An Ill Wind

By Pat Miller

Emma Cooper and her family live on a farm in Missouri. She works outside with her dad attempting to take the place of a brother who died tragically at a young age. She has one good friend, Simon, who decided to leave home to see the country leaving Emma with a broken heart. When she is fifteen she is kidnapped by Russell who is wealthy, owns a huge estate, and who hires a man to keep a close watch on Emma to make sure she doesn't try to escape. After a time, Russell decides to strike out on the Santa Fe Trail taking Emma with him in a covered wagon. As they travel farther and farther away from Missouri, Emma wonders if she'll ever see her family again. She questions why God has abandoned her. Was she being punished for an event from the past? Emma hates the wind that blows every day on the prairie. Through the years of her captivity she learns that not all winds are ill winds.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098365790

Book preview

35

Chapter 1

1854

H annah! Emma whispered excitedly as she backed away from the window. You won’t believe this!

Hannah sighed. What now? Emma’s life consisted of one drama after another. Why are you whispering?

Emma sat down next to her sister at the kitchen table and begged for attention. I just saw Dad sell Rachel to that man, Clem. Mom hugged Rachel and then Clem helped Rachel get into his wagon. Then Clem gave Dad some money.

Emma owned a thirteen year old creative imagination. Hannah was seventeen and since their sister, Rachel, who was nineteen, was leaving, she would have to listen to Emma’s tales.

Did you know that Rachel was leaving? You must be worried like me. Why didn’t anyone tell me? Where’s she going? Why was Clem paying Dad?

Before Hannah had a chance to answer all the questions, Dad and Mom came in the kitchen door.

The Cooper family, Martin, Clarissa, Rachel, Hannah, and Emma farmed the rich soil of the Missouri River near the town of Riverview, Missouri. Martin Cooper had lived on the farm his whole life, and when his father died, he inherited the farm and all the land that went with it. He would be rich if he just had the manpower to work the soil and help with the stables. He had hoped for a son to help and then take over the farm, but tragedy had taken away that hope.

I’m going to the meadow to ride for awhile, Emma told her mother the next day.

Okay, but you have chores to do when you get back. And you better not be sneaking down to Becky’s.

Becky and Chet Turner were the closest neighbors to the Cooper family. Becky and Clarissa had been friends growing up. But they both had crushes on Chet Turner and Becky had won his love. Clarissa had been bitter about it ever since. It wasn’t that she didn’t love Martin Cooper, it was the idea that she hadn’t won. Clarissa had spent her whole life bitter about something, always placing blame on someone else for her own shortcomings, and making excuses for her unhappiness. Emma suffered the most for that bitterness.

The day after Rachel left, Emma sneaked over to talk to Becky. Clarissa hadn’t been happy to find out about the friendship that had developed between Becky and Emma, and had forbidden her to go to the Turner’s without permission. Emma knew she shouldn’t disobey her mother, but she had no one else to talk to, so she always tried to find ways to visit without her mother knowing. Anyway, she doubted that her mom would give her permission.

Communication was sadly lacking in the Cooper family.

Becky was so pretty. She had blonde hair that was pulled into a knot at the back of her head, and she wore nice clothes even when she was working in the garden. When Emma complained about her mother, Becky never said an unkind word about Clarissa.

Emma found Becky in the garden the day after Rachel’s departure. She wondered what her friend would say when she found out that her parents had sold her sister.

Becky stood up, pulled off her straw hat, and wiped off her wet forehead with the back of her hand. Emma, you must be mistaken. Surely Rachel wasn’t sold! Did you ask your dad?

Emma didn’t miss the fact that Becky mentioned her dad, not her mom. Well, no. I asked Mom and she hit me . . . again. But I saw Clem give Dad some money, and I heard Mom say later that she was sure Clem would take care of Rachel. I think he was German because he sounded like some of the men in the store. He came to supper, and when we all sat down to eat, I could hardly understand him. He just kept staring at Rachel. That should have told me something. But I never thought my parents would sell their own child! Sometimes I think I hate my mother! I know that’s terrible but I can’t help it.

