'Didn't you hear me, boy? Fetch the buggy.'
Harrison could have sworn he saw smoke coming from Cole's eyes. The brother was smoldering with his anger.
'Won't the wagon do, Eleanor?' Mary Rose asked. She was trying to head off a confrontation. 'You're making my brother angry. Do try to get along.'
Harrison stood behind the two women with his hands clasped behind his back and a wild, isn't-life-grand grin on his face. He was thoroughly enjoying Cole's anger, because the brother couldn't do a damn thing about it.
'You cannot be serious, Mary Rose,' Eleanor replied. 'My skin will get burned if I ride in the wagon. Do you want me to become afflicted with freckles?'
'I have freckles,' Mary Rose said.
'Yes, dear, I know.'
Mary Rose let out a sigh. Then she turned to Cole. 'Please cooperate,' she called out. 'I'll help you hitch up the carriage.'
Cole said something, but they were too far away to hear. Harrison guessed it was a nasty expletive.
'I'll help him,' Harrison volunteered. 'You ladies wait here. Mary Rose?' he said her name on his way down the stairs.
'Yes, Harrison.'
'I like your freckles.'
Harrison did ride with Eleanor, of course, and by the time they reached Blue Belle, getting drunk was beginning to have a certain appeal.
His ears were ringing from her criticisms. The woman never let up. He was going too fast. He wasn't going fast enough. He was sitting too close to her. He was surly with his remarks. He was rude because he wouldn't talk to her.
Travis and Douglas were inside the saloon. They hurried outside as soon as they spotted Cole and Mary Rose riding past. Douglas was given the responsibility of watching out for their sister. He agreed before he spotted the buggy and realized he had just gotten stuck with Eleanor too, and then he started complaining.
No one paid any attention to him. Travis hurried back inside the saloon. He wanted to keep his eye on the three ugly-looking strangers to see if one of them reacted when Harrison came inside.
Mary Rose and Eleanor walked side by side down the street. Douglas stayed well behind them.
'When we go inside the store, you might notice a young woman working behind the counter. Her name's Catherine Morrison. Her father owns the place,' Mary Rose said.
'Is she important?'
'What do you mean?'
'Never mind,' Eleanor replied. 'Why are you telling me about her if she's just a clerk?'
'She's interested in Harrison,' Mary Rose said.
'I'm certain the woman could do better.'
'What's wrong with Harrison?'
'So many things I don't know where to begin,' Eleanor said. 'Let's see. He can't engage in a decent conversation. He mumbles one-word replies, and he frowns all the time. He's quite intimidating too. Surely you've noticed.'
'I noticed he's wonderful and kind and thoughtful and loving,' Mary Rose replied. 'I don't want Catherine flirting with him.'
'And?' Eleanor prodded.
'I just thought that if you happen to see Catherine hanging around Harrison, you would… you know.'
'Interrupt them?'
'Yes.'
'Why would I want to do that?'
'To help me,' Mary Rose cried out, her exasperation obvious. 'It won't kill you, Eleanor, to lend a hand every now and then. Oh, never mind. Forget I even mentioned Catherine. You should have asked me if you could wear my dress before you put it on, by the way.'
'It's too tight for me.'
Eleanor didn't apologize, but Mary Rose hadn't really expected her to. They reached the general store. Mary Rose held the door open and let Eleanor go inside first.
Douglas made certain there weren't any unsavory characters inside, then went back out and stood by the door. He was going to make his sister control Eleanor's behavior.
Harrison spotted the man who had tried to ambush him as soon as he walked into the saloon. The son-of-a- bitch quickly looked away. Harrison pretended he hadn't recognized him. He looked the other two over on his way to the counter.
He ordered a drink of whiskey and downed it in one long swallow. He swore he could still hear Eleanor's voice pounding like a hammer inside his head.
Travis moved to stand on Harrison 's left side and Cole moved to stand on his right side. Both brothers put their backs to the counters and stared at the strangers.
'Well?' Cole whispered. He half turned to ask, 'Is he in here?'
Harrison didn't answer. Travis turned to him and said, 'There are a couple of other men hanging around Belle's place. You should look them over too. They don't have any reason to be down there. Belle's been in Hammond almost six months now. Everyone knows she won't be back until July. She always comes home for my birthday and stays until it turns cold again. Are you sure you remember what the man who shot you looked like?'
'What are you boys whispering about? I don't want any shooting in here, Cole. Keep that in mind.' Billie was frowning with his worry.
'I was just about to tell Travis and Cole to stay out of my business, Billie,' Harrison told the proprietor.
'I don't recall ever hearing anyone tell Cole Clayborne to stay out of his business before.'
'I'm not taking offense,' Cole said. ' Harrison hasn't been feeling well lately.'
Billie nodded sympathetically. He leaned into the counter. 'I heard about your fainting spells. Have you had any more I should know about?'
Harrison turned to glare at Cole. The brother tried to look innocent. He failed in his endeavor.
'I didn't tell Billie,' he insisted.
'He told Dooley,' Travis was happy to add.
'Do you know those men sitting at the table in the corner near the window?' Harrison asked Billie.
'No, why do you ask?'
'I just wondered who they were,' Harrison replied.
'Someone needs to tell them to take a bath. I can smell them over here,' Cole remarked in a loud voice so he'd be sure to be overheard.
'Stay out of my business, Cole,' Harrison snapped.
'I was just having a little fun.'
'Do you want to go down to Belle's place or not?' Travis asked.
'Tell me who Belle is first,' Harrison said.
'Why, she's the town's whore,' Billie informed him. He sounded immensely proud of that fact. 'Belle's a right nice woman. Isn't she, Travis?'
'Yes, she is.'
Cole wasn't paying any attention to the conversation. One of the men had gotten up and walked outside. He waited to see what the others were going to do.
'Of course, she's gotten on in years,' Billie continued. 'She's still got a good, soft touch though. Judge Burns always stops by her place to say his hello and put his boots under her bed whenever he passes through town on a hanging spree. We all think mighty highly of her. I guess you figured that out already though, since we named our town after her.'
'The town's named after a whore?' Harrison was incredulous. He shook his head and burst into laughter.
'What's so funny?' Billie asked.
