Aileen looked around at everyone present, seeing pity, mocking fascination and blatant interest in the gazes of many of the single men. A fine trembling began and she backed away as Declan tried to grip her hand. “No, don’t touch me,” she stammered out. “You agree with her, don’t you?” She gaped at him in disbelief. “If this is how you feel, why humiliate me? Do you hate me so much?”
Declan moved toward her, but she slapped at him so he wouldn’t touch her. Pausing a few steps from her, he said in a low voice, “No, I don’t hate you. But my mum’s right. I deserve more, Aileen. As do you.”
Tears coursed down her cheeks. Suddenly she pushed at him, sending him toppling into Ardan. She raced past him and away from the curious crowd. She had no idea where she would go, but she knew she had to escape.
Kevin rested on his bed as he listened to the distant sounds of the crowd gathering outside. He heard Eamon playing his fiddle and he knew the ceremony had begun. He knew that Aileen and Declan had desired a small wedding, but keeping the townsfolk away would be no easy feat. Soon, the house would be filled with those wanting to celebrate and he would need to find another place to sneak away to. He needed time away for his broken heart to heal.
As the crowd quieted, he envisioned what was occurring. The priest intoning the ceremony. The exchange of rings. The first kiss. His body tightened at that. “How am I to act as though I will ever overcome this?” he whispered to himself.
His bedroom door burst open and Maggie stood at the base of his bed, flushed and panting as she eyed him with wonder and excitement. “Get up, you oaf,” she ordered.
He watched her with confusion. In the past few weeks, she’d slowly gained confidence, and he hoped she would continue to become more and more sure of herself. However, never before had she spoken to him in such a bossy manner.
“Mags?” he asked. “What’s going on?”
“Mum stopped the wedding,” she said with a delighted smile. “Said she refused to allow Declan to marry a woman who wasn’t overjoyed to marry him. That he deserved better.” Her smile faded at that. “Aileen was crushed, but I think it’s because she’s embarrassed, not because she wanted to marry Declan.”
Kevin had sat up and stared at his sister in wide-eyed wonder. “What are you saying, Maggie?” His voice emerged in a raspy croak.
“Aileen is free to marry whomever she pleases. She and Declan did not, and are not, going to marry.” She frowned as he remained seated on his bed. “She raced away from the field. Many men stared at her with interest.”
“Like hell they did,” he growled and rose. He gripped Maggie by the shoulders, ignoring her instinctive stiffening. After kissing her cheek, he yelled his thanks and dashed from the house, intent on finding the woman he loved.
Aileen raced from the field, tripping and stumbling over uneven ground. She fell to her knees, rising to continue her mad dash from the scene of her public disgrace. She ignored the pain in her knee, and the blood trickling down her leg from a cut from a rock and ran to town. When she arrived at the levee, she realized she had the half-baked plan of jumping on a departing steamboat, never to be seen again.
However, no steamboat was on the verge of leaving. No stagecoach could help her escape this moment. She had no money to pay her way and she had no desire to be at the mercy of the men on the boat or coach. Tears coursed down her cheeks as she fought the memories of the time she spent with Kevin. Turning away from the river, she limped in the opposite direction of the hotel.
Her gaze lit on the Bordello and she made a beeline for it. She reached for the door, her shoulders falling forward to find the door locked. With a determination borne of desperation, she slammed her palm on the door, demanding entrance. With a near hysterical cry, she yelled for someone to open the door, only then remembering her aunt’s prediction that within an hour of being abandoned and alone would she seek out shelter at the Bordello. Shivering, she leaned against the door as the truth of those words sunk in.
A man with huge shoulders, menacing glower, and penetrating gaze jerked the door open. He caught her as she fell forward into his arms. “Not every day a fine lookin’ woman is so eager to join our girls,” he said with a chuckle, ignoring her shriek of alarm. “And you’re in luck. We have a place for you since one of the Sirens opted to remain in Virginia City.”
Aileen shivered and shook. “You misunderstand.”
