A Chance at Love (9 page)

Bebe asked, “Are we going to get pictures too?”

“If you'd like.”

Their answering grins were so wide with happiness, Loreli couldn't contain her chuckles.

Their room was as sparsely appointed as the rest of the house. The one bed the girls shared and the small dresser against the wall were the only furnishings. Atop the dresser was a hairbrush and comb and a picture in a small tarnished silver frame.

Loreli picked it up and looked at the young woman posed so seriously. “Is this your mama?”

Both girls nodded.

“What's her name?” Loreli asked.

“Bonnie,” Bebe replied.

“She's beautiful,” Loreli told them. And she was. The resemblance between Bonnie and the twins was striking. Loreli could see Bonnie's eyes and the shape of her mouth reflected in the faces of her daughters. She could also see the facial similarities between this woman and her brother, Jake. Loreli looked into the woman's eyes and saw an intelligence and a kindness that spoke to her soul.

Loreli set the picture down gently. The girls were watching. “You both favor her very much. Well, while I'm here, I'm going to do my best to make her proud of all of us. Okay?”

The girls smiled.

Loreli hugged them both against her side, and prayed that Bonnie's spirit would guide her, so she wouldn't mess this up. “Now, how about we go shopping?”

Their eyes went wide as saucers.

Loreli asked, “Ever been
shopping
before?”

Dede answered in a voice shot through with awe. “No.”

“Then it's time you learned how. Let's go find your uncle.”

 

“Shopping?” Jake asked after she and the girls came into the barn to inform him of their plans. “Where?”

“In town,” Loreli replied. “The girls could use a few things.”

Jake looked down at the girls standing by her side and said, “Bebe, how about you and your sister go back to the house and wait for Miss Winters. She and I need to talk for a moment.”

The girls appeared uncertain, but did as they were told.

Once the two adults were alone, Jake said bluntly, “I don't have money for shopping trips, Miss Winters.”

“I don't need your money.”

His eyes flashed.

“Whatever I purchase, I plan to pay for out of my own purse, so don't worry.” She then asked, “Is there a reputable seamstress in town?”

“Why?”

“Because if you're set on marrying up, the girls will need something to wear that isn't made from denim.”

Jake met her fearless eyes. He took the shot personally.

As if reading his mind, Loreli cracked, “No offense intended, but at a wedding, they should look like little girls.”

“Millie Tate's the town seamstress. Her shop's next to the bank.”

“Thanks. I'll have them back before dark.” She headed toward the door.

Jake knew he owed her a thanks for agreeing to take on the girls, though he hadn't expressed it. “Miss Winters?”

She stopped and looked back.

“Thanks for agreeing.”

Loreli remembered the disdainful look he'd had on his face when they were talking a bit ago and said, “Thank the girls. They're the only reason I'm here, but you're welcome.”

He met her cool eyes.

“I'll see you later,” she said, and left him alone in the barn.

W
ith the twins skipping happily by her side, Loreli stopped first at Sol Diggs's bank. She needed to establish an account in Hanks so she could transfer money from her account in Philadelphia. Like most buildings in small backwater towns, the interior of the bank was airless, hot and gloomy. The faint light coming in through the fancy front window did its best to knock back the shadows but had a hard time. Were it not for the oil lamps and the opened door, one wouldn't be able to see at all. Loreli walked over to the lone teller's window. The young man standing behind it nodded politely, then said, “May I help you, Miss Winters?”

Surprise played over Loreli's face. “You know me?”

He nodded. “Yes, ma'am, I do. I'm married to your friend Zora Post.”

“Ah, then you must be Cyrus Buxton.”

He grinned, showing off a beautiful smile. Cyrus was what the race called “red-boned.” He had red hair, reddish
brown skin, sherry-colored eyes, and enough freckles to share with everyone in town. Loreli guessed him to be in his mid-thirties. “How's Zora doing?” she asked.

“Fine, just fine. She's up in Lawrence today. She tell you about the restaurant?”

“Yes, she did, and I'm very impressed.”

“She's a take-charge woman, my Zora. I like that.”

Loreli liked him as well for being so supportive of Zora's dream.

Cyrus then looked over his cage at the girls standing at her side. “Hello, Bebe and Dede. How're you girls today? Did the doc come into town with you?”

Bebe, as always, spoke for them both. “Hello, Mr. Buxton. We're doing well. No, Uncle is at home.”

Buxton then turned his attention to Loreli. “So, what may I help you with today, Miss Winters?”

In response, Loreli turned and looked down at Dede and said, “De, tell Mr. Buxton why we're here.” They'd practiced what she was supposed to say on the way into town.

Holding tightly onto Loreli's hand, Dede replied in a very soft voice, “We're here to move some money.”

With a smile, Loreli excused herself from Buxton, then leaned down to speak quietly with Dede while Bebe looked on. “You have to say it louder, pumpkin. Men don't hear women sometimes if you don't speak up, especially when it involves money. Now, Mr. Buxton doesn't seem like that type, but let's practice with him just the same. Okay?”

