Brides of Noelle

by Kit Morgan

  She smiled. “Just tell me what to do.”

  * * *

  “So we’re decided, then?” Felicity asked Chase as they prepared to retire. “I’ll gather what women I can for a meeting and we’ll go over a list of ways to improve Noelle. I do wish Genevieve were here instead of visiting her relative in Denver. She’s the expert, but she’s there to further our work here and did leave us with a list of things to do while she’s gone.”

  “Just don’t get in over your head, dear.” Chase yawned. “I wouldn’t want you taking on more than you can handle.” He tossed back the quilt and crawled into bed.

  Felicity blew out the lantern on the table and joined him, excitement coursing through her veins. “I’m so happy Ophey’s here.” She lowered the flame of the oil lamp on her nightstand to a dim glow.

  “Ophey?”

  “Ophelia, silly.”

  “I gathered. Yes, she’s keen to help.” He leaned over and kissed her. “About Ophey …”

  Felicity crossed her arms. “Yes?”

  “I can’t help but wonder why a pretty young woman who’s been part of Denver society would want to come to a place like Noelle?”

  Felicity fidgeted on her side of the bed. “As opposed to me?”

  “That’s not what I meant, love,” he said with a sweet smile. “I know you had … extenuating circumstances. Is that why she’s here too?”

  His wife sighed. “More or less. Her father threw her out for working for the cause.”

  “What?”

  She turned to him. “She had nowhere else to go. I didn’t know until she arrived.”

  “I see. Well then, I’ll have to add Miss Rathbone to my list.”

  “List? What list?”

  “The bride list, of course.”

  “Bride list? But Ophey didn’t come here to get married!”

  “Perhaps not, but how else will she survive?” he countered.

  “Chase, I told her that we’d figure something out.”

  “I just did. Promise kept.” He settled himself under the quilts. “Good night.”

  “Oh no, you don’t! We are not done talking about this.”

  “We are for the moment. I’m tired and your friend has no experience being on her own. Trust me, she’s going to need a husband, like it or not.”

  “But there are no men around here!”

  He opened one eye and arched an eyebrow to boot.

  “I mean respectable men looking to marry. Besides, what’s wrong with a woman living on her own?”

  “Nothing.” He closed his eye. “If she can find work to support herself. And there isn’t any here in Noelle for an unmarried woman … unless you count La Maison des Chats.”

  “I do not count that!”

  “Nor should you. Don’t worry, I’ll find someone for her.”

  “Who, a miner? Half the original men still waiting for a bride only care about silver now, and the new ones … well, who knows what they’re like?”

  He raised his head and opened his eyes. “You have a point. I’ll give it some thought – tomorrow.” His head hit the pillow again.

  Felicity rolled her eyes in frustration. “All right, we’ll talk about it tomorrow. But promise me you won’t breathe a word of this to Ophey.”

  “Not a word,” he grumbled sleepily.

  “Fine.” Felicity leaned over and turned down the lamp, plunging the room into darkness.

  “Felicity?” Chase said.

  “Yes?”

  “I love you.”

  She smiled. “I love you too, you stubborn man.”

  * * *

  February 8th, Noelle, Colorado

  A recent development has given me pause. If the town fills with whorehouses, how will that affect the influx of respectable citizens seeking to settle here? The current population of miners will be happy, I’m sure, but if WF is to consider Noelle for a branch location, won’t more houses of ill repute dampen the town’s chances? Must research further. I hope to speak with the mayor today – he of all people should be against such enterprises moving in. Will know more soon.

  CBJ

  Clint closed his notebook as a ruckus broke out on the other side of the saloon. Several miners were laughing at a man with a large dog, the biggest Clint had ever seen. It looked like a mastiff, but he’d never seen one in real life, only drawings in books. He watched and listened a moment to glean what the fuss was about.

  “What’s them cards ya got?” a miner laughed. “Thems to catch a pretty gal?”

  Cards? Clint thought. What cards? Playing cards, maybe?

