The Debutantes of Durango Box Set Books 1-3

by Peggy McKenzie

  The man shook his head, “No, sir, Mr. Kingston, but thank you just the same.”

  "Well, let's get to it then. Tell me what has happened between you and Mary and what you and she intend to do about it." John returned to his chair behind his desk and waited for Charley to begin.

  "Mr. Kingston, I know what we did is against your rules. It's just that...things...kinda got outta control a time or two."

  John thought about this morning’s kiss with Regina. He could easily understand how things can get out of hand, but adults have a responsibility to the children they create. His life was a shining example of irresponsible parents.

  "I see. And are you saying you are not in love with Mary?"

  "No, sir. I ain't sayin' that. I'm just sayin' I wasn't plannin' on gettin' married right now. I got room and board down at the boarding house, but there’s no room for a wife and kid. I gotta little money saved up, but it ain’t near enough to buy a house or nothin’. It's all just so unexpected. And more than I can adjust to right now."

  John could tell the man was truly distraught and he felt sorry for him. "Charley, you had to know that when you and Mary crossed the line, there might be consequences for the two of you. You do know how babies are conceived, right?"

  "Yes, sir. I know. Mary and I just wanted someone to turn to when the days got too hard. And, like I said, things kinda got out of hand."

  John grimaced. "Yeah, I heard. A time or two you said."

  "Yes, sir." Charley nodded. His face showed his resignation as he too knew the rules of employment.

  "What will you do without this job, Charley? You know I've already had to dismiss Mary," John reminded his bartender.

  "Yes, sir. I know. She came to me crying and I didn't know what to say to her. I didn't have any money to give her to live on. She said you gave her some money and promised to give her some fine references. I guess I'm hoping you will do the same for me."

  John could see the tears of desperation forming in the man's eyes. What would become of him and Mary? And what about the poor innocent child caught in the middle of this mess?

  "Charley, I have a question for you. Do you have any feelings at all for Mary?"

  The man didn't hesitate. "Yes, sir. I care a lot for Mary."

  "And could those feelings blossom into love over time?" John asked.

  "I suppose they could. I ain't never been in love before, Mr. Kingston, but I'd say my feelings for Mary could’ve been headed thataway iffin’ we’d had more time—before the baby news came along that is.”

  John understood about needing time for love to bloom.

  “Truth be told, sir, I ain't had much experience with love. My ma died when I was young and my pa worked hisself into an early grave, so love ain't something I'm comfortable with, but I do care for Mary. A lot."

  "Can you see yourself living with Mary and that baby of yours?" John asked.

  "Well, sure, Mr. Kingston. I mean, I can see it, but I can't see how to make it happen. Since I probably don’t have a job no more, and neither does Mary...and when the baby comes it’s gonna need someplace to stay besides…” the man's words trailed off.

  "Besides a room at the boarding house?” John offered. “What if there were some changes in your life that could help? Would you be open to them?" John wanted to help that little baby grow up somewhere besides the streets of Durango like he’d had to do.

  "Like what kinda changes? Don't see nothin’ swooping down outta the sky and landing on my shoulder anytime soon. Sir." Charley tempered his sarcasm with a word of respect. John liked that about Charley. He was a good man. He just needed a leg up. Everyone did at some point in their life.

  "I've got a couple of ideas. That is if you trust my judgment. Do you trust me, Charley?"

  "Yes sir, Mr. Kingston. I trust you more than most," the man assured him.

  "Good. I'm gonna let you finish out this week at your regular shift. Then, I’m gonna have a job for you and Mary but it’s gonna be a few weeks before I can set my plan into motion. The money I gave Mary should be enough to see the both of you through until then.”

  “A job...for-r me? And one for...for Mary?” Charley stuttered.

  “Yes. Come to my office after the town hall meeting tomorrow night. I hope to have some news for you both by then. In the meantime, try not to worry."

  "Yes sir, Mr. Kingston. And thank you for being so kind. A right gentleman."

  John stood and clapped the man on the shoulder. "Now, you get back to work."

  Charley let himself out and left John alone with his thoughts.

  He wanted to help Charley and Mary. They were good, hard-working, honest people and they deserved a bit of help, but mostly, John wanted to help that little baby they were bringing into this world. He, or she, deserved better than a worn-out single mother and growing up in the gutter.

  What these people needed was something that benefited the working man and woman directly. Something that could help families with small children still make a decent living. They needed someone to care for their children when they couldn’t, and he was going to make that happen. He and Regina.

  Thoughts of Regina pulled him back to this morning's kiss. Something had changed. Something had tipped the scales in his favor. And this evening, when he had Regina all to himself, he planned to tell her the truth about their marriage.

  He worked on his ledger until he heard the chatter of women down the hall. The Ladies Club of Durango was meeting today, and he knew Regina was hoping to get the ladies to champion his plans for childcare.

  He sat back in his chair and picked out conversations among the group. He knew he was eavesdropping, but they were in a public place. He doubted anything they said would be more personal than who wore what to the debutante’s ball last Saturday.