Dede smiled a bit more confidently and told Mr. Buxton in a slightly louder voice, “We've come to move some money, sir.”

Buxton grinned. “Oh really? From where?”

It was Bebe's turn, “Philadelphia, sir.”

He looked to Loreli. “Philadelphia?”

Loreli was in the process of digging in her handbag for her bank documents. “Yep, I want my bank there to transfer some of my money here. Can you do that for us?”

“How much?” Buxton asked.

Loreli took a pen from the well on the counter in front of his window and wrote down the amount. She handed the paper to the clerk.

He read the number and his eyes widened.

“Is that a problem?” Loreli asked.

He cleared his throat and croaked, “Uh, no. It's just—this is a lot of money. I—I have to get Mr. Diggs. Can you wait right here?”

Loreli nodded. “Sure can.”

He hurried away and disappeared into a door behind him.

Loreli told the girls, “Well, I guess we'll have a seat.”

The three of them walked over to one of the benches by the window. They'd just gotten settled when Sol Diggs came out. His pomaded gray hair, tailored suit, and healthy girth branded him a prosperous man.

“Miss Winters,” he cooed, walking toward her. “It's a pleasure to see you again. You haven't won any more parts of town since I saw you last, have you?”

Loreli smiled. “No, I haven't.” It pleased her that Diggs, unlike store owner Bert Green, had no problem acknowledging their past acquaintance.

Diggs turned to the twins, “Hello, girls.”

They nodded.

Diggs said to Loreli, “Buxton here says you want to do a little business?

“Yes, if I may.”

“Of course. The sum is a bit more than we're accustomed to handling, but I see no problems.”

Loreli knew very little about Diggs and even less about how he ran his business, so she felt compelled to ask, “My money will be safe here, won't it, Mr. Diggs?”

He smiled. “Why, Miss Winters, I'm offended.”

“I'm only asking because the last time a bank owner tried to take advantage of me, the judge, who happened to be a good friend, took everything the bank owner possessed and turned it over to me as compensation. Even confiscated the poor man's shoes.”

Diggs blanched and stammered, “Really?”

“Yes, he did, but I won't have to worry about that here.”

“Oh, no,” Diggs promised quickly. “Your money will be as safe as my own.”

“Good. So, are there documents that need my signature?”

Loreli guessed her story about the judge must've made Diggs nervous because he snapped at Buxton, “Get the lady some slips, Cyrus. We don't want to keep a new customer waiting.”

Buxton, already prepared, handed the forms to his boss. The immediacy of the action caught Diggs so by surprise, he dropped the papers and they went fluttering to the floor. Both men bent hastily to retrieve them only to wind up soundly bumping heads in a scene so comical the girls giggled.

Diggs's hand went to his ringing skull. He paid no attention to Buxton's attempts to make amends and gritted
out, “Get back to your window, Buxton, I'd like to be alive when the day ends!”

Buxton left holding his own head. Loreli fought to keep from laughing out loud.

The distressed Diggs then said, “My apologies, the man's cursed. Mayhem follows him like a cat, been like that all his life. Hope his new missus knows. If you'll sign these papers we can get you on your way, Miss Winters.”

Still chuckling, Loreli and the girls went over to one of the raised tables so Loreli could write. As she filled out all the information on the bank's slips, she explained to the twins what she was doing. She wasn't sure the girls understood it all, but she didn't fret. As long as they understood a woman could have her own money and transact her own business without the benefit of a man's help, approval, or interference, they would have learned their lesson for the day.

After receiving Mr. Diggs's assurances that her money would be resting in her new account in his bank no later than the day after tomorrow, Loreli and the twins headed toward the door. They were almost bowled over by a White man who came barreling into the bank. He was tall, thin, and dressed in shabby farmer's clothes. Upon seeing Diggs, the man shouted angrily as he waved a document in his hand, “Damn you, Diggs! What's this supposed to mean?”

Diggs replied coolly, “You know what it means, Peterson. Your farm reverts to the bank on Monday.”

The man looked stunned and angry. “You foreclosed on me?”

Loreli moved the girls closer to her side to keep them safe.

Diggs replied sharply, “I warned you back in December that come June your note would be due, and June is here.”

“How could you do this? You know how hard I've been working. Give me until the harvest at least. I've got a good crop of corn growing.”

“No. I've been carrying you for two years. I have bills to pay too.”

Peterson barked disdainfully, “Bills for what—more fancy suits and carriages! You're just punishing me because you think I'm organizing for the Knights.”

Diggs puffed up like an adder. “The Knights be damned. This has nothing to do with that. You owe me money, Peterson, and I'm tired of waiting.”

Peterson sneered. “You're offal, Diggs. I got five kids. How am I supposed to take care of them? Where are we supposed to live?”

“That's not my concern. Now, leave before I send for the sheriff. You're frightening my customers.”

Peterson turned and eyed Loreli and the girls for a second, then swung back to Diggs. “You'll pay for this, Diggs—one way or another. You'll pay.”

Peterson stormed out.

