by Jenna Brandt
“You should know, you’re equally as talented as your aunt. This is one of the nicest riding habits I’ve ever tried on.”
“Thank you,” Willa said with another smile. “I love designing clothes.” Then glancing at the clock on the wall, she added, “Why don’t you take that off, I’ll mark it to get it altered, and afterward we can go to lunch.”
Out of habit, Elizabeth wanted to refuse, but she found herself second-guessing her rebuff. “That sounds good. How much do I owe you for the outfit?”
Willa shook her head. “Nothing, this one is on me.”
“No, I can’t rightly take it from you. It must have taken you hours to make.”
“You can, and you will. We’re family now and I want to give it to you.”
As she looked into her sister-in-law’s eyes, Elizabeth could tell the offer was sincere. “Thank you, that’s very kind of you, especially after how awful I’ve been while staying with you.”
“It’s all right. I know how hard it is to adjust to a new place.”
Elizabeth changed out of the outfit and back into her cream blouse and light-green skirt. She adjusted her hat on her head and came back out.
“Are you ready for lunch?” Willa inquired.
“Famished,” Elizabeth declared.
They exited the store with Willa locking up behind them.
A sudden booming voice jarred Elizabeth, causing her to spin around. “You shouldn’t be bringing your big city ideas here and trying to infect our women with them,” an older man snarled out. “Go back to Boston where your type is wanted.”
“Mr. Hoth, that isn’t very nice to say,” Willa chastised. “You shouldn’t speak to my sister-in-law like that.”
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, missy. You sound just like this one, trying to be an uppity woman and getting notions in your head.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Willa stated in confusion.
“That girl is going around town asking if there’s meetings for women to ask about gettin’ equal treatment,” he said with angry disgust.
“Like that’s ever going to happen,” a second man said, coming up to them. “Women need to know their place.”
“I’ll have you know women are as capable as any man. If we didn’t have you keeping us down all these centuries, we would have already proven it,” Elizabeth said, not wanting to let these men bully her.
“Shut your mouth,” the first man yelled, reaching out and grabbing Elizabeth roughly by the arm. “We don’t need that type of talk around here.”
Fear filled her heart as she wondered if the man might hit her. Her group back in Boston had met with resistance from close-minded men, but none of them had ever resorted to violence. She’d never seen such rage reflected back from someone else. He must really hate what she was trying to do. The question was, what was he going to do about it?
“You should take your hands off her,” George demanded, angry that the stranger would dare to put his hands on a woman, let alone Elizabeth. “Before I make you.”
Reluctantly, the man stepped back, then gave a dirty look first to Elizabeth and Willa, then to George.
“If you don’t drop this nonsense, you’ll regret it—all of you,” the man threatened before spinning around and taking off for the saloon with his friend.
“Thank you for your intervention, George,” Willa said with a relieved smile. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up when you did.”
“I was headed over to find you to see if you wanted to go to lunch with me. When I saw what was happening, I decided I needed to stop it at once,” George explained. “Are you both all right?”
The women nodded their heads.
“What was he talking about, anyway? What is it that he’s wanting you to drop?”
“He was upset that I was asking around town about whether or not there is a women’s suffrage group in Silverpines. As it turns out, there isn’t one, so he has nothing to worry about.”
“That doesn’t have to stay that way. You could start one,” Willa suggested. “From what your brother tells me, you were very active in the one in Boston, so you probably could easily start one here.”
“After what just happened, do you think it’s a good idea?” Elizabeth inquired, though she didn’t like that the man was able to make her question her commitment to the cause.
“I think you should do whatever you feel convicted to do,” George stated firmly. “You can’t let the oppressors of this world dictate your life.”
“Agreed,” Willa said, patting her sister-in-law on the back. “If you plan to start the group, I will be your first member, and I can tell you, my friends will join too.”
“Really?” Elizabeth said, tears forming in her eyes at the kind gesture.
“Of course, we’re family and we stick together. Besides, I actually believe in the cause. After all, I’m a woman who owns a business and runs it like any man.”
“I know the meetings are for women, but I will also support you in any way you need,” George offered. “My sister, Rebecca, is just like you, and has helped establish a chapter of the National American Women Suffrage Association in Rockwood Springs. If you need any help, I’m willing and able.”
A shocked look crossed her face, then was replaced by one of gratitude. “I just might take you up on that.”
“In the meantime, would you care to join me for lunch, both of you?” George offered, hoping to be able to spend more time with Elizabeth, even if it meant he had to have a chaperone with them.
Willa answered for both of them. “Sure, we’d like that.”
The group made their way over to the Silverpines Inn restaurant. The hostess seated them, and a few minutes later, a waiter came and took their order. They spent the next hour talking about the plans for the women’s suffrage group, and by the end, Elizabeth was set to go back to the mercantile and purchase the supplies to make posters to put up around town.
