by Diane Darcy
“Boone—”
“There was the one who had me rescue her from Miller’s pond, and then tried to kiss me as I waded back out of the water with her.” He finally turned. “You find me this paragon of virtue that you’re talking about, and I’ll marry her in a heartbeat.”
His mother leaned forward and placed her head in her hands. “I can’t think of anyone either.” Just when he was starting to worry she was truly despairing, she sat up and shot him an assessing look. “Have you considered a mail-order bride?”
The fact of the matter was, he had toyed with the idea, and then discarded it. There was no way he was marrying a woman he’d never met in his life. Better to be stuck with horse-faced Marissa. At least then he’d know what he was getting. He wouldn’t purchase a shovel without inspecting it first.
Maybe he should just marry one of the women in town and get it over with. But he couldn’t think of one woman he’d want to spend a month with, let alone the rest of his life.
“Sweetheart, I do understand the issues that you’re facing. Regardless, I do want you to marry.”
“Can’t.”
“You can, and you will.”
“Sorry, Mama, I’ve got to go.”
His mother jumped to her feet again. “Boone William Jackson, you listen to me. You are going to get married even if it’s the last thing you ever do!”
He almost laughed at the empty threat, but at the fiery look in his momma’s eyes, changed his mind at the last moment. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Would you look at that!”
Lucy was disinclined to glance at whatever was out the train window, the rocking motion having put her into a pleasant enough nap, if not a deep sleep. But she knew if she didn’t open her eyes, she’d soon be the victim of an elbow in her ribs, so she opened her eyes and glanced past her new friend, Ada, to look out the window.
“What are we looking at?”
“Over there! Look how green that mountain is! And look at how tall the trees are!”
They had changed trains in Ogden, Utah, and since they’d reached the brand-new state of Montana, the scenery had taken a decided turn, with rolling hills, lush green grasses, and lodgepole pines. “It is beautiful,” she said again, for about the twentieth time.
Ada, a pretty brunette just younger than Lucy, turned to grin at her. “I’ll bet you’re glad now that you broke it off with your fiancé.”
“I was glad before, why would now be any different?”
“Because we’re almost there! Butte, Montana! Home of more millionaires than any other city in the country.”
Lucy didn’t bother to glance around again, or wonder if the other passengers had overheard. She wasn’t exactly sorry she’d befriended Ada, as the other girl was a lot of fun, and a bundle of energy. Still, the other woman didn’t seem to know how to keep her thoughts to herself, and anything she reflected upon came straight out of her mouth.
“So you’ve said.”
Ada rolled her eyes at Lucy’s lack of enthusiasm. “Ladies like you who have grown up with money, don’t know what it’s like to have none.”
She had her there. Even this venture out West was being funded by her grandmother.
“I’d have probably even kept that fiancé of yours if I’d been in your position. It’s all about marrying well. You’ll see, when you’re a schoolteacher, and all those children are making you crazy. You’ll be thinking to yourself how good marriage sounds right about then.”
Lucy didn’t argue, but when she remembered the sting of humiliation she’d felt at the hands of her ex-fiancé, she was quite sure she wouldn’t be changing her mind anytime soon.
“What happens if you meet an ordinary man, say a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker and fall in love with him instead?”
Ada stuck her nose in the air. “I have no intention of letting any such thing happen. My mother always told me I could fall in love with a rich man as easily as with a poor one. I intend to get a rich one.”
“I wish you well.”
The girl’s mouth firmed with determination. “Thank you. There are fifty millionaires living in Butte at the moment. Fifty! They had an article in the Ohio newspaper and as far as I could tell I was the only lady who decided to do anything about it.”
“Less competition for you, then.”
“You could find one too.”
“I’m not very interested in men at the moment.”
“Suit yourself.” The younger girl suddenly looked worried. “We are still going to be friends, aren’t we? Once we reach Butte?”
“Of course, Ada.” Lucy held out her pinkie finger in the way Ada had shown her earlier.
Ada clasped it with hers and they shook. “Friends forever.”
“Forever,” Lucy echoed.
Ada smiled. “For a fancy lady from New York City, you’re all right.”
Lucy grinned at the younger girl. “And for a determined young miss from Ohio, you are all right as well.”
Ada shot her a quick grin, and then returned her gaze to the window, her expression full of hope.
Lucy really did wish her the very best, but what she wanted for herself was very different. She was going to be a school teacher in a mining town. Who would have ever thought it? She couldn’t help but wonder what her fiancé, Mr. Hargraves, thought about her disappearance.
She had not so much as left him a letter. She didn’t feel he deserved the consideration under the circumstances. She had, however, left a letter with her grandmother to give to her parents. She knew they’d be disappointed, but they’d soon get over it. The position of schoolteacher, coming toward the end of the school year as it did, certainly gave her options. She could go home in a couple of months, or she could try and retain the position and start teaching again in the fall.
