Mei’s brows furrowed and she folded her arms. “Well that there, that’s a problem, Maddie. We scare the lovin’ pants off your husband, who stops him from running to the nearest marshal?”
“Oh but he won’t! You rough him up enough and he won’t! I promise!”
“Just like how he promised to love and cherish his bride?” Linus asked, cynically. He too wore a frown of discontent. “No ma’am. After the months we’ve been having, we can’t risk that kinda exposure.”
Violet, whose heart broke at Maddie’s story, turned to the Railwalkers in shock. “What sorta excuse is that…?”
Maddie dug through her apron and pulled out a few loose dollars and some hard coins. “I got money!” she exclaimed. “It ain’t much but it’s all I got! I just want him to stop hittin’ me is all…”
Mei’s brow knitted with pity. “It a
