“Yes, but I’d like to do more than that.”
“Such as?”
“Such as starting a movable library. They’re doing that in other counties, you know.”
Thomas scratched his beard thoughtfully. “Interesting idea.”
“Yes, why not educate the entire population, not just the children, I say.”
“Excellent. What kind of books did you have in mind? The classics?”
“No, not just the classics. That could be boring to some of these folks. My plan is to engage them, perhaps even some dime novels.”
Throwing back his head, the detective roared with laughter. “Dime novels! Now that would sure please your mother!”
“That’s right, you knew all about that.” She joined him in laughter.
He assessed her for a few seconds. “All joking aside, your mother must be so proud of you.”
Her “Not sure about that,” got him studying her more fully. Then he cleared his throat and look away. Turning back with the hint of a smile he asked, “So, how did this all come about?”
The awkward moment had passed. “I got the idea from a Chicago Tribune article. Ways to improve Westerners, it was called. And here I am, educating South Benton’s children, so why not their parents as well? Of course, I’ll have to pass it by the local town committee first, and that may be a problem.”
“I have a feeling you’ll make a success out of it.”
“You do?”
“Yes, I do. I know with determination, you can make anything happen. But once it’s in place, it may prove to be a lot of hard work and long hours. Do you have that kind of energy and time?”
Her face pinched as tears formed. “I could use a good distraction right now. Take my mind off other things about to happen.” She tilted her head down and eyed the rug.
“Things about to happen?" he asked.
Ellie gulped. “Someone I know is leaving town very soon. But I don’t want to think about it.”
Thomas looked at her, nodding. “I happen to be an expert on leaving towns.” He smiled sadly, then brightened. “Just remember, if you ever need any help, I’m your man. For now, I better go back to the hotel and get some supper. See you tomorrow, I presume?”
Nodding, she watched him begin his exit. “Ah, Thomas?”
“Yes?” He turned around.
“So glad you’re here.”
He smiled.
“And Thomas? I know you’re my uncle.”
Stunned, he took two steps toward her. “Cora told you? Are you all right with that?”
She shrugged. “What choice do I have?”
“Ellie, I’m so sorry about my brother.”
“I know. Everyone is,” she said, sighing. She watched him turn toward the door again and grinned. “Thomas, still glad you’re here,” she called out.
Later over dinner, just recalling her words gave him hope.
* *
It was as if she were being split into tiny shards of glass. Every five minutes waves of pain rippled through her belly and womb, pain that arched her back and released a series of screams.
“Dis is very bad,” Mrs. Ana kept murmuring as the midwife tried to calm her young patient. While thunder clapped ferociously, a horrified Minnie listened to her sister’s howls, but every time she tried to approach the bed to hold her sibling’s hand, she was shooed away.
“Thomas…where’s Thomas?” Cora sobbed between contractions. In bed, her knees drawn, her hand gripping the knotted towel tied to one of the bedpost, she was forever looking at the door, as if he would walk in at any moment.
Cora woke with a start, her nightgown drenched, her half of the bed soaked. Her heartbeat banging inside her chest, she sat up and blinked several times to remember where she was. Next to her, Minnie snorted and wheezed peacefully as she turned over in her sleep, while outside a lone owl who-whooed wistfully. Still tingling, she didn’t know what to do.
* *
For quite some time, breakfast had been important to the Dolan household––hearty food, business discussions, Minnie’s jokes, and whenever Pete was present, a medley of literary quotations, all of which made for lively conversations. That next morning, amidst coffee, warm biscuits, eggs, ham, and Pete’s rendition of Wordsworth peppered with Minnie’s sexual innuendos, Thomas walked in on a gale of laughter.
The minute he entered, Cora grew silent.
“Cora, for goodness sake,” Minnie murmured, shaking her head.
Pete saluted the group with his coffee mug. “All I can say is if Shakespeare were here ‘n saw the lot of us, he’d probably say…”
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” Ellie called out as Pete chuckled, and Minnie had tears of laughter running down her cheeks.