He studied her. “This ain’t no hostel, miss. This is a brothel. If you ain’t interested in sharin’ your goods with a sizeable number of men each night, turn around now.”
“Ezra, stop terrifying the girl,” Madam Nora called out as she walked toward them from a rear room. “Miss O’Keefe,” she murmured, sympathy and understanding in her gaze, “it appears your wedding day didn’t go as planned.”
A sob burst forth and Madam Nora pulled her into her arms. “There, there, girl,” she murmured. “Come to my office and have a cup of tea. Nothing is ever as bad as it seems after you talk it over with a friend.” She motioned for Ezra to shut the door, murmuring to him, “If someone is looking for her, plead ignorance.” At his nod, she led Aileen away.
Aileen sat in stupefied silence in an opulent office on one of the most comfortable chairs she had ever sat on. The Madam slung a blanket over her shoulders and pressed a cup of tea, heavily sweetened, in her hand. After many long minutes, Aileen looked up to meet her assessing stare. “Why are you being kind to me? You don’t know me.”
The older woman gazed at her a long moment and comfortably settled in her chair. “As you know, I am Madam Nora. I am friends with members of the O’Rourke family and find myself inclined to aid those they care for.” She paused. “I’ve had to bide my time to meet you.”
“I don’t understand,” Aileen murmured. “If events had not transpired as they did today, I never would have met you.” She met the Madam’s patient gaze. “But I have nowhere to go. No way to earn any money.”
Madam Nora’s intelligent gaze shone with disbelief. “I’m certain there will be many searching for you, Miss O’Keefe. However, you must determine if you want to be found. For few will consider searching for you here.” When Aileen remained silent, Nora said, “The O’Rourke boy will tear this town apart looking for you.”
“Declan didn’t want me,” she said in a dull voice. Any vivacity in her countenance had leeched away as she considered the day and its repercussions.
Nora settled into her chair. “He’s not the O’Rourke brother you need to concern yourself with.” She tapped the tip of her pen on a scrap piece of paper, the ledger in front of her ignored. “Do you know what it is to be trapped by your own honor? By your loyalty to those you love and to your own sense of self?”
Aileen gaped at her as the Madam spoke. After a long moment, she shook her head.
“I fear, for too long, you have believed the lies spoken by your aunt.” Her mouth turned down into a frown as she mentioned Aileen’s aunt. “I’ve only suffered the misfortune of speaking with her a few times, and those times were sufficient for me to know what a miserly woman she is with affection. With love. I can only imagine how difficult it was for you as a child.”
Aileen shrugged. “She took me in rather than sending me to an orphanage.”
“Quite charitable of her,” the Madam murmured. She rose and moved to a file cabinet, extracting a thin file. “Do you know, in my work here the past three years, I have had the occasion to meet many fascinating men. Men who do not know the meaning of civilization. Men who are so polished, they hate the sight of mud on their boots.” She smiled at the thought as it was impossible to traverse the streets of Fort Benton without encountering muck and mud. “However, what these men have in common is a basic desire for affection. Companionship. And the sense that they are understood.”
Aileen frowned, her troubles momentarily forgotten. “That seems a simplistic view of men.”
Madam Nora laughed, her cheeks a rosy red and her eyes sparkling. “Yes, but I fear you will find most me
n descend to their more … elementary needs when they enter a bordello.” She raised an eyebrow when Aileen blushed. She tapped at the folder in front of her. “Most men have no interest in anything but spending time with my girls. Some enjoy a conversation or two with me. The rare few are worthy of ongoing friendship.”
“Like Mr. O’Rourke,” Aileen whispered. “The elder.”
Nora sighed and shook her head. “No. He was singular. A true confidante who saw me as more than an owner of a brothel. I fear I will never meet another like Seamus.” Her regret filled smile faded as she focused on Aileen again. “A man who was not as unique as Seamus, but every bit as entertaining and worthy of my regard, was a Mr. Cathal O’Keefe.”
Nora paused as she saw Aileen pale.
“I’m certain you are mistaken,” the younger woman whispered, her voice thickened. “He hasn’t been heard of in years.”
