Chances (12 page)

“It’s a pretty juicy tale.” Bill shook his head. “I hate to pass it up.”

Daniel pounded his fist on the counter. “Damn it, Bill, giving in to my anger and my lust put her into this, not her actions. I suggest you keep this issue out of the
News
until I get a chance to fix it.”

It was far past time he stepped forward and did the right thing. He’d have to start with contacting the head officials at Kansas Pacific, and he’d probably need to do something honorable about that kiss. Damn, but people were going to talk.

* * * * *

The November meeting of the Denver Suffrage Association was packed. Sarah glanced across the crowded basement of the Lawrence Street Methodist Church, searching for Elizabeth’s familiar face.

Several of the ladies from last week’s dinner were clustered together in the center of the room. Their busy chatter smacked of their pride in helping resolve the bounty issue and their confidence that they had contributed.

Sarah noted their self-assured bearings, their plucky tones and steady voices. These, indeed, were ladies of action. She approached her comrades, determined to keep her head high. Her comfortable, no-nonsense shoes and plain brown skirt lent her confidence.

The ladies parted. Five sets of intelligent eyes focused on Sarah and conversation stopped. Two of the women had grace enough to look away. The other three stared at her as if she had sprouted horns and a tail.

A thick cloak of discomfort settled about Sarah.

Lavinia Morgan emerged from the crowd and clicked her tongue with disgust.

Sarah slowed her step, unsure of how best to respond to the women’s scrutiny. She had to maintain control. Unfamiliar anxiety hung over her. Each piercing gaze hit her like a rock. Her mastery of the situation slipped, and she fought to keep it in her grip.

Elizabeth stepped into the light and offered a smile of encouragement. Calm confidence leapt from her, giving Sarah strength. If Elizabeth could face gossip and emerge this nobly, how could Sarah run from it?

Sarah drew a deep breath, moved purposely toward Lavinia, and pasted a gracious smile on her face. “Good evening, Miss Morgan. How nice to see you again.” She forced a level of self-assurance that she no longer felt.

Surprise flickered across Lavinia’s face, then disappeared. She glared at Sarah and pointedly ignored her as she moved grandly past to greet someone else.

A low buzz crept across the room.

Elizabeth swept forward into the void and reached for Sarah’s hands. “Sarah, dear. We’re so pleased to have you.” She turned to the women who had attended the dinner. “Ladies, you remember Sarah Donovan. She contributed a number of ideas toward solving the dilemma with the dog bounty.”

Several of the more well-dressed women held back, waiting to take their cues from other people. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at them. Finally, Mrs. Anderson nodded her head and offered a shaky smile. “That she did. I was there.”

“Then you should be able to confirm Miss Donovan’s indecent behavior.” Lavinia’s pinched face emerged from the crowd.

“I … I didn’t see anything such as that.” Mrs. Anderson’s voice shook.

Good for her, Sarah thought. She might not be half as wealthy as some of the other women in the room, but she sure wasn’t afraid to hold her ground.

“Well, of course you didn’t dear. You were rambling on about your children at the time.” Lavinia’s tone was condescending. Mrs. Anderson blanched.

Elizabeth’s face hardened. “Lavinia, I hardly think—”

“Let me, Elizabeth.” Sarah heard her own voice, bold and much more plucky than she expected. Letting Elizabeth fight her battles wasn’t what she had in mind. She stepped forward until Lavinia had little choice but face her. “Miss Morgan, your battle seems to be with me. I don’t think Mrs. Anderson needs to be the brunt of your insults.”

Lavinia stared as if she’d been slapped. “H … how dare you,” she sputtered.

 “How dare
you
.” Sarah flung the words at her. “Who made you judge and jury of Denver’s women?”

“Sarah, I don’t think—”

“Stay out of this, Elizabeth,” Lavinia snapped. “If the little upstart wants to fight, I’ll give her a fight. I suspect it’s time the other ladies learned the truth about her.”

Sarah tried to process her words. Upstart? Good heavens. Lavinia was threatened by her. Empowered, her anger surged ahead. “The truth? Would that be
your
version of the truth?”

