[short story] Desperate Hope
A historical women's fiction short story by author A.T. Butler
Edith Bennett sighed and steadied herself against the single wooden post at the edge of her porch. Her hands were dry and chapped, and she rubbed the tiniest bit of heavy cream into her joints. She had just finished washing the dishes for the third time that day. That was one of the detriments of having her boarding house nearly full this week—the work was never-ending, even as she rejoiced in having enough money to repair her porch before winter set in.
A chill hung in the air as she gazed out over the main street of her small town. Summer was fading, and the cold that crept in as soon as the sun set promised a cozy autumn. The trees that remained on the main street were slowly dropping the first of their leaves. Hitching posts lined either side of the dirt road, where horses and wagons were parked. Shoppers milled about, their collars turned up against the late afternoon cold, while children gleefully chased one another in the dust. Before her, the small ranching town of Juniper Falls, in the Wyoming Territory, bustled with the activity of a Wednesday afternoon as families headed home for the night.
Edith had moved to Juniper Falls ten years earlier, when there was little more than two or three land claims spread across the countryside. Her husband had been injured in the war between the states and had wanted a fresh start on the frontier. She still remembered that journey west with a shuddering horror: trying to help him drive the wagon, for he had only one arm, at the same time that she had to cook over a campfire and keep them fed, through the stark prairie.
Coming west to the frontier had not been her choice. She would have been perfectly satisfied to stay in Baltimore, where they had friends and her older brother, but her husband, Horace, had been so miserable after coming home from the war that she had quickly given in to his plan. He only lived another year after they arrived in the territories, though. While he had managed to build her a house in that time—with help from several of their new neighbors—by his death their savings were nearly depleted. Left alone, Edith had few options. With what little money she had remaining, Edith hired local men to make the improvements needed to her small home and she set herself up with a boarding house.
It was sheer luck that as Juniper Falls grew and more pioneers moved to town, Edith’s boarding house happened to be situated on the main street of town. It was practically one of the first buildings to welcome newcomers as they arrived.
“Evening, Mrs. Bennett,” Silas called as he climbed the porch steps after a long day. “Sorry to miss supper.” The young man’s attire was dusty, but his face and hands were clean. He had not come straight from building fences or herding cattle.
“Did you eat with your uncle, or do you want me to fix up a plate for you?”
Silas Denbow, one of her long-term tenants, worked as a ranch hand at his uncle’s ranch just outside of town. The last Edith had heard, Silas was saving up for his own ranch, but how close he had come to that goal she had no idea. In the meantime she got to mother this young man a little bit, make sure he had clean shirts and didn’t get into too much trouble.
“I ate there. Thank you, though.”
She pushed a stray wisp of graying hair out of her face. “My boy, you are one of the best paying boarders I’ve ever heard of with as much as you eat at the ranch.”
Silas chuckled and tipped his hat. “You have a good evening.”
“You too, son.”
She turned back to watch out over the main street as she heard Silas climb the stairs inside.
At first, Edith had been overwhelmed by the prospect of running a boarding house on her own. She’d never done anything like this before and didn’t know where to begin. But with determination and hard work she had been able to turn the small house into a comfortable place for visitors to stay. She slowly added on to it—as her finances allowed—and this year would be the first time that she needed to make repairs to the existing structure, rather than expand it as she had in the past.
The thought of providing shelter for weary travelers from all over made Edith feel proud; it was something tangible that she could do in memory of her late husband. She had been the first boarding house in the booming town, and though she now had competition, Edith thought she had retained her position as the best. Over the years she had quickly developed a reputation as one of Juniper Falls’ best known hosts—always willing to lend an ear or offer advice when needed.
It seemed to Edith that there was nothing quite like the feeling of giving back to those who needed it most—even if just in small ways, such as through conversation or shared meals at her table. Though she and Horace had not been blessed with children, Edith saw no reason why that should stop her from taking care of others when she had the means. She budgeted for a few extra meals every month, for when one of her tenants brought home a stray or when she learned about a young man down on his luck. The community she had built up around her made her appreciate why she started her life at Juniper Falls with such vigor and dedication. She certainly didn’t regret it now; here in this bustling little frontier town, Edith Bennett felt at home for the first time since saying goodbye to her beloved husband years before.
