Molly's Heart

by Marianne Spitzer

  Sam dropped Molly’s hands and took a step toward the man. “Get out of here before I arrest you. You’re ruining my wedding.”

  “You can’t marry that woman. She’s mine all fair and square. I bought her from her Ma,” he said and took a few steps closer to the front of the church. “Come on, Molly girl; I want you to come back home with me where you belong.”

  Molly’s heart thudded in her chest, and she murmured, “Zed, he can’t be here.”

  Ben’s eyes shot to hers, and he said, “Go into Samuel’s office and wait for me. I don’t like the look of that man.”

  Molly nodded and rushed to the door in the corner that led to Samuel’s office. As she closed the door, she heard Zed call out. “Hey, get her back here. I’m taking her with me.”

  Molly closed the door but didn’t wait in Samuel’s office. Terror gripped her heart, and she knew Zed would never leave her alone. Even if she married Ben, Zed might kill him and try to claim her. She feared no one would fight for her. Fortunately, there was a back door to the office that led to the fields behind the church.

  Molly opened the door as quietly as possible and stepped out into the cold. She shivered without her coat, but she didn’t have a choice. Molly hiked her dress up so she could run and ducked down to avoid being seen by anyone inside as she crept past the side windows. When she made it to the front of the church, she ran down the street to the alleyway that would lead her back home without being seen. Everyone was at the church to witness her wedding except for the few men who start drinking early in the tent used as a temporary saloon. She ran past Joseph’s carpentry shop saying a silent prayer that it was closed. No one saw her before she arrived safely back at the seamstress shop and opened the door. She raced up the stairs to her lodgings.

  Molly stopped at the top of the stairs to catch her breath. She had to leave town and quickly. She’d never be able to look Ben in the eyes again. No matter what she said, he’d believe Zed. Men always believed other men. She should have known better than to try and start her life as a decent citizen in Gentle Falls. Her past would follow her everywhere. Molly tried desperately to reach the row of tiny pearl buttons Sarah insisted would make her wedding gown beautiful.

  “I’m sorry, Sarah,” Molly said aloud when she pulled at the fabric and heard a few buttons hit the floor. It didn’t matter if the dress tore, she’d never wear it again. Pulling a bit harder, Molly freed her arms and spun the dress around so that she could undo enough buttons to push the dress down off her hips and legs. It puddled at her feet, and she stepped over it. She left her petticoats lying next to the dress.

  Yanking her closet door open, Molly found the old brown satchel she stored in the back. She wasn’t sure why she kept it, but today was pleased it was still there. The set of men’s clothing she wore the night after she had buried her mother was still in the satchel. They served her well when she ran from the saloon and Zed. They’d serve her now. Dressed in the old clothes, she stuffed a few simple dresses and a pair of shoes into the bag. She slipped her feet into beat-up boots and pulled the pins from her hair. No place for fancy hair on the trail. Her hair tied back with a thin leather strap and tucked under an old hat finished the transformation from blushing bride to scraggly young man. Adding a few cans of food and some bread from the kitchen, she decided to leave. She turned to take a spoon and dropped it into her satchel.

  Sarah paid Molly a fair wage, and she placed some in the bank the way Giles and Mr. Willoughby suggested, but she also heeded a bit of her mama’s advice to always keep enough money on hand to run. She and her mama had to run quite often, and Molly knew what to do. Shoving some of the money in her pocket and the rest in her sock, she picked up the satchel and rushed back down the stairs.

  The streets were still empty. Zed and Ben must still be talking or arguing in front of the entire town which made Molly’s heartache, but it also gave her the chance she needed. The only person in the livery was Jace, the teenage boy who helped the owner when needed.

  His eyes widened when he saw her. “Miss Molly, is that you?” He squinted and then shook his head. “What are you doin’? I thought you were gettin’ married today.”

  “I was, but now I need a fast horse. I also need you to keep my secret. Please don’t tell anyone I was here and left on a horse.”

