Dead Set Delphinia

by Zina Abbott

  Delphinia spotted half of an empty bench—a plain, unpainted bench? At a dance?—against the back wall of the classroom. At this point she chose to not quibble about the quality—or lack thereof—of the available seating. She quickly sat down.

  It was a mistake for her to have come. Hopefully the food tables would hide her long enough until she figured out what she wished to do. She should march right back up the stairs, reclaim her coat and shawl, and go back to the boarding house. If only she didn’t owe Mr. Archie Long a dance in exchange for his assistance with her trunks the day she arrived.

  Delphinia’s sense of discomfort shot through the roof as Bennett Nighy approached her, a plate in one and his fork in the other.

  “Do you mind if I sit on the end of the bench, Miss Brown?”

  Delphinia pulled the skirt of her gown away from him in hopes Bennett would not drop crumbs or cobbler filling on it. “Be my guest, Mr. Nighy. I see you found the food you came for.”

  “Yes. It’s very tasty. You should try some.”

  Eat while her stomach was tied in knots and cinched up in her corset? Not wise. “Perhaps later.”

  “Looks like the mayor is getting ready to get this shindig officially started.” Bennett nodded in the direction of the raised platform. The fiddler had stopped playing and had stepped back. In his place stood Gerald Shumaker.

  Delphinia’s eyes briefly widened with surprise. So, the man to whom she had helped sell the furniture the day before was not only the town banker, he was also the mayor. She listened and studied the people in the room with half an ear as he launched into a welcome speech that bore the hallmarks of political spiels everywhere. The people of Jubilee Springs seemed open, sociable and happy. Their behavior bore little resemblance to that of the stiff and formal members of New York’s upper crust. The realization made her feel even more out of place.

  Delphinia refocused her attention as Gerald Shumaker stepped down and Royce Bainbridge stepped up on the platform. “Thank you, Mayor Shumaker. Folks, I asked our good mayor for a few minutes of your time to welcome some newcomers to Jubilee Springs, people I know you will welcome and encourage to feel right at home in our little community. They are the ladies who have arrived with Mrs. Lizett Millard of the Colorado Bridal Agency. Hopefully, within a matter of a day or so, they will be brides to some of the lucky men who work for the Prosperity Mine. I know our community has anxiously waited for this day.”

  A response of clapping, hooting and “hear, hears” exploded in the room. Delphinia did not join in. She should have been among those brides being welcomed. Instead, Lizett Millard had treated her like a pariah and had ordered her to stay away from these men seeking wives. The one man in Jubilee Springs she had considered sat not two feet away, far more interested in consuming a plate of sweets than in her and her proposal. So far, Delphinia did not see a future for her in Jubilee Springs.

  Royce Bainbridge raised both hands in the air in an attempt to quell the excitement and recapture everyone’s attention. Soon the room grew quiet once more. “I also wish to make another announcement regarding our efforts at Prosperity Mine to help this town grow by bringing here the women that keep us men acting civilized and on our toes. As some of you may know, one of the original miners who qualified for a mining company house is no longer with us. We have selected another of our faithful employees to take his place. Michael O’Hare, come forward. Step up here next to me so everyone can see who the lucky man is.” Royce reached his hand out in welcome until a young Irishman with reddish hair and freckles Delphinia guessed to be not many years older than she was join the mine owner on the stage.

  As applause of congratulations, and a few teasing cat calls by fellow miners filled the room, her thoughts flew to Annie’s sister who wanted to write to Lizett Millard in hopes of finding a man out west to marry. As much as Delphinia now found the thought her of doing further business with Mrs. Millard distasteful, she could not help but think that someone like the young man standing on the platform, now flush with embarrassment, would probably be a good match for a young woman like Annie’s sister.

  “You won’t catch anyone’s eye so they’ll ask you to dance if you hide here behind the food tables, Miss Brown.”

  Delphinia turned her head towards Bennett. “I am not hiding, Mr. Nighy. The seating is what it is. Besides, I believe if someone wishes to dance with me, they are aware I am here.”

