A Horse Called Mogollon (Floating Outfit Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

material of
the blouse. ‘Go to the livery barn across the street. You can’t
miss it.’
    ‘ Will
the horse be trustworthy, m’sieur?’ the Vicomtesse continued, flashing a radiant smile at Mark. ‘I
mean, one I can manage without difficulty.’
    If it was possible for five foot eight
inches of lascivious femininity to look and sound fragile, or in
need of protection from the evils of the outside world, Beatrice
came close to doing it. Unfortunately the clerk ruined the whole
effect.
    ‘ How
about your husband, ma’am?’
    ‘ My
husband?’ countered Beatrice, trying to make it sound like the
clerk had made a mistake about her marital status.
    Although he sensed that somehow
he had said the wrong thing, the clerk went on, ‘Ain’t he going riding with you,
ma’am?’
    Ever since the gorgeous woman
had made her appearance, Libby Schell had been watching her.
Studying the by-play without showing any noticeable interest in it,
the blonde
waited to see which way it was going. Despite having married young
and spent much of her life roaming the Texas range country with her
husband, she had acquired considerable knowledge of human nature.
So she recognized Beatrice as being a walking mantrap and admitted
that the beautiful foreigner was supplied with a perfect bait for
the prey.
    Libby glanced at Mark, guessing
that he was the one Beatrice ’s words had been aimed at. Like the clerk and
bellhop, the blond giant examined the newcomer with considerable
enthusiasm.
    ‘ Well,’
Libby mused. ‘If Mark can’t handle hisself around a married woman,
he deserves all the grief he’s likely to—’
    ‘ M’sieur le Vicomte has business matters to hold his attention,’
Beatrice explained, the harsh timbre underlying the seductive tone
telling Libby that the clerk’s references to her husband had been
unappreciated. ‘He cannot accompany me.’
    ‘ Maybe
Lieutenant Lebel’ll be able to go with you?’ suggested the man
behind the desk. ‘He’s only just left—’
    ‘ He has
his duties to perform!’ Beatrice gritted, for the clerk was going
from bad to worse in his desire to be helpful. ‘I merely plan to
take a short ride, if to do so will be safe.’
    ‘ It
sure will, happen you tell the owner to give you a steady hoss and
don’t go too far off, ma’am,’ answered the clerk. ‘Country
hereabouts’s been real quiet since the Flores gang got wiped out
by—’
    ‘ Hey,
sonny,’ Libby put in, sensing that she and Mark might become
involved in the conversation by virtue of their part in the ‘wiping
out’ of the Flores brothers’ gang. ‘How about showing me to my
room?’
    ‘ Huh?’
grunted the boy, dragging his gaze reluctantly from the gently
pulsating front of the white blouse. ‘Oh! Yeah! Sure thing, Mrs.
Schell.’
    Bending over, the boy took hold
of Libby ’s
carpetbag and looked at Mark’s saddle which lay alongside it.
Although he raised the bag with no trouble, the bellhop faced a
problem. One of his duties around the hotel was to carry the
guests’ baggage to their rooms. While a sturdy youngster, he knew
that he would be hard-pressed to