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Elizabeth shook her hair back from her shoulders. The fire cast a golden glow on her face, and her bare neck. Her yellow dress was cut low in front, emphasizing her soft swell of breasts. The bodice was softly pleated to the tight waist and the skirt billowed out in yards of luxuriant silk.
Elizabeth turned and silently admired Maysie. She was a lovely girl, one could see, even though she was now much too pale and wan looking. Elizabeth had chosen a silk dress from her wardrobe for Maysie and it fit her perfectly as it clung to her large bosom and tiny waist. The full gathered skirt spread out on the divan on each side of her.
“Tell me more about Copper Hill Prison,” Elizabeth said.
“I’ve visited the women at the prison as often as I could,” Maysie answered softly. “Whenever it was possible, I’d steal some fruit at the market, or from apple trees in people’s yards, and take it to the women prisoners. They never get decent food there. Just . . . just watery soup with no meat in it, and barely a trace of vegetables. With the sort of . . . profession that I was in, I met many of the women before they ended up in Copper Hill. They are mostly God-fearing women who had nothing in life, and no one who cared about what happened to them.”
Maysie paused, then added, “They are the victims of the evil men who misused and abused them. Now they are with men who taunt them endlessly, and not only the sheriff and his deputy. Some are also at the mercy of the male prisoners whose cells they are forced to share when the prison is too crowded. These women are treated like animals—animals!”
Elizabeth listened sadly, finding it hard to accept that in any civilized community women could be treated so callously. It gave her a helpless, sick feeling at the pit of her stomach. Then her eyes brightened with an idea.
“Perhaps you and I could do something that could help lessen the women’s burdens,” she said, smiling at Maysie. “Of course I know that we can do nothing about their actual incarceration, but we can take them fruit. And books from my personal library to help while away their lonesome hours.”
Elizabeth felt somewhat guilty for her suggestion, for she knew that she was not thinking only about the women’s welfare, but also her own. Spending time helping them would give her something to do.
Maysie scooted to the edge of the divan. “You would do that?” she breathed, touched to the core by the generosity of this woman who had only yesterday been a total stranger.
Elizabeth pushed to her feet, the skirt of her dress rustling around her legs. “We shall do that, together,” she said, going to Maysie. She placed an eager hand to Maysie’s elbow and urged her up from the divan. “Come on. Let’s choose which books we can take to the women. They are still in packing crates. I have yet to take the time to place them on shelves in the library. Then we shall ready a basket of fruit and be in Seattle before the dinner hour. Isn’t it exciting, Maysie, to think that we might help lessen the women’s misery somewhat?”
Maysie pulled away from Elizabeth’s grip. She began slowly shaking her head, a guarded fear in her eyes. “I shan’t go with you,” she said, her voice breaking. “I’m . . . I’m still tired and weak from my dip in the Sound. Please. Please go on without me.”
Maysie looked away from Elizabeth, for she knew that she was not being altogether truthful. Deep inside, where her darkest fears lay, she was afraid of the man who had employed her at the brothel. She was afraid that Frank might see her and drag her back with him, or worse, throw her in prison for running away from him.
No, Maysie thought sullenly, she had best not be seen by anyone for a while. While she was safely away from the city, she had best stay hidden.
Elizabeth drew Maysie into a gentle embrace. “I should’ve known that you wouldn’t be up to traveling into Seattle just yet. You stay here and rest. I shouldn’t be gone long.”
Maysie slipped from Elizabeth’s arms. “I’m not sure you should even go to the prison,” she said, her eyes averted. “Elizabeth, the sheriff, Jed Nolan, can’t be trusted. What if . . . what if . . . he tries to accost you? He’s a despicable man with no morals. If he tried to rape you, there’d be no one there to stop him. If his deputy is there, he’d just laugh, any maybe even take a turn once the sheriff was through with his fun.” She began to wring her hands. “No, Elizabeth. I don’t think it’s good that you go. You wouldn’t be safe at all.”
“Go wheres?” Frannie said from behind Elizabeth, her voice so loud that Elizabeth jumped as if she had been caught stealing cookies from a cookie jar.
“I didn’t know you were standing there,” Elizabeth said, nervously smoothing the front of her dress.
“And what if I was?” Frannie said, giving Elizabeth a look of impatience. “What is you plannin’ behind my back, Elizabeth Easton?”
“So you didn’t hear all that was said,” Elizabeth said, trying to hold back a sigh of relief. Yet she knew that Frannie would have to be told, no matter that she might scream and yell, that she would not allow it.
“I hears enough to know that you’re up to no good. Don’t you get it in your head that you’re leavin’ this house again unescorted.” She gave Maysie a haughty glance, then peered up at Elizabeth. “Who’s to say what you’ll be draggin’ in the house the next time if you is allowed to run loose like, like, a trollop?”
That word made Elizabeth blanch and glance at Maysie. When she saw the look of shame in Maysie’s eyes, she looked angrily back at Frannie.
“Frannie, I don’t know what has got your dander up this morning,” she scolded. “It can’t be only because I felt compelled to bring Maysie home. What else has rattled your nerves, Frannie? Was it something you saw while you were in Seattle? Did someone scold you for something? If so, tell me who, and I will see to it that this person never does it again.”
Frannie wrung her hands, then answered somberly. “It ain’t nothin’ anyone said to me. It’s . . . it’s what I saw.”
“Well? What did you see?” Elizabeth said, her voice filled with impatience.
“It was high on that hill close to that prison,” Frannie said, her eyes wide. “They was buildin’ a hangin’ place, they was. I ain’t neva’ seen such a sight. To think that soon a man will hang there, with a noose chokin’ the life from him. I don’t likes it one bit. Livin’ near a city that has criminals bad enough they must be hanged.”
Her words sent involuntary shivers through Elizabeth, especially now that she had decided to go into Seattle, to the prison. She was having second thoughts, yet she knew that if she put off going now, she more than likely never would.
And the idea of going to the prison to share some of her blessings with the women was too compelling not to do it.
But how was she going to tell Frannie? Especially since Frannie was so obviously frightened of the place. Yet she had never kept secrets from Frannie. N
or would she now.
“Frannie, would you prepare me a large basket of fruit for traveling?” Elizabeth asked, deciding on a direct approach. The sooner she got this settled with Frannie, the sooner she could leave and begin her mission.
