She quickly scanned the ad. “Oh, my!”
“‘Oh, my’? Is that all you’ve got to say?” Reese asked.
“You lied to me,” she accused.
“I didn’t exactly lie to you.”
“You just said you did.”
“I said I omitted a few pertinent facts,” Reese corrected.
“It’s the same as lying. You admitted it!”
“So? I just told you the truth,” Reese reminded her. “I could have left you in ignorance. Let you take the position, and simply…” Reese stopped, mid-sentence, suddenly realizing what he was about to reveal and to whom.
“What?” Faith goaded. “What could you simply have done?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? Nothing? It must have been something. You started to say something. Go ahead, Mr. Jordan, finish it. Tell me. What could you have done so simply?” Faith stood up and faced him, daring him to answer her.
“Seduced you,” Reese said softly.
“What?”
“Seduced you, Mrs. Collins. I was going to say I could have simply seduced you into having my baby without telling you the truth. Believe me, that probably would have been easier than this,” Reese said bluntly.
“Oh.” Faith opened her mouth to say more, but words failed her. What could she say? Everything he said was true. He had proven it, only moments ago, when he kissed her and made her forget everything except the feel of his mouth on hers. She walked to the chair, sat down, and covered her red face with shaking hands.
He moved away from her chair and began to pace the room once more. “I don’t have to explain myself to you. The difference in the wording of the ad in the Richmond paper was a mistake. I didn’t know about it until you showed me your copy, but I could tell from our conversation you had a mistaken notion about the job. Hell!” He realized he’d spent the past minute explaining to her. “How was I supposed to know you didn’t know? All the others knew.”
“You mean all those women in line knew you wanted one of them to have a baby for you?” Faith was shocked. “For money?”
“Of course they knew. It was in the ad. And it’s not completely unheard of. There are references to such contracts in the Bible.”
“That doesn’t excuse you.”
“I’m not asking to be excused. I know what I’m doing and I have my reasons for doing it this way,” Reese told her.
“But to buy a baby…” Faith stood up and walked around Reese and stared out the window to the street below.
“I’m not buying a baby,” he said, “I’m renting a woman. The same way I would pay someone to clean my house or cook my dinner or—”
“Tend to your other needs?” Faith asked sweetly, suddenly flushed and as angry as he was.
“Exactly,” Reese told her. “When you pay for something, you can make sure you get what you want out of the deal. Believe me, honey, if I could do this by myself, I would. I don’t like being dependent on anyone for anything, but unfortunately, this is something I can’t do alone. I don’t have a choice.”
“Surely, you have lady friends,” Faith suggested. “You did say you excelled in seduction. Surely, there is a lady or two who would be more than happy to—”
“I don’t sleep with ladies.”
“Really?” Faith spat the question at him. “Then I don’t think we have a problem.”
“Oh, I’m willing to make an exception in your case.” He hadn’t meant to say that. “For business purposes.”
“I see.” Faith’s cheeks stained with color. “I had no idea I was so irresistible.”
“Look, lady”— Reese emphasized the courtesy title—“this deal will benefit both of us. You need money. A southern lady wouldn’t dream of leaving her home to become a governess, unless the job paid well. Very well. And I don’t know a southern family who doesn’t need money.”
“I have my reasons for applying for this job.” Faith looked him in the eye, daring him to question her.
“Then let’s leave it at that. You have your reasons and I have mine.” Reese met her gaze. “It’s only business.”
“I’m not even sure I like you,” Faith told him honestly.
Reese smiled once again, a real smile this time, one that reached his eyes. “You don’t have to like a man to do business with them.”
“This is rather intimate business.”
“All the better. There will be no emotional ties, no entanglements. Nothing permanent. I hire you to do the job, and once it’s done you never have to see me again. And because you’ll be in Wyoming, no one in Richmond will ever have to know. But you’ll be thousands of dollars richer.”
“I’ll have to think about it.”
“Fair enough. But don’t take too long. I’m rather pressed for time. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can get it over with.”
