Lilly’s body surged with self-righteous indignation. Surely, she could think of some way to repair the damage that had been done to her little town. She’d thought she might have her chance when the newly married couple closed the saloon and put Lilly in charge of seeing to the girls, but that all disappeared like a puff of the black smoke that poured into the night air each time a new batch of drovers arrived.
Now, today, she’d learned The Duchess would reopen on Thursday and it was possible Morgan and Callie Mae would be staying above the saloon to run the place and supervise the girls. Once that happened, her window of opportunity would close. No, she had to act quickly and get rid of them soon. It had even crossed her mind to burn the whole place to the ground, thus ending the devil’s influence once and for all, but the risk was too great that a hot ash could spread across the street and take other buildings with it. She couldn’t risk losing her shop, not after all the hard work she’d put into it.
Continuing to pace, her mind raced as she tried to come up with a reasonable plan that could be executed quickly. If only she knew someone, someone really unscrupulous and callus. Someone who would not be afraid to take the girls and dispose of them. Oh, she wouldn’t want them killed. That sort of sin would be too much to bear, but surely there were other saloons in other towns who would want a group of pretty young whores. Towns that already were damned in God’s eyes. Saloon owners that might even be willing to pay a hefty amount for young women like the ones across the street.
She would split the money with whoever agreed to help her whisk them away, as long as that person promised to leave town too. With all the questionable men coming and going, it shouldn’t be too hard to find one who was just passing through and looking to make a tidy sum. They could wire Lilly her share of any money received as soon as it was done.
It would give her a nice nest egg to fall back on when she and Mead married. Mead, he was another problem. Sadly, he didn’t seem to have the drive she thought he should. Lilly didn’t intend to stay in this sinful little town her entire life. Mead was a banker. Surely, he wanted to move on to bigger and better things and places at some point. It had been her hope that after marrying she would be able to take her proper place in society, maybe in Kansas City or Topeka. They’d talked about it, a little, but ever since Callie Mae opened The Duchess, Mead seemed to be perfectly content to stay put. What in heaven’s name had happened to him?
Of course, his injuries were terrible, one on top of the other, and she blamed Callie Mae and her girls for that too. If Mead hadn’t been intent on protecting them, he would not have been shot a second time. However, he was still viable as a husband. His mind worked, and who cared if he were confined to a wheelchair? He could still provide for her and if they couldn’t be intimate, well so much the better as far as she was concerned. It all sounded like a dirty business to her anyway. Peering out of the parlor window at the dark street, she wracked her brain trying to think of someone who was just unprincipled enough to help her. Someone desperate for money and not particularly picky about how they got it. She’d always kept her distance from that sort of crowd, but she knew they existed. If she could just find someone willing to do what she asked and keep quiet about it, all would be well. She would be careful.
Callie wason pins and needles all evening. Morgan had taken his supper in the kitchen alone, while she and Emma sat in the parlor doing needlework. Her new mother-in-law tried to make pleasant conversation, but Callie was far too distracted to make heads or tails of what she was talking about. The third time Emma looked at her expectantly as she waited for Callie Mae’s reply, Callie sighed and set her embroidery aside.
“I’m sorry, Mother Whittaker. I guess I’m not fit company tonight,” she apologized.
“I understand, dear. We all have those times when things weigh heavy on our minds. Why don’t you go and take a walk. Maybe it will clear your head,” Emma suggested kindly.
“That’s a good idea,” Callie replied with a grimace. Rising, she walked through the doorway, letting the screen door slam behind her. He’d know she’d left the house and would follow. That was fine with her. There was going to be trouble and more than likely she was going to get her hide tanned for the way she’d behaved in town today. In her mind, she’d just as soon get it over with. And she wasn’t sorry, not one bit, other than knowing she’d made her new husband mad. What she’d done, she’d been forced to do, and that was all there was to it.
The Duchess was the only thing in the world that was all hers and she intended to do whatever it took to keep it running. There was money owed, money that had been loaned to her in good faith, and she fully intended to pay back every cent. Besides that, the saloon made her financially independent. Of course, she understood that Morgan was now responsible for her and would support her, but men died unexpectedly every day. It was a harsh reality and a woman better have the brains and wherewithal to take care of herself if the need arose.
Callie Mae could not help but think of Laurie Dixon, a widow left with three small boys to provide for. Not that her late husband had done a good job of that when he was alive, but still, he was better than nothing…probably…maybe. In any case, the burden was now on Laurie’s tired shoulders, and it showed more and more each day. In fact, Callie wasn’t sure how she managed to carry on, but she did, working even harder now that she was providing box dinners for Callie’s customers.
She’d noticed when they were in town that each of Laurie’s tow-headed boys were now sporting sturdy leather shoes on their feet, instead of running barefoot. It was good to see that Laurie was able to provide them, and Callie suspected that would not have been the case without the extra work The Duchess offered. No, keeping the saloon open was the best thing for all of them. The girls had seemed so disheartened this morning when she arrived, and listening to what Lillian Piersal was putting them through, the way they were being treated, was too much to overlook.
Callie Mae needed the girls, and they clearly needed her. She’d promised them a job and a safe place to live, and she intended to fulfill that promise no matter what her husband or the others thought. Finding herself near the woodshed, she paused, watching the fireflies. Then she heard Morgan coming across the yard. Clearly, the time had come, and she turned and marched herself right to the door of the woodshed and pulled it open. Moonlight spilled through it illuminating the shed and Callie saw the bench. Walking toward it she pulled up her skirts and leaned forward, waiting.
Morgan sawher long before she noticed him. God, she was lovely in the glow of the full moon. He paused, leaning against a tree he watched her slowly walking aimlessly back and forth. Knowing her as he did, he was certain she was thinking, thinking hard. It surprised him when she went to the shed and pulled open the door. He followed slowly, shocked to see her naked bottom exposed when he got to the doorway.
“That’s a lovely sight, but can I ask what the hell you’re doing?”
“Waiting for you,” she replied coolly.
“With your skirts up and your drawers spread?”
“Yes. We both know you’re going to wale the tar out of me, so you might as well get to it. I’d rather we weren’t anywhere near the house if you don’t mind!”
“I don’t mind a bit,” he replied entering the shed and moving to stand directly behind her. His hand reached out to caress her bare cheeks.
Callie shivered in response.
“I don’t think Ma needs to know what we’re doing,” he continued smoothly, his hand still traveling over her curved bottom.
Shaking slightly, Callie stayed quiet and let him have his way. Slowly he trailed his fingers between her cheeks just managing to touch her woman’s opening. Muffling her gasp, her body stiffened, her bottom beginning to swish from side to side.
“” Come on, Morgan, just get it over with,” she pleaded.
“Are you comfortable?” he asked.
“No. Of course, I’m not comfortable! My back is hurting, and I suspect the rest of my backside will shortly be aching as well,” she snapped back. “Just do it and be done. I want to go to bed.”
“I don’t know, Callie,” he drawled. “Somehow this doesn’t seem quite right.”
“What do you mean?” she demanded breathlessly. “What’s not right? I’m being a submissive wife, am I not? That’s what you want, isn’t it? A little woman who will hang on your every word, obey your every command?”
Morgan laughed, heartily as he grabbed the back of her dress and pulled her upright.
“Would I have married you if that was what I wanted?” he asked, grinning down at her flushed face. “Somehow, I don’t think so.”
