Beatrix stood alone on the saloon’s porch, her heart still pounding from the almost-kiss with Woodie. She touched her lips, feeling the ghost of his breath against her skin.
“Did you enjoy that, Beatrix?” Eleanor’s voice cut through the air like a whip, causing Beatrix to jump. Her cousin leaned against the doorway, a smug smile dancing upon her lips.
“Wh-what are you talking about?” Beatrix stammered, trying to mask her embarrassment.
“Woodie,” Eleanor said, stepping closer. “I saw everything. I saw how he held your hand and looked into your eyes before leaning in for that almost kiss. If it weren’t for the sound of approaching footsteps, who knows what would have happened?”
Beatrix felt her cheeks burn with shame. She knew she shouldn’t have allowed her feelings for Woodie to show, but she couldn’t help herself. The connection between them was undeniable, and she longed for more.
She hated how Eleanor had suddenly turned on her. She thought of the evening she had spent with her cousins only a few nights ago. Eleanor had been warm and friendly. But now anger colored her eyes, and she wore a fierce frown, her hands on her hips. It was like living with two different people.
“Listen, Beatrix,” Eleanor continued, her voice still angry. “I won’t tell Ma that you’ve been sneaking out and meeting with Woodie, but on one condition.”
“What do you want, Eleanor?” Beatrix asked, bracing herself for the worst.
“Tonight, you will pretend to be sick so I can take your place and sing at the saloon. It’s been over a week since I’ve been able to sing. I deserve a turn.”
Beatrix’s eyes narrowed, her initial shock giving way to anger. She was tired of Eleanor’s jealousy and using it to threaten her to get what she wanted.
“You know I can’t make Aunt Meredith let you sing,” Beatrix retorted. “I lied to her once, and I’m not going to lie to her again. But I will ask her to let you have a turn. You know that I don’t mind.” She hoped that her words would make Eleanor feel better about things.
Her suggestion did little to appease Eleanor, who scowled in frustration. “That’s not what I want, Beatrix! If you don’t do as I say, I will tell Ma everything!”
Beatrix stared at her cousin, her mind racing as she considered her options. She couldn’t betray Meredith’s trust by lying, but she also couldn’t risk having her secret meetings with Woodie exposed. As she weighed her decision, she realized just how much was at stake. Then she realized she was lying to Aunt Meredith by keeping the secret about Woodie. When had her life gotten so out of control?
She glanced at Laney, standing nearby with an anxious look. Beatrix knew that Laney hated any argument or conflict, and she especially didn’t like it when the three of them didn’t get along.
”Enough of this!” Beatrix finally declared, her voice firm and resolute. She was tired of Eleanor using the threat of singing to get what she wanted from her.
“Eleanor, Laney, I have a suggestion. Why don’t we all sit down with Aunt Meredith and be open with her about our lives? Laney can tell her that she’s in love with Irving. Eleanor, you can tell her about your plans to leave for San Francisco. And I’ll tell her about meeting Woodie and ask her about my past.”
Laney and Eleanor exchanged uneasy glances at Beatrix’s proposal. They both knew how stern and unyielding Aunt Meredith could be, and the thought of confronting her with such personal revelations made them nervous.
“Beatrix, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Laney asked hesitantly, finally speaking up. “You know how Ma can get when she’s upset.”
Eleanor chimed in, her tone tinged with disbelief. “You really think she’d just let me leave for San Francisco like it’s nothing? She wouldn’t even let me try out for that opera company last year! She said it was too dangerous for a young woman like me.”
Beatrix sighed, feeling the weight of their collective secrets pressing down on her. “Maybe if we’re honest with her, she’ll understand,” she insisted, though her own doubts were beginning to creep in. “We can’t keep living like this, hiding things from each other, from her. It’s not right.”
Eleanor and Laney exchanged another look, their expressions unreadable. After a moment, they both seemed to come to an unspoken agreement. “Fine, Beatrix,” Laney said finally. “But if this goes wrong, it’s on you.”
“Agreed,” Eleanor added, her eyes narrowing. “If she gets angry or tries to stop any of us from pursuing our dreams, you’d better find a way to fix it.”
With that, Eleanor and Laney turned to leave the room, their footsteps echoing down the hallway as they retreated to their respective chambers to change their dresses.
Beatrix watched them go, her heart heavy with the knowledge that she had forced her cousins into a potentially stressful situation. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that honesty was the only way forward – for all of them. She knew they all had secrets, and it was time to break the chain of deception holding them back.
With a heavy heart, Beatrix slowly made her way to her own room to change her dress. As she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, she couldn’t help feeling the walls closing in on her. For years, she had believed she was close with Eleanor, Laney, and Meredith, but now it seemed like everything she thought she knew about their relationships was built on lies and half-truths.
As she began to change her dress, Beatrix stared at herself in the mirror, her blue eyes filled with sadness. She had always been proud of the strong bond she shared with her family, but now that bond felt brittle as if it could shatter at any moment. She wondered what would happen once they faced Meredith with the truth. Would they grow closer or be torn apart?
“Beatrix,” she murmured, trying to gather her courage. “You have to believe that honesty is the best path forward. It’s the only way to break this cycle of secrets.”
As she finished buttoning up her new dress, Beatrix took a deep breath and prepared herself for the conversation to come. She prayed that Meredith would understand and see they were all just trying to find their own happiness in this unforgiving world.
The evening hours went by extremely slowly. Beatrix felt like she was someone else as she served drinks and washed dishes. She smiled when someone spoke to her and even sang a few songs when Aunt Meredith had asked her to.
But her mind was thinking about so many things; the gunshot, how protective Woodie had been, his concern for her, and the reaction of her cousins when they almost caught her kissing Woodie. She said a silent prayer that Aunt Meredith would at least listen to them and their concerns during the coming conversation.