“Oh, I fear you are the one misinformed,” Nora said. “I have a habit of writing down conversations with men who interest me. Out of a desire to remember interesting anecdotes. Or to ensure they continue to tell me the truth the next time they walk through my door. There’s nothing I resent more than a man attempting to act as though I’m the one misremembering the past.”
“What does this have to do with Cathal O’Keefe?”
“Cathal came through Fort Benton in 1863 and 1864. To my great delight, he was equally as charming on both trips through town and didn’t attempt to rewrite history.” She stared at Aileen a long moment. “Even though he’d had tremendous success in the gold mines.”
Aileen rolled her eyes. “My father always claimed he was going to hit it big. He never did. He bamboozled you as he did everyone else.”
Nora rose to pace around the room. “No, your father had success. First in California, then in other small mines before coming to Montana. He never failed to send money home to your aunt for your care. And he rejoiced in every letter he received from your aunt with word about you, although he told me he wished you’d write him. He yearned for a letter from you.”
Aileen paled as her eyes rounded. She sat with a distant gaze with her arms wrapped around her middle. “My aunt never …” She broke off as she bent forward to rest her head on her lap as she feared she would faint. A few minutes later, she demanded, “Where is he? Where is my father now?”
Nora shook her head. “I don’t know. He took a boat back to Saint Louis last summer. He told me his plan was to go to Albany and find you.” She looked at Aileen as the girl deflated in front of her. “I assume, because you are here, looking as destitute as an unwanted widow, that he never did find you.”
“No,” Aileen whispered. “We left Albany in a rush. I thought it was because my aunt was eager for us not to miss our chance to come here.” She rubbed at her cheek and rocked in place as she attempted to soothe herself. “Instead, she was running away from him, wasn’t she? She never wanted me to know I had a choice.”
Setting down the file with a thunk, Nora frowned. “You always have a choice, girl. You had a choice to arrive at your wedding today. You had a choice not to stand up and demand that the man you love marry you, rather than his brother. You had a choice to allow your aunt to run roughshod over you all these years.” She paused as she saw Aileen curl into herself. “You’ve always had a choice. The vital thing is that you never realized you did.”
Aileen jerked her head up and stared at Nora in confusion.
“Now you do. Now you must consider all your options wisely and decide what it is you want.” Nora paused as Aileen sat in dumbfounded silence. After studying the young woman a moment, Nora murmured, “I find it hard to believe that your aunt wouldn’t have found some way for you to earn her more money.”
Flinching, Aileen patted at her dress. “I’m a seamstress. Although you wouldn’t know it looking at me.” She flushed. “My aunt sold the dresses I’d made for myself to earn more money.”
“Greedy as well as conniving,” Madam Nora said. “She will have her day of reckoning.” She stood. “Come. I fear I have work I must do, and you must rest.”
“Rest?” Aileen asked, her eyes rounded in terror as she stood and allowed herself to be coaxed forward a few steps.
“Yes. I fear you will soon be quite busy. You’ll have more work than you know what to do with.”
Aileen stopped, digging in her heels. “No,” she gasped. “I refuse to work as a … a woman who shares her charms with men. I cannot. I will not.”
Madam Nora smiled approvingly. “There. That wasn’t so difficult, was it?” She patted Aileen on her arm. “Your first choice.” She winked at Aileen. “I thought you could work for me as a seamstress. My girls hate sewing and I fear their dresses are becoming a bit ratty. Would you mind, in exchange for room and board?”
Aileen shook her head. “No, not for now. As long as it’s understood I desire no man’s company.”
“Never fear,” Nora soothed. “Ezra is fierce when he protects one of our own. And you’re one of us now.”
Chapter 14
The following day, Kevin continued to search for Aileen. Although he had spoken to all the shopkeepers in town, and no stagecoach, or oxen cart had left since the disastrous ceremony, he had been unable to locate Aileen. Her aunt had sequestered herself away in her hotel room and had avoided his attempts to speak with her.
