wasn't the wisest thing she'd ever done, Jennie tromped even faster away from him. She didn't even bother to respond. What could she say that would make a difference? She was going against him, again, but she needed to be at this meeting, she just knew it. Her poor bottom would no doubt pay for her decision, but a person had to do what they thought was best sometimes. And these women were right.
Hurrying beside her, Faith hazarded a glance back at the two brothers. "He looks really upset. Actually, they both look pretty upset."
Jennie's mare had stopped near the other horses in front of the saloon. She glanced at the mare and her face flamed at seeing the pillow she'd tied to the saddle. In truth, it hadn't softened the ride all that much. She could only imagine what someone would think when they saw the pillow. Mortified, she forced the thought of it from her mind. And she didn't want to talk about Daniel being annoyed with her now.
The man who had called out to her husband held the batwing doors open for them to pass through. He gave them a you-shouldn't-be-here look but didn't say a word.
Jennie stopped just inside the long, dimly lit building filled with people and let her eyes adjust. She'd never been in a saloon before and took the chance to look around, as best she could. Men were lined up along the long wooden bar, some standing, some sitting on the stools. Women sat at the numerous tables. And then seated on a row of chairs on the stage were the men Jennie assumed to be the mayor and the town council. She'd thought only the officials and a few of the town's women would be here. She'd been wrong. The place was packed. Everyone appeared furious, and the voice level was loud enough to give her a headache.
Daniel strode into the saloon with Adam. Both men shook their heads in disgust. Her husband raised his voice above them all and shouted, "Everyone shut the hell up! Quiet down! Now!"
Gradually they obeyed, although the men and women continued to scowl at one another.
"Glad you got here, Sheriff," said a rather pudgy man in a black suit from the stage. Jennie assumed from the way he'd stood up and attempted to look superior to the others seated around him that this was the mayor, Sylvester Paddington. Then he noticed Faith standing beside Jennie and Daniel. His eyes narrowed and he snapped, "Faith Paddington, you take yourself on home. You don't belong at this meeting."
Jennie saw Faith stiffen, noticed her clutching the side of her skirt and her teeth clenching. But she didn't move to leave. Instead she raised her chin and said, "I belong here as much as the other women."
He puffed up, clearly annoyed that she spoke against him. "They don't belong here either. Fact is, this meeting was only supposed to include the town council, myself, and the sheriff."
Annabelle Henderson stood up from a table in the center of the room. He'd rubbed the white-haired, grandmotherly woman wrong. She looked directly at him. "This matter is bigger than you, bigger than the town council. The women of this town want that picnic you are trying to keep from happening."
"Now, Annabelle," he said in his best politician's voice, "you ladies just don't understand the situation. You should let us men handle it. Horatio wouldn't have wanted you to worry about such a matter."
An outraged, combined feminine hiss filled the room.
* * *
Daniel had been only half-listening, having taken the wire out of his pocket and quickly reading it. God a'mighty! Just what he needed. He shoved the paper back in his pocket and caught his brother's curious look. Daniel shook his head, not ready to discuss the new problem. Yet. Soon though.
He pulled back to the moment just in time to watch his wife grow tense. The mayor, as usual, was being a stubborn fool and he was ruffling more feathers now than he was soothing. Including his Jennie's. Sensing she was about to open her mouth and make the situation worse--if it could get worse, Daniel put a
Hurrying beside her, Faith hazarded a glance back at the two brothers. "He looks really upset. Actually, they both look pretty upset."
Jennie's mare had stopped near the other horses in front of the saloon. She glanced at the mare and her face flamed at seeing the pillow she'd tied to the saddle. In truth, it hadn't softened the ride all that much. She could only imagine what someone would think when they saw the pillow. Mortified, she forced the thought of it from her mind. And she didn't want to talk about Daniel being annoyed with her now.
The man who had called out to her husband held the batwing doors open for them to pass through. He gave them a you-shouldn't-be-here look but didn't say a word.
Jennie stopped just inside the long, dimly lit building filled with people and let her eyes adjust. She'd never been in a saloon before and took the chance to look around, as best she could. Men were lined up along the long wooden bar, some standing, some sitting on the stools. Women sat at the numerous tables. And then seated on a row of chairs on the stage were the men Jennie assumed to be the mayor and the town council. She'd thought only the officials and a few of the town's women would be here. She'd been wrong. The place was packed. Everyone appeared furious, and the voice level was loud enough to give her a headache.
Daniel strode into the saloon with Adam. Both men shook their heads in disgust. Her husband raised his voice above them all and shouted, "Everyone shut the hell up! Quiet down! Now!"
Gradually they obeyed, although the men and women continued to scowl at one another.
"Glad you got here, Sheriff," said a rather pudgy man in a black suit from the stage. Jennie assumed from the way he'd stood up and attempted to look superior to the others seated around him that this was the mayor, Sylvester Paddington. Then he noticed Faith standing beside Jennie and Daniel. His eyes narrowed and he snapped, "Faith Paddington, you take yourself on home. You don't belong at this meeting."
Jennie saw Faith stiffen, noticed her clutching the side of her skirt and her teeth clenching. But she didn't move to leave. Instead she raised her chin and said, "I belong here as much as the other women."
He puffed up, clearly annoyed that she spoke against him. "They don't belong here either. Fact is, this meeting was only supposed to include the town council, myself, and the sheriff."
Annabelle Henderson stood up from a table in the center of the room. He'd rubbed the white-haired, grandmotherly woman wrong. She looked directly at him. "This matter is bigger than you, bigger than the town council. The women of this town want that picnic you are trying to keep from happening."
"Now, Annabelle," he said in his best politician's voice, "you ladies just don't understand the situation. You should let us men handle it. Horatio wouldn't have wanted you to worry about such a matter."
An outraged, combined feminine hiss filled the room.
* * *
Daniel had been only half-listening, having taken the wire out of his pocket and quickly reading it. God a'mighty! Just what he needed. He shoved the paper back in his pocket and caught his brother's curious look. Daniel shook his head, not ready to discuss the new problem. Yet. Soon though.
He pulled back to the moment just in time to watch his wife grow tense. The mayor, as usual, was being a stubborn fool and he was ruffling more feathers now than he was soothing. Including his Jennie's. Sensing she was about to open her mouth and make the situation worse--if it could get worse, Daniel put a
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