Chapter 5: The Long Trip to Montana

 

 

A few days had passed since the O’Connells boarded the ship bound for America, and Alex was quick to notice that his parents needed time alone.  They had been so busy taking care of his sisters, that they had barely had anytime just for themselves.  One evening at dinner, Alex decided to see if they would let him baby-sit.

 

“Mum dad?”  Alex asked.  Both of them looked at him.

 

“I think you two should go out.  I can take care of my sisters for a while,”  he said.  That offer was very tempting to both of them, but handling three little girls all by ones self was a challenge, and neither parent was sure Alex knew what he was getting himself into.  He seemed to pick up on that.

 

“Oh come on what’s so hard about it.  All I have to do is get them to play tea party,” he said.  Hearing that mentioned got all the girls attention.

 

“Have tea part wif Awek,”  Louisa said.  Elizabeth, and Rebecca nodded.

 

“If your really sure about this,”  Rick said looking at Evelyn, who nodded her confirmation.  Both of them were willing to give Alex a try at baby-sitting, and after dinner, they all went back to their cabin.  Before leaving, Evelyn got the girls in their nightys, and their hair rolled up, then she and Rick prepared for a little time alone, while Alex played tea party.

 

“Awek you be King, and I be a pincess,”  Rebecca said.  Evidently Elizabeth didn’t like that idea.

 

“No I be pincess,”  she said crossing her arms over her chest.

 

“Why don’t all three of you be the princess?”  Alex suggested, hoping they would go for that.  Thankfully they did, and all was well.  They all looked up when their parents walked out.  Evelyn had on a pretty, long flowing dress, dark blue, with short sleeves.  She also wore her snake bracelet which wrapped up her arm.

 

“Mummy go wif you,”  Rebecca said running to her.  Elizabeth and Louisa followed.

 

“I thought you were going to play with me,”  Alex said.

 

“Go wif mummy,”  Louisa said very near to tears.

 

“We could play hide and seek,”  Alex said.  They all clapped their hands and ran to their room to hide.

 

“Thank you baby,” Evelyn said kissing him, then she and Rick made a quick get away.

 

 

 

 

It was a clear cool night, and on the upper deck, Rick and Evelyn walked hand in hand, just enjoying each others company, without any interruptions.

 

“I’ve missed us,”  Rick said leaning his head in to nuzzle against her neck.

 

“I’ve missed us too.  Rick what if they ask you to fight in the war,”  Evelyn said.  The thought of him fighting, of him leaving she and the children in a place she didn’t know terrified her beyond belief. Time and time again he had assured her that he had no intention of fighting, but she had a sinking feeling that eventually he would have to.

 

“Evie look at me,”  he said as he pulled her to face him.  She looked into his  dark blue eyes, and found safety there as she always had.

 

“I am not going to fight in the war.  They would have to drag me away before I would agree.  I know that sounds like I’m a coward, but I want to be here for you and our kids, and I’m not about to go changing my mind,”  he said.  Seeming to sense that she needed his strength, Rick pulled her into his arms and held her close to his strong body.

 

“What else is going through that mind of yours?”  Rick asked, as he rubbed his hand against her back.  She sighed always amazed at his ability to read her thoughts.

 

“I’ve been so worried about Jonathan.  He has always needed me to take care of him.  What if he gambles all of his money away, and can’t find a way to get to us.  What if he gets in a fight, and there is no one there to take care of him.  What if...”  Rick silenced her with a kiss, and she quieted.

 

“Evelyn Jonathan is a big boy, and maybe being on his own, not having us there to bail him out all the time, will teach him to be more responsible,”  Rick said hoping that were so.

 

“Now why don’t we go find a nice quiet spot and have a little fun,”  Rick said.  His tone made her skin crawl, for she knew what kind of fun he was referring too, and it had been a long time since they had been able to pleasure one another in that way.

 

 

 

Back in the Cabin, Alex and the girls had exhausted the game of hide and seek, and now the girls were all crying.

 

“Will you guys just stop,”  he said, wishing that he would have thought this through more clearly. 

 

“Want mummy,”  Louisa said crying harder.  Alex sighed and picked her up, and she snuggled against his shoulder.

 

“Why don’t we all lay in mummy’s bed, and wait for them.  I’ll tell you a story about the Mummy,”  Alex said desperate to try anything.

 

“Our Mummy?”  Rebecca asked not realizing what he meant by that.

 

“Well um it’s a bit different,”  he said, as he led them into his mothers room.  They all snuggled into bed and Alex began.

