Her gaze lit on the box she’d recently repacked. An idea began to form. She grabbed a pencil and paper from her bag and scribbled a note explaining to Bonnie that she’d borrowed a few things. She took some items from the box, gathered up their belongings and everything they’d need and slipped out to join the girls.
“Put this on.” She handed Eleanor the hat she’d borrowed and pulled the worn sweater over Libby’s coat, ignoring their questions. She put the heavy overcoat on top of her own clothes. “Take your bags and follow me without making a sound.”
Eleanor nodded and held her fingers to her lips when Libby would ask why.
They slipped into the cover of the trees and followed the path to the river that edged past the town. She clung as close to the edge of the bank as possible, hoping and praying no one would see her.
When she estimated they had reached the far side of town, she told the girls to wait and climbed up the bank to peek over. Looked to be about the right place to cross the street without being seen. “Come along. Keep your heads down and your bag close to your body so no one will give us a second look.”
She wanted to run, but wouldn’t that draw attention when she wanted nothing more than to be invisible? By the time they reached the livery stable, her heart pounded so hard she feared people might hear it.
She pushed the girls into a corner near the door. “Wait here.” She tiptoed forward, ready to run should anyone be inside. Not just anyone. Father. Her heart kicked into a furious pace.
There appeared to be no one at all inside the dusty barn.
“Can I help you, ma’am?” A man stepped from the shadows, sending alarm up and down her spine. She sucked in air and forced her nerves to calm. She didn’t want the livery man—Rufus, was it?—to grow curious.
“I understand I can rent a wagon here.” Blue had rented one to take them to the ranch on Sunday. Was that only three days ago? Seemed a lifetime.
“That’s right.” He stepped closer and eyed her up and down. “You know how to drive a wagon?”
“Seen it done plenty of times.”
He harrumphed. “Where you going?”
“Not far.”
“Not far where?”
What a persistent man. “Just want to take a ride in your beautiful country.”
He studied her hard enough to make her eyes water, but she didn’t budge and hopefully didn’t reveal her fear.
“Need something a little more specific than that.”
She leaned forward and spoke softly so the girls wouldn’t hear her. “I’m going to visit Mrs. Gardiner at the Eden Valley Ranch.”
“There. Was that so hard? I got something that might suit you.”
She’d have to part with a few coins. But surely Petey would show her mercy when she came up short for the fare to Fort Calgary. Though that destination seemed but a faint hope now. It would be impossible to slip into the stagecoach without Father seeing them. She must leave town. Now.
She waited for Rufus, her back to the wall, hoping she would escape before Father started asking after a young woman and two girls.
Rufus brought a horse and hitched it to the wagon.
She willingly admitted she didn’t know anything about horses, but this one looked like a sack of bones held together by saggy skin. “You sure she can pull the wagon?”
“You sure you know how to drive one?” When she didn’t answer, he continued. “You won’t need any experience to handle Old Sal. She knows what to do.”
Well, that might be to her benefit.
“There you go.” He stepped back and waited as she climbed up to the seat. “You say whoa and giddup. You pull the reins this way to turn her right and that way to turn her left. Even a greenhorn should be able to manage that.”
“I’ll do just fine.” She called the girls to join her and quietly instructed them to stay low in the wagon box.
Going down the street, passing the store, meant exposing herself. No, she’d take the back way out of town.
“Giddup.” The horse leaned into the task, and they rumbled forward. They reached the end of the lot and came to the trail on the back side of town.
“Right,” she called, trying to remember how to guide the horse. She pulled at the reins, but the horse only continued straight ahead. They’d soon be in the middle of the open prairie, visible to everyone, if the horse didn’t turn. “Right. Go right.”