“Goodness, child, hurry in here before you freeze. That shawl hardly looks warm enough for a chilly evening like this.” The doctor’s wife motioned for Ilsa to sit in a chair by the fire and hurried to bring her a cup of hot tea.
“Thank you, ma’am.” Ilsa sipped the steaming, fragrant brew. “When I left the house earlier it was still pleasantly warm outside. I didn’t even think about it being cold this evening. It’s already starting to frost the ground.”
“You should borrow my coat when you walk home. Maybe Doc will be back before you go and he can take you.”
“Oh, I’ll be fine,” Ilsa said with a bravado she was far from feeling. Every step she’d taken to the doctor’s house was one taken with fear, but she’d made it just fine, without any incident. Her confidence felt marginally bolstered by the fact. “Now, show me what you’re working on and I’ll show you how to do that stitch we talked about.”
Time passed swiftly as Ilsa helped Mrs. Reed finish the piano scarf she was making for her sister’s birthday. A cream satin background bore roses in shades of red, burgundy, peach, coral and yellow, along with deep green leaves and gold scrolls. It truly was lovely.
“Oh, Ilsa, dear, I can’t thank you enough for all your help,” Mrs. Reed said, holding out the lovely piece of work, admiring how pretty it looked. “I’d never have finished this without your help.”
“My pleasure.” Ilsa tucked her embroidery scissors and a few skeins of embroidery thread back in her basket. “You picked up on how to do the feather stitch quickly.”
“It helped having an expert teach me.” Mrs. Reed rose from her chair and gave Ilsa a warm hug. “Would you like another cup of tea or perhaps a piece of cake?”
“I appreciate the offer, Mrs. Reed, but I really should venture home before it gets any later.”
“Oh, my gracious, look at the time,” the woman said, noticing the hour was late, indeed. She’d only planned to have Ilsa show her how to do the stitch and then send her on her way. When the girl volunteered to help her finish the project, she had no idea an hour would turn into more than two.
“Let me phone the sheriff’s office and have someone walk you home.” Mrs. Reed started toward the hall where a phone hung on the wall.
“I think they’re all working tonight. Kade asked Tony and Garrett to join him earlier this afternoon. They rode out to investigate a shooting west of town toward Rieth, along with the sheriff and I think one of the other deputies.” Ilsa wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and picked up her basket.
Walking to the door, she smiled at Mrs. Reed. “I’ll be fine. It’s just a short walk.”
“Are you sure, dear? Let me get my coat and I’ll walk with you.”
Ilsa shook her head. “No, ma’am. There’s no need for both of us to be out on a chilly evening. I promise, I’ll be fine. I might even pick up my skirts and run.”
“You do that.” Mrs. Reed chuckled, giving her an encouraging smile. “Hurry straight home and call me when you get there.”
“I will. Have a lovely evening, Mrs. Reed. I hope Doc gets back soon.”
“Me, too. I always worry about him when he’s out at night. Thank you, again, Ilsa, for all your help. It’s much appreciated. My sister will love this.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you at church Sunday, if not sooner.”
Ilsa stepped outside and braced herself for the walk home alone in the dark as much as the cold air.
Hastening down the front walk and out to the boardwalk, she kept her feet moving at a fast pace toward her shop. Near a saloon, she kept her gaze on the intersection she needed to cross that would place her down the street from her shop.
As she waited for a wagon to pass by, the hair on the back of her neck rose. Air stirred around her head and a rancid smell made her want to gag.
“Look what we got here, Otto. A sweet little filly, all alone.”
Ilsa turned to find two drunken men staring at her with lustful eyes. At least she was on a street corner instead of a dark alley. If she screamed, she hoped someone would come to her rescue.
“Ain’t she a purty lil’ thing, Roy?” The man named Otto reached out to touch her and Ilsa took a quick step back, plunging her hand in her sewing basket, frantic to find something she could use as a weapon.
“Why don’t you just come along with us, quiet like, and we’ll show you a real good time, honey.”