“You know, Ellie told me yesterday about her grand idea for South Benton,” Thomas said, looking over at his niece. “Why don’t you tell them all about it?”
The room stilled while she told them about her public library ambitions. Thomas kept pitching secret glances at Cora, touched by her proud face as her daughter regaled them all with her grand plans. Aching to reach out and draw her to him like the old days, he opted for the sidelines. For now.
“Ellie was always a born reader,” Cora said. Everyone turned to her. “Remember that, Minnie? We taught her to read by putting up newspaper articles all around her room. Then we’d follow each page as the story continued.”
“I remember that, Mama. Sometimes you’d put the pages out of order so I would really have to concentrate on the story to get it right.” She looked at her mother and aunt fondly. “You were both wonderful.”
Minnie gave her niece a warm hug while Cora dabbed one eye with her finger.
Like old times with the Dolan girls, Thomas thought, his mind floating back even further:
“Thomas, Cora! You can stay out on porch for little vhile, but don’t be late!” Mrs. Ana said, smiling knowingly before she closed the front door.
“Let’s get our day started, shall we?” Cora turned officious. “Thomas, you did say you could help us with other things?”
“Cora, give the man a chance to settle in.” Minnie frowned.
“No, Minnie, it’s all right,” Thomas said. “I’m at your disposal––as long as I can get my own work done.”
“All right then. The attic needs a lot of box moving. I’ll show you the way.”
Surprisingly hopeful, the Pinkerton followed Cora toward the attic steps, as Ellie went off to school, and Pete and Minnie washed the dishes.
Up in the attic, left to their own devices, Cora and Thomas surveyed the room and sneezed. Dust-covered boxes, cobwebbed rafters, and a few crickets bombarded their senses as the madam handed him a few clean rags.
“So, what would you have me do, ma’am?”
“I’m not sure. We always have so much to do. Too much, maybe,” she offered. “We need to go through these boxes, one by one, but that will have to be down in our office, step by step. Perhaps today, if you could first dust, then bring down ten of them, that would be a good start.”
“At your service,” he said hesitantly, then, seeing her smile, grinned full force. “Aren’t you going to help me here?” he asked, taking off his jacket and cravat. When she shook her head, he handed her his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.
His easy familiarity irked her. This is not the old days, she fumed. “No, I have business to attend to with the doves. I’ll see you downstairs when you’re finished.” His jacket and tie folded over her arm, she started downstairs, feeling their warmth burn a hole there.
In the end, he brought down around fifteen boxes, some small, some quite large, and by the last trip, he stood in their office, coated in a light, dusty film, and depositing gray droplets of sweat onto his shirt.
“Obviously, I need to wash up. Where can I go?”
“There’s a pump well out back. Remember?” Showing him the way, outside she handed him a towel and bit her lip. “Please just return this when you’re done
.”
“Of course. Still bite your lip?” he asked softly.
“I don’t know what you mean!” she huffed and strode back into the house, leaving him at the well, his shoulders slumped.
Inside, Cora performed her chores with an angry gusto. Pummeling pillows in lieu of plumping them up, swatting cigar ashes out of pewter bowls with an old, tattered rag, she stifled the urge to scream, Too late! Too late! But a couple of minutes in, some sort of magnetic force drew her back toward the window. Leaning against the pane, she sucked in her breath. His shirt lay off to one side, his suspenders dangling, Thomas was pumping the well handle and splashing water onto his face, neck, and torso. His well-developed arm muscles and tight chest made her gulp. Then remember. How good those arms felt around her so long ago. How good they would feel now. She stood there, suspended, shocked at her sudden need to have them enfold her, as she stroked his chest,
“A-ha!! Caught-cha!” Minnie snickered from the doorframe.
“Fiddlesticks!” her sister snorted. “The windows needed cleaning, is all.”