“How much time do I have?”
“I can spare a few days,” Reese grudgingly admitted. “Go home for Christmas. Think about it. You can wire me your answer after the holiday.” Reese walked to the bedroom door and opened it. “I’ll have David escort you to Richmond.”
Faith nodded in acknowledgment as he disappeared through the doorway. She didn’t understand how it had happened, but suddenly, she was thinking about accepting his bizarre offer. She told herself it was the money. She desperately needed the money.
Faith knew she shouldn’t consider taking the job, for money, for her ladies, or for any other reason, but she was considering it. And though she hated to admit it, even to herself, only part of the reason was money.
Chapter Six
“Are we approaching Richmond already?” David looked up from the stack of paperwork in his lap and spoke to Faith for the first time since they’d boarded the train.
Faith gazed at him. “Yes.”
David removed his watch from its pocket and snapped open the lid. “Only a half hour off schedule. We made very good time.” He placed his papers in the satchel on the floor beside his feet, then looked up and caught Faith still staring at him. “You get used to it.”
“What?”
“Traveling by train. If you spend any length of time in Reese’s company, you get used to the trains. I always catch up on my paperwork. The ride is so monotonous.”
“I apologize for my dull company,” Faith said in a small, tight voice.
“Oh, no, Mrs. Collins, I didn’t mean to imply you were a dull companion. Far from it. I only meant the journey. Any journey in a public coach is tedious when one is accustomed to traveling in a private car. There isn’t anything to do in a public coach except read, sleep, or do needlework. And I didn’t bring my mending.” He smiled at her and Faith noticed, for the first time, his resemblance to Reese.
Faith laughed in spite of herself. “Surely, you don’t do your own mending.”
David pretended to be affronted. “I’ll have you know, I’m very handy with a needle and thread.”
Faith cocked her head to one side, her gray eyes sparkling with mirth. “Then you should fit right in.” As soon as the train stopped, she picked up her cloak and, bunching her skirts in one hand, stepped into the crowded aisle.
David followed close behind.
“Did you leave your buggy at the livery?” David asked as they stepped from the train to the busy platform.
“No.” Faith shook her head.
“I’ll hire a hack.”
“It isn’t very far to my house. We could walk,” Faith suggested.
David pointed up to the gray, overcast sky. “Looks like more rain. Do you want to chance it?”
Faith shivered. “No.”
“I’ll hire a hack.”
Less than twenty minutes later, the hired buggy pulled up beside the dilapidated picket fence surrounding Collins House.
Faith watched as the curtain in the window of the front parlor moved back into place. The door of the house flew open, and a small, red-haired woman hurried down the porch steps, carefully avoiding the loos
e boards.
David Alexander helped Faith out of the buggy and onto the ground.
“Aunt Tempy!” Faith cried as the bundle of energy ran up and embraced her.
“Faith, oh, Faith.” Temperance Hamilton hugged her niece as if she had spent years away from home instead of one night. “I missed you so much.”
Faith smiled. “I haven’t been away that long, Aunt Tempy.”
“Well, it seemed like forever. You know I can’t tolerate Virt, Agnes, and Hannah for long on my own. Their empty-headed chatter drives me crazy. I’m sure I don’t know why the good Lord didn’t see fit to give them brains instead of looks… Oh, pardon me for running on like that.” Tempy turned to study Faith’s companion. “I’ll have you thinking I’m no smarter than the others. And that would be a shame. You must be Mr. Jordan. We got your telegram last night. Bert Winthrop made a special trip out after midnight just to deliver it. And it’s a good thing, too. I was beginning to worry about Faith being gone so long.”
“Aunt Tempy,” Faith interrupted, “you’re chattering.”
“Good Lord!” Tempy looked mortified at the idea. “Where are my manners? Do come in, Mr. Jordan.”
“Actually…” David began as Tempy took her niece by the elbow and ushered her toward the house.