The evening chill was biting, as it often was in the high mountains of Wyoming after the sun went down, but Edith was not paying much attention to the cold. She had turned to watch Silas enter the house, but the sound of more steps approaching had seized her attention.
Edith turned back to the street to see a gaunt, disheveled young woman stumbling up the dirt road toward her.
“Ma’am?” Edith called, alert and standing up straighter. “Are you all right?”
The young woman kept her head down, as though she didn’t hear. Her dark blond hair was in tangled cascades down her shoulders, and though she had a patched shawl wrapped around her, she wore no gloves or hat against the cold. Most of the townsfolk had disappeared into their own homes by this time of late afternoon, so there was no one but Edith to witness the stranger approaching.
“Ma’am?”
The young woman reached the bottom of Edith’s steps and looked up at her with an expression of such desperate hope that the older woman’s breath caught in her throat.
“What do you need?” she asked.
But instead of an answer, the strange woman swayed on her feet for a short moment before fainting dead away in the dirt.
Edith quickly descended the steps and looked over the unconscious woman in shock, her heart racing. She had never seen anyone like this before; Juniper Falls folks took care of their own, and if this woman was local things never would have gotten to this state. She couldn’t believe it was happening right on the doorstep of her boarding house. Edith felt a strange connection to the woman, and bent down to get a better look at her.
As Edith inspected her, she quickly determined that the stranger seemed to have dressed in a hurry—she wore only cursory layers, and her boots were already coming untied.
Though not dressed for traveling, the woman carried a small satchel that had hung over one shoulder. It now lay in the dirt beside her. Edith checked the satchel and found that it was empty save for a few coins and a bit of bread. Juniper Falls was small enough that she could identify most citizens by sight, but she had never seen this woman before. Where had she come from?
Edith looked up at the sky and saw the last of the day’s sun sinking below the far mountains. The light glinted off the woman’s face, making her look even more pale and fragile. Edith felt a wave of pity wash over her. She could not turn the woman away.
The stranger’s skin was pale, and her lips were slightly parted as if she were deep in a dreamless sleep. She was quite a rumpled figure. Her clothes were tattered and soiled, her eyes were red from crying, and she looked as though she had not had a good square meal in a week.
Edith noticed scratches along her neck and arms, but there was something else, too, a familiarity that Edith couldn’t explain. The two women shared something, even if it was just a sense of being alone in the world. Edith had no idea who this woman was. She had never seen her before and could not fathom why she had chosen Edith’s porch as a place of refuge, but she wouldn’t let her suffer any longer.
Who was this woman, and what had driven her to Juniper Falls? Was she running from something? Was she looking for something? Edith wanted to know, but the woman was in no state to tell her anything. The first thing Edith needed to do was see to the stranger’s health. No facts would be forthcoming as long as she was unconscious.
At that moment, the last of her boarders, Jack, ran up the darkening dirt road toward the boarding house.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Jack called. “I couldn’t leave any of the stalls not mucked out. I don’t suppose there’s any supper left, is there?”
“I’ll get you all the supper you want if you help me get this woman into the house. I can’t lift her by myself.”
Jack sprinted toward Edith with an urgency that she hadn’t seen before. “What do you need me to do?” he asked breathlessly.
“Let’s grab her arms and legs, and carry her into the house together,” Edith instructed.
The two of them carefully lifted the woman and quickly brought her into the warm comfort of the house. Once inside, they laid the unconscious woman down on the large sitting room couch.
“Go fetch some water and more firewood, would you, please?” Edith asked Jack.
He nodded and darted out again, this time through to the kitchen and the back of the house. Edith leaned over the strange woman and ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to comfort her. Whatever else she did, Edith wanted to make sure that this poor woman felt safe. She was still breathing. That was something.
“What happened?”
