New Storm Rising

12. Poke Her? What kind of game is that?

Clink...clink...clink...

The metallic sound of spurs travelled through the air—this time accompanied by the rustling of petticoats. Lifting my skirt, I glanced down at the glint of metal down below.

Yes. I was wearing spurs under my dress. Bite me.

"Hold it right there!" Just as I was about to step into town, a man appeared from around a corner, rifle in hand. "Who are ya, and what ya doing here?"

"Um...going into town?" I answered, plastering a confused expression on my face. "Is there a problem with that?"

"We're looking for a dangerous desperado!"

"And..." I glanced down at my voluminous skirts, then looked up again meaningfully. "Do I look like one to you?"

"Err...guess not." The man cleared his throat. "Sorry, miss. Go right in."

"Thank you." Giving a small curtsy, I stepped past the guard. I didn't start grinning until I was around the corner.

Within the town, there still were plenty of guards patrolling, though not nearly as many as before. Apparently, most had changed their patrol routes so they were now patrolling around a fairly luxurious house on a hill in the distance. I smirked, remembering my little shenanigans last night. Hm...I wonder why? Was there someone feeling a teensy-weensy bit nervous about mad dynamite throwers, perhaps?

All the better for me, of course. Whistling, I strode down the main street, inspecting the various curiosities and fascinating things on display in shop windows. Books, sweets, a man with a torture instrument ripping out his victim's tooth accompanied by agonizing screa—

All right, maybe not all things in the shop windows were so fascinating.

"Miss! Miss, am I seeing correctly? Oh, thank God! Wait!"

Startled, I glanced around—only to come face-to-face with three harpies from the pits of hell. Or women, but that was pretty much the same thing if said women tried to make googly-eyes at my husband.

Narrowing my eyes, I inspected the mother harpy and her two minions.

"Yes?"

The next instant I found myself engulfed in a hug. "Oh, miss, you don't know how happy I am to see you!"

"I—can—guess!" I wheezed, trying to wrestle free. Unsuccessfully.

"We were on the way to San Francisco for an important matter, but those horrid men with rifles would not even let us through when we told them we absolutely must visit my grandmother's second cousin's daughter for her engagement party! Can you imagine?"

"Yes. Yes, I think I can."

"Instead, we were told we had to stay in this ghastly little backwater of a town. And all because some lowlife decided to escape from prison! Oh, if only I could get my hands on that piece of scum...!"

"Ehem. Well..."

"And now you are here!" She squealed and squeezed me again. "In this town full of philistines and sandhogs, I thought I would never find another woman, let alone a civilized young lady such as yourself! Come along, dear, come along! We simply must have a talk! There's a tea salon over there, where we all can get some tea and biscuits! But...strange? Why did they spell salon with a double-o?"

Remember, Lilly. These are the ones who wanted to steal your brand-new husband.

I grinned.

"I don't know. Let's find out, shall we?"

Linking arms with the mother and daughters, who seemed to be quite startled by my sudden enthusiasm, I dragged them towards the batwing doors and straight into the saloon.