Matt (The Cowboys) (20 page)

“I know exactly what you mean,” Norma said. “Would you like me to take your measurements, or would you be willing to look at something already made up?”

“I need something right away.”

“I have several things I can show you,” Norma said. “Just have a seat.”

Norma showed her a three-piece black silk polonaise with jet beads Ellen thought was too somber. She liked a paisley-striped dress in the princess sheath style but thought the heavy linen would be too hot. She liked a Wedgwood blue silk taffeta but finally decided the red bombazine dress in the cuirasse style was more to her liking. However, all of them were either too formal for wearing at home or not eye-catching enough for real dressing up.

“How about this one?” Norma brought out a dark amber, cut-velvet dress with an elaborate side-draped polonaise trimmed with chenille, moire taffeta, bows, and fancy embossed buttons.

“It’s beautiful,” Ellen said.

“It would look wonderful on you with your strong coloring,” Norma said. “Not many women can wear such a dress.”

It was truly elegant. Ellen could imagine herself in it. Just the thought of Matt’s reaction when he saw her in it made her want it. “How much is it?”

“Sixteen dollars,” Norma said. “That’s really quite reasonable.”

“Very reasonable.” Ellen would have to use some of the money Matt had insisted she take in case she wanted to buy a second dress. She had decided she wouldn’t use Matt’s money for personal things, but now she wondered if this dress counted as personal. She would be wearing it as his wife, and it was important that she make a suitable appearance when she came to town.

Still, she hesitated. Using Matt’s money assumed a commitment that made her uncomfortable. Despite the change in her feelings, she preferred to maintain her distance. “It is really very beautiful,” Ellen said, “but it’s more than I wanted to spend.”

“I have only two more,” Norma said, clearly annoyed that Ellen hadn’t liked anything she’d seen in nearly half an hour. She went into the back and returned with a royal blue silk dress with a plain skirt and tucked ivory satin vest front with leaf-shaped appliques. She had lined the upstanding collar with ivory satin. “What do you think of this?”

“It’s perfect.” It was exactly what she needed for entertaining at home, elegant but not ostentatious. “I’ll take it. Wrap it up while I try to decide on another dress.”

At that moment Mabel Jackson entered the shop.

If Ellen hadn’t been so irritated over being caught in the same shop as Mabel, she’d have laughed at the look of shock on Mabel’s face. It was clear she wanted to turn around and leave immediately, but her pride wouldn’t let her. Nor, since they were practically within touching distance of each other, could she avoid speaking.

“I didn’t know you were in town,” Mabel said.

“We needed supplies,” Ellen said. “After breaking and branding the new horses, Matt thought the boys deserved a treat.”

“Is Toby with him?”

Ellen tried not to enjoy Mabel’s obvious uneasiness. One day she might feel the same way about Tess. “Toby’s shopping for new clothes. He means to buy one of those ‘Ditto’ suits, the kind where trousers, jacket, and vest are made to match.”

“I know what a ‘Ditto’ suit is,” Mabel said, her eyes snapping that Ellen should have the arrogance to presume to inform her about anything. “I can’t imagine what use Toby could find for one.”

“To attract girls. I’m certain he’ll look very handsome.” Ellen hadn’t meant to aggravate Mabel, but the words popped out before she could stop them.

“If he so much as speaks to my daughter, I’ll have him arrested,” Mabel said, angry red spots flaming in her cheeks.

“Should I have Tammy arrested if she speaks to Toby first?” Ellen had little patience with Toby, but she wouldn’t stand around and allow Mabel to talk about him as though he were some kind of reptile.

“How dare you imply that my daughter would have anything to say to that boy!”

“I don’t know that she does,” Ellen said, determined to be fair-minded, “but you can’t put all the responsibility for such a friendship on the boy. Toby would never pursue a friendship with a girl who wasn’t interested. There are too many others who are.”

“I can assure you my daughter is not interested.”

“Then you can have no reason to care that Toby’s in town. If I don’t hurry up and choose a dress, I’m going to be late meeting my husband.”