Young Mrs. Mullins stood in the doorway to the dining room, wringing her hands with worry. She and her husband were renting a room from Edith while their own house was being built, and while this woman was sweet, she was more often than not underfoot.
“Could I possibly ask you . . .” Edith said, in an attempt to make Mrs. Mullins useful instead of simply fretting. “Upstairs in my room, there’s a quilt laid across the foot of the bed. Could you grab that for me and bring it back down?”
Mrs. Mullins nodded and peeked at the unconscious woman over Edith’s shoulder.
“Who is that?”
“The quilt, please, Mrs. Mullins? We need to get her warm.”
But as her tenant climbed the stairs to the floor above, Edith knew that the woman needed more than just a comfortable bed. She was still unconscious and showed no signs of waking any time soon. She gently touched the woman’s cheek with the back of her hand; she seemed a bit more flushed than a person should be.
She heard the kitchen door open and close in the back, announcing Jack’s return. In moments he had brought an armful of firewood into the sitting room and knelt down to feed the fire.
“Has she stirred?”
“Not yet,” Edith said with a sigh. “I’m hopeful she’s just hungry, and it’s not anything more serious.”
“Should I fetch Dr. Gilpin?”
“Oh, would you? I was just thinking that perhaps I sensed a fever.”
“Of course, Mrs. Bennett. I’ll be right back.”
Jack quickly departed, and Mrs. Mullins brought the requested quilt. Edith despaired of finding another chore to distract the other woman, and was grateful when Mr. Mullins arrived home and the two settled into their room for the evening.
“You’ll call me if she wakes, won’t you? If you need any help?”
Only after Edith assured her she would did the young couple leave her in peace. She sat in the armchair across from the couch to watch her strange guest, wondering what could have happened to her.
She didn’t have long to worry. Within minutes, Dr. Gilpin arrived at the Bennett boarding house with his medical bag in hand. He gave Edith a warm embrace.
“Jack told me some of what we’re dealing with,” the doctor said kindly. “Why don’t you show me to the patient. She still hasn’t woken?”
The doctor got to work examining the strange woman on her couch. With intense concentration, he checked her pulse, pupils, breathing, and other signs to get some answers about what might be wrong with her body.
“No, not even a flutter of her eyes when we laid her down,” Edith responded. “She seems awfully pale to me, and I’ve been worried there may be something really wrong with her. Why would she leave her home without a hat and coat like that?”
After what seemed like hours but was really only minutes, Dr. Gilpin finished his examination.
“As far as I can tell, this woman is suffering from simple exhaustion. She must have suffered some extreme stress over an extended period of time. And if she hasn’t been able to eat in the meantime, no wonder her body has shut down. The best thing we can do is let her rest. If you can provide her with this spot to get some restful sleep, she should wake up soon enough, and then we can get her some nourishment. I don’t think we’ll see any further issues. With her health, at least. We’ll see what she has to say when she wakes.”
Edith breathed a sigh of relief hearing this news. Whatever secret this mysterious stranger carried with her, it wasn’t of a life-threatening nature. She could care for her until she woke, and then together they could decide what the woman needed.
The doctor advised Edith to keep the woman comfortable and hydrated at least until she regained consciousness. Edith took that advice, bringing her blankets and pillows from her own bed, as well as a bowl of warm soup in case the stranger awoke with an appetite.
She pulled the blanket up to the woman’s chin and turned to see Jack standing, waiting for her.
“I suppose you’ll be wanting that supper now?”
He grinned. “If it’s not too much trouble, Mrs. Bennett.”
“Not at all. Come along.”
She ushered him into the dining room, with one final look over her shoulder at the new guest. As long as she did not wake in the night and immediately leave, all could eventually be sorted out.
The next morning, the woman still hadn’t woken up. Edith was growing increasingly worried, but she continued to look after her guest’s needs—tucking in the blankets around her body so she would stay warm and making sure that there was always a glass and pitcher of water by her side just in case she woke thirsty. Mrs. Mullins asked more than once what she could do to help, but at this point it seemed like all they could do was wait.
