Page 58 of Taming Lady Temperance

“Yes, ma’am. Take as long as you need.”

James made no effort to converse with Arthur while his wife was away. Instead, he moved about the room, studying the artwork and bric-a-brac on display as if they were the most fascinating things he’d ever encountered. He even shoved his hands into his pockets to ensure he didn’t accidentally break anything. Arthur Clevenger’s nose, in particular.

True to her word, Mrs. Clevenger returned in a timely fashion. Bypassing her husband, she strode straight to James and handed him a single sheet of folded paper.

“Take care of my daughter, Deputy,” she whispered, her eyes pouring a trust into him he wasn’t sure he deserved.

“I will.”

As long as she would let him.

Chapter

26

“You’ve never heard such a ruckus!” Martha rolled her eyes in dramatic fashion as Jane giggled quietly.

They’d arranged their three chairs into a tight circle around the provided table and shared a meal, though none of them had much of an appetite.

Noreen managed a smile, however, as she imagined a parade of pets running through Martha’s schoolyard. “Did one of the children truly bring a chicken?”

“We had an entire menagerie.” Martha spread her arms wide, then started ticking animals off on her fingers. “A squawking chicken fluttering about and pecking at everyone’s feet. Two different bullfrogs, croaking and hopping and scaring the girls. Five dogs of various breeds and obedience levels, three cats who ran off as soon as the dogs arrived, four lizards, and one gopher snake.”

“A snake?” Jane shivered and pulled her feet away from the floor as her gaze darted to the corners of the cell.

“Yes, and of course the repulsive reptile escaped and slithered under the schoolhouse, making me jump at my own shadow for the next week.”

A door closed downstairs, and all three ladies jolted, which then caused them to dissolve in laughter.

Knowing what that sound meant, Noreen reached out and clasped the hands of both of her friends and squeezed them tightly. “Thank you both for coming here. I . . .” Emotion clogged her throat. “I would still be floundering in self-pity were it not for you.”

Martha gave a sharp nod, in that commanding way of hers that kept even the most rambunctious child in his seat. “Never underestimate the restorative power of clean clothes, warm food, and cheerful company. All you need now is a good night’s rest, and you’ll be back to your fearless self on the morrow, ready to face whatever challenge awaits.”

“And we’ll be right by your side,” Jane vowed. “Praying for you every step of the way.”

“Thank you.” Tears began to pool again, but Noreen blinked them away. She’d wept enough today. Time to be strong. To be the woman her friends believed her to be. Fearless. Defiant. A crusader for the cause of temperance. One who’d not let a stay in a jail cell temper her passion.

Yet when James clomped up the stairs and fit his key into the lock, a breathless panic seized Noreen’s lungs. She didn’t want to be alone.

Her heart pounded as Martha and Jane pulled their hands from hers, rose to their feet, and collected their belongings. Noreen stood with them, her limbs quivering. Determined to hide her weakness, she made sure not to cling as each of them wrapped her in a brief farewell embrace. But when the door clicked closed and they disappeared down the stairs, it was all she could do not to rattle the bars and call them back. Even James left, escorting them out as a gentleman should. She’d felt his gaze seeking hers, but she’d avoided eye contact, her heart too conflicted to risk letting him inside.

Biting her lip, Noreen turned away from the barred door and began to move toward the chair she’d recently vacated, but seeing the other two empty chairs beside it made her chest ache. She pivoted to the mattress that lay on the ground in the corner instead. The mattress James had taken from his own bed for her to use. She’d insisted that the cot would be fine, but he refused to be swayed. Paid her protests absolutely no mind. Stubborn, wonderful man. Maybe if she curled up on the tick and drew the blanket over her head, she could imagine he was holding her. That she wasn’t alone.

Encouraged slightly by her plan, she grabbed the back of her chair and dragged it closer to the mattress. Then she sat down and started unlacing her shoes. Jane had brought her a Bible and several novels to help pass the time, but Noreen doubted she’d be able to concentrate enough to absorb anything she tried to read. Right now, all she wanted to do was close her eyes and pretend the last few hours hadn’t happened.

She had one shoe removed and the other halfway unlaced when the soft sound of footsteps on the stairs stilled her hands.

“Noreen?” James’s voice floated up from the stairwell. “Are you decent? I have something for you. From your mother.”

Mama? Her stomach fluttered.

Ignoring the tightness around her left foot, she yanked the shoe off and stood in her stockinged feet.

“Yes, I’m presentable.” Decent no longer seemed an apt descriptor after her escapade at the saloon.

She smoothed her skirt and lifted a hand to her hair as if she were about to meet a beau, then caught herself and clasped her hands together at her waist and waited for James to emerge.

When her eyes met his, a longing rose within her of such magnitude, she swayed slightly toward the barred door. She hungered for his comfort. To feel his arms cradling her against his chest with a strength capable of shouldering all her burdens. To hear the rumble of his voice defending her and promising that all would be well. To bury her face in his neck, close her eyes, and let the rhythmic thumping of his heart calm the riot inside her mind. Yet a wall stood between them. Not just the physical wall of steel bars but one of secrets and shame.