Becky stood up and brushed the dirt off her hands. I need a break. Let’s go get some lemonade.

The Turner house was so different from the Cooper’s. Becky had all kinds of quilts and doilies adorning the home. She was teaching Emma how to knit and crochet. They took the yarn out to the front porch and sat and knitted in the heat of an afternoon. Emma had helped to put together a quilt for the church silent auction. Her mom and dad didn’t even go to church. She had asked if she could go with Becky and was given a resounding No! But Hannah had friends at the church in town and she took Emma along with her. Dad had insisted that even though he and Clarissa didn’t attend, his girls should have some knowledge of the Bible.

Emma, grab my Bible that’s sitting on the table by the window. Becky washed and dried her hands leaving garden dirt in the sink. Then she met Emma on the front porch.

I want to read something to you in Matthew. Becky’s hands moved quickly to find the passage and then read: ‘Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.’"

Emma multiplied seven by seventy. But that’s 490!

Becky smiled. It means that God takes forgiveness very seriously. If you let unforgiveness take root in your heart you’ll be miserable. Every principle that the Lord spells out for us is for our own good. Forgive your mother, Emma, for your own good. Those hateful feelings will soon be gone in the light of forgiveness.

When Emma left Becky that afternoon, she felt a little better. Rachel was still gone and she still didn’t know why. But she never left her friend without some semblance of peace. Becky always took her hands and prayed for her and the rest of Emma’s family. One time, Chet came in from the barn and sat down and prayed, too. Chet Turner was so handsome. Emma could see why her mom had had a crush on him. But Martin Cooper was handsome in his own right - tall, lean, with coal black hair and twinkling eyes. Emma loved her dad. She knew her dad loved her, but she couldn’t understand why he would allow Mom to be so harsh with her.

A few weeks after Rachel left, Emma found a way to visit Becky again. As she rode her horse over the hill and down to the Turner farm she saw Becky waving to her from the barn. She felt somewhat guilty at the lies she told her mom in order to visit Becky.

I’m so glad to see you, Emma. Come with me to the porch. Chet will take care of your horse.

Emma was surprised as she handed the horse off to Chet. That man winked at her as he pulled the horse into the barn.

Becky brought out glasses with iced tea and a plate of cookies and set them on the small table between two wicker chairs on the front porch.

Emma helped herself to a cookie as Becky took the bottom of her apron and waved it in her face. Isn’t it hot today? she asked. I have something to tell you and I know you’ll be relieved to hear it. I found out something at church yesterday. I’ll tell you and hope it won’t be regarded as gossip.

Gossip could get out of hand in a small community, and although the Coopers and Turners lived out a ways from town, stories eventually caught up with them.

I know you’ve been worried about Rachel, but you don’t need to be. My friend, Nora, has a brother who was here visiting last month and saw Rachel in church one Sunday. Well, Clem had lost his wife in an accident at his place in Dakota Territory. He has two little ones, and has been grieving while trying to take care of his children and farm. Becky stopped to take a long drink of her iced tea.

Anyway, Nora said Clem had to take a break from all the misery so he could try to face life without his wife. So he came here for a few weeks while his wife’s mother took care of his kids, and his brothers took care of his farm. Emma, he and Nora are from Germany. I have trouble understanding Nora sometimes so I can understand why you couldn’t keep track of the conversation at the dinner table.

But Clem didn’t even hardly know Rachel. I saw him in church and before I knew it, he was sitting at our table!

Just wait a minute, Emma. I’m not done yet. Rachel is friends with Nora’s daughter, Alice, and she asked who was sitting with her parents in church that day. And after church, Clem asked who was sitting with Alice! Nora didn’t want to seem like she was matchmaking, but told your mom, and Clarissa invited him for supper. Now I don’t know how Rachel felt at first, but I do know she wouldn’t have gone with Clem if she didn’t want to. Nora said her brother was quite taken with Rachel. You know how quiet and modest Rachel is . . . really, just a lovely young woman.