After she finished washing the breakfast dishes, Edith looked into the sitting room again and was relieved to see that the woman seemed to be coming out of her deep sleep. The morning sun was peeking through the curtains as the woman rubbed her face. As she slowly blinked and stirred, Edith held her breath, watching. She waited patiently for the woman to wake fully, trying not to startle her though her heart beat fast in anticipation.
The woman finally opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings with a bewildered look on her face. Her gaze fell on her hostess, and an expression of confusion and shame crossed her face.
“You’re safe,” Edith said, moving closer. “My name is Edith Bennett, and you’re in my boarding house. You collapsed outside my home last night and—well, I couldn’t leave you out there.” She laughed self-consciously. “We brought you in and I called for the doctor . . .”
Edith trailed off. The woman had moved fully to sitting now, her feet on the floor as she looked around at the siting room.
The couch where she had been sleeping was particularly cozy; it was a beautiful blend of light blues and whites, with soft cushions that provided a gentle embrace. It was perfect for snuggling up in front of the fireplace on those cold winter nights, or simply relaxing after a hard day’s work. The walls were adorned with colorful tapestries which added a layer of warmth to the already cozy atmosphere of the room. It truly felt like home for Edith here, and she hoped it would be just as welcoming for this mysterious stranger who had suddenly appeared on her doorstep.
The stranger looked around this room with confusion, but not fear.
“Are you all right? How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?”
The stranger finally turned back to Edith. There was exhaustion in the young woman’s eyes. “My name is Daisy Lambert,” she whispered softly. “Thank you for helping me. I was running away from . . . from something terrible. I don’t know what to do. I haven’t eaten in . . .”
“Never mind that now, dear,” Edith said. “You get strong again first, and only then will we worry about decisions. I’ve left broth on the table next to you, but I can heat it up again if you’d like.”
Daisy picked up the bowl in both hands with a hungry expression, shook her head, and took a long draught directly from the bowl, heedless of the spoon sitting next to it.
Edith stared, alarmed, as Daisy scarfed down the meager breakfast.
“Once you’re feeling more yourself,” she told her guest, “I can make you a more substantial meal. How are you feeling now that you’ve had some rest?”
What she wanted most was to offer this young woman a bath, clean clothes, a brush for her hair. That maternal instinct that made Edith such a good boarding house landlady had her worrying about this newcomer as much as she might her own daughter.
As soon as she had finished the last of the broth, Daisy poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher next to her and sat back on the couch. She sighed and met Edith’s eye. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to talk about anything you’re not ready for.”
“No. I want to. You’ve been so kind to me, and I think maybe . . . I hope I can trust you. I don’t have anyone else.”
“Of course you can, dear. Please.”
Daisy’s story tumbled out in fits and starts, punctuated by long pauses as if she were afraid of revealing too much. Occasionally she would pause, sip her water, and consider her next words. It was clear that what she had been through had been far more trying and extensive than her short description now could demonstrate. She told Edith that she had been on the run for at least a week, but had lost track of the days.
“Someone is . . . I don’t want to say too much. I’m afraid I will have to go back, and I don’t want to rope you into anything dangerous. But the fact is that I had to run for my life. I was in a situation that was . . .” She cleared her throat, as though pushing down the tears. “It just has gotten worse and worse over the years, and finally, a week or so ago, I saw a chance to escape, and I just went. With only the clothes on my back. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I didn’t think this all through. But I know that if I had not run when I had the chance I might never have forgiven myself for that.”
Edith listened intently as Daisy talked, a spark of determination lighting up her face. She knew that whatever trouble Daisy had gotten herself into, they would figure out a way to get through it together.
“So thank you for your help,” Daisy concluded. “I’m sorry . . . I don’t even know what town this is. Where I am.”
“You’re in Juniper Falls,” Edith said gently. “A few hours from Laramie?”
Daisy nodded. “That makes sense. I was trying to go away from the bigger towns. I imagine most folks running away would get on the train in Cheyenne, and I wanted to throw him off.”
