In a very soft voice Hannah explained, “The younger ladies had a predance party last week and went to Farmington for all their dresses. Not one of them bought one of Eliza’s creations.”
Rebecca looked to Eliza. She picked at the flower on the tablecloth. “That’s terrible.” Rebecca hung the dress over the vacant chair at the table. “Why not? Did they say?”
Eliza shook her head. Her eyes filled with tears and she offered a wobbly smile. “No, but I want them to see that you and Hannah are wearing the prettiest dresses there.” Eliza wouldn’t look up from the table and meet her gaze.
Rebecca walked to her chair and gave her a hug about her shoulders. “We’ll make sure they know who designed them. I promise.” She looked to Hannah, who added her nod.
Later as she dressed, Rebecca questioned her own sensibility. Eliza expected her and Hannah to do a lot of dancing, keep her dresses on the dance floor for all to see. She didn’t want to be the center of attention. Why had she said she’d do this? Because she cared about Eliza, and Eliza needed her to do this.
She looked at herself in the mirror one more time, then picked up Janie and then headed for the kitchen. Her stomach felt queasy. Maybe a sip of cold milk would ease the sensation. Rebecca entered the room and found Hannah standing by the icebox. Her face pale and her lips surrounded by white milk. “Upset stomach?”
Hannah nodded. “I have this rock in my tummy, Rebecca. I just don’t know that I can dance in front of all those people.”
Rebecca set the baby on the counter and reached for a glass. Janie grabbed a spoon and banged it against the counter. “I know what you mean, but we have to, for Eliza.”
“Did someone mention my name?” Eliza breezed into the kitchen looking like a ray of sunshine. Her yellow-and-gold dress floated about her legs, giving the illusion that she was walking on air. The light blue feather on the top of her hat bobbed in time with her swirling about.
“We were just talking about how we’re helping you out tonight.” Rebecca gulped the milk from her glass.
Eliza’s lip spread in a large smile. “And I sure appreciate that, too.” She handed a tea towel to Hannah.
Hannah wiped off her milk mustache and then handed it to Rebecca.
“We’d better get going, if we plan to get there early.” Eliza linked her arm into Hannah’s. “You won’t get cold feet, will you, Rebecca?”
Rebecca picked up Janie and placed her into her basket. “No, I’ll be there as soon as I drop off the baby with Mrs. Brown.”
“Good.” Eliza led Hannah out of the kitchen. “We’ll see you there.”
The walk to Mrs. Brown’s was short, but Janie had fallen asleep along the way. Her thumb was tucked between her little lips and the sound of sucking filled the night air. The smell of irises filled the air surrounding Mrs. Brown’s house. The purple flowers created a hedge on both sides of the door.
Rebecca knocked and was surprised when it opened instantly. Mrs. Brown, a sweet lady in her eighties, greeted her with a smile. “I’m so glad you took me up on my offer to watch the little tyke. I miss having children around.” She stepped back and let Rebecca pass.
“I’m grateful you are willing to watch her. She will probably sleep the whole time I’m gone.” Rebecca set the baby’s basket on the floor beside a chair that still rocked gently from Mrs. Brown’s recent evacuation. Quilt squares were scattered about the chair, and part of the nine-patch quilt she was working on rested on the hardwood seat.
Mrs. Brown shuffled toward the chair. “That’s all right. I don’t get around as well as I used to, but I do love babies. I don’t think she’ll be any trouble at all.”
“If she wakes while I’m gone, I’ve made a bottle for her. I won’t be gone long. I promise.” Rebecca twisted her hands in the folds of her new dress. She didn’t want to leave Janie.
The older woman gently guided her back toward the door. She opened it and smiled. “You have fun. There is no reason to hurry back.” And then she shut the door.
The urge to knock and demand her baby back threatened to overpower Rebecca’s good sense. She lifted her skirt and walked down the front steps. Her weary feet carried her to the dance of their own accord. Rebecca wondered if the marshal would be present.
Over the past month they’d spent some time together but not as much as they had in the past, and Grace and Janie were always with them. Did Seth regret kissing her? Was that why he’d stayed away as much as possible? They hadn’t spoken much since she’d hurt her arm. She fixed his meals, straightened the house—not that much needed to be done—and went home early. Rebecca missed their nightly walks.
