Mary’s mouth fell open. “What? No!”
Miss Rose pursed her lips. “Explain.”
The corner of my mouth ticked up as she used my exact word from minutes earlier. We were very similar, not ones to use long sentences when one word would suffice. It boded well for our marriage if Mary responded well to my short and quick commands, for she would learn that Parker and I would be in charge. Not only in the bedroom—or anywhere else we fucked her—but in her safety and well-being, too. Like now, Miss Rose was assuring to her well-being. A good girl like Mary didn’t bring two men to a brothel so she could spend a quick hour in a naked tussle.
Mary gave a succinct recounting of her plight, Miss Rose listening intently.
“It was a smart decision, for Mr. Benson has been banned and knows he cannot gain entry. As for your father, he enjoys the ladies to come to him,” Miss Rose replied and I saw Mary squirm at that unpalatable mention of her father. “You are welcome here.”
Mary smiled and turned toward the stairs.
“Wait,” Miss Rose said, holding up her hand. Mary turned back, waiting anxiously.
“Gentlemen, what are your intentions toward this
woman? I assume you are not dolts, therefore know she is not a whore.”
“No, ma’am, she’s not,” I told her. “We intend to marry her.”
Chloe and Miss Rose said at the same time, “Both of you?”
Miss Rose was not stunned in the least, while Chloe looked like she’d never heard of a ménage before. In her profession, there was not much she hadn’t seen, I was sure.
“Both of you?” Mary repeated.
“Yes, both of us. We told you as much at the train station,” I added.
Mary frowned. “You said you’d be my temporary husband, that’s all.”
I slowly shook my head. “We said we’d take care of you, that we’d protect you. That means marriage. Like Miss Rose said, you’re a good girl and will remain as such until we’re wed. Then we’ll show you how to be a bad girl.” I couldn’t help but grin at all the wicked things we’d show her. And she’d love them all.
Her mouth fell open in astonishment.
“These men?” Chloe asked. She patted Mary on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, honey. They’re as handsome as can be. These two will make it good for you. Trust me, you’re going to like two men at once.”
She giggled then and Mary flushed even darker.
“You must be from Bridgewater,” Miss Rose surmised, glancing between the two of us.
I nodded. While we did not make our customs public knowledge, it did not surprise me that Miss Rose knew. She held secrets probably better than even the priests at the Catholic Church and I did not fear she would change her ways now. Surely she held more… tantalizing confidences than a woman being married to two men who were faithful and loving.
“Then I approve,” she added with a decisive nod.
Mary finally claimed her voice. “Miss Rose, you can’t mean that you think marrying two men is a good idea!”
“I do,” she replied. “These are difficult times and Butte is a rough town. It’s hard to be a woman in these parts. Even with your money, you were never happy. Why else would you come here? These men want you. Both of them. Some women dream of one man to protect them, but you have the good fortune of two.”
Mary stepped closer to Miss Rose and whispered, “But… two. I’ve never seen… I don’t know what to do with two.”
The older woman smiled then. “Don’t worry. I have no doubt they do.”
Yes, we certainly did.
“But—”
Miss Rose held up her hand. “If you wish to spend the night here with these men, you will marry first.”
Her ultimatum pleased me immensely. It would get our ring on her finger so we could truly protect her from Benson and her father. We could do nothing until she legally belonged to us and I wouldn’t tarnish her virtue by expecting anything less.