She shouldn’t have mentioned Matt. But if Mabel hadn’t pushed her so hard, she wouldn’t have had to marry Matt, and Mabel wouldn’t have to treat Ellen as a respectable married woman.

“What use can you have for any of these dresses?” Mabel asked.

“They’re preferable to going naked.” She had to get out of this shop. Mabel was causing her to say things she didn’t want to say.

“I always thought you were common,” Mabel said.

“What do you expect of a saloon girl?” Ellen turned back to the amber, cut-velvet dress. It was lovely, but it was just not sensible to buy it.

“Surely you’re not considering that dress,” Mabel said. “It wouldn’t be at all suitable for you.”

Ellen felt something snap. She drew her fingers over the material. “And why not?”

“It would make you appear to be trying to climb above your station.”

“And what is my station?”

“You can’t have it because I wish to purchase that dress,” Mabel said, avoiding the question.

If she had to spend every cent Matt had given her, Ellen wouldn’t walk out of the shop without owning that dress. “But I do mean to purchase it. Norma has already priced it for me. And I’ll take the red bombazine as well.”

“I’ll wrap them up.” Norma took the dresses and went into the back of the shop.

“You bought that dress just to spite me,” Mabel said. “You don’t deserve to be recognized by decent women. If you’re hoping to make everybody forget your true nature by covering yourself with extravagant clothing, I can assure you it won’t work.”

Ellen had lost all desire to fight with Mabel. There was nothing she could say that would cause Mabel to stop hating her. She sighed. “I have a husband, four children, and a ranch to worry about. I also have a mother-in-law and several sisters-in-law who like me just fine. I’ll manage to survive without the acceptance or approval of you and your friends.”

“Reverend Sears will see those children go to an orphanage where they belong,” Mabel said. “As for Orin—”

Ellen felt a sudden urge to physically attack Mabel Jackson, to slap and scratch her until she’d ripped that smug, contemptuous smirk from her face. “Neither you nor Wilbur will get your hands on any of those children.”

Norma returned with the dresses boxed and ready to go. Ellen handed her the money. Ten minutes ago she’d have been furious at herself for spending so much. Now she only regretted she couldn’t buy every dress in the shop just so Mabel couldn’t have them. At the same time, Ellen was ashamed of herself for turning into a snarling harpy. She had to get out of the store before she did anything else she’d be ashamed of. “Thanks, Norma.”

“Bring them back if they need altering. You have such a lovely figure, it would be a shame if they didn’t fit perfectly.”

“I certainly will. If you have anything else you think I’d like, hold it for me, please.”

“If Matt keeps letting you go through his money like this, he won’t have that ranch for long,” Mabel said.

Ellen refused to be drawn. “Good-bye, Norma.”

She stepped outside the store. For a moment she didn’t move, just took deep breaths and let the tension flow from her body. She had to learn not to let Mabel Jackson upset her. She was married now. She and Matt would soon adopt the children. They would be safe. There was nothing Wilbur or Mabel could do about it. All she had to do was be calm and wait.

She walked to Martin’s General Store. She had promised to meet Matt there, and she was late. When she arrived, he wasn’t in the store. She wandered the aisles a few minutes, then approached a clerk who’d twice offered to help her.

“Has Matt Haskins been in?” she asked

“He came in some time ago,” the clerk replied, “but he left when he heard the sheriff had arrested Toby.”

Toby jumped up from the chair the minute Matt entered the jail. “He won’t listen to a word I say,” Toby said. “He just yells at me to shut up.”

Toby had several bruises on his face, a cut lip, and a torn shirt. “What happened?” Matt asked Toby.

“He got into a fight,” the sheriff said.

“I can see that,” Matt said. “Will, take Orin and Noah and see about loading up our supplies. Toby and I’ll be over as soon as we can.”

“Toby ain’t going nowhere. I’m going to lock him up.”

