ONE

1882

“I will not have you chasing away every eligible suitor that comes to call!” Peter Weatherman’s voice was getting raw from yelling at his daughter. She sat across from his massive mahogany desk, arms crossed defiantly beneath her breasts, eyes narrowed in insolence, and lips pursed in anger. He sighed. His yelling was accomplishing nothing—except to give him a sore throat—but despite her stubbornness and irritation, he had to try to get through to her. Had he known how difficult a female became when they hit the age of majority, he would have forbidden his wife from dying—God rest her soul. Right now, he needed God to provide him a little rest for his soul also.

When her father grew silent, glaring at her with his icy emerald eyes, Marcelle straightened her posture further. She refused to allow him to sway her—now or ever. She unclenched her stiffening fists, flexing repeatedly, and felt the blood return to its normal circulation, as she wished her life would. Things were fine before she turned fourteen. Now, at seventeen, she was tired—tired of the same embittered argument with her father, which occurred like clockwork. She examined her father’s face, red from the exertion of her dressing down, but she would not allow the threat of a potential heart attack to sway her from her stance. Not this time. Never again.

She loved her father dearly, but she needed to continue to stand firm or he would run roughshod over her life, and she couldn’t allow him to continue trying. She was tired beyond all comprehensible thought of him treating her like a horse at an auction, brought out of her barn when he had yet another buffoon ready to inspect her wares. Each suitor genuinely surprised her when he didn’t open her mouth to inspect her teeth—at least none had yet. Still, while her teeth had thus far been safe from inspection, they often inspected the rest of her openly and shamelessly for longer than she cared. Of course, every time she protested the behavior of chosen suitors, her father would remind her that she needed a man that would provide her a financially stable future, even if that meant suffering a bit of indignity.

Well, she didn’t happen to want financial stability, not at the price her father demanded. If her father wanted her to have financial stability, she preferred that it came as love wrapped in a package that time had not yet covered with graying hair and wrinkles.

She was also growing weary of these constant battles. After years of trying to find a suitable mate and arguing with her father about the unsuitability of every one of them, she felt certain that he would know that her tastes didn’t run anywhere near the old, infirmed, portly, or stuffy men he insisted on promenading before her.

She took a deep breath to control her breathing and relax her taut nerves.

“The men you have chosen, Father, as you are aware,” she replied tightly, “are older than you are, and not exactly what I’d consider suitable marriageable material.” She repeated this exact statement monthly since age fourteen when her father started parading corpses before her and she realized he seriously expected her to choose from one of them. She knew what his response would be because their entire conversation never veered from its current content.

“Who said anything about suitable? I said eligible,” her father shot back.

“Semantics, Father. If the gentlemen weren’t suitable, at least in your opinion, they wouldn’t even make it in the front door. Aren’t you even interested in the least whether I’ll be happy with any of the men you’ve chosen, or are property and a big bank roll all you can see?”

“You have a tongue like a whip, girl.”

“And you have a mind that can only register dollar signs,” Marcelle fired back. “Is that all you’re interested in? Is that all that’s important to you?”

“Property and a big bank roll, my darling daughter, are all that matter, and if I didn’t care about your well-being, then I’d simply marry you to the first cowpoke that wanted to bed you and be done with it. Now, stop causing me grief, go into that sitting room, and entertain the young man that’s come to call or so help me...” Peter stopped speaking suddenly and rubbed a hand wearily across his face and through his quickly graying hair. A sigh escaped and Marcelle relaxed her rigid posture. She eyed her father warily.

“Or so help you what, Father?”

In all the years that they’d had this discussion, he had never taken to threatening her, but now she wondered, possibly a little too late, whether she’d pushed him too far. Had her antics and arguments over the past years caused as much strain on his patience as hers? Perhaps he was tired of waiting for her to choose a husband. Perhaps he would now marry her off to the next man who walked through their front door. Perhaps the suitor that waited for her in the parlor. She shuddered at the thought. His next words, whispered in such a defeated tone, caused more worry in her than any threat he could ever issue, but his words were reassuring nonetheless.