  “But Miss Molly…”

  “Jace, please, I need your help and your silence. After I gave you a delivery job when your dad was ill, I thought we were friends. Don’t tell anyone I left.” She placed a few coins in his hand and squeezed it.

  “Okay, Miss Molly. I’ll keep your secret.”

  “I’m not stealing the horse. I’ll send a message where to find the horse. I promise.”

  He nodded and saddled Shadow. “He’s fast and strong. He’ll take you where you need to go.”

  Molly mounted the horse and looked at Jace. “Thanks, and please don’t mention you saw me especially dressed this way.”

  Jace nodded again and watched as Molly galloped west out of town.

  Ben glanced over his shoulder looking at the closed door leading to Samuel’s office. Knowing Molly was safe from this lunatic; he took another step forward.

  “Who are you and what do you want?” Ben growled.

  “Name’s Zeddicus, Zeddicus Skinner. Friends call me Zed. I heard Molly was living in this town. A man at the hotel said she was at the church. I’m here to take her home.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the front pew. Nell, sitting in the pew, scooted away from the foul-smelling man.

  Ben glared at the man. “Home? She lived with you. Is she your wife?”

  “Wife?” Zed guffawed. “You don’t marry a woman like Molly. I bought her from her Ma. Paid good money. She belongs to me.”

  Ben’s fists clenched at his sides, and he prayed for strength not to kill the man in a church. “You can’t buy another person. What gives you the idea she belongs to you?”

  “You know she grew up in a…” He looked around at the people in the church. “Let’s say a house of ill repute. Her Ma was a soiled dove. Pearl got real sick and worried about Molly. I was one of her best customers and told her I’d take care of Molly. Pearl insisted that Molly was a good girl and worth money, so she made me pay for her.”

  Audible gasps filled the church.

  Zed looked around again. “What? I’m a fair person. I wasn’t gonna take her for free. I gave Pearl the money and Molly screamed and yelled, but I threw her over my shoulder and took her home with me. Stupid girl cried for her Ma all night, and I drank myself to sleep. Someone banged on the door early in the morning sayin’ Pearl was worse. I let Molly go see her. Pearl died so what could I do but let her go to the funeral.”

  “Big of you,” Ben spat.

  “Thanks,” Zed muttered ignoring the sneers in the church. “Molly begged me for some time to mourn Pearl and to stay with the ladies she called her family. I have a heart, so I gave her two days. When I went back, Molly was gone and so was my money. I’m here for her.”

  Ben stormed forward, “I told you before. You can’t buy a person. I don’t care who you gave money to or how much you paid. Do you understand? You can’t buy a person.”

  “Molly’s not a regular woman. She’s a soiled dove like Pearl. How could she not be? She lived with them. I want what I paid for.”

  The church broke out in gasps and muffled groans.

  Ben’s fist shot out, and Zed dropped to the floor. He looked at Giles, “You and Joseph take him to the jail and lock him up for disturbing the peace. I need to talk to Molly.”

  He spun on his heel and strode to Samuel’s office. He opened the door and called, “Come on, Molly. He’s in jail. Let’s finish the wedding, sweetheart.”

  Silence greeted him, and he checked the entire office. Molly was gone. Ben rushed back into the church. “Sarah, she’s gone. Can you check at the shop? I think she’s worried I won’t marry her and won’t talk to me. I’ll come by in a few minutes.”

 
“Of course,” Sarah answered. She hurried out of the church. Eloise followed her.

  “Wait, Sarah. I’ll go with you. She must be humiliated. That is one horrible man.”

  Eloise and Sarah hurried to the seamstress shop and upstairs. “She’s not here. Where would she go? Her wedding dress is on her floor,” Sarah wondered.

  “Are her clothes missing? Maybe she’s going to take the train.”

  Sarah opened the closet. “I can’t tell. She has many dresses since we like our customers to see what we do.”

  Eloise opened several drawers in the chest and said, “It looks as if nothing’s missing or if anything is, I can’t tell. Maybe she’s hiding somewhere.”

  “Where? Everyone she knows was at the wedding?”

