Sarah's Valley

“Hang on, Sarah! I’m coming,” Beau Taggart yelled as he urged his horse Lightning into greater speed, knowing the raging river had drowned out his words. He berated himself for lagging behind on the embankment, determined to let sassy-mouth Sarah Elizabeth Casterloer cross under her own steam. When he saw her sitting high upon the bench of the large Conestoga wagon, he had offered to steer the cumbersome cart across the swollen waters but only received a sharp, ‘No, thank you, Mr. Taggart’ from the exasperating woman as she sniffed out her displeasure. Before he could explain to her the dangers of the flooded river, she had snapped her whip across the backs of her stubborn oxen as her wagon lumbered forward and into the water. Sitting astride his horse he had observed the equally stubborn woman try to physically keep the oxen plodding forward before watching, in horror, as the beast suddenly dipped under the water, tipping the wooden home-on-wheels forward before dumping Sarah off her perch and into the muddy, fast-flowing river. He now urged Lightning closer to the wagon, hoping and praying that Sarah would emerge from the murky water safe and unharmed. As he steadily closed the gap, he saw her pop up against a wheel, clinging for dear life and catching her breath before pulling herself up the spokes to plop back onto the bench. Water streamed from her dress as well as her hair but the brave woman that she was, Sarah grabbed the dropped reins as she called to the oxen to move forward. The big Conestoga lumbered up the muddy embankment on the opposite shore, coming to a stop on hard packed, dry land. He took a long look at the young woman, making sure she wasn’t harmed and taking in the sight of her hour-glass figure outlined to perfection under the wet dress. He was only a man after all and a beautiful woman in a wet dress certainly got his attention. Beau thought Sarah Casterloer was the prettiest woman he had ever seen the first time he laid his eyes on her. Nothing in the four months of their travels south had dampened that opinion. Even soaking wet she was a beaut. He finally brought his lustful thoughts under control as he doffed his hat to her in a gentlemanly manner. “Mrs. Casterloer,” he said as he addressed her properly. “You did a fine job of pulling your wagon across even though you took a mighty dunking yourself.” “I’m fine, Mr. Taggart. Don’t you have other wagons to see to?” “Yes, ma’am,” he replied trying to catch her eye but she kept her head averted and her eyes on the flooded river they had just crossed. “I’m helping Jules cross next so I’ll be going. I would have helped you, Mrs. Casterloer, if I had known Henny wasn’t helping. Where is he, by the way?” This time his words brought Sarah’s bright blue gaze directly to his face. Fire sparkled momentarily in their azure depths before she lowered her lashes. When she spoke her voice was without any emotion. “I thought you knew, Mr. Taggart. Henny disappeared soon after helping my parents cross.” “But,” Beau stuttered then clearing his throat and trying again. “But that was hours ago. Do you mean Henny has been missing all this time?” Sarah’s only reply was a shrugging of her slim shoulders. Beau swallowed the disgust he wanted to express out loud before saying, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Casterloer, I didn’t know. We’ll find him.” “Mr. Taggart,” her voice rang clear in the warm afternoon breeze, “Henny can take care of himself. I suggest you take care of whatever my father has you doing first before going off after my husband. This is not the first time he has disappeared and I am sure it won’t be the last.” Her husband. What a strange word to apply to Henny Casterloer. Sarah knew they were married in the eyes of God and legally married in the eyes of witnesses, but she didn’t feel married. She wasn’t sure what it should feel like but all she felt for her husband of four months was a very un-Christian emotion of dislike. She was told she had a choice of marrying Henny or not, but truthfully, what were her options? She wanted land in the new state of Mississippi and the only way to purchase it was through a husband. Even a good-for-nothing one like the one she had. Her mother assured her love would grow between them after they were married. It hadn’t.