by Chloe Carley
Cecelia turned upon hearing her name and, rather than smiling, her face took on an even more dour expression. “Miss Lawson.”
Sara Jane didn’t let the woman’s reception sway her. She walked within a few feet of her and then looked around at the bolts of fabric lying on a nearby table. “It’s a beautiful day.”
“Really? It’s cold, the wind is blowing, and the street is nothing but a muddy mess. I fail to see how that qualifies as a beautiful anything.”
“Well … I guess it’s all in your perspective,” Sara Jane replied. “Were you here for some fabric? Mrs. Pedersen has a wonderful selection.”
Cecelia looked at the bolts of fabric and then scoffed, “This doesn’t qualify as a wonderful selection. I can tell you’ve never been to a real draper, or dressmaker, or milliner.”
“Uh … milliner?” Sara Jane asked.
“A place that specializes in hats,” Mrs. Pedersen supplied from across the counter. “Lovely, elegant hats.”
“Hats?” Sara Jane glanced at the specimen sitting on Mrs. Lawry’s head and tried to find something nice to say. “Uhm … well, bonnets are much more practical and very easy to sew,” Sara Jane started to explain, stopping when Ma cleared her throat across the room. “Er, well, at least I’ve been told they are easy to sew. Needles and thread aren’t really my forte.”
Mrs. Lawry sniffed and if possible, her nose went up even higher. “I’m not surprised. A milliner makes more than just common hats. They are very important in crafting a part of a lady’s attire that separates her from—”
“Mrs. Lawry,” Mrs. Pedersen interrupted the woman’s explanation, “I have your order ready.”
“Really? You had everything on the list?” the woman asked with sarcasm dripping from her voice.
“With a few exceptions. I doubt any mercantile west of the Mississippi would have all of these things in stock,” Mrs. Pedersen defended her shop.
Mrs. Lawry sighed dramatically and nodded. “Of course. I told Mark this town wasn’t for me. Why he had to leave the civility of the cities for this little town in the middle of nowhere, I will never understand.” She paused and then declared, “I guess I’ll just have to make do.”
“I guess you will,” Mrs. Pedersen agreed with a tight jaw. “Will there be anything else?” She handed back the list and Mrs. Pedersen perused it before shaking her head and making a tsking sound.
“I do believe you’ve done all that you could. I guess I shall have to send back East for the rest of my list.”
Riley and Ma joined them at the counter and Ma asked, “What could you possibly need that isn’t available here?”
“Well, let’s see. I’m in need of a new hat. The sun has bleached my peacock blue one so that it clashes something terrible with the dress it was made for. Also, I’m almost out of rose water.” She paused and then shook her head. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this.”
“Take a word of advice from someone who’s lived here a long time. A sturdy bonnet will serve you much better than that flimsy hat you’re currently wearing.” Ma looked at the item in question and then shook her head. “Why, that hat wouldn’t protect you from the sun or a slight breeze, let alone a harsh downpour.”
“And why would I need protection from any of those things? I have no intention of being outside any longer than I have to.”
“Why indeed?” Riley asked, hiding a smirk.
“As I told you earlier, bonnets are easy to make. Ma could show you,” Sara Jane added, watching her Ma’s eyes widen and the narrow. “Or … not.”
Cecelia sniffed and then looked away. “I will never wear a bonnet again. I told Mark this wasn’t the place for us,” the woman muttered under her breath. “But did he listen to me? Of course not. “
“As for the other items on your list,” Pearl began, “you’d do better to forget your fancy creams and rose waters and devote your time to other pursuits. I’m sure you don’t intend to reside at the boarding house for very long and from what I’ve been told, the living accommodations at the school need a thorough scrubbing.”
Mrs. Lawry looked scandalized. “You aren’t suggesting that I clean that hovel?”
“Who else would go and clean it but the persons planning to live there?” Ma replied in a calm voice.
“Well … I’m … aren’t there any women here who do that sort of thing? For money, of course?” Cecelia asked.
Sara Jane stepped forward, stopping Ma from launching into a lecture about the frontier woman and being self-sufficient. It was very plain to see that Mrs. Lawry was far from being able to properly take care of herself and she had no intention of that changing, if at all possible.”
“Mrs. Lawry, you should probably speak with your son about your living accommodations in the long term. I’m sure the ladies over at the boarding house would be amenable to you remaining there for as long as you deemed it necessary.”
“Ladies? Maybe by your standard, but never by mine,” Cecelia murmured beneath her breath. Sara Jane glared at her and she quickly turned away, leaving Sara Jane standing there trying to come up with an appropriate response.
“Mrs. Lawry, if there’s nothing else, I’ll get you checked out so that you can be on your way,” Mrs. Pedersen said.
Mrs. Lawry nodded, paid for her purchases, and then gave everyone one last glare before she left. “Good day.”
“Good riddance,” Riley murmured, causing both Sara Jane and the other two women to chuckle.
