Rowena & Jeb Read online

  Shying away from the lip stain, she shook her head and started towards the stairs. “I’m not, you know that. I don’t want anyone looking at me or—”

  “Or touching you,” Mary Anne finished for her in a phony tone. “You say it every night, but we have such a hard time believing you. Why, I had two men nearly putty in my hands last week. But then you showed up, and they forgot all about me. I could have made ten whole dollars if you hadn’t been in the way!”

  The other three girls laughed, throwing their heads back and making their big earrings jingle. Uncomfortable, Rowena continued slinking towards the door. “No, really. I promise, I’ll try harder to stay away. I keep telling them no, but they don’t listen. It’s not my fault.”

  “You’re just teasing them,” Louella scowled. “As if telling them you’re not interested would make them ignore you. It’s like you’re dangling sweets in front of a child. Even you can’t be that innocent.”

  She ran out the door before she could hear anything else. Some days were fine between the girls, but then there were nights like these where they just couldn’t get along. Shaking her head, Rowena wrapped herself in her shawl and once at the bottom of the steps, leaned against the old barn and had a moment for herself.

  It didn’t make sense, and though she was old enough to know the ways of flirtation and womanhood at twenty, Rowena shied away from it. The world of lust and dark shadows held no interest for her, and the men she saw every night left her shuddering and disgusted. But why was it that she could say yes or no and it would mean the same thing to men? It just made no sense, and only invited others to mock her.

  She hated it that she was here, immersed in this world. She only had a little time longer and then she’d be on her own. Yes, soon she would be allowed to leave.

  The twins made their way down, whispering and passing her glances as they walked past and pretended to ignore her. Rowena didn’t mind, and preferred it when people left her alone. She tugged at her hair, trying to use it to shield her face so they wouldn’t see her.

  “You’re going to be late,” Eliza called out. “And you know Antony doesn’t like that.”

  “Antony doesn’t like anything,” Rowena scowled, but obeyed all the same. Leaving her shawl by the doors, she tried to adjust her clothes and trailed after the women. They checked in with Antony who scowled at each and every one of them, and then sent them on their way with trays to deliver drinks to the thirsty patrons.

  There was music playing in the main room, which livened things up. It also gave Rowena something more to focus on. The noise was oddly soothing, something that she could rely upon. She would take any distraction she could from a place like this.

  “Psst,” Gertrude nudged her as she passed. “Beal is looking for you.”

  Frowning, she glanced back at the woman already walking away. “What?”

  But the older girl just shot her a look before strutting off, strutting in high heels and such a small petticoat. Tossing her long curls over her shoulders, her frown slipped off as she found her next target. Rowena watched Gertrude slip onto the man’s lap and wrap an arm around his neck to whisper something in his ear. He grinned, and shot the girl a look that made Rowena turn away in a hurry.

  Scenes like that, they just weren’t easy to get used to. Once again, she couldn’t believe she’d been plunked down into the middle of this filthy world. It wasn’t who she was and it wasn’t what she wanted for her life.

  Suddenly she remembered. Mr. Beal was looking for her? He hadn’t spoken to her in weeks, though he certainly watched her close enough. His gaze made her feel as though ants were crawling over every inch of her skin. Over the last year, the man’s interest in her had only grown and that made her nervous. Because she knew what it was, that look in his eyes. Rowena could recall this happening to most of the other girls, the ones who had giggled and submitted with the hopes of securing their future. Rowena didn’t know what else to do but keep her head down, and prayed he forgot her.

  As Rowena made her rounds, she kept an eye out for the empty glasses, quietly trading them for fresh, full ones before she could be noticed. It was a tricky art but she’d had enough practice to now frequently escape unscathed.

  Just as the evening was coming to an end, she was preparing to turn in early. Tips were split between all the employees, but over the last year or so they had stopped including her as the women claimed that she kept ruining their chances with the customers. They even claimed she was earning enough on her own, though she wasn’t doing what they thought that she was doing. Such a thought made her shudder, and she turned to slip out the door.

