Mrs. Grey

by Rachel Wesson

  “The men in the Irish camp are making trouble. They say the blacks are taking their work. They speak about stopping them.”

  “That’s ridiculous. There is more than enough work to go around. Zack’s men are working on building the town library having finished the dress shop for Miss Carpenter. They only started working on the hotel as it fell behind schedule. Zack was trying to help Robbie.”

  “This I know.”

  “I will go speak to Dawson tomorrow. He agreed to keep his men under control.”

  “I think you should speak to Robbie. Dawson, he—”

  “He what?” He walked over to pour another cup of coffee. Looked like it was going to be a long night. Still, he wasn’t complaining. Work kept him busy and it wasn’t like he had anything to go home to. But Little Beaver did. He had a wife and children. He looked closer at his deputy who seemed to be finding it hard to tell him something.

  “Little Beaver, now is not the time to become shy!”

  “He may be part of the problem. He speak with forked tongue. He say all workers get paid the same. But it is not true.”

  His grip on his cup tightened. When Zack and Robbie had first approached him with the idea of employing both blacks and Irish to complete the works on the hotel, he had been less than enthusiastic, foreseeing problems. They had been very convincing promising there wouldn’t be any issues. Robbie had confirmed all men would work the same hours with the same terms. They believed Clover Springs was the kind of town where such an experiment was most likely to succeed. Now he wished he had stuck to his guns. Back in the army, they hadn’t mixed the buffalo regiments with the regulars for the simple reason they didn’t get along. Why would anyone think things would be different in civilian life?

  “They are paying the blacks less? I can’t see Robbie agreeing with that.”

  “I do not think Robbie knows.” Little Beaver stared him in the face.

  Dawson! He was the one in charge of paying the men. He had to be pocketing the difference. The question was: was he working alone or with someone else?

  Chapter 11

  “Aunt Lorena, why are you sitting out here on the porch? Don’t you find it rather hot?” Isabella said, walking out the front door, fanning her face with her hand.

  “I am expecting someone and want to be sure I see them first. It is a surprise for Annie.”

  ‘The maid?” Isabella asked frowning.

  “I don’t see her as just a maid. She is helping me at the moment, but I hope in time she will move into town. It’s no life for a young girl to be stuck out here with an old woman like me.”

  “You are not old Aunt Lorena! Who is coming? I love surprises.” Isabella took a seat beside her.

  “Here she comes now,” she answered as a wagon drove up the drive to the house. “Isabella can you please ask Cook to make some iced tea for us. Thank you.”

  “Yes, Aunt Lorena,” Isabella disappeared but not before she saw the flash of disappointment in the younger girl’s face. Did her niece think she would be excluded from the visit? She hoped that wasn’t how she felt.

  “Afternoon Mrs. Grey, beautiful day isn’t it?”

  “Thank you for coming out here Lizzie, it’s rather hot for me but yes much more pleasant than rain. Hello Nora, it is lovely to see you too.”

  “Hope you don’t mind me coming with Lizzie, Mrs. Grey but I was ready to kill my ma and gran. They told me to take a break and help Lizzie.”

  She hid a smile at the look on Nora’s face. She could only imagine the level of stress the Dohertys were under with the restaurant opening. But she also suspected Lizzie had preferred to have someone with her when she came out to the house.

  “Not at all, Nora. It will be nice for Annie and my niece Isabella to meet women of their own age. Come inside, please. Cook is preparing some iced tea and I believe she also made a fresh batch of her cookies.”

  “You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Grey.”

  “Thank you, Lizzie, please make yourself comfortable. I haven’t told Annie about why you are here. I didn’t want to make her nervous.”

  “Oh, she will be so happy. Lizzie brought the most beautiful materials with her. I almost wish she was making me a dress,” Nora teased.

  Mrs. Grey knew Lizzie was busy making not only her own wedding dress but one for Nora and Sadie as well. Isabella walked into the room right at that moment followed by Annie carrying the tray of teas.

  “Isabella, Annie, these young ladies have recently arrived in town. Nora came a few months ago closely followed by Lizzie. Both are getting married in a couple of weeks.”

