Molly's Heart

by Marianne Spitzer

  Molly’s eyes lowered to her plate. “Thank you,” she whispered not used to compliments.

  “Molly,” Ben started before he was interrupted by Nell setting two plates of pie on the table. “Enjoy,” Nell said and rushed off.

  “I was going to ask you if you’d let me accompany you to church on Sunday? I’d like everyone in town to know I’m serious.”

  Molly’s hand flew to her mouth. “I never thought about the town. Ben, what if you lose your job? Not everyone approves of me.”

  He reached for her hand and ran his thumb over the back of it as he spoke. “You have my heart, Molly. If we can’t be happy here, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go. I plan to court you proper in front of the entire town. Let’s start with Sunday services.”

  “All right but I want to bring Lucy and Rose with me. Pastor Reynolds held services at the saloon on Saturdays. He can’t do that now. I want them to go.” She looked at him pleadingly hoping he’d understand.

  “Then I will escort all three of you,” he insisted. “I wish it were summer. I’d invite you on a picnic. I’ve never courted anyone before. What do couples do in the winter.”

  Molly shrugged. “I have no idea.”

  “I’ll find out,” Ben offered. “Eat your pie. I don’t want you to lose your job by keeping you away too long.”

  Molly smiled and bit into the pie. “This is delicious.”

  Ben paid the bill and walked Molly back to the seamstress shop. The snow had stopped overnight leaving crystal clear blue skies. The temperature dropped, and the light wind chilled Molly, but she didn’t hurry her pace. She loved spending time with Ben. Would it last?

  “What’s your favorite color,” Molly asked.

  “What? Why?”

  Molly laughed. “I’m trying to get to know you.”

  “Oh, umm green. What’s yours?”

  “Blue.”

  “Like your eyes.”

  Molly sighed. This man was stealing her heart more and more each moment.

  Ben leaned closer but didn’t kiss her. “I’d like to kiss you, but we’d create a scene right here in the middle of town. I think it might be worth it.” He leaned closer and Molly took a step back.

  “Ben, please.”

  He laughed. “All right but I want two kisses the next time we’re alone.”

  Molly smiled and hurried inside.

  ~ * ~

  Molly heard the bell above the door jingle and the click, click, click of Sarah’s sewing machine coming from the back room, but the front showroom was empty. She took too long at lunch and worried she left Sarah alone with all the work. Pushing back the heavy blue curtain that separated the main showroom from the work area, she saw Rose busy sewing buttons on a lavender dress and Sarah busily sewing a matching shawl.

  “It’s about time you returned,” Sarah said without looking up. “How long does it take to eat lunch?”

  Rose kept her eyes down on her work and bit back her smile.

  Molly stammered and started to explain, “Ben told me about his life. I forgot about the time.”

  “Well,” Sarah stated standing from her bench in front of the sewing machine. “Be sure and do it more often if you expect him to propose soon.” She turned toward Molly with a huge smile on her face.

  Rose broke out into giggles.

  Molly sighed. “You worried me. I thought I was going to lose my job and home.”

  “Never,” Sarah insisted hurrying over to hug her friend. “I wanted to tease you and not frighten you.”

  “I think you did both,” Rose quipped.

  “I know I’m late. I’ll work late to catch up. I need to finish the lace on Eloise’s dress for the Christmas Eve dance,” Molly answered.

  “I can help, and you can make your wedding dress,” Rose offered.

  “No, we can’t start on that until the fabric shipment arrives,” Sarah explained. “I hope it’s here Friday.”

  “I still haven’t said there’s a wedding,” Molly insisted.

  Sarah sat back down on her sewing bench and smiled. “Ben loves you, and you love him. He wants to marry you. He said as much but hasn’t proposed formally, so you haven’t accepted formally. That doesn’t mean there isn’t going to be a wedding. We all know you’re getting married. We just need to know when.”

  “Not before we finish her dress,” Rose suggested.

  “True,” Sarah agreed. “Which is why it’s our first project as soon as the fabric arrives.”

