"We need supplies," Mrs. Chen said flatly. She'd never had patience for small-town politics. "The usual order, plus extra flour and sugar." While Mrs. Brennan gathered their items with pointed slowness, Evelyn felt the weight of whispers like bugs crawling on her skin. She couldn't make out the words, but she didn't need to.
The tone said everything. "I heard she's got her hooks in that poor man," one of the women murmured, not quite quietly enough. "Using the motherless child, too. Shameless." Evelyn's hands clenched into fists inside her coat pockets.
Mrs. Chen touched her arm gently, a silent warning to stay calm. But calm became impossible when Sarah Mitchell walked into the store with two of her friends, saw Evelyn, and smiled like a cat that had cornered a mouse. "Why, Evelyn Harper," Sarah said, her voice dripping false sweetness. "I didn't expect to see you back in civilization. Don't you have ranch hands to feed?"
"It's my day off." "How nice for you. I suppose Mr. Ridgewell is very generous with his time off, among other things." The implication hung in the air like smoke. Evelyn turned to face her fully.
"Is there something you want to say to me, Ms. Mitchell?" "Not at all. I'm just making conversation." Sarah examined her gloves with exaggerated care. "Though I must say, it takes a certain kind of woman to position herself the way you have, using a grieving child to insinuate yourself into a household.
It's quite clever, really." "I'm teaching her to cook. That's all." "Of course that's all." Sarah's smile sharpened.
"Just like it's pure coincidence that Dawson fired two men for speaking honestly about the situation, or that he rejected my company in favor of protecting yours." "He rejected your company because you insulted his daughter and his staff," Mrs. Chen interjected coldly. "Don't rewrite history to soothe your wounded pride." Sarah's face flushed red. "I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me clearly." Mrs. Chen stepped forward, and despite being a head shorter than Sarah, she somehow seemed more imposing. "You're embarrassed that a man chose his child's well-being over your social climbing, so you're taking it out on someone who's done nothing but work hard and mind her own business. How dare you?" "I dare because I've known Dawson Ridgewell for 10 years, and you've known him for 10 minutes.
I know his character, you just know his bank account." The entire store was watching now, not even pretending to shop anymore. Sarah looked around at her audience, realized she was losing, and did what cornered animals always do. She lashed out. "At least I'm not some charity case he felt sorry for," Sarah said, turning her venom back on Evelyn.
"Everyone knows your family's drowning in debt. You took this job out of desperation, not skill. You're nothing but a desperate woman clinging to the first opportunity that came along. Something in Evelyn's chest went very cold and very still. You're right, she said quietly.
I did take this job out of desperation. My father died owing money and my mother followed him 6 months later. My brother was drinking himself to death and we were about to lose everything. So, yes, I was desperate. And you know what?
I'm not ashamed of that. She stepped closer to Sarah, who actually backed up slightly. What I'm ashamed of, Evelyn continued, is that I let people like you make me feel small for doing what needed to be done. I work from before dawn until after dark every single day. I feed 20 men three meals a day and I do it well.