“If you don’t mind, I wish to accompany you to make sure you’re safe,” George offered.
“I need to get back to the shop, but I think the two of you will be fine around town on your own,” Willa said with a knowing smile, causing George to realize she was purposely giving them time alone.
Elizabeth and George headed for the mercantile. Inside, she purchased the necessary items to make posters and secure them on walls and poles once they were finished.
“Here let me carry all of that for you,” George offered, taking the supplies from Elizabeth.
“Once I finish making the posters tonight, I will hang them around town tomorrow.”
“Can I accompany you while you do that?” George offered.
“I could use the extra set of hands.” Turning her head towards him, she added, “Thank you for your help, George. I appreciate your coming with me and showing your support.”
“I like spending time with you, Elizabeth. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing.”
“That makes me happy to hear.”
As they approached the saloon, George recognized the man from earlier standing outside. He ducked his head inside, yelled something, and three other men came outside to join him. They looked angry and ready for a fight.
“I think we should cross the road,” George suggested, weary and not wanting a second altercation.
The men must have noticed their decision, because two of them moved to block their path, the other two coming up behind them.
“I hope you’re not avoiding us. We have something to say to you,” the man from earlier said with a growl.
“Well, we have nothing to say to you,” Elizabeth retorted back. “Let us be on our way.”
“No, I don’t think so,” one of the men said from behind them. “You’re going to listen to what we have to say, one way or the other.”
“And what does that mean?” Elizabeth questioned in frustration, spinning around to confront the other man. “I don’t take kindly to being thre
atened.”
“We don’t rightly care what you take to,” the third man said with a cackle. “You’re just a woman, anyhow.”
“As a woman, you should know your place,” the first man said, leaning towards her. “You are to be in the house, taking care of your man with your mouth shut.”
“How dare you talk to me like that,” she shouted at the man in anger.
“Come on, men, you’ve said your peace, and made your point. Why don’t you just let us pass?” George pled, not wanting the situation to escalate to a point of violence.
“We aren’t done yet,” the second man barked. “We want her to understand we won’t let her go around stirring up the womenfolk in town.”
“Especially in all the wrong ways. If you want to teach other women how to please a man, that’s a different story,” the third man teased. “We might rightly like that.”
“That’s it, we’re done here,” George said, handing the items to Elizabeth and then wrapping his arm around her. “I won’t stand here and let you continue to speak to her that way.”
“We’ll see about that,” one of the men said, reaching out and grabbing George by the shoulder. He pulled him around and took a swing at him.
George was prepared, however, knowing the men were drunk and itching for a fight. He ducked the attack, and struck out with his own fist, connecting with the other man’s jaw. The man grunted and grabbed his face, then tried to focus on George to swing again. Before he could though, George threw two more punches, both landing in the man’s mid-section. The other men must have gotten angry and started to swing at George too. He defended as many blows as he could, but he was sorely outnumbered. He felt hit after hit, rake his body, but he pushed the pain aside. He couldn’t let these men beat him senseless. Goodness knows what they had planned for Elizabeth if he should be knocked out.
“Get out of here, Elizabeth,” he shouted in between throwing punches and deflecting them. If he could hold them off long enough for her to get away, anything that happened to him would be worth it.
Luckily, the sheriff and one of his deputies must have seen the scuffle because they were charging towards them. They got right in the middle of the fight, yanking the men off of George. The two that were the least hurt took off running, leaving the other two to deal with the lawmen.
“The two of you are coming with us,” the sheriff declared. “We don’t allow this type of behavior in our town.” Glancing over at George and Elizabeth, he asked, “Are you both okay?”
Elizabeth nodded, her eyes bright with tears and her whole body shaking. She came to George’s side, worried about him. “I’m fine,” he assured everyone. “I just need to rest.”
“I can see him back to the livery.” Elizabeth placed his arm over her shoulders.
The sheriff nodded as he and his deputy turned around to escort the drunk idiots to the jail.
“That was so stupid of you, George. Brave, but stupid.”
“What else was I going to do? I couldn’t let those men hurt you,” George said with pride. “You mean way too much to me to let that happen.”
Her cheeks blushed as she whispered, “I was never so scared as I was watching the men try to hurt you. In that moment, I realized I cared for you too.”
“I’m glad we got that settled then,” George said with a chuckle, which he immediately regretted when his side started throbbing.
“This is definitely going to take a couple of days to heal.”
“Well, if you need anything, you let me know.”
“I could take a kiss, if you’re offering,” George teased.
Playfully, she poked him in the side, causing him to groan in pain. She stopped moving and placed her hand on the side of his face. “Oh no, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you further.”
“You can make it up to me.”
Her eyebrow quirked as she gave him a small smirk. Then with a shrug, she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his lips. The tender gesture was worth every single lick he took from the strangers. He would take a thousand beatings to get just one more kiss from Elizabeth Holt.