  “She could go anywhere. Maybe to a nearby ranch. Everyone likes Molly. Anyone’s housekeeper would let her in the house. Most people don’t lock their doors. She might be in someone’s house or barn.”

  Sarah nodded, “We need to tell Ben.”

  Chapter 25

  Molly fought tears as she rode through Gentle Falls for the last time. She passed the seamstress shop, mercantile, and Callahan’s leaving her memories and life behind. She slowed for a moment when she came to the road that passed her almost home. She saw the house sitting in the middle of the cleared yard, and her heart thudded in her chest hard enough she thought it would break completely. Should she stay? No, she knew she needed to protect Ben. Molly rode Shadow to the top of the hill at the edge of town and stopped. She turned in her saddle and looked back at the town. The streets were still quiet. She could see the church in the distance with the wagons and horses still where they were when she ran. Ben must be talking to Zed and assumes she’s in pastor Reynold’s office. Molly lowered her head and prayed, Lord, I love Ben more than I can express. I need to keep him safe from Zed. Please guide me on this journey to a new life and watch over my friends and loved ones. One last glance at the town and Molly disappeared over the hill and out of sight.

  ~ * ~

  Ben met Sarah and Eloise on the boardwalk outside the seamstress shop. “Did you talk to her? Why did she run? I need to speak to her.”

  “She’s not here. I don’t know where she is. Her wedding gown is in her room, and it doesn’t appear she took anything. She has to be in town somewhere,” Sarah insisted. “We have to find her. From the look on her face, I think that man terrified her, and she’s hiding.”

  Ben looked up and down the quiet street. “I don’t know where she’d go. I’ll check out each building in town. Most of them are locked, but I’ll try. Sarah, most of the wedding guests left the church for the hotel. A frightened bride is no reason for food to go to waste. Please ask them to check their homes, outbuildings, and barns for anyplace Molly might hide. I need to find her and let her know she’s safe. Skinner will remain in jail until I find her.”

  “Ben, Molly told me once she used to like to run off to the woods when she was afraid as a child. Maybe she’s out there somewhere.”

  “I’ll check the woods, too.” Ben strode away to begin checking the town’s buildings. If Molly ran off to hide away from town, he could track her. It was the first time he was grateful for the knowledge Charlie shared with him. Ben could track with the best of them.

  ~ * ~

  Molly had ridden for three hours before she spotted the small stream. She slid off Shadow and stretched. She loved to ride, but it had been a while since she rode for three straight hours. Holding Shadow’s reins, she walked toward the stream. It had a thin layer of ice and Molly used a small branch to break through the ice. She allowed Shadow a quick drink and pulled him back. “You can have more before we leave, boy. It’s too cold to drink your fill.” She ran her hand down the horse’s head, and he nudged her. Molly laughed. “I like you, too.” She reached into the feed bag, and hand fed Shadow several handfuls of oats. “I’ll give you more later; I need to eat a little now.” She tethered the reins to a low hanging branch and sat on a fallen log.

  Molly broke off a chunk of the bread and ate it. She didn’t think she’d have an appetite, but riding made her hungry. She looked at the two cans of food she brought. “Beans,” she groaned. “I was in too much of a hurry to pay attention. Peaches,” she smiled. “It’s a good thing I brought the spoon. It’s my wedding day, isn’t it? I can eat peaches and bread for lunch.” Molly laughed at the sadness of the situation until tears ran freely down her cheeks. She wiped them away, refilled her canteen, fed Shadow more oats, and let him drink more water. When she climbed back on Shadow, she said, “All right, boy, I think we have enough time to make it to Prairieville before dark.”

  Molly rode on toward the lowering sun until the small town of Prairieville came into view. She smiled and patted Shadow. “Thank you, boy. We made it. I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of until Ben or someone from Gentle Falls comes and gets you.” She rode straight to the livery.

  A mountain of a man lumbered toward her. “Evening, young man. What can I do for you?”

  Molly swallowed. “I need to board Shadow for three days. Someone from Gentle Falls will be here by then to get him. He’s a good horse. Treat him well and give him extra oats and water. He’s had a long day.”

