by Patty Devlin
“Oh, my,” Sunny said, a quaver in her voice. She watched William from under her lashes while she allowed herself to go a bit boneless. “I really do feel most uncomfortable.”
“I will, of course, take you right back home, Sunny,” William said, though his tone was clipped. “I would not wish you ill.”
“Yes, please,” she responded breathlessly. “I would be quite appreciative.”
Mother said nothing, but they left the table and William handed them up into the Brougham. They rode back in silence, while Sunny fanned herself with her best hand fan. Once back at the Taggarts’, she made herself appear weak, and William aided her into the house. Sunny immediately excused herself and went back to the bedroom she shared with her mother, giving Mother a chance to close the afternoon and make her excuses.
It didn’t take long before Mother confronted her in the bedroom. “How dare you, you ungrateful child!” Once again, she slapped Sunny. Aghast, Sunny touched her face and felt the hot handprint there. Something was wrong with her mother. The woman had changed since Father’s death. Although Mother had never been the kind of sweet and caring mother one read about in novels, she’d never been violent before. This was new and troublesome. Sunny felt more than a little urgency to get out of her mother’s sphere and out from under her thumb.
“I’m sorry, Mother,” she said softly.
“You made him angry,” Mother said, beginning to pace in the small room. “I’ll have to repair this. You will mend this breach or off you go to cousin Antonia’s in Peoria.”
“Please don’t send me away, Mother. But please don’t allow William to court me, either. I don’t like him. We won’t suit.”
Mother rounded on her, glaring, her hands fisted at her sides and her color high. “You will suit if I say so. Don’t you realize, you foolish chit, we are living here on the largess of my sister and her husband? Your inheritance is not valid until you are twenty-one years old or married. My pension from your father’s insurance is barely getting us by. We cannot support ourselves! You must marry, and marry well, or we shall be penniless poor relations forever. I can’t pay for you much longer.”
So that was it. Mother was feeling pressure because of money. Father had been a fine provider, but, apparently hadn’t thought about what would happen before Sunny reached the age her father had deemed adult or she got married. Sunny didn’t know the amount of her mother’s pension, but it appeared to be only enough to support one of them—presumably her mother. “I’m sorry,” Sunny told her, and it was sincere. “I didn’t know.”
“I am ashamed of our situation. Now, I’m ashamed of you, too. How could you insult William like that? What perverse imp makes you behave so badly? First the blacksmith and now cutting William Steinbocker.”
Sunny felt selfish for her continued reluctance to do as her mother wanted, but it was her life. Whomever she married would be her spouse for life; there was no going back. She didn’t want to tie herself to a man she couldn’t love and trust.
“We’ll find a way, Mother.”
“I hope it’s not ruined,” her mother muttered.
Sunny tried to speak up, to say something that would calm the situation, but she didn’t get a chance. Her mother held her hand out. “Don’t say another word to me, daughter. Not one more word.” With that, the older woman stalked out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Biting her lip with concern, unable to think of what to do, Sunny sat down on the bed and tried to make a plan. First, she’d speak to Dani and find out what was behind this discomfort she felt around William Steinbocker.
* * *
Sunny hadn’t been banished to her room, so she went in search of Dani. She found her cousin playing the piano in the larger parlor at the back of the house. Sunny sat next to her on the piano bench and turned pages on the music for a few minutes, calming in response to the lovely Chopin sonata.
When the piece was over, Dani turned to Sunny with a smile. “Thank you. Were you lookin’ for me?”
“I was, yes. Mother and I had a shortened luncheon with Mr. William Steinbocker, Town Councilman.” She gave his title in her best pompous voice. “Do you know him?”
“Oh, yes. Everyone knows him. His family has considerable sway in Carrollton and the whole county. What did you think of him?” Dani’s gaze dropped to the piano keys, no longer meeting Sunny’s eyes. She appeared uncomfortable with the conversation.
“I didn’t like him. He’s arrogant and pushy. I feel like I’m being sized up like a horse at an auction.”