 

“A long time ago before Daddy knew mummy, he was in the Legion, that means that he fought men, with guns and shot them and killed them,”  Alex said.  He doubted they understood what he was saying, so he continued on with his story and got them to sleep.

 

 

 

It was fairly late when Rick and Evelyn returned to the cabin, and all was quiet.  After locking up, they both went in to the girls room, then Alex’s, and when they didn’t find them there, they checked their room.  Alex and his sisters were all sound asleep on the bed, and Evelyn smiled.

 

“Looks like he did a good job,”  she said softly as she walked around to the left side of the bed.  Gently she shook him awake and he sat up.

 

“I well, I guess I drifted off,”  Alex said feeling slightly guilty that he had.

 

“That’s all right baby,”  Evelyn said as he got up.  He gave her a hug and a kiss goodnight, and just a hug to Rick before he left to go to his own bed.

 

“Lets try putting them in their own bed,”  Evelyn whispered.  First, however, she put on her own night cloths, and as she did that Rick undressed down to his boxers.  Once they were ready for bed, Evelyn picked Rebecca up without so much as a peep, and carried her out of their room.  Rick followed her with both Louisa and Elizabeth who were also sound asleep.  Once they were all tucked in, Mum and dad retired to their bed, and for a little while all was peaceful

 

 

 

 

That night Louisa dreamed.  She dreamed about what Alex had told her, about a mummy who was all bandaged up like the one’s she had seen in the museum, and he was chasing her through the museum. 

 

“MUMMY,” she screamed in her dream.  It was the thrashing movements of her sister which woke Rebecca, and Elizabeth.  Both of them kissed her, but she didn’t calm down, then she sat up screaming.

 

“NOOOOOO get way,”  she screamed.  The door opened, and both Rick and Evelyn ran in.  Rick lifted her into his arms, and she clung to him for dear life.

 

“Mummy’s get me,”  she said, and began to cry.  While he worked on calming her down,  Evelyn lay in the bed with their other two girls who were also upset.

 

“Awek say mummy found you, an bad and daddy banged wif guns and sucked you up,”  Rebecca said.  As she finished with her story, of what had scared all of them, Alex walked in, and Evelyn looked up.

 

“I guess I didn’t think that it would scare them.  I told them about the time you and dad found Imhotep,”  he said.  Hearing that made Evelyn angry, but she quickly realized that her son hadn’t meant to frighten the girls, and let him crawl in to bed with them.

 

“I guess their smarter than I thought,”  he said as he hugged Elizabeth.

 

“They may not understand everything you tell them baby, but you have to be careful,”  Evelyn replied as she rubbed Rebecca’s back.  Getting she and Elizabeth back to sleep was not hard to do, but Louisa was still very much awake, and not about to let go of her daddy.  Still feeling bad about what he had done, Alex walked over to the rocking chair, and rubbed his baby sisters back.

 

“Louisa I’m sorry that I scared you,”  Alex said as he leaned in to kiss her soft baby cheek.

 

“Are mummy pretend?”  she asked looking at him for an answer.  Alex sighed.

 

“Just in story books,”  he said and Rick nodded.  For the time being, their daughters needed to feel secure, and that meant not knowing the truth of Hamunaptra.

 

“I seep wif you and mummy,”  she said.  Rick smiled.

 

“I think you need to stay here with Rebecca and Elizabeth, but I will sit with you until you go back to sleep,”  he reassured.  She sighed, too tired to really fight about having to stay with her sisters, and it wasn’t long before she too joined her them in sleep.  Once she was safely snuggled in bed with Rebecca and Elizabeth, everyone else returned to their beds, and for the rest of the night all was quiet.

 

 

 

A few days later, the girls decided to have their own adventure.  Alex was watching them again, and they were supposed to be asleep, but they had gotten out of bed.

 

“Go find mummy daddy,”  Rebecca said.  They snuck out of their room hearing Alex in his, and made an easy break for the door.  Once they were out on deck, they ran to the stairs and went down the to the lower deck.  There were a few people there who gave them funny looks, and the girls stuck close together running all the way to the end of the boat looking over the edge.  Out of the three of them, Elizabeth was the more daring, and she started to climb on the rail.

 

“Sissy no do dat,”  Louisa said tugging on her dress.

 

“I not hurting,”  she said as she smacked her hand away.  Both Rebecca and Louisa watched her climb the rail, then she slipped and fell over the side screaming.  Her dress caught on a hook, and Louisa ran to get Alex.  She bumped in to a man she didn’t know and she started to scream.

 

 

 

It didn’t take long for Alex to find that his sisters were not in their bed, and he ran to the upper deck figuring they had gone to find mum and dad.  Now he was with them, looking all over.  Rick had gone to the lower deck to find them and heard a familiar scream.  He followed it and found a Louisa being held by a man.