  Molly blew out a breath and picked up the dress and lace she worked on earlier and began stitching. “You’re right, said he’d marry me today if I agreed, but he hasn’t actually proposed. He wants to court me. I think he thinks it’s what I want. It doesn’t matter to me. I do love him and I think he loves me. I worry he might not be entirely serious and that’s why he hasn’t proposed except to say we should be married now. What if this is a diversion for him?”

  “It isn’t,” Sarah assured. “You don’t see the way he looks at you when you aren’t watching. That man loves you.”

  Hoping to change the subject, Molly asked, “Where’s Lucy?”

  “At my house cleaning and making supper. When Giles drives me home, he’ll come back and drop her off here. I told her to cook enough to bring back for your meal, too.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Sarah,” Molly stated.

  “Lucy insisted she help us and was happy cooking and cleaning when Giles and I dropped her off after lunch. After all she’s been through, I think she’ll enjoy the quiet and doing something useful.”

  Rose nodded vigorously, “She hated working at Underwood’s. I used to hear her cry after the saloon closed. She’s a good woman.”

  Molly assured Rose, “That’s behind both of you now.”

  Chapter 6

  Molly, Rose, and Lucy enjoyed a fun filled supper. Lucy was an excellent cook and Molly knew Giles and Sarah would enjoy the meal. She smiled knowing both women sharing her table would find new, safe homes. After a long day, the three women retired early.

  Joseph, who had just finished helping his father repair his banister, headed out the back door of the barber shop heading back to his small house and carpentry shop. He crossed the alleyway and headed toward his back door when he heard voices coming from further down the alleyway. Glancing in the direction of the voices, he saw two men standing outside the back door of the seamstress shop. One bent over fiddling with the doorknob. Joseph crept alongside bushes that lined the backyards of the homes along the alleyway and saw the men trying to break into the shop. He didn’t have his gun with him. Joseph reached down and brushed the snow away until he felt the ground and a rock he could easily hold in his hand. He packed snow around the rock until he had a solid, heavy snowball. He stood quietly and threw the snowball as hard as he could. It hit one of the men in the head, and he dropped to the ground without a sound. The other looked at his partner and spun around. When he didn’t see anyone, he ran down to the corner and disappeared.

  Rolling the unconscious man onto his back, he recognized him. The sheriff’s office was a block away. The man might wake up, and despite the fact he didn’t want to frighten Molly, he pounded on the shop’s back door.

  A sleepy Molly, called out that she would be right there and asked, “Who is it?”

  “It’s Joseph, Molly. Please open the door.”

  When Molly opened the door, she gasped at the sight of the man lying at Joseph’s feet. “What happened?”

  “He was trying to break in. Do you have any rope? I want to tie him up before I get the sheriff.”

  Molly nodded and found a length of rope. Joseph tied him up securely and asked Molly if she had a gun.

  “Yes, I do. I’ll make sure he doesn’t go anywhere until you get back with Ben.”

  “He wasn’t alone. If his friend comes back, don’t take a chance. Shoot him.”

  When he saw Molly’s ashen face, he added, “You don’t have to kill him, but shoot at him. It’ll scare hi
m off. I have a feeling I know who he is. I’ll be back soon.”

  Joseph ran down the alleyway, and Molly closed the door far enough to keep out most of the cold but open a bit to keep an eye on the unconscious man. She stood away from the door in case the second man returned and tried to help his friend. She gripped the gun in her hand praying she wouldn’t have to use it. Molly was a good shot but killing a man regardless of the reason didn’t sit well with her.

  In less than five minutes, Joseph returned with Ben. The man still hadn’t moved, and Ben stepped over him and pulled Molly to his chest.

  “Are you all right, sweetheart?”

  Molly melted against him and murmured, “I am now. Who is that man and why did he try to break in here?”

  Ben took a step backward and answered, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”

  The man groaned, and Ben pulled him into a sitting position and leaned him against the wall. A hand full of snow rubbed in the man’s face brought him around enough for Ben to ask questions.

  “I know who you are, Willis. Who was here with you?”