  He heard a female voice speaking to the group. The din of other voices quieted to hear what was said. “Did you hear about Meg and Martin? And about Kelly? Where do you think she went?” the young woman asked.

  Another voice answered. “I heard Meg was caught in a compromising position with Martin Scott and Kelly simply disappeared.”

  Another female voice spoke up. “I think we all know she is sweet on the sheepherder, what’s his name?”

  No one seemed to know.

  Another of the young women spoke up. “But why would they do such a thing?”

  “They are tired of living the lives their parents planned for them, that’s what I think. Don’t you agree, Regina?”

  He heard Regina’s voice drop and he leaned forward in his chair to better hear his wife’s answer.

  “I think we are all sick of our parents running our lives. I wish we could be independent like the March sisters in Little Women. Or even like the book’s author, Louisa May Alcott. Wouldn’t that be a magical existence? To have the freedom to be independent and adventurous.”

  Another female in the little group spoke up. “You know that will never happen. We leave our parent’s home where they are in charge of our lives and move into our husband’s home where he takes over control. It’s a man’s world and the best we can hope for is to find a kind generous husband who isn’t too overbearing.”

  John heard Regina’s voice loud and clear when she spoke again. “I have a plan that is going to allow me the freedom I seek.”

  “What is it, Regina?” one of the young women asked.

  “Oh, just something I’ve set in motion,” she replied vaguely. Catching herself before giving away her plans. “But when it works, I shall follow my own destiny without interference from anyone. I will finally have the freedom I have dreamed about since I was a young girl.”

  “But we heard you got married. To John Kingston. That’s what he told everyone in the hotel lobby last night when your father came looking for you.”

  “Yes, that’s true. John and I did get married and my father is not happy about it in the least.”

  “You are so lucky, Regina. John Kingston is so handsome.”

  “
And he’s rich.” Another voice piped in.

  “Yes, John is very handsome indeed. And he’s quite wealthy too. But more important than that, he’s kind and he cares about people. Why, most men would never even consider allowing their wives to partner with them in business, but John—”

  “Oh, now you’re just teasing us. There’s not a man on this Earth who would let his wife have a say in business matters.”

  Several of the ladies giggled.

  Regina’s voice responded and he could tell she was angry.

  “You can’t say that, Vivian, because it is true. John asked me just this morning to help him with a business venture he’s starting. And he asked my opinion. No one else in my life has ever asked my opinion.”

  The woman she had called Vivian spoke up “If he did, Regina, then he’s up to something. Men never do anything without an ulterior motive. He wants something from you. If you’re smart, you’ll cash in. The only way to independence is to have your own cash hidden so when he decides to cut off your allowance, you can still buy your own dresses without having to go to him.”

  “Ladies, don’t stand outside in the hallway chattering. The Ladies Club of Durango has work to do today.” Another female voice interrupted the conversation before Regina could respond, leaving him in stunned silence.

  Regina’s words put a damper on his optimism. She had told the ladies she had a plan for her independence. Despite their kiss this morning, Regina wanting to stay married to him was looking less possible by the moment—and time was running out.

  Chapter Eleven

  It was early afternoon by the time Regina left the meeting room with a smile on her face and headed through the hotel lobby to her new home on the third floor. It was just as she suspected, her friends had nearly swooned when Regina told them that she was indeed married to John Kingston.

  “Why on earth didn’t you tell us you and Mr. Kingston were in love, Regina? I can’t believe you kept this secret from your best friends,” they all lamented. She had nearly spoiled everything by thoughtlessly spouting out her plans to fool her father and live the independent life they all craved. Luckily, her friends didn’t press the issue for long. She wasn’t certain she could keep up the charade if she had to continue lying to their faces.

  Pushing thoughts of deceiving her friends away, she went over the list she and Sarah made during the meeting. And Regina realized she had a great many things to do before the town hall meeting tomorrow night.

  Her stomach somersaulted at the thought of attending the town hall meeting. She would be forced to face her father again, along with the rest of her friends who’d not been at the club meeting today and they were going to have questions about her sudden marriage to John Kingston.

  A flush of heat poured through her body when she thought about John as her husband. She smiled to herself because she knew her friends were green with envy. They all gushed over John every time he was in the same room. It was a very unseemly way for a young lady to behave, and yet it was all that young ladies seemed to talk about when prying mothers weren’t nearby.

  So many times over the years, they had begged Regina to arrange a meeting with John because they knew of their friendship. She was embarrassed to say even the mother of one of her friends had pushed to meet him.

  When she had half-heartedly mentioned it to him once or twice over the years John had joked that his heart belonged to her and he was too much of a gentleman to lead anyone else on.

  Regina grinned at the memory. She knew John was only teasing her because he had never crossed the line of friendship, not even once, but the thought did occasionally creep into her musings.

  She made her way through the crowded lobby and up the grand staircase to her new home on the third floor. It felt nice to go home—be home—and not have a knot of anxiety in the pit of her stomach. It was nice not to be on edge all the time waiting for her father or mother to make demands of her. She could get used to this.

