Marnie:

by Shanna Hatfield

  “Mr. Lars asked me to bring this to you.”

  Marnie motioned him into the room and let him choose a piece of candy from the dish on her table while she opened the envelope. A note, written in Lars’ bold hand, stated he wanted to talk to her. Nothing more. Just that he wanted to talk. Lifting her gaze to the boy’s she forced a smile. “Is he here?”

  “Yep. He’s outside with that big, ol’ horse of his.” Lewis pointed to the window.

  “Thank you, Lewis. I can take it from here.” She gave the boy a penny and ran a motherly hand over his head before he raced out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

  A glance outside confirmed Lars stood beneath her window, appearing to be in conversation with Viking as he awaited her response.

  Her good sense told her to ignore him, but she pulled back her lace curtains and threw open the window so fast, it was a wonder the vigorous motion didn’t crack the glass. She hadn’t seen Lars for several days and missed him more than she liked to admit.

  The moment he looked up at her with his hat tipped back on that head of tousled caramel-colored hair, a lazy grin on his face, and his blue eyes boring into hers, she knew she’d do whatever he asked.

  Motioning for her to come outside, she quickly pinned on a hat, grabbed her gloves and pocketbook, and almost tripped over her skirts in her haste to get down the stairs.

  “Hello, sweet thing,” Lars said as she stepped onto the sidewalk. Although she planned to act aloof, she couldn’t keep the corners of her mouth from lifting in a smile. No woman in her right mind would be able to frown when greeted by Lars Thorsen, especially when he offered her a roguish grin.

  “What are you about, Mr. Thorsen?” Marnie asked, accepting the arm he held out to her. He kept Viking’s reins in his hands and the horse followed them as they walked down the sidewalk. Marnie gave Lars a questioning glance, but he didn’t notice as he talked about his plans to bring the Webster children into town for Easter Sunday the following day.

  “How are you going to get them to come into Pendleton? Sadie won’t leave the farm, even for a few hours,” Marnie said as they neared Ilsa’s shop. She knew her friend was working a few hours a day at her boutique, when little Laila napped in the afternoon, but she hadn’t been to see her yet.

  Lars stopped and tied Viking’s reins to a hitching post outside Ilsa’s store. “I thought I’d bribe them with some new clothes and a promise of a feast at Dogwood Corners after church.”

  “Dogwood Corners? Isn’t that Ashton Monroe’s old place? Why would you be out there?” Marnie looked at Lars in confusion. Ashton Monroe was a liar, thief, and murderer who kidnapped Aundy and tried to kill Garrett. Marnie, for one, was glad Kade arrested him. Before his arrest, he used to frequent one of the Underground’s saloons where she worked. For all his nice manners, he was a vicious drunk.

  “Aundy and Garrett own the place now. They’re hosting a picnic there after church tomorrow. The dogwoods are blooming and according to Ilsa and Tony, they are a sight to behold. I thought it would be fun for Sadie and Noah to get off the farm, have a good meal, and spend Easter around people who will make them feel welcome.”

  “That’s a lovely idea, Lars. What matter requires my assistance?” Marnie asked as they walked around to the back door of Ilsa’s shop. Lars took out a key and opened the door then motioned for her to precede him inside. “Where’s Ilsa?”

  “Home with Laila. She’s fussy this afternoon, so Ilsa stayed home.” Lars put the key in his vest pocket and glanced around at all the bolts of cloth, baskets of trim, and spools of ribbon, immediately overwhelmed by all the frippery. “Ilsa said she has some clothes that might work for Sadie and Noah that she made for displays. Do you know where they’d be?”

  “Yes. Ilsa keeps the clothes in a box on that shelf up there.” Marnie pointed to a high shelf on the back wall. Ilsa kept a stepladder so she could reach everything, but Marnie knew the tiny woman had to stand on the top step and stretch to reach some of the shelves in her workroom. Grateful she was a little taller than average for a woman, Marnie sometimes wished she were as tall as Aundy, who stood the same height as most men.

  Lars reached up and grabbed the box, setting it on the worktable. Marnie tried not to notice his broad shoulders and wide chest, turning her attention to finding suitable clothes for the two Webster children.

