Ethan laughed and rubbed the stubble on his chin.
“I’m telling you straight, you should have heard your girl and the marshal’s wife talking this morning. You’d have gotten quite an education, but that’s not the reason I came all this way. Ethan,” he said, looking into his coffee, then raising his deadly serious gaze. “While I believe there will be a dress shop in the front of the building, in the back will be what’s being referred to as The Ladies Aid Society, but it’s really the beginning of a temperance movement.”
“Are you sure?” Ethan asked, frowning.
“Positive and they’re all in on it. All of the Jordon women are involved. The brides are too. Jane, the one who helps Dr. Martin, your girl, Martha, the tall blonde one, Elinore, is too. Clayton Ferguson would not like this, not one bit. The pretty little brown haired one, Clara, is the one with the most brass, but even Marshal Hadley’s wife, Charlotte is drawn in and she’s as sweet as can be. Blackthorn’s wife, the redhead, is there just about every other day, but she’ll go anywhere Sam’s wife goes. I think she might be a touch too gullible to be left on her own around town. There’s another one too, I think her name is Mary or Marie, but she never says anything.”
“Damn, I asked Martha not to do this. Warned her it was dangerous and I did not want her involved,” Ethan said, swearing softly under his breath. “She is a stubborn one. Have you spoken to Hugh or Sam?”
“Not yet. I wanted to tell you about it first. It’s your woman’s shop. I thought you could put your foot down, tell her absolutely not. It wouldn’t be so bad if they were in a better part of town, at least I don’t think so. And I’m sure having an organization to help the less fortunate ladies of Seattle would be a worthwhile project. Hell, I’ll even donate something myself, but not next to The Bucket. They’re just asking for trouble and they’ll get it too.”
“A man does not put his foot down with Martha, not unless he wants a good kick in the shin,” Ethan growled. “I have tried to be patient with her, maybe too patient. She believes men and women are equal in all ways and should be treated as such. When I marry her, if I marry her,” he corrected himself, “she will not accept that I have any authority over her as her husband. She is smart and pretty, but so difficult.”
“I heard about some of that this morning when she was talking to Mrs. Hadley, and frankly, I’m very worried. If she persists in this, she may very well get her wish and some man will treat her as an equal, using his fists.”
“I cannot allow her to place herself in such danger,” Ethan said roughly, “but I do not know what to do.”
“Based on this morning, I think I would follow Mrs. Hadley’s advice,” Lucas said with a grin.
“Mrs. Hadley had advice for me?” Ethan asked, confused.
“I don’t think it was for you exactly. I can only tell you what she said to your Martha.”
“And what was that?”
“Charlotte Hadley said she’d never met a woman more in need of a spanking than your Martha, and she’d do it herself if she could. She told Martha to come to you and tell you she was sorry for being so stubborn and to marry you as quick as she could because she’s in love with you and you’re in love with her. It was quite an interesting conversation,” Lucas said, shaking his head. “She also told her it would be her duty as your wife to submit to your authority in all things, and that she, Charlotte, often thinks about doing things to get the marshal’s goat, just to see what he’ll do about it. Isn’t that the strangest notion you ever heard? Imagine, a wife wanting her husband to take her in hand. Marshal Hadley is one lucky man.”
“I am beginning to wonder if any woman says what she really means,” Ethan said, staring off into the distance. “Perhaps I should not have let Martha have all the say for so long,” he continued thoughtfully. “Did they speak of anything else?”
“Martha did mention that you don’t kiss her like you used too,” Lucas said, looking at his boots. “What’s wrong with you, man? She’s a fine looking woman.”
“So she complained about that, did she?” Ethan asked, grinning widely.
“Yes, she did. Miss Charlotte said Martha should climb right up on your lap and kiss you, just like she does with the marshal.”
Ethan laughed and slapped his knee.
“That would be fine with me,” he crowed. “Yes, I am jealous of the marshal now too.”
“So what are you going to do about this?” Lucas asked. “I don’t want to take things into my own hands, but I will to prevent any of those little women from getting hurt. I think I could get sweet on Clara myself, if she learned to behave and stop trying to stir up trouble.”
“I thought Clara was engaged to Herman?”
“No, they’ve been courting, but they are not engaged and it looks to me as though Smyth isn’t in much of a hurry to take on the responsibilities of a wife.”
“Herman is a good man, but he does not like confrontation. He’ll want a quiet, mild-mannered wife and could be waiting to see if Clara is such a woman. I think he will be disappointed if all you say is true.”
“Oh, it’s true. There’s been talk about posting fliers all over town and painting banners. I don’t know when all this will take place, but if Miss Webster has her way it will be soon. She seems to think it will be some sort of party or festival and maybe that’s so in Washington when she has the police force for protection. But here there’s only so much Marshal Hadley and his deputy can do and Dalton Vanderbilt is off on his honeymoon. There’s no telling when he’ll be back. They are putting the marshal in danger too, as well as any men who try to protect them. No, this must be stopped before it gets out of hand.”
“I agree. I will go down and straighten things out with Martha as soon as I can,” Ethan said, rising and tossing the dregs of his coffee on the fire. “Thank you for telling me this, Lucas. It has forced me to take a good look at my situation and come to a decision.”
