The next afternoon, Emma stood on the top step of the church and waved one last time as little Sadie Sue rounded the corner near the blacksmith’s shop and disappeared from sight. Emma let out a contented, if somewhat exhausted, sigh. The first day of school was finished, and it had gone better than she had expected—if she didn’t ponder too long on the older boys’ rowdy behavior, the teasing Sadie Sue received for her lisp, or the generally cramped quarters they had all endured.
“Hello, Emma,” Connie Prescott called as she approached the church. Like before, she wore a black mourning gown, but today she didn’t carry her Bible. She had come to help Emma plan the fund-raiser.
“Hello.” Emma held the door open for her friend. “You’re right on time.”
“I couldn’t stay home a moment longer. My father has a cold, and he’s been more demanding than usual.”
Emma was glad Connie had agreed to help with the fund-raiser. It was good for her to get out of the house and take her mind off her troubles.
“I hope you don’t mind.” Connie moved past her into the school. “I’ve asked a few other people to help.”
“Mind?” Emma closed the door. “I’ll take all the help I can get.”
The door opened again, and Emma moved aside.
Hays Hart stepped over the threshold, the ever-present grin on his face. “Am I late?”
Emma clutched the doorknob. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to help with the fund-raiser.” Hays took off his Stetson and greeted Connie. “Thanks for telling me about the meeting.”
Connie’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “It’s my pleasure.”
Before Emma could close the door, two young ladies entered. Both of them immediately noticed Hays.
“Emma, may I present Miss Ruby Brown and Miss Julia Brown? Their father is Giles Brown, the carpenter.” Connie indicated the newcomers. “They’re here to help, as well.”
“How nice. Won’t all of you have a seat?”
The sisters sent several glances toward Hays, but he didn’t pay them any attention as he walked across the room.
“Are we waiting for anyone else?” Emma asked Connie.
Connie shook her head. “I’m afraid not.”
“My sister, Hope, had planned to help.” Emma took her notes off her desk, trying not to notice Hays as he folded his long legs under the small desk. “But I’m afraid she’s suffered an injury.” Heat rose in her cheeks. Her sister had made such a fuss about her ankle. After Austin deposited Hope in Mrs. Hart’s old parlor, he had never reappeared. Only Hays stayed close to see if he could be of assistance. “She and the rest of my family will help where they are needed.”
Hays turned his full attention on Emma, and for some reason, her stomach filled with butterflies. She tried not to let him see her reaction as she took a seat and looked down at her paper. No man had ever unsettled her before, and she wouldn’t let one do so now—especially not this one. She cleared her throat.
“Thank you all for coming. As you know, I would like to raise money to build a new schoolhouse. I’ve gone to the lumberyard and the hardware store, and I believe I have come up with a realistic budget for this project.” She found the sheet of paper with her calculations and handed it to Connie. “It’s approximately five hundred dollars.”
Connie glanced at the paper and then handed it to Ruby. “What kind of fund-raiser do you have in mind?”
“I thought we could have a bazaar during the day and finish it with a street dance in the evening.”
“I like the idea of a dance.” Julia practically bounced in her seat.
“During the dance,” Emma continued, “I’d also like to hold a bachelor auction.”
“A bachelor auction?” Hays sat up a bit straighter.
“Yes.” Emma watched Ruby hand the paper to Julia, but couldn’t look Hays in the eyes. “I’ve heard they’re quite popular in the East. My cousin went to one last summer and it was very successful.”
“How do they work?”
“We ask several bachelors to volunteer,” Emma began, “and each one is auctioned off to dance with the woman who pays the highest amount. He becomes her escort for the evening.”
Hays leaned back in his seat—as much as he could, given the confines of the desk.
“The bachelor who is auctioned for the highest amount will lead the first dance of the evening,” Emma said, “with the lady who paid for him.”
Ruby and Julia whispered back and forth, their cheeks turning pink.
Hays leaned forward, his blue eyes filled with interest. “Do you really think the women in Hartville will pay to dance with the bachelors?”
Ruby turned to Hays with a dazzling smile. “I’ll start to save my money now.”
“I know several young ladies who would pay to dance with you,” Julia said with a giggle.