“Aunt Tempy, this isn’t Mr. Jordan. This is Mr. David Alexander, Mr. Jordan’s attorney.” Faith stopped on the porch to perform the introductions. “Mr. David Alexander, meet my aunt, Temperance Hamilton.”
“You’re David Alexander? But we thought…” Tempy began.
“Mr. Jordan asked me to see Mrs. Collins home,” David explained. “He thought she might need some time to get ready for the journey, and since Christmas is just days away, he thought she would prefer to spend the holiday in the company of her family, rather than with strangers.” David opened the front door and allowed the women to precede him.
“Oh, Faith!” Tempy was practically jumping up and down with glee. “That means you got the job! How wonderful! You got the job!” Tempy stepped inside the house and turned toward the front parlor. “Virt! Hannah! Agnes! Joy! He hired her! Our Faith is going to work in Wyoming!”
The other women crowded into the hallway, each trying to hug Faith and to get a better look at the attractive gentleman escorting her.
Remembering her manners, Faith introduced David to the members of the household.
David studied the women crowded around him. He couldn’t believe his eyes. They were all considerably older than Faith, except the little girl who looked to be no older than five or six. David smiled to himself, enormously pleased to discover that Collins House, while big and full of women, was not some sordid Richmond bordello. David was certain Reese would be even more pleased and relieved. He couldn’t wait to tell him.
“Do have a seat, Mr. Alexander.” Hannah and Agnes led David to the horsehair sofa, then quickly seated themselves on either side of him. Faith noticed they spread their skirts as they sat down to hide the bayonet holes in the cushions. And, bless them, they had also made certain David sat in the most comfortable spot in the room.
“Would you care for some refreshment?” Tempy asked politely,
“Tea,” Hannah said. “We have some very nice tea. Tempy, you know where I keep it. Would you care for a hot cup of tea, Mr. Alexander?”
When she returned, a few minutes later, Tempy set the tray on the table in front of Hannah. “Will you pour, Hannah?”
“I’d be delighted.” Hannah smiled, pleased at the opportunity to preside over a tea table once again.
David Alexander shifted uncomfortably in his seat on sofa between Hannah Colson and Agnes Everett and accepted the cup of tea Mrs. Colson placed in his hands. He waited patiently while Mrs. Colson finished pouring tea for the ladies, then took a drink from his cup. He accepted a gingersnap from the plate Tempy offered.
“Oh, please, Mr. Alexander, take another. It’s been so long since we’ve had a gentleman in for tea.” Hannah smiled prettily.
“It’s time for Joy’s nap,” Tempy said. “I’ll just take her to bed.” She took Joy by the hand. “Say your goodbyes.”
Joy smiled shyly at the stranger, then hugged each of the older women around the waist. When she reached her sister, she threw her arms around Faith’s neck and squeezed her tightly. “I missed you, Faith.”
“I missed you, too.” Faith brushed a kiss across Joy’s brow.
“You’re not going away again, are you?”
“Not without you, pumpkin.”
“Promise?”
“Cross my heart.” Faith solemnly traced a cross above her heart.
“Good.” Joy hugged Faith a second time. “Night-night, Faith.”
“Sweet dreams, angel.” She blew kisses at Joy until Tempy led the little girl down the hall to the bedroom the three of them shared.
Hannah, Agnes, and Virt took their cue from Tempy. They quickly finished their tea, thanked David for seeing Faith safely home, then politely excused themselves and left the room, leaving Faith alone with David Alexander for the first time since their arrival.
“She calls you Faith,” David said.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Your little girl calls you by your given name. It’s unusual.”
Faith had forgotten about the fiction she had woven for David Alexander and Reese Jordan.
She thought quickly, scrambling for a plausible reason before she answered. “Joy has always been around adults. My aunts and the other ladies call me by my given name. Joy learned to do the same.” Faith shrugged. “It’s unconventional, but she’s never known anything different.” Faith clenched and unclenched her fists while her top teeth worried her bottom lip. She should have thought of this. She should have had Tempy explain the situation to Joy.