  As she began carefully sorting through the box, Lars released an impatient sigh. Upending the box, he spread the clothes out so Marnie could dig through them faster.

  “What does Ilsa do with all these clothes?”

  “She gives them away. When she hears of someone in need, or if Pastor Whitting or Doc Reed mention someone needing something, Ilsa freely gives from this box. The sun weakens the fabric and sometimes fades it when it’s in the windows, so she refuses to sell the outfits once they’ve been on display. There isn’t a thing wrong with most of the clothes, though.”

  Marnie lifted a salmon-colored frock, trimmed in creamy lace that looked to be about Sadie’s size. Setting it aside, she found a simple brown suit that might be a little big for Noah, but would work if they shortened the legs and sleeves.

  “Do you like these?” Marnie asked, holding up the dress and pointing to the suit for Noah.

  “Look fine to me. I can guarantee they’ll be the nicest things those two kids have ever owned.” Lars started to stuff the contents back in the box, but Marnie carefully folded each piece and set it in, not wanting to wrinkle the fabric more than necessary. Lars tried to help, but the one dress he folded looked like it had blown through a twister, so he stood with his hands in his pockets waiting for her to finish.

  Returning the box to the shelf when she placed the last gown inside, Lars walked to the front of the store and stared at the shelves of hats Ilsa had on hand.

  “Won’t Sadie need a hat to go with the dress?”

  “Yes, and stockings.” Marnie walked over to the shelf that held children’s hats. Bending over, she reached for the one she wanted. Lars felt his temperature climb as he watched the back of her skirt tighten across her hips. Looking away, his gaze immediately returned to her posterior. “Here, this should work.”

  Acute disappointment settled over him as she found the hat she wanted and carried it back to the worktable, disrupting his view.

  Going to the spools of ribbon, she selected two and held them against the dress, choosing the one that best matched, then cut a length and tied it around the brim of the hat. Cutting another length of the salmon ribbon, along with a piece of cream-colored ribbon, she set it with the hat, then turned to Lars.

  “You’re sure Ilsa said to take whatever you needed?” Marnie wanted to make sure they didn’t take something Ilsa planned to use for some other purpose. Knowing her friend, though, Ilsa probably told Lars to use anything in the store he thought the children would like.

  “Yes.”

  She nodded her head and went over to a cupboard where piles of frothy white fabric trimmed in lace made him decide he should probably not ogle Marnie’s shapely figure as she dug through a pile of unmentionables.

  Wandered to the front of the store, he browsed over his sister’s artful displays and marveled again at her ability to create such intricate, beautiful gowns. No wonder she did so well with her business.

  He would never have imagined his baby sister, who often reminded him of some sweet little fairy, being so successful or driven.

  Marnie breezed into the front of the store and opened a case where Ilsa kept a variety of stockings and selected a child’s pair in white.

  Noticing Lars admiring Ilsa’s latest spring designs in the window, Marnie studied the display. She liked the pink dress best, but then pink was her favorite color.

  “I think we’ve got everything we need. At least what we can pilfer from Ilsa.”

  Lars turned and smiled at her, glad he’d talked her into helping pick out clothes for Sadie and Noah. He hadn’t seen her this excited since the day they went on a picnic and visit
ed the children. She truly seemed to love kids.

  Wishing she would find some good man to marry and have a family of her own, Lars brought his thoughts up short. The notion of Marnie belonging to a man that wasn’t him made him irritable and anxious.

  If she gave up her sordid lifestyle and settled down as a normal wife and mother, he wanted to be the one she loved.

  Reminding himself he had no business thinking about settling down with anyone, especially a woman who spent the last eight years working as a saloon girl and strumpet, Lars held back a soul-deep sigh.

  It was easy to forget everything when Marnie smiled at him with her heart in those stormy eyes. She appeared as a well-dressed lady in her pale green and cream striped gown with a fashionable hat set at a jaunty angle on top of the shiny brown curls she’d piled on top of her head.

