Free Indiana Goes West (Mail Order Brides of Pioneer Town, Book 1) by Ruth Hartzler

unaware that there were
other states that allowed women to vote. He had assured her that
women’s minds and opinions had quite a lot of bearing in the state
of Wyoming. In fact, they’d had voices in the polling booths for
many years now, since December of 1869. His mother and grandmother
had the year stamped so firmly in his mind, that he was never
likely to forget it.
    This amazed Indiana. She knew of several
attempts in her lifetime to attain women’s suffrage in California.
The ladies sometimes gossiped about groups and publications that
had come out on the matter. All attempts had failed or were vetoed,
however. To hear that a supposedly less sophisticated place like
Wyoming had already been enjoying that luxury for some time was
quite a shock. She pondered whether her family would be in this
position had they been ranchers in Wyoming instead of investors in
San Francisco.
    She busied herself with an imaginary wrinkle
in her handkerchief as she tried to think of a clever topic about
which to chat. After the revelation on their way there, she found
the usual topics a lady would speak about woefully inadequate. Nor
did she want to display her blindingly obvious ignorance of such
things over lunch.
    “Wyoming sounds so fascinating,” she prompted
as he pulled out her chair for her. “What is it like, on your
ranch?”
    “I suppose it is much like any other ranch.”
His tone was pleasant as he pushed her seat in and moved to sit
down. “We’re situated in Pioneer Town which is near a significant
rising township. A man who goes by the name Buffalo Bill is trying
to develop it. He calls it ‘Cody City’. I don’t see it becoming a
city in my lifetime, but we do have better access to more merchants
and doctors than some others.”
    Indiana had heard of the man he was talking
about, the renowned Buffalo Bill Cody, infamous for hunting buffalo
along with other escapades, yet his involvement in the pony express
was said to be praiseworthy. His reputation flourished or suffered
depending with whom one talked. She tried to imagine what it was
like to live in such a rough and wild landscape.
    “Do you have many troubles with cattle
thieves?” she asked curiously. She instantly felt foolish for being
so nosy. Her mother would certainly have had her head for bringing
up the subject of losses and weaknesses. Most businessmen prefer to
boast of their accomplishments. They want to look powerful and
invincible in the eyes of their listener. She could practically
hear her mother telling her to speak only when spoken to.
    Morgan, however, seemed pleased by the
question. “Not so much for our family. We keep a large herd of
cattle, but our business comes from breeding horses that can make
the cattle runs. One good horse will sell for more than five head
of cattle. We also grow hay and barley. What doesn’t go to our
herds sells well to town and the surrounding ranches.”
    How clever! She’d heard that the cattle runs
were a risky business, but his family made money by supplying the
risk-takers instead. It wasn’t fair! Why couldn’t people like him
advertise for mail order brides? He was completely different from
Mr. Hollway. He was articulate, open minded, well mannered... and
handsome.
    She tried to push the mental image of the
belligerent rancher from Texas from her mind. She listened as
Morgan talked about the landscape. Rough but beautiful. A
hardworking staff that helped his family keep things running
smoothly. Travelers from all over the nation making their way
across the trail from time to time. Seeking out gold in California,
or to stake out a settlement of their own. Hunters. Researchers.
Occasional riff raff. All manner of people followed the trail
through Cody City.
    Morgan and Indiana moved from one subject to
another as they ate. It was quite some time before she realized
that the lunch crowd had long dispersed. When was the last time she
had lost track of time in a discussion?
    Morgan seemed as interested in