“What do any of you know about Sarah Donovan? Lavinia whipped around, addressing the room. She marched forward, questioning the nearest women. “Anything?” Not waiting for an answer, she flung her arms wide. “We all heard Elizabeth’s glowing stories at the last meeting, all about the new female telegrapher. Well, she forgot to tell you how Sarah got the job. She and Jim Wilson, the stationmaster, are thick as peas in a pod.” Lavinia’s eyes narrowed. “Why, to hear Frank Bates tell it, they can hardly keep their hands off each other.”

Sarah pulled back her shoulders and stepped into the battle. “Perhaps that’s the key to the real truth, Miss Morgan. Would you like to tell the ladies how angry Frank Bates is because I was hired for the post he wanted? Surely the ladies want to hear about how he set me up, how he went behind Jim Wilson’s back to complain to Kansas-Pacific officials.”

 “He wouldn’t have had to if you hadn’t had Wilson in your pocket, dear. But one man’s not enough, is it?”

“Lavinia, Sarah, this is getting a little out of control.” Elizabeth’s commanding voice broke into their clipped debate.

Lavinia leveled a momentary stare at her, then addressed the crowd. “You should all see the messages this woman is exchanging with other telegraph operators.”

Sarah glanced around the room. Curious eyes waited for her denial. She counted to five, unwilling to let the anger consume her. Satisfied her fury was under control, she directed her words to the whole group rather than to Lavinia.

“The logbooks at the station are open for review. They provide a written record of all messages sent and received. I make no attempt to deny that distasteful messages are being sent to me. After all, we all know men will be men. I have no control over what they send to me. You will find no record of outgoing wire either inviting or responding to such messages.”

“Poppycock, I tell you. Mr. Bates has copies.”

“There can’t be copies because there were no messages. Ladies, I invite you to—”

“Is this the kind of woman we want as part of the suffrage movement, ladies?” Lavinia demanded, her face dark with rage. “Do we want all our reputations sullied by the immoral actions of this Jezebel?” She pointed an accusing finger at Sarah.

Sarah stood firm, unwilling to be drawn into a catfight.

Mrs. Anderson glanced from one of them to the other, then nervously began to speak.

“Lavinia—”

“I seen her,” a voice called out from the back of the room. “I seen her talkin’ to men all over the city. Lord knows what they’re arranging.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Elizabeth said. “She delivers telegraphs. I know Sarah, and I know she’s earned her position honorably. This is nothing but vicious gossip made up by a man who resents the fact that Sarah is more skillful than he is.”

“Drivel, Elizabeth. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. It’s time to cut her loose.” Lavinia threw out an arm, encouraging others to comment.

 “She’ll drag us all down,” a haughty voice chimed in.

“It’s taken us years to gain credence. We surely don’t need the men raising morality as an issue,” another woman said.

“Morality? And men? Don’t make me laugh.” Elizabeth’s gaze hardened and the crowd tittered, half hysterical. “We all know what men will do, and we know even better what they’ll say when they’re threatened. Sarah doesn’t deserve any of this.”

Lavinia stepped forward. “Mrs. Bean hit the nail on the head, ladies. Think about it. Those same men will be calling the whole association immoral. We’ll lose the referendum.”

Those around her began nodding as the comment sank in. Sarah’s gaze drifted over them as control shifted away from her. Elizabeth’s face registered shock and Sarah realized Lavinia had played a trump card, one she didn’t think she could beat.

Lavinia’s wicked smile mocked Sarah’s silence. “Shall I tell you the rest? Shall I tell you what happened last week?”

Sarah’s thoughts flew to Daniel. One word about what happened in the butler’s pantry and Daniel’s carefully crafted reputation would be ruined, his image tarnished in his daughters’ eyes. She sent a beseeching look toward Elizabeth as Lavinia watched with hawk-like interest.

“Shut up, Lavinia. You are affecting innocent people,” Elizabeth hissed, her genteel graciousness abandoned.

Lavinia smiled with smug satisfaction. “I will not. These ladies need to know. The public needs to know that the suffrage movement does not stand for this kind of behavior. That we condemn it. If your husband won’t publish the story, I’ll go to the
Tribune
.” She paused, letting the full impact of her threat hit home, then raised her voice until it filled the room. “I am not about to let Sarah Donovan destroy everything we’ve worked for, ladies, are you? Are you willing to let all our efforts die? Die, when we are so close to gaining the vote?”