  The man nodded and Molly handed him a few bills, patted Shadow once again, pulled her satchel from Shadow, and left headed for the train station.

  She did her best to walk like a boy which wasn’t too difficult considering the time on the horse. She walked up to the Station Master’s office and bought a ticket for Chicago on the morning train.

  She turned to leave, and when the man turned away, Molly slipped around the back of the office and into the woods. Thankful it hadn’t snowed lately, Molly found a secluded spot behind several large pines. She shrugged out of her coat and pulled off her shirt and pants. She laughed at herself wearing the old red long johns but was grateful they kept her warm. She didn’t want to remove them because the temperatures had begun falling. She pulled a dress out of her satchel, slid it over the long johns, and pulled her coat back on. Her outfit would work for the few minutes she needed. Quickly, she removed the hat and shoved it into her satchel and replaced it with a pretty bonnet. She gripped her satchel and made her way back to the train station.

  The Station Master smiled at her when she approached his window. “Good evening, ma’am. May I help you?”

  “Yes, please,” Molly said in her softest voice hoping a bit of flirting would help the man remember her if Ben looked here for her. “Could you please tell me the price of a ticket to St. Louis and the train schedule?”

  “Certainly,” the man replied. He pulled out a schedule and gave Molly several dates to choose from and the cost of a ticket. She smiled at him and batted her eyelashes.

  “Oh, my, that is a lot to think about,” she said. “I need to think about which date works. I’ll come back tomorrow. Will you be here?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Thank you. Goodnight.” She waved her fingers at him as she moved toward the edge of the platform. He watched her for a moment until she heard a second man call him. When he turned his back, Molly scurried around the back of the office to the seclusion of the pine trees.

  It took her a few minutes, but she transformed once again into the guise of a young man. “I hope that sends Ben off in the wrong direction or he decides following me to St. Louis is a waste of his time. He’s safe now.” Molly returned to the train station, skirted the office, and shuffled down the dirt street to the hotel.

  Molly opened the door to the hotel and lowered her voice before she spoke to the desk clerk. “I’d like a room and a bath.”

  The man answered without looking at her, “I have a room, but if you want a bath you need to go to the bathhouse next door. We only provide a bath for the ladies.”

  “Uh huh,” Molly grunted, gave her name as Fred Johnson, and paid for the room. “It’s been a long day; can I get a meal sent to my room?”

  “Yeah, supper will be ready i
n about an hour. I’ll send a plate up. You want coffee?”

  Oh, how she wanted a cup of tea, but she couldn’t ask for one. “Water will be good.”

  The clerk mumbled something and handed her a key, “Room six, up the stairs in the back.”

  “Thanks.” Molly grabbed her satchel and climbed the stairs. Her legs hurt and how she wished for a hot bath, but there was little she could do. She could hide herself under a big wool coat, but naked in a bathhouse would give her away. They might have a room for ladies, but she didn’t want anyone to see her as Molly except the ticket seller at the train station. She had to stick to her plan. She had to remain a man—Fred.

  Molly slipped her boots off and dropped her hat on the chair. Her shoulders enjoyed the freedom of not carrying the weight of a man’s heavy wool coat. Fortunately, the ground was hard enough to keep the dust down, and her hands and face were dirty but not more than the bowl of water could clean. A quick glance in the small shaving mirror let her know she was as clean as possible. She dropped down on the narrow bed and closed her eyes. She’d rest until supper arrived.

  A knock on the door jolted Molly from her slumber. A female voice announced, “I have your dinner, sir.”

  Molly popped off the bed and slammed the hat back on her head before answering the knock. She opened the door to find a young woman of no more than fifteen holding a tray of food.

  She reached out, “Thank you, ma’am.”

  The girl smiled at her and blushed a bit. “Just leave the tray outside your door when you’re finished. Enjoy your supper, sir.” She smiled at Molly, and Molly nodded back.

  Molly closed the door and leaned against it for a moment. “Oh, heavens, I made a young girl blush. I need to get past Gentle Falls and back to myself before something else happens.”