Dani played a chord on the piano. “You probably are.”
“What do you mean? What do you know?”
“The Steinbockers are an old family from around here. There are several branches, but I only know the ones who live in Carrollton. There have been some rumors about William. Particularly his involvement with a young lady, Amy Biggs. Amy and I went to school together, so I felt close to her.”
“And?”
She played another chord, this one rather somber. “I was aware when William started courtin’ her. All of us knew about it. She made no secret of it.”
“What happened?”
“After a while, Amy was sent away to an Aunt in Dallas. I had a letter…I shouldn’t gossip.”
Sunny frowned. She needed to know. “Please, Dani. I don’t want to get involved with this man if he’s behind something bad.”
Dani looked at her, then away. “Well, her letter said that Amy had gotten in the family way and William had refused to marry her. She got sent away to have her baby. She did not return.”
“Are you sure she had William’s baby?”
“So she said. I have no reason to disbelieve her. She was basically telling me to stay away from him, that he had forced himself upon her. Rumors have it that this has happened before, but I don’t know about that. And rumors can be lies, you know.”
“Yes, they can.” Sunny ticked her fingernails on the piano keys while she thought. “Do you think he’s bent on seducing me because I’m not yet a part of the community? I would be vulnerable, if I was unaware of his history. Could he be counting on that?”
Dani reached out and stilled Sunny’s fingers. “He’s rich, Sunny. His family is connected. He can get away with whatever he wants, and his parents will bail him out. I’ve seen him be mean to people. William used to bully other children in the schoolyard. He’s all polite and mannerly on the outside, but I think there’s a monster on the inside.”
“I have to tell Mother.”
“Will she believe you?”
Sunny thought about that. She’d only recently been caught in a lie, and Mother knew she was unhappy with the idea of courting William. “No, probably not.”
“I heard you argue with her over Mr. Armstrong. You aren’t givin’ up, are you?”
“No. But I have to deal with William Steinbocker.”
“I don’t see how you’re goin’ to do that.”
“I think…I think maybe I have a plan. I need to work on it a bit. If I tell you, will you help?”
“Won’t Aunt Lila send you away?”
“Not if my plan works out. She’ll be too embarrassed and committed.”
“Committed to seein’ you with Mr. Armstrong, you mean?”
“In a way. It’s that or I take my chances with William Steinbocker or someone just like him.”
Dani bit her lip. “I’d hate for you to get stuck like that. I don’t want you to end up like Amy.”
Sunny took her cousin’s hands and gave her an imploring look. “Please?”
“Alright. But I won’t lie for you.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to. Just listen to my idea and tell me if it’s sound. Here’s my plan.”
* * *
Abel’s anvil and hammer rang out as he worked on a wrought iron picket. It was one of a set of ten ordered by the mayor, who was having some trouble with deer stealing his apples. The Hornsbys were very particular about their ironwork, and Mrs. Hor
nsby was difficult to please. The three of them had spent nearly an hour drawing up the pickets on paper before she was satisfied.
Abel was hot, sweaty, dirty, and irritable. Sunny had been seen with William Steinbocker several times in the past week. Usually, they were chaperoned by Lila Winslow, but he’d also seen her in the man’s buggy all alone.
It seemed entirely possible that Sunny was through with him, that she had set her sights on Steinbocker, his money and his influence. Abel made a good living, but it was at hard labor. He got his hands dirty every day. His life was not clean, with kid gloves and a walking stick, or a fancy carriage admired by everyone in town.