“Well, I don’t mind telling you it doesn’t exactly sit right with me. I feel like a boy telling tales out of school, but hell, there are so many of them,” Lucas sighed. “It’s been a long time since I ran into a situation I couldn’t handle on my own but this one has my hands tied. Only this morning, Miss Webster fainted after watching Henry clean up the remains of a customer’s teeth out on the stoop.”
“And that was not enough to prove they are not meant to be in such a place?” Ethan asked in shock,
“Apparently, not.” Lucas rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. “Not only that, I think they are plotting against me.”
“Plotting against you personally?” Ethan asked. “In what way?”
“I’m not sure,” Lucas admitted, “but there seems to be a lot of giggling involved. It’s difficult to hear the gist of the conversation when they are like a gaggle of geese, but it has something to do with The Bucket.
“And this plan they have is amusing to them?”
“I guess so and it makes me mighty uneasy. I have to go away in a couple of weeks. My brother is getting married and I’m standing up with him. It’s a pact we made when we were boys, so I’ll be heading off to Texas for a time. I’m worried about The Bucket. I was going to keep it open, but maybe I’d better shut it down while I’m gone. Hopefully the situation will be resolved, without bloodshed, by the time I get back.”
“I wish I could promise you that would be so,” Ethan sighed, “but I cannot. I will do my best to get Martha to reconsider what she is doing and I will talk to the other men.
“I realize now I have let myself be led around like a bull with a ring through his nose. After Sam’s and Dalton’s wives were nearly killed, I stepped back when I should have surged ahead. It is my responsibility as Martha’s intended to protect her, even from her own foolish decisions. I never should have stayed away so long, for had I been there courting her, urging her toward the altar, I would have been aware of what was going on. Now their plans are already in motion and I must do what I can to undo the damage.
“Nope,” Lucas said, shaking his head.
“How could you know such a thing?” Ethan demanded in surprise.
“I told you, I hear everything. Your Martha has never been touched in that way, she’s never been spanked,” Lucas said with certainty.
“Not even as a child, by her papa?” Ethan asked, stunned. “Every child meets with that at some point.”
“Not even as a child. I don’t know why, or if she even had a daddy involved in her life, but she told Miss Charlotte this morning she’d never had a licking. It’s a pity. Hell, my pa about wore me out, but I learned to mind him and my ma, and it saved me a lot of trouble over the years. I’ve never been accused of having bad manners until the little women started coming ‘round. I don’t mind telling you Ethan, they try my patience. It’s a wonder I have any tongue left, I’ve bitten it so many times.”
“I appreciate you holding your temper,” Ethan said with a wry grin. “I hope I can hold on to mine when I find Martha. I would bet the poor little thing is terrified at the thought of going over my knees. She will need to learn that discipline is a tool to ensure she behaves properly, not a way for me to torture her. No wonder she has postponed our marriage so many times.”
“Well, I’d better be getting back. This rain doesn’t look like it’s going to let up anytime soon,” Lucas said, turning up his collar and looking toward the sky. “I should have known the sunshine wouldn’t last long. I don’t want to risk my horse on the muddy tracks any more than I have too.”
“Yes, it has been light for a few minutes, but you can never trust the weather up on the mountain. You should get back and thank you for coming to me with this,” Ethan said, offering his hand. “I think I understand Martha a little better now. I am only sorry you had to resort to listening at walls to learn these things,” he continued with a laugh.
“Oh, don’t be sorry. It’s entertaining even though it does make me feel like a fool,” Lucas replied, shaking the other man’s hand firmly. “I never really knew what women talked about when they were alone, and I must say I’m surprised at how open they are about very personal things. On the other hand, I’ve learned a lot that might help me if I decide to take after Miss Webster. She’s a rabble rouser, for sure, but she’s awfully cute, and now that I’ve had her in my arms, my fate might be sealed.”
“What about Herman?”
“Herman Smyth is a treading water kind of man; I’m more of a sink or swim fellow. You say you gave Martha too much time to wonder and worry about marrying you. I won’t make that mistake. When I make up my mind, I’ll claim my woman quick, before she can spend much time thinking about how I own the bloodiest saloon in all of Seattle or that I’m three times her size,” he said with a laugh. “Once she’s in my bed, all of her worries will fade away. I have a way with women,” he continued with a wink as he untethered his horse and mounted him.
“You’ll talk to the others? I wouldn’t want them caught unawares, although I doubt much gets past Hugh.”
“I will, as soon as I straighten out my own affairs,” Ethan promised. “Perhaps, if Martha is reasonable, we can squash the whole idea without causing any problems for the other women.”
“Don’t take too long,” Lucas encouraged. “I’ll bet they are painting banners and gathering torches as we speak. The Bucket of Blood isn’t much, but it’s all I have. I wouldn’t want it burned down by a bunch of foolish women who got pine pitch on their skirts causing the whole place to go up in flames.”
“If there are any fires to be started, they will be on what is under those skirts,” Ethan assured him, “and kindly step away from the wall if you hear my voice and Martha crying.”
