By Kate
Anna sat down in her room, thankful that at long last the long night had ended. Fielding questions about her life and maintaining the story that she was telling was difficult and exhausting.
As she undressed, she grimaced in pain as the pain that had threatened to overwhelm her all night, engulfed her. Tears rolled down her face as she unwrapped the bandages from around her body.
The bleeding had finally stopped, but the marks of the recent and viscious beating that she had been subjected to, were clearly evident in the cuts, bruises, welts, and whip marks that decorated her back. The marks that Anna bore were not the first to mark her back. There were clear marks from previous beatings and whippings that marked her and her secret as clear as day.
Anna went to bed that night relieved to be free and hopeful that at long last, her secret could be put behind her and forgotten.
Early the next day, under an unseasonably warm sun, Emma set out on the stage to Denver. Anna, Teaspoon, and the boys returned to the station. Anna prepared began to prepare lunch and the boys went to work on their chores. Or, in the case of Cody, try to get others to do the chores.
Teaspoon went to Blue Creek for the day, to work out a horse deal for some new horses. Anna and Lou found themselves alone in the bunkhouse, Anna was fixing lunch and Lou was snapping beans for her.
"Anna?" Lou spoke up from her work at the table.
"Yeah, Lou?" Anna replied.
"Um..."she began.
"Lou, do you have something to tell me about your name," Anna prodded,
"Because your name is a little longer than Lou, isn't it?"
"It's Louise. How did you know?" asked Lou.
"I knew because you have a look of determination in your eyes that only a woman in this world needs. Don't worry, I won't tell Teaspoon or the others."
"Everyone knows, except Teaspoon." said Lou.
"Then I won't tell Teaspoon, every woman has the right to make her own way in this world."
Then, before Lou could say another word, Anna called the boys in for lunch and they all arrived, Cody at the head of the pack.
Lunch proceeded well, Anna proved herself to be a decent cook. When a biscuit fight broke out, Anna proved herself to be just as rambunctious as the rest, tossing a biscuit that hit Cody square on the nose.
"Too bad you didn't land that in Cody's mouth, he wouldn't have minded that a bit." observed Jimmy with a wry grin.
Cody's answer to that was a biscuit down Jimmy's shirt.
When the boys got too rowdy, Anna also proved herself to be an able manager of unruly youth. She got them to quiet down and finish the meal in relative peace and quiet.
"Y'all are easier to handle than my brothers and sisters were." Anna observed.
This was the one of the few personal glimpses that Anna had given the riders about her personal life and that just enhanced the mystery that continued to surround the new cook for the Pony Express.
On to Chapter Five
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