“Why don’t you gentlemen leave me alone and I’ll forget this happened. There are plenty of women in the establishment across the street that would be more than happy to favor you with their attention.” Ilsa continued to back away from the two in hopes she could escape before they dragged her off somewhere.
“That’d be fine, but them girls charge us for fun and we can take it from you for free.” Roy grabbed Ilsa’s arm and she screamed with all the volume she could muster. Whipping the embroidery scissors out of the basket, she stabbed them forcefully into the man’s hand.
He jumped back, yelping in pain between curses. Ilsa gave his friend two sharp kicks on the shin then swung her basket around, ready to hit him, only to watch him slump to the ground.
She lifted her gaze and grinned at Marnie as she held a broken whiskey bottle. Dressed in a scandalously revealing black and red outfit with red feathers in her hair, she looked nothing like the fresh-faced girl Ilsa met in front of her shop.
“That was worth wasting a good bottle of booze.” Marnie dropped the remnants of the bottle on top of Otto and took Ilsa by the arm, rushing her across the street before anyone could see what transpired. “Run home, Miss Ilsa. I’ll keep an eye out.”
“Thank you,” Ilsa said with sincere gratitude, picking up her skirts and bolting down the street. She dashed around the corner to her back door.
Her shaking hands could barely get the key into the lock, but she managed to open the door and slam it shut behind her.
She raced up the steps, tripped over the cat where he slept on the landing, and fell to her knees.
A sound, somewhere between a sob and a laugh, erupted from her and she sat on the step, trying to decide if she was going to cry or celebrate jubilantly.
She sat on the step with Peaches rubbing against her side and replayed what happened. Eventually, she realized she came to her own defense.
Proud of herself for stopping her would-be assailants, with a little help from Marnie, she jumped to her feet and hurried into her kitchen. Quickly lighting several lamps, she carried one downstairs to where the telephone hung on the wall in the back of her shop. She called Mrs. Reed and let her know she made it home then hung up, too full of energy to think about going to bed.
To steady her nerves, she decided to sew a while. Ilsa took a piece of fabric down from a shelf and laid it on the worktable. She was unfolding the cloth from the bolt when someone pounded on her back door.
Although she tried to look outside through a side window, all she could make out were two men standing on the back step.
Momentarily consumed with fear, she recalled what had transpired just a short while ago. With a deep breath, she picked up a pair of sharp scissors and walked to the door.
Ready to do battle, she swung open the door and held the scissors over her head,.
“Whoa, chickadee!” Tony yelled, jumping back as she brought her hand down, expecting to stab one of the men who’d tried to assault her.
“Tony!” Her voice squeaked while her eyes widened in surprise. Horrified by the thought she’d almost stabbed him, the scissors dropped from her hand and she started to slump to the ground.
“Catch her,” Kade said, reaching out to steady her but Tony already had her in his arms.
He carried her inside and set her on top of the worktable, fanning her face with his hat.
Kade stooped to pick up her scissors and carried them inside then shut the door behind him.
“Ilsa, can you hear me?” Tony asked, taking in her dazed eyes and pale cheeks. “Ilsa?”
“I’m okay, Tony. Yo
u startled me is all,” she said, trying to gather her thoughts. She noticed Kade standing beside Tony. They both gave her curious, concerned looks.
“Did you, by chance, happen to scream like you were being murdered a little bit ago?” Kade asked, setting the scissors on the worktable.
Ilsa glanced down at them, noticing how the light from her lamp reflected in the shiny blades. She nodded her head.
“And would that, perchance, have anything to do with two drunks being assaulted? One of them had these embedded in his hand.” Kade pulled her embroidery scissors from his pocket and slid them across the worktable toward her.
Fully expecting them to be covered in blood, the metal was sparkling clean. Ilsa touched the handle then pulled her hand away before slowly picking them up in her hand, staring at them as if she’d never seen them before.
She nodded again.
“Would you happen to know the circumstances surrounding one of the two being brained with a whiskey bottle?”
Another nod.
“How about you give me the whole story?” Kade leaned against the counter, so he didn't tower over Ilsa, and gave her an encouraging smile.