  “Congratulations,” Isabella said taking a seat. Annie remained silent as she handed out the refreshing tea.

  “Will that be all Mrs. Grey?” Annie asked, almost out the door of the room.

  “Annie, please stay with us. I have a surprise for you.”

  “For me?” Annie’s face was a mixture of confusion and fear. The fear cut through Mrs. Grey. She put her tea down and took two steps towards her maid.

  “Annie, please don’t look like that. It is a nice surprise. I asked Lizzie to make you a dress for you to wear to her wedding.”

  “Me?” Annie’s shocked look was mirrored by her tone.

  “Yes, you.” Mrs. Grey couldn’t say another word as her throat closed over. She glanced at Lizzie, feeling rather helpless for the first time in a very long time.

  “Annie, I’m Lizzie. Mrs. Grey came into my shop yesterday and asked about a dress for you. I thought it would be a good idea to meet with you to discuss what you would prefer. I am so glad I did. You have an amazing figure and with your complexion, I think this rose pink would be wonderful on you. What do you think?” Lizzie held out a piece of the material to Annie. The younger girl stared at Lizzie then at Mrs. Grey before wiping her hands on her apron and reaching out to touch the material.

  “You are goin’ to make a dress? For me?” she repeated.

  “I would like to if you will let me,” Lizzie said, moving closer to the girl. She pushed the material into Annie’s hands. “See how it feels? Isn’t it wonderful? And the color goes really well with your skin tone. Maybe I shouldn’t make it, after all, we don’t want you to look better than us brides?”

  “Oh, Miss,” Annie said looking at Lizzie. Her eyes shone brightly, not helping the lump in Mrs. Grey’s throat.

  “I brought a gown with me for you to try on. I made it with some cheap lawn material so I can use it to take measurements and to see what style works best. Then I make up your dress based on what we agree on,” Lizzie explained to Annie who stood looking at the silk taffeta material in her hand. “Would you try it on for me please?” Lizzie asked.

  Annie took a few minutes to answer. She handed the piece of material back to Lizzie. “Thank you, Miss, but I don’t need a new dress. I hope you have a lovely wedding.”

  And with a nod to Mrs. Grey, she was gone.

  The ladies looked at each other, before looking to Mrs. Grey for some guidance.

  “Please excuse me, I will be back in a few minutes,” she said as she followed Annie out the door. The girl had disappeared. She wondered where she had gone and was about to go to the kitchen when she heard a sound coming from the direction of the library. The door was slightly open so she pushed against it gently. The sight of Annie sitting on the rug by the empty fireplace, her head in her hands nearly made her cry too.

  “Oh, Annie, dear girl, what have I done? I didn’t mean to upset you?” she said, moving as quickly as she could to the girl’s side.

  Annie jumped up, her cheeks turning scarlet. “I’m sorry Mrs. Grey. I know I should be working but…”

  “Annie, please sit down. Please.”

  She pulled the younger woman’s hand, directing her onto the sofa. She took a seat beside her, not relinquishing her hand. “Tell me why you are so upset?”

  “I can’t,” Annie mumbled, her voice muffled by tears.

  “Annie I won’t make you do anything you don’t w
ant to do. I thought it was time for you to make some new friends, and what better event than a wedding? I certainly didn’t mean to cause you upset.”

  Annie glanced up at her, her eyes filled with consternation.

  “Oh no, ma’am. You have been so kind. Nobody ain’t ever treated me like that before. I never had a dress made for me. I just wore other peoples’. I am grateful. Please don’t think I’m not. You just don’t understand.”

  Mrs. Grey took a deep breath.

  “No, Annie, I don’t but why don’t you explain it to me? I never meant to hurt you and you don’t have to have the dress. Lizzie will take everything back to town.”

  Annie cried a while more and she let the girl cry, knowing the tears were better shed. She gave Annie her hanky as her tears subsided.

  “I can’t thank you enough, Mrs. Grey, for what you did for me.” Annie hesitated. “I can’t go to the wedding. It wouldn’t be proper.”

