“Amelia’s not feeling well. I told her to go to our wagon to rest, but she wants to stay near the girls. I’ve worried about someone getting sick ever since Ben Wilburn came to our camp and told us his boy was sick. Ben said the boy had influenza, but the symptoms are the same as yellow fever. And Amelia told me one of those strangers last night looked sickly.”
“Ben said his son has improved when I saw him earlier today,” Clint replied.
“Maybe we’re all on edge because of the fever. We don’t want anyone bringing it to our camp.”
* * *
Later that evening, Mrs. Nelson insisted Amelia go to the wagon to rest.
“I’ll be fine right here by the fire,” Amelia replied.
“You’re as pale as an apparition. Now go on to the wagon so you can get some sleep. We’ll look after the girls.”
Clint agreed with Mrs. Nelson, Amelia was very pale, and that worried him.
“Ma, Annie and I will help Mrs. Nelson,” Katie offered.
“Thank you, girls. I think I will lie down for a few minutes.” Amelia stood, took one step toward the wagon and slumped to the ground.
Clint tossed his cup of coffee aside and ran to her. Turning her over on her back, Clint gently shook her. “Amelia!” When she didn’t respond, he propped her upper body against his thigh and shook her again. “Amelia!” By this time, everyone had gathered around him, and Clint heard the girls crying behind him.
Slowly, Amelia’s eyes opened, and she was surprised to see Clint was holding her in his arms. “What happened?”
Mrs. Nelson leaned over and felt her forehead. “Honey, you fainted. You’ve worn yourself out from worry and taking care of everyone else. You’re burning up.” Mrs. Nelson turned toward the wagon. “Mr. Mitchum, give me a few minutes to get some things from the wagon, then take her inside. The girls and I will sleep out by the fire tonight.”
“I’m fine, girls,” Amelia assured Katie and Annie when she saw their tears.
Clint saw Mrs. Nelson whisper something in her husband’s ear. Mr. Nelson nodded and followed his wife to the wagon. Once they removed some belongings from the wagon, Mrs. Nelson motioned for Clint to carry Amelia inside.
Despite Amelia’s protest, Clint carried her to the wagon and gently laid her on a stack of blankets Mrs. Nelson had arranged for her.
“I’m fine now, Mr. Mitchum. I just remember getting a little dizzy.”
“Would you like some coffee or water?” Clint asked.
“No, thank you. I think all I need is some rest. Please tell Mrs. Nelson to keep the girls with her.”
As soon as Clint jumped from the wagon, Katie, Annie, and Mrs. Nelson were waiting for him.
“Is Ma going to be okay?” Katie asked.
“You’re ma just needs some rest. She wants you to stay with Mrs. Nelson.”
“Does she have the fever? We don’t want to lose another ma,” Annie cried.
“Your ma will be fine. Now go help Hannah and Bonnie clean up. Don’t you worry, your ma will be as fit as a fiddle by morning,” Mrs. Nelson assured them.
The girls walked away, and Clint looked at Mrs. Nelson. “What did they mean that they didn’t want to lose another ma?”
Mrs. Nelson took Clint by the arm and pulled him away from the wagon. “Amelia’s sister was their mother. You see, Amelia’s sister was married to Mr. Wakeland, and when he was away during the war, she died not long after Annie was born.”
Clint listened intently as Mrs. Nelson explained further. “I’m afraid Mr. Wakeland wasn’t well when he came home from the war. He asked Amelia to marry him so the girls would have a mother. You might say Amelia’s marriage to Mr. Wakeland was one of convenience, for the sake of the girls. Mr. Wakeland was much older than Amelia.”
Clint was quiet, absorbing what Mrs. Nelson was saying. She interpreted his silence for disapproval. “Please don’t think harshly of Amelia for her choices. She loves those girls as though they are her own. She thought it was the best decision for everyone, and she didn’t want any of Mr. Wakeland’s relatives laying claim to the girls. Not only that, but even before the war, there weren’t many matrimonial prospects for young women in La Grange.”
Clint appreciated Mrs. Nelson’s plain speaking manner. “I’m not passing judgment on anyone. I think she’s a fine woman, and knowing the responsibilities she’s taken on, I admire her all the more.”
“Mr. Mitchum, Amelia’s marriage wasn’t one of . . . well, it wasn’t a typical marriage. Mr. Wakeland was very ill when he returned from the war, and he never left his bed. He died just days after they were wed. Then, this last year, she had to nurse her parents during the fever only to lose them. That girl has sacrificed so much, and she deserves some happiness in her life.”
Clint stared at her, trying to read between the lines for what she wasn’t saying.
Mrs. Nelson put her hands on her hips and looked expectantly at him. “I’ve seen how you look at her. Are you interested in that gal, or do you think she is just another pretty face?”
Clint glanced away. He wasn’t sure he was in any position to say what he wanted. Amelia was a beautiful woman, no doubt, but she was much more than that. What do I want? He’d found himself daydreaming about having a wife and children over the last couple of days. Who am I kidding? I haven’t been thinking about just any woman; it’s Amelia’s face I see, and those precious girls. “I don’t have
