He nodded. “I’m not either, but I would like to have a dozen or so.”
She shook her head. “That may be a few too many for me. Maybe three or four.”
He shook his head. “I need to beat Fred. He had eight, so I need at least a dozen.”
She sighed. “I refuse to be part of that competition.”
He wiggled his brows at her. “I can’t compete without you.”
She laughed. “I like being with you.” She was surprised by that. She hadn’t enjoyed being around Arthur even before they married. She’d always felt like he was watching her for something she was doing wrong. With Max, she honestly enjoyed just spending time with him.
He brushed his lips against hers, wishing they weren’t in a public park together. He was wondering the best way to convince her to go home and to bed with him when he heard a familiar squeal. “Uncle Max!”
He looked over with a sigh. “Lily and Jasmine,” he whispered to help Harriett remember their names.
Lily ran straight to them and stopped at the edge of the blanket they were sitting on. Harriett was surprised to see the young girl was running around in a boy’s shirt and pants. Her mother really let her dress that way? Jasmine was slower than her sister but she was right behind her.
Jasmine put her hands on her hips and looked down at the newlyweds. “Why were you two kissing in the park? Isn’t that against the law or something?” Her face was indignant.
Max shook his head. “No it’s not against the law to kiss your wife in a park.”
Lily pushed Jasmine. “Not against the law, stupid. Just against the code of decency. Husbands and wives should only kiss behind closed doors.” She stared at Max, waiting for him to apologize to her for having kissed his wife in public.
Jasmine seemed to think about that for a moment. “Why would they want to kiss anyway? Seems boring to me.”
Lily shrugged. “Why are you asking me? I’d rather climb a tree than kiss some silly boy.”
Harriett couldn’t listen to the talk about kissing any longer. “How are you young ladies today? Lily? Jasmine?” She was embarrassed to have been caught kissing Max by their nieces, but certainly didn’t feel like she’d done anything wrong for kissing him.
Jasmine peered down at Harriett for a moment before flopping down on the blanket and helping herself to a cookie from the remnants of the picnic the couple had just shared. “Did Uncle Max help you with our names? Most of the people in town just call us all ‘flower’ because they know we all have flower names.” She munched on the cookie in her hand and took Max’s glass of lemonade to wash it down.
Lily threw herself down on the blanket on her stomach, reaching for the last cookie. “I’m sure he told her who we are. No one remembers all our names after the first meeting.” She propped herself up on her elbows, kicking her feet in the air. It was a good thing she wasn’t wearing a dress.
“Your uncle did tell me your names, but it so happens I remembered both of your names. You all made quite an impression on me the other day.” That part was honest at least. The girls had all certainly imbedded themselves in her brain. She wasn’t sure that she could name them all yet, but she knew these two and Rose and Amaryllis. And little Iris, of course. “How’s Iris’s squirrel?”
Lily shrugged, answering with her mouth full of cookie. “His leg was better so Papa made her let him go. He said squirrels aren’t mean to live in captivity.”
“What are you girls doing today? Other than interrupting perfectly happy couples in the park?” Max asked.
Lily sighed. “Well, since it’s Saturday and there’s no school and it’s not raining for a change, Mama said we could play in the park.”
“Does your mother know what you’re wearing?” Harriett couldn’t help but ask the question. She couldn’t imagine allowing her daughter to run around in public in boys’ breeches.
“I don’t know. Jasmine is the one who asked if we could come.” Lily shrugged as if it had never occurred to her that her mother would mind.
“While you hid so she wouldn’t see that you were trying to sneak out without a skirt?” Max asked knowingly.
“Maybe.” Lily sat up and folded her legs in front of her. “I hate skirts. It’s so hard to climb trees when you have to worry about whether someone can see up your skirt and look at your pantaloons.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s not like everyone doesn’t know what pantaloons look like and that every girl wears them, so I’m really not sure why it matters, but Mama is convinced that it does.”
Harriett bit her lip to stifle the laugh that was coming to the surface. “I can see that it would be. Do you wear skirts to school?” Just how often did Lily get away with wearing pants in public?
Lily nodded. “Mama makes me. She says I can be a hoyden at home, but when I go out in public she expects me to at least be dressed like a lady even if she can’t get me to act like one.”
“That’s exactly what Mama says. That’s why I had to be the one to ask if we could come to the park, so Mama wouldn’t know that Lily was wearing pants again,” Jasmine explained. She looked at Harriett. “You won’t tell Mama, will you?”
Harriett shook her head, lowering her voice to a whisper. “It’ll be our secret.” Harriett couldn’t help but love the girls. They were a lot of fun to have around.
Lily smiled. “Oh, good. We’re going to like having you for an aunt.”
“I hope so. I think I can be a fun aunt. At least I hope so.” She leaned forward as if bestowing another secret. “I’ve never been an aunt before.”
Jasmine smiled. “Really? It’s not too terribly hard. You just have to make sure you give us presents every time you see us and if we say something rude, you have to forgive us. Simple.”