  Willis didn’t make a sound.

  “All right, you’re under arrest. You can go off to prison on your own. The judge doesn’t take kindly to men attacking women.”

  “What?” Willis sputtered. “I didn’t attack anybody.”

  “What other reason would you have to break in here? You know three women live here. You’ll go away for a long time.”

  “Listen, Sheriff. It wasn’t my idea. I only came along in case there was trouble.”

  “Trouble doing what? What kind of trouble did you expect to find in a seamstress shop?” Sheriff Clay spat.

  Willis flinched. “In case the ladies didn’t want to come back.”

  “Ladies?”

  Willis nodded. “Yeah, Miss Lucy and Miss Rose. We’re supposed to take them to a farm outside town. The farmer is letting Underwood use his barn until he rebuilds the saloon. The tents he’s putting up in town will be for drinking and if you want, well, you know, you can go out to the barn.”

  “That’s abduction,” Ben informed Willis.

  “No, it ain’t. Underwood owns them women. They have to come back.”

  Ben grabbed Willis by the collar and yanked him to his feet. “Underwood knows they don’t work for him any longer. He hired you to abduct Miss Lucy and Miss Rose. You’re in a world of trouble, Willis. It’ll go easier if you tell me who was with you.”

  Willis shook his head.

  Ben turned to Molly. “Lock your doors and keep that gun with you. Shoot if you must, but stay safe. Whoever he was with might come back. I’m going to arrest Underwood and who knows what’ll happen. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Ben leaned toward Molly, and she kissed him quickly. He pulled Willis down the alleyway. Joseph called out, “Good night, Miss Molly,” and followed Ben.

  At his office, Ben locked Willis in a cell and asked Joseph. “Can you wait here until I return with Underwood? I’m not sure if his friend will come here to try and break him out, but I don’t want to take a chance.”

  “Sure,” Joseph responded taking the gun Ben offered him.

  Ben walked with measured steps toward Underwood’s home. Half the town wanted the saloon to close, and Ben didn’t think it would happen, but Underwood couldn’t run his business from prison, and he’d go to prison for hiring Willis. If the second man escaped justice, Underwood and Willis wouldn’t. Ben knew Underwood had the money to hire the best attorney, but Willis’ confession in front of him and two others would seal both their fates. They were fortunate the law no longer hung criminals in the state of Wisconsin.

  He smiled as he walked up the stairs and pounded on Underwood’s front door.

  The door flung open, and Underwood scowled at Ben before yelling, “What do you think you’re doing here this late, Clay? Aren’t you supposed to be out keeping the town safe?”

  “I’m doing just that. You’re under arrest for hiring two men to abduct two female town residents.”

  Underwood snorted, “Town residents. You call them…” He stopped talking and tried to run. Ben grabbed his arm and yanked him back to the door.

  “You just convicted yourself. I love stupid criminals. Come on.”

  Miss Jewel hurried down from upstairs and insisted, “He was here with me all night. He didn’t speak to anyone. You can’t take him.”

  “Yes, I can,” Ben retorted. “I may add a few charges about the fire. I know it wasn’t an accident.”

  Miss Jewel paled, and Ben knew she’d confess as soon as he had a bit more evidence.”

  Underwood complained all the way back to the jail. Ben grinned when he slammed the cell door and locked it. He retrieved the gun from Joseph, thanked him, and bid him good night. Ben locked the office door, turned the lantern off in the office, and told Underwood and Willis to have a good night.

  He grinned as he listened to Underwood grumble that he’d kill Willis while he slept. Ben wondered how Underwood intended to do that with each of them in a separate cell. He kicked off his boots and lay on his cot. His last thoughts were of Molly before sleep claimed him.

  ~ * ~

  Molly sat at the table with Rose and Lucy sipping tea and munching on the shortbread cookies Lucy baked earlier.

  Rose, visibly shaken by the fact a man tried to abduct her, sat with her face in her hands. “I’m frightened. Underwood will try this again. What can we do?”