Mrs. Pedersen walked over to the fabric bolts and shook her head. “That woman is just determined to be unhappy. Polly came by to pick up some mending that was dropped off and Mrs. Lawry has been nothing but rude and demanding over at the boarding house.”
“We are heading over there next. I will talk to the women and make sure they are not being mistreated.” Sara Jane glanced over to see Ma and Riley involved in their own discussion and she took advantage of their distraction to let Mrs. Pedersen know about her additional fabric needs. The older woman was the only person, other than Carl, who knew of Sara Jane’s attempt to make a baby blanket for Lily.
“I figured you would rise to the challenge. How is the first blanket coming along?” Mrs. Pedersen asked.
“Slow, but I’m getting there. Do you think you could…”
“… I already have the same amount of fabric cut and packaged for you as you got the first time.
Come with me,” Mrs. Pedersen walked back toward the counter and then retrieved several small, paper wrapped packages. “Here you go, dear. The top package is yours; the bottom one contains the lace and fabric the ladies asked for to modify their dresses.”
Sara Jane took the small square packages. She then glanced at the other two women and stated, “I think we should probably head down to the boarding house now.”
Ma and Riley bid Mrs. Pedersen farewell, and they all climbed back into the wagon and prepared to head to the opposite end of the main street. Sara Jane tucked the packages beneath the bench. She was just about to climb up and take the reins, when she spied Mrs. Lawry halfway down the boardwalk, talking to two of the town’s worst gossips: Mrs. Lancaster and her sister, Mrs. McClain. Mrs. Lancaster was married to the blacksmith and Mrs. McClain was married to the town’s undertaker.
Sara Jane shook her head and then climbed up to sit beside Ma. She directed everyone’s gaze down the road and commented, “There is trouble in the making.”
Pearl’s mouth turned down. “Those three are definitely not edifying anyone with their words.”
As the wagon moved past them, that was very obvious by the way they stared and even pointed. Sara Jane was tempted to stir the pot and go confront them, but then she saw Polly and Jasmine step out onto the front steps of the new boarding house. They were smiling and waving, and Sara Jane decided that helping her new friends was more important than trying to teach a few gossipmongers some manners. God, I’ll leave that up to you.
She brought the wagon to a stop and waved a greeting. “H
ello.”
“Good morning,” Polly called out. “You just came from the mercantile. Did you happen to bring us anything?”
Sara Jane reached beneath the buckboard and withdrew the packet of fabric and adornments. “Right here.”
She jumped down from the wagon. Riley helped Ma down and the three women entered the boarding house. “So, ladies. Are you excited about Sunday?”
Polly nodded. “We are. I’m just worried that we won’t have our dresses ready in time.”
Pearl offered, “We are here to help. Show us what needs to be done.”
They showed them a second sitting room, where their dresses had been lain out and pinned where new material needed to be sewn in. Many of the satin gowns the women had worn previously were cut too low, showing off more than was considered modest.
Jasmine picked up an emerald green gown and then showed the others the neckline. “I thought to sew a piece of lace just inside the original neckline?”
Pearl examined the dress and then nodded. “That will be a perfect solution. Do you have the lace?”
Jasmine looked to Sara Jane, who lifted the package from the mercantile. “Right here.”
She handed the package over to Ma and then watched as the women talked excitedly about the dresses they were modifying. The older women soon joined them, and Sara Jane saw Ma pull Tara aside and talk with her. When the two women smiled and separated a few minutes later, Sara Jane knew Ma had been convincing enough to have Tara join them at the ranch until after Lily’s babies were born.
The modification of the dresses was going well, and the women were talking amongst themselves good naturedly. When the front door opened and footsteps sounded in the foyer, everyone paused and then Polly called out, “Coming.”
The footsteps came toward the back of the house and, before any of the women could leave to attend their newest guest, Mark Lawry appeared in the doorway. “Ladies. Mrs. Lawry. Sara Jane. What a pleasant surprise.”
Jasmine spoke up first. “Mr. Lawry, has school been dismissed for the day already?”
“I’m afraid so. Many of the children expressed a need to return to their homes early to help with additional chores created by the recent storm. I felt it best to dismiss all of the children and start again Monday morning. As it was, only ten children showed up today.”
“I’m sorry things aren’t going better,” Sara Jane told him as he came to stand beside her.
“Well, finding you here was a bright spot in my day. Care to join me in the front parlor?” he asked, gesturing for her to precede him from the room.
Sara Jane glanced at the others, most of whom were avidly watching and listening. “We were just working on …”
“… on suitable dresses for church. Yes, I know. The very idea of these ladies attending church Sunday almost gave my mother a fit of vapors.”
Sara Jane frowned and then asked, “Why would it matter to your ma who attended church services?”
Mark sighed and then lowered his voice. “Maybe we could take our discussion to the other room? I wouldn’t want to inadvertently hurt anyone’s feelings.”