Loreli met Diggs's eyes, and he said, “Sorry you and the girls had to witness that.”

“Does he really have five children?” asked Loreli.

Diggs paused for a moment to assess her face, then offered. “Yes.”

“How much does he owe?”

“Suffice it to say, more than I'm willing to carry any longer.”

“How much?”

He kept his face blank. “As an officer of the bank, I'm not at liberty to divulge such private information.” Then he smiled and asked, “Is there anything else I can do for you, Miss Winters?”

Loreli swore he looked like a shark who'd just finished a big, fine meal. “No, Mr. Diggs. The girls and I will be going.”

Holding the twins' small hands, Loreli led them back out into the sunshine.

“That was Carrie's and Jimmy's pa, Loreli,” Bebe told her.

“Are they friends of yours?”

“Carrie is. Jimmy likes to put crickets down girls' collars.”

Loreli smiled.

Dede asked, “Why won't Mr. Diggs let them live in their house anymore, Loreli?”

“I guess their pa hasn't paid back some money he borrowed from the bank.”

“Well, I think that's mean.”

Loreli had to agree. Whatever his beef with the bank, Peterson still had five children to provide for, and Diggs hadn't seemed sympathetic in the least. Loreli understood that banks were in business to turn a profit, and although she had no idea how much Diggs had helped the Petersons in the past, she thought surely the bank could've held off until the man harvested his crops. Was he really being punished for being a member of the Knights of Labor? Loreli didn't know much about the inner workings of the group, however, she was aware that the Knights let members of the race join their ranks, and that they advocated equal rights and pay for women.

Bebe said, “If I was rich, I'd give Carrie's pa all the money he needed.”

Hearing the genuine tone in Bebe's voice, Loreli asked her, “Would you?”

“Yes.”

“I would too,” her sister declared proudly. “I like Carrie.”

Loreli decided she liked Carrie as well, if only because the twins did. The girls had already proven to be good judges of people; after all, they'd known better than to call Rebecca Appleby a friend.

“When I grow up,” Dede said, “I'm going to be rich so nobody can tell me not to live in my house.”

Loreli thought that a logical goal. She'd been poor and she'd been rich. Rich was better.

Next stop, the seamstress shop, owned by Mildred Tate. A bell on top of the door tinkled out their entrance. The tiny shop was filled with fabrics, dress forms, and notions. As Loreli and the twins stood a moment taking it all in, a woman who looked to be in her late twenties came hurrying out of the back. She had short, sparse hair, a tall, birdlike body, and her brown face was as long as and homely as a mule's. She smiled upon seeing the twins but stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Loreli. “Hello, girls,” she said, then asked warily, “Who's this with you?”

Bebe declared proudly, “This is Loreli, Miss Millie. She's going to be our new mama.”

The woman's eyes widened with surprise, then her lips tightened. “Hello,” she offered stiffly to Loreli, looking her up and down. “You came in with those mail-order brides, didn't you?”

Loreli sensed the woman's distaste. “Yes. Name's Winters, and you are?”

“Mildred Tate. Rebecca Appleby and I have been best friends since childhood.”

“Well, now,” Loreli cracked, “isn't that something?” So this was a friend of Rebecca's.

“Yes, it is, isn't it,” Millie shot back coolly. “So, you and Jake are getting married?”

Loreli assessed Mildred Tate and remembered the banker Diggs saying everyone in town was waiting on Rebecca to saddle Reed. “Looks that way.”

“When?” the woman demanded sharply.

Loreli thought Mildred Tate not only rude but nosy as well. Even so, Loreli refused to let this mule-faced Millie rile her into acting rude in return, at least not in front of the girls. “A week from Saturday. We're here because the girls need dresses.”

“Oh, really?” the woman replied sarcastically. “And you came to me?”

Loreli held on to her patience. “I'm told you're the best seamstress in town.”

The mule smiled smugly. “I am the
only
seamstress in town.”

Loreli wanted to shake the snide smile off the hussy's face.
Not in front of the girls,
she reminded herself. “So, can you have them ready by the day of the wedding?”

“I could.”

Loreli was liking the woman less and less. “May we see some patterns, then?”

Mule-faced Millie all but stomped over to a stool, returned with a
Godey's Lady's Book
and practically threw
it onto the table by Loreli. “See if you like anything in there.”

That did it. Loreli looked down at the girls who were staring at Mule-face Mille as if she might be dangerous. “Girls, I think we're going to find somebody else to make your dresses.”

“Good luck,” the seamstress threw back in superior-sounding tones.

The girls were watching her warily as Loreli took them by the hand and escorted them to the door. “Good day, Miss Tate,” Loreli said.

Once outside, Loreli turned back and saw Mildred Tate malevolently watching their departure.
What a nice woman
, Loreli thought sarcastically.

As they crossed the street, Dede asked “Loreli, why was Miss Millie being so mean?”

“I think it's because she's a good friend of Rebecca's, pumpkin, and was probably hoping Rebecca would be your new mama.”

Bebe made an ugly face. “Ugh, we didn't want Rebecca to be our mama, did we, De?”