  “Naw, he’s already got a pet!” another chortled.

  Clint heard a low rumble, and realized it was coming from the dog! Those miners had better watch themselves. Would the stranger set the dog on them? Would someone need to fetch the doctor? He noticed no one was getting too close to the stranger, and studied him more closely. He was decently dressed and clean shaven, unlike most of the miners taunting him.

  “I’m just looking for a place to stay,” the stranger said.

  Too bad, Clint thought. The Golden Nugget was full up as far as he knew, and he didn’t think there was a hotel in town. At least he hadn’t seen one.

  “No trouble, stranger – we’ll point ya in the right direction!” another said, giving him a playful shove.

  The stranger stumbled back a step, righted himself and straightened. “Then give it,” he said sternly. The dog growled again.

  If those miners were smart, they’d best get on with it. Still, with no hotel to speak of …

  “Ya just head down to the next street and check into Miss Jolie’s place. She’ll see ya get a room!” The miners chuckled and snorted.

  The stranger cocked his head. “Miss Jolie?”

  “Yep, she runs La Maison … er, the hotel!” another spouted.

  La Maison! Clint thought with a groan. The whorehouse?

  Unfortunately, the stranger didn’t know that. “Fine, I’ll go there for a room. Thank you, gentlemen.” He turned, the huge dog with him. Several miners stepped back, not wanting to be any closer to the beast than necessary. In fact, the dog was so huge that the leash the man had him on was almost ludicrous – the animal could easily pull away if it wanted. Hmmm, the dog must be well trained. Was it some sort of working animal?

  The miners continued to chuckle as the man headed for the door, bursting into laughter as soon as he was outside. “Won’t he be surprised!” one said. More men erupted into snorts and chuckles. Clint shook his head. Poor fellow – he’d get a surprise, all right, and not a pleasant one, either.

  He sighed again, picked up his coffee mug and drained it. Best he get on with his own business. Maybe then he could keep a pair of violet eyes from invading his brain. He hadn’t been able to get Miss Rathbone out of his head most of the night. Knowing she was right next door only made it worse … though not as bad as hearing her servicing a customer through the wall would have been. He’d find a place to sleep in the miners’ camp if that ever happened.

  But from what he’d seen – and hadn’t heard – he didn’t think Seamus the barkeep allowed the whores to use the Golden Nugget for business. If Miss Rathbone and her “friend” had to find a new location, their best bet was the empty saloon across the street from La Maison des Chats. He’d seen it a couple of hours ago after having breakfast in the only decent-looking restaurant (perhaps the only restaurant) in town. He ran a hand over his belly – that breakfast felt like it might return in force.

  But he had business to attend to, so now wasn’t the time to worry about his stomach, misinformed strangers, or a beautiful pair of violet eyes. He had to speak with Mayor Hardt – which meant that first he’d have to find him.

  He pushed back his chair and stood just as someone entered the saloon. He caught sight of him out the corner of his eye, spotted the clean-shaven face and dark hair, and wondered if the stranger had returned from his sojourn to the whorehouse. Then he realized it wasn’t the stranger from e
arlier, but a clergyman. “Howdy, Rev’rend Hammond!” several miners called.

  “Morning, boys. What are you all doing here? No work today?”

  “Ain’t our shift, Rev,” one answered.

  “Oh yes, my mistake. There are so many of you now, I can’t keep track of the new schedules.”

  “Don’t pay no mind, Preacher,” another said. “You just keep track of them sermons of yours. I liked the one last Sunday.”

  That got Clint’s attention. But where was the church? He didn’t recall seeing one during his morning explorations.

  “Then you’ll love the one I have planned for this Sunday.”

  “We’ll look forward to it!” said another, right before he spat into a nearby cuspidor.

  “I’ll be watching for you,” the preacher said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some business to tend to upstairs.”

  Several of the miners elbowed each other and made kissing sounds. “Give her a kiss for me, preacher!”

