Page 39 of Scarlett

Chapter Thirteen

“What do you think?” Elias asked him again as they stood beside a horse. “Should I just put her out of her misery?”

The animal whined, but didn’t seem to be in pain. Instead it nuzzled Elias seeming to look for food. Elias dug a carrot out of his pocket and fed the animal, who ate it with gusto.

“I think you should give her time to rest the leg for a few days. I’ll come back and check on her.” Emmett had rubbed liniment on the leg and wrapped it tight.

“Let’s get some coffee,” Elias announced, his attention toward the house. “Esther made some sweet cornbread. It’s perfect with strong coffee.”

Once arriving at the house, they walked into an empty front room. After looking to the empty hallway for a clue to where his wife could be, Emmett followed Elias into the kitchen.

“Where are they?” He asked Elias.

Too intent on eating, Elias only shrugged and poured coffee.

Loud laughter sounded and Emmett wondered who it was. The rich sound of his wife’s husky voice came next as she proclaimed something along the lines of. “I could never.”

“There they are,” Elias, stated the obvious. “Probably trying on Esther’s newest ideas. She’s making dresses for the ladies at the saloon.”

Although Emmett could never picture Scarlett wearing such an outfit, his curiosity was piqued. “What type of dresses?”

“You know,” Elias motioned to his chest and thighs. “Low and short.” He leaned in close and whispered, “I like when she models them for me.”

Emmett turned to the hallway, but didn’t say anything.

“You look dashing!” Esther cried out. A giggle sounded as the women spoke in lowered tones.

Suddenly Esther came to the kitchen and stopped short. She wore a feather hat of sorts on her head and her dress was askew. “Oh, I didn’t know you two were here.” She looked away and toward the hallway where the other rooms were. “I am just showing Scarlett something.”

Just then Scarlett appeared, her face flushed as she spoke to Esther. “Can you imagine spending the day dressed like this?” She stopped short, her eyes almost bulging from her face.

The overly tight dress was cinched at the waist. It was low cut displaying the tops of her breasts and pulled up on one leg past her knee and pinned at the thigh. She backed out of the kitchen, hands splayed across the top of her chest. “Oh.”

Not wanting his brother to see so much of his wife, Emmett jumped up and stood in front of her.

Esther looked to him. “We were just...”

He heard Scarlett rush back to the room.

“You should make sure she’s all right,” Elias said. “I’m sure she didn’t expect us to be here.” It looked as if his brother was trying hard not to laugh. Emmett narrowed his eyes at him.

He found Scarlett attempting to tug her way out of the dress, her face blotchy and breathing heavy. Bent at the waist, her breasts practically spilled over the top of the contraption.

Emmett couldn’t help it. He chuckled. “Need help?”

Startled, she looked to him. “I--I think I can manage.” She tugged at the straps. “However do these women do it? I mean don’t they...ummm, have to...”

“I would imagine undressing fully isn’t part of the allure,” Emmett replied matter of factly, untying the strings. “There that should do it.”

She held the dress up. “Thank you. I’ll be out momentarily.”

“I can wait.” He wasn’t about to leave and miss watching her undress. Something about the way she looked at the moment, so fetching and flustered at the same time was too enjoyable to miss.

“Oh...” She turned away and shimmied out of the dress. Little did she know it was the most enticing spectacle, he’d ever seen. His wife could be a minx and didn’t even realize it.

How many other things about her did he not know? Her hair fell from its pinning, the dark curls cascading past her shoulders. He neared and helped her pull up her dress while placing a kiss to her bared shoulder.

“You are a beautiful woman Scarlett. I’m a lucky man.”