, yes, but not to write it.”

“Which other language are you learning?”

“Well, like others out here I"m familiar with Spanish, but someone told me they were using a dialect, not Spanish.

“Do you read other books, Mrs. Lawrence?” It was a fair question as many women did not unless their family was wealthy.

“Yes, I used to read the textbooks that Kasper brought home. My father could not see any reason for a girl to advance beyond eighth grade. I was lucky. Some of those older Germans thought that fourth or fifth grade was enough for a woman.” Once again she looked straight ahead and clamped her mouth tight.