 

“Daddy Elliebeth falled,”  she said crying as Rick held her. 

 

“Where did she fall,”  he said.  Louisa took his hand and ran with him to the back of the ship, where Rick heard another scream.   He saw Rebecca, but he did not see Elizabeth and his heart began to pound.  When he looked over the rail he found his daughter hanging on a hook by her dress, and that was starting to rip.   Quickly Rick climbed the rail, and leaned over it.  He reached down and grabbed her arm just as the dress ripped and pulled her up and into his arms. 

 

“Oh thank you god,”  he said as he held her close. 

 

“Rick,”  Evelyn ran to them, as did Alex.

 

“She’s safe,”  he said not willing to let his baby go, then he did, holding her to face him.

 

“Don’t you ever run off again do you understand me.  That was very very dangerous,”  Rick said. He gave her two swats on the bottom, and then hugged her close as she cried harder.  Both Evelyn and Alex were surprised at his actions, but neither one of them said a word, and once Rick had composed himself he led them all back to their cabin.  For the rest of the day the girls had to stay in their room, and after that, Both parents decided they needed to stay together as a family.

 

 

 

 

 

It took three weeks all together to arrive in Montana, and one Sunday evening, the train arrived in Billings.  When the family got off the train they didn’t expect anyone to be waiting on them, but were pleasantly surprised to see Angie and Jake there. 

 

“We thought we could help out,”  Jake said, as he and Rick hugged.

 

“We could always use the help. You remember Evelyn,”  Rick said as she came over holding Elizabeth.

 

“It is so nice to see you again,”  Evelyn said as she gave both Angie and Jake hugs.

 

“And who might this beautiful little girl be.”  Elizabeth had her face hidden against Evelyn’s shoulder, not willing to let the man who stood before she and her mother have a good look.

 

“This is Elizabeth,”  Evelyn said.  Alex walked over with Louisa and Rebecca who clung to him.

 

“And this is our son Alex.  Alex this is Jake.  He has been your father’s friend for a very long time,”  Evelyn said.  Alex shook his hand, then they all worked to get things loaded in the truck.  Angie had also driven her car so that there would be room for everyone.  Once the bags were loaded, they left for the new house which was still being worked on, but was also now ready for the O’Connells to move in.

 

 

 

 

When they arrived, the girls were asleep, worn out from the long trip, and not sleeping well the past few nights on the train.  While Jake, Rick, and Alex got the luggage out,  Evelyn tended to the girls with Angie’s help, and took them inside the huge house.  It had a large front entry, like in the home in England, and a staircase leading upstairs.  Both Angie and Evelyn went upstairs, and down the right side of the hall, finding the second room to be the girls room.  The furniture had yet to be moved in, and Rick followed carrying Rebecca and some sleeping bags.

 

“Did the shipment arrive from England?”  Evelyn said softly as Jake and Alex laid out blankets and pillows.

 

“Two days ago, and we have it all put in both my barn and yours.  The horses have also arrived, and we will bring them here when you are ready,”  Jake reassured. 

 

“Should we get them dressed for bed?”  Rick asked softly as he place Rebecca next to Elizabeth.

 

“No, just take their shoes off,”  Evie said as she did so with Elizabeth’s  Once the girls were tucked in, and Alex brought in the lamp with the night light, and put that in, they all left to get the rest of the things they would need for the night.  The house was massive, and like the Manor in England there was a split level Library, and two sets of stairs, the one in the front, and the one in the Parlor.  Since everyone was tired and ready for bed, Jake and Angie took their leave, and once they had gone, Rick and Evelyn helped Alex get his pallet ready, then tucked him in bed along with Cleo and Siam, who would stay in his room at least for the night.

 

“Night mum, dad, love you,”  Alex said as he snugged against his pillow fully ready to go to sleep.  After kissing him goodnight, they headed down the hall to their room.  Upon opening the door they found a spacious room, bigger than their room in London.

 

“Pretty nice,”  Rick said as he spread out the blankets for their bed.

 

“It will look better once we liven it up a bit,”  Evelyn said trying to think of this house as home.  Rick noticed that she was being awfully quiet, and walked over to her, pulling her into his arms.

 

“I know this isn’t home yet, but we have one another, right, and that makes home and family,”  Rick said.  His words brought her around, and she hugged him letting the comfort of his arms make her feel safe.

 

“I’ll feel better once we get some sleep,”  she said.  He nodded and let her go.  Once they were dressed for bed both of them slipped under the covers and sleep soon found them.