By Melissa and Lisa
Copyright 2000
Rock Creek, Nebraska Summer 1871
Buck paced the floor of the parlor as Sarah once again went through the pain of birth. His four-year old children were all outside running in the sunshine and playing games with Lou and her two children. Kid and Teaspoon were both inside trying to keep the Kiowa's mind off of what we going on in his bedroom.
The baby was six weeks early and Sarah was having a hard time giving birth, after miscarrying twice in the last three years, Doc Evans had prescribed plenty of bed-rest. But it seemed to Buck that all the time she had spent in bed didn't do any good. When Sarah screamed out his name, Buck left the parlor and raced up the stairs to the bedroom.
"I'm here Sweetheart." He said as he approached the bed.
Sarah was pale and weak. Her bedclothes were soaked with sweat. "Buck, stay here I need you." She said feebly.
Buck looked at the doctor for an okay, when he gave it Buck sat behind Sarah, leaning her against his chest. Doctor Evans called for her to push again and she obeyed, all the while squeezing her husbands hand. Several minutes later their second daughter was born.
As Buck held the tiny child in his arms, his wife's body began to have spasms and convulse. Buck looked at the Doctor anxiously. Doctor Evans was covered in blood and working feverishly to keep Sarah from bleeding to death. Buck placed the baby in the tiny cradle he ran to Sarah and once again held her against him. As suddenly as the seizure had started, it stopped.
"I love you Buck, I will always love you." Sarah whispered.
As Buck kissed the top of her head she closed her eyes. Moments later she was gone.
The sound that emerged from Buck was pure anguish he had lost a piece of his heart and his life and the lives of his children would never be the same.
London, England Summer 1871
"Well, well . . . wot 'ave we got 'ere?" The man bent over the sleeping figure of a young woman. "Ain't you a pretty little thing?"
Sidney smelled the man before he got near her, she hoped that by pretending to be asleep he would leave her alone. She had no such luck, but that's the way her life had been going since she could remember. Working as a nanny since leaving the orphanage where she had been living off and on since she was six, Sidney Bennet had finally found a life she truly enjoyed.
But that had changed two weeks ago, when the father of her charges decided he wanted Sid to be more than just a caregiver to his children, he said he had needs that his wife wasn't meeting and Sidney was just what he needed. As the man forced himself on her, his wife caught them. The two hundred pound woman didn't want to hear explanations, she had decided that Sidney was in the wrong and after attacking the twenty year old, she kicked her out of their flat.
Before leaving Sidney took what little money she had and decided she would buy passage to America and try to begin a new life. Unfortunately the next boat out wasn't leaving for another three days and she found herself on the streets trying to make it until then. Luckily, Sid had been on the streets often enough to make friends, and those friends taught her how to survive when there was no one there to care for you.
As "stinky", the name she had christened him with, leaned over Sidney rolled on to her back and threw her fist upward hitting him in the throat. As he grabbed his injured body part, Sid jumped to her feet and ran until she had put what she thought was a safe distance between them. Looking around her she spotted a church, she entered it and said a prayer. She knew there was something better out there, she just needed a little help to find it.
Rock Creek Nebraska, Fall 1875
Rachel went into the restaurant to order dinner for the members of her extended family. Ever since Sarah's death, Rachel made sure Buck and the children were fed and well taken care of. At first, Buck resented her presence at the ranch. Then his resentment turned to acceptance and then he had gone so far into his grief that he didn't realize she was there.
She walked in and Charlene, the waitress, recognized her right away. "Good evening Mrs. Hunter, I have your meals all ready, give me one minute and I'll bring them right out."
"No problem, Charlene. Take your time."
Rachel sat down at a table next to the one where the waitress was taking the order of a young lady. Rachel had never seen her before, she turned to the pile of papers she had bought from the schoolhouse and began reading through the children’s essays, she didn't notice when Charlene had finished with the girl and approached Rachel with the meals.
"Schoolwork?"
Rachel's head jerked up, "Yes, Rock Creek is expanding. There are so many students at the school now. I have no idea how I'm going to keep on top of my work and still keep an eye on the ranch. Do you know anyone who is looking for work Charlene?"
Charlene shook her head slowly. "No, I'm sorry Rachel, but I'll keep an ear out. Should I put this on the bill?"
Rachel got up slowly, "As usual, yes." As she tried to make it to the door balancing the papers and the basket of food she hit the corner of an adjoining table and her papers scattered. The young woman who was sitting at the other table, got up and helped her to gather the fallen essays.
After everything was piled up nicely once more, Rachel thanked her and turned to leave. The girl placed a hand on her arm to stop her.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but did I hear you were looking for a housekeeper?"
Rachel nodded. "Yes that's right are you interested in the job?"
"Yes I am." Sidney began to get excited, she had come west to get married but that fell through. "My name is Sidney Bennet, I'm fairly new to town."
Rachel guessed she was English from her accent. "I'm Rachel Hunter, I should tell you this is not a housekeeping job, you'd have to look after four children, a set of eight year old triplets and a four year old girl. It's not going to be easy, the children have been running wild since the death of their Mama."
A look of sadness crossed Sidney's face, "The poor dears. And their father?"
Rachel decided that she should give Sidney the entire story so she sat down and motioned for Sidney to do the same. Once both women were comfortable Rachel began to tell the story of how Buck and Sarah had met and fallen in love.
"My that sounds so romantic." Sidney sighed.
Rachel smiled sadly, "Yes it was." Taking a deep breath Rachel continued, "Four years ago Sarah died in childbirth. Buck took it very badly. At first he wanted nothing to do with the child she had delivered, but soon she was the only thing that kept him going. That child has her father wrapped around her little fingers. That is, when he decides to get out of bed and acknowledge he has children. He drank very heavily at first, which Buck had never done before, now he drinks to forget. The ranch they live on is being tended to by their foreman, the house is kept by the same woman who's been doing it since Sarah and Buck were married. I guess you can say we all have been letting him get away with feeling sorry for himself, but no one knows what to do. The man has become a bear, when he used to be a puppy. I can't take care of the little on because I have to teach, and Lou has her own children and household to handle." Rachel turned to her with pleading eyes. "This is going to be a very difficult job, are you sure you want it?"
Sidney nodded, "I have no choice, I don't have anywhere to go." Sidney then told Rachel her own life story. The years in the orphanage, her trip to America and her subsequent stint as a mail order bride. "Can you imagine how I felt when I arrived here in town to meet my new husband, only to be told he died of old age?" Sidney shook her head slowly, "I used to be a nanny in London. I can do this, I'm made of tougher things than you know. Give me a chance. Please?"
Rachel looked over the young girl and smiled, she would give her a shot, if the girl didn't work out she'd be in the same position she was in now. "Can you start right away?"
Sidney nodded quickly, "Yes!"
"Congratulations, you've got yourself a job." Together the two women headed out and towards the ranch.
On to Chapter One
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