“Marilee, Jane, Annalise, come down here. We have a visitor.”
“Goodness, I’ve told Ty I’m not leaving The Duchess until I’ve worked off my debt to Callie Mae,” Annalise shouted down.
“It’s not your fiancé! It’s Miss Piersal,” Fancy yelled back. Apparently, Lilly was going to ignore the grumbles of complaint, for she went to the stove and put the kettle on.
“What is it?” Marilee asked, tying her blue robe tight to her waist.
“What could she possibly want at this time of night?” Jane demanded to know, nearly tripping over her own robe which was a pink bit of frippery much too long for her.
Once they were all in the kitchen, Lilly turned to them, her hands clasped.
“I’ve come to say I’m sorry,” she began. “And I’ve brought a cake from Mrs. Dixon. Please, sit down all of you and I’ll make tea,” she urged sweetly. “I’d like to put our…hostility behind us.”
“You’ll pardon me for saying so,” Marilee drawled taking a seat. “We were not ‘hostile’ to you, Miss Piersal. In fact, we’ve done our best to behave in a gentile manner.”
“Yes, I realize that, now,” Lilly responded as she got cups and saucers down and placed them on the table along with sugar and cream from the ice box. “I hope you’ll allow me to um…redeem myself with my little offering here. It’s Lemon cake, and I know you girls are especially fond of that. Mrs. Dixon was pleased as punch to make it for me, once I told her it was for you girls.”
Fancy sat along with the others but said nothing. It appeared to her that Lillian Piersal was extremely nervous. Her hands shook as she cut the cake and placed each piece on a small plate. When she turned her back on them to prepare the tea, Fancy gently kicked each of them under the table. It was clear they were all confounded when they looked from one to the other. Finally, they shrugged their shoulders and began to eat the cake.
“It’s delicious,” Annalise said.
“Yes, light as a feather,” Jane, who had a real sweet tooth agreed.
“Good, good, I’m happy you’re enjoying it. Let me pour the tea and then I’ll join you,” Lilly replied happily.
Seeing Lillian Piersal smile with what seemed like genuine joy, put Fancy’s back up. The woman had been nothing but a misery from the moment they came to town. Why now was she trying to be friendly? It didn’t make sense. Tomorrow night the saloon would reopen, and she’d be back to being their biggest critic. Taking a seat at the small table, Lilly poured the tea.
“It tastes different,” Marilee pointed out after taking a sip.
“Yes, it’s a new blend I got from the mercantile only yesterday. Supposedly it came all the way from France,” Lilly boasted.
“I don’t care for it,” Fancy said pushing her cup away.
“Oh, do try it. I’m told it has a soothing effect for a good night’s sleep.”
“No thank you.” Fancy picked at her slice of cake and watched the others. Soon they were yawning, their eyelids drooping.
“My gracious, I’m sleepy,” Marilee admitted. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I think I’d better go up to bed.”
“Yes, I think it’s time you left, Miss Piersal,” Fancy said rising. “We’re all very tired and tomorrow will be a busy day.”
“I understand, dear,” Lilly replied gathering up the dishes. “I’ll just clean this up.”
“That’s not necessary,” Fancy insisted, taking the plates from Lilly’s hand. “I don’t mind tidying up.”
“Nonsense, I’ll do it,” Lilly insisted. “You go on up to bed. As you said, tomorrow will be an eventful day.”
“Thank you for the cake,” Jane added as she started up the stairs. “Good night.”
Annalise and Marilee walked up the stairs with their arms around each other and called down a good night. Fancy waited for Lilly to put the kitchen to rights. She appeared to be taking her own sweet time about it too.
“No need to wait up, dear. I’ll make sure to lock up tight,” Lilly assured her. “Go on up to bed now, and here, take your tea,” she insisted, handing Fancy her cup. “You might want it later.”
Fancy took the tea and went up the stairs to her room. Something was very wrong. Her instincts were usually spot on and the uneasy feeling in her gut would not go away. She checked on Marilee and Annalise who were both lying on their beds, not even bothering to get under the covers. Jane was in her room humming softly as she twirled in her ridiculously sheer robe, one of the first things she’d bought with the portion of her wages not owed to Callie Mae. Returning to her room, Fancy waited until she finally heard Lilly finish in the kitchen. Tiptoeing to the back stairs she listened for the other woman to close and lock the door. Slowly she walked down the hallway to Jane’s room.
“Jane,” she hissed.
“Hmm?” Jane replied, smiling as she swayed to music only she could hear.