“Would you like a cup of tea? Aundy brought a batch of cookies this morning when she was in town if you’d like some.” Ilsa jumped down from the counter and started toward the stairs leading to her apartment before Tony or Kade could stop her.
“I don’t think we need any refreshments, Ilsa, but I’d sure like to hear what happened.” Kade maintained a friendly, calm tone, although he was more than a little worried about Ilsa’s behavior. If he’d found her weeping hysterically it wouldn’t have bothered him as much as her current calm demeanor.
“Ilsa? Tony tried to get her attention, but she continued upstairs. “Ilsa?”
“Please, have a seat while I make some tea.” In the apartment, she pointed toward her sitting area then disappeared into her small kitchen. The sounds of her banging a kettle on the stovetop and slamming the stove door carried into the room.
Tony walked into the kitchen and found her trying to light a match to get the kindling in the cook stove to burn.
“I let the fire go out,” she said without glancing at Tony.
Purposefully taking the matches out of her hands, he pulled her into his arms and felt her sag against him.
“It’s okay, Ilsa. Everything is okay.” He rubbed her back and shoulders while speaking softly. “Everything is just fine. No need to worry.”
“I’m sorry, Tony. I would have died if I’d accidentally stabbed you. I’m so sorry,” she said, pulling back to look at him with moist eyes.
“I don’t think I would have liked it much if you had either.” He gave her a broad grin then brought her hand to his lips, kissing her fingers. “We don’t want tea, but we do want to hear what happened.”
She nodded her head and let Tony lead her to the sitting room where Kade sat in one of her side chairs. The big man looked like he was sitting on a child’s seat and that thought made her fight back a smile.
Kade and Tony didn’t notice. They were both too interested in finding out why Ilsa was out after dark and how her scissors ended up in some drunken man’s hand.
Almost at the restaurant’s back door, ready for some of Caterina’s good food, they heard a scream pierce the evening air. Dropping everything but the guns they carried, they ran down the street and around the corner to discover a crowd gathered around two prone forms on the corner across from one of the popular saloons.
Forcefully pushing through the throng, they reached the two drunks. A blow to the head with what appeared to be a fine bottle of whiskey rendered one unconscious. The second held his bleeding hand with a delicate pair of gold scissors protruding from the back of it. He babbled nonsense about some crazed woman trying to kill him.
Tony happened to notice a few working girls in the crowd. The one named Marnie grinned as Kade used the toe of his boot to nudge the drunk someone clunked over the head. When he made eye contact with her, she winked at him then returned to the saloon.
He and Kade hauled the drunks to the doc’s office. Mrs. Reed bustled in from the entry to the house, letting them know the doctor had just arrived home and would be with them shortly.
The woman gasped at the sight of the scissors in the man’s hand and said they looked just like the pair Ilsa had used when she helped her earlier that evening. The phone rang and she went off to answer it before Kade could question her about Ilsa being there.
Doc appeared and removed the scissors, giving them to Kade. After Kade cleaned off the blood, Tony asked if he could have a look. They certainly did look like the scissors he’d seen Ilsa use to snip a thread any number of times.
He handed them back to the deputy. The two of them thanked the doctor for his help and hauled the two drunks to the jail. Hastily leaving them in the last empty cell, they made a beeline for Ilsa’s shop.
When she opened the door with the scissors raised like a deadly weapon, Tony thought his heart might stop at the sight of her wild hair and even wilder eyes.
Now, as she sat quietly beside him, trying not to smile, he wondered if she’d lost the grip on her sanity. No one could blame her, enduring a second attack so soon after what Delmon did to her.
“Can you please tell me what transpired this evening?” Kade asked, sitting back in the chair and taking a notepad from his pocket. The small chair groaned beneath him and Ilsa giggled.
“I think you better sit on the sofa, Kade.” She stood and traded him seats. Tony wasn’t thrilled to be sit his brother-in-law instead of the girl he loved, but at least she’d stopped staring at Kade and giggling. “Where would you like me to begin?”
“Did you have dinner with Cat?”