Yes, Emma knew what her sister was like, and Emma was nothing like Rachel. Clarissa often compared Emma with her sisters and she always came out lacking.

Your sister had told Alice that she was worried that she’d never meet anyone. She was already nineteen and there were no men around that she would even consider marrying. Rachel told Alice that she thought Clem was handsome, and when they went for a walk after supper that night, he talked a lot about his children. I guess after walking and talking over the next several nights, Rachel decided she saw something in Clem that she liked. She and Clem decided to get married at the church in town on the way back to his home. The money you saw exchanging hands was for a horse Clem had bought from your dad.

So Rachel wanted to go? That was a relief. But there would be no beautiful wedding with all the flowers like Rachel had dreamed about.

Emma thought about what Becky had said, Sometimes these things happen, Emma. You must pray for your sister that she made a sound decision.

Chapter 2

1855

The days passed by quickly that summer and fall, and soon another year had gone by. Rachel had written a letter and told the family that she was living on a farm somewhere north along the Missouri River. Clem had settled the land with his family. She now had two brothers, another sister, and two step children. Clem’s parents were both back in Germany. Rachel had to help take care of the family working from sun up to sun down. She wanted her family to know that she was doing her best to be a good mother to Clem’s two small children. Emma noticed that she didn’t say that she was doing her best to be a good wife to Clem.

It was good to hear from her sister, but Emma wanted to know if Rachel was happy. Did she find some affection for the man who had taken her away? She wrote back with those questions, but Rachel had never answered.

Emma was fourteen now and worked alongside her father as the son he’d never had. He had bought three more horses, adding to the dozens he already owned. Cleaning stables and filling the barn with straw was a never-ending task. She loved the horses. She had even named one of the new ones Star. He had a beautiful chestnut mane with a white star gracing his forehead. He seemed to favor Emma and nodded his head when he saw her enter the barn. In the afternoons when her chores were finished she would take Star for a ride in the meadow north of the farm.

Hannah was in love with the preacher’s son, Ben. Emma was keeping the secret because they knew Clarissa would not approve. She was hoping Hannah would marry the son of the town lawyer. Hannah had told Emma that George Mathis was too full of himself to ever catch her eye.

I’m afraid Mom will send me off to Grandma Cooper’s if she finds out I’m in love with the preacher’s son, Hannah told Emma one afternoon on the way home from church. Martin’s mother lived in Independence and Emma could count on one hand how many times she had seen her since her grandfather died. She had watched with interest the romance going on between Hannah and Ben. The only ones who didn’t know were their parents. Emma didn’t like boys, although she felt her face flush when Simon Bishop complimented her new bonnet. Simon was four years older than Emma.

Maybe you should elope, Hannah. Nothing you do would cause any trouble. I’m the one who doesn’t fit in when it comes to Mom.

Hannah looked at her sister. It’s been easier on you since Dad hired Silas. You know I don’t like the way Mom treats you. She’s never lifted a hand to me and it’s not fair. I’ve tried to talk to Dad but he says to leave it alone . . . whatever that means.

Emma had the reins again today as she guided the horse and buggy from church. She and Hannah had been entrusted with the family buggy so they took turns with the reins. Hannah didn’t like horses so it was easy to hand over the reins to her sister. Emma had a habit of going too fast. She took her time going to church because they would be covered in dust by the time they arrived if the horse wasn’t kept at a steady clip. But each week she tried to break a record on the time it took to get home from church.

Emma, promise me. If you ever hear Dad and Mom talking about me and marriage, you have to tell me. If they plan to bring some man home to take me away, I’ll just die. I’ll run away to Ben before I’ll go off with some stranger. Promise me.