  “You’ll stay right here until we hear from Mrs. Brutherington,” Molly offered. “You know you’re welcome for as long as you like.”

  “I know, but Underwood will try again,” Rose wiped a stray tear that escaped.

  “I heard Willis say Underwood hired him and the second man to abduct you and Lucy. He said it in front of Ben and Joseph. Ben’s arresting him right now and the judge will not let them out of jail. He’ll send them to prison.”

  Lucy added, “They better not try again. I’ll be ready, and I’ll shoot to kill. No one is taking me anywhere I don’t want to go. I promise to protect you, Rose. We’re not working for that vile man again.”

  Rose forced a smile. “Thank you. I never thought this would happen to me.”

  “None of us did,” Lucy said and patted her hand. “We’ll find you a perfect husband, and you’ll leave Underwood and the memories far behind. You’ll have a new life. The good life you deserve.”

  Rose gripped Lucy’s hand. “I won’t go without you, Lucy. Not every mail-order bride finds the perfect man. If anything happens, I don’t want to be alone again.”

  “You won’t, please don’t worry. The marriage lady knows you expect me to accompany you. She’ll take care of everything.” Lucy smiled hoping to ease Rose’s fears.

  Molly suggested, “Let’s try and get some sleep. Ben will be back in the morning to talk to you.”

  The ladies bid each other good night, and Molly turned down the light saying a prayer of gratitude that Joseph was there to stop the men.

  ~ * ~

  Miss Jewel knew it was only a matter of time before the sheriff blamed her for the fire. The look on his face and his words worried her. She didn’t start the fire. Underwood and his cooking were responsible, but no one would believe her. Underwood had money and standing in town even if it was just as a saloon owner. He was a man, and anyone would believe him over a saloon girl. She searched Underwood’s office and found his stash of money. It would be enough to see her safely wherever she wished to go and live comfortably for a long time.

  “He should’ve married me when I suggested it,” she muttered as she slid half of the money to the bottom of her satchel. She placed what she hoped was enough money for meals into her reticule, and hid the rest in the hidden pocket of her petticoat. “He’ll take care of me now whether he wants to or not.” She finished packing the few proper dresses she owned and waited for the sun to rise.

  Miss Jewel, dressed in a stylish brown traveling suit, bought a train ticket for the early train heading east. S
he was tired of small towns. She could go back to Chicago or maybe further. In a large city, she could live peacefully. She penned a note to Giles Bowen informing him that Underwood was in jail. She didn’t expect him to represent Underwood, but he was the only lawyer in town. He could find another lawyer to help Underwood. She should let him rot in jail, but she loved the man.

  When she heard the train whistle, she asked the young man who sold her the ticket if he could have the note delivered to Mr. Bowen at his office. He nodded, and she dropped a few coins on the counter. Miss Jewel took a deep breath before boarding the train. Her heart broke, but she refused to shed a single tear over Underwood. A new life awaited her. If she played her cards right, maybe she’d find a good man to care for her. She leaned back in her seat as Gentle Falls disappeared from view. She silently bid goodbye to the town, Underwood, and her old life.

  Chapter 7

  Ben woke with sunlight streaming through the window in his small room at the back of the jail. He heard one of his prisoners snoring and groaned knowing he needed to get up and find them something to eat. Callahan’s didn’t open for a few hours, but Cal usually began cooking early. He’d go around to the back door and see if he had any bread and cheese to give the men. It was enough until lunch. Then he needed to talk to Judge Magarey. The judge would be pleased to hear this trial didn’t include a woman, but with the saloon burnt to the ground, he would still have to hold court in the church. If Ben could determine that Miss Jewel set fire to the saloon, the judge might face his biggest annoyance again—judging a woman. He slapped his hat on his head and slipped out the back door before his prisoners woke and created a commotion.

  Ben stopped at Joseph’s and asked him to stay at the jail while he went to get his prisoner’s breakfast. He warned Joseph to be careful since the second man was still loose, but Ben thought he most likely took off last night.

  Cal invited Ben in when he knocked on the restaurant’s back door.