  The fiddler once again assumed a prominent place on the platform and began to tune his instrument.

  “Well, I’m not planning to stay long enough to do any dancing. I came for the food.”

  Delphinia turned away as if studying the people on the dance floor. “So you informed me earlier, Mr. Nighy. I probably will share a dance with Mr. Archie Long, as promised, then I will also leave.”

  Delphinia felt more than saw Bennett sit up straight and turn towards her. “How is it you know Archie Long?”

  Delphinia assumed her most haughty air and slowly turned to face him. Bennett Nighy had not accepted her offer. Why should it matter to him how she knew Archie Long? “Not that it is any business of yours, but he was quite helpful to me when I first arrived. It was he who suggested I stay with the Howards. He also helped me hire a wagon to transport my trunks to the boarding house. I paid for the hired conveyance, of course, but he refused payment for his services. All he requested was a dance with me tonight.”

  “I see. Well, it looks like you won’t have long to wait. I think that’s him walking towards you now.”

  Delphinia looked around until she spotted Archie making his way along the edge of the dancers. From the grin on his face and the way his eyes remained focused on her, she suspected Bennett was correct. When man arrived within a few feet of the bench, Delphinia arose. “So nice to see you this evening, Mr. Long.”

  “There you are, Miss Brown. I hope you’re ready for me to claim that dance. It sounds like a slow one, something I can manage. Never could get the hang of those snappy country dances.”

  “Certainly, Mr. Long. Now would be perfect.”

  Archie turned to speak to Bennett. “I’ll bring her back safe and sound, Ben.”

  Annoyed her dance partner thought she had come with Bennett and was subject to his care, Delphinia turned her back on Bennett as she waved off the comment. “Oh, I’m not with Mr. Nighy, Mr. Long. He only came for the food.”

  On the dance floor, Delphinia noticed Etta dancing with a young slender cowboy wearing boots and a wide-brimmed hat. He wore a red plaid shirt and denim pants. The couple each had smiles on their faces and seemed to have eyes only for each other. Delphinia felt a sense of satisfaction that the marriage match for Etta looked like it would succeed. She felt a poignant sense of loss that she could not say the same for her situation.

  Once the dance finished, much to Delphinia’s relief since Archie had stepped on her toes more than once, instead of him leading her back to the bench, he guided her towards the desk with the punch bowls. The area was crowded with a group of men and a couple of the women she recognized from the boarding house. “Perhaps you would like some refreshment, Miss Brown. Besides, I’d like you to meet a few of my pals from work.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Long. That would be lovely.”

  As they approached, one of the men offered the couple a wide grin. He addressed Delphinia. “Ma’am, I never knew ol’ Archie, here, knew how to pick’em when it came to women. You’re living proof he’s got more class than he usually lets on. My name’s Herbert Price. This here’s my brother, Nathan.”

  Delphinia offered a nod of greeting. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Price and Mr. Price.” There was something about Herbert Price that rubbed her the wrong way.

  “Here, let me get you a cup of cider.” Herbert picked up a cup and reached for the dipper in the punch bowl towards the back.

  Archie reached out his hand to stop him. “Not from that one, Herb, not if you’re up to your usual tricks.”

  Nathan Price stepped next to his brother. “
Herb, you know better. Both the mayor and the Bainbridges have made it clear they want no alcohol at these community affairs, especially when women are present.”

  “What’s the fun of that?” The man named Herb scowled as he reached for a dipper in another punch bowl. “Besides, if the woman ain’t married, she should be spending time with someone like my brother, here, who signed up for one of them wives. It’s bad enough that bridal lady brought one of her women for some cowboy instead of getting women for the miners first.”

  Delphinia did not care for the direction this conversation was going. Her hand still resting on his forearm, she turned to face Archie. “Mr. Long, I believe I prefer to wait to have some refreshment if you don’t mind.” She turned back to the men. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you.”