Edith did not yet ask who the “him” was that Daisy referred to. The young woman would tell her if she was ready. Instead, she offered to let Daisy stay with her at the boarding house until she could find a more permanent solution.
“I only have one room available at the moment, and it’s quite small, but—”
“Oh, thank you,” Daisy gushed. “I don’t mind small. It must be better than sleeping on the ground. Or up in a tree one night. I heard wolves and . . .” She shuddered at the recollection. “And once I’m a little bit stronger, please let me help you here. I can do laundry and cook and sew. I know I look scrawny, but I’m quite capable.”
“I don’t doubt that for a moment. Any woman who could live on the road for a week like you’ve done could likely handle anything. Although, I do think you could probably use a bigger breakfast. How does that sound?”
Daisy smiled gratefully and stood, carrying her broth bowl into the kitchen after Edith. “I cannot thank you enough.”
The two women chatted as Edith cooked. She told Daisy about the town, and about the upcoming harvest festival in a few weeks. She kept talking, in fact, about anything that came to mind—her other tenants, her plans to fix the porch—in an effort to help Daisy not feel as though she were put on the spot. Edith could not imagine what the poor woman had gone through, and forcing her to relive it by talking about it would not be helpful.
Soon the meal was cooked, and Edith set a single place for her guest. Despite her weakened state, Daisy ate two eggs, three strips of bacon, and four pieces of buttered toast. She apologized when she noticed that Edith had to toast more bread than had been originally prepared, but Edith just laughed.
“Wait until you meet the ranch hands that also rent rooms here. Your appetite is nothing compared to theirs.”
Once Daisy had eaten her fill, with that taken care of, Edith helped her new guest to settle in more comfortably. She heated water so Daisy could have a bath and hunted up some clean clothes she could borrow, promising to take her to the store later in the week for some new things just for her.
“I’ll give you some privacy,” she said, handing her guest a clean towel. “Come find me downstairs when you’re ready, but there’s no rush. You just rest as long as you need to.”
As Daisy washed up, Edith tried to distract herself with housework. The young woman would talk when she was ready, and pushing her to reveal what she did not want to would help no one. Whatever she had been through, Edith could not blame her for being reticent among strangers. She would just be patient and let Daisy open up in her own time.
Less than an hour later, Daisy cautiously walked back down the boarding house staircase, looking around as though not sure she was in the right place. She wore one of Edith’s own dresses, but it hung off of her like a sack, cinched at the waist only through the aid of the apron she had donned.
“How was everything?” Edith asked when Daisy entered the sitting room. “Is there anything else you need?”
Daisy shook her head and sat again on the couch where she had slept overnight.
“I’m so sorry I don’t have anything that fits you better. We’ll get you something else as soon as we can.”
Daisy shook her head again. “This is far too generous already.”
“Well. That may be. But I still want to do what I can. You don’t have to say anything,” Edith said gently. “But if you need a listening ear I’m happy to be that for you. You can imagine the stories I’ve heard with all the folks that have come through here over the years.”
“Thank you,” Daisy said softly. “I’m not sure I know where to start. I’m so embarrassed.”
Edith eyed the bruise and scratches peeking out of Daisy’s collar. “I can’t imagine you have anything to be embarrassed about.”
Daisy looked at her hands. “It’s just that . . . he’s my husband. You would have thought that I would have known better than to marry him in the first place.”
Edith’s heart dropped. The “him” that Daisy had been trying to escape was her own husband.
As she continued, again in stumbles and starts, Daisy described the last four years of her life, from being swept off her feet, induced to marry this dreadful man, to the beginnings of his violence, to finally the climax of his brutality ten days ago. From what Edith could gather from her broken sentences and tears of sadness, Daisy had realized almost as soon as she had been married that it was a mistake, but what choice did she have then?
It seemed that after her husband had “accidentally” let her fall down the stairs, Daisy had finally reached the end of her rope. She had run away that night when he was sleeping, and that was just over a week before she came stumbling onto Edith’s doorstep in a desperate attempt to find refuge.
