"Hi," Quinlan said stunned. "Thank you so much."
"Meg Gillespie," she said, holding out her hand. "This is my sister Annabelle Samuels, my youngest sister Ruby Culver, and her student, Dora Tennyson." The woman had to be in the later stages of her pregnancy, but Dora was a student? From her looks she appeared older than Quinlan.
"Explain to me how you are still a pupil," she said, gazing at the woman confused.
The other ladies all laughed. "I run a school for bounty hunters," Ruby said, placing a dish on a nearby table. "We teach men and women how to help law enforcement catch criminals. Only they get paid to do it."
"Even women? How interesting," Quinlan said. "Please sit down and tell me all about your bounty hunting academy."
"Oh, thank you," Meg said, dropping onto the sofa. "This is my third pregnancy and this baby feels like he's going to be a big one.” After a breath, she continued. “At one time, we all made a living as bounty hunters, but now Ruby and her husband have a school where people can learn the profession."
Quinlan had never heard of a school like this and she was intrigued. Women bounty hunters?
Ruby sank down next to her sister. "Dora is learning how to accurately shoot a pistol, track, and get information about the criminal she's hunting. She's also being educated about the laws that prohibit her from using her knowledge for evil. Though I'm not so sure she's going to listen to me on that score."
All eyes turned to Dora. Why was this lovely woman interested in chasing outlaws?
"My money and my husband are gone. Not much worth keeping."
"Oh," Quinlan said, thinking she was new to marriage and hearing this story left her uneasy.
A frown scurried across Meg's face. "Now, Quinlan, you're a newlywed. Those first few months of marriage before the children start to arrive, they were so much fun."
The kind of fun the woman referred to, she had yet to experience. Could the marriage bed be a place of enjoyment?
Reaching over, Annabelle laid her hand on Quinlan's hand. "Tell us about yourself. My daughter will soon be school age and I've worried so much about her getting the right education. We're happy you're here."
"When I was seven, I was taken to the Wigg School and Foundling Home where I lived until last week. There I was given the best schooling available to young women," Quinlan said with pride.
If people would only focus on her education and not her background, her life would be so much simpler. Forget that she was an orphan and concentrate on her achievement. A certified teacher.
"What made you decide to come out west," Meg said, leaning back trying to get comfortable.
The woman's stomach protruded, making her look miserable. All that extra weight was centered right in her middle.
"Well, the school is closing and Madam Wigg has offered to give all of us who start schools a stipend once our schools are established."
"That's wonderful," Dora said. "My parents sent me to one of those fancy all girl academies back east and look what that got me. A cheating husband who brought me out west and dumped me."
A tremor rattled through Quinlan as she thought of her childhood. Now she was married. How would she react if Will cheated on her? Like her father? And poor Dora, her husband had stolen her money and left her? No wonder the woman wanted revenge.
"Do you ladies know how many students I can expect? Will is going to take me to the school building either later today or tomorrow."
Everyone but Dora grimaced and shook their heads.
"Oh honey, if anyone can fix that shack, your new husband can. He's quite the carpenter."
To hear praise about her husband, Quinlan smiled as her insides warmed as she thought of Will.
"Look at her, she's blushing," Ruby said. "Oh, remember those honeymoon days."
"Nope," Dora said. "Mine were never like what you're describing."
"At the most twenty kids, though many may live too far from town to come every day. Their ages will range from six years all the way to sixteen, and as always, at least one troublemaker in the group," Annabelle said.
The woman laughed "In years past, I would say her name was Ruby McKenzie, but she's grown and is a mother now."
"Thanks, Annabelle," Ruby said exasperated. "The boys were willing to pay me coin to let them kiss me and I was happy to take their money."
Swallowing the gasp that threatened to escape, Quinlan coughed a little. "Every school has at least one child who acts out and I'm sure this one will be no different."
Even at the orphanage, there were students who had discipline problems that sometimes Madam Wigg needed to handle. But now Quinlan was prepared to deal with children who should be punished since she would be in charge of everything.
Their student, Dora, gazed at her. "What happened to your parents? Influenza, a small-pox epidemic?"
"Accident." There was no way she would tell these woman about her family. The shame, the sorrow, the unbelief, were still hard to fathom. Now with her own marriage, she prayed her new husband would never act like her father.
The woman's mouth dropped open. "I'm so sorry."
"Actually, it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me, though I missed my mother something terrible. At the orphanage, there was food, shelter, other girls, books and education. Sometimes the worst things that happen turn out to be perfect for you." She paused. "Who knows, Dora, maybe discovering your husband is a thief will somehow work to your advantage."
"You may be right. Especially, after I find him. Don't worry, he won't be around for long," the woman said, pushing back her blonde hair.
Ruby shook her head at her pupil. "Even as a bounty hunter, you can't take the law in your hands."
"Maybe not, but there are other ways," Dora said.
"Ladies, we're overstaying our welcome. Time to take me and this baby home. Must be a girl because she's kicking like she's throwing a tantrum," Meg said standing.