“Oh, come on, Cora. He was a handsome young man before, and he’s even more handsome now. You’re a full-grown woman. Ain’t no crime in wantin’ him. The past’s over and done with.”
“It’s not that easy, Minnie. I’m not you.”
“You sure ain’t. Unlucky you.” She left, a loud cackle trailing behind her.
* *
After the third person had mentioned the glory of Buffalo Bill showing the American public all about the West, Ellie had had enough of trying to put Brett out of her mind. Knowing he was to leave in two days’ time, she marched over to the tackle room late one evening, where she found him leaning over a table, slowly cleaning various bridle parts.
He jumped. “Ellie! Are you all right?”
“No, Brett, I’m not.”
His sigh seemed to last a very long time. “I know, I’m not either. Look, Ellie, this is what I do; what I’ve always done––move around, and now with the show, I will have to continue doing that more than ever. But I don’t wanna leave you.”
“Why did you come after me then? Why did you make me fall in love with you? Why?”
“Oh, Ellie,” he whispered, his arms around her, his forefinger wiping off each tear. “I’m miserable, too.”
The horses suddenly nickered in their stalls as Ellie looked up at him. “So, the day after tomorrow, it is truly good-bye?”
He kissed her, but his lips, so gentle before, this time felt rough, almost angry. He broke and backed away. “I’m so sorry, Ellie, I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Good-bye, Brett,” she choked, and as she staggered off, he watched her go, one finger wiping a tear away.
* *
Thomas was as good as his word. At the end of each day, he made sure to save a few minutes to confer with Ellie on her strategy with the town council. Astute in such political matters, he would sit head to head with her at his desk, discussing the pros and cons of each board member and how to handle even the most unreasonable person.
He soon found himself looking forward to their sessions together. Cora was still emotionally distant, but with Ellie, he could at least feel some of the friendliness and warmth he had experienced with the Dolan girls so long ago.
At first, they were almost Machiavellian in their plans, but soon, levity crept in, ending their sessions with a playful round of verbal one-upmanship and a mutual admiration of each other’s dogged determination.
“I wish you had been my father,” she said softly one night as he was sorting through her papers.
His head jerked sideways. “What did you say?”
“Nothing important,” she sighed. “So tomorrow night?”
“Of course. See you then.”
He took a few more minutes to close up his office, but her words didn't leave him for hours. Not until he was in bed, trying to get some sleep. Not until another thought crossed his mind.
Wes, I don’t care if you’re my kin…wherever you are, you’re a sorry son-of-a-bitch!
* *
The week passed slowly for Ellie, each day filled with school activities, brainstorming at night with Thomas and overhearing an unusual amount of merriment in the parlor. As the doves cavorted with customers, told their randy jokes amongst themselves, and called out to her in passing, Ellie could no longer fight her sense of impending doom. She was going to end up like her mother, she could just feel it, no matter how many times she told herself that Brett would probably eventually fade and take his place as a lovely memory.
“A penny for your thoughts, darlin’,’” Minnie said that Saturday night as she and her niece rocked side by side together out on the porch. Her father’s timeworn corncob pipe in hand, the madam puffed and exhaled clouds of tobacco, while inside, honky-tonk music played and customers and doves were having a whale of a time.
“Minnie, I’m worried.”
“I know, honey, I know about Brett leaving real soon.”
“It’s not just that.”
“What is it then?”
Ellie took a very deep breath. “How do you stop loving someone?”
Looking thoughtful for a few seconds, Minnie put her pipe down on her lap. “If I knew the answer to that, love, I’d be rich. Actually, that’s a question you should ask your mama. Something she’s currently dealin’ with.”
“You mean Thomas being here, right?”
“Oh yes, indeedy.”
Again they both started rocking. “That’s another thing I’m worried about,” Ellie added.
“What, love?”
“Being just like Mama. I don’t want to grow old and be so mistrustful of men.”
Minnie’s rocker suddenly stopped, and she reached over to stop Ellie’s as well. “Now listen here, young lady. You’re not like your mother. Not one little bit. You’ll never be like she is. Just remember that.”
