Colorado Dawn (53 page)

Beatrice reacted as if she’d sat on a branding iron. She jumped up, threw her napkin on the table, and plunked her fists on her hips. “Young lady, don’t you take that tone with me, especially not in front of a guest. You don’t know what’s best for you. I do. Now apologize to the reverend and sit down.”

Alicia returned to her seat, but her eyes glittered with rebellion. “I do apologize to the reverend. Silas, I’m sorry for the way my mother tries to manipulate you. I’m sorry she’s plotted our marriage when it’s plain we are unsuited for one another. You’ve been patient and gallant. Too patient perhaps. I could tell the moment I saw you with Willow Starr you had great feelings for her. I only hope she returns those feelings for you. You deserve to be happy.”

Mrs. Drabble sank to her chair, her mouth slack.

Silas was sure her daughter had never spoken so boldly against her mother. He admired her grit. Not too many folks had the fortitude to take on such a determined woman.

“Is it true? You have feelings for an actress?”

“That’s right, Mrs. Drabble. I’m courting Willow Starr.”

The shock vanished from her face, replaced by anger. “The board is going to hear about this. Can you imagine what the district supervisor will say when he hears? Not to mention what your father will say.”

The threat in her voice tightened Silas’s neck muscles. What would his father say about Willow? He folded his napkin. “I think it is time for me to go. I’m sorry you feel Willow Starr isn’t right for me, but I am a grown man and able to make my own choice. I’m sure that when you get to know her, you’ll recognize what a special young woman she is. I do hope you’ll do your best to welcome her into the congregation.”

As he walked up the hill to the church, he couldn’t help but feel proud of Alicia for finally standing up to her mother. At least that was one problem off his plate. No more trying to find a tactful way of evading Mrs. Drabble’s matchmaking plans. And probably no more escaping her invitations to dinner. He doubted he’d be invited back anytime soon.

As to what his father would say…He sighed. It had been such a long time since he’d pleased his father in any way. Their communications tended to be formal, stilted, and on his father’s side at least, loaded with long-suffering patience as he waited for his son to get his ridiculous notions out of his system and return to the life mapped out for him since birth. Silas was sure Willow Starr factored nowhere in his father’s plans.

But clearing the air with Mrs. Drabble had assured Silas of one thing. He knew without a doubt his heart belonged to Willow. He was in love, and he couldn’t wait to find just the right way to tell her.

A
busy week followed his dinner at the Drabbles, and he found himself unable to spend much time with Willow after all. Mrs. Drabble sent word she would be unable to help with the orphanage. He knew he should go see her and try to smooth out the rift between them, but he kept putting it off.

Sunday morning, Mrs. Drabble was absent from church, though Alicia and Mr. Drabble attended. He tried to speak to Walter Drabble before they left but got waylaid by the Mackenzies and an invitation to lunch. Mr. Drabble slipped out, taking Alicia with him.

Willow came to church, edging into the back at the last minute, and at the Mackenzies’ insistence was included in the lunch invitation. The meal and the company were excellent and encouraged Silas. Willow was especially taken with the baby, and something about seeing her holding an infant, so enraptured, made Silas’s insides turn to porridge.

Monday evening, Silas found himself yawning right after supper. “Sherman, if I didn’t have these church records to catch up on, I’d fall right into bed.”

Sherman seemed unconcerned, continuing to wash his snowy paws.

Another yawn overtook Silas, and he scrubbed his hair, stretching and trying to wake up. He hadn’t been sleeping too well. Thoughts of Willow kept him awake. And the issue of the ill feelings between himself and the Drabbles. He was also worried about Kenneth Hayes. Since their talk, Kenneth had missed several Sundays in a row at church. “Tomorrow I need to go see him.”

If Kenneth had made his intentions known to the girl’s father and been rejected, it might explain his absence, but if he’d put off asking permission and didn’t want to face Silas, that might also prompt him to avoid church. And there might be another reason altogether. No matter. It deserved investigation.

A knock sounded on the door, and Silas levered himself up from his desk. He hoped whoever it was wouldn’t want to stay long, and he squashed that inhospitable thought before it could take root. If someone needed him, he was there to serve.

