My cheeks flushed.I wondered what she had in that treasure chest.But ’twas no matter at the moment, because we needed to go.
“Where did you get another horse?”
“This is Juniper, Gus’s mustang mare.I’ve ridden her before, on occasion.She’s a tough old girl, but I can manage her.”
As we rode out of the stables, clouds had gathered, and it looked like we might get some rain.But after a little while, the sun broke through and shone its warmth down on us.I was glad that riding didn’t seem to strain my injury.’Twas nice to be outside and with Oscar and Trick, riding through the countryside with the mountains looming on all sides.We were used to feeling small in the wilderness of northern BC, and in some ways, those mountains made me feel safe and protected.
The town of Agnes Hill was about nine miles south of Telegraph Creek.’Twas a little village on the edge of where the creek widened and became a more significant waterway.’Twas a charming place, about the same size as Port Essington and on the water, so it made me ache for home.
“Do you think Cal lives in the town?Or maybe has a place nearby?”I asked.
“The fella we spoke to said she was dressed like a farm wife, so I figure she lives out in the country nearby,” Oscar said.
“That’s right.Although we can perhaps ask some of the folks in town if they’ve seen her.And that’s assuming it is the right person.”
We tethered the horses outside the mercantile and spent the better part of an hour on foot, asking anyone we came in contact with if they’d seen or heard of a person named Cal who lived anywhere close.Nobody that we spoke to had heard of or seen her, so in the end we decided to head out in one direction and start visiting the local homesteads.The farms were scattered about, none within easy sight of one another.We only managed to cover a small area that first day and went back to The Angel with no new leads.
The following two days passed in a similar fashion with no progress.’Twas disheartening and exhausting, but, on the bright side, I was with my husband and his very entertaining friend.Trick turned out to be a highly amusing companion.Her off-color remarks and ribald statements made the time pass quickly, and she had us in absolute stitches on more than one occasion.
At the end of that first day, my wound was aching a bit, but by the third day, it seemed to stop complaining, and my muscles were getting used to strenuous activity again.Miss June said she would take out the stitches on Sunday, when we’d promised to take a break from our searching, whether we’d found Cal or not.
’Twas while I was waiting outside the saloon in Agnes Hill for Trick and Oscar, enjoying the morning sunshine on my third afternoon out, when I saw a tall woman in a rough brown skirt and a flowery blouse, with a wide hat pulled low o’er her eyes, walking toward the dry goods store, that something made me take notice.I don’t know if ’twas the body type or the gait, but something screamed out to me that this was Cal—or that it might be.
I quick left the stoop in front of the saloon and paced toward the woman.When I got close enough, I tapped her on the shoulder.She started for sure, but instead of stopping and addressing me, she tucked her head to her chest and walked faster, holding her skirts so I could see her black-buttoned shoes making dust in the dirt of the street.
“Cal?”I said.
The woman stopped then and waited, not looking my way, as if deciding whether to acknowledge my address.
“It’s Jimmy,” I said, in a kind voice, as she seemed a bit spooked and like she didn’t want no attention from anyone.
The woman straightened and squared her shoulders, tipped her hat back and turned.
I recognized Cal’s familiar face, with its shadow of stubble, though it seemed she’d tried to hide that with subtle face paint, and I couldn’t blame her.If she was hoping to pass as female to the general public, she needed to cover up some of the most obvious disparities.
“Cal!We been lookin’ all o’er for you!”
I moved toward her, but she took a step back and regarded me with distrust and a deep-seated wariness, so I stopped and stood there.
“Jimmy?Is it—?Is it you?Truly?”Cal’s voice quavered as she looked me up and down and squinted as if she were trying to see through some sort of fog.I held myself back, because the last thing I wanted was to scare her off.Sure, we used to be friends, but a lot of time had passed.
“In the flesh and all the way from Port Essington.”I smiled like that was no big deal.“Miss June is awful worried about you, Cal.”
“Is Oscar with you?”
“He’s in the saloon with Trick.We’re all out here lookin’ for you.”
“My goodness,” Cal said, as if she couldn’t quite believe it.
She looked…well, not that good, if I were being honest.Her skin was pale and patchy, and the features of her face were gaunt, as if she wasn’t eating well.
“Are you all right?”I asked.
She stared at me for a long moment, then smiled and said, “Sure, I am.Why?”
The smile didn’t reach her eyes.’Twas a good act, but that’s what it was.Still, I wasn’t about to call her out about it.Not yet, anyway.
“Miss June says you left The Angel to get married.Did you?Get married, I mean?”