  “What? You too good to drink with us now?”

  Ignoring the rude man, Delphinia turned in an effort to encourage Archie Long to escort her across the room and away from the men with their spiked punch bowl. Seeing them up close had caused her to have an epiphany. Mrs. Millard was correct about one thing—she would not be happy being matched to these men, nor would they be satisfied with her.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Delphinia caught sight of Lizett Millard walking towards the group. Marching with a purposeful stride would more accurately describe it. What’s more, she had her eyes focused on Delphinia.

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  CHAPTER 19

  ~o0o~

  “Miss Brownlee, it is imperative I speak with immediately. In private.” Lizett grasped Delphinia’s wrist as if to jerk it away from Archie Long’s arm. She forced a dazzling smile on her face as she first glanced at Archie, before she turned to the other men. “If you’ll excuse us, gentlemen. This will only take a few seconds.” With that, Lizett tightened her grip on Delphinia’s wrist and turned to pull her toward the front of the schoolhouse.

  Furious at the unwarranted treatment, Delphinia hissed at the woman as she lifted the hem of her gown enough to keep from tripping. “What is the meaning of this, Mrs. Millard? Let go of me. You made it clear our business dealings were at an end. What right do you have to embarrass me in a public place like this?”

  Lizett stopped and turned to Delphinia, her smile not reaching her eyes. “Because you have exhibited total distain for my decision and ignored my warning, Miss Brownlee.”

  “Are you demented? I’ve done no such thing.”

  “I disagree and wish to speak to you for a few minutes in private. Perhaps in the upstairs classroom?”

  “And I asked you to address me as Miss Brown.” Using her long legs to her advantage, Delphinia pushed past Lizett and ended up pulling her towards the stairs off the front foyer. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the bench where she had previously been sitting was now filled with people she did not recognize. Evidently Bennett had lost his seat to them when he refilled his plate, for out of the corner of her eye she saw him leaning against the stack of men’s coats hung on the pegs in the now poorly-lit foyer as he forked a piece of what looked like spice cake into his mouth. His fork halted mid-air as he watched Delphinia pull Lizett towards the stairs. At least he was seeing her dragging Lizett, not the other way around, or otherwise her humiliation would be complete.

  Delphinia felt Mrs. Millard almost bump into her back when she came to a sudden stop. It was difficult to see where she was stepping. A glance up the stairs showed that the gas lights had not been turned on in the upper classroom, and the evening sky had grown completely dark since she had taken her coat upstairs.

  With a huff of annoyance, Lizett shook her hand free of Delphinia’s and hurried around her to grab a lit lantern from outside. She returned and gestured towards the stair. “Come along Delia Brownlee. Let’s get this over with.”

  Delphinia stiffened with anger. Taking a deep breath, she quickly followed the woman up the stairs.

  Had Bennett heard Lizett call her by her other alias? Afraid of what she might see, she dared not look at him.

  As both women reached the second floor, Lizett placed the lantern on the floor and turned to Delphinia, her fists jammed against her sides. “Delia, I thought I made myself clear, yet I see you have willfully disregarded my instructions. I told you our agreement was at an end and to stay away from the miners that are contracted to be husbands for my brides. Yet, what do I find when I look around? You over in the midst of them, working your wiles on them.”

  “Working my wiles?” Infused with anger at the false accusation, Delphinia pushed herself to her full height so she towered over the much shorter woman. She also jammed her fists on her waist and bent forward, forcing Lizett to tip her head back. “You are dead wrong in your accusation, Mrs. Millard. If there was such a thing as a courthouse with a legitimate judge in this backwoods town, I would have you hauled into it on the charges of dishonoring your contractual obligations, slander and defamation of character. If some of those men with whom I was speaking—while trying to extricate myself from their presence, by the way—were among the miners looking for brides, I was not aware of it. I was with Mr. Long, also a miner, whom I had met earlier, and who had already informed me he was not part of your marriage scheme.”

