Page 43 of Taming Lady Temperance

Nerves banished beneath the power of shared joy, Noreen checked the watch pinned to her bodice. Almost time to start.

She turned to face the group. “Five minutes, everyone!” She eyed the single drummer of the group. “When I signal, start your cadence.”

The man nodded and held his sticks at the ready.

As she pivoted to face forward, a movement to her right snagged her attention. James. His gaze met hers, and her chest grew so airy, she wouldn’t have been surprised to find her feet lifting from the street to float above it. He smiled and tipped his hat, his expression abounding with pride. For her. She couldn’t fully absorb the wonder of it, but it infused her spirit with a warmth that made her feel invincible.

She raised a hand to wave, but his expression shifted away from her and hardened slightly. Noreen turned to see what had caught his attention, and at first her heart leapt with joy.

Mama.

Noreen had prayed her mother would come. That she would stand beside her daughter to support a cause they both believed in. But she hadn’t come alone. When Noreen noticed the frowning man at her side, her delight curdled.

After her article had come out in the paper, her stepfather had made his displeasure known, pulling her aside in the churchyard to scold her after services last week. The moment he began rehashing the familiar diatribe on the disgrace she would bring upon him by making a spectacle of herself, however, Noreen had turned her back and walked away. The cut had roused his ire, of course, but the days of her obligingly subjecting herself to his criticism had passed. The man had relinquished any right to dictate to her the moment he banned her from her mother’s home.

James, bless him, put that long stride of his to good advantage as he strode past the parade block and reached her stepfather before Arthur could reach Noreen.

“Clevenger! Good of you to come out to support the community this afternoon.” James positioned himself directly in her stepfather’s path.

“Step aside, Deputy. I intend to have a word with Miss O’Sullivan.”

“Sorry, sir. The parade’s fixin’ to start. Only participants are allowed in the staging area.” He paused and raised a brow. “Unless you intend to join the parade?”

Join the parade? Arthur? Noreen shared an amused glance with Martha and Luella.

“Don’t be absurd,” Arthur sputtered. “I just, uh . . .”

Noreen swore she could hear his mind churning, desperate to find a way to outmaneuver James.

All at once, he stood a little straighter, his eyes gleaming. Noreen’s stomach tightened uncomfortably.

“My wife asked me to escort her here so that she could wish her daughter good luck.” He turned to Mama. “Isn’t that right, dear?”

Noreen’s indignation flared at the way her mother seemed to shrink beneath her husband’s regard.

“I would like to speak to her. If I may?”

James dipped his chin and smiled at her in a way that allowed her to stand a little straighter. “Of course, ma’am. I’m sure she’d appreciate your encouragement.”

As if Mama would be offering any. Noreen did her best to let go of the bitterness that threatened to spring up and choke her joy, but the weed proved resilient. She knew what Mama would say. Whatever Arthur wished. Yet it felt like ages since she’d spoken to her mother, and Noreen longed to share a piece of this moment with her. No matter how small.

Stepping out of formation, Noreen met her mother at the edge of the street. “Mama.”

“Noreen.” She looked uncomfortable and cast a glance over her shoulder to where Arthur stood.

The man’s gaze shot a pointed look in their direction, one Noreen desperately wanted to bat away before it could impale her mother, but all she could do was take her mother’s hand and distract her from her overbearing husband.

“Just relay his message, Mama. I’ll not hold it against you.”

Her mother turned back to Noreen, her shoulders drooping as if they’d forgotten how to hold themselves upright. “Arthur would like you to reroute your parade to circle only the south side of the courthouse square instead of looping and going down the north side twice.” She kept her voice low so others wouldn’t overhear. “The business owners on that side are quite unhappy about the disruption your demonstration will cause and have been pressuring him to do something about it.”

Noreen bit back a sigh and did her best to remember the advice James had given her earlier. Focus on her supporters, not her detractors. It just hurt that her mother fell into the detractor camp.

“I’m sorry, Mama, but I can’t do that. The parade route has already been advertised, and my marchers have their instructions. I won’t derail our preparations just to please a handful of irritated shop owners.” She released her mother’s hand and began to step away. “It’s unfair for Arthur to ask me to do so.”

“Yes, it is.”

Noreen halted. Had her mother just disagreed with her husband?