As the sun rose over the cliffs, sparkling on the river, he stood outside the hotel waiting for her aunt. He knew she would have to venture forth for food at some point and he would allow no one to prevent him from speaking with her. After an hour of kicking his heels, he saw movement inside and he stepped away from the doorway and window.
When Mrs. Davies emerged on the plank walkway, with shoulders back, head held high, and her cranberry dress swirling around her ankles, he moved from the side of the building. Within a few steps, he impeded her brisk walk in the café’s direction. “Mrs. Davies, I’ve been waiting for you.”
“I fail to see why,” she hissed. She swatted him on the arm with her small bag. “It’s because of you that my niece failed to marry yesterday.”
Kevin’s gaze narrowed as he focused on her. Although she appeared upset at the failed marriage, he detected no concern for her niece. “Do you worry about where she spent last night?” He took a step closer, leaning over her, his words soft and harsh. “Are you so selfish a woman you do not care she could have been harmed by any number of men in this town?”
He stilled her arm before she could raise it to belt him again. They glared at each other for a long moment.
“I was mistaken in my belief you cared about your niece. That you would want to see her happy.” He shook his head in disbelief.
“You’ve ruined everything!” Mrs. Davies hissed as she vibrated with fury.
“How?” Kevin asked. When her aunt clamped her jaw together and refused to respond he said, “It appears to me that you had the chance to encourage her to follow her heart. But you didn’t. You pressured her to follow your interests.” He shook his head in confusion. “Although I don’t understand why.”
“And you never will! You’ll never understand what it is to be a woman on her own, having to make her own way.” She tilted her chin back with pride. “I will never be ashamed of what I’ve done.”
Kevin released her arm and took a step away. “Did you ever care for Aileen? Ever?”
Mrs. Davies’s gaze filled with derision. “Why should I be saddled with my sister’s offspring? Why should I be forced to give up my dreams when my sister got to do everything she wanted?” She shook her head. “No. It was time someone sacrificed for me.”
“You vile woman,” he whispered, stepping aside as she pushed past him to barrel in the direction of the café. He heaved out a breath, with no more clarity of where to look than he’d had before challenging Mrs. Davies. When his stomach rumbled, he decided to return home to find Ardan.
When he entered the kitchen, all of his siblings, including Declan, were present. Declan stared at him
with no outward hostility, and a tension that had been a part of him since his Da’s announcement on his arrival from Saint Louis eased. He slipped into his seat beside Ardan, deep in thought.
“Still no luck?” Ardan murmured. When Kevin shook his head, Ardan bit down on a slice of bacon and then passed the platters of food to his brother.
Kevin watched as Maggie moved from the stove to the table and sat near the middle of the table. She continued to watch her siblings with wide-eyed fascination, although she joined in on the conversations and giggled frequently. He smiled at her when she saw him watching her.
“I thought you’d be with your Aileen this morning,” she said as she fiddled with the eggs on her plate.
“How could he be when he can’t find her?” Ardan asked.
Maggie cast a furtive glance to her father and mother and then blushed. “I think I know where she is.” She shook her head. “But it isn’t proper for me to speak of it.”
“Maggie,” Kevin said as he reached down the table as though to grab her arm. However, she was just far enough away that he couldn’t reach her and he knocked over a cup of tea and dislodged a fork from the platter of eggs. “What do you mean?”
Maggie flushed and bit her lip. “Everyone focused on Declan yesterday and how he was after the disastrous ceremony. I was curious where Aileen would go. So I followed her after I told you about the interrupted wedding.” Her gaze flickered to Declan as though she were being disloyal. “After she got over her embarrassment, I had thought she’d seek you out, Kevin.”
Kevin shook his head and bit his lip to prevent barking at her to tell him what he needed to know.
“She went to the … the unmentionable place,” she whispered, her cheeks beet red.
“The unmention--” Kevin rose. “Thanks, Mags!” He raced from the room with Ardan on his heels. Although early morning, he would force himself inside the Bordello if he had to. Nothing would separate him from Aileen. From ensuring she was well. From holding her in his arms again. Nothing and no one.
Pioneer Dream: The O’Rourke Family Montana Saga Page 19
