He pulled aside the white canopy and quickly surveyed the interior.  “No cookstove.  That’s a help.”  He kept his eyes on her.  “You seem like a straightforward woman so I’m going to be honest with you.  This idea of taking on an additional wagon didn’t fare so well, even with your father promising enough supplies to feed them from here to hell and back, which is where I’d like some of them to go.  He let me know it’d be hard to hide your situation and I see now that’s true.  The only thing good is that there’re so many damn fools among the company they couldn’t get farther than their own front door without me and the smarter ones realize that.”

Charlotte bit her lip.  Her eyes had filled despite her best efforts.  “I wasn’t told anything.  For it to cause this kind of trouble, I couldn’t bear it, I don’t want to…”

“Never mind about that.  They’re not worth it.  Fording the river’s the important thing.  They’re coming up close behind me so it’s in our best interest to get you across first.”

Charlotte hastened to harness the horses and Ellis Gray stepped in to help.  “The river’s broad and shallow, but murky.  You have to feel your way across the bottom so you don’t get stuck.  We can talk later about anything you want.  But right now I’ve got to ask a lot from you and I need you to be okay with that.  Are you?”

Charlotte nodded.  Her hands were shaking.  She hoped he hadn’t noticed.  “I am,” she said.

“Then I’ll go ahead and take your mare with me.  You follow with the wagon and keep to exactly where I go.  Do you know your horses?”

“I do.”  She realized fear was about to take away her speech.

Ellis Gray swung back up onto his horse and took the mare’s lead.  “Just don’t lose your grip,” he said.

Too late for that.

Ellis Gray walked his horse down the bank and into the river trailing the mare.  The water rose quickly to his boots but no farther.  Charlotte took a deep breath and slapped the reins.  Thankfully, the team didn’t balk.  The wagon rocked heading down the bank, the horses needed more urging, then the water flowed underneath them, the river opening up on either side.  Each step seemed precarious but Ellis Gray’s horse waded on, the mare followed without protest and the team horses nosed in behind, leaning forward against the current swirling around their knees and the softer bottom that dragged at the wagon’s wheels.  When Ellis reached the distant bank, which seemed like an hour’s journey to her, he tied up the two horses and waded back in to bring the team and the wagon onto dry land.