Heart Club
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Marianne went home that evening, a little disappointed. There had been no sign of a woman in the kitchen or the pantry and she was beginning to think it would be an impossible task. Then, when she reached her room upstairs, there were flowers on her bedside table and one on the pillow next to her. She smiled with satisfaction as she closed the door behind her.
She opened the vase on top of the bureau. It contained three roses—a dozen white blooms surrounded by their deep red center. She plucked out the note card, reading again and again: “I hope you’re not too hard on Missy.”
The handwriting was different from what she expected from her brother’s letters. This one seemed older, more formal…and yet it had his familiar slant and crooked first name.
“He’s such a tease,” she muttered, tucking the card into a drawer. He had sent her two bouquets of flowers before this, but neither had come from him. Now, however, he seemed determined to make amends for all previous neglect.
Marianne sighed with pleasure and placed the flowers where they’d be visible. They reminded her of a poem that her grandmother used to recite when she was growing up, one that made everyone laugh:
”There once was a man named Smith;
Who was the most popular feller ever knew,
But when he died there wasn’t a soul mourned…”
She took out her journal, which she kept in a wooden box at the bottom of her bureau. After writing “Smith” on a clean page, she began copying the poem word for word. If it came from her grandmother, then the words would mean something special to her brother, who was fond of her grandmother.
When she finished, she looked around her room one last time. A small lamp on the desk illuminated everything. She put her journal away and shut the door carefully, locking it. No sooner had she done so than she heard a voice coming from down below. It was faint, but definitely, someone speaking. She listened closely until she recognized it as her father’s.
“You’re going to stay here for your supper tonight?” she called out. He responded immediately. “Yes, we’ll be back late,” he said. She could hear the sound of the horses’ hooves on the ground outside the house.
That meant that her father was taking his horse to a neighbor’s place instead of riding through town on his own. As much as she wanted to get away, it didn’t seem right to go out alone.
The next morning she woke early, knowing that her brother must have left the night before. In fact, he hadn’t even waited long enough for her to finish dressing. The sun was just rising, turning everything into a warm, golden light. She went downstairs feeling restless and impatient.
In the dining room, she found her father sitting at the head of the table waiting for her. “Did you find any work yesterday?” she asked when she sat down. Her father nodded. “There are a lot of jobs available now,” he said. “People can hardly wait to fill them.”
Her mother brought in a plate of bacon and eggs and set it on the table beside Marianne’s glass of milk. Then she poured tea for both her daughter and herself. She was wearing a gray dress today, with black stockings that matched her shoes perfectly.
“Missy will be pleased to hear this,” her mother said and then continued, “I told Mr. Smith about you and he’s willing to hire a couple of new help.”
Marianne’s eyes widened. For a moment she thought her sister-in-law might not mind another girl working at the club. “Really?”
“Well, not for a week or so until Missy arrives from Denver.”
“Thank you, Mother,” Marianne said softly. “That would be wonderful news.”
“We’ve also been thinking of hiring someone else,” Mrs. Minton went on after she took a sip of tea. “Someone who could cook a bit.”
Marianne’s eyebrows rose. It sounded like an ideal job for her if there was a need for one. But before she could ask further, her mother said, “Your brother is looking forward to meeting you.”
***
The day had come and gone without her expecting it. Marianne had expected that Missy’s arrival would be delayed until her mother’s newly hired hand arrived, but in fact, Missy was already at the hotel.
Mrs. Minton had given Marianne instructions on how to take the train to Denver since she was unfamiliar with railroad schedules. She’d been to Denver once, however, and had no trouble finding the station. As soon as the train stopped in Denver, she found a telegraph office and sent her mother a quick message saying that she was safe.
When Marianne entered the hotel, she saw her brother standing in front of the desk talking to someone. The man was a tall, thin fellow with dark hair. She recognized him instantly as one of Tom’s former partners.
It seemed that the two men were having a conversation concerning Tom’s business affairs. As Marianne walked toward the desk, Tom glanced up and smiled. “Good evening, Marianne. I’m glad you came home.”
“Why aren’t you at your club?” she asked, trying hard not to stare at her brother’s disheveled appearance.