  “And where might you be going?” An arm slipped over her bare shoulder, a sweaty palm gripping tightly. She knew the voice before she even turned, gritting her teeth as she tried to politely smile. Mr. Hiram Beal was there, a wicked sneer poised just below his crooked nose.

  Feigning innocence, she ducked her face behind her hair. “I was searching for more empty mugs. Someone was asking me for… for, um, one.” He glanced at her tray with three perfectly fine and full mugs of ale. “A different one,” she tried to add.

  “If I didn’t know better,” Beal hummed with a slight slur, “I might think you’ve been avoiding me? Eh?” His grip tightened again and he pulled her a little closer to him.

  She stumbled off balance, nearly falling into him. The tray tilted, and the full mugs fell over before she could collect them all. They crashed and spilled over his shoes, but he shrugged it off, his eyes still focused on her face. “You’ve turned into a right pretty thing. Have I told you that?”

  Her throat constricted, and Rowena felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Trying to remain calm, she looked for an escape. “That’s right kindly of you, sir. But really, I should get back to work. It’s getting late, after all.”

  “Hey, I own you.” He frowned. “Don’t talk back to me. Do not disrespect me.”

  “Sir, I just work here to pay off the debt,” she fought for the courage she so firmly believed she had somewhere inside. That belief got her though the days and especially through the nights. From what her uncle had told her, she only had another year left to pay the fines. She knew she could manage just another year. After that, she’d be free to go wherever she wished.

  Not back home of course, she didn’t want that. Her whisky-soaked relatives wouldn’t care either way, and that’s why she was here in the first place. Somewhere new, and somewhere safe. That’s all she wanted, and she just needed a year to get there. So Rowena swallowed her fear, and glanced down at the mess of broken glass and spilled ale on the already sticky floor.

  “Oh!” She exclaimed. “I should clean that up. I need to go.”

  Usually this was enough to distract anyone who detained her and allow for an escape, but it took an unexpected turn this time. Before she knew it, Beal had pushed her against the wall, his hand was wrapped around her throat. The shove knocked the breath out of her and she gasped for air, eyes wide.

  “You can’t play these games with me,” he hissed. “I know what you are. You act so coy, but you are just one of them. Why, I bet you’ve been hiding in all those parlors with the other men who come in here. They certainly talk about you enough.” His free hand slipped to her knee, and started to trail upwards, brushing against the skirt.

  Wiggling, she tried to move his arms away, clawing at the one on her leg and trying to slide out of his grasp. “No, you have it all wrong. I don’t do that. I’d never do that! Please stop!”

  “Stop!” The sound shocked her so much that she froze, closing her eyes to try to regain her composure. She could feel him there, pressing himself against her. Though others passed in the hallway, Rowena knew no one would care to do anything about this. “I own you. Never forget that,” he hissed in her ear.

  She tried to turn away. “No, I only work here. I’m just paying off my uncle’s debt until—”

  To her surprise, he stepped away and threw his head back in laughter. Th
e movement surprised her so much that she didn’t know what to do.

  “Is that what he said?” Mr. Beal laughed so hard that he choked and started to wheeze, doubling over to catch his breath. Rowena couldn’t decide if she should run or help him. “You dimwitted fool. No, he sold you to me. This isn’t something you can pay off, girl. You’re here, and you’re mine. And there’s nothing you can do about it.” He paused and gave her a sneer as he looked down at the mess on the floor. “Now I’m going to give you two minutes to clean up this mess, and then I want to see you in that parlor!” He pointed to the nearest curtain, and gave her a dark look.

  Unable to help herself, Rowena obeyed. Bending down, she shakily picked up the broken glass, putting it on the shabby tray and running everything to the kitchens. They took care of the glass and she wiped off the tray. Her heart pounded as she looked towards the swinging doors, knowing what the second set of orders meant.