  Clint’s mouth dropped open. Not the preacher! He glanced between the miners and the clergyman who took the stairs two at a time. Oh no – this was worse than he thought!

  Two miners mimed being held and kissed while another stood and displayed a much more accurate portrayal of what would take place upstairs between the reverend and his “business.”

  Clint fell into his chair, pulled out his notebook, and shook his head in disbelief. His bosses at Wells Fargo were not going to like this.

  Chapter Four

  “Today I want to look at the building we spoke with Penny about last night,” Felicity said as she stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her hat. “I wanted to have a meeting with some of the other women as well, but I’m not sure we’ll have time for that.”

  “Sure, whatever you want,” Ophelia said. “It’s your town, after all.”

  “It’s hardly my town. It belongs to everyone.”

  “But you’re the preacher’s wife. That has some weight, I would think.”

  “For what?” Felicity asked as she adjusted her hat. “This isn’t Denver, Ophey. I’m simply trying to help the women here. If anyone stands out as a prominent figure, it would be Penny – she’s married to the mayor, after all”

  “Yes, I suppose. Who else did you say wants to help?”

  “Mrs. Sharp and Mrs. Stiles. They were quite adamant about making Noelle respectable when I met them.” She turned away from the mirror. “They were very excited.”

  “Wonderful!” she said with a smile. “Who else?”

  “Let’s see … Penny, of course, and Genevieve, she’s the real leader. But she’s visiting her uncle in Denver. Deacon Garrett Campbell is his name. She want’s to consult with him about starting a women’s mission here.”

  “Oh yes, the matchmaker. None of you would be here if it wasn’t for her.”

  “Right – she ran the mission for women in Denver and wants to continue her work here. I think it’s a splendid idea. The question is where?”

  “And she’s thinking of this abandoned building?”

  “Yes, she wanted us to see what sort of shape its in. We’ll take a look and then if time permits, speak with some of the other brides and start recruiting. Though I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t want to help.”

  “Other than time constraints?”

  “Yes, but they’ll be itching for something else to do.”

  “What is there to do in this town?” Ophelia asked as she looked out the window. “The men have their … pursuits, but what about women? Is there a ladies’ society, a sewing circle? An opera house?”

  Felicity’s eyebrows rose as her face brightened. “No, none of those, but you’ve given me an idea. There’s no source of entertainment in this town other than what the miners have – and let’s face it, their idea of entertainment and ours are quite different.”

  Ophelia rolled her eyes and nodded.

  “But what if we came up with something else, like, say, a talent show? We could use it to draw the community together.”

  “A talent show?” Ophelia thought a moment. Unfortunately her handsome neighbor popped into her head instead of ideas for Felicity’s program. “Yes, um … good idea.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, not at all. Just thinking.”

  “Good – I can use some ideas. We’ll talk about them on the way. Let’s go.”

  They left the Golden Nugget to a few whistles and jeers until Seamus the barkeep quelled the ruckus with a cold glare. Ophelia did her best to ignore the so-called admirers, but couldn’t help glancing over the tables. Sure enough, sitting in a corner was her handsome neighbor – looking right at her. In fact, he, too, was glaring, but at her! Now what was that about? Or had he been directing his gaze at the miners and she’d caught the tail end of it? No, he was definitely looking at her with disapproval. Was her hat askew? No matter – she and Felicity had work to do!

  They left the saloon and carefully made their way through the mud and slush up the street. “Cobb’s Penn,” Ophelia recited as she read the sign on the next building. “Do they carry coats?”

  “Yes – are you thinking you need one?”

  “I packed what I could, but left my good winter coat. I only brought my cloak.”

  “Do you have money?” Felicity asked, voice lowered. “Perhaps Chase and I …”

  “No, I can’t ask that of you,” Ophelia interjected. “I’m not your responsibility. Besides, I have enough money for a coat.”

  Felicity slowed as she lifted her skirts and stepped over a puddle. “Well, you know we’re there for you if you need us.”

