It was a case that made Colin smile. This was exactly why he had wanted to come to this sleepy town. He felt like he was actually making a more significant difference here than he would have in the city. He took the keys out of his pocket and opened the door to his office, allowing for Elizabeth and Maddie to go inside before him. The office was sparse, with only a few furniture items and boxes everywhere. He had sent his things via freight when he left Philadelphia and they were just now arriving.

  If Lily was in charge of setting up his office, it would have been in no more than a week from the first box arriving to the last book in its proper place on the shelves. He dismissed the thought from his mind. Lily wasn’t coming, now or ever.

  He motioned for Elizabeth to take a seat in one of the chairs he had before he sat behind his desk. “So, what can I do for you?”

  “I was wondering if you would be available to take a case. Have you heard about Clover Kelly?” she asked, as she nestled Maddie against her chest.

  “Yes, the woman they arrested at the hotel for prostitution.” Of course, he knew of the case. The whole town knew of the case. There was this underground gang who were pushing a prostitution ring in the town under everyone’s noses. The sheriff’s sister was the one orchestrating the whole scheme, but she had been missing for weeks now.

  “Well, it seems her representation didn’t come through, and I was wondering if you would be able to help her.”

  Colin scratched his head and turned his head sideways. “Didn’t she set up Misty at the hotel?” he asked. Misty followed Samantha from Philadelphia and was working as a maid at the hotel when she ended up being exposed as part of the brothel. That was how the Sheriff had become involved in the first place and finally admitted his feelings for the fiery maid. Or at least, that was the way Samantha had explained it to Colin.

  “Yes, she did. But I believe that she was basically pushed into the work, at no fault of her own.”

  “What makes you think that?” Colin asked. It was a perfect test case for him in this small town, but he didn’t want to take a case that had no chance of winning.

  “I’ve had a few chats with her down at the jail. From what I can tell, she was put into a situation where she had to do the work.” Elizabeth saw the skepticism on Colin’s face. “I think you should take a trip down to the jail and see for yourself. You might be surprised,” she said as she got up from the chair. Colin stood to see her to the door. “I have to get back home to put Maddie down for a nap and then get back to the school house.” She turned before she exited, “I hope you at least consider it.”

  As she left, taking the little girl with her, Colin thought to himself. It wouldn’t hurt to go and see for himself, he thought, so he picked up his portfolio and headed out to the jail.

  The first thought that came to his mind when he met Clover Kelly was how beautiful she was. But it wasn’t the kind of quiet beauty he was used to seeing from woman. It was very stark in contrast. Her mere presence in the room screamed for your attention. She had big brown eyes and full lips, with high rosy cheeks. Her long blond hair was tied behind her head in a braid and her clothes revealed her womanly shape in a way that most people would find obscene. And the look she wore on her face screamed danger.

  When he took a seat across from her, she raised an eyebrow. “Hello, Miss Kelly. I’m Colin Sullivan and I’m a lawyer interested in possibly taking your case.”

  “Possibly?” she questioned.

  “Well, yes. I want to assess whether this case is winnable in any way.” Clover started to laugh at his statement, which frustrated Colin. “Miss Kelly, I don’t know what’s so funny.”

  “You are,” she said, as her laughs started to disappear. “And please, call me Clover. I’m no lady,” she said, motioning to her surroundings. “And I can tell you, I don’t believe I’m getting out of here alive.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “I’ve done everything they are accusing me of. It’s not like I am innocent. I was running the business.”

  “But it’s a matter of perception,” Colin continued, looking at Clover. He could see it in her eyes that she was very resolved to her fate, as if she was already thinking she was going to be hanged for this. “Do you truly believe you are guilty?”

  Clover thought about this for a while. “I believe I did all those things that were wrong, but I don’t think I am guilty. I was just,” she said, looking down on at her hands. For the first time since he met her, she looked almost vulnerable. It was hard imagining her as a young girl. Colin had been amazed when he first learned she was only nineteen years old, and when he first saw her, he couldn’t see the age. She looked older than she was on paper. But now, she looked like that scared little girl. “I didn’t see a way out of my circumstances. I wasn’t given much of a choice.”

  She talked for a few moments as she fiddled with her hands. Colin listened intently. By the time she finished, Colin felt an overpowering sense of protection towards her.

  “You’ve convinced me,” he said, pulling a notebook from his briefcase. Her stunned expression showed she wasn’t entirely sure he was going to stay. “Now, please start from the beginning.”

  Chapter 11

  Mid November, Philadelphia

  The telegram came at just the right moment. Lily was on her way out, with little Victoria at her feet when Iva had come with the slip of paper. “I didn’t know you knew anyone from Illinois,” she said, trying to look past Lily’s shoulder to read the telegram.

  “Yes, Samantha lives out there. We’ve been sending each other letters, though I don’t know what would be so important for her to send me a telegram,” she said, as she looked at the piece of paper. She conveniently left out the other person who was staying there as well. Iva had all but banned Colin’s name in conversations.

  She walked away to get a bit more privacy, secretly thanking her young niece when she cried to be held in her mother’s arms. She read the script realizing that it wasn’t Samantha who had sent her the telegram, but Colin.