Emma was surprised. She never thought about marriage and certainly hadn’t entertained any thoughts of some man coming again. Hannah was only eighteen so why was she even thinking about getting married?

I don’t know why you’re in such a hurry to get married. You’re only eighteen.

You do know that Mom was seventeen when she married Dad. I can understand why Rachel thought she was destined to be an old maid at nineteen. I haven’t forgotten how worried I was when Rachel asked me what I thought about Clem. I never really thought she’d go off with him.

Emma chuckled. Don’t worry. Mom hasn’t invited George Mathis to dinner yet! But what did she know? Would Hannah be sent off and in time, Emma, too?

As they rode home that day, Emma thought about what had happened as she led the horse and buggy out from under the canopy of trees lining the church. Two girls came up to her, Helen Cranston and Molly Klein. Emma had tried to be friends with both girls but they didn’t seem to want her friendship.

Helen said, Why Emma, I hardly recognized you. I didn’t know you owned a dress. Are you wearing trousers underneath?

Both girls giggled.

Emma’s face warmed and she clenched her fists. How could she answer such a question? She tried to ignore their barbs. Before she could come back with something Simon came out from behind the buggy.

Hello, Helen, Molly. I’m going to help Emma with the buggy. You’ll have to excuse us.

With that he turned away from the girls and Emma saw the shocked look on their faces. She couldn’t hide the smug look she knew was all over her face. All the girls wanted Simon to notice them. Emma thought he was cute, if you liked cute boys. Simon was her good friend. She liked his brown eyes. When she talked to him, his eyes looked right at her, and he made her feel like her words were the most important he had heard all day.

She was up to thirty on the forgiveness count. She told Simon about the scripture and told him she was keeping track of how many times she had forgiven someone. She was disappointed when he said she had it all wrong. Jesus meant that you should forgive each person who has offended you 490 times. She knew most of the count went to her mother, but keeping track of each individual was just too much!

One day in mid-summer, Emma had taken the wagon to Riverview to pick up supplies her father had ordered from the hardware store. The townspeople were used to seeing the young girl up on the seat of the wagon. When she pulled up in front of the store Simon greeted her. He gave her his hand to help her down, but she brushed it away. She didn’t need any help. If she had looked at Simon she would have seen a small smile on his face.

Whatcha’ up to, Emma?

Just picking up an order for Dad. How about yourself?

I have a delivery to make.

Emma thought he might be sweet on her, but she didn’t give it much thought. She had too many other things that interested her, besides the fact that he was way too old for her. But she did enjoy meeting up with him sometimes in the meadow by the pond. He had taught her how to swim. He laughed when she kicked off her socks and boots and waded in. The best way to learn how to swim is just to dive in! With that, he had picked her up and tossed her into the water. When she got home she told her mom she had fallen into the pond.

Did you hear about the big brush arbor church meeting?

Emma gave him a questioning glance.

It’s just a church meeting outdoors under the trees, Emma. I’m going. I could pick you up and we could go together. He had his fingers crossed behind his back. She’s just a friend, he reminded himself.

Emma noticed the hopeful look on Simon’s face. I’m not sure. Mom lets me go to church, but I’m not sure about a night meeting in the trees. She started to walk to the entrance to the store, but paused and looked back. I’ll ask. If I do go, I’ll probably ride in the buggy with Hannah. I’m sure she’ll want to go.

Simon smiled and his whole face lit up. It was the smile that Emma always waited for, along with all the other girls at church and school.

Okay, I’ll look for you. Emma was young, but there was something about her that had captured his attention. He shouldn’t even be thinking about a girl with the plans he had for his future.

A large crowd greeted Martin, Hannah, and Emma under the trees in back of the church. The fact that Martin had agreed to go was still a mystery to Emma. When Hannah had gone to him in the stables she was apprehensive. She told Emma not to hope he would consent to them taking the buggy after dark. And there was no way Mom would allow Ben to stop by and offer a ride.