Gossip had it that he was out chasing the Evans gang. She worried about him but knew that was his job, and according to the older men that frequented the Millers’ store, Seth Billings was the best. She prayed he’d be at the dance. Rebecca hated to admit that she missed him. But she did.
Music poured from the Grand Hotel. She made her way up the stairs and took a deep breath. Built in eighteen eighty-four it was the grandest building in Cottonwood Springs. The ceilings were high, the floors were covered in the finest wood and the ballroom was the place where girls dreamed of dancing with their favorite beaus. Her gaze swept the many dancers and people who stood off to the side.
He wasn’t here. Her heart sank, but Rebecca plastered a smile on her face and hurried to Hannah’s side.
* * *
Seth followed the sound of the music. He’d told himself he wasn’t going, but then again knew that as acting sheriff his attendance was required. His gaze searched the dance floor and stopped on the vision in blue. Her eyes sparkled up at her dance partner. She laughed at something he said, tilting her head back and revealing a slender throat.
A growl grew within his chest. He fought to keep it down. Rebecca didn’t belong with the cowboy who was holding her too tight. Seth took a step toward the dance floor. But before he could move, another man tapped the cowboy on the shoulder.
Even from this distance, Seth saw the cowboy’s scowl of disappointment as he released Rebecca and watched her dance away with the new partner.
“Good to see you back in town, Seth.”
Seth turned his attention to the preacher. “Nice to be back, Reverend.”
“Having any luck with the Evans gang?”
He nodded. “A little.” Seth’s focus wasn’t on the reverend or the Evans gang tonight. Rebecca held his attention like a spider trapping a fly in its web. He had to know who she was dancing with now.
“Jesse’s girl has been dancing the night away ever since she arrived. I don’t think there’s a man in the place that hasn’t circled the floor at least once with her, including me. She’s a really sweet gal. Maybe I should mosey over there and see if she needs a rest.”
Before the preacher could move, Seth barked, “I’ll do it.”
Rebecca spun around on the floor with Mr. Miller’s oldest son, Josiah. Seth’s hand clamped onto the young man’s shoulder and stopped him in midstep. “Excuse me, Josiah. I’m cutting in.”
The young man nodded and stepped to the side. “Thank you, Miss Rebecca, for the dance.”
She curtsied and smiled sweetly at the young man. “You’re welcome.”
Seth scooped her up into his arms and began the dance. He held her a little closer than he probably should have. Anger fueled his bad behavior.
“When did you get home, Marshal?”
Her soft voice washed over him like warm rain. “This afternoon.”
The beat of the music slowed. Seth pulled her closer and inhaled. The scent of vanilla soothed his nerves. And then she laid her head on his shoulder.
“I’m glad you are back. I missed you.”
After the way he’d behaved over the past few weeks, how could she be so sweet? Spending as little time as he could with her and growling like a wounded animal every time she’d come too near, he’d expected vinegar to spew from her lips, but instead he had received honey. Why? Seth pulled away fro
m her. He took her hand and led her off the dance floor.
“The reverend said you’ve been dancing all evening. Would you like a drink?”
Rebecca smiled up at him. “I’d love one and then I need to go home.”
Seth nodded. “Be back in a moment.”
He weaved his way through the good people of Cottonwood Springs. Seth nodded to each person who welcomed him back. He’d never been a big talker so he hoped no one would take offense to his brief nods and words.
A fruit punch was within his sights when Millie Hamilton stepped into his path. “Hello, Marshal.”
“Miss Hamilton.” He moved to step around her and found his path blocked by her again.
She twirled her hair onto one finger, cocked her head to the side and gave him a wide grin. “When did you get home, Marshal?”
When Rebecca had asked him that same question his heart had melted with the knowledge that she’d been interested and even cared. When Millie asked, he simply felt annoyed. “Today. If you will excuse me, I must be on my way.”
Her smile dropped. “Why? So you can get back to Jesse’s girl?”
