He thought he had presented a sound case. He still didn't win. Adam let the women go.
Mary Rose hurried to get ready. Eleanor was already upstairs changing her dress. Harrison couldn't imagine why she needed to put on a fresh one. She hadn't done a damned thing to get the gown she'd been wearing dirty.
Adam waited until both women were out of sight and then came out onto the porch and sat down next to Harrison.
"I don't know if I'm using good sense or just giving in to desperation. A few hours of peace and quiet is a powerful lure."
"Eleanor's driving you crazy too, isn't she?" Cole asked.
Adam reluctantly nodded. "She's pleasant to me. I shouldn't complain, but…"
"She has the household in an uproar," Harrison concluded.
"Yes," Adam agreed.
"She isn't stupid, just mean," Cole said. He paused to smile. "I kind of appreciate that quality in a woman," he admitted.
"Which one? Stupid or mean?" Harrison asked just to goad him.
"Mean, of course. Eleanor isn't going to bite the hand that lets her stay."
"I wish she'd stop causing so much trouble." Adam sounded weary and bewildered.
"You're going to have to do something about her," Cole told his brother.
"Like what?"
Harrison stood up. "Let me take a swing at her. Cole, you're going to have to help."
"I don't like to hit a woman. Fact is, I never have. It doesn't seem right."
"I didn't mean literally." Harrison caught Cole's grin and realized he was jesting.
"Mary Rose says Eleanor's afraid," Adam remarked. "I've spent quite a lot of time with the woman and I guess I agree."
"And that's why the two of you have been so patient with her. It isn't working," Harrison said.
"Tell us something we don't know, City Boy."
"Cole, quit baiting him. He's trying to help. Did you have a particular plan in mind, Harrison?"
"Yes. A little terror tactic."
Eleanor's shout of anger floated down to the porch. Cole closed his eyes in reaction. Adam clenched his jaw.
"God, she's got a shrill voice," Cole muttered. "Does she have to scream all the time?"
Harrison didn't believe Cole's question needed an answer. He told the brothers the plan and waited to hear their arguments.
There weren't any. "So I get to be the savior," Cole remarked. "What about Mary Rose? She won't go along with this."
"We wait until we're on our way back from town. Travis and Douglas will ride with Mary Rose ahead… way ahead," Harrison said.
"Why can't I be the one to dump her out on the ridge?" Cole asked. "I'm better at being mean."
"Because I don't want her to hate you. She can hate me," Harrison explained.
"Then you have to ride with her in the wagon. I'll go get it hitched up," Cole said.
Mary Rose came downstairs a few minutes later, but Eleanor didn't come down for another half hour.
Harrison waited in the front hall with Mary Rose. Adam had gone into the kitchen to help prepare their supper.
Eleanor finally presented herself. She was wearing one of Mary Rose's dresses. Harrison remembered it because Mary Rose had looked so pretty in its particular shade of blue.
Mary Rose looked startled when she saw what her houseguest was wearing. She didn't say anything about it, however, and Harrison decided to let it go, for now.
Eleanor didn't look half bad wearing the dress. If he didn't dislike her behavior so thoroughly, he would have taken the time to appreciate the fact that she was a fine-looking woman. She had pretty hair. It was short and very curly. He didn't know if she had a nice smile though, because he'd never seen her smile. Her lips were always puckered with disgust, as though she had just swallowed a dose of castor oil.
"Are you ready to leave, Eleanor? Cole's waiting out front."
"Is there a restaurant in town? I'll probably want to refresh myself with a spot of tea and some biscuits before we head back. I'll need additional funds, Mary Rose. Be a dear and give me more money."
"The only eating establishment is the saloon, and we can't go in there."
"How uncivilized. Why can't we go inside?"
"Because it isn't proper. Shall we go?"
Harrison held the screen door open for the women. Eleanor went outside first but came to an abrupt stop. Mary Rose bumped into her.
Eleanor had spotted the wagon at the end of the path and was now shaking her head. Cole was on his way back to the barn to get the other horses.
Eleanor shouted to him. "You, there. Fetch the buggy. The wagon won't do."
Cole stopped in his tracks. And then he slowly turned around to look at Eleanor. His expression showed how furious he was.
"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?"