The story Callie offered was that the girls were orphans who had reached the age where they would be turned out to fend for themselves. Lilly didn’t believe a word of it! They were saloon girls, selling whiskey and Lord only knew what else. In her opinion, the lot of them should have been run out of town.
Peeking out from behind her lace curtains she began to see carriages and buckboards moving down the street. Folks were headed to church, for today was the day that Mead Whittaker would take Marilee Muldoon as his bride. Sweet Marilee, with her soft southern drawl and impeccable manners had stolen him, right out from beneath Lilly’s nose. Heavens, it was all she could do to keep from screaming.
Going into her small kitchen he peered out the window over the sink. Laurie Dixon was rounding up her boys, and didn’t they all look as bright and shiny as new pennies? The widow certainly knew how to keep those three in line, and they dutifully marched around the side of The Blue Bonnet Café toward the boardwalk. More than likely, Matthew would be picking them all up to escort them to the church.
Everyone in town knew Matt was smitten with Laurie, but most doubted he would ever get her to the altar. And why should she? From all accounts, she’d had a miserable marriage to Floyd Dixon. When Floyd was killed during the war, she probably viewed it as a blessing, despite having to support their children on her own.
Selling the ramshackle old farm had given the widow the means to open the café, and she seemed to be making a go of it. Lilly had eaten there quite often, but that was before her arrest. It was exhausting trying to convince everyone in town that the whole incident had been a terrible mistake, and honestly, she didn’t know how much longer she would be able to keep up the lie. The word was that the circuit judge would finally arrive next week, at which time they would force Lilly to stand trial.
It should have worked! It was such a simple plan any fool could have pulled it off, but unfortunately, the men she found to help her were beyond stupid. For her part, it went well. She persuaded Dr. Brubaker to give her another bottle of laudanum and it had been quite simple to drug the girl’s tea. However, the men she’d found willing to help her get rid of the girls were next to useless. Carl, Earl, and Drake showed up at The Duchess late, and that damn Fancy O’Shea barely touched her tea. Somehow, she sensed something amiss, and she sent Jane for the good doctor. After that, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, and they were all caught red-handed.
Lilly lied through her teeth, insisting she had nothing to do with it, but the low-life’s contradicted her story and laid the entire plan at her feet! Since then, they’d been sitting in jail, while she’d been kept at Mrs. Barker’s boarding house under lock and key. What a miserable woman she was, yes indeed!
It was the most degrading experience of her life, and she thanked her lucky stars that an unnamed benefactor had come to her aid. Some good-hearted citizen paid good money to bail her out, allowing her to continue to run her shop.
Back in the parlor, Lilly watched as the carriages and wagons continued to go by. There was sure to be a large turnout at the wedding. The Whittakers were well liked. That was fine by her. She had other things on her mind.
Finally, she noticed the deputy walking down the boardwalk. It was not unusual for the young man to make his rounds. Morgan, Hank Riley’s other deputy, would be at church along with most of the town’s shopkeepers.
Lilly watched Matthew pull up in front of the Blue Bonnet and help Laurie Dixon onto the seat. The boys scrambled into the wagon bed and they were off at a good clip. Glancing at the clock, Lilly saw that it was time. Slipping a dark cloak over her clothes, she went downstairs and quietly left through the back door.
Working her way along the back of the bank, she crossed the side street and continued until she was adjacent to the jail. Seeing nothing on the road, she hurried across and opened the door.
“Well, look what we have here,” Carl shouted to the others. “Lady, you’re the last one we want to see. By next week, we’ll all either be on our way to prison or swinging from a rope.”
“Shut up,” Lilly hissed, searching through the keys on a vast ring that hung behind the desk.
“You damn near kilt that girl,” Earl sneered. “If’n you had, you’d be swinging right along with us.”
“It wasn’t my fault she drank so much tea,” Lilly replied coolly, “and she was fine after a few days of rest.”
“Yeah, good thing she got that rest ‘cause from what I hear she’ll be needin’ it tonight,” he snickered. “Ain’t that right, Drake.”
“Will you be quiet!” Lilly snapped as she hurried to the cells. “I’m trying to help you. Although you’re so vulgar, I’m having second thoughts.”
“You ain’t having second thoughts,” Drake replied. “You know the judge is coming and we’ll have to bear witness against you if we want to have a prayer of savin’ our own asses.”
“That’s right. I guess you’re smarter than you look,” she said as she unlocked the cells.
“Well, just how the hell are we supposed to get out-of-town now that we’re loose?” Carl asked, his eyes squinting. “What you got planned for that, Miss High and Mighty?”
“Nearly everyone is at the church. The wedding is today and there are bound to be a lot of horses hobbled in the churchyard. In fact, there are horses tied outside The Duchess. Must be they’ve decided to walk to church today. I heard there’s going to be a reception there, although I can’t imagine many of the ladies will attend,” she snorted in derision. “Get yourself some horses and ride out!”
“So now you want to add horse thievery to our charges?”
“Oh, what difference does it make to the three of you? I’m sure you’ve done worse. Now get out of here. The deputy will be back from his rounds soon. I’m leaving.” Walking to the door, she opened it and peeked out.
“Just like that? What if we don’t get away?” Earl asked.
“Then maybe you’ll be shot escaping,” Lilly hissed. “Either way, you’ll be gone.”
“Well, ain’t that somethin’,” Carl said, looking for weapons. “That there is one evil woman.”
“I don’t care what she is,” Drake replied. “Wally never showed up, and this is the only shot at freedom we got. Try not to fuck it up.”
Carl and Earl nodded and followed Drake out the door, where they slipped along the side of the building and began to make their way toward the far end of town.
Lilly strolled downthe boardwalk as though she didn’t have a care in the world. If those men had a single brain between them, they’d be gone. And with only the word of Fancy O’Shea to condemn her, she might convince a jury she was a sad victim of circumstances beyond her control.