Tom shrugged. “I don’t think I could stand to see all those fancy ladies again for one more day.”
Marianne laughed. “It must be terrible to feel inferior to them, even though you’re such a great man.”
He frowned and shook his head. “No, it doesn’t hurt me anymore.”
“What happened to make you leave Chicago?”
“Some bad business, that’s all. Nothing worth mentioning.”
Marianne decided to let it drop. There was something she wanted to ask him. “Where are you staying?”
“With a friend down at the end of the street. It’s nothing like where you live. You should probably look for someplace better. Maybe you can rent a house near mine.” His tone indicated that he thought she should give up this plan of hers and settle into being a part of his life. Marianne knew it wouldn’t be easy but she wasn’t ready to abandon her plan yet.
After Marianne had settled in the spare room upstairs, her mother took her to dinner. When they returned, Marianne found her brother sitting in the parlor reading one of his books. He didn’t even glance up when he heard the door open. “Do you want something to eat? I baked cookies this afternoon.”
He closed the book and laid it on the side table. “Not tonight.”
She went over to the couch and sat next to him. “How was your first day back at work?”
He looked up briefly, then turned his attention back to the page. “Fine.”
“Did you run into any friends?”
“No.”
“Are you feeling lonely?”
Tom sighed deeply. “I miss her.”
Marianne nodded and took his hand. “Of course you do. That’s why you have to get used to living here again.”
He released a slow breath and then put his arm around her waist. “Will you stay with us a while longer?” he asked. “For old time’s sake?”
“It might be nice to have some company,” Marianne said, wondering if this was the right thing to do. But then she remembered how her mother had told her that Tom was looking forward to meeting her, and she knew what she had to do. “Yes, I’ll stay for a few days, if you want me to.”
Her brother smiled and picked up the book again. “It’s good to see you.”
***
In the morning, Marianne went out to the back porch to sit alone and enjoy the view. She watched as Tom rode off with his hired man to the cattle ranch on the other side of the city. A few minutes later, she saw a woman walk across the street and knock on the hotel door.
She assumed that the woman was a new maid, so she got up and went downstairs to introduce herself. The new girl was young and pretty, and it was clear that Tom’s wife would never find anyone else. She was too much like his first wife.
“Hello.” Marianne shook the younger woman’s hand. “My name is Marianne. Your boss has hired me as a maid, so I’d like to meet you.”
The girl glanced over her shoulder at Tom before answering. “I’m Mary.”
Marianne followed her into the dining room where breakfast was already waiting for guests who’d checked in early. “I’ve heard that your brother works long hours.”
Mary smiled faintly. “I guess that’s true.”
As they finished eating, Mary asked Marianne if she would like to come along on their daily walks through the park. Marianne readily agreed since it would help pass the day. They talked about the weather, which was still unseasonably warm for the middle of May. As they strolled down the sidewalk, Mary asked Marianne why she had left Chicago.
“It was just time to go,” was all Marianne managed to say, knowing that there was something else, but she couldn’t tell Mary that. Her plans involved more than simply going back to her hometown.
When Mary suggested going shopping after lunch, Marianne refused politely. “I need to get back to the hotel and wash my sheets.”
Mary nodded and went off to visit an acquaintance. In fact, most people avoided her whenever possible.
That night, Tom was working late again when he came up to Marianne’s bedroom. She had already been asleep but she woke up quickly, thinking he must have forgotten something important.
Instead, Tom opened the window, letting in a cool breeze and turning on the bedside lamp. He walked over and kissed her gently on the lips, then pulled back slightly and stared into Marianne’s eyes. “Why did you come back?”
She hesitated and then said, “I don’t know. It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
“Was it?” He reached over to turn off the light. “You could have stayed in Chicago forever if you wanted.”
“But I didn’t,” she replied softly. “I came back to you.”
Tom smiled and drew Marianne closer. He kissed her passionately as he undressed her. “It’s nice having you home,” he whispered between kisses.
Later, when he lay awake beside her, she felt him pull her close and kiss her hair. “You’re not angry that I didn’t mention her name?” he whispered.
“No. Why should I be?”
“Because you always talk about your past,” he said sadly, “and I think she must still haunt you.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” she reassured him. “There are more important things than that.”