  Mesmerized by the way she looked in the light filtering in the front windows of the shop, Lars closed the distance between them until he stood directly in front of her. Bending down, he looked beneath the brim of her hat and noticed tiny little flecks of green in her blue eyes, rimmed with dark lashes.

  Taking a step away from him, she patted the back of her hair, making sure it remained securely fastened in place.

  “What?” she asked, unsettled by the look on Lars’ face and the heat smoldering in his bright blue eyes.

  “You look so beautiful today.” His voice was husky as he reached out and brushed a thumb across Marnie’s smooth cheek. Leaning closer, he inhaled deeply, breathing in her fresh fragrance. “And you smell good, too.”

  Flustered, she felt her cheeks warm from his sincere compliments. In her line of work, she heard all sorts of empty flattery, but to have someone honestly tell her she looked beautiful and smelled nice when she was dressed respectably made her feel special.

  “Thank you.” Marnie knew it would only take a miniscule move from Lars before she was in his arms, savoring one of his masterful kisses, so she marched back into the workroom and put everything they’d gathered for the Webster children into a large basket.

  “Are you planning on getting them underclothes? Shoes?” Marnie asked, as Lars opened the back door and motioned her outside. She stood on the back step waiting as he locked the door.

  “I hadn’t thought about it, but they can’t wear new clothes without the rest. Let’s go see Mr. Johnson.” Lars took her elbow and started around Ilsa’s shop, but Marnie came to an abrupt halt, making him bump into her. He reached out to keep her from falling forward, holding her arms in his hands.

  “What did you do that for?” Lars frowned at her, wrapping her arm around his, settling her fingers in the crook of his arm.

  “I won’t accompany you to the store, Lars. I just can’t.” Marnie gave him a pointed look. He seemed to forget she wasn’t someone he could escort around town without ramifications.

  “Do you have somewhere else you need to be?”

  “No.”

  Lars stared at her until she brought her gaze up to meet his. Raising an eyebrow, he gave her a smile that was all male flirtation. “Are you not enjoying yourself?”

  “That’s not the point.” Marnie sighed and turned her face away from him, walking around the side of the building to the boardwalk out front. She wished the handsome man whose rock-hard arm she held would just let her gracefully bow out of his invitation.

  “That’s exactly the point. You have nothing better to do, I’m enjoying spending time with you and you’re enjoying spending time with me. Why won’t you go with me to the store and pick out shoes for the kids?”

  “Saturday is the busiest shopping day at Mr. Johnson’s store and you know as well as I do that it’s not proper for me to be there.”

  Lars took the basket from her and hung it on Viking’s saddle horn then put his hand to the small of Marnie’s back and began walking her down the street.

  Assuming he respected her request and would escort her back to her room, she started to tell him she needed the basket so she could press the clothes and hem the pants for Noah when he turned the opposite direction, toward Mr. Johnson’s mercantile.

  The streets were busy but no one seemed to pay them any mind as they hurried on their way with their own errands.

  “It’ll be fine,” Lars whispered in her ear before he opened the door to the mercantile and escorted her inside.

  Lars tipped his head at Mr. Johnson as they walked in. The man smiled at them both although he continued ringing up the purchases of his current customer.

  “Let’s get shoes and whatever underclothes you think they need. Noah needs a cap and Sadie needs a nightgown. The one she has is so thin you couldn’t strain air with it,” Lars said, directing Marnie back to the area where Mr. Johnson carried a selection of shoes.

  “I have no idea what size the two of them would wear. Do you?” Marnie asked, picking up a pair of serviceable black shoes that had a scallop of leather along the side. They would look fine with Sadie’s dress, but give her something sensible to wear to replace her old worn-out shoes.

  “Maybe Mr. Johnson will have a suggestion.” Lars selected a pair he liked for Noah.

  Gathering up underclothes for the two children and a cap for Noah, they waited until the crowd thinned and Mr. Johnson had a moment between customers.

  “Lars, what can I help you with?” the storeowner asked, giving him a friendly handshake then nodding politely at Marnie. He was one of the few people who treated her kindly and welcomed her in his store.

