Kaitlin's Silver Lining (17 page)

Twenty
Two

Maggie poured Jack
another cup of coffee, while Charley sat in sullen silence. She shook her head,
wondering if that child would ever lose her fierce pride long enough to enjoy a
simple meal.

Jack glanced up from
the article he read. His face bore a troubled look. She sensed he knew
something that would hurt her if he shared it. She gave him an encouraging
smile, communicating silently her desire to be there for him. He smiled back at
her. Maggie beamed, basking in their newfound love.

“That was a mighty
fine breakfast, Miss Maggie, and I shore does appreciate you invitin’ me over.”

“You’re most
welcome.”

“Yuk. Can’t you two
make gooshy eyes at each other somewhere other than the dining room?” Charley
complained.

Jack frowned at her
rudeness. “If’n you don’t like it, best excuse yourself from da table.”

“I don’t have to take
orders from the likes of you,” Charley snapped, daring Jack to correct her
again with a hateful eye.

Maggie froze. She
could sense the tension. Jack’s hands tightened around the paper, and she knew
what it cost him to ignore Charley’s cruel remark. But neither she, nor Jack
had the authority to correct the child as they wanted. The racial bigots in
town wouldn’t take kindly to a black person taking a white child to task.

“Chile, I reckon you
don’t at that, but you best look to your manners. No one should talk that
rudely to their elders no matter what color they be.”

Maggie admired Jack’s
restraint and wondered if Charley understood his meaning. She rather doubted
it. Charley was still young, and impressionable. With the right influence, she
might be taught to change some of her more hypocritical views. It would be
difficult though, for someone had done a thorough job teaching her about social
prejudices, and not in a good way.

“Charley, a man earns
his place in society, and it doesn’t matter what color he wears. People will
learn to respect him for what he makes of himself. Jack holds a position of
dignity in this town. He made money off the gold rush, and he’s invested it
back into the community. He doesn’t deserve censure from a child,” Maggie
admonished, adding to Jack’s persuasive speech.

Charley tilted her
head, her gold curls bouncing against her neck. “My momma told me different.
She said I wasn’t to kowtow to no black folk lessen I wanted to be just like
’em.”

“Do you think it’s
possible for a person to be wrong about something?” Maggie asked.

Charley mulled the
question around for a moment. “I suppose, but I don’t like to think my momma
was wrong. She was usually right about most stuff.”

“Do you know what the
word prejudice means?”

Charley shook her
golden curls.

Jack pointed to the
newspaper. “Prejudice means lots of things to lots of folks. It means hatin’
somethin’ or someone cuz they’re different. I’s different from you, cuz I’s got
a different color of skin. That don’t make you better’n me. It just makes you
and me different. People are prejudice against your aunt cuz she thinks
different than them. They wanna belittle her and hurt her cuz they don’t
understand her. Think that’s the way it should be?”

“No!” Charley said.
“Kaitlin ain’t so bad. Not really. I’m kind of mad at her for making Bryce run
off, but I don’t hate her.”

Maggie stared hard at
Jack. Something else had prompted his words. She glanced at the paper and back
at Jack. “What’s wrong, Jack? You’ve been down all morning, and it has
something to do with Kaitlin.”

Jack pushed the
newspaper her way. “We ain’t the only folks around whats got to deal with
opinionated folk. That fancy talkin’ gossip columnist has taken a dislike to
your Kaitlin. He’s spreadin’ all kinds of rumors, colorin’ the truth to make it
seem like Kaitlin’s got no morals. Why can’t folks just mind their own
business?”

“Jack?”

“I don’t agree with
your views on liquor and such. A man works hard all day, and he expects to
relax a little at night. I ain’t so sure ’bout the votin’ thing either, but
then, I ain’t never been able to vote, so maybe I do understand you women
better than I think. Still, there ain’t no call for that reporter to go
spreadin’ half truths in this here newspaper. No call at all.”

“Let me read it,
Jack.” Maggie pulled the paper from his trembling hands. He was such a proud
man. Her heart went out to him for all he’d suffered in his past. Her life
hadn’t been a piece of cake, but she’d had it better than most.

His eyes met hers,
communicating silently his regret over things he couldn’t change. She
understood. She understood all too well what it meant to regret.

Head
of Newly Formed Suffrage Group Caught in Compromising Situation

By
L. M. Klein

Kaitlin
Kanatzer, self-acclaimed leader for the Mountain Ridge Chapter of Colorado
Suffrage Association, has taken in a male boarder. Seen around town together,
one must question her moral intentions toward this man. It is highly improper
this woman should preach to us about morality when she flaunts her lover in
such a disgraceful manner.

Maggie laid the paper
down. Although there was more, she’d read enough. “Why must people be so
hateful?”

Jack covered her hand
with his. “Ignorance mostly.”

“What are we going to
do about this?” Maggie couldn’t believe the audacity of the author. The truth
had been stretched so poorly, it didn’t even resemble the truth. What purpose
did these people have for targeting Kaitlin?

“What can we do?”

Charley made a grab
for the paper. “What’re they saying about Aunt Kate?”

Jack snatched the
paper from her hands, ripping it in the process. “Ain’t nothing here a little
girl needs to read.”

“I’m not a little
girl.”

“When you act the way
you do, you’re a little girl,” Jack said, putting the paper behind him.

Maggie retrieved the
paper and handed it to Charley. “Here, Charley. Read for yourself. I think you
need to see what hate and prejudice does to folks. Maybe then you’ll begin to
understand why we find your attitude so offensive at times. This article not
only smears Kaitlin’s good name. It also attacks your Uncle Bryce.”