  Now she was annoyed but not with the girl in front of her. It was the 1880’s for heaven’s sake, not 1865, yet it seemed things hadn’t changed. Not for some people.

  “Why not? Everyone in town is going. Lizzie, Nora, and another girl called Sadie are all getting married on the same day. It is going to be a wonderful party. Don’t you like parties?”

  “I never been to one. They won’t want my sort there.”

  “You stop that talk right this minute Annie. I never heard such nonsense. You are not “a sort”. You are a beautiful young woman who needs to walk around with her head held high.”

  “Me, beautiful?” the girl looked up at her, her chocolate brown eyes glistening with tears.

  “Yes, Annie. Both inside and out. I know you help Cook more than you have to. I have seen you helping Jim too with his chores outside.”

  “He’s old and with one leg, he can’t do everything he thinks you would like done. Please don’t be angry with him.”

  Dear Lord, what type of tyrant did the girl thinks she was? She ignored the comments about Jim and continued. “I know you sneak into the orphanage when you have time off and help Wilma. What I can’t understand is why you feel you have to do these things in secret? Nobody has mistreated you in Clover Springs have they?”

  Annie didn’t answer.

  “Please talk to me Annie, I want to help.”

  “Only a couple of people have been mean. A man and some of the ladies. But I haven’t met a lot of people. “

  Mrs. Grey twisted the fingers on one hand as she tried to distract her anger. She didn’t want Annie to think she was upset with her, but she could guess who had been horrible to the young girl. It was a pity; those horrid people were the only ones she had met, so she naturally assumed all of Clover Springs would react the same way.

  “I suspect I know the man in question. If we were to meet that man together, you would see how little I think of him and his obnoxious opinions. As for the ladies you mentioned, I don’t believe they deserve that term. But you need to learn to ignore people like them Annie. They can’t dictate to you how you spend your life. At your age, you should be making the most of every day while you have the freedom to enjoy it. When you meet a man and settle down to have children, you will regret not enjoying your own time.”

  “Me meet a man? That's never going to happen. Nobody will want me.”

  “I wish I had a penny for every young woman who told me that. I would give them all to Wilma and there would never be a hungry child again.”

  “No, Mrs. Grey, I know you are trying to be kind but you don’t understand. It’s not your fault. You were born white.”

  Only by fate did she escape the life this child had to live. What if she had been born from a mixed marriage? Would she have the strength to do what she wanted Annie to do? Was she right in pushing the girl? Her instincts said yes as only by forcing people to accept everyone could you change society, but at what costs?

  “What has that got to do with anything?” she exclaimed, not letting Annie see she had considered the matter.

  “I’m not white, but I’m not black either. Neither group accepts me. I don’t belong in this town or anywhere else.”

  “Annie, you have as much right to live here as anyone else. Your color is part of who you are, and you must learn to accept it. Nobody should be judged on the color of their skin, but until the world learns that lesson, there will always be horrible people around. You have to be brave and fight back. Here in Clover Springs, you will have friends to help you. Me and those girls in there if you let them. Cook and Jim would never let anyone hurt you. Please trust us.”

  Annie looked torn.

  “Maybe I was wrong to push you on this. I will go back to the girls and tell Lizzie we don’t want the dress. I can buy one for Isabella, so don’t worry. Lizzie will be compensated for her time.”

  “Do you really think they would like me at the wedding?”

  “Annie, think about it from their point of view. Those girls have just arrived in Clover Springs. They don’t know anyone but each other. They would welcome all friends to support them and wish them well. Wouldn’t you?”

  She left Annie to think about what she had said and slowly walked back to the living room where, to her relief, the three girls were having a lively chat.

  “Aunt Lorena, Nora has been making us laugh so much, telling us stories about different residents of Clover Springs.”

  “I hope you weren’t being cruel, Nora?” Mrs. Grey admonished but her tone suggested she was teasing.

  “Not at all, Mrs. Grey,” Nora replied grinning. “Well, maybe a little bit but only to those who deserve it. I told them about Mr. Murphy telling the sheriff he was a better cook than Mrs. Murphy. I don’t think Mrs. Murphy was best pleased.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “Mrs. Grey, does Annie want me to stay and fit her for the dress?” Lizzie asked, her voice hesitant.