Abel had a shop, a forge, and a decent house out back. He’d built it with enough room for a wife and children. That was back when he thought he’d find a nice girl and settle down. Nice girls were not the problem, but he had to find just the right one to be his partner in life. So far, that hadn’t happened. Until Sunny. She glowed with vitality, her laughter could make a gloomy day sparkle. He would never, ever forget his first look at her playing a game with the other girls and the way she’d collapsed in laughter on the ground. She was also spunky and unafraid to talk back. A man his size could easily intimidate a young miss, as he’d discovered over the years. He couldn’t have a wife who was cowed by his presence. Sunny would give as good as she got. And when she acted up enough, she’d take a spanking. Sure, she’d protest, but he also had the secret knowledge that it excited her. Abel was half-way sure that even Sunny didn’t realize why she was excited. She was untried and unschooled in the ways of a man and woman.
But maybe Sunny was out of his reach now. It killed him to see her with that curdled excuse for a man. Abel had heard the rumors about him. He’d even overheard Steinbocker talking to friends at one of the town functions, telling the other young men about how he’d make a swath through the virgins and then take his pick when and if it ever came to pass that he had to choose one. He was not an only son, so he had no obligation to stop being a bachelor anytime soon. In the meantime, all the girls were targets for his cruel manipulation. It made Abel sick to think about it and sicker still to think of Sunny in that position. Many of the other girls would have heard about Steinbocker’s conquests, and a few would allow him to pursue because, in their youth, they were sure that they’d be the one to catch him and get the position they wanted. But Sunny wouldn’t know. She’d be a sitting duck, perfectly ready for shooting.
There was nothing Abel could do but admire her from afar and worry about her welfare. Her mother wouldn’t even exchange a polite hello on the street with him. And if he pressed his interest in Sunny enough, the girl would be sent away, ending their chances permanently. Abel had to come up with some way to stake his claim on the woman he wanted as his bride.
His best option was to keep her from Steinbocker, at least to begin with. That would keep her free and safe. He needed to warn her. If she still decided to accept Steinbocker, then at least she’d go into it with her eyes wide open. It would mean that Abel had lost her, but her happiness meant more to him that his own selfish desire.
He pounded on his pickets, hammering out potential ideas even while he beat out his frustrations, one strike at a time.
Chapter 6
Manipulation
Sunny made a point of being seen around town with William Steinbocker, but they were not intimate. She made sure that she was not linked to him beyond his escort here and there at some social functions. She barely allowed him to kiss her gloved hand. It was clear that William was less than happy at being kept at arm’s length, but Sunny did her best, and thus far, it had been enough. It helped that her mother was along for most of the outings. William was polite and respectful in Mother’s presence. The townsfolk, and hopefully Abel, seemed to be aware that Sunny and William were spending time together.
But William’s patience was wearing thin and his voice was often clipped and tense; his attempts to get her alone became more numerous and insistent. At one point, Mother left them in the parlor while she prepared tea.
“Sunny, my dear,” he said, “we’ve spent time together, we’ve gotten to know each other, and now I think something more is reasonable.” He approached her and pressed her up against the mantle. The heat of the day fortunately kept them from having a fire in the fireplace below. He tipped her chin up and leaned in for a kiss, but Sunny turned her head way.
“No, William. I don’t think of you that way. We’re friends. You’ve shown me your town and introduced me to people, and I thank you for that, but that’s all it can be.”
He came even closer and sniffed at her hair. “You are an innocent,” he said, whispering in her ear. “I can teach you. We don’t have to be estranged. We can be like lovers in one of your silly novels. It will be very romantic.”
Pushing at his chest, Sunny became afraid when he didn’t back up. “My mother will be here in a moment. Please turn your attentions away.”
He actually licked her cheek, and Sunny tried that much harder to get away, to no avail. “Meet me tonight,” he insisted. “I can make you change your mind if you give me a chance. Imagine how happy you’ll be with what I can give you.”
Oh, no. Dani had been right about William. He was a scoundrel. “Are you proposing to me, William?”
He did not withdraw as Sunny had hoped. “If you show me a bit of affection, I’m more inclined to consider such a thing.”
“I don’t want you, William. I don’t want what you have to offer. Can we not simply be friends?”
“Best friends,” he said.
Mother was returning with the tea. Sunny could hear the cups on the tray. “Let me go,” she said. “Mother is approaching.”