Max looked over at Harriett. “Why did we want to come to the park again?” He was obviously exasperated by his nieces’ behavior.
Harriett smiled. “So we could see your beautiful nieces?”
Lily frowned. “I don’t want to be beautiful and have a bunch of boys sniffing around me like Rose does.” She made a disgusted face. “I think Rose likes to have six boys vying for her attention, though. I have no idea why, but she really seems to like it.”
“A lot of girls do,” Harriett responded.
“Really?” Lily asked. “Did you want to have boys all around you?”
Harriett shook her head. “No, I was always shy. My first husband was the first boy I ever danced with.” She leaned forward and whispered. “Your uncle Max is the second man to ever kiss me.”
“You were married before Uncle Max?” Jasmine said with surprise.
Harriett nodded. “I got married when I was Rose’s age, but my husband died a year later.”
“How did he die?” Jasmine’s eyes were round with wonder.
“He got shot,” Harriett told her honestly, leaving out the part about who shot him and what had precipitated it.
Max gave her a startled look. “I never knew how he died. I guess I was expecting it to be something else.”
Harriett shrugged. “You never asked.” And she had never volunteered the information, because it wasn’t something she talked about.
“Do you know who shot him?” Max watched her face carefully when he asked the question.
“Yes, I do.” She refused to say another word about it, though, especially in front of the children. She hoped he wouldn’t press her on it.
Max seemed to understand that she’d said all she was going to say, because he didn’t ask anything else.
“Sometimes people need to be shot,” Jasmine said with her ten year old wisdom.
Harriett nodded emphatically, not realizing how much she was revealing. “Yes, Jasmine. Sometimes people really do need to be shot.”
*****
Max didn’t ask any more questions that day about how Arthur had died, but he couldn’t get what Harriett had said out of his head. Sometimes people need to be shot? Just what kind of man had Harriett been married to?
He
considered hiring someone to find out what had happened during Harriett’s first marriage, but decided that she’d tell him when she was ready. Enough had been revealed already that he honestly wasn’t sure that he wanted to know. Would he regret that someone else had shot Arthur and he hadn’t had the chance to do it himself?
He laid in bed that night watching Harriett sleep, her face looking innocent on the pillow with her hair spread out all around her. He didn’t have any idea how someone could mistreat such a special woman, but he knew that if he ever found out why or how she’d been mistreated, he’d want blood.
As he closed his eyes, he wondered if maybe that’s why she was so close to Higgins. Did he know exactly what had happened? Should he question him again?
He sighed, knowing he needed to give Harriett some time to tell him everything for herself. There was something going on with her past, and he had a feeling her husband was at the center of it all. He just wished she trusted him enough to tell him.
Chapter Five
Once Max settled back to work, Harriett found herself at loose ends. When she’d been married to Arthur, he’d always left her a list of things she needed to accomplish while he was gone. She felt like she had nothing to do now, because Max told her to do whatever wives do all day, having no idea what that was, or what he should expect her to do.
She looked around the smaller parlor, the one Max had told her was hers for whatever she wanted and started thinking. She didn’t much like the colors. Maybe she could walk over to the mercantile and pick out new fabric. The sofa and chair needed to be redone and so did the curtains.
She looked out the window. It looked dreary, but it wasn’t actually raining, so she’d probably be okay. She found Higgins in the hall and let him know where she was going and why. She’d never been much of a shopper, but when she needed something, she always liked to get it herself rather than sending someone else.
She walked along the busy streets, glad she had moved to a place in the city. She wasn’t sure she was cut out to be a farmer’s wife like a good portion of the women she’d sent off to be mail order brides.
The mercantile was a fifteen minute walk. Her leg was aching a bit by the time she arrived, but she was glad she was getting some exercise. With the weather being so fickle in Seattle, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to exercise it as much as she needed to.the mercantile for the first time and looked around. They had a good selection, everything from food items to clocks and watches. She spotted the fabric in a corner and walked over, studying the different materials on display.
She noticed another woman, older and overweight, standing across from her looking over the same display herself. “What would you think of this for a parlor? I want to redo the sofa.” She held up the fabric and showed it to the other woman, really looking at her for the first time.
The woman looked to be in her mid-forties and had brown hair and eyes. She had round cheeks that Harriett liked. Harriett had always wished her face were fuller. Her eye is what caught Harriett’s attention. It was an angry shade of purple. Harriett didn’t say anything about it, but she wondered what the woman would say if she asked. She had made all the excuses in the book herself. ‘I walked into a wall.’ ‘I fell.’ ‘Sometimes I just can’t believe how clumsy I am.’
The woman gave her a tentative smile. “I think the one with the pink roses would be prettier.”
Harriett looked down and spotted the fabric the woman had mentioned. “You know, I think you’re right.” She held her hand to shake the other woman’s. “I’m Harriett Long. I mean Harriett Farmer.” She blushed at her mistake. “I really do know my own name. I got married last week.”
The other woman’s smile widened, but her eyes remained sad-looking. “I’m Mildred Anderson.”