Martin had thought about attending church with his daughters for some time. He didn’t know how to approach Clarissa with his desire to seek something more for his life. So when Hannah asked about the night church meeting and saw how much she wanted to go, he thought it would be the perfect time to find out if he could renew the faith he’d found so long ago. He hadn’t been to church in years. Clarissa wouldn’t like it, but it made sense for him to take the girls since the meeting was at night.

Clarissa handed shawls to Hannah and Emma as they went out the door to climb into the buggy. The night air might get chilly, she said as she walked the girls to the front porch. Stay close to your dad.

Martin was relieved when Clarissa didn’t put up much of a fuss. He was hoping, no praying, that this might be the start of something he knew his family desperately needed. But he couldn’t convince Clarissa to go with them. Martin’s mother had attended church every Sunday, and she took Martin and his brother, Ned, along. Martin’s father didn’t attend but wasn’t opposed to his family learning about God.

Clarissa was getting worse. Martin was at wit’s end concerning his wife. He saw how hard she was on Emma, but when he tried to intervene Clarissa took out her anger on him. Something had to be done.

A huge crowd gathered under the trees in the forest near the church. The sun was just setting behind low clouds and the air was filled with excitement. A visiting preacher was going to be leading the service. The Coopers walked along with the crowd to find a place to sit. There were some chairs, but mostly logs cut in half lengthwise provided the guests with places to sit. Hannah strained her neck to find Ben.

Martin found a long log and stepped back so Hannah and Emma could sit down, while he sat along the aisle. Becky and Chet found them and asked if they could join the Coopers on the log bench. Martin scooted over so Chet could sit on the aisle and Becky sat down between Emma and Martin.

Becky whispered to Hannah, I never thought I’d see your dad sitting here. How did you get him to come?

He didn’t want us to be out alone after dark so he volunteered to chaperone us. But I really think he wanted to come and we were his excuse.

Hannah caught sight of Ben waving to her so she asked Martin if she could join some of her friends.

Why sure, just wait at the buggy after the service if you can’t find us in this crowd.

A makeshift stage had been built in front of the chairs and Emma watched with anticipation as Reverend Shafer from the local church stepped up to the lectern. When he asked everyone to stand for a prayer, Emma felt someone touch her arm.

Mind if I join you? Simon leaned close to Emma and whispered in her ear.

Emma moved over to make room for him. Well, did she really have a choice? She didn’t mind, though, because she didn’t have many friends, and Simon had stuck by her on several occasions when some of the girls made fun of her. They said she should have been a born a man because she didn’t wear the frills and laces that the other girls did. They didn’t know how difficult it was to do chores in a dress. Truth be told, she often wished she had been born a man. That way she could help her dad even more with the farm chores.

After the prayer, while everyone was still standing, a man broke out in song and everyone joined in. It was a moving sensation to hear all the voices in harmony singing in one accord. Emma was surprised when she noticed her father join in knowing all the words to the songs. She would remember to tell Hannah about it.

After several songs everyone sat down, and the visiting preacher got up.

Tonight I’ll be preaching from Jeremiah. He paused and looked over the crowd and seemed to read everyone’s mind.

Emma squirmed on the log when his eyes sought hers and paused.

I know what you’re thinking. Why isn’t he preaching out of the New Testament? Why isn’t he going to tell us about Jesus? He opened his Bible and looked out over the crowd. Well, my friends, we know Jeremiah was known as the Weeping Prophet because he had been given the task of warning the backsliding Jews about impending dark days. But we also know that the trials and temptations, the joys and sorrows that the Jewish nation experienced are there for us to learn from; to see their mistakes and hopefully not make those same mistakes. Indeed they are an example for us.

Emma was enthralled. She’d never read any of the Old Testament…except Genesis. The church she attended with Hannah taught much about the life of Jesus, the disciples, the miracles, sin and repentance, and all that stuff. She began to relax under the trees. The sun had gone down and fireflies came out, sparkling in the dark. There was a light breeze that rustled the leaves in the trees and blew the flames from the torches that lined the crowd. She gazed over at Simon and saw the intense expression on his face, and it drew her back to the sermon.