  “I’m looking to outfit a couple of kids who need some new clothes. We aren’t sure what size shoes to buy. The girl is eight and the boy is six.” Lars held out the shoe he’d selected for Noah to Mr. Johnson.

  “Are they average size for their age?”

  “She seems a little small, but the boy is probably close,” Marnie supplied. Lars had no idea what size youngsters should be at certain ages.

  “Ah, well, the shoe you have there, Miss Marnie, should work well for the girl, but I believe the boy will probably need a bigger size. Let’s see if I have one in stock.”

  Mr. Johnson found the appropriate size for Noah and took their purchases to the counter. While Lars paid for everything, Marnie gathered up a few treats for the children, including a box of animal crackers, two packages of gum, and a small confection box that held four pieces of chocolate.

  Setting her selections on the counter, she shook her head when Lars tried to pay for them and gave Mr. Johnson the money.

  “These are going to be my special treat for Sadie and Noah, but I’m going to wait until you’re ready to take them home to present my gift.”

  Lars looked at her curiously, and she felt the need to explain. “If you give the treats to them in the morning, they’ll be covered in chocolate before you get them to the road.”

  “Right.” Lars smiled at Mr. Johnson and accepted the box in which he’d packed their purchases. “Thank you, Mr. Johnson, and Happy Easter to you.”

  “To both of you as well,” Mr. Johnson gave them a friendly grin. “If, for some reason, those shoes don’t fit, just let me know after church and we can switch them.”

  “I appreciate that.” Lars touched his hat and took Marnie’s elbow, walking her to the door. It opened as they approached and two of the worst gossips in town strolled inside, talking non-stop. Noticing Marnie, they fell silent and gave her a cool glare before making it a point to step away from her and brush their skirts aside.

  “It appears they let anyone out and about town these days. Imagine a woman like her setting foot in a store with decent folks. I hope you’re escorting her off the premises, sir.”

  Lars glowered at the women before holding open the door for Marnie. His respect for women ended when they purposely hurt another. Those two loose-lipped bullies were notorious for cutting folks with their sharp tongues.

  Marnie dipped her head to hide the hurt on her face. She walked quietly with him back to Ilsa’s shop where Viking waited.

  She took the basket off the
saddle horn and turned to walk back to Miss Clementine’s when a hand on her arm pulled her to a stop.

  “Don’t let those old biddies upset you, Marnie. If you stuck a nail in their mouth, the acid on their tongues would melt it straight away.”

  “No, they’re right.” Marnie slowly pulled her arm away from Lars’ grasp before continuing down the boardwalk.

  “Marnie. Marnie!” Lars called, grabbing Viking’s reins and hurrying after her while balancing the box in his other hand. “Would you wait a minute?”

  “I’ll hem Noah’s pants and press the wrinkles out of their clothes. If you want to stop by in the morning, I’ll have them ready for you.”

  “I was planning to leave really early in the morning to ride out to the Webster place. Why don’t I run by later this evening?”

  “No!” Marnie looked horrified at the thought of Lars coming to the brothel again while she was working. “I’ll send Lewis over with them when I’m finished.”

  “I don’t mind coming to…”

  “No. Absolutely not.” Marnie picked up her pace and turned the corner.

  Lars wished she’d slow down. He knew the women from the store upset her with their cruel comments and wanted so badly to give the two old hags a piece of his mind. Glad his parents raised him and his sisters to be fair-minded, Lars wondered how some people could get through the day functioning with such narrow minds.

  As they neared Miss Clementine’s back door, Lars tried to get Marnie to stop, but she ignored him. He quickly looped Viking’s reins around the iron ring in the sidewalk and chased after the woman who’d already pulled the door shut behind her.

  Yanking it open, Lars took the steps two at a time and caught sight of her skirts swishing through the kitchen.

  Gertie rolled her eyes and shook her head at him as he set the box he still carried by the door and hurried to catch Marnie.

  He raced down the hall and stuck his boot in the doorway before she could shut the door in his face.

  “Marnie, we need to talk.”

  Glancing at him with tears filling her eyes, she shook her head. “There’s nothing you need to say, Lars. I’ll get these clothes taken care of right away. Please, just leave.”