The Preacher's Wife
Chapter 6
"Love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8
Kitty looked sheepishly at Matt as they sat alone at the table. "I'm sorry about yesterday," she said. "After Julia told me everything…I just couldn't face anyone. Especially you. I needed time to make sense of this myself before I could talk about it."
Matt squeezed her arm. "It's OK, Honey."
"I understand what you have to do," she said through tears.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Matt, you've worked so hard to get where you are, but you can't do your job if people don't respect you. I don't want to cause problems for you. Please, just go tell him that you're not going to see the saloon girl anymore." She blinked, and the tears that had been building up in her eyes were now falling down her face.
"Is THAT what you think this is about?" Matt asked incredulously. "Do you really think I give a damn what that man says about me? Kitty, it's you I'm worried about. The people here—if they respect me, it's because I do this job with honesty and integrity, and they know I put my life on the line every single day to protect them. And at the end of that day, I don't think they much care where I sleep after I've done it."
"But it always had to be such a secret…" she started.
"Because it would put you in danger," Matt said insistently. "If it became common knowledge that we were lovers, every outlaw holding a grudge could use that against me. I can't do that to you, Kitty. Honey, you know that, I've made it clear since the beginning."
"I know," she said softly. "I guess part of me always wondered if that was the real reason."
Matt swallowed hard. It had never occurred to him that she might feel that way, and it made his heart ache.
"But it is," he said tenderly, getting up and pulling her up with him until they were in an embrace. He kissed her passionately, tasting the tears that were continuing to fall. "Kitty, I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," she whispered back. She buried her head in his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her. "What do we do now?" she asked.
"I have no idea," he responded.
Saturday morning
Kitty awoke earlier than usual, but she was grateful that she had at least gotten some sleep. She wasn't any less upset last night than she had been the previous night, but between Doc's sleeping powders and extreme emotional fatigue, her body had just collapsed. She hoped Matt had been able to get some sleep too, he had looked almost as bad as she had yesterday. Under normal circumstances she might know exactly how Matt Dillon had slept last night. However, as she was painfully aware, these were anything but normal circumstances.
She put on one of her casual dresses and brushed her hair, letting it hang down her back instead of twisting it up in her usual bun. She was a natural beauty but always felt better with a little makeup. And right now, she was going to do anything that made her feel better.
After making herself presentable, she came downstairs and put on a pot of coffee. She had taken only a few sips when Doc walked in.
"Good morning, Kitty," he said, trying to sound cheerful. "Did you get some sleep?"
"Yes, thank you," she replied, smiling at this dear man she loved and trusted like a father. She had gone to him Friday evening, asking if he might give her something to help her sleep. It was impossible not to notice her haggard appearance, and he was naturally concerned. But she couldn't tell him what was wrong, it was too personal and too embarrassing. And he had accepted that, giving her the sleeping powders without further question, because Doc was just that kind of friend.
"How about we go to Delmonico's and get some breakfast," he said.
"Thanks Doc, but I'm not very hungry," she replied.
"Well, then, Delmonico's should be perfect," he said, continuing the familiar joke. She had to laugh. "Come on Kitty, just a piece of toast or something, you'll feel better. Doctor's orders."
"Alright," she agreed, and they headed off to breakfast.
A half piece of toast and a glass of orange juice proved to be Kitty's limit that morning. She wasn't nauseated anymore, she just had no appetite. But Doc figured at least she was getting some liquids and saying hydrated.
"Kitty, I don't know what is going on, but Matt doesn't seem to be in much better shape than you are. Did you two have a fight or something?" he asked. Doc was aware of the nature of their relationship, a fact that was accepted but never discussed directly.
"No, nothing like that, Doc," she replied. "I told you last night…I just can't talk about it. I'm so sorry."
"For thunder's sake, you don't need to apologize," he said. "I'm not trying to be nosy, I'm just worried about the both of you."
"I know," she smiled. Just then she looked up from her plate and saw Chester quickly making his way toward them.
"Pardon me, Miss Kitty, I don't mean to interrupt your meal," Chester said apologetically as he stopped at their table and took his hat off. "But Mister Dillon asked me to find Doc here and tell him that there is a woman who needs his assistance. Mister Dillon took her up to your office, Doc."
"What's the matter with her?" Doc asked.
"Well," Chester began uncomfortably, "It looks like she took a beating. Her face is bruised and she's walking kind of slow."
"Well Gosh almighty, who would do such a thing to a woman?" Doc asked, shaking his head as he got up from the table.
"She told Mister Dillon it was her husband," Chester replied.
"Chester, who is this woman?" Kitty asked.
"It's Mrs. Wright, the preacher's wife," he said, in a tone that indicated he couldn't quite believe it himself.
Kitty jumped up from the table and ran out of Delmonico's ahead of Doc, moving swiftly toward his office.
Julia was sitting on the table waiting to be examined when Kitty rushed in. Matt was standing next to her and their eyes locked briefly, each seeing the same pained, confused expression in the other. They had not been together since their talk at The Long Branch the previous day, and Kitty longed to rush into his arms for comfort. But then she caught the horrifying sight of Julia, with her black eye and swollen, split lip, holding her right arm gingerly around her left rib cage.
Kitty felt a sudden wave of guilt, as if she had let her friend down. Julia had always seemed to dismiss her unhappiness as a way of life—"Oh, you know how men are." Kitty indeed knew how some men were, but she also had the good fortune of knowing how her man was. She had gently broached the subject of leaving Frederick in earlier conversations, telling Julia that she didn't have to be unhappy—she could start over and Kitty would help her. But Julia didn't think that was an option for a preacher's wife. What would her father think? She just felt blessed to have such a caring friend, and she trusted Kitty enough to know that their conversations would go no further. Now Kitty was sure she could have—should have—done more. Especially after yesterday.
Kitty walked over to Julia and took her hand. "Honey, what happened?" she asked, still trying to process what Chester had said at Delmonico's.
"It's like I told the Marshal, my husband hit me," she replied matter-of-factly.
"But why?" Kitty asked, afraid to hear the answer.
"We had a disagreement. Frederick has a bad temper Kitty, you know that," she said. Matt shot Kitty a surprised look.
"So he got mad and hit me with his fist, right in the mouth," she continued. Her flat tone was oddly lacking the emotion one might expect when a woman is describing an act of violence perpetrated against her. "So hard that it knocked me into the side of the table, and then I fell onto the floor."
Doc had walked in shortly after Kitty and was listening to this story, sickened by the details.
"Where is your husband?" Kitty asked.
"Frederick ran out right after, I think he was scared of what he had done. He probably went over to the church. So I waited until I couldn't see him anymore, and I walked here myself," she said.
"Mrs. Wright, do you want to press charges?" Matt asked.
"Yes Marshal, I want to press charges," she replied confidently.
Doc took Julia's head in his hands and looked into her eyes, checking for signs of a concussion. "I need everybody to leave so I can examine this young lady," he said. Matt and Kitty nodded silently and pulled the door behind them as they walked outside. Standing on the small landing above the stairs, they quickly embraced, still stunned at what was happening.
"I guess I'll head out to the church," Matt sighed, descending the stairs to retrieve his horse.