This Calder Range by Janet Dailey Page A

mid-twenties. “They may want a lady on their arm, but they want a whore in bed. I know that shocks you, but, honey, there’s a helluva lot of truth in what I’m sayin’. If wives took that advice, we wouldn’t have so many married men for customers.”
    â€œMiss Rogers!”
The shocked voice of Liza Mae Brown, Sue Ellen’s mother, brought a quick end to the conversation. What was worse, Lorna realized the shopkeeper as well as her mother had overheard the last bit of Pearl Rogers’ advice.
    But the bold woman wasn’t intimidated by the outraged look. “Don’t waste your breath lecturing to me, Mrs. Brown.” She turned away from Lorna, completely unabashed. “I wasn’t corrupting the child. In fact, I might have saved her a lot of heartache in the future.” Her attitude became strictly business. “What about the hat I ordered?”
    â€œIt hasn’t arrived as yet,” Mrs. Brown began.
    â€œThen we’ll come back in a few days,” Pearl replied, and with her two companions, made a dignified exit from the shop.
    â€œSue Ellen, why did you leave Lorna here by herself?” Mrs. Brown rebuked her daughter, and quickly apologized to Mrs. Pearce. “I am sorry this happened, Clara. I feel dreadful that Lorna was exposed to such indecent talk. I probably shouldn’t even allow those women in my shop, but unfortunately I can’t afford to refuse their business.”
    â€œIt wasn’t your fault, Liza.” Her mother magnanimously removed all blame from the woman. “I know my daughter well enough to be reassured that she wouldn’t pay any attention to what was said. They were only trying to justify their loose morals by putting the blame on respectable women.”
    â€œHow true,” Mrs. Brown agreed fully.
    â€œLet’s put the veil away, Lorna.” Her mother came over to help her remove it. “We still have to go by the church.”
    The conversation was skillfully turned to other subjects. Lorna thought the matter was going to be dropped, but her mother brought it up again after they had left the shop.
    â€œI know you have never had any contact before with that element of our society,” she began. “Perhaps it’s just as well that this happened. Instead of always turning a blind eye, we should take a stand against that element and convince the town fathers they must be abolished. It will be a problem wherever you may live, so it’s best that you see it now.”
    â€œYes, Mother.” But Lorna’s mind was still lingering on that shocking advice she’d been given. “What kind of … men seek their company? It wouldn’t be someone like … Daddy or Benteen?”
    â€œOf course not.” The answer was quick, followed by an attempted qualification. “That isn’t to say that men don’t sometimes sow wild oats before they settle down with a wife and a family. And there could be circumstancesthat would prompt a man to seek out that kind of woman to supply his needs.”
    â€œWhat kind of circumstances?” Lorna asked.
    â€œIf a wife isn’t capable of occupying the marriage bed, because of illness or”—her mother hesitated—“when it wouldn’t be wise for her to become in the family way. A man has to understand that there comes a time when a woman might not want any more children.”
    â€œThen you and Daddy …” Lorna didn’t finish the thought. It seemed too much an invasion into her parents’ private relationship.
    â€œThat’s right,” her mother admitted. “And your father understands it’s the only way a woman can prevent such things.”
    â€œAnd he doesn’t mind?” She wondered about that in the light of what the prostitute had told her.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œDoes it bother you that you don’t have the closeness anymore?” Lorna chose her words carefully,