“Yes, I did.” Ilsa sat primly in the chair with her hands folded on her lap and her back straight. Tony wondered how she could sit so demurely when she’d just impaled a man with her sewing scissors.
“Then where did you go?”
“I promised Mrs. Reed to help her learn how to do the feather stitch. I was supposed to do it earlier and forgot, so I telephoned and offered to come after supper. She said she’d appreciate the company since Doc was out on a call. I left Caterina’s restaurant and went directly to Mrs. Reed’s house.” Ilsa tried to recall exactly what time it would have been. “I suppose that was probably around six-thirty. We got so busy visiting and stitching, we completely lost track of the time. When I glanced at the clock, I knew it was late, but we were almost finished so I kept on stitching. She was making the most beautiful piano scarf for her sister’s birthday. It’s cream with colorful roses and green leaves and the prettiest gold scrolls. Mrs. Reed said roses are her sister’s favorite flower and she has several rose bushes she carefully tends all summer.”
Ilsa knew she was rambling but couldn’t seem to stop herself. “I left her house at a little past nine. She made me promise to call her as soon as I got home to let her know I made it with no problem.”
“And did you?” Kade asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl. “Make it with no problem?”
“Not exactly.” Ilsa stared at her fingers before lifting her gaze to meet Kade’s. “I was trying to hurry home and stopped on the corner across from the saloon to wait for a wagon to pass so I could cross the street. Two men, who gave every indication of being drunk, attempted to… um… forcefully engage my attentions. The one, I think his name was Roy, grabbed my arm and that’s when I screamed. I promised myself I would never, ever again be in a situation like I was with Delmon. He didn’t give me the chance to scream or defend myself.”
Ilsa took a deep breath and released it before continuing her story. “I screamed as loudly as I could and grabbed the scissors from my basket. I didn’t plan to stab him, it just happened. Then while he was cussing and fussing, I kicked his friend in the shins and was about to beat him with my sewing basket but someone else hit him over the head with a bottle of alcohol, at least I assume it was alcohol by the smell, before I could infli
ct any further damage.”
“Whiskey,” Kade said, trying not to grin at Ilsa’s description of what happened. “Did you happen to recognize your cohort in crime?”
“All I know is her name is Marnie. Tony said she works in one of the um… you know… establishments proper ladies do not discuss.” Ilsa glanced at her hands again.
Tony and Kade were both smirking by this point, afraid if they looked at each other they’d break out laughing.
“Then what happened?” Tony asked, wanting to hear the end of the story.
“Marnie ran with me across the street. She said to hurry home before anyone saw me. I ran back here as fast as I could then telephoned Mrs. Reed to let her know I was fine.”
“Are you fine, Ilsa? Do you want to come home with Caterina and me? I could take you out to Nash’s Folly if you don’t want to be here alone,” Kade offered, not convinced the girl was as well as she wanted them to believe.
Ilsa reached over and patted his hand in gratitude. “Thank you, Kade, but I’m fine. Better than fine. I’m not scared of taking care of myself anymore. Even if Marnie hadn’t hit that man with a bottle, I am confident I could have taken care of myself and escaped. Had the men not been drunk, it might have been a different story, but the point is, I faced my fears and came out the victor.”
Kade closed his notepad and returned it along with a pencil to his pocket. He stood and gave Ilsa a long, authoritative look. “Don’t let it go to your head. You got lucky this time and I don’t want you out at night by yourself again, but you should be proud of defending yourself. You did good.”
“Thank you, Kade. I appreciate it and I don’t plan on being in a similar situation again, but if I am, at least I know I can take care of myself.”
“Yes, you can,” Kade walked down the stairs with Tony and Ilsa following behind him. “I’ll get a statement from Marnie then I’m going to take my wife and go home. Tony, you are officially off duty for the night.”
“Thanks, Kade.” Tony shook his hand and walked him to the door before turning back to Ilsa. She stood in the soft glow cast by the light of the lamp she left on the worktable. He thought she looked so beautiful and feminine, especially with her hair starting to come out of the hairpins that usually kept it properly in place.
Ilsa (Pendleton Petticoats Book 3) Page 22