She could go home for the summer. Or she could stay and become part of the community. She really didn’t know for sure what was going to happen, and in a way, that suited her just fine. She’d find some adventure, some fun, and who knew what might happen?
At the moment, anything was possible, and that suited her just fine.
In the meantime, perhaps she should give up on trying to nap and get something productive done. After so many days on the train, Lucy had been thrilled when she’d been able to purchase some stationary at one of the stops.
She’d been cursing herself for packing hers away, as she’d had a lot of time on her hands. It wasn’t going to be easy to write letters on the rocking train, but Lucy was determined to try.
Her first letter would be to Moriah Jensen Dillon. Coming out West had made her think a lot about the other woman she’d met three years previously, in Idaho.
Retrieving the box of paper, she selected a sheet and set it atop the hard top, poised her fountain pen, and started.
Dear Moriah,
Even writing her friend’s name, brought a smile to her face. Lucy had met Moriah Jensen three years ago when she had accompanied her father to Silver City to look into a business venture. Before investing in the mine, he’d wanted to meet the owners and see the property before making a decision.
Lucy had been on a break from school and, as she’d been training to be a schoolteacher, she’d been interested in the local school house. And there she’d met Moriah. Pretty, determined, and earnestly pursued by her future husband, Tex Dillon.
She remembered Moriah confiding that she’d been jilted at the altar by another man before meeting Tex. She would no doubt understand Lucy breaking off her engagement to Mr. Hargraves.
She knew Moriah, a new mother, wasn’t teaching anymore, but no doubt she could still give a few pointers.
How she wished she was headed to Idaho, rather than Montana. At least there she would know someone.
Dear Moriah,
You will be surprised to find that I am to be a schoolteacher rather than a wife. As it turned out, Mr. Hargraves was unworthy of my trust. But that’s a story for another time. At present, I’m on a train ride to Butte,
Montana. So, I hope you’ll excuse my poor penmanship. Please tell me, how is the school in your local area faring? I am to teach the children of Silver Bow County and—
Chapter 2
When the train pulled into the station Lucy felt her stomach lurch. She looked out the window and realized the town was nothing like she’d thought it would be.
She’d pictured trees, bushes, green grass. There’d been a lot of greenery on the way to this town, and granted, the surrounding hills and mountains were green enough, but the town itself?
Dusty, was the word that came to mind.
Also, far more crowded than she’d expected.
She heard Ada calling for her to hurry, and quickly left her seat and gathered her possessions.
She exited the train with help from the usher, gave the man a tip and a smile, and quickly found herself on the platform.
She glanced over to see men unloading luggage, looked around for Ada, and finally found the girl, waving in the distance. She quickly joined her.
Ada, her face lit with happiness, gathered a rather battered suitcase from the pile forming against the wall of the wooden building. “I’ve found someone to take me to my hotel. Would you like to ride with us? Or have you found the gentleman taking you to the schoolhouse?”
Lucy couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve barely had time to catch my breath.”
“Do you want me to wait?”
“No, you go ahead. I’m sure that Mr. Newby will arrive momentarily.”
“Well, if you’re sure?”
“I am.”
The younger girl threw herself at Lucy and gave her a quick hug. “Alright, you know where to find me. I’ll be at the McDermott hotel, one of the grandest hotels in the entire Northwest!” Ada giggled, and added a small curtsy. “Of course, I’ll be in the servant’s quarters, but I bet they’ll be nice as well.”
“I’m sure they will be.”
Lucy watched the younger girl go, and glanced around for her own transportation. She wished now she’d had more time to get ready for her adventure, a chance to write letters back and forth. The few telegrams exchanged between her and the school district had not mentioned a description of Mr. Newby.
A young gentleman wearing blue jeans, a belt, and a sturdy tweed jacket and bowler hat looked a likely prospect. He stood talking to a couple of older gentlemen, who were much better dressed than himself. She moved forward, reluctant to interrupt, but as she reached the gentleman, the two others tipped their hat and walked off.
“Excuse me?”
When the gentleman turned Lucy was unprepared for the sheer handsomeness of the well-favored male before her.
He ripped off his hat to reveal well-trimmed dark hair, and stunning green eyes. “Ma’am? Can I help you?”
Broad cheekbones, a strong jaw, and tanned face. Lips curving into a smile made her realize she was staring.
“Ma’am?”
“Oh.” Heat rushed into her face and she cursed her fair skin. “Excuse me, I am Miss Rickman, from New York City. Are you Mr. Newby?”
“And if I am?” His green eyes seemed to tease, as he settled his hat back on his head.
She didn’t appreciate the provocation. “Well, if you are Mr. Newby, then you’re the gentleman I’m looking for.”
When he looked blank, she tried to be patient. “You are to drive me to Mrs. Collier’s boarding house, isn’t that correct?”
He was staring at her, his gaze slightly calculating.
“Mr. Newby?”
“Of course.” He gave his head a shake. “Of course, it would be my honor to take you there.”
“My trunk is right over there. The big brown one.”