Jesse Mackenzie stood on the porch, his face like a thundercloud.

“Evening, Jesse. What’s wrong? Is it Matilda? Or one of the grandkids?”

“No, no, nothing like that. The board has called a special meeting over at the church.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels.

Silas blinked and reached for the doorjamb. “A special meeting? Tonight? What for?”

“Mrs. Drabble called it. Well, I suppose officially Walter Drabble called it, but she’s pulling the strings, same as always. Says he’s got something important that needs to be discussed.”

Silas reached for his suit coat and tried to tamp down his ruffled hair. “Is everyone there?”

“Yep, the whole board, elders and deacons and the two deaconesses. Mrs. Drabble seems to have made a good recovery from whatever kept her away from church yesterday.” Jesse paced the porch. “She won’t say why she called the meeting, just insisted everyone attend, especially you.”

A knot formed between Silas’s shoulder blades as he shrugged into his coat, but he cautioned himself against giving in to dread and despair. If only he hadn’t put off going to see her. These kinds of problems never got solved by ignoring them. “Maybe something to do with the orphanage again. The open house is set for next week.” A weak hope, but something to grasp on to.

Jesse shrugged and continued to pace the porch floor while Silas doused the lamps and closed the door.

Lights blazed from the church windows, and Silas paused on the top step to appreciate what a pretty picture the white-steepled building made with all the colored glass windows.

When they entered the building, the tension in the room bombarded him. Five people stared back at him, six if you included Jesse. Two elders, two deacons, and two deaconesses. Matilda wore a worried look but smiled encouragingly, while the Drabbles looked grim. Mrs. Drabble in particular looked as if she were sharpening her verbal knives. The other two, Larry Horton, a deacon, and Ned Meeker, an elder, had separated into their usual seats. Larry sat with the Drabbles, and Meeker just behind Matilda. Jesse strode up the aisle and took a seat next to his wife.

“Good evening.” Silas walked up the aisle and turned to face them. “I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage. I don’t know why this meeting has been called. Does it have something to do with the orphanage?” He searched Matilda Mackenzie’s face, but she shook her head and gave a slight shrug. Clearly she’d been kept in the dark as well.

Mrs. Drabble poked her husband in the ribs. “Go ahead.”

Walter took his time unfolding himself from his seat. “Silas—”

“Reverend!” Mrs. Drabble hissed the word, poking him again.

Walter began again. “Reverend, it has come to the attention of the board that you may be…socializing with an undesirable element. Some of the board members feel you shouldn’t do this.” He sat down again and folded his arms across his chest.

“An undesirable element?” Silas’s heart began to thud, and his ribs squeezed tight.

Mrs. Drabble leaned forward and grasped the back of the pew in front of her. “Don’t pretend you don’t know. You told me with your own mouth you were courting an
actress
.” Her eyes glowed like coals, and hectic color stained her cheeks. “It’s unseemly, and it’s got to stop.”

Silas braced his palms on the railing that divided the platform from the pews. “You called a board meeting to discuss my private business?” He kept his voice even, but his fingers bit into the banister.

Her chin went up. “You have no one to blame but yourself. I tried to follow the biblical procedure. I tried to talk to you about this privately in my home, but you wouldn’t listen. Now I have no choice but to bring it before the board.”

Jesse leaned forward. “Is this about Willow?”

“Exactly.” Mrs. Drabble snapped off the word like a breaking a twig. “And what kind of outlandish name is Willow anyway? It’s probably not her real name at all. All these actor-types use fake names. It’s like lying.”

Every time she spoke, Larry Horton nodded, and Silas had the feeling she’d been over it all with him already. He seemed firmly in her camp.

Larry squinted. “I can’t believe this even needs to be brought up. Everybody knows women entertainers are of low character. You might’s well have paraded up Main Street with one of the working girls from the Lead Pig Saloon on your arm as bring that actress to church.”

Silas’s head snapped back. “That is a scurrilous remark if I ever heard one. You’re making generalities and assumptions that could have serious consequences. Rumors like that do a lot of damage, and I take exception to you speaking that way about the woman I’m courting.”