After hearing her story, Edith felt immense sorrow for the woman. She could not even imagine being in such a position.
“I will help you,” she vowed. “Please allow me to. This isn’t something anyone should have to endure on their own. You can stay here as long as you need to. We can keep it quiet in case he comes looking for you. You deserve safety and comfort, and I believe God brought you to my front porch for a reason.”
She suggested that they try to find further information about her abusive husband, in order to gain a better understanding of the situation and what it might take to rescue Daisy from it.
“We could send one of the boys—Silas or Jack, maybe—to your town to look in on him. To make sure he hasn’t come after you.”
Daisy shook her head. “Not yet. Please. I’m not ready. I don’t want anyone to know I’m here, or about the mess I’ve gotten myself into. If we can keep it quiet that I’m here a little longer, that will give me time to . . . I don’t know. Rest. Figure out what to do next.”
“You know this is not your fault,” Edith said gently.
“I made him angry. I wasn’t paying attention and I burned supper, and I know how mad that makes him. He hates waste, you see.”
“Daisy . . . you could have dumped supper on his lap and that still would not be a reason for him to try to injure you the way he did.”
She could not quite bring herself to suggest that Daisy’s husband had been trying to kill her. The young woman did not seem to have the ability to mentally handle such a thing. But what she had revealed to Edith was frightening.
“Maybe. But I’m still not ready to do anything yet. Could you . . . maybe you could just give me chores to do? I can earn my keep, and such distractions will help keep me from thinking too much about what Abe might be doing, or how he might be looking for me.”
“Certainly. If that’s what you feel you need, that’s where we will start. As long as you promise not to forget my offer. I guarantee the people of Juniper Falls would be happy to protect and look after you, too.”
Edith knew better than to push the matter any further. One of the many things she had learned from her years in hospitality was that folks opened up on their own schedule. There was no point in rushing them.
And so it was settled: Daisy would stay with Edith at the boarding house and help out around the house while she recovered. And then, when she was ready, they could search out further information. Whatever happened, Edith was determined that this sweet young woman would not be delivered back into the hands of such an uncaring man. She prayed everything would work out, but was resolved to do her part to make it so.
Daisy settled into her new role quite seamlessly. She made no complaints about the loud, smelly boys that shared the boarding house, and even took to teasing Silas about his sweetheart. She perfected her biscuit recipe, and Edith handed over that task to Daisy completely. She accepted each assignment Edith gave her cheerfully, and seemed constantly grateful for this new opportunity offered her.
But with each passing day, Daisy couldn’t help but wonder why her husband had not come after her yet. He must have been livid when he woke to find her gone. What was it that kept him away from this place and from the woman he supposedly loved so much? Edith assured her that no matter what happened, she would always be there for her; Daisy would always have a home there. But that didn’t stop Daisy from wondering about the man she’d once known as a partner in life.
As they settled into a day-to-day life, the mystery of Daisy’s husband made them more uneasy with every day. Even though Edith tried her best to lend an understanding ear and provide as much comfort as she could, there was something unspoken that hung in the air between them. Surely the man must have noticed his wife was gone. Surely he must have searched for her. Had he gone toward Cheyenne and lost the trail as Daisy had hoped, or had he perhaps found her in Juniper Falls and was simply biding his time to surprise her at the opportune moment?
Daisy did not leave the boarding house for the first two weeks she was there. She was too afraid of being seen in public and recognized. If word got back to Abe where she was before Daisy herself was ready to deal with it, that would make the entire situation that much more difficult.
As the weeks went by, Edith and Daisy grew closer. It was comforting for both of them to have someone to lean on in this confusing and frightening time. Eventually Daisy even felt safe leaving the boarding house and would do some of the shopping, giving Edith a break from that chore after ten long years. After a few weeks, Edith wondered how she had managed to run the boarding house by herself at all. The time before Daisy had arrived seemed to belong to someone else’s life. She did not know how she could go back to being alone if Daisy had to leave.
After a full month, as the two women walked home from Juniper Falls’ autumn harvest festival, Edith cautiously voiced her suspicions.
