Eighteen
Chapter One
Hot Mineral Springs,
Colorado 1888
“What do you mean, I can’t?” Abby Bowen fought to keep from slamming her hands on her hips and glaring down at the rotund man seated in front of her.
“I’m sorry, miss,” the mayor and head chairman of Hot Mineral Springs, Mr. Prinker, said as his cheeks flushed.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before I bought the place?” She clenched her teeth as hot anger boiled inside her. There was no excuse for this. None whatsoever.
“We didn’t know what your intentions were for the building. We assumed you wanted to open a dress shop or a restaurant or even a luxurious mineral spa for women. We already have one for men, you know.” He grabbed the lapels of his jacket and puffed out his chest like a zealous rooster who was full of himself. “Any one of those would have been allowed. However, we—” he glanced around the large rectangle table at each of the seven town committee members “—cannot allow a single woman to open a theater. Why, something of that nature would be quite scandalous and ruin our town’s fine upstanding reputation. Not to say your own, young lady.” He shook his forefinger at her.
Abby wanted to latch onto his meaty finger and shove it up his bulbous red nose. But that attitude would get her nowhere, much less please the Lord. She quelled her anger as she searched for another option. Why some townspeople thought women who ran a theater were of questionable repute, she didn’t understand. In other towns, people did it all the time, and it was not considered a scandal.
“It’s too bad that your name is not Mr. Bowen,” Mr. Prinker said as if in deep thought. “For if it was, we might consider your proposal. However, as it stands, we will have to refuse the license required by our town to open such an establishment.”
Such an establishment? What did that mean? Whatever it meant, she didn’t care. She just wanted to make sure she understood him correctly. “Let me see if I get this straight. Are you saying if I was a man, I would be able to obtain this license?”
“In a manner of speaking, that’s precisely what I’m saying. However—” he rubbed his double chin for the longest moment of her life “—there is one other alternative.”
“And what, pray tell, is that?” Abby didn’t even try to keep the sarcasm from her voice. She’d about had enough of these men and their preposterous accusations.
“If you were to take on a male business partner, a gentleman with an outstanding reputation, then we would consider allowing you to open your theater. Isn’t that right, gentlemen?”
They all nodded their heads.
What?! Surely these buffoons weren’t serious. Were they? Abby gazed at each man to see if they indeed were. Their stoic faces confirmed her assessment. She shook her head at the utterly and completely outlandish idea. “So you’re saying, if I obtain a male—” she emphasized the word male with abhorrence “—business partner, then you will allow me to open my theater? Correct?”
“Yes, ma’am. We feel it’s the only proper way. I am certain, ma’am, that you will find there are many upstanding men in our community who would be more than willing to help you with your business adventure. Including any one of us here in this room.” The mayor’s horse teeth overtook his supercilious grin.
Oh, how she wanted to reach over and whip that arrogant smirk right off his thin lips. Humpft. As if she needed their help running a business. There wasn’t one person in this room with whom she’d ever consider doing business with. They all looked shiftier and greedier than a gang of bank robbers.
“Excuse me a moment, gentlemen.” She all but choked on that last word. These men were no gentlemen.
“Of course.” Mr. Prinker’s smile couldn’t get any phonier than it was right now.
Abby stepped outside the room and slipped around the corner so she could be alone a few minutes. She paced up and down the sparkling-clean hallway, wringing her gloved hands. With each step she took on the polished hardwood floor, her button-up shoes echoed, her pink silk bustle gown swished and the pink plume on her hat danced.
She couldn’t believe this whole ludicrous thing was even happening. After spending the last year and a half going to plays and even participating in a few, she knew what she wanted to do with her life. That desire had only escalated when her ex-fiancé, David Blakely, had broken their engagement—the very day she had told him she could never bear children. After that, every time she’d seen him with his wife, the woman he had married two weeks after he had ended their engagement almost one year ago, and their newborn son, the dagger of rejection plunged deeper into her heart. That’s when she had plotted her escape from the Idaho Territory. Eventually, as she worked on her new life, the pain had gone away, and her focus turned completely to fulfilling her dream, a dream that was about to die before it even got started. All because of a room full of portentous, dishonest, stodgy old men.
And if she were honest with herself, her own stupidity, as well.
Why hadn’t she listened to her brothers? Haydon, Michael and Jess had warned her about buying a building without seeing it first. But no, she had assured them the ad stated the mansion at the edge of town was previously owned by a prominent family, so therefore, it had to have been well taken care of. They weren’t convinced. But she refused to let that stop her. Her stubborn exuberant way took charge as did her dream of life outside the confines of her family. Thus, she let them know she had prayed about the whole thing and was confident in her decision to go ahead with her plans.
The theater was third in her line of dreams, but it was all she had left to dream about. So using the money her father had left her, money he had intended for her and her siblings to use to fulfill their dreams, she’d gone ahead and purchased the place sight unseen. What a mistake that turned out to be.
The very day she arrived in Hot Mineral Springs, Colorado, she quickly discovered her brothers had been right. No maintenance had been done on the home since the owner had moved back east years ago. Because of the mansion’s abandoned condition, there was no way for her to sell the place and get her money back so that she could move somewhere else. Someplace where she would be allowed to open up her business.
Abby stopped pacing. For a brief moment she closed her eyes and sighed. No, like it or not, she was stuck with the place.
She flicked her thumbnail with her teeth as she tried to come up with a plan, but nothing came to mind.
Oh, if only she could have opened her dinner theater back home in Paradise Haven, but she couldn’t. They already had one, and the town wasn’t big enough for two. Not only that, she had to move away.
She just had to.
Being at home constantly reminded her of the two things she wanted most out of life but could never have—children of her own and the love of her life, David. What she