He sighed deeply and then rolled away from her. “What is it?” Marianne asked, sensing that something was bothering him.
“Nothing.” Tom closed his eyes and fell asleep, but Marianne wasn’t so lucky. She tossed and turned until she finally drifted off, leaving Tom to sleep alone.
***
On Saturday, Marianne helped Tom cook dinner at the hotel while his wife and Mary were visiting a friend in the next town. Tom kept glancing at his sister-in-law, making her uncomfortable because of the way he looked at her. Marianne suspected that he was thinking that Tom’s wife was missing something.
After the meal, Tom took both women out for drinks. As soon as they returned home, Marianne headed for the guest room upstairs. She knew exactly what it was that Tom wanted—to discuss a business proposition.
“Do we really need a saloon here?” Marianne asked as she prepared the bed.
“We do,” Tom insisted. “If only to provide entertainment for our guests.”
Marianne folded up one of the blankets and put it on top of the mattress before climbing onto the bed. “Then how about having two hotels? One on each side of the street.”
“It will cost us more money,” Tom pointed out.
“Money isn’t everything. You want me to quit my job?”
“That would be ideal, but I can’t ask you to do that.”
“I don’t mind quitting my job,” she offered, “but there’s no reason to have a saloon on this property, is there?”
“No,” Tom agreed reluctantly. “Not really.”
“Let’s wait until our business takes off before we open another hotel.”
They discussed other matters such as building a fence around the park. Tom told Marianne that it would take them months to complete even though it should have taken weeks. He blamed himself for hiring too few workers and paying them poorly.
“How many more men will you need?” she asked. “I know that a good many ranch hands in town look for work with your company.”
“Maybe half that number,” he answered.
A week later, a stranger arrived in town. He rode into the stable and asked Tom if there might be a place available for a single man to board his horse. The man had dark hair, black eyes, and was well dressed. He also claimed to own land near the town but he refused to give any further information about himself.
The first afternoon Marianne went down to see how the new man was doing. She found him sitting outside his room, waiting for someone to bring him something. When he saw Marianne approaching he stood and shook his head at her. “I’m sorry, ma’am, I don’t speak very much English.”
Marianne thought it strange that a foreign cowboy spoke English as well as he did. “I guess I’ll try again. Would you like to come inside?”
“I don’t live here,” he replied. “I’m waiting for a friend.” He paused and added, “My name is George.”
“George!” Tom called out from his office. “Get down here, boy.”
Mary rushed out to greet the new arrival. Marianne followed behind them. She was surprised to find that Mary looked familiar, but she couldn’t figure out where she had seen her before. They all crowded into the front parlor for coffee and then moved to the dining room table to eat lunch.
While they ate, the conversation shifted to the latest news and gossip, including the recent fire in the mine shafts. The miner who discovered it was in prison awaiting trial.
“Where will you go after you finish your sentence?” Mary asked.
“I’ll be leaving,” the man replied without looking up from his food.
Tom leaned forward and placed his hand on the newcomer’s arm. “George, we’re family now. Wherever you want to go, we’ll help you get there.”
“Thank you,” he said quietly, but Marianne noticed his gaze drift over to Mary. She smiled at him as he stared back at her with an intense look. He appeared to be studying her face carefully. After a moment, he cleared his throat, glanced at his plate, and then looked up at Tom.
“You don’t need my help with anything, do you?” Marianne asked. “Your horses are already saddled; you have everything you need.”
“Yes, thank you,” the man replied. “But I’m hoping to find a job with your brother here.”
“Why don’t you start by helping Tom clean up the kitchen?” Tom suggested. “Mary, could you show George how to do the dishes?”
As George and Mary headed for the kitchen, Tom pulled Marianne aside and whispered in her ear. “He looks like he may be dangerous.”
“Is he? Why don’t you talk to him yourself and find out?”
“What’s gotten into you lately?” he asked.
“Maybe because I’ve met a man or two of interest myself,” she offered.
After George left, Tom told Marianne about their visit. “That’s not exactly what I had in mind when I hired him.”
“Why?”
“Because I think he’s hiding something—something bad.”
The End