“Nothing, dearest. Just the ravings of a tired, old man. Still, you know, dear, you are getting on in years, and soon even the old geezers that I’ve selected for you aren’t going to be interested.”

“I’d hardly call seventeen aged, Father.”

“No, I don’t guess you would, but you know as well as I do that men consider it ancient.” He sighed loudly. “If only your mother were here, God rest her soul, she’d know what to do about your belligerent attitude. If you were a boy, I’d know what to do about your belligerent attitude.” With another sigh, her father tried a more tactful approach. “Will you at least humor me, my girl? You’ve already kept the poor man in the parlor waiting on you for the past half hour. Perhaps you won’t have to run him off. Maybe he’ll take a dislike to your tardy manners and decide you aren’t worth his valuable time.”

“How much did you pay this one to show up today?” Marcelle quipped.

“Far more than your old hide is worth,” her father retorted.

Marcelle laughed shortly, “I’m not the only one with a whip-like tongue.”

“Yes, well, you do get it from somewhere. Your mother was a sight bit more docile than either you or I, so I know it wasn’t from her that you get that somewhat annoying trait. I only wished you hadn’t inherited it from me either. It’s just unfortunate that you didn’t inherit my care for money, or you’d see the wisdom of marrying someone financially sound; and no, I haven’t started paying people to court you, so you can shake that silly notion free from its lodgings and discard it. Put it in the pile with all the other silly notions you’ve had in your life, which probably have created a sizable mound by now. However, I was serious about your age, child. Seventeen may not be aged to you, but to a man wanting children, you may as well be as old as the men that have come courting you.”

“I’d laugh, but I didn’t find that humorous. You know, not all men want twenty children. I may just find a man who wants only one, so seventeen or eighteen shouldn’t present a problem. Besides, Father, I’ve told you repeatedly that the man I marry could build us a one-room shack. It wouldn’t matter to me, if he loves me and is willing to work to provide a living for us.”

“That’s easy to say when you’ve never had to want for anything. Try living without money for a week and you’ll change that tune quickly enough.”

“Sounds like you have.”

“Indeed, and I’m not a woman.”

“A woman? What does gender have to do with anything?”

“Oh, dearest,” her father sighed, “a woman requires much more in the way of support. A man could wear the same clothes every day, never bathe, eat whatever he found in the wild, and sleep under the stars—without a care. Can you see a woman doing that? Really?”

“Point conceded. Still, Father, do I truly require that much in the way of upkeep that you must marry me to a wealthy man without regard to my feelings for him? Why can’t you find a young, good looking man of modest means?”

“I’ve tried, and none are interested in an old crone. Just kidding, dear. Admittedly, you aren’t very difficult to care for. I just want to ensure that you never want for anything, and men of modest means, no matter the age, couldn’t possibly do that for you. Can you blame a father for wanting the best for his child?”

“No, I can’t. I just want you to see my side of it as well. Perhaps I’m willing to suffer a bit of discomfort in order to wed for love.”

Peter sighed yet again. He was pleased that their constant battles had taken a turn, but only hoped the shift would prove beneficial. “I’ll see what I can do in that regard. I could possibly even provide the discomfort part without the courtships if you don’t stop giving me grief. Now, all this conversation hasn’t changed the fact that a suitor is in the parlor, and has been waiting for you for,” he paused, glancing at his pocket watch, “forty-five minutes, I do believe.”

“Must I, Father?”

“Leaving him there would hardly be polite, and since I didn’t raise you without manners, will you do your old man a favor and at least attempt civility with this caller? I have no more room on my head for more gray hair.”

“All right, Father,” she conceded reluctantly, never truly happy when they fought. “I’ll go and meet the suitor, and I promise to try to behave myself.” She twisted her lips to display her best brainless, dim-witted smile. “How’s this?” She asked mischievously through gritted teeth. Her ploy worked and her father laughed.

“Don’t overdo it dear; just do try to be pleasant.”

Marcelle stood to leave, but stopped and turned back to face her father when she reached the door. “You said for me to go and meet the young man in the parlor. Exactly what’s your idea of young?”

“Not in his grave yet,” her father answered with a straight face that left Marcelle wondering whether he was joking.