“Now that I can’t promise,” Lucas said with a deep laugh. “I find a woman’s reaction to that kind of thing mighty informative. I’ll think of it as a learning experience,” he called over his shoulder as he started down the mountain.
Chapter 7
It was late afternoon when Ethan rode into town. He’d been stewing all afternoon and had made several decisions regarding Miss Martha Jonas.
She would marry him, and soon. He was not taking no for an answer and he wasn’t prepared to wait more than a few days.
She could keep her dress shop, if that was what she wanted, but she would only be open for business on certain days, at certain times. He would not allow her to work long hours, exhausting herself, especially once the children started coming.
She would be allowed to sew at home during the evening hours, provided she took plenty of breaks to climb onto his lap and kiss him. Mrs. Hadley had the right idea about that and Ethan was looking forward to it.
She would be a good and obedient wife to him or she would find herself over his knees.
He would be allowed to kiss her, passionately, whenever he chose, showing her how much he loved and desired her.
He would support her ideals and The Ladies Aid Society, helping when he could, but there would be no temperance movement, no marches, no protests, or he would shut her down and keep her shop closed until she came to her senses. Under no circumstances would he allow her to intentionally place herself in danger.
Riding up in front of the saloon, he tethered his horse and went inside. He was soaked, his slicker running with rain water and he shook it as best he could on the boardwalk before going through the batwing doors. Lucas was at the bar.
“Who is over there?” he asked, accepting the shot of whiskey placed before him and belting it back.
“I think it’s only Martha and Clara,” Lucas replied.
“Good. Come with me. I may need you to remove a little troublemaker if she is not willing to leave voluntarily.”
“It will be my pleasure,” Lucas replied, smiling. “Don’t you want to go and get cleaned up first?”
“No. I thought about it,” Ethan said looking at his muddy boots. “I know I look a sight with my stubble and wet clothes, but this is what she needs to see. I am a man. Many nights I will come home looking exactly like this and not the primped up, polished suitor she is used too. It will be best for her to recognize I will not always be the duded up, civilized man she has come to expect. For months I have catered to her whims, her idea of what a courtship should be. Tonight she will see the real me and I hope she takes to me, for I am not going back to tip-toeing around her. Let’s go.”
“Wait, I should get a blanket or a throw.”
“Why?”
“In case Miss Webster gives me a hard time. She will be leaving over my shoulder if necessary and these men don’t need to see the lady in question when I carry her to my office. I’ll use the back door, of course, but you never know who’s lurking around.”
Lucas was back in a moment with a colorful horse blanket over one thick arm.
“A horse blanket?” Ethan asked with a grin.
“Yes, I didn’t have one for a mule,” Lucas replied drolly.
They went out the doors together and entered the dress shop without knocking. Ethan locked the door behind him.
“Ethan,” Martha gasped, rising from her knees where she was arranging lacy items in a display case. “What are you doing here? Is something wrong?” she asked, nervously smoothing her skirts.
“Yes, Älskling, something is very wrong and I have come to straighten it out.”
“Well, you might at least wipe your feet and hang up your slicker. You’re dripping all over the floor.”
He complied, wiping what he could on the rag rug by the door and hanging his coat on a hook. Underneath, his clothes were mostly dry and Martha nodded approvingly.
“Can we get you some tea?” she asked, her hands clutching her skirt.
“No, I require nothing but your company, alone.”
“Well, as you can see, Clara is…”
“Leaving,” he finished for her. “I wish to speak with you privately,” he insisted. “Mr. Armstrong will escort her to the destination of her choice.”
“He most certainly will not,” Clara snapped, glaring up at the huge man standing directly in front of her.
“Ethan, how can you be so rude? Apologize at once,” Martha ordered. “You are making me very angry.”
“Not nearly as angry as I am,” Ethan responded. “Very well, if you have no destination in mind, Miss Webster, I will leave that up to Mr. Armstrong,” he continued, nodding at Lucas.
“How dare you!”
Lucas laughed, stepped forward and dropped the blanket right over her head before bending and tossing Clara over his broad shoulder.
“I’ll just use the back door,” Lucas said, moving in that direction. “Less of a spectacle that way, you understand. Let me know when you’re finished, or perhaps I’ll be able to tell,” he said with a wink as he carried the wildly struggling Clara toward the exit. Her arms were trapped by the blanket, her legs held secured by Lucas’s strong arm and her screams were muffled.
Martha moved to rush to her friend’s aid, only to be stopped by a strong arm around her own waist.
“Let me go this instant,” she demanded.
“Sit down.”
“Have you lost your mind?” she screamed. “Where is he taking her?”
“She will not be harmed,” Ethan assured her, tightening his grip.
“How can you be sure?” she demanded, struggling in his hold.
“I know Lucas Armstrong well. He is deadly in a fight, but he would never harm a woman, especially Clara. Sit down.”
“Why especially Clara?” she asked, looking up at him through narrowed eyes.
“It is not my place to say,” he replied, scooping her up and plopping her on the settee. When she made to rise, he bent forward and his blue eyes flashed in annoyance.
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