“I suppose you’re right,” David agreed. “Well, I’m going back to Washington. You can give me your answer now if you’ve made up your mind or you can telegraph Reese at the Madison after Christmas.”
Faith relaxed. Joy hadn’t given them away. “I haven’t made up my mind, yet. I need to think about it.”
David studied his surroundings closely. The house had once been elegant, but was now falling down around their heads. Light patches marked the walls where paintings had once hung, the windows were boarded up, and tell-tale water stains marred the plaster ceiling. The house was in desperate need of repair from roof to cellar. David didn’t have to be a banker to know the cost of repair was way above Faith’s present means.
He stood up and retrieved his hat. “I really must be on my way.” David bowed and made his way to the front door.
* * *
“Well, what did you find out about her?” Reese demanded as soon as David stepped inside the door of the Presidential Suite at the Madison Hotel.
“I had a miserable journey, Reese. I’m dying to deliver my report to you, but do you think I could grab a cup of coffee first?” David joked.
“Anything. Just give me the verdict.” Reese stalked to the silver coffee pot sitting on a tray beside his desk.
“You’re in a generous mood, today. How about a pay raise and your share of the Union Pacific stock along with the coffee?”
“How about a twisted arm and unemployment?” Reese shot back as he handed David a cup of coffee and took the damp overcoat David offered in return. “What did you learn?”
“I learned Faith Collins is a very proud woman.”
“Tell me something I haven’t learned on my own.”
“Well, she lives on Clary Street in Richmond in a house that’s falling down around her head. She shares it with her daughter and four other women—two aunts and two relatives by marriage.”
“Her side or his?” Reese wanted to know.
“Hers. They’re sisters-in-law of one of her aunts. Her daughter, Joy, is an adorable little girl of five or six, judging from her missing front teeth.”
“Five,” Reese remarked absently, remembering Faith’s description of her
family. “Any men?”
David couldn’t control his grin at the innocent-sounding question. “While I was there, I saw an army lieutenant.”
“I was afraid of that. She made everything sound too good to be true. I knew there had to be men in the picture. How else are five women going to earn enough money to live on?” Reese began to pace the length of the room.
“They take in sewing.”
“What?” Reese stopped in his tracks and stared at his cousin.
“I said they take in sewing. The lieutenant was there because he’d ripped his jacket.” David finished his cup of coffee and sat down on the sofa to watch Reese resume his nervous pacing. “Give me a hand with these. My feet are frozen.” He lifted one booted foot in Reese’s direction.
Reese yanked the wet boot from David’s foot and dropped it beside the sofa. “Sewing? Making dresses, that sort of thing?” Reese searched his memory. She had been dressed in rags. “Can she earn a living like that?” With the exception of his maternal grandmother and a few other women at the ranch, all the women of Reese’s acquaintance were outfitted in the latest fashions from London or Paris. “Is there a dress shop? A business of some sort?”
“No,” David told him, “They call themselves the Richmond Ladies Sewing Circle. They don’t make ladies’ fashions. They make quilts, embroider, and take in mending, mostly from the soldiers stationed in Richmond.”
“Union soldiers?”
“Apparently.”
“Like the army lieutenant.” Reese resumed his pacing.
David nodded. “I was about to climb into my hired hack when he walked up to the front door bearing a basket of fruit. A Christmas present for the ladies for treating him decent, he said. They refused to take it. Said they it wouldn’t be proper for a household of unmarried women to accept a gift from a gentleman. The lieutenant turned right around, walked to his buggy and proceeded to mutilate his jacket.”
“What?”
“He ripped off every button, every bit of insignia, and slit the sleeves. Then he went back to the front porch and asked them to mend it. He told them he’d spent his pay on Christmas, but he could trade them the basket in exchange for repairs. Faith graciously accepted the jacket and the fruit basket.”
“Just like that?” Reese stopped, then turned to look at David.
Golden Chances Page 6