The idea of a baby girl having a fit inside Meg's stomach made Quinlan smile. She knew nothing about expectant women and carrying a child. It was fascinating to hear Meg talk about her pregnancy.
The other women stood as Quinlan rose, knowing she was sad to see these ladies leave. The women were amusing and she missed her sisters from the orphanage. She longed for female companionship.
A loud curse filled the room and then the slamming of the door. Quinlan froze. Was it starting? Her father had loved to embarrass her mother in front of visitors.
The memories overwhelmed her as Will came into the room limping, she moved behind Dora, hoping he would not hit her in front of her new friends.
Will stopped and glanced around at their guests, his eyes widening at the sight of the women. "Hello, ladies. Sorry, I stubbed my toe and I didn't know we had company."
"Congratulations," they all said laughing.
"If that had been my husband, Beau, something worse would have slipped from between his lips."
Standing behind Dora, Quinlan noticed her hands were shaking as Will tilted his head to gaze at her, his eyes questioning. He seemed jovial, not hateful, not even upset.
Annabelle stepped in front of Will. "Make certain that school building is in good condition before Quinlan starts teaching. Maybe it would be a good idea for her to take target lessons with Ruby."
With a nod, he replied, "I plan on watching very carefully over my wife. The target lessons are not a bad idea. Please come back to see us."
"You married the teacher and we have a whole passel of children. You're going to be seeing a lot of us," Meg said.
Will walked to her side, and her heart pounded in her chest as she expected a blow any moment. For a second, she closed her eyes and then felt his arm wrap around her as he pulled her against him. When she opened her eyes, she stared into the sparkling depth of his blue eyes as he smiled at her.
"Come visit us anytime and bring your husbands. My wife and I would enjoy the company."
Shocked, Quinlan forced a smile on her face as the women
all walked out the door. "Bye."
Standing at the door with his arm around her, they waved goodbye.
"Soon, you could be looking like Meg," he said.
Terror gripped her chest. Yes, she wanted children, but before they could have children, they would need to have sex and that frightened her almost as much as she feared his fists.
Chapter 4
On the way to the school, Will sat contemplating Quinlan's reaction around the women. After he stubbed his toe, he'd cursed, letting the back door slam shut. When he came into the living area, his wife was almost cowering behind the ladies. Did she fear him?
Maybe she'd witnessed a man mistreating a woman when she was younger and she feared men. What if whatever she saw had been her own family. That would explain so much, but until he was certain, it would be best not to create loud noises or frighten her. Somehow she had to learn to trust him and that could take a while.
Will pulled the wagon in front of the school and glanced at Quinlan. Disappointment was etched on her face, her mouth open in shock, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Hey, we'll fix up the building. There's no need to be crying," he said as he reached over and wiped the tear on her eyelash away. Could her tears be a result of what happened earlier?
"You tried to warn me it was in bad shape, but I just kept hoping. How can we complete this in time for school to start? How can I let children in this building without worrying about their safety?”
She had a point. If his kids were in this rundown shack, he would worry. It wasn't the walls so much as the roof. A sag in the middle told him one good Texas windstorm and the kids would be looking up at the sky.
Climbing down from the wagon, he hurried over to help Quinlan alight. As he placed his hands on her tiny waist, his heart skipped a beat. Soon, he promised himself. Soon, they would consummate their marriage when the time was right. That moment had yet to arrive and sometimes he wondered if it would.
Setting her on the ground, he took her hand and she gazed up at him and smiled. Will had been seventeen the last time he courted a woman and he was doing his best to remember what women liked.
Walking up the steps, he noticed that some of the boards had rotted. Those would need to be replaced. The carpenter in him assessed the entryway—there were several weakened boards. A spider web was strung across the corner of the porch to the front door. With his hand, he swiped the cobwebs away and pulled Quinlan behind him as he prepared to open the door.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Just making sure no wild animal is in here getting an education," he said.
With a click of the knob, he swung the door wide, and stared into the gloomy darkness. A lantern sat on a desk and he quickly struck a match and lit the wick. Light glowed in the room, showing the dirt, webs, and in the corner, a frightened rodent scurried into the wall.
"Quinlan Adams, your first teaching job on the prairie."
Giggling almost hysterically, she said, "Looks like animals are the only ones fit for this schoolroom."
He laughed. "We'll make it right. Now let's go out to the wagon and let's start by cleaning the inside of this shack spotless, then let's set out some mouse traps. Tomorrow, I'll buy the supplies for the roof and porch. Together we'll make this a good place for children."
At his side, she stared into his eyes. "Are you convinced you want to do all this work?"
Pulling her into his arms he held her. "I know the teacher who is going to be working here. She's a pretty special lady. Someday my sons and daughters will be attending this school, so I want to help make it the best I possibly can."
Unexpectedly, she leaned against him and returned his hug. "Thank you, Will. If I had been alone when I pulled up in front of this building, I think I would have taken the first train back to New York."
He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "And left your husband behind? No, I would have come after you."
She tilted her head. "And done what?"