  He wanted her to come and help him with a case, to be something of a woman’s advocate to a young woman on trial for various crimes.

  “What is she asking?” Iva asked, as she told her daughter to go play in her bedroom.

  “She wants me to be a woman’s advocate. There is a case in Illinois that she needs my help with.”

  “A case?” Iva asked, as she put two and two together. “She wants you to go out there?”

  “It seems like it,” she said as she folded the piece of paper and placed it in her dress pocket before Iva could see the contents.

  “You can be seriously thinking about it?” Iva scoffed.

  “And why can’t I?”

  “Because you need to stay here. The children need you. Martin’s trying to secure his political position and the next few weeks are crucial.”

  “Honestly, Iva. You do not need me. That is just an excuse, so you have someone to take care of the children, cook and clean,” she said, getting up from her seat and going to her room. She pulled out a suitcase from her closet and started to pack.

  “What do you think you are doing?” Iva asked, as she looked at the suitcase on her bed.

  “I’m going to go help my dear friend,” she said, going through her drawers in search of her best clothes to wear.

  “I can’t allow you to do this,” she said trying to reach for the suitcase.

  Lily stopped her. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

  “But you are making a mistake,” she started to say.

  “And you have to just let me make them,” Lily said. “I know you care for me, but I have to make my own decisions and live with them.”

  “But what about me?” Iva started to cry.

  “I can’t just let this go. I’ll be gone for a few weeks and come back, and you’ll have your support system back in place. I’m sure this whole political mess will blow over and you will have nothing to worry about.”

  Iva was quiet for a few moments before a soft sniffle was heard in the room. “I don’t know what is happening with the committee, Lily. Everything is so hushed, and Martin doesn’t share anything. I’m scared.”

  Lily took her sister by the shoulders and lifted her chin, so they were looking eye-to-eye. “Nothing is going to happen while I’m gone. There. Back. Done. There is some girl in a jail cell that shouldn’t be there. I have to do what’s right. If it was one of the babies sitting in jail, wouldn’t you be grateful for a little help? It really is very simple.”

  “I can’t control your actions, but I wish you would really think about this. I don’t think it’s as simple as you say it is. And why do I think that when you get out there, you will never be coming back?”

  As Iva quietly exited the room, Lily thought about her words.

  Yes, it wasn’t as simple as she was saying, but she also made a promise to herself; if Colin ever asked for her help, no matter how hurt she was, she was always going to be there for him. She was also open to the possibilities of what might happen.

  For the first time, she felt freer than she had in ages.

  “So, you are taking the case?” Samantha asked, as she put a plate of food in front of Colin. She set another plate in front of her husband Seth.

  “Yes, I think so. I got Clover’s statement and I think there is a compelling case to make that she was forced into this work for fear of her losing her life,” Colin said.

  “That’s encouraging,” she said, as she set her own plate in the middle of the table before taking a seat, “Let’s say Grace.”

  Seth led the simple prayer and dug into his meal with relish. Colin took a bite and savored the flavor combination – roast chicken with potatoes and gravy. One of his favorites.

  Even though he had been at the Jenkin’s house for many suppers these last few months, he still couldn’t believe how far Samantha had come. When she was living in Philadelphia, she could barely boil water let alone make any meals.

  Seth had explained she was exactly like that when she first came to live with them, but the community rallied around her and with the help of the hotel proprietor and Elizabeth, who lived in the house down the road from them, she was doing well. Samantha had asked him over for an early supper, he declined. She persisted until he relented. As he tasted the roasted bird in his mouth, he was glad he gave in.

  “I knew you would take the case,” she said lifting her fork.

  Colin paused. “I thought it was Elizabeth’s idea?”

  Seth laughed. “Samantha is always one step ahead.”

  Samantha gave her husband a dirty look before she started to eat her food. In the many ways Samantha had changed she had also very much stayed the same. He had a feeling he was being set up.

  “So,” Samantha started, “have you talked to Lily at all since you settled in?”

  “No,” he said. When he got off the train that first time, it was the only thing Samantha had asked him. No how was your trip? Simply, where’s Lily?

  He made a hasty excuse of why Lily had not joined him, leaving out their huge fight over her impending marriage. He specifically didn’t share that her husband-to-be was caught up in blackmail and questionable practices toward the factory’s employees. He heard about Nicholai’s suicide and rushed over to the Coates, only to be turned away at the door by Lily’s sister, Iva. He tried no further contact since.

  “When looking at this case, don’t you think she would be an immense help?” Samantha said.

  Colin looked from his plate in her direction. She was avoiding his eyes, keeping her face impassive but she knew exactly what she was asking. Colin gave a glance to Seth, who just shook his head. Taking the bait, Colin asked, “Why would you say that?”

  “Well, I believe that this case really needs more advocates. And who would make a better advocate than Lily?”

  “What makes you think Lily would be an appropriate choice? Clover ran a brothel. Lily was my clerk. They aren’t the same profession.”

  “No, but they are both working girls.”

  Seth coughed on his food and excused himself from the table. Samantha could hear him laughing from the bedroom and frowned.