Chapter Six
Upon her return home from taking care of George, Harrison was waiting with his arms across his chest. He had a look in his eyes that made it clear he knew what happened in town.
“What on earth has gotten into that head of yours, Elizabeth? It’s one thing to go around spouting your ideas in Boston, where most men are civilized and would never raise a hand to a woman. Unfortunately, out here, many men wouldn’t think twice.”
“I’m sorry, Harrison. I honestly didn’t know it was going to stir up such problems,” Elizabeth defended.
“She didn’t. She was trying to do the right thing,” Willa added from her spot on the sofa.
“I am for equal treatment of women, but I don’t want my sister—or wife, for that matter—to get hurt in the pursuit of it.”
“The men who founded this country were willing to put their lives on the line in order to be free. I’m willing to do the same,” Elizabeth declared from her seat in a chair by the fire. “It isn’t right that for all these years we’ve been made little better than possessions.”
“She’s right, Harrison. You should support your sister in her cause, our cause, if I’m honest. If we were to ever be blessed with a daughter, I would want her to be able to have equal treatment under the law.”
“I just think if you are bored here, Elizabeth, you would be better off helping Willa in the dress shop. You enjoy clothes, and you could keep yourself entertained there,” Harrison said, pacing back and forth across the parlor floor.
“I appreciate all that Willa does, but making and selling dresses is her passion, not mine. My passion is fighting for all women to have the right to pursue their passions, wherever they may be.”
“I understand that, and though noble, it’s not prudent given the current climate in the town.”
“We need to fix the climate then,” Willa asserted. “We don’t back down simply because we face opposition. We find a way to persevere.”
Harrison seemed to be thinking about what his wife said. After a couple more moments, he brushed his fingers through his hair. He looked from Elizabeth to Willa, and back again. “Never did I think that my own sister and wife would unite against me.”
“We aren’t against you, Harrison,” Willa objected. “We simply both believe that this is too important a matter to give up on it because a few bullies demand it of us.”
“Here is what I propose. I will be present, along with two men I will hire to protect the women at all the meetings.”
Elizabeth balked at his proposal. “You want women to be open and honest with men present at the meetings, men who represent the repressive society we live in?”
“We will agree to remain out of sight and will not interfere in your meetings, but stay close enough that if anyone shows up and tries to create problems, we can intervene.”
“I think that sounds like a fine compromise, Elizabeth,” Willa coaxed. “It’s kind of Harrison to offer to show such support.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I can accept those terms.”
George was cleaning out one of the stalls, albeit slowly considering how bad his ribs still hurt, when he heard an odd noise behind him. He spun around, pitchfork in hand, but didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.
After a quick glance around the room, he went back to his task, shoveling the muck from the ground. A few seconds later, the same sensation that something was off made the hair on his arms raise. He started to turn around a second time, but before he got more than halfway, he felt something hit him hard across the side of his head.
Blinding, white light flashed across his eyes, and his ears started ringing. He reached out and braced himself against the wall of the stall. A second hit came, this time across the back, causing him to double-over in pain. He tried to turn around to see who and what was hitting him, but the hits started coming faster.
He fell
onto his back, his eyes focusing in and out. For a moment, his eyes locked onto two men standing above him. He recognized them from the fight in front of the saloon. They were the two men that had run off before the sheriff could arrest them.
“This will teach him to mess with us.”
“It’ll also teach him not to let a skirt run him around like a whipped puppy,” the other man added, hitting him again with what looked like a piece of wood. “A sissy-boy like him needs to know that a woman’s place is firmly under a man.”
The pain was so overwhelming; George was afraid he might pass out at any moment. He was certain he had a couple of broken ribs, remembering what it felt like from when a horse kicked him back in Rockwood Springs.
“Come on, we should get out of here before someone finds us here,” the first man said, pulling the other man away.
Before he was out of earshot though, the first man gave one parting piece of advice. “You should have kept your nose out of our business and let us do with the girl what we wanted. I hope you learned your lesson.”
George tried to climb up off the ground, but he didn’t even make it a few inches before he slumped right back down. He let out two small grunts, and before he knew what was happening, blackness was enveloping him.
George wasn’t sure how much time went by but he continued to pass in and out of consciousness. Fragments of memory surfaced between each time he faded out: Elizabeth’s face, the town doctor, his boss, Jake Winters, and his wife, Dawn, Willa and Harrison, and bright light.
“Where…where am I?” George croaked out, trying to focus on his surroundings.
“You’re staying with my family,” the familiar voice of Elizabeth whispered. “Shh now, before all your moving about tears your stitches.”
“My stitches? What happened to me?”
“You were attacked by some bad men, but you don’t need to worry about that now,” she said soothingly. “All that matters is that you’re going to mend and be all better in a couple of weeks.”