"Convinced you that by leaving me, you were taking the only chance I had of ever loving. Because I'm committed to you. I'm so proud that you're the teacher for our community, that you're my wife."
The thought of her fleeing left him with an empty feeling. A feeling he hadn't felt since the death of his brother. A feeling he never wanted to experience ever again.
"My place is here with you," she said. "Until you tell me to leave."
Stunned, he asked, "Why would I ever tell you to leave?"
"My past. When people find out the truth about who I am, they usually stay away from me."
Confused, Will simply stared. What about her past could be so bad that people would shun her?
"Someday, when you're ready to tell me, I'd like to know, but not until then," he said, knowing his wife was as skittish as a newborn colt. He didn't want to scare her away. Some day they would both need to confess their pasts, but right now was not the moment.
"Guess we better get busy," she said. "There is lots of work to be done."
The sun was beginning to lower in the western sky when Quinlan and Will walked out of the building. The inside was fairly clean, though she wanted to mop the floor one more time, just to make certain all of the mouse droppings and dust were gone.
"I'm exhausted," she said.
"That was harder work than I expected. And we still need to do the windows."
"Not to mention that the classroom will need to be set up," she said, watching as he closed the door behind them and tried to lock the door. The door handle refused to latch. "Guess we will need to purchase a new handle."
"Looks like it," she said.
After scaring her earlier in the day when the door slammed after he'd stumped his toe, Will had been kind and helpful and very courteous. But then her father had been nice until he started drinking and then she did her best to become inconspicuous.
She tried to disappear into the shadows or hide. When he did see her, she lived in fear until she could slink away again. Many a time, her father popped her or slapped her when she committed some minor infraction until her mother rescued her and took the beating.
"There's so much work to be done here," she said sighing.
They turned from the door just as a man came around the corner and Will drew his pistol from his holster faster than the strike of a snake. Quinlan never saw his hands move. One moment, they were turning from the door and the next, Will had his Colt out and pointed at the man in front of them.
Quinlan's heart raced with fear as she stared at the scruffy looking stranger her husband held a gun on.
"Hey, it's me," the man said. "Married life made you trigger happy?" The man walked toward them and Quinlan watched as Will eased his Colt back into its holder.
How did he know how to draw that fast? She'd never seen a man move so quickly and silently. Was this how the gunslingers used their guns? After all, she was from New York and no one ever pulled a gun that quick.
"What are you doing here at the school house? Education is not your top priority," her husband teased as he clasped the man's back. "Why are you in town?"
"Came to talk to you. Went by your folk’s place and they told me you tied the knot. Your mother said you married a teacher."
Will reached back and pulled Quinlan forward. "Meet my bride, Quinlan."
The two men were friends and she breathed a sigh of relief.
The man took his hat off and bowed over her hand. No one had ever treated her so formal. "Congratulations, Mrs. Adams, though why any woman would want to hitch themselves to this scalawag is beyond my understanding, especially when I'm available. Albert Martin, at your service."
Quinlan knew the man was flirting but living at the orphanage she never had this experience before. His behavior seemed a little strange in front of her husband.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Martin, but I'm a happily married woman."
It wasn't exactly true, but it wasn't untrue either. She was still learning her way in this adventure called marriage. She di
dn't want Will to think that she encouraged Mr. Martin.
"Why don't you follow us back to the house for dinner. How long you going to be in town?" Will asked.
Al looked at Quinlan and then Will. "Long enough to tell you about Lee Carver."
Her husband's face grew taut. "Can you stay for supper?"
"Sure, might even bed down in your barn, if you don't mind."
Will turned to Quinlan. "Honey, do you care if my good friend Al has dinner with us and stays the night?"
The man had already asked, but she didn't care. This friend of Will's would keep him occupied and that would give her more time to finish her book about Cynthia Parker.
"Of course not," she said.
"Well, I didn't want to interfere with you newlyweds and all," Al said.
"We’ll be newlyweds long after you're gone," Will told him. "Follow us to the house."
As they started toward the wagon, Quinlan didn't know what to think. Hopefully, the men didn't expect her to cook for them and yet maybe with his friend at the house, Will would leave her alone tonight.
Later that evening, Quinlan finally went to bed, leaving the two men to sit up and talk.
"Why in the world did you get married?" his friend asked. "When you left, you said nothing about finding a wife."
Will turned and gazed at the man, thinking the answer wasn't obvious. "You've met my mother. She's the one who laid the guilt on me. After all, unless I got married, she would never have grandchildren."
Though his mother had chosen Quinlan, he couldn't be more pleased. Somehow he felt like he'd gotten the best out of that deal. Now if only their marriage would become a true one, with love, he would be the luckiest man alive.
Laughing, Al reached over and uncorked a bottle of whiskey. "Didn't want to bring this out until your wife had gone to bed. Didn't know if she was a teetotaler or not."
"Can't answer your question. We've only been married a couple days."
Will had no idea about Quinlan's opinion on alcohol, though if she searched the house, she would find a bottle of whiskey.
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