  Regina let herself in and relished the cozy quiet of John's suite of rooms and hung her cloak and scarf on the hall tree next to the front door.

  "Did you have a nice visit?"

  Regina whirled and saw John sitting in his chair by the large marble fireplace, sipping Scotch and reading what looked to be the latest edition of the Durango Herald.

  "I did." Sarah's heart hiccupped when her eyes met John's. The first thing that popped into her mind was their kiss. She wondered if he was thinking about it too. She blushed and hoped he couldn't read her thoughts.

  He lay his newspaper down and stood to place another log on the fire burning in the grate. John turned to her and gestured towards the other chair. "Please, come tell me all about it. I'm anxious to hear how you think we should proceed with the care house for young children school project."

  Regina had never before heard those words directed at her. No one ever cared what she thought. Certainly not her father. And her mother never ventured past fashion. She said that discussing money or business was for common women. Well, if this was what it felt like to be common, Regina decided she liked it. She liked it very much. And her friend, Vivian, didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. Not. A. Clue.

  "Of course," she responded, hoping her breathless words didn't expose her jumbled emotions. She thought before she married John she had discovered a clear path of independence and happiness. Now she wasn’t so sure.

  She dropped her reticule on the hall tree bench by the door and walked across the room to take the chair John offered. He stood waiting for her and she wondered if he was going to try to kiss her again. But when he returned to his own chair after she was seated, she felt a twinge of disappointment.

  When she settled, John offered to make her a drink. "I can send for something other than wine if you prefer.”

  "No, wine sounds perfectly delicious." Regina felt relaxed here in this lovely room, sitting by the fire next to John. She again had the feeling of being home.

  John poured her a half measure of the ruby-colored wine and handed her the stemmed crystal glass. Their fingers touched briefly before he pulled his away and settled back in his chair.

  "Now, tell me about your day and what you learned."

  Regina was suddenly very nervous, which she found odd. There was no one she felt more comfortable around than John. Until now.

  Something had changed between them this morning. That kiss had sparked a smoldering ember of desire inside Regina and she wasn't yet certain what to do about it. After all, John had made it clear more than once he wanted nothing from her besides friendship. Thoughts of John’s comment about sharing his bed resurfaced. And again, she wondered if he had someone special waiting in the wings for her departure. She wished she had the courage to ask him. And if he were to admit he did, what then?

  “Regina?” his deep voice pulled her from her unpleasant thoughts.

  She took a sip of wine for courage and studied her glass while she talked. "Well, Sarah and I talked about what all would be required to make your project a reality. First, we will need to find a place to house the children while their parents work. Next, we will need to hire staff. A cook, possibly two. And we would need several caretakers to watch over the different age groups. Babies. Toddlers. And those almost old enough to go to school, but not quite ready. As well as housekeepers to keep the place tidy."

  Regina paused and glanced at John. His close scrutiny made her even more nervous. Did he think her observations silly?

  She took another sip of wine and continued. "We also talked about salaries for the employees. I…we…Sarah and I that is, we weren’t certain what your budget was for this project, so we weren't certain how far ahead to plan."

  John smiled at her, and all she could think about were his kissable full lips. Her stomach somersaulted underneath her corset. Yes, something had definitely changed for her this morning after that toe-curling kiss they shared. But what about John? Could his feelings have changed too?

  "The budget is whatever it
takes, Regina. I trust you." John's words pulled her back to the present.

  Her eyes drifted to his dark curls that scraped against the white collar of his shirt when he moved. She wondered if they were as soft as his beard.

  "Regina?" John's voice again pulled her attention back to the matter at hand.

  "You seem a bit distracted this evening. Anything you wish to talk about? You know you can tell me anything." His concerned look touched her.

  No one had ever valued her as something more than a bargaining tool—except John. No one had ever listened to what she thought—except John. And no one had ever made her trust their word without question—except John.

  Regina wondered what John would do if she told him what she was really thinking. Would he think she had lost her mind? Would he think her serious or would he laugh at her as he had all the other young, beautiful, matrimonially-minded pursuers? No, he wouldn't laugh. He was too kind for that. What would he do she wondered?

  There was no time like the present to find out.

  John had waited all afternoon hoping to talk to Regina about the kiss they shared and perhaps bring up the conversation he had overheard without letting Regina know he had been eavesdropping. But when she finally walked through the door, he wasn't certain he wanted to know the answer.

  He watched his beautiful wife enter his home and wondered what it would be like if this was an everyday occurrence. How happy he would be to share his life with this incredible woman.

  He wanted to meet her at the door and pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless, but he held himself in check. He needed more time for their relationship to blossom into something more, especially after hearing Regina’s response to her friend this morning. If she was still talking about independence and freedom, then she was still planning to leave at the first opportunity. But if he could nurture the passion she displayed during this morning’s kiss, perhaps there was a chance for them yet.

  After thirty minutes of listening to Regina lay out the details of what she and her friend had decided needed to be done, John had to admit he was rather impressed by her practicality and sense of business.