  Ophelia smiled. “Thank you, but as you said earlier, this isn’t Denver. Neither of us has access to our fathers’ money anymore, and I can’t imagine a preacher making all that much.”

  Felicity sighed. “We do all right.”

  “Yes, I can see that. Don’t worry, I’ll get along.”

  They continued on their way, down another street – the only other street, as far as Ophelia could see – and approached an obviously abandoned building. “It was nice of the mayor to give me the keys last night,” Felicity said, reaching into her reticule to find them.

  Ophelia glanced around and spied a woman and a man leaving the building across the street with a dog. Ophelia’s eyes locked on the animal until the man stumbled. She flinched in response.

  “What’s wrong?” Felicity asked as she unlocked the door.

  The man righted himself with the help of the woman beside him. “Look at the size of that dog!”

  Felicity turned. “Oh my, he’s huge!”

  “He’s beautiful,” Ophelia whispered. “Reminds me of my father’s old dog, but he wasn’t nearly as big.” She looked the building over. “What is that place?”

  Felicity glanced at the structure, then the couple with the dog. “La Maison de Chats. The local brothel.”

  “Oh my.” Ophelia noticed the woman watching them back for a moment, then smiling. Ophelia weakly smiled back before following Felicity inside.

  “Brrr, it’s cold in here,” Felicity remarked.

  Ophelia rubbed her arms and shivered. She definitely needed a new coat. The couple and dog forgotten, she followed Felicity through the building. “It’s so dark in here.”

  Felicity found a lantern, pulled some matches out of her reticule and lit it. “Glad I came prepared.”

  Ophelia studied their surroundings. “This is a good-sized room.”

  “I believe it used to be a saloon.”

  “It does reminds me of the Golden Nugget.” Ophelia spied a staircase. “What’s upstairs?”

  “I have no idea. Shall we look?”

  They headed for the staircase when a noise caught their attention. Both women looked up. “Rats?” Ophelia said with a shiver.

  “Could be. We’d have to do something about that before we make use of this place.”

  “Will we? Can this become the mission?”

  “I don’t see why not,” Fel
icity said. “There are rooms upstairs. This large space down here would be perfect for meetings …”

  Ophelia shivered again. “I’m not keen on checking upstairs if there are rats.”

  “I don’t blame you.” Then Felicity noticed her shivering. “We can come back – you’re freezing. Maybe Penny will be in town later this afternoon. And we could bring Chase with us to battle the rats.”

  “Good idea.”

  Felicity headed for the door. “Let’s go to Cobb’s and see what they have in coats.”

  “Thank you,” Ophelia said as her teeth began to chatter.

  They left the building and headed straight for Cobb’s. Once inside, they went straight for the potbellied stove and warmed themselves before looking at the merchandise. Felicity smiled at a pretty woman behind the counter.

  “Is that one of the brides you told me about?” Ophelia asked.

  “Yes, that’s Avis. We’ll speak with her later. Right now we need to find you a decent coat. Did you bring your money with you?”

  “Yes, I have it right here.” Ophelia patted her reticule. “I have at least …” Her words were cut off the moment she laid eyes on Mr. Jones entering the store and going straight to the counter. She tried to look away, but couldn’t manage it.

  “What’s the matter?” Felicity asked.

  Ophelia craned her neck to get a better view. “Nothing.”

  “Who is that?”

  “Mr. Jones. My neighbor.”

  Felicity giggled. “You mean the man you told us about?”

  She nodded. “One and the same.”

  “I wonder what he’s doing in town. He’s certainly no miner.”

  “No,” Ophelia said dreamily. “He’s not.” She turned to Felicity. “What do you think he’s doing in town?”

  “How should I know? Didn’t you ask when you met him?”

  “No.” She returned her gaze to the handsome man. “I hope he’s not one of those confidence men your husband and the mayor talked about at dinner last night.”

  “Let’s hope not. Now, about a coat?”