  “You are correct, Colin. Not in the same way. But I really think Lily could be a good assist to you. She could be a woman’s advocate.”

  “I don’t know if it will help,” Colin started, as Samantha interrupted him.

  “How can it hurt? You may not want to admit it, but she was very much instrumental in all your case wins. Remember when she helped you win that negligence case against that restaurant? If it wasn’t for her, you would have skipped that key witness and your whole case would have been gone.”

  He couldn’t argue with that statement, so he just chewed his food. “If you care for my opinion,” Seth said returning to the table, “I would say that Samantha is just going to continue until you relent. So maybe it would be best to just surrender now.”

  Colin rolled his eyes and sighed. “Well, we do need all the help we can get. I’ll send a telegram in the morning.” Although, he didn’t know how to start one and if she would even come.

  “No need; I already sent one,” Samantha said as she took a piece of bread from the center of the table and chewed it innocently. “She arrives at four o’clock this afternoon.”

  Colin’s eyes bulged, and Seth put his hand on his face in frustration. “What would have happened if I had said no?”

  Samantha shrugged. “I knew you were going to say yes because you are a logical man. And if you didn’t, I was just going to pretend when she showed up that I knew nothing about it.” Samantha turned and smiled at Colin. “Sometimes, you just need a push in the right direction,” she said with a wink.

  “Samantha, sweetheart, that isn’t a push. It’s a shove,” Seth said, as he laughed to himself.

  The train ride was glorious. She passed beautiful countryside ablaze with color. It was like God painted a beautiful masterpiece. She passed large lakes, she saw elk, and small towns with funny names. She enjoyed reading and visiting with the travelers in the dining car. Even the extra delay of the train breaking down didn’t diminish her spirit.

  Her heart began to flutter as the conductor called for her stop.

  She stepped off the train onto the platform below. She imagined that the station would be more inviting, but it looked like a shack on a platform. But as she looked at all the dusty benches and the weary travelers, she started to wonder about her decision to leave the safety of Philadelphia. Lily tried to suppress her initial disappointment.

  She had her suitcase in her hand as she made her way through the station and down a small ramp. At the bottom of the ramp, she set her suitcase down and surveyed the land. There was dust everywhere and people milling about the street. It seemed that this was their Main Street.

  It was nothing as she imagined it to be.

  She wiped her forehead, feeling the grit transfer to her silk gloves. She impulsively left after her conversation with Iva. She hopped on the train leaving later that evening headed for Black Hills. She was so happy that Colin had sent for her she didn’t make the time to send a reply telegram until after she boarded, and the train was underway.

  With no way of communicating with Colin, she wondered if he thought she had abandoned him, or how she would find him in the town.

  As she was looking down the street, she noticed someone was waving wildly at her. As the figure got closer, she realized that whomever it was, was holding a big bundle in her hands. “Lily!” said the figure, as it started to get closer to her.

  “Samantha?” Lily said, as the figure’s details came into view. When she came into view, Samantha flung one arm over her shoulder and hugged her tightly. There was a tiny squeal between them, and when Samantha backed away, Lily looked down and saw the bundle she was carrying was actually a baby. He stared at her with deep brown eyes and chubby cheeks.

  “Is this Joseph?” she asked as she grasped hairs at the top of his head. This elicited a giggle from the little boy and Lily just couldn’t help but smile. “He’s so big!”

  “Yes, he’s growing so much! Soon, he’s almost going to be as tall as me,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve been wondering when you were going to come in.”

  “Well, I would have been here sooner … wait, how did you know I would be here?” Lily said.

  “I figured, knowing your passion for many things, that as soon as that telegram arrived you would be on the first train out of Philadelphia. We were expecting you two days ago. Everyone showed up to greet you, but the train didn’t arrive.” Samantha continued. “I cannot begin to tell you the disappointment we all felt. Luckily, I checked with the office the following day, and they let me know about the train being behind schedule.” She continued to talk as she shifted the baby from one hip to another. “I hoped you had gotten on another train. I kept looking with each train in the station, but you weren’t on any of them.

  I checked this morning and they let me know you would be arriving. I didn’t let Colin know you might be in today. The look in his eyes on Sunday was heartbreaking.”

  Lily’s heart leapt at that admission. Perhaps he did miss her!

  “Do you live in the town?” Lily asked, trying her best to not sound interested in Samantha’s last comment.

  “Oh, heavens no. We live on a ranch further out in the valley. It’s just an hour out by wagon.” She sighed, “How I miss having a carriage. I only come into town when Seth needs to pick up some supplies. I might ride in with Elizabeth if I want to spend the day at the school with her. I do get bored on the ranch when Seth and Tom are out in the pastures, or if they take trips to the other ranches.”

  Lily vaguely recognized the names in Samantha’s explanation from tiny details she received from Colin after his first trip out here. Looking at Samantha standing in front of her, she looked more alive than she ever had in Philadelphia. She had appeared content with her life and her husband, but almost as if she had just settled with her circumstances. The happiness never seemed to reach her eyes. But now, her sapphire eyes glinted in the sunlight and she looked almost radiant, with the little boy in her arms. It made Lily glad she had made the journey out here, if not for anything then at least to see Samantha.