“We sure do, and it don’t include draggin’ a group of wailin’ women all the way to Dodge City,” Earl insisted. “I think it’s best if we forget the whole idea and lady if you’re smart, you’ll forget you ever saw us,” he warned.
Lilly panicked. Scowling she reached to grab Earl’s arm as he turned to leave. The sleeve of his coat was filthy, and she yanked her hand away and hid it behind her back as she tried to mask her disgust.
“Suppose I knew a way it could be accomplished without anyone seeing you?” she asked. “Suppose I had a way for you to get in and out of The Duchess in the middle of the night with no one the wiser?”
Earl snorted and turned back to face her.
“And how would that be?”
“I have a key,” Lillian said smugly. “It’s my job to escort the girls to their meals at the café, or it has been while they’ve been shut down. For a few days it was peaceful here, and I thought the saloon was going to be sold. A new owner might not be so happy supporting a group of young women who don’t do much to earn their keep, if you know what I mean,” she stated with a disdainful sniff.
“Of course, I’ve never believed those girls were as pure as the driven snow, as they are made out to be, but I can’t prove it. In any case, a new owner might just pack them off somewhere else, but I’ve heard there will be no sale, so I’m forced to resort to other measures to get rid of them,” she sighed almost regretfully.
“Go on,” Earl said thoughtfully.
“Well, they are going to reopen on Thursday night, so that doesn’t leave much time. Tonight, or tomorrow night are the only opportunities. I could give you the key to the back door and the layout of the girl’s rooms. Then you three can sneak in there and remove them. You’ll have to be quick and keep them quiet. If you take one on each of your horses, you’ll be able to make good time.”
“I thought there were four of them,” Drake said.
“There are, but one of them is engaged to marry Ty Wainwright, and if you were to take her, he’d have the hounds of hell on your tail,” she warned.
“What makes you think we won’t anyway? They must mean something to the owner.”
“Oh, they do, they mean money in her pocket when the cattle drives come in, but I doubt she’ll chase them down. She might even think they left of their own volition if you don’t make a mess.”
“Their own what?” Carl asked.
“Their own free will,” Lilly snapped back, rolling her eyes. Lord, she wasn’t certain these men even had the brains to pull something like this off!
“We’ll think on it,” Earl replied after a lengthy silence. “If we decide to do it, I’ll be back tomorrow for the key and the drawing. If I don’t come, then we never had this talk.”
Lilly nodded and the three men slipped out the back door. Swiftly she locked it behind them and hurried up the back stairs. She would be late opening her shop, but she simply had to wash and change her clothes. She blew into her handkerchief repeatedly, wondering if she would ever get the smell of those dirty drifters out of her nose. For a moment she almost felt sorry the girls would have to ride with them if her plan worked. Then she pushed it from her mind, stripped down to her chemise and began to wash.
She was anxious for the rest of the day and glad to finally close up. Walking across the street she gathered the girls and marched them across the way to Laurie’s café where she rushed them through dinner. It was a trying affair and she avoided getting into any meaningful conversations, focusing on her own meal.
“Is there any word about Mead, I mean Mr. Whittaker?” Marilee asked.
“No, there hasn’t been, not that it’s any concern of yours,” Lilly snapped back.
“She was just inquiring about Mr. Whittaker,” Fancy responded sharply. “There’s no need to be so rude. I would think that with you being so concerned about appearances you could manage a civil reply.”
Lillian glanced around the café and noticed several interested patrons listening and whispering among themselves. It occurred to her, given what she was planning, the less animosity she let escape, the better.
“Of course she was,” Lilly said with a sad sigh. “It’s just that I’m so distressed thinking about Mead so far away and all alone, it’s difficult to talk about. Pardon me, Miss Muldoon. No, I have not had any news.”
“Oh, I do hope it’s going well,” Marilee offered. “He’s such a dear man, and he was injured saving Jane.”
“Why would you call him a ‘dear man’?” Lilly demanded. “After all, you barely know him. He’s nothing to you, while I am his fiancée. If anyone should be worried, it is I,” she insisted placing a hand on her heart.
“And are you?” Annalise questioned, watching Lilly intently. “You don’t seem terribly distressed to me.”
“What would you know about it? You’re much too young to understand a mature relationship like the one I have with Mead,” she stated with a superior sniff.
“I’m old enough to be getting married,” Annalise countered smoothly.
“You simply caught the eye of Ty Wainwright, which is something I’ll never understand. Why he should choose you, a person of no consequence, is beyond comprehension,” Lilly stiffly continued.
“I chose her because she’d the loveliest, sweetest young woman I’ve ever met,” Ty stated loudly as he suddenly appeared behind Annalise and leaned down to kiss her cheek. Several diners smiled at his enthusiasm. “Hello darlin’, how are you doing? Everything all right?”
