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should harbor any ill feelings at all, it should be toward that stately gentleman. Having never sired a child, the man turned his attention instead to siring a town.
    Morita was that town, and in spite of being located along the Santa Fe Railroad, its close proximity to Albuquerque seemed to keep it from becoming a major stopping place. It was only after Hezekiah Needle-meier’s death that Esmeralda took up the issue and went to work to bolster the fledgling town.
    When the last of the railroad workers left the dining room, Esmeralda called once again for Rachel.
    â€œWhat are those girls doing?” she questioned.
    Rachel turned to see Gwen and two of the other girls stripping the tablecloths from the tables. “They’re taking away the soiled cloths and will wipe down the tables and put on new ones.”
    â€œSeems wasteful,” Esmeralda declared.
    Rachel smiled. “Mr. Harvey says that each guest is to arrive to a freshly set table. The Irish linen tablecloths are to be in pristine order.”
    â€œI should speak to this Mr. Harvey about his waste. I have seen the portions of food served by this organization, and it is clearly in excess. Why, one of the steaks took up an entire plate! The man can’t make a profit that way.”
    â€œI don’t believe Mr. Harvey is overly worried about making a profit, Mrs. Needlemeier.”
    â€œIvy! Ivy, come here at once,” Esmeralda called out upon seeing her niece. She didn’t seem to care about the disruption, nor did she apparently worry about leaving off with her previous conversation.
    Ivy approached and kissed her aunt on the cheek. “Why, Aunt Esmeralda, what a surprise!”
    Rachel watched their reaction to each other before deciding to slip away and see to the remaining work. Esmeralda, however, would have nothing to do with that.
    â€œI have not finished speaking with you, Miss Taylor,” she stated firmly.
    â€œI apologize,” Rachel replied. “It’s just that I do have responsibilities here and it affords me little time to stand about in discussion.” She wanted to make it clear to the old woman that she might have bullied the Santa Fe Railroad into submission, but she wouldn’t find it quite so easy to control Rachel Taylor.
    â€œI want to speak to you about my niece. I find it abominable that she should live here in such small quarters. In my home, she has a suite of rooms at her disposal and would no doubt be far more comfortable there.”
    â€œNo doubt,” Rachel countered. “However, I find it is good for the spirit of the group if they live and work together. There are areas along the Santa Fe where some girls live at home while working for Mr. Harvey, but because Ivy is the only one who comes from this area, I thought it might make her feel isolated to suggest such an arrangement. Together, they come to better understand what it is to be a family, and Fred Harvey wants them to act like sisters.”
    â€œPoppycock!” the woman replied, tapping her cane on the floor. “My niece is not a farmhand, nor is she a soldier. There seems little to be gained by forcing her to bed herself down as one.”
    Rachel saw Ivy smile smugly at this declaration. She wondered if the girl had put her aunt up to the task of insisting Ivy be allowed to move back to the Needlemeier mansion. On the other hand, Rachel thought, it just might solve a great many problems. If Ivy were housed elsewhere and merely availed herself for work as her schedule demanded, perhaps she would have less influence over the others.
    â€œMrs. Needlemeier, I completely agree with your thoughts that the girls are neither farmhands nor soldiers. They are quality workers for Mr. Harvey’s dining rooms, and they are expertly trained to act in accordance with his wishes.” She smiled at Ivy, feeling the girl’s disdain radiate from her dark blue eyes.
    â€œBut I see no harm in allowing Ivy to move