Chapter 63: Westward Ho

As Tom had predicted winter was hard that year. The snow was deep and the winds blew harder than they had previously. The talk around Washington said that it was the worst winter in ten years. Tom shook his head when Melody still spent time on the post. She didn't have many takers out in the snow, but it wasn't for lack of trying. She did everything in her power to talk Willard into installing a post inside the house, but he wouldn't hear of it. Tom secretly agreed with him, even though he was never asked.

When spring came Tom announced that it was time to return out west. He knew that some women had to be warned what they were getting themselves into, but he decided that some of them either already knew, or didn't need to know. He also decided that each warrior would have to make that decision for his women.

Tom called Luke and Ben into the drawing room. They were nervous about the reason for the call. "Luke tells me that you two like living the life of a white man." Ben looked nervously at Luke and he shrugged back at him. Tom grinned at them,"Can I assume that you two would like to stay and continue your work?" Luke grinned and Ben smiled so big that Tom thought his ears were smiling too.

He shook his head. "I will be sending a few more warriors back. Make sure that they understand what is going on, and how things are done. When they are trained, you will have the choice of returning, or staying here. I don't care how long that you want to stay. If you are old men with white beards still staying here, that's fine too. But remember the reason that you are here. You will always do your duty to your people first."

Tom saw solemn nods and looked them in the eye, "If I summon you, you will come to me, at any time without fail." Tom watched as they nodded their heads. Luke quickly bent down on one knee and put his hand to his heart. Ben watched and quickly followed his action. Tom nodded, "Okay, get out of here and get into town and start doing some business." They looked up and grinned and both of them were out the door in a flash. Tom watched them go and shook his head.

Tom called Mei and Su in to talk next. They were there quick and then seemed shy. Tom grinned at them and held his arms open. They were in his arms in a flash and as he sat they each sat on one leg and snuggled down against his chest. "We are going home soon. I will let you decide what you want to do. You can have me sell you. I'm sure you know who you would like to go to. Or, you can stay here and help Willard run the house. I'm sure that he would love the help. Or you can go with me. I will tell you that where we are going is primitive and you will have to learn a lot of things, even the language. You will have to share me with my other wives, and death waits around every bush and tree. It is not an easy life."

Tom watched them look at each other and they didn't even talk it over before Mei said, "We will go with our master. He is a good master; he protects us and takes care of us. And, he said that if we would go home with him, he would let us have his babies. We will stay with our master." Tom smiled at them and swatted them on the ass. They squeaked, but didn't budge an inch. Tom had to run them off with threats of beatings and torture. They left the room giggling, and went to find Jess.

Jess went to the drawing room and closed the door. She went to Tom and waited for him to tell her why he had called her. He pulled her down into his lap and she quickly snuggled in. None of them would ever pass up an opportunity to snuggle with Tom. "I have seen you with those dime novels." Tom felt her stiffen in his arms and grinned. "Tell me what you think about them. Who are your heroes, and who is the bad men?"

Tom waited until she realized that he wasn't upset, but he wanted to know what she thought. "I don't really have any heroes. Every novel is about a different person. Some are good men and some are bad men. A lot of them are evil, and they write about them. They tell how one man has killed fifteen men. It's scary and exciting all at the same time." Tom looked at her seriously and she knew that he wasn't making fun of her.

He seemed thoughtful for a while before he asked, "In your stories what have you read about Indians?" Jess looked at Tom and shrugged. "They're wild savages, always killing and scalping everybody. But I did read one onetime that said they were noble and fearless. I don't know what to think, I've never met one, and so many things in the dime novels are really tall tales." Tom smiled at her and shook his head.

He decided that it would be better to get his hands clean on this one. "What would you do if I told you that you had met an Indian?" Jess looked shocked, then she looked hard at Tom before she said, "If I had met an Indian, I think that I would have remembered. I mean they hardly wear any clothes and they wear feathers and everything." Tom tried not to laugh, but knew that her ideas came from novels.

"Okay, pay attention here, because I'm only going to tell you this once; I am an Indian; specifically a Cheyenne Indian." Tom watched as Jess tried to decide if he were pulling her leg, or just trying to make a joke. "I don't believe you. You are smart and you are educated. Indians don't go to school. You are just making fun of me." Tom watched her eyes fill up with tears and knew that this wasn't going well.

"Do you remember when I took off in Virginia? Tell me what I looked like then." Tom waited until she dried her eyes, and she thought about it. "Well, you looked like you do now, except that you weren't wearing a shirt, and you had on funny pants."

Tom nodded at her, "And I suppose that you understood everything that I said." Jess thought for a minute before she shook her head. "No, you and the others were talking in a funny language. I don't know anything about different languages. I thought it was French or something. I think speaking French is so sexy." Tom shook his head.