Jesse nodded. “Have you even met this girl, Larry? Do you know her? I have. She’s been a guest in my home. She’s as lovely and charming and as good as your own daughters. I’d stake my silver mine on it.” His mighty fist slammed down on the rail before him. “She’s an actress, and a very good one, I might add, and nothing in her behavior indicated she had anything in common with a saloon girl. As far as I’m concerned, she’s welcome in my home and in this church.”

Larry’s neck grew mottled with red splotches. “We’re not talking about your home, and she’s certainly welcome to attend church and change her ways. What we are talking about is Silas keeping company with a woman of poor reputation and compromising the work of the church and the very Gospel he proclaims.”

Matilda cleared her throat. “Larry, those are some very strong words. As Jesse has said, we’ve attended the play being performed, and we’ve had Willow in our home, not to mention meeting her at a reception in the hotel where her manners and behavior were exemplary. She’s done nothing and said nothing to indicate she is of low moral character. In fact, it is just the opposite. She speaks of her faith naturally and openly. You mentioned her reputation, but reputation is something manufactured by others. Reputation has nothing to do with character, and everything I’ve witnessed tells me her character is very good.”

Ned Meeker raised his hand. His pale eyes looked out of a face as wrinkled as crumpled paper. He had years of wisdom, experience, and leadership to draw on, and Silas had always found him a good advisor. “Folks, how many of us here have met the young lady in question?”

The Mackenzies raised their hands.

Mrs. Drabble did as well. “I met her at the hotel restaurant where our pastor was dining with her and her sister. Bold as anything.”

Ned pursed his lips. “Have you spoken to her beyond saying hello?”

Silas cast back to that evening and realized Beatrice hadn’t even acknowledged the Starrs beyond a scowl or two.

“Well no, not to say spoken to. But I’m no fool. I know what I know.”

Ned eased himself to his feet, his knees cracking. “Folks, this whole meeting leaves a rather bad taste in my mouth.” His gnarled hands grasped the pew ahead of him, and his breath wheezed, testament to years spent in mine shafts and rock dust. “Pastor Hamilton has never given us cause to doubt his judgment. If he says Miss Starr is a fitting companion, then that’s good enough for me. There’s them that talks about being good and aren’t, and them that are good and find themselves talked about.” His gaze rested heavily on each one there before he eased back down onto the pew and rested his hands in his lap.

Matilda turned and patted his hand.

Silas decided it was time for him to step in. “I thank you, Ned, for your support, and you, too, Jesse and Matilda. I think the crux of the matter here is that there have been opinions formed without knowing the facts. Perhaps if you were to get to know Willow, you’d all come to see what I’ve seen.” He looked sternly at the Drabble contingent. “All I’m asking is that you give Willow a chance. Get to know her and the other folks at the theater. I’m not saying they’re all saints, but Willow is a fine young woman, and I intend to marry her.”

Mrs. Drabble sucked in a gasp and coughed. “Marriage?”

Silas frowned. “Mrs. Drabble, surely you didn’t think I would court a woman if I didn’t think she was suitable for marriage?”

She fanned herself with her handkerchief. “You mean you would refuse my daughter and all the other nice church girls in favor of an
actress
?”

“Mrs. Drabble, I don’t think a church board meeting is the place to discuss this. Alicia and I have made our feelings clear to you on this matter. She has no more interest in marrying me than I have in marrying her.”

Larry stood and creased the crown of his hat, his jaw set like granite and a flinty look in his eye. “Looks to me that even if we was to vote, we’d be split, just like usual, and the pastor would break the tie in favor of himself. But I warn you, if you bring that woman into the parsonage, you’ll find more than a few families in this church unhappy about it. Not to mention the denomination. I haven’t turned in my questionnaire yet, and neither have a few others. If you insist on cramming this woman down our throats, you might find yourself on the outside of this church looking in.”

He jammed his hat onto his head and stalked out. Mr. and Mrs. Drabble followed after him, leaving Ned and the Mackenzies.

Silas sank onto the front pew and put his face into his hands. He’d been blithely following his heart while a chasm opened between his feet and split the church board right down the middle. He had underestimated Mrs. Drabble’s vitriol. Larry’s words both surprised him and hurt him, since he’d never borne any ill will toward the man and had assumed they were not only friends but had a mutual respect for one another.