“What are you--”
“Mary!” Her mother’s shrill shout cut through the din of activity around them and sliced into the little piece of solitude and peace Mary had found with Alex. She looked with a start to see her mother marching across the square.
The woman paid no mind to the workers around her, and more than one shout of caution and disapproving look followed in Sarah James’s wake. She was carrying a covered basket in her hands and Mary remembered she was practically starved. How could her hour already be up? And when there was so much to talk over with Alex as well. It was just her luck her mother arriving at this moment.
She had to find a way to continue the conversation and fast. It had all felt so big, momentous in what Alex was about to disclose and she could not let it slip through her fingers now. And speaking of fingers and hands...Mary jerked her hand back from where it still lay beneath Alex’s. She curled her hand into a fist and pressed it to her chest with an apologetic look at the woman beside her.
“That’s my mother,” she told Alex. “I did not expect her to arrive so suddenly. She will not let us continue speaking. Not if she sees us like this.” She shook her head and continued, breath catching as she rushed to get the words out. “I wager she would refuse us the opportunity to speak even if she did not understand what I feel towards you. But I must know what you were about to tell me.”
“About the peculiarities of marriage and Gold Sky?”
“Yes, that. Please.” Mary gave a quick jerk of her chin.
“There is a dance tonight. We can meet there and speak. I will be there as an usher. Do you think you can manage to convince her?”
Mary bit her lip and glanced towards her mother who was waving at her now and yelling her name with new vigor. The covered platter in her hands was a good sign that her lunch had gone well. Mary could work with that.
“I will do it.”
“Then meet me here,” Alex tapped the step they sat on with a rap of her knuckle, “at the church tonight at seven. I’ll be waiting even if she keeps you. I’ll explain it all then.” Alex stood and gave her a meaningful look. “You are not a bad person, Minnie. You are just a desperate one. Remember that.”
And then Alex was turning on her heel and walking away. She crossed paths with her mother, but the older woman barely spared her a glance in her trek forward.
“What are you doing sitting here? You were supposed to meet me at the cafe. I’ve been looking all over for you, young lady.”
“My feet were tired, mama. Back too. I had to sit for a moment so that I didn’t faint,” Mary explained, standing from her seat. She was loath to leave the spot and her mother made a shushing motion with a hand.
“Stop carrying on or people will think something’s wrong with you.” She thrust the covered dish at her daughter. “Here is your lunch provided by my own hard work.”
“Lunch was successful then?” she asked, flipping back the covering of the platter to reveal a side of roast beef, potatoes, two yeast rolls and a slice of chocolate cake. Her mouth watered looking down at it all and it took all of her willpower not to snatch a roll up and shove it in her mouth at once.
“Very, as you can see by these generous provisions. I let him know my daughter was feeling under the weather. Mr. Rutherford sends his regards, darling. Now come along.” She flicked a finger at Mary, beckoning her to follow behind and set off towards the boarding house they were staying in.
Mary fell in step behind her mother but not before sneaking a quick bite of the roll. She almost moaned in satisfaction. It was absolute perfection.
“The sir is unattached and well-spoken, in possession of considerable fortune and gumption. I estimate his worth to be twice what your father’s was.”
Mary’s head snapped up at that. “I wish you wouldn’t speak of Papa like that.”
“Like what?” Her mother turned to glare at her, and Mary swallowed hard, the once tasty morsel of food turning to ash in her mouth at having her mother’s piercing eyes focused on her.
“Like he was nothing more than a means to an end. Like he was an investment bond,” Mary’s voice shook, but she continued speaking. She had loved her father and he loved her. She knew he had treated her mother well despite their differences, and she could not abide Sarah James’s mercenary tone when speaking of him now that he was gone.
“He was a good man.”
Sarah James’s eyebrows drew together, and she turned away. “Yes, he was,” she said, her voice soft and gentle in a way that Mary hadn’t heard in years. Perhaps her mother missed her father as much as Mary did? She frowned and opened her mouth, ready to offer comfort to her but then Sarah James did what she did best and reminded her that she was not a soft woman.
“And he was too gentle with you. He spent all that money on giving you a fine education and look at where you ended up. He spoiled you.” Mary jerked back as if she had been slapped and nearly dropped the platter of food in her hands as her mother continued. “But none of that matters now. Mr. Rutherford seems to be of the same mind as I. He will need a respectable wife, especially in his dealings with the community at large and I aim to be the most attractive candidate.”
“Of course, mama.”
“Now then, inside with you. I have a plan to hatch.” She gestured at the boarding house in front of which they stood. It was a modest two-story establishment, not as fine as Ms. Alice Hill’s but still far better than Mary had thought the frontier could offer by way of lodging. She was simply happy they had no need to stay in the town saloon.
“What kind of plan?” Mary asked. She was grateful for an opportunity to sit and eat but hated to leave the warm sunshine and company of other people behind. She glanced behind her one last time taking in the sight of the life Gold Sky had to offer. Around her there were all manner of people, fair and dark skinned alike, and all of them seemed to be...happy.
How she wished for a bit of that for herself. But did she deserve it still?
You are not a bad person, Minnie. You are just a desperate one.