Charley pieced the
torn article together and held it flat on the table while she tried to read.
Several times, she had to have Maggie sound out a big word for her. When she
finally finished, she looked up at Maggie, a perplexed frown marring her
otherwise perfect complexion. “I don’t understand?”

“They’re accusing
your aunt of having an affair with Bryce, of enjoying an immoral affiliation
with the man.”

“But that’s a lie.
Bryce would never dally with a woman.” Her beginning words were full of heat,
but then she became very quiet, and Maggie had to strain to hear the rest. “I
should know. He was the only man that came to our house just for dinner. He was
the only man who didn’t follow Momma into the bedroom where she closed the
door.”

Maggie came around
the table and put her arms around Charley, beginning to understand for the first
time what it meant for Charley to grow up under Bethany’s care.

Charley leaned into
Maggie’s embrace. “He was the only man I ever liked, loved. I wanted him to be
my daddy, to love me as if I were his special girl. I wanted it so badly.”

Tears fell from
Charley’s eyes, and Maggie hugged her tighter, sensing there was more. Charley
whimpered. “I wanted him to be my daddy so badly I started hounding Momma,
begging her to make it come true.”

“Maybe, I best be
goin’,” Jack said, clearing his throat against the emotional scene. Over the
top of Charley’s head, Maggie nodded.

“Let it all out,
girl. You can tell Maggie.”

“I came home early
from school cuz my throat hurt. Bryce’s horse was out front, so I hurried
inside. He was in her bedroom. I was furious. I was going to barge in and stop
him, but then I heard momma crying. She’d asked Bryce to marry up with her, and
he’d refused. She’d done that for me.”

“Your momma must have
loved you very much.”

“It was all my
fault.”

“What was your fault?”

“Momma dying.”

Maggie knelt in front
of the crying child. “No, don’t ever think that. You mustn’t ever think you’re
to blame.”

“But I was. Bryce
couldn’t be my daddy if he wouldn’t marry her, but he could be my daddy if she
died. Don’t you see? She killed herself for me. I killed her. I killed my momma
as surely as if I’d pulled the trigger.”

Twenty
Three

Farley Kaufmann
smiled. The newspaper he held in his right hand rustled ever so slightly. He
sipped slowly on a cup of coffee while he absorbed the article that caused his
mood to lighten. Finally, his schemes had paid off. He was pleased his plan to
discredit Kaitlin Kanatzer was going so well. James deserved a bonus for this.
Farley wanted the governorship, and if he had to stoop low to get it then so be
it.

It was his idea to
send those letters. He hoped they might scare her into leaving, or at the very
least, persuade her to back off from her suffrage activities. When he heard
that James hired a youngster to throw that rock through her window, he’d order
James to put a halt on the letters. As far as he could see, the harmless pranks
had done nothing toward changing Kaitlin’s endeavors in making his life
difficult. Having James send the anonymous tip to the newspaper was a stroke of
genius, though. With her reputation tarnished, Kaitlin’s words would no longer
have the impact they once had.

The door to his
office opened without a preceding knock of warning. Emma swept into the small
space, her expression less than congenial.

“Did you have
anything to do with this...this horrible rumor?” Her eyes flashed with barely
concealed fury. She tossed another copy of the article on the desk in front of
him.

He didn’t even bother
staring at it. “What gives you that idea?”

“You. Your jealousy.
That awful fight we had after Bryce came to call upon me. Did you do this
because of your insane jealousy?”

The sigh he exhaled
was so slight, he doubted Emma had detected it. Relief made the corners of his
mouth curve. She’d attributed his misdeeds to something other than the truth.
“I would hope you know I’m above such machinations.”

“I know nothing of
the sort.” She pouted. “I agreed to marry you because I like the idea of being
the first lady some day. I strongly believe in your ability to fight your way
to the top in the political arena, and I want to be there at the top with you.
I do not love you, so it won’t break my heart should we decide this marriage is
no longer mutually beneficial.”

“Are you threatening
me, dear?”

“No. I believe I’m
just reminding you of where I stand in this relationship.”

“Then, by all means,
let’s be brutally honest with each other. I don’t particularly love you either,
but I find you very beautiful, and I like collecting beautiful things. You come
from a wealthy family, another factor that works well to my advantage. I’m sure
my future father-in-law will see the wisdom in contributing to my campaign. My
display of jealously was of a practical nature. I won’t be cockled once we’re
wed. Bryce Stanton struck me as a man who doesn’t give up all that easily.”

“He has no real
interest in me.” She patted her hair with her white-gloved hand.

“It didn’t look that
way when the man came calling.” He planted his hands on his well-organized desk
and studied her beautiful face. “I think his charming niece was quite right in
assuming he’d planned to ask you for your hand.”

“Maybe, but he
doesn’t love me.” Her delicate shoulders lifted slightly. “If he did, he would
have made more of an effort to court me despite your previous claim.”

He leaned forward,
peering at her intently. “I’m not admitting to anything, but...if Bryce Stanton
were any sort of a gentleman, he would salvage Miss Kanatzer’s damaged
reputation by marrying her. Once married, he would no longer be free to pursue
you, now, would he?”

“You’re heartless,
without a soul. Bryce Stanton is a decent man, one who won’t be manipulated
into marriage this way.”

Farley felt the need
to stand and confront his intended with his physical presence. He rounded the
desk and closed the gap between them. “I think you rather like heartless men.”

Her gray eyes
smoldered with heat. Farley’s heartbeat accelerated. There was nothing more
stimulating than a good fight. He ran his finger along her cheek and felt her
tremble.

“I like power.” She
leaned into his palm. “Don’t think to confuse the two. A compassionate man with
power is far more appealing than a man who gains his power through nefarious
methods.”