  “Marriage scheme? How dare you…”

  “You heard me correctly, Mrs. Millard. He asked to introduce me to his friends—not your miners, his friends. You have no right to tell me to whom I may speak, and to whom I may not. You have no say over my decisions or personal movements. Do not ever seek to humiliate me in public like that again, or I will take legal action against you and avail myself of every opportunity available to me to discredit your service.”

  “Do not threaten me, Delia Brownlee. You are not quit of me yet. There is still the matter of the train fare and spending money I sent you that you have not yet reimbursed. I should charge you interest.”

  “If it was that urgent you receive it immediately, you should have asked for it the other night. I will have it for you tomorrow.”

  “I prefer to not conduct money-changing on the Sabbath, Miss Brownlee. I won’t be leaving until Tuesday. Monday morning will be fine.”

  Delphinia stared at her wide-eyed.

  She’ll be traveling on the same train I may need to leave on if I don’t get an offer of marriage by Monday. Oh, no, that cannot be.

  “You will need to tell me the amount of the ticket. I will gladly repay you—with interest.”

  “Didn’t they tell you the amount when you exchanged it for the days you traveled?”

  “No. I traveled to Denver by a more circuitous route. My lady’s mai…I mean, my friend turned in the tickets I received from you. I don’t know if they reimbursed her the full value or if they discounted the refund. So if you want all your ticket money back, you’ll have to tell me how much I owe you.”

  Lizett stared at Delphinia for several seconds. “We’ll discuss this Monday after breakfast. In the meantime, Miss Brownlee, I suggest you to take care who you dance with and with whom you speak. The Bainbridges are very influential men in this town. If you cause trouble here, your presence in Jubilee Springs will not be welcome. You do understand what I am saying, correct?”

  Lizett grabbed up the lantern and hurried down the stairs, leaving Delphinia standing in the dark.

  Delphinia slowly felt her way towards the doorway to the stairs and looked down the dark chasm barely lit at the bottom by the ambient light from the dance that filtered across the foyer floor. She stretched her hands out to brace them against the walls on each side and looked down as she tentatively reached with one foot until she felt the stair beneath her boot. She took one more step before she realized the staircase had suddenly grown lighter. She looked up and saw Bennett Nighy standing at the bottom of the stairs holding a lantern at shoulder height.

  “Would you like me to come up and assist you down the stairs, Miss Brown? Or is it Miss Delia Brownlee?”

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  CHAPTER 20

  ~o0o~

  Delphinia felt as though her humiliation was complete, but she refused to show it. “No, thank you, Mr. Nighy. I can manage if you would be so kind as to continue to hold the lantern until I reach the bottom."

  Neither spoke further until Delphinia stepped on the foyer floor a mere two feet from where Bennett stood waiting for her, the lantern now dropped to his side.

  Bennett spoke softly, barely loud enough for her to hear. “Are you all right?”

  Delphinia swallowed. “How much did you hear?”

  “Pretty much all of it. Neither one of you were keeping your voices down.”

  Delphinia felt like the fight had gone out of her. Her voice came out in a whisper, more of a statement than an indignant scold. “How dare you eavesdrop, Mr. Nighy.”

  “I was here first, Miss…I’m not sure what to call you now. I lost my seat when I went back for another slice of cake. I was standing out here out of everyone’s way, minding my own business. It was you two ladies who barged through here with your row.”

  Bennett paused as he studied Delphinia, aware she was shaken not only by the confrontation with the bridal broker, but because her duplicity had been discovered. What she didn’t realize was that he had recognized the name. It had taken him a moment, but he had eventually recalled several months earlier Simon Brinks at the mercantile regaling any of his customers who would listen about how his son had been writing to a Delia Brownlee, but the woman hadn’t shown up with the brides for Independence Day. He was going to wait for her, but instead he met, fell in love with, and married the woman who was now his wife. He still didn’t know why the woman before him had wanted to speak with Aaron Brinks, but he felt like he was starting to put some of the puzzle pieces together.