“May, I know that this idea seems too good to be true, but I am beginning to wonder if perhaps Abe isn’t coming after you at all. Is that possible?”
“That doesn’t seem like him at all. If anything, his inability to find me would make him more determined to do so. He is not a man that can stand not having control in any circumstance. There must be a reason we have not seen him yet.”
“Maybe we should do something, then. I’m not sure what.” Edith looked up into the twilight as though for answers. “Maybe the waiting is causing us more stress than him finding you would.”
“I’ve been thinking something like that,” Daisy admitted. “Every time I leave the house I expect to see Abe’s face coming around every corner. I just want this to be over.”
“So we’ll finish it, then. We’ll end it. You and me. If Abe is not going to come looking for you, what if I go looking for him?”
“I can’t let you do that, Edith. Absolutely not. He’s my husband. My problem.”
Edith sighed. She heard the determination in her friend’s voice and was not going to try to talk her out of it.
“But what if you go with me?” Daisy continued.
Edith looked at her sharply. “You mean that?”
Daisy looked at the road ahead, as though she might lose her nerve if she had to look directly at Edith. She nodded, chin firm, shoulders back.
“Yes, I do. It’s time I took my life back. I’m healed and fed now, thanks to you, and as long as I don’t have to confront him on my own, I think this might be the only way for me to be truly free of him. Otherwise he will simply haunt me forever, affecting my choices and filling my life with fear.”
“All right. Of course I will go with you. But we need to be smart about this. We need to be careful. From everything you have told me, it would not surprise me if he considered my presence there no obstacle at all.”
Daisy agreed, and the two made a plan to head back to Daisy’s home in the neighboring town of Ryder in three days.
Before they set out, Edith asked Jack if he could take a day or two off to accompany them for safety as they traveled south to the next town. She had long ago learned how to shoot and clean her gun, but the presence of a tall, strong young man would do wonders to help both Edith and Daisy feel safer.
“Are you ready?” Edith asked Daisy as they packed their satchels for the journey. “I just want to remind you that Jack and me can go without you. I don’t want you to put yourself in danger unnecessarily.”
“I’m determined to face it. I mean, thank you. And I’ll tell Jack thank you. I absolutely could not do any of this without you. Without your help at every step. With the two of you by my side it doesn’t feel nearly as dangerous as it might be.”
“I’ve actually had another thought in the last few days.”
“Oh?”
“I think maybe we need more help. We should stop and talk to the sheriff when we get to your town. Get him to come with us, too. Jack will be good security, but if we can get the law as well—”
Daisy laughed heartily, a sound that Edith had only heard once the woman had been living there for two full weeks.
“I was thinking the same thing, to be honest.”
It was decided. With a bit of determination and a lot of courage, Edith, Daisy, and Jack left the next morning from Juniper Falls, heading southeast to the smaller town of Ryder. They were determined to find out what had become of Daisy’s husband, and hopefully bring relief from this dreadful situation once and for all.
Though it had taken Daisy a full week to stumble to Edith’s door, that had been after deliberate wandering in the wilderness, trying to hide her trail and with no idea where she wanted to end up. For their journey straight back, Daisy was in her hometown in only a few hours. With each step forward came a sense of hope that this difficult journey would soon be over and they could find the answers they sought.
In the midafternoon of a cool October day, the three friends rode into Ryder, a bustling community where many people were still friendly and welcoming. Edith sensed the incongruity—she had been thinking of Daisy’s home as the place where bad things happened, but now she could see such an impression was unfair. Perhaps none of the Lamberts’ neighbors had noticed anything. Perhaps one of them had, and had stopped Abe from doing anything further. But these flights of imagination were futile. There was no point in wondering anything. They had come to seek answers, not create more questions.
As they slowly rode down the main street of Ryder on their way to the sheriff’s office, Edith encouraged Daisy to ask around for some information from her husband’s old neighbors.
“Maybe they saw something or heard something in the time since you’ve been gone,” she suggested. “It wouldn’t hurt to have more information before we go to confront him.”