“It’s so nice to meet you. Are you from this area?” She picked up the other fabric and studied it for a moment, trying to decide whether she wanted to match the red from the roses for curtains or whether she wanted to match the green from the leaves.
“No, I moved here with my husband about ten years ago.”
Harriett smiled. “Do you have children?”
Mildred nodded. “I have a fifteen year old son. He’s in school today.”
Harriett picked up the two fabrics she’d decided on. “That’s a nasty bruise you have there. Are you okay?” She knew the answer she expected and Mildred didn’t disappoint her.
“I’m fine. Just clumsy.” Her eyes danced away from Harriett’s as she answered.
Harriett sighed, walking around the display table and speaking softly. “I know it’s none of my business, but you don’t have to stay with a man who abuses you. If you need somewhere to go, I’m married to Max Farmer. I’ll help you.” She meant it too. It didn’t matter if she and Max had to sleep on the floor in her parlor, she would open her home to as many women as needed to get away from husbands who beat them.
Mildred shook her head, her eyes embarrassed. “You’re right. It is none of your business.” She turned on her heel and stalked away, taking her purchases to the front.
Harriett understood the embarrassment of being beaten. She’d felt it herself all too often. Why did women take on their husband’s mistakes with things like that?
Harriett paid for the fabric and walked slowly back to the house, worried the whole time about Mildred. She had a hard time watching a woman in an abusive marriage. She knew she wouldn’t have been alive without Higgins, and she hoped the woman had someone who could defend her the same way.
She thought hard about what she could do for a woman who didn’t seem to want any help and finally decided to have Higgins watch out for her. Max’s home ran smoothly without a butler, and Higgins was looking for something to do with his time. Harriett wasn’t ready to let him go, though, so he stayed around waiting for her to give him something to do.
When she got home, Max was in his study waiting for her. She popped into his office and kissed him hello, showing him the fabric she’d purchased from the mercantile. “I want to use this for the sofa in my parlor, and I like this green for the curtains. What do you think?” She knew he wouldn’t really care, but she liked to show off her purchases, and he was there.
Max shrugged. “If it makes you happy then I love it.” He pulled her against him. “I missed you today.”
Harriett caught a glimpse of Higgins walking past the open door. “I missed you, too,” she said distractedly. “I’ll be right back.” Hurrying into the hallway she followed after Higgins. “Higgins!”
He turned and walked back to her. “Do you need something, Mrs. Farmer?”
She spoke softly to him, not wanting anyone else to hear. “I met a woman in the mercantile today. I’m sure she’s being abused. I want you to find her and make sure she’s okay.”
Higgins face looked pained, but he nodded briefly. “What do you want me to do?”
Harriett shrugged. “She brushed me off the same way I brushed off any questions about my bruises. I guess I just want you to keep an eye on her. Watch her house when you can. Make sure he doesn’t really hurt her.” She knew Higgins would understand her emphasis of really. A few bruises were nothing when a woman was used to them, but broken bones were something else entirely.
Higgins nodded. “Of course. Her name and address?”
“I don’t know her address, but her name is Mildred Anderson. She lives with her husband and fifteen year old son.” Harriett held her hands out, palm up, as if to apologize for not having more information.
“I’ll find her.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry.”
“Thank you.” She turned back to where Max was standing in the doorway of his study, watching her. He was frowning, and she immediately rushed back to him. It was only then that she realized how odd her running off to talk to the butler would seem to her husband. “How was your day today, Max?”
She sat down on the sofa in his study, hoping he would join her. When he did, he kept a good foot between them and left the
study door open. “What was so important that you had to run out of the room to talk to your butler?” His voice was colder than she’d ever heard it.
She stared at him, afraid of the anger she saw in his eyes. “I just had an errand that I needed him to run for me.” She shrugged, trying to downplay its importance. She wasn’t yet ready for him to know about her first marriage. Maybe someday she would be, but they’d only been married for a week.
“So you had an errand that you had to ignore me to go tell him about? It must have been an important errand.” His eyes met hers as he folded his arms across his chest, obviously trying to understand what was going on with her.
She shook her head. “It was only important to me.” And to the woman who needs to be watched over, she added silently.
“What was the errand?”
She stared at him for a moment before shrugging again. “He’s just going to go check on someone for me.” She did her best to downplay the importance of the errand she’d sent Higgins on.
“You don’t know anyone in Seattle.”
“I went to the mercantile today. I met someone.” She stared at the wall behind him, unwilling to see the anger building in his eyes. She didn’t know if she was ready to try to deal with his anger, yet.
“And is that person who Higgins is going to check on?”
Harriett nodded. She didn’t want to say any more than that, but that was true enough.
“And you’re not going to tell me anything more than that?” he asked, his voice getting louder in his anger.
“I’m sorry. It’s not my story to tell.” She felt her hand shaking while she waited for him to get angry enough to hit her. They’d already been married a week. Why was he waiting so long?
He sighed and stood up, looking down at her. “Someday you’ll trust me enough to tell me all your secrets.” He left the room, closing the door behind him, leaving her completely alone.
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