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Introductions were made, and Regan was glad she hadn’t taken Colleen’s views of the other women as gospel. Colleen had derided seamstress Dovie Denby, and talked rudely about the tall statuesque woman as being so unattractive she’d lost her husband to a younger woman. However, the blond-haired Dovie smiled upon making Regan’s acquaintance. “I apologize for my son’s behavior at school today. Mr. Adams said he tripped your Anna.”
“He did.”
“If it happens again, he’ll be sitting on a pillow for two weeks. His grandfather wasn’t happy hearing what happened either. Welcome to Paradise, Regan.”
“Thank you.” Regan eyed Dovie’s simple white blouse and dark skirt and wondered if she’d done the work herself because the quality of material and the fit on the blonde’s six-foot-plus frame was outstanding.
Lacy Miller gave her a grin. “Glad you could join us, Regan.”
Seated in one of the chairs, Minnie glared. Nonetheless, Regan acknowledged her. “Good evening, Minnie.”
Minnie curled her lip and looked away.
Glenda’s eyes flashed angrily at the ill-mannered response but the introductions moved on.
Next, came Lucretia Watson, who was middle-aged, plump, and the wife of a local rancher. Colleen had described her as empty-headed. “Pleased to meet you, Regan,” she said smiling. “I’m learning to pitch horseshoes because of you.”
“Maybe we can have a ladies’ tournament.”
Regan saw the horror on Colleen’s face in response to the idea, but ignored her.
Lucretia added, “Your Anna and my granddaughter, Olivia, are good friends. The two of you are welcome to visit anytime. I also sell eggs, hens, butter, and cream if you need them.”
“Best in the county,” Lacy added.
“Thanks for the invitation and I’m looking forward to being a customer.”
Glenda then introduced Maud Adams, mother of Anna’s teacher and owner of the town’s largest boardinghouse. She greeted Regan with an icy nod. Glenda didn’t appear pleased by that reaction either. Regan remembered Minnie saying there was no other place in town for a woman of color to rent a room and wondered if race was the reason for Maud’s response. Shrugging it off as best she could, Regan took a seat on the red velvet sofa beside seamstress Dovie, and waited to see what the group was about.
Over finger sandwiches and tea, she learned that they engaged in charity work but not regularly. “People are proud here,” Glenda said as way of explanation. “They don’t like admitting they need assistance.”
Maud, who was knitting, added, “It’s not our business to butt into people’s lives.” And she stared straight at Regan. Did the woman regard her as having butted into the lives of the Lee family? She also noted Colleen Enright nodding as if agreeing with Maud’s statement.
Lacy weighed in, “Colleen needed help after her husband’s death, especially that first winter. She and Felicity might not have survived had she turned her back on her neighbor’s charity. Now that she’s taking in laundry she’s needing less help.”
Colleen beeted up and shot fury Lacy’s way, as if in spite of agreeing with Maud, she didn’t want her plight discussed. The veiled mischief twinkling in Lacy’s smile suggested she’d used the example purposefully.
Glenda brought the conversation back. “Regan, were you affiliated with a club back home?”
“I was and we raised funds to purchase readers and supplies for our local school, contributed clothing to the Apaches on the reservation at San Carlos, and supported suffrage by attending rallies and distributing information.”
Lacy and a few others appeared impressed. Glenda asked, “How many were in the group?”
“We were small like you are.”
“Was it a mixed-race group?” Maud asked with what sounded like disdain.
Regan shook her head. “No. We were all Colored women.”
Lacy said, “I’d like for Paradise to have a lending library.”
Regan replied, “Is there money to build one?”
“No.”
“That might be a project to begin raising funds for.”
The women seemed to think that over.
