Page 86 of The Saloon Girl's Only Shot
“That’s kind of you, but it’s not your responsibility to apologize for her.” Temperance waved it away. “I don’t hold her actions against you.” She was far more annoyed with Katherine’s husband, but poor Katherine wasn’t responsible for him, either. “It was only the one time that she was rude to me.” Temperance had managed to avoid the woman ever since.
“Actually—” Katherine cut herself off and sent another quick look around. “If I tell you something, will you tell me something in return?”
“Um...” Temperance returned a box of saleratus to the shelf. “About?”
“Ivy is the one who threw the horseshoe through the window at the saloon,” Katherine whispered.
“Are you—” Temperance clapped her hand over her mouth. Now it was her turn to look around before ducking her head closer to ask in a whisper. “Are you certain? Why?”
“She was angry that you’d bought the fabric she wanted. Or that Mr. Stames did,” she corrected. “There was enough for both of you, but she didn’t want to wear the same gown as—” Katherine rolled her lips inward.
A saloon girl. It actually would’ve been funny if it hadn’t cost Owen a window.
“It happened very late at night, though,” Temperance had to point out. It wasn’t an hour a lady would be out. It hadn’t been that late, though, now she thought of it. The days had already been growing shorter. She and Owen had turned in early.
“It was definitely her,” Katherine said with a nod. “She was walking the dog with Woodrow. He was furious. I heard them arguing about it.”
Temperance wasn’t sure what to make of that except to be relieved it hadn’t been Sureshot trying to settle a score.
“Thank you for telling me.” She didn’t know what she would do with this information beyond sharing it, and her outrage, with Owen.
“I thought you should know.” Katherine gave her a flickering smile, then looked toward where the men’s voices seemed to be droning near the door into Mick’s warehouse. “Now, will you tell me something? If you know?”
“I’ll try,” Temperance said with a cautious nod.
Katherine leaned to ensure no one was on either of the nearby aisles.
“You’re at the Bijou, aren’t you? That’s the saloon where the owner married one of his girls? And she has a baby?”
Oh God. Temperance felt her color draining into her boots. She tried to swallow the dry lump forming in her throat.
“Yes?” Her voice was the flakiest husk off the driest onion.
“She’s from Springfield, isn’t she?”
“Katherine...” Don’t ask. You don’t want to know.
“I knew it.” Katherine set her hand on her swollen waist. Her brow was wrinkled. Her mouth became a tight, flat line. “You don’t want to tell me which tells me everything.”
“My friend Mavis is very happily married,” Temperance said, hurrying to allay some of what Katherine must be worrying over. “She has no wish to cause any trouble for anyone.”
“I don’t blame her.” Katherine blinked lashes that had grown damp. “I’m glad she got something from him because— My father said this would be a good match. He said Elmer owns half of Denver, but he throws our money away. My money, that my father gave us. He goes out every night. I think he gambles.” Her words spilled out like a burst dam, flooding the conversation with whispered secrets she’d likely held onto for months. “That booklet idea that he stole from you? He took advertising money from all the businesses in town, but he can’t pay for the printing costs.” She shrugged with anxious bafflement. “He’s already spent it.”
How awful.
Temperance wanted to hug her or offer some other comfort, but what could she do?
“Katherine?” Woodrow called gruffly as he came back to the counter with Mick. He scowled as he noticed Temperance was standing so close to his daughter-in-law. “Have you finished your shopping?”
“I have. Thank you for this.” Katherine brought her glove up where Woodrow could see it. “I didn’t notice I had dropped it. Good day.” Her voice was cool and stiff, as though none of their revealing conversation had taken place.
Temperance swallowed and collected the few things she’d come for and took them home.
Temperance was still thinking of Katherine two days later, when she happened to be visiting the mercantile again and found Owen rolling casks of whiskey into his wagon.
She would have stood there, breathless, staring at his motionless figure staring at her, but Clarence came up to bump his nose against her, insisting she greet him properly.
She started, then asked, “Is Emmett still here?” purely for something to say. She already knew he must have left because he wasn’t coming into the Bijou to see Jane.