Why did everyone insist on calling Rebecca Jesse’s girl? “I don’t believe that is any of your concern, Miss Hamilton.” He stepped around her.
The girl was a troublemaker, barely sixteen and on the hunt for a man. He focused on the refreshment table and was almost within reach of the punch bowl when he heard Eliza Kelly’s voice rise.
“You spoiled brat!”
Seth stopped and moved closer to the two ladies arguing. “Call me all the names you want to, Mrs. Kelly, but if you continue to let her live with you, we’ll continue to take our money elsewhere. We don’t care how pretty your dresses and hats are.” He recognized the voice of Millie Hamilton’s best friend, Charlotte Walker.
Eliza faced the young girl. She stood straight with her shoulders pulled back. “You mean your daddy’s money.”
The girl snarled back, “That’s right, and after Millie and I get done talking to Mama, not a woman in this town will enter your shop.”
He admired the steadiness in Eliza’s voice. “That’s fine, Miss Walker, but I’m curious, why do you care who lives under my roof?”
Venom dripped from the youthful voice. “She’s Jesse’s girl. We all know that he did horrible things so it stands to reason that she is a bad person, too. We don’t want her kind in our town.”
Seth clenched his fists. The townspeople hadn’t wanted Jesse in their town either. That’s why he’d advertised for a mail-order bride. There were some good people who hadn’t minded Jesse, but they were very few. Still, the young man had tried to turn his life around. What had happened to put him at that bank on the day of the robbery? He’d asked every Evans gang member he’d caught and none would give him an answer.
Eliza smiled, but the emotion didn’t reach her eyes. “I see. So being rude is what good people do?”
When the girl didn’t answer, Eliza stood a little taller and pressed on. “And, for your information, Miss Walker, Jesse was a petty thief and nothing more. He’d turned his life around and had become a Christian and a good citizen of Cottonwood Springs.” She crossed her arms and stared the younger girl down.
Charlotte raised her chin. “Maybe so, Mrs. Kelly, but no respectable woman would answer a mail-order-bride advertisement. Miss Ramsey shouldn’t be here.” Before Eliza could respond, the young girl was gone.
Seth watched Eliza’s shoulders sag. He moved to the punch bowl and filled three cups. Picking up all three, he turned to find Eliza. She hadn’t moved so he walked to her side. “Can I offer you a drink, Mrs. Kelly?”
Watery eyes looked up at him. “Thank you, Marshal.” She took the closest cup.
He nodded. While she sipped, he looked toward where Rebecca stood talking to a young man. She didn’t deserve the women’s scorn. Seth glanced at Eliza. Her eyes were trained on the cup she cradled in her palms. “I overheard. How can we make this right?”
A soft sob escaped her pursed lips. “I don’t think we can, Marshal. I won’t ask Rebecca to leave my home and those girls won’t change their minds either.”
“Don’t forget, Eliza. These are teenage girls you are dealing with.” How could he help this sweet woman who had been through so much?
He’d always had a soft spot for Eliza. They’d connected early on and he felt as if she was the sister he’d never had. He didn’t like seeing her hurting and fearful. What could he do to make the young women of Cottonwood Springs buy their dresses from Eliza, befriend Rebecca and treat others as they’d like to be treated? He silently asked the Lord for guidance.
The words came as if on their own. “Mrs. Kelly, wasn’t that Mrs. Walker’s daughter, Charlotte?”
Eliza wiped her nose on a little white handkerchief. “Yes.”
“Isn’t Elizabeth Miller also a friend of Charlotte Walker’s?”
Eliza nodded. “I believe so. What are you getting at?”
Seth grinned at her. “I was just thinking, if Mrs. Miller gets wind of how her daughter’s friends are behaving I think she would take matters into her own hands. As you know, she and Mrs. Walker aren’t exactly friends.”
Her mouth shaped into an O. “I see. So if a little birdie mentioned this to Mrs. Miller, she might just nip it in the bud.”
It was his turn to nod.
“Oh, thank you, Marshal.” Eliza smiled.
“My pleasure. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to take this drink to Miss Ramsey before one of those young men whisks her off for another round of dances.”
Eliza laid a gloved hand on his forearm. “Would you tell her I have a headache and am going home now?”