Sarah felt the sting of accusing eyes. Women who had worked for years to gain the vote stared at her, considering her a threat to all they’d accomplished. Hostility filled the room.

“Last week,” Lavinia continued, “she took her loose morals out in public, ladies, in public, do you hear? In all my born days, I’ve never seen the like. This, this
adventuress
—”

“Stop it.” Sarah heard the command in her voice and wished she could shrink away from it. Her heart stung.

A few more ill-placed words from Lavinia and the local suffrage movement would shatter, Sarah’s career would be gone for good, and Daniel’s good character would be destroyed.

God help her, none of those outcomes were acceptable.

She closed her eyes, praying Lavinia would keep quiet. Rustling fabric filled the room with sound and Sarah forced her eyes open. Lavinia neared, a venomous aura surrounding her. She leaned forward and hissed into Sarah’s ear. “You want my silence? Step down from the association and walk out that door. This is
my
movement and you’re not needed here. Resign and I won’t say another word. Fight me and I’ll see to it that undertaker and his family never know respect again, their own or anyone else’s.”

Chapter Eight

Sarah stared at Lavinia, measuring the threat in her steel-gray eyes. The mixture of fear and determination lurking there gave credence to her words. A chill crept through Sarah.

Lavinia Morgan was not just spouting words. Not at all. She was as vicious as Elizabeth had warned, perhaps even deadly.

“Shall I ruin him, dear?” Lavinia whispered, the threat shrouded in overtly genteel tones.

Sarah bit back the retort that threatened to erupt and forced herself to think before she spoke.

Lavinia’s smile thinned and she leaned closer. The stale odor of onion lingered around her and Sarah fought the urge to step away. She could not, would not, give Lavinia the satisfaction.

“And what of those dear little girls who so mindlessly worship you? How will people treat them once word is out that their father is a lecher? Perhaps Denver needs to know he’s not the fit parent everyone thought he was. I can make this as big as I need to.”

Sarah shivered and pulled away. Curious stares filled the room, each one attempting to decipher the situation. Among them were women who had trusted Daniel to bury their loved ones, perhaps cried on his shoulders as they pondered coffin styles. Surely they wouldn’t believe he was that kind of man.

She caught Elizabeth’s gaze, one of just a handful that held reassurance instead of blatant curiosity or fear. In the whole room, only a few even knew Sarah. To the others, she was no longer a potential leader. She was a threat to the cause, her credibility tattered to the point of hampering the movement.

A few well-chosen words from Lavinia and the gossip could spread far beyond what was or was not happening at the depot. In the ladies' eyes, she and Daniel would be whatever the rumors made them. She hadn’t any doubt that Lavinia would build the entire situation into something it wasn’t. Like a cornered cat, Lavinia would lash out with all her claws, ripping and tearing without discretion.

Even if it meant shredding the lives of two little girls.

Sarah sighed. Somehow, she had to find a way to prevent what was happening, appease Lavinia before she mentioned Daniel’s name aloud to the others. The only loss would be to her own reputation and her active involvement in the movement. Deep down, she knew she’d lost both already.

Swallowing the pride that screamed for defense, Sarah nodded then lifted her head and faced the room. “Are any of you listening to yourselves?” Her measured words bore into the void until several women dropped their stares. “You’re letting malicious gossip run rampant over our honor and our cause, yours as well as mine. I don’t want to sacrifice Colorado’s chance for women’s suffrage because of in-fighting. Good heavens, ladies, what a field day the men would have with that.”

A few of the women laughed nervously as the truth of her words hit home. Sarah waited, watching them begin to nod in agreement, gauging the crowd. Low murmurs of agreement surfaced and the mood shifted.

Sarah smiled, an offering of quiet sincerity, and chose her words with care. “I’d rather give up my active involvement in the movement than have that happen.” She scanned the group, pinning her gaze on Lavinia’s most vocal supporters. “But even without me here, if you continue to repeat Lavinia’s empty accusations, you’ll destroy the cause on your own.”

“Hear, hear,” Mrs. Anderson chimed in.

“But what about everything she’s done?”

“Oh, hush up,” Elizabeth chastised. “Good Gracious, ladies, you’ve torched her honor enough. Unless you want to sacrifice the vote, you’ll quit wagging your tongues and give the woman a little respect. Besides, why push one of our best campaigners out the door?”