An Untamed Land by Lauraine Snelling

look. It always made her feel as though he thought she had no more sense than a goose. Truly, he just didn’t understand.
    “Mrs. Amundson gave me a map showing where to find an inexpensive rooming house. While she said it is not far, I’m afraid we must rent a cart to transport all our belongings. We have been fortunate so far that nothing has been stolen.”
    “I will go on ahead with Kaaren and the baby so we do not waste our money on carts and wagons. That is what God gave us strong backs for—to carry things.” Carl looked up at his older brother. You will not blame me and mine for spending our precious gold. We all agreed to carry our share of the burden . “Now that we are here, I know Kaaren will get better quickly. One day and two nights of rest is all I ask.”
    Carl watched as Roald locked his arms across his chest and dipped his chin so that his blue gaze beamed piercingly from under his hat brim. The silence stretched.
    We are partners, and I will act so . Carl straightened his shoulders. All his life he’d deferred to the wisdom of his older brothers. But now he had a family of his own, and they were his responsibility. “Agreed?” Carl thrust forward his right hand.
    With only a momentary hesitation, Roald took it. “Ja, we are agreed.”
    Carl did not miss the slight hesitancy on his brother’s part but chose to ignore it. Proving his manhood was no new thing. He’d been the younger brother all his life, with two elder ones to keep him in his place. But here in Amerika, things would be different. He and Roald would work as equals, starting now.
    “Come, kjaere,” he said for Kaaren’s ears alone. “Can you hold the babe, while I carry you? We will find you a good bed and another jug of cow’s milk to rebuild your strength. Mayhap there will even be fresh eggs to go with the bit of flour and sugar we have left.”
    Kaaren shifted Gunhilde in her arms. “Ja, we will be fine. I could walk some, though, I think.”
    “No, you must save your strength. Soon there will be roses in your cheeks, and I will hear you laugh again.” He scooped one arm beneath her knees and locked the other behind her shoulders. “See, you are so light I could carry you with one arm.”
    “There is no sense in my waiting here. I will come with you to carry one of the trunks.” Roald shifted one of the bags off the smaller of the trunks. “Ingeborg, you will remain—you and Thorliff.” The big man swung the trunk up to his shoulder and, once it was balanced, grabbed two valises in his other hand.
    “I want to go, too,” Thorliff pleaded, his bottom lip quivering.
    “Nei, you stay right here, and no more chasing after ruffian boys. Did you not learn your lesson?” Roald’s thick eyebrows nearly met between his eyes.
    “Ja.” The little boy twisted his coat button. A single tear slipped down his cheek.
    “We will be back soon.” Carl sent the child a private smile. “Then you can help us carry our belongings to the boardinghouse.”
    Thorliff brightened at the promise. “You hurry, then.”
    “Ja, sure. We will hurry.” Settling Kaaren more comfortably in his arms, Carl strode off after his brother, who was already a few strides ahead of them. They exited the sandstone block building by a small door in the side. Once out on the Battery walk again, the two men headed up Broadway, dodging milling immigrants, hawking peddlers, and seamen free on leave.
    If Carl had his way, he’d have stopped in a doorway just to watch the seething crowd and try to decipher the cacophony of all the languages. Instead, he had to watch where he stepped and try to keep Kaaren and the baby from being bumped into. He glanced down at her, pleased to find her cheeks brightening with the chill wind, and her eyes showing interest in her new surroundings for the first time in days.
    The baby started to fuss, her mewling whimper threatening to turn into a full-throated cry. How could one so tiny make such a large noise?
    “I’m