She nodded and followed him to the front sitting room. She sat in the middle of a narrow settee, in the hope that he would take the opposite chair. He did no such thing. He followed her to the settee and then waited for her to scoot over before he sat with his body turned toward her own. He crossed one knee over the other and rested an arm along the curved back.
Sara Jane scooted as far to the right as she could, still uncomfortable with how forward Mark was being. She folded her hands in her lap and then asked him to complete his explanation concerning the women.
“My mother considers herself a very pious woman. She takes very seriously the commandments written in the Good Book.”
“She is not alone in that,” Sara Jane assured him. “Many townsfolk feel the same way.”
“Back in Philadelphia, Mother was part of a ladies’ auxiliary group that helped the unfortunate, the widows, and the orphans. She has expressed a desire to begin such a program here.”
“Is that what she was doing talking to Mrs. Lancaster and Mrs. McClain?”
“Whom?” Mark asked.
“Your ma came into the mercantile while we were there earlier this morning and all she could do was complain about the town. She’s very unhappy here.”
Mark sighed and nodded. “I know, but I think once she finds some friends that will pass. I hope it will pass.” He smiled at her and then reached for one of her hands. “I really like it here and am hoping to stay around for a long while.”
Sara Jane pulled her hand free and stood up, pacing to the other side of the small room and sitting down in a high-backed chair. “Mr. Lawry…”
He smiled and then reminded her, “I’ve given you leave to use my first name. I was hoping that maybe we could spend some time together. Maybe after church again?”
Sara Jane sighed and then shook her head. “Mr. Lawry … Mark … I don’t think that would be the wise thing to do. You’ve just moved to town and have your ma to think about. Then there’s the school…”
Mark got up and came to stand in front of her chair. “Sara Jane, I like you. I knew the first time we met that we were going to be friends …”
Sara Jane was growing increasingly uncomfortable with where the conversation was headed. “I have no problem being your friend. I have many people I consider friends.”
Mark cocked his head to the side and then asked, “But do you have any special friends? Ones you like to spend more time with than others? That’s the type of friendship I envision for us.”
Sara Jane shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that is possible.”
“Do you have a beau already?”
She debated about what to share with him, and then in a bold move decided if she didn’t make sure he knew she didn’t desire any sort of romantic relationship with him, he was going to continue down this path. “There is someone who has declared his love for me.”
Mark took a small step back and then asked, “Do you return his feelings?”
Sara Jane slowly nodded her head. “Yes. It’s complicated, but I do.”
He blew out his breath. “Well then. Is there no room in your heart to explore a different option?”
“I’m afraid not,” she told him. She watched him leave the small parlor a moment later and then glanced up to see Ma and Riley watching from the other doorway. “How much did you hear?”
Riley came forward and hugged her as she stood up. “Enough.”
Pearl came forward and smiled. “Hopefully that young man will now leave you alone. Neither your pa nor your brothers were happy with his behavior the last two times they met him.”
“I know. Are you all done here?” Sara Jane asked, wanting to get back to the ranch. She had a strong desire to take Shiloh out for a ride and find some solitude where she could think. Admitting to Mark that she had feelings for Carl, even though she hadn’t named him, was a big step. Now she just needed time to figure out what came next.
Carl had made his declaration, but so far, he really hadn’t acted upon it. Patience wasn’t a virtue that Sara Jane professed to have much of. To her way of thinking, if she and Carl were meant to be together, then they should just get on with the courtship. Since Carl didn’t seem inclined to act, Sara Jane would take up the reins. She just needed to make a plan and then put it into action. A nice long ride on Shiloh would provide her the opportunity to decide on the plan.
“Let’s get back to the ranch. Polly. Jasmine.” Sara Jane waited for the women of the boarding house to join them in the front parlor. “Ladies, I will be by Sunday morning half an hour before church services and we will all walk over together.”
They all eagerly nodded their heads. “We’re going to cause a stir,” Stephanie pointed out. As the youngest of the group, she seemed to also be the most likely to be affected by gossip and unkind words. Sara Jane made a mental note to make sure she was protected
from that as much as possible going forward.
Sara Jane grinned. “Then let’s make it a big one.”
Chapter 17
Later that afternoon
Sara Jane walked into the barn, a smile on her face as she anticipated taking Shiloh for a ride. There were still drifts of snow in the shady areas, but the sun had come out and dried out some of the trails enough she felt comfortable taking her beloved mare out for a ride.
She quickly saddled her up, and then offered her a sugar cube she’d brought from the house. “Don’t tell Ma or we’ll both be in trouble.”
“Sneaking treats to your horse again?” Carl asked as he descended from the loft.
She watched him climb down, trying not to notice how handsome he truly was. He’d removed his cowboy hat and his hair was damp and curling around his temple. She closed her fist to resist the urge to smooth the curls back, mentally chiding herself for even having such thoughts. When she caught him watching her with a slight twist of his lips, she ducked her head slightly, hoping her face didn’t look as warm as it felt. She was blushing and there was absolutely nothing she could to about it.