The preacher went on, I grew up in the mountains of Appalachia and have known extreme hardship in my life. I watched two brothers die of typhoid and my father from a fall from his horse. But did my mother fall in a heap and pity the life she had been handed? Did grief pull her so low she couldn’t get back up? No, my friends, she was a Bible believing woman who knew the scriptures backward and forward. I may never know this book like she did. He picked up his Bible and waved it in the air.

Before I had the calling to preach, I had asked her how she got through it. She said she learned that if you run with the footmen and they weary you, what will you do when the horses come? That’s in Jeremiah 12, verse five. Well, I gave that a lot of thought. If we let the challenges of life get us down, and we don’t get back up, who’s to say something even worse might be just around the corner, the horses, if you will? Will we let the problems that seem to stack up, one on top of the other, get us down? Or will we cast our burdens on Jesus who will carry them for us?

Emma felt like there was a message here for her. Was God using this man to speak to her? It gave her chills. Were others as touched as she? Her challenge in life was her mother. Could she ever do enough to make her mom love her? What could Jesus do about that? She prayed all the time and didn’t get any answers. She felt like her prayers got lost somewhere between earth and heaven. She pictured someone at the gates of heaven saying, Don’t listen to Emma’s prayers. We all know what she did. How could she make sure her prayers were even heard?

She fidgeted on the bench and Simon put his hand on her arm to keep her from moving. He didn’t even look at her he was so involved in the sermon. Perhaps he had a challenge in his life too. Emma had already met the footmen and was now contending with the horses. What could be worse?

Don’t you all know that the Lord has a plan for your life? It’s a plan to give you hope, to prosper you, and give you a future. Ask for his plans because his plans will not harm you. If you seek him with all your heart, you will find him. What’s keeping you from seeking him? What have you got to lose?

Emma couldn’t hear the preacher’s voice because of the thoughts that ran through her mind. What was this all about? She read the Bible and knew about God and his son, Jesus. But she had never heard that somewhere out there was a plan for her life. What was that plan? How could she ever break through her mother’s displeasure? What could she do to make her mother love her? The abuse was getting more difficult to forgive. Emma was not the least bit impressed with God’s plan for her life so far. He had made a mistake when she was born.

Come forward if you want to meet Jesus. Come. Give your life to him. Ask him to forgive you for leaving him out of your life, and to take your sin away. He’s a friend who will never leave you, will love you no matter what, and will guide you throughout your life. What’s keeping you?

It seemed like something was drawing her; someone was drawing her to go forward. She rose from her seat barely noticing that Simon was no longer sitting beside her. She went down to the front, and a man had her repeat a prayer of repentance. She asked Jesus to come into her life. When the prayer was over she rejoined her father. Becky hugged her with tears in her eyes.

Emma, your life will never be the same. You’ve just made the most important decision of your life.

Emma didn’t understand what had happened, but she felt a stirring inside that she couldn’t describe. She wanted to go home and think about the evening, the things she had heard, the thing she had done. Surely it wasn’t a mistake to hand over her life to someone she couldn’t even see. How could a simple prayer change her life? She had much to ponder.

When she went to bed that night, Emma talked to God. She told him she wanted to get to know him. How would she do that? Grandma Cooper had given her a Bible for Christmas when she was five, but she didn’t read it that much. She was glad to have it because she noticed everyone at church had one. Hannah told her to carry it every Sunday, but the only time she read it was in church. Was God listening to her tonight?

The next morning she got up before the sun and went down to get something to eat. Martin was fixing coffee. He and Emma were always up first.

What did you think about the meeting, Emma? You were so quiet on the way home last night. Did you like the sermon? Martin looked closely at his daughter. He wondered why