  A knot formed inside her belly, threatening to take control. It made her sick. Trying to breathe, an idea came to her quickly enough that she grasped immediately, and didn’t think about it twice. If there was no debt, a small voice inside her reasoned, then she might be stuck there forever.

  If she wasn’t willing to accept a future of forever in this place, it was better to act sooner rather than later. And that meant now. Slipping through the back door, Rowena knew she only had a few minutes before Mr. Beal knew something was amiss.

  “Whoa!” Mary Anne hollered as Rowena darted around her in the hall. “Watch it, Squirrel!” She put out a hand to swipe at her, but the young girl dodged the half-hearted blow and made it out the door.

  “Hurry, hurry,” she murmured, looking around before running up to the barn’s attic. Trying to move quietly, Rowena changed out of her clothes and grabbed the bundle she kept trapped beneath a floorboard. It was the money she had been saving up, along with a few baubles she had collected over the years.

  In and out in under a minute, Rowena darted down the stairs and around the building. Clutching her few belongings, she looked around carefully and glanced back to see if anyone was following. Soon she was on the main road and thought she was frightened, she just kept running. She had no idea where to go in the city, but surely anything was better than there. It had to be.

  Chapter Four

  Rocky Ridge, Colorado; 1880

  The house was cleaner than ever before, and that was saying something. At the bottom of the stairs, Susannah clasped her hands together and considered the view. The table had two more chairs, and they’d added to the pantry. There were more blankets near the fireplace along with much more yarn and plenty of needles.

  She knew the lean-to against the barn was well stocked with flower pots and small shovels, just as the bookcase held plenty of books and writing utensils. The Jessups were very fortunate, especially without needing to have spent money on others for a long time. But that, Susannah thought hopefully, was about to change.

  It had been over a month since she had placed her advert. Promising room and board for a small fee, it was directed to single women back East who sought shelter and a better future. Knowing there had to be more ladies like herself and her friend Eleanor who desired to leave the cities for something different, Susannah had high hopes of helping them with a fresh start.

  There were high hopes, especially since no one had as yet replied to the ad.

  “Susie, darling, I thought you were going to sleep in today? You were up so late.” Lucas padded down quietly, wrapping an arm around her before she noticed he was there. The clever man, having spent enough years in the Ranger service, could creep around anywhere before she ever heard a thing. It was maddening, including that wicked grin of his that he wore whenever he did this to her.

  Wrapping an arm around his waist, she allowed him to kiss her forehead. “I know, I’m sorry. I couldn’t stay there any longer. The snow,” she added for explanation when he raised an eyebrow. “It’s only the snow. Besides, you weren’t even doing anything interesting. You were starting to snore.”

  “I don’t snore,” he kissed her again. “Do you want to go outside then?”

  After surveying the house one more time, Susannah nodded. She knew she needed to be patient, and to enjoy what she had. Rubbing his back, she was about to turn upstairs before she gasped. “Oh! I was going to make muffins. Should I do that first?”

  He scratched his head thoughtfully, mussing his dark hair even more. “Whichever you prefer, I suppose.”

  Looking at him, she could tell his eyes were still dark with sleep. For a moment she frowned, trying to remember if it had been her fault. Once in bed, she had a tendency to grow restless and had a hard time sleeping throughout the night. But she couldn’t remember moving around too much, and could have sworn she slept through most of it.

  “Perhaps we could return to bed?” She decided after a moment and then grinned at him. Clasping his hand in hers, she picked up her skirt with the other hand and started pulling him back towards their bedroom. “It is just us, after all. We can do whatever we want.”

  “Yes, but the cows…”

  Leaning over from a higher step, she kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry, I think they’re still asleep, too. Besides, neither of us are dressed for such cold weather. Come along and let’s see to the cows a bit later.” And they took their time, tumbling back into bed for just a while before they each dressed for the day.