Matt was determined not to lose his temper. “Let’s clean you up,” he said to Toby. “Ellen will have a fit if she sees you like this.”

“She won’t care. She hates me,” Toby said.

Matt poured some water into a basin and brought it over to a table next to where Toby sat. He took out his handkerchief, wet it, and wiped the blood from Toby’s mouth. “She doesn’t hate you. You’d know that if you stopped picking at the kids.”

“They get in the way. Ouch!”

“No more than you. You’ve ruined that shirt. I hope you have money for another. Did you buy your suit?”

“I didn’t get a chance. Those yellow-bellies jumped me before I could get to the Emporium.”

“He had to start a fight with the sons of three of the most influential men in town,” the sheriff said.

“I didn’t start it,” Toby yelled. “They did.”

“What happened?” Matt asked. “Don’t leave anything out.”

“I was doing what you said,” Toby said to Matt. “I didn’t go looking for girls. I went to the photography studio to see how much it would cost to take a picture of me in my new clothes. I was going straight to buy my suit when they saw me and started calling me names.”

“What names?”

Toby turned red. “I didn’t care when they called me ‘Spic’ and ‘Mexicano.’ I knew they were just jealous because my black hair makes me more handsome than they are. Then they started calling me a bastard, saying my mama was a whore. Well, I couldn’t let them do that without saying something back.”

“You can’t go around insulting decent women,” the sheriff said.

“What did you say?” Matt asked Toby. Matt could tell Toby didn’t want to repeat it. He was probably too angry at the time to think, but he’d had time to realize he’d caused trouble for everyone.

“I said they had to be bastards, too,” Toby confessed. “I said their mamas was so ugly they couldn’t get a man unless they paid him.”

“Are those exactly the words you used?” Matt asked.

“I didn’t call them whores,” Toby said. “I ain’t that stupid.”

“What happened then?”

“They jumped me. Three of them, the yellow-bellies.”

“What happened next?”

“I’ll tell you what happened,” the sheriff said. “Phillip Jackson has a black eye. Joey Fitszimmons has a cut where his teeth came through his lip. Sam Triggs practically lost his scalp.”

“The clumsy oaf stumbled over his own feet and hit his head on the edge of the boardwalk,” Toby said. “I didn’t touch him.”

“You calling Sam a liar?” the sheriff asked.

“You’re damned right.”

“That’s something else you can repent of in jail.”

“Where are the boys?” Matt asked the sheriff.

“Probably down at the river cleaning up.”

“You’d better catch them before they reach home. It’ll be much harder then.”

“What’ll be much harder?”

“Putting them in jail.”

“I’m not putting them in jail.”

“It takes at least two to make a fight, sheriff. If you put one in jail, you’ve got to put the others in, too.”

“Do you know who your kid tried to fight?”

“I’m not his kid,” Toby protested.

“It doesn’t matter who he fought. The principle is the same. If you arrest one, you have to arrest them all.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Toby defended himself. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“That’s not what the other boys said.”

“Are you sure they said Toby attacked them?” Matt asked.

“Sure.” The sheriff looked uneasy.

“I can’t imagine three boys admitting they let themselves get beat up by one boy a year younger than two of them.”

“Well, they did,” the sheriff said.

“Then they’ll have to say it in court. I’m pressing charges. I want you to arrest them immediately and hold them for trial.”

“You’re crazy if you think I’m going to arrest Mabel Jackson’s son for fighting with a piece of Mexican—”

“Watch what you say, Sheriff. The boy is my son—at least I want him to be, if he’ll let me adopt him. I’d hate to have to knock you down for insulting him.”

“You’d hit me?”

“You wouldn’t expect me to insult your son and get away with it.”

“But my son isn’t—”

“Your son is fortunate to have a mother who loves him and a father willing to claim him. Toby doesn’t have either. Or a whole lot of other things virtually every boy takes for granted. That doesn’t give anybody the right to pick on him, make fun of him, or hold him in contempt for things he can’t control. The boy has pride. Surely you can understand that.”