The man gave her a quick nod. “If you’ll excuse me for just a moment, Miss Rickman?”
“Of course.”
She watched as he crossed the boardwalk and intercepted another man, had a quick chat with him, and sent him on his way. After that he hurried to her trunk and lifted it by himself.
The man was strong.
“Right this way, Miss.”
Feeling slightly breathless, she followed, admiring the easy way he carried her trunk, and then forced her gaze away.
She took a deep steadying breath and glanced around at what she could see of the town once more.
There seemed to be people of all ethnicities walking the streets, and tall buildings rose throughout the town.
She tried to find some of her former excitement, and had to admit what she felt was a bit scared.
She felt the reticule hanging at her side, comforted by the fact that she carried a return ticket.
She lifted her chin. She was a grown woman. A schoolteacher, and a woman of the world. So what if this was the first time she’d traveled without her mother? It most certainly wouldn’t be the last.
She followed Mr. Newby to a wagon where he set her trunk down hard.
“Careful now!”
He turned and grinned at her. “Sorry.”
“That trunk has traveled with me to Paris, Italy, and, of course, New York. It’s lasted well, and I don’t want to see it damaged.”
He tipped his hat and looked genuinely contrite. “Ma’am.” He offered her his hand.
Again, she took a deep breath. She’d never had to deal with situations like this alone. The realization that she would be sitting next to the man on the wagon left her feeling somewhat flustered. Had she ever even been on a wagon? If so, she had no memory of it.
She took his hand and he helped her up onto her seat.
Once again, she looked at the dirty streets and rough terrain which were the backdrop of some impossibly beautiful buildings. The place seemed to be a mishmash of differences.
“It’s nothing like New York City.”
He grinned at her again, charming, attractive. A ladies’ man, no doubt. “Did you expect it to be?”
Even his voice, deep and husky, was attractive.
“No, of course not. Just making conversation.”
“I take it this is your first time visiting here?”
“It is.”
“And you’re here to teach at the school?”
“I am.”
“Well, you’ll have your hands full. The last schoolteacher ran off and got married, and I swear I heard the mayor saying that he wouldn’t hire another woman.”
“It’s just for the next few months. Then we are both to reevaluate.”
To be perfectly honest, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to continue teaching after the summer break. What she did want, was to get away from New York City at the moment. And perhaps to establish a bit of independence.
She was very aware of the man beside her, and assured herself the feeling was not unusual. The last man who’d sat this close to her was her fiancé.
Once again, anger flared within her. If he’d wanted to conceive children with other women, why had he bothered asking her to marry him?
Did he realize she thought he deserved nothing from her, that the ugliness he’d brought into her life absolved her from a face-to-face meeting? Or would he think she’d scrambled out of town like a scared rabbit?
Perhaps she should write him a scathing letter to be sure he understood the situation.
Would he have tried to talk her into marrying him still? Or would he have been relieved that his secret was out?
She didn’t know, and hopefully sooner, rather than later, would no longer care.
“Hold onto your hat!”
Lucy did just that as the horse pulled the wagon up a steep street. When they turned the corner, they leveled off once more. “What a beautiful home!” Lucy looked at the Georgian style mansion that would’ve looked at home on any New York street.
He smiled again. The man really was a charmer. “You like that?”
“I do.”
“That’s the Smith home. You’ll see several others just like it. Well, not just like it. All of them are very different. But you’ll see some of similar quality all through the t
own.”
“I have to admit that this is nothing like what I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
“I don’t know, I’ve been around the world, but never out West. It has its own mythology, if you will. Gunfights, saloons, cattle ranches. But also, small towns with churches and white picket fences.”
“We have some of those as well.”
“I suppose because this is a mining town, it’s different from what I’ve imagined. The people, for one thing. I wasn’t expecting so many different ethnicities.”
“Word gets out fast when gold or silver are discovered. Entire towns can fill up almost overnight.”
“Tell me, Mr. Newby…”
“Please, call me Boone.”
She hesitated a moment, the inappropriateness of calling him by his given name making her pause. The phrase ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’ popped into her head and she decided to lose some of her starch. “Boone, then. And you must call me Lucy.”
Boone’s lips curled once again, and Lucy ’s heart pounded as she felt a flare of excitement at her own daring. Her mother would die on the spot if she heard Lucy make such an offer to a man she’d just met.
But why not? She was an independent woman now, with a broken engagement behind her, and employment in her future. Her life was going in an entirely new direction.
And without her mother and father there, heavens, without any family, shouldn’t she be able to choose her own friends and associations?
This man, who she’d be working with, seemed like a perfect place to start.
The fact that he was incredibly attractive had absolutely nothing to do with it.
The next time he smiled at her, Lucy smiled back.
Boone was going straight to hell.
He could not believe he was doing this.
When Miss Lucy Rickman had approached him at the train station, mistakenly thinking he was her ride to the school, one look into her stunning sky-blue eyes, and he’d flat-out lied so he could meet her.