He stepped back finally, but his eyes twinkled with something unsavory, and he licked his lips as though tasting a sweet. “I admire your maidenly chastity, Sunny, but it takes more than smiles and hand kisses to keep my attention for long.”
“Here’s the tea, my dears!” Mother said, coming in. “Sunny, will you pour?”
Sunny moved to the settee, trying not to shake too badly when she poured the tea. William’s dogged determination to have her was unsettling. What’s worse is that she should have known better; Dani had warned her that it would be hard to keep William from making assumptions.
* * *
Sunday rolled around and, as usual, Sunny helped serve the after-services meal. She was a few stations away from her mother, and had a chance to exchange a word with Abel. Oh, how she’d missed his deep voice and commanding presence.
“How are you, Miss Winslow?”
“I’m well, thank you, Mr. Armstrong. And you?”
He smiled, his eyes never leaving hers. “I reckon I could be better.”
“Is there anything I might do?”
Abel leaned in and whispered quickly. “Meet me at the shed again. We need to talk.”
As they parted, she gave him a nod and then helped the next person in line. Maybe he was jealous and her plan to press him into forcing her mother was working!
Once the food was served, Sunny took a plate and headed toward the towering oak slightly apart from the church crowd. William was busy gossiping with his male friends and didn’t notice when she put her plate down and snuck away.
As before, the shed was cool, dim, slightly dusty and full of crates. Abel arrived soon after she’d taken a seat.
He took her hand once he’d closed the door. “I’m sorry to have to meet like this again, little girl.”
“We shouldn’t be here together,” she told him, holding her excitement back. How she wanted to take him in her arms and squeeze him tightly.
“No. But I had to warn you about Steinbocker.”
“Warn me?”
“He’s a scalawag, Sunny. He’ll hurt you.”
“Why, Abel, I do believe you’re jealous.” Which had been her plan exactly. If she got Abel jealous enough, he’d act and do something—anything—to claim her for his own.
There was a pa
use, and Sunny could see his jaw tense, even in the dim light. “What I am doesn’t matter. There were a few days when I thought something could happen for you and me, but if Steinbocker is more to your taste, I can’t stop you. I did want you to know that his name has been linked to some unsavory business here in Carrollton.”
“What kind?”
“Trouble with young women.”
She didn’t want Abel to give up on her, so she had to show some doubt in William. “I’m sure he wouldn’t treat me badly…would he?”
“He might, darlin’.”
The endearment made her heart beat harder. “What can I do? My mother insists that I allow him to court me. And, if there’s no one else…”
Abel gave her an odd look, with a slight frown. “Are you up to somethin’?”
That didn’t sound promising. “Me? What would I be up to?”
“Are you tryin’ to make me jealous by gaddin’ about with Steinbocker?”
Uh-oh. “Oh, how silly! That would be very…naughty of me.”
“Yes, it would. Spankin’ naughty, in fact.”
“Um…” Sunny didn’t know what to say. If she admitted it, he’d spank her. If she didn’t admit it, she’d be compounding the lie, and he’d spank her when he found out. But she wanted him to cooperate and force her mother to agree! “You can’t spank me here again. Someone would surely hear this time.”
He reached for his belt. “I guess you’ll just have to be quiet if you don’t want anyone to see me spankin’ your behind as you deserve.”
“Mother would make you marry me.”
“If she knew you were lyin’ again? I suspect she’d thank me instead.”
He had a point there. Much as Mother disliked their association, she would be furious to know how Sunny was trying to manipulate the situation. “Alright. I admit it. I had ulterior motives.” She eyed the belt that Abel had slid out of the loops on his trousers. “Please don’t spank me. I’m really sorry.”
“Sorry isn’t enough. I’m insulted that you’d try to make me jealous. I reckon I’ve already given you ample reason to trust my intentions.” He nodded toward the crates in the corner. “Skirt up. Over in the corner where the crates are stacked highest.”