He tilted her head up so that he could look her in the eyes, "I was speaking Cheyenne, and so were the others. We are all Cheyenne Indians. We came here to fight for our people. We dress like white men so that they won't try to kill us as soon as they see us. I am very serious about this, and I need to know how you feel about it." Jess could see that he was serious and she suddenly didn't know what to think. 'Was he crazy?' 'Did he really believe he was an Indian?' 'What if he is an Indian?" 'What did she think?'

Jess thought for a long time before she said, "I really don't know what an Indian is, or what one looks like. Maybe you are an Indian, I just don't know. What do I feel about it? I still don't know, but I do know that I love you, as a white man, or an Indian, it really doesn't change who you are inside. That's the man that I love." Tom smiled at her.

He looked at her hard before he said, "I am asking you these questions because we are going back home, to the Indian village. We will live like Indians again. I need to know what you want me to do with you. Do you want to stay here, or go with me? I'm asking because there won't be any chances to change your mind, so you need to be sure." Tom sat and watched her think.

It was a while before she spoke, "I already said you're the man I love, so dress me in skins and paint me up because you aren't going to get away from me. Who knows, if you try to get away from me, I might just take up scalping myself." Tom laughed at her simple approach to the problem.

Tom pointed out that where they were going she wouldn't get a chance to buy things anymore, so anything that she wanted she had better make sure that she took with her. She grinned at him, "You mean that I can go and buy a whole bunch of dime novels and take them with me?" Tom laughed again and nodded his head.

She suddenly looked serious and asked, "Tell me the truth, do you think that reading those dime novels makes me simple? When I was seeing Willard, he tried to talk to me about a lot of things, but I didn't understand any of them. I know that you and Willard read those big books about important things. When he saw me reading a dime novel he laughed at me. That's why I hide them now, I don't want you laughing at me too."

Tom knew that she was serious and he never knew that Willard had ridiculed her, "Jess my dear, I will never laugh at you for reading the dime novels, or for what you do or don't know. I only ask that you always be willing to learn. Yes, I like to read different things, that you don't seem to like. It doesn't make me any better, or worse than you. You are just as smart as everybody else; it is just in a different area." Jess look at him in shock and shook her head.

Tom knew what she was going to say, and quickly put his finger over her lips. "Jess honey, take my word for it, you are a lot smarter than a lot of people. You can read and write. There are a whole lot of people that can't even write their own name. Believe me honey, you are a very smart girl and you will only get smarter the longer that you read." Jess looked at him for a long minute before she nodded her head, "Really?" Tom nodded his head and she felt better.

Tom had to shoo her out, too. She left with a spring in her step and went to find Janet. Janet was cautious about everything since her time on the post. She came expecting the worse and hoping for the best. Once again Tom opened his arms and pulled her onto his lap. Like the others she wouldn't refuse a chance to cuddle with Tom.

Tom didn't have to sugar coat things for her, he quickly gave her the same options that he gave Mei and Su, and the additional option of returning to Magnolia House. She had to think a long time, especially about Magnolia House but in the end she chose to stay with Tom. Her opinion included the fact that she had worked too hard to get where she was to give him up now. He smiled and swatted her ass on the way out. He felt good that his women wanted to stay with him regardless of the hardships.

Tom found out the others, with the same option, made the same choice. Robert didn't offer the girls the option of staying, but Eva wanted to go. Whether for her girls or for Peter, Tom wasn't sure. He didn't think that in the end that it really mattered.

Tom made arrangements for four wagons and started gathering provisions. Willard's usual efficiency showed itself, and soon things were arriving in short order. Tom personally checked over the horses. After sending two back he announced the others acceptable.

Peter checked the wagons over thoroughly and even made a few changes, just to reinsure that they had no trouble during the journey.

John made arrangements for two freight cars along the B&O, to the end of the line. It had managed to get all the way to Springfield, Illinois. Tom told John to arrange a short layover in Newburg, and to make sure that the girls didn't know about it. John grinned at the thought.

Robert was putting together his seeds, and crating them up. Some he even had the crates tarred so that they wouldn't get wet. He was going to fill almost a whole wagon on his own. Tom told him that he was going to have to travel with that wagon and to leave enough space for him and his girls. He wanted to put some supplies there too, but Robert flatly refused. Tom wondered if he got hungry enough, would he eat his precious seeds, or would he willingly starve?

All too soon they were ready to go. The girls mourned the loss of some of their pretty things, but weren't complaining when Tom reminded them that they could stay behind with their things. The wagons were loaded with supplies and Tom made sure that all of the women understood that riding in a freight wagon was a lot different than a carriage. They all sucked it up and climbed in.

They didn't have far to go. The train depot had their freight cars ready and they got the wagons and horses loaded. Robert refused to leave his wagon. Peter wanted to stay and watch the small amount of gold that they were carrying, even though Tom thought it was ridiculous. He still suspected that Peter didn't feel comfortable riding in the carriage cars. He assumed that he felt trapped by the close confines when the train was moving. The women stayed with their men.