  “No Lizzie, it would seem not. But I….”

  “Yes, please, Miss Lizzie. I would like the dress and to come to your wedding, if you still want me to.” Annie stood, her hands by her sides hidden by her skirts.

  “Oh Annie, I would love you to be there,” Lizzie answered, closely followed by Nora who added, “We want all our friends to be there.”

  “I hope that includes me,” Isabella asked.

  “Of course it does, you are all invited,” Nora replied. “I have to generate business for Lizzie’s store, and if you are all coming to the wedding you will need new outfits.”

  “Nora!” Lizzie exclaimed, rebuking her friend gently but the others just laughed.

  “Thank you,” Annie said. “I’ll try on your dress then Miss Lizzie.”

  Mrs. Grey wanted to have a little weep in private. She gave Annie’s arm a squeeze as she walked out the door, hoping the young girl knew just how proud she was of her.

  Chapter 12

  Isabella saw the rider coming toward the house and went to find her aunt, who opened the door, standing ready to greet her guest.

  “How lovely to see you, Doc Erin? Are you here for a social call?”

  “Not really. I am on my way to see Alicia. We have to decide when to take another trip to the mine and the logging camp. Would Isabella like to come with me?” Erin asked. “She might like to spend some time getting to know the townspeople.”

  “I would love to, thank you,” she replied before her aunt could open her mouth. Aunt Lorena had been very good to take her in, but she was getting bored sitting in the house every day. She missed the company of her friends at home. If pushed, she might also admit to missing her parents although she was thankful they couldn’t nag her anymore about her spinsterhood.

  Isabella saw the female doctor give her a funny look. She glanced down at her outfit and looked up again to see Erin smiling. “Lovely to meet you, Isabella, but perhaps you might like to change into your riding clothes.”

  “I don’t have any.” She hadn’t packed riding clothes in her haste to get away, she hadn’t been thinking straight.

/>   “That is something we should remedy sooner rather than later. For now, I guess you will have to take the wagon, Doc?” Mrs. Grey suggested.

  “No problem. I will ask Katie Sullivan if she has any items for Alicia and we can take them with us.” Erin smiled at Isabella who smiled back shyly.

  “Mrs. Grey let me give you a lift to the orphanage, then Isabella and I can make our own way.”

  “Thank you, Doc. Come along, Isabella, we don't want to keep the Doc waiting.”

  They rode back into town in silence. Erin parked the wagon outside the orphanage. She wanted to ask about the orphanage, and why it was situated in this relatively small town, but it didn’t seem right. She didn’t want her aunt or the doctor thinking she was being nosy.

  Her aunt went into the orphanage, leaving her and Erin to walk over to the mercantile. Katie Sullivan only had a couple of posts for Alicia. “Aaron called in yesterday,” the store owner explained. “Aaron is Alicia’s husband. Nice to see you are still here, Isabella.”

  “Thank you,” she responded, wanting to be friendly but not sure how. She hadn’t got on well with the girls at school, and her mama was always telling her she wasn’t a woman’s woman. Whatever that meant.

  As they drove out of town, Erin pointed out different places to Isabella. It was so different from Virginia. She was eager to know more about Clover Springs and the people in it.

  “Your aunt is a fantastic nurse. She knows when to be patient but also when to crack the whip. Katie Sullivan, the lady in the store, reckons Mrs. Grey saved her daughter, Ella.”

  “That's Aunt Lorena's middle name.”

  “Yes, seems Katie wanted to call the baby Lorena after your aunt, but Mrs. Grey put her foot down. Said she wouldn't push any child into having a name like that.”

  Isabella giggled.

  “Are you enjoying your trip to see your aunt? She didn’t mention you were coming to stay.”

  “She didn't know. Until I arrived in Clover Springs, we had never met. I sent her a letter to say I was coming, so it wasn’t a total surprise. “Erin, I need a job,” she added before her nerve failed her.