He nodded. “Rebecca said she’d be heading home, too, after she finishes this drink.”
“Thank you again, Marshal.” Eliza seemed to have her old step back as she headed for the exit. Seth thanked the Lord for giving him the right words to help his friend, and then he joined Rebecca and the young man.
Her fingers brushed his when he handed her one of the cups. A deep pink filled her cheeks and she refused to meet his eyes.
Had he interrupted something? Was she interested in this boy? Seth looked the young man over. The kid couldn’t be a day over eighteen. Seth scowled.
“Excuse me, I think I’ll go ask Miss Hamilton for this dance,” the young man said, hurrying away.
Seth grinned into his drink. That had been easy.
“Thank you, Marshal.” Rebecca took the cup and sipped.
He nodded once. Seth watched the people dance and laugh. All around him families and young couples enjoyed the evening. Sometimes he wished he could do that, but being the marshal put him in a position where he had to stay alert at all times.
“Miss Ramsey, may I have this dance?”
Seth jerked from his wayward thoughts.
“Yes, that would be nice, Doctor Clark.” She set her cup on a small table and held out her hand.
He watched as the doctor swung Rebecca around the floor. His gaze sought out Mrs. Clark. Seth walked over to her and asked, “May I have this dance?”
“You are sweet, Marshal, but I don’t do the fast dances anymore. My old knees don’t hold up as well as they used to.” Her green eyes sparkled up at him.
Seth turned to leave, but at that moment the music changed to a slow waltz. He extended his hand to Mrs. Clark. “I believe they are playing our song.”
She took his hand and he led her out to the dance floor. The soft scent of rosewater drifted into his nostrils. He missed Rebecca’s sweet vanilla fragrance.
“You are very light on my feet, Marshal.”
He grinned. “I don’t believe I’ve crushed your toes yet.”
Mrs. Clark laughed. “I know. Doctor Clark isn’t as light as you.”
A light tap landed on his shoulder. He turned and found Dr. Clark and Rebecca standing behind him.
Doctor Clark asked, “Might I exchange partners with you? I believe the missus and I will be
going home after this dance.”
Seth gently handed over the good doctor’s wife. “Thank you for the dance, Mrs. Clark.” Seth pulled Rebecca in his arms.
“It was my pleasure, young man,” Mrs. Clark said as Doctor Clark waltzed her away.
Rebecca smiled. “They are a sweet couple.”
Seth’s gaze followed hers. The older couple danced with ease, their graying heads close together. He wondered if the good doctor was stepping on his wife’s feet.
What would it be like to marry Rebecca and grow old with her? During her time in Cottonwood Springs, she’d created a home for him. Her caring personality and loyalty to friends made her special. The flash in her eyes when he angered her brought a spark alive in him, as well.
A spark that needed to be flattened now. He didn’t want or need a wife. U.S. Marshals do not get married, he reminded himself.
As if she sensed his mood swing, Rebecca looked at him with questioning eyes. Eyes that drew him to her much like a hummingbird to a rose. Seth thought about pulling away from her but his feet refused. How much longer could he stand to hold her and not taste the sweetness of her lips?
Chapter Sixteen
When the music stopped, Rebecca allowed Seth to lead her to the sidelines. He’d been silent both times they’d danced, but to her they were the dances that counted. Seth was home again. She’d missed him.
He bowed to her. “Thank you for the dance.”
“You are welcome.” Rebecca searched the ballroom for Hannah or Eliza. She wanted to tell them she was leaving.
Seth cleared his throat. “Before I leave you for the evening, Mrs. Kelly asked me to tell you she had a headache and was going home.”
Rebecca looked for Hannah once more. “I need to go get Janie and head home, too.” Not seeing Hannah, she decided that the schoolteacher must have walked back with Eliza.
He sighed heavily. “I’ll walk you back.”
She heard the sound and frowned. Once more Seth was pushing her away. “That’s not necessary, Marshal.”
His voice came out hard and cold. “I believe it is, Miss Ramsey.”
Why did he always seem to be growling at her? She inclined her head. “I can’t stop you, Marshal.”
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