“I’m not sure . . .” Daisy smiled hesitantly at the older woman coming out of the general store, and turned back to Edith. “I ran away without saying goodbye to anyone. What if none of them are willing to talk to me? What if he made them think it’s all my fault?”
“I know men like that,” Jack muttered angrily. “Makes me want to tear them limb from limb. On top of all the other ways he’s a heel, the man can’t even take responsibility for his own actions.”
Edith reflected again what a smart idea it would be to have the sheriff with them. Jack already seemed furious enough to cause some damage, and the last thing they needed was for the situation to get violent.
“All right. You don’t have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, whether that’s talking to a neighbor or staying with Abe or anything else, all right?”
Edith looked hard at Daisy, waiting for the other woman to agree.
“Daisy, do you understand me? Jack and I are here to help you. We’re not going to let you down.”
“All right.” Daisy nodded solemnly.
“I see the sheriff’s office just up ahead,” Jack said as he nudged his horse into a trot and led the way.
Daisy glanced at Edith, and the latter sent her an encouraging smile.
Jack had waited outside for them, and helped each woman off her horse as well as took care of hitching the animals to the posts that lined the street. Edith thanked Jack under her breath, seeing that Daisy was far too distracted to focus on something as mundane as caring for her horse.
“We’ll go see the sheriff and ask him or a deputy to come out to your farm, and then we’ll have some answers.”
Daisy nodded. Edith rested a hand gently on her friend’s back and walked into the office with her. It was bigger than Edith expected, bright with the afternoon sun streaming through the front window.
The man sitting at the desk looked up, a questioning expression on his face.
“Can I help you ladies?”
Daisy seemed to have frozen. When Edith glanced down, she noticed her friend’s hands were shaking. She stepped forward to tell him what they had come for.
“Sir, my friend and I . . . we need to speak to her husband, but we were wondering if perhaps we could get you or one of your deputies to come with us. It’s a question of safety, you see. We’re concerned he . . .”
But she could see he wasn’t quite listening to her. His eyes had not left Daisy’s face.
“I swear I know you from somewhere,” he said with a smile. “Did you used to live around here?”
Daisy cleared her throat nervously. “My name is . . . um . . . my name is Daisy Lambert. My husband is Abe Lambert. But I haven’t . . . I left him about a month ago. I left home about a month ago. He is why we’ve come back to town. And why I need your help.”
It all fell into place for the sheriff when he heard the name. His eyes widened with recognition. He paused for a moment, and then his expression changed from one of curiosity to one of deep sorrow. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this,” he stated solemnly, “but your husband passed away some weeks ago due to an unknown illness.”
“What? When?”
“I can check with the undertaker if you would like. My understanding is he had already been dead a few days when he was found by your neighbors. Folks have been wondering where you’ve been, I won’t lie. It’s good that you’ve come back so we can get his estate all settled.”
Daisy broke down crying in that moment; all the pain and grief she had been holding on to for weeks suddenly came pouring out like an avalanche.
“But we don’t have to do any of that this second,” he amended, nervously eyeing the crying woman.
“That all can wait,” Edith told him, before turning to her friend.
They had been through so much together already; the unknowns and the silence and the wondering had brought Daisy finally to this place of certainty. No matter what had happened to Abe, she never had to fear him again. She had a new place to live, new friends, and a new purpose.
And Edith was there beside her, lending an understanding ear and providing as much comfort as she could. Although it would take time to heal from this experience entirely, Edith knew her friend was well on her way.
She could see the next few weeks, months, years, so clearly. Daisy would mourn her husband—she had loved some part of him once—and sell the farm here in Ryder. They could run the boarding house together. They could live their days peacefully, without worry of some attacker or surprise.
But the first thing to do was to see to Daisy in this moment. She still had a long way to go before she would feel completely settled in her new life.
“Are you ready to go home?” Edith asked gently.
Daisy nodded, brushing away her tears. “Let’s go home.”
This short story and two others are available for free on the book retailer of your choice. Grab Stories from Juniper Falls by A.T. Butler here: