Bartered Bride Romance Collection (54 page)

She set the lantern on the counter, lifted the bar, and opened the door. The redheaded dance hall girl stood on the porch, shivering beneath her shawl. “Miss Bently, this is a surprise. Won’t you come in?”

“Miss Bently,” Regina repeated with a touch of wonder in her voice. “Sounds nice. Ladylike.” She stepped inside, and Bess closed the door behind her. “I’ll only stay a minute. Gideon said my brother is staying with you. I just wanted to make sure he isn’t a bother.”

“Your brother?” Bess stared at her, startled.

“Yes, Walter.”

“Of course. I don’t know where my mind’s gone. I guess I’m more tired than I thought.” Bess wasn’t about to admit she’d thought Walter was Gideon’s son and maybe Regina’s, too. A sense of relief slid through her. “Walter’s no trouble at all. He’s sleeping upstairs. Matter of fact, he was a help to us. Bertie and I had a hard time keeping up with all those hungry men.”

“I hear your food is mighty good.”

“Are you hungry?”

Regina hesitated, glancing at the kettle of oatmeal on the back of the stove. “I guess not.”

“Why don’t I slice you some bread? You can take it with you in case you get hungry later.”

Regina hesitated again. “How much would it cost?”

“Consider it a thank-you for Walter’s help.”

“That’s mighty kind. I was wonderin’ …”

“Yes?” Bess encouraged as she pulled a flour-sack towel off a loaf of bread.

“Would you consider boardin’ Walter? Gideon’s been good about letting Walt sleep at his place, but—”

Bess turned around, bread knife in one hand. “At the saloon?”

“Yes. I know it’s not the best place for a boy, but it’s better than Margaret’s place, where I live. And Gideon doesn’t let the boy in the saloon durin’ business hours.”

Bess concentrated on cutting the bread, trying to hide her horror at a young child’s only choices being a dance hall girls’ home or a saloon. She swallowed hard. “Of course he can stay with us. There are two bedrooms upstairs. He can sleep in one.”

Regina heaved a sigh of relief. “I’ll find a way to pay you, I promise.”

“If Walter is willing to help with chores, that’ll be payment enough.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.” Bess handed Regina two slices of bread. She and Regina met each other’s gazes for a long moment before Regina said softly, “You’re a good woman, Miss Craig, and not just because you’re a Sunday-go-to-meetin’ kind of lady.”

Bess couldn’t remember when she’d felt so complimented and so humbled at the same time. What must life be like for Regina Bently that she thought it extraordinary another woman would treat her brother, a ten-year-old child, with kindness?

Regina played with the black fringe on her shawl. “Miss Craig, do you know how to read?”

“Yes.”

“Might you consider teachin’ Walter readin’ and writin’? There ain’t no teacher in Lickwind.”

“Of course.” She’d find time somehow. “I’m still working with Bertie on her schooling. One more student won’t be a problem.”

“Thank you kindly.”

“Don’t you know how to read?”

Regina looked at the floor. “No. My pappy didn’t think it necessary for a girl.”

“Would you like to learn?”

Regina raised her gaze. “Somethin’ fierce.”

“I’d gladly teach you.”

“You’d do that?”

“Surely. We can start later this week.”

Regina beamed. “Thank you kindly. I’d best get along. Margaret will be wonderin’ where I am. She’s a spitfire when she’s mad.”

When she opened the door, Gideon was walking up the porch steps. “Regina.” He nodded to her as they passed on the porch. “May I come in, Miss Craig?” He didn’t wait for Bess to answer. He slipped inside along with the raw Wyoming air, closed the door behind him, and cast a wary look around. “Where’s the dog?”

“Ramon’s upstairs with Bertie.”

“I saw the light in the parlor window and thought I’d best check on you. Everything all right here?”

“Yes, wonderful. There’s been a steady stream of men all night until the last twenty minutes or so. We’ve already made enough money to pay for the supplies we purchased at the general store and pay you our first week’s rent. Bertie hates baking, but she pitched in with barely a murmur. We’re so grateful the Lord brought us to town yesterday. I doubt there’ll be many days we make this much money.”

“You’re right. News of your good cooking is traveling fast. Men at the saloon are talking your place up. Expect you’ll see more of them soon as the sun’s up. The ones who are still able to stand.”

“From the music, I’d guess there are a few of those left. Time to think about breakfast soon. I’m keeping a fire going in the stove, as you can tell, so I won’t need to build it up again. It’s more comfortable in the parlor—not so hot.” Bess led the way to the other room and set the lantern on the windowsill. When she turned around, Gideon looked distressed.

“I forgot all about bringing a table and chairs over.”

Bess smiled. “You had a bit on your mind.”

“Men at the saloon said you’re selling beefsteak along with bread and baked goods.”

“Jim brought the steak in from the Rough Cs, along with more bread and cake from Corrie and some extra eggs. Can hardly believe the way food flew out of this place.”

“Hope young Walt didn’t get in the way.”

“No, he was a help.” She grinned. “He even milked the cow for us.”

“I didn’t know he knew how.”

“He didn’t. Bertie taught him.”

Gideon chuckled. “Well, Grandmother’s bloomers.”

Bess laughed at his imitation of one of Bertie’s favorite sayings. “Miss Bently asked if Walter might stay with us. I said yes. I’m afraid I forgot it’s your house and your decision.”

He tilted his head and looked at her with a curious expression. “You’d be willing to take him in?”

“Yes. Weren’t you?”

“That’s different.”

“Why?”

He appeared at a loss for an answer. “You’ll let him stay here?” she persisted.

“Yes. I’ll bring his bed over tomorrow. It’ll be much better for him staying here than at the saloon.”

She wanted to ask why he ran a saloon since he thought it was a bad place for a boy. More than that, she wanted to ask if there was a reason he befriended Regina Bently in particular, taking her brother under his wing. Was Miss Bently special to him? Bess pushed away the questions. A part of her didn’t want to know the answers.

“I will be needing that table and chairs,” Bess said. “I’ll be teaching Walter and Regina to read.”

He gaped. “Here? In my … your … this house?”

“Yes. Where else?”

“I forbid it!”

Chapter 7

B
ess stared at him. “You forbid it?”

“Yes. This is still my house. You and your sister may live in it, but I make the rules.”

“You befriended Miss Bently. You took in her brother.”

“I don’t raise him. I just let him sleep in my back room and spend time there when … when he can’t be with his sister.”

“Why would you forbid my teaching them to read?”

“I’m not. I’m only saying that you can’t teach her here.” Bess lifted her hands, perplexed. “Why?”

Gideon looked at the ceiling and back to her. “Have you thought what it will do to your reputation, having that woman in your home? What it will do to Bertie’s reputation?”

She hadn’t. It’s true that back in Rhode Island, she wouldn’t have considered inviting Regina into her home. But then, she’d never met a soiled dove in Rhode Island. She couldn’t turn her back on Regina when she wanted to improve herself. “If not here, where? I certainly can’t go to … to her home to teach her, and there’s no school building.”

“That’s your problem. Find another place or tell her you rescind your offer.”

Bess planted her fists on her hips. “You allow the woman to work in your saloon. Isn’t it hypocritical to forbid her in your house, especially when her brother is staying here?”

“I won’t change my mind.”

And I won’t rescind my offer
. She’d find some way to keep her promise. For the moment, the best tactic appeared to be to divert his focus. “How did Miss Bently and Walter end up in Lickwind?”

“Same way a lot of us did. They were traveling to Oregon with their folks. Wagon broke down crossing a river. Their folks died. Lost everything. Not that there was much to lose, from the way Regina tells it. She and Walter made it as far as Lickwind before what little money she had ran out. They had no way to continue on to Oregon and no way to go back East. Some of Margaret’s girls joined up with a traveling …” He cast Bess a sharp glance. “A service that trailed the Union Pacific crew back in ‘68. Regina thought that would be worse for Walter than living here, so—” He shrugged.

“But why did she choose … what she does … instead of something else?”

“What else?”

Bess lifted her hands again as she searched for possibilities. “Baking, like me and Bertie. Or sewing or doing laundry.”

“Regina wasn’t as fortunate as you and Bertie. She didn’t have the Collingswood brothers or anyone else backing her credit while she laid in supplies and rented a place to live.”

“Oh. I guess I didn’t think it through.”

“Seems decent folk usually don’t when it comes to ladies like Regina.”

“That’s not fair.”

“No?” He sighed. “Maybe not. I’d better head back to the saloon. I’ll get that table and chairs over here. Don’t forget what I said about Regina.”

“How could I?” Bess retorted.

Gideon didn’t answer. He just left saying, “Bar the door.”

Bess swung the bar into place, venting her fury on the piece of wood. “Men. They’re all impossible.”

Three days later Gideon awoke from his first good night’s sleep since the arrival of the telegraph announcing the driving of the final railroad spike. His saloon hadn’t been that busy since the Union Pacific crew laying the track came through Lickwind. Those were good moneymaking days … or rather, nights. The railroad expected the crews to work during daylight hours.

He washed up, shaved, brushed his hair, and picked up the least-worn shirt he owned, trying to ignore the fact he attended to such things more regular now that Bess Craig lived thirty feet away. He wrinkled his nose as he buttoned the shirt. Time to wash clothes or buy new ones.

Gideon looked into his battered coffeepot. Some coffee still remained from yesterday. He stirred the coals in his stove and set the pot to heat. His stomach growled, and an image of hotcakes, fresh from the Craig sisters’ stove, appeared large as life. That and fresh coffee sounded like heaven. Or temptation. He wasn’t about to wind up outside their door every day like every other male in town.

He could hear chairs scraping in the saloon. Harry must be up and cleaning the place. Gideon never could make himself clean up the saloon before morning.

When he walked into the bar with a tin cup of thick coffee, he discovered Harry wasn’t the only person there. At the sight of Bess and Regina sitting side by side at the table nearest the door, he stopped so fast the coffee sloshed over the edge of the cup. “Ow!” He winced and shook his hand.

The women looked at him.

He walked toward them, wanting to scold Bess Craig as if she were a child. He hoped Harry had wiped the table off for the women. “Morning, Miss Craig. Regina. What brings you two in here this time of day?” As if he couldn’t tell from the slate between them with A-E-I-O-U printed on it in capital letters.

Regina’s face positively glowed, in spite of the late night he knew she’d spent working. “Miss Craig is teaching me my letters. Ain’t that something?”

Gideon forced a smile. “It surely is, Regina.” He’d be glad for her if it weren’t happening in his saloon. Or his house.

Miss Craig looked the part of the schoolmarm, dressed in gray as usual, with a prim black bow at her throat, a wool shawl wrapped about her against the cool May morning, and her dark brown hair prudishly pulled back in a bun. She contrasted sharply with Regina, whose red hair curled past her shoulders and whose green plaid dress, though more modest than most of Margaret’s girls’ clothes, was low cut and trimmed with lace.

He lifted his coffee cup and met Bess’s defiant gaze over the cup’s rim. “Not baking today, Miss Craig?”