Mary Rose had been their reason for joining together and becoming a family. She was the force that held them all together. When she left, wouldn't their purpose for being a family end?
Cole had known the day would come when she married and moved away. He had stubbornly refused to think about it. England was an ocean away, however, and the possibility that he would never see his sister again filled him with anguish.
"Our sister is all grown up," he said. "It happened overnight, didn't it? I knew she'd leave one day, but I didn't…"
He left the sentence unfinished. "Is it time for all of us to move on?"
"It's too soon to think about plans like that," Douglas said. "Cole, you wanted to buy that piece of land near the ridge that joins our land. Weren't you thinking about building your own place there?"
"You know I was," Cole said.
"I don't see how anything changes. Travis does so much traveling around, he isn't home much. Even if the family breaks apart, we're still in business together."
Adam let his brothers worry out loud for a long while. Finally he had had enough of their self-pity, and forced them back to the immediate problem.
"Talking about our future plans can wait until later. Mary Rose is our concern now. She's going to be upset about all of this. I don't believe she should have time to worry about it. She can get used to the idea of a father on the way to England."
"Are you saying she should leave as soon as possible?" Travis asked.
Adam nodded. "Yes."
Cole reluctantly agreed. "The sooner she leaves, the sooner she'll be back."
"If she comes back," Travis said.
Everyone worried about the possibility once again. Then Adam said, "You heard Harrison say Elliott's a very wealthy man. Mary Rose has led a sheltered life here."
"She went to school in St. Louis," Douglas interjected. "She's seen some of the world."
"The boarding school was isolated from the city. She was sheltered there as well," Adam said.
"What are you worried about?" Cole asked. "Do you think her head will be turned by all the glitter?"
"No," Adam replied. "I just don't know how she'll handle the changes. I don't want her feeling… vulnerable."
"She makes friends easy," Douglas said.
"I don't like the notion of anyone hurting her feelings. I don't want her thinking she's inadequate," Adam said.
"Who will go with her?" Travis asked.
"All of us," Cole answered.
"Be reasonable," Douglas said. "We can't leave. We have responsibilities here."
"We're her past," Adam said. "As much as it pains me to say it, none of us can go with her."
"Are you suggesting we send her off alone?" Travis asked. He was appalled by the idea.
" Harrison could take her," Travis said.
None of the other brothers liked his suggestion. Adam finally came up with another one they found more acceptable.
"Eleanor could go with her. They could look out for each other. They're getting along just fine now, aren't they? Mary Rose has a good head. She'll do the right thing. I don't have any doubts about that."
"She came back from St. Louis alone," Cole said. "She knows how to handle herself around strangers. I made sure she could use a gun too. Adam's right. She'll be all right."
"The Cohens are going back east for some sort of family celebration. I have to go to Hammond again to sell those two horses. I'll stop by and find out the particulars. Maybe it would work out, and Eleanor and Mary Rose could ride with them."
"It sure would be nice if it worked out. I trust John Cohen," Cole said.
"We have to give the money back."
Douglas made the announcement. Everyone turned to him. "What money?" Cole asked.
"Elliott's money," Douglas explained. "Whoever kidnapped Mary Rose must have taken the money too. We used every bit of what was inside the envelope, and so now we have to give it back. Adam, do we have enough set aside?"
"Yes," Adam said. "And I agree. The money was probably stolen from Elliott, and we should give it back. We'll be stretched tight for a while. I'm sorry now we purchased the cattle, but we already gave the money and it's too late to back out."
The brothers continued to discuss their concerns well into the night. Adam finally decided to go to bed. "We'll tell her together," he said.
"When?" Cole asked. He stood up and stretched his muscles. "Let's ponder the 'when' tomorrow," Adam suggested. Travis and Cole both acted as though they'd just been given a stay of execution from the hanging tree. They had at least twenty-four more hours to pretend everything was all right.
"What are we going to do about Harrison? Why didn't you want him to stay until after we told Mary Rose?" Douglas asked Adam. "I need to question him about Elliott," Adam explained. "I have to find out what she's walking into. I want to know all about Elliott and what kind of life he leads. I have to be able to prepare Mary Rose. Harrison is the only one who can give me the information I need."
"We're going to have to make sure he stays away from our sister," Travis insisted.
Cole shook his head. "Damn it all, a man should have to say his vows before he claims his bride."
Adam leaned back in his chair. "I believe that's exactly what Harrison just did."
February 7, 1867
Dear Mama Rose,
We have a surprise for you. My brothers and I have been tucking a little money away for this fine day. We believe we have enough now for Cole and Douglas to come and fetch you. Hear me out, Mama, before you start shaking your head. First of all, if you're worried about the cost, then don't. We have worked everything out and once you get settled here, you'll see we're just doing fine. It's still winter, of course, and my brothers won't be able to leave until after spring roundup. I have to chuckle about our herd. We started with two breeding cows and now we have ten. We'll have five more after the birthings. It won't take us any time at all to gather ours up, but neighbors help neighbors, and so we'll give a hand to the Pearlman family. They have around eighty steers now. They've been mighty generous to us. They don't charge us for the services of their bull. We've promised to buy one of our own, and when we do, we'll reciprocate the kindness.
You're worried about Livonia, aren't you? I know she's blind, Mama, and depends on you for every little thing, but we need you too. If you train someone else to take over your chores, Livonia will get along just fine. She has two sons to look after her. I know they're bad-natured, but they are her sons and therefore responsible for her. Livonia will understand. Please don't argue with us. We've waited long enough and so have you. Our minds are set. Unless we hear from you, Cole and Douglas will be knocking on your door around the first of June.
Love,
John Quincy Adam Clayborne
Chapter 13
They wouldn't let her out of their sight. Travis, Douglas, and Cole must have organized a schedule so each would know exactly when it was his turn to follow Mary Rose around or trail Harrison. The brothers' behavior was outrageous, especially given the fact that Harrison stayed busy from morning until night and rarely even saw their sister. He took the brothers' behavior in stride and went right along with his duties.
Adam thought his brothers were acting like children. He told them they were protecting their sister from the man who had, in effect, already pledged himself to her. Harrison had vowed in front of four witnesses to love her and protect her. He had used the word "forever," and Adam translated that to mean until death did they part. In his mind, the commitment had been made.