  Lucas left to tend to the animals, and she made breakfast. Muffins, eggs, bacon. All her husband’s favorites. She set the table and decided to go help in the barn. Susannah pulled on her boots and coat before stepping outside. She shivered and pulled her thick knitted scarf tighter around her neck before starting through her husband’s tracks through the snow.

  And she was nearly there when a sudden force struck her shoulder, and knocked her off balance. With a screech, she fell face first into the snow and everything went cold. Shivering, she hurried up to her knees and squinted around.

  Only then did she realize what had happened.

  “You scoundrel!” Susannah shouted, climbing to her feet with a handful of snow between her mittens. Lucas offered a cheeky wave just in time for her own snowball to hit his neck. He jumped, spitting out the snow. His expression made her laugh, the snow falling out of her hair.

  He started after her. Yelping, she tried to throw two more snowballs at him before he could reach her, but she missed both times. Futilely she attempted to run away, but suddenly his arms were wrapped around her waist, raising her off her feet. By then they were both laughing, even as she landed and fell back on him, both of them falling down into the snow.

  “You took forever to come out here,” he chuckled.

  She gave him a look. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry to have inconvenienced your urge to throw something at me.” Rolling her eyes, she let him laugh one more time before grabbing a handful of snow beside them and tossing it in his face.

  He coughed through his laughter, and retaliated with a kiss. Lucas’s chilled nose nudged her cheek, but his lips were warm and sent a delightful shiver down her spine. After all this time, he could still make her feel like a young bride. She permitted him one more kiss, before they scrambled up, now soaked to the skin.

  “Let’s find some dry clothes,” she helped him to his feet breathlessly, “And then we’ve got breakfast waiting for us.” Lucas wrapped an arm around her as they started inside, hungry and eager for warmth.

  The following day, Susannah accompanied Lucas to town. He would stay there for a few hours, and enough work had been done around the house that Susannah could join him without guilt. She spent the morning running errands and then brought lunch. They were sitting at his desk when his deputy, Jeb Harbin, came through the door.

  The tall man, dark-haired and modest, bowed his head in apology. Pulling off his hat, he offered a sheepish grin and started backwards. “Oh, I didn’t know there was company. I apologize,” and then he bumped into the wall. “Sorry to interrupt, Missus.”r />
  She shook her head. “Oh, don’t be! No, come in. I thought I would annoy my husband for a little bit. You’re more than welcome to join us, Mr. Harbin. Would you like a sandwich? There’s plenty to go around.”

  A moment of hesitation was all that she needed to bring forward a chair and then she put a sandwich in the younger man’s hands. There was something about the man that made Susannah want to wrap him in a blanket and set him by the fire with a nice bowl of soup. It worked well, since he had little experience around women and had no choice but to obey her now.

  “Well, thanks,” he offered. “That’s mighty nice of you. I’m still living off tack and jerky most days.”

  Returning to Lucas’s desk, Susannah frowned. “What? I thought you were settling down here, Mr. Harbin. Surely you’ve got a plot of land somewhere, with a cow or two? At least some chickens?” A thought dawned on her and she narrowed her eyes at the young man.

  With his mouth full, Jeb shook his head. “Oh I have the land, all right. Lucas made sure of that. There’s a nice small plot halfway to Colorado Springs. It’s just on the edge of town, you see. But I’m still working on my house, and I don’t even know what to do with animals. Horses are something I understand, but I’ve never even touched a chicken.”

  She furrowed her brow. “Mr. Harbin, I know so very little about you. But that settles it. Tomorrow evening, I insist you come to supper. At our place.” Susannah turned to her husband to see what he thought. Lucas shrugged and wiped his hands on a handkerchief.

  “You can finally see the place,” he offered finally. “And I’m sure my Susie wants you to know what it’s like to hold a chicken.”

  Susannah grinned at that and turned to Jeb. Indeed, she decided, he would do perfectly. The young man needed a wife, and she was certain she could talk him into one after a good hearty meal.

  Chapter Five

  Brooklyn, New York; 1880