Leaves crackled as a lone man approached, his hat slanted down over his face.
“Brett?” Ellie rose, her hand over her heart.
“Ellie, we need to talk,” he answered, taking the steps two at a time, a huge smile slathered across his face.
“That’s my cue to exit,” Minnie announced, grabbing her pipe and bustling inside.
His arms around Ellie, Brett kissed her this time without any anger or frustration, simply a deep, long-lasting kiss.
“So?” Her heart was pumping.
“I’ve worked it all out with Annie and Buffalo Bill.”
“Worked what out?”
“I will be taking care of any horse they need trained, and the stable’s owner, Mr. Hanson, has promised me some clients.”
“You mean you’re staying?”
“Yes, I’m staying here, Ellie, with you.”
“Brett!” Kissing him back, she could feel both their hearts beating in time to each other. He sat down on one of the rockers and pulled her into his lap. “I can’t believe you did that for me,” she whispered.
“Why, I love you, Ellie. Have ever since that very first day at the stagecoach.” He nestled her even closer against his chest. “In fact…” He stopped as she held her breath.
“In fact?”
“I want to marry you.”
“Oh, Brett.” As they kissed, all thoughts of Cora’s disapproval faded fast, but within seconds, they reappeared with a vengeance. “Yes, of course! But promise me, we won’t tell Mama right away. Promise?”
He laughed. “Now, that’s a first. I thought all mothers wanted their daughters married.”
“Typically that’s true, but my mama’s, well, she’s not typical.”
“I’d say both mother and daughter are not typical,” he replied, chuckling. “Guess that’s why I fell in love.”
“Am I that untypical?”
“I remember you tearing apart that mail coach for your books. Let’s just say that got my attention.”
They were both still laughing as Cora peered out of the one of the parlor windows and saw h
er daughter on the wrangler’s lap.
* *
Inside, things had risen to a fevered pitch. Minnie was twirling around, hands and arms in the air, hair flying, a raucous laugh bouncing against the walls.
“Minnie, it’s just a new act over at Corrigan’s,” Cora said. “What’s all the fuss?”
“It’s not just any act, Cora. It’s Lola Montez, for goodness sake! She’s coming here, of all places, for a one night only performance. Sure hope she does her famous snake dance.”
Cora scoffed. “Lola Montez, really.”
“Well, Missy, you have your Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, and I have Lola.”
As their argument escalated, the doves abandoned their posts and started to circle around the two sisters. Singing Tassel on my Boots at the top of their lungs, the chorus swelled and the room vibrated. By the time Ellie slipped in, the male customers had joined in the festivities, adding a baritone timbre to the deafening female screeches of laughter.
Catching sight of the glowing schoolmarm, the girls didn’t miss a beat. They started to dance around her and laughed when she tossed her head back and clapped enthusiastically, then performed a little jig in the middle, one hand lifting up the edge of her skirt.
“Ooooooh la-la! Miss ‘Wisdom Bringer’ is happy tonight! Wonder why? Tell us, tell us, tell us!” they all cried.
More and more people were calling out, “Tell us, tell us, tell us!” as Cora stood in the doorway, her arms crossed.
In bed that night, Minnie couldn’t stop talking. “Tonight I was happier than a lost soul with hell in a flood!”
“Speak for yourself,” Cora grunted, then rolled over on her side.
“Cora, Cora, Cora. Stop it. Ellie’s allowed to be in love, ya know.”
A long silence. “I don’t know what you’re referring to,” Cora finally said.
“If you didn’t have your head up your arse, you’d see you could have the same thing, too.”
“What in the world are you talking about?” Cora snapped, turning around to face her sister.
“I’m talkin’ about the same, good-lookin’ man who says good mornin’ to you every day, and you don’t give him the fly on an elephant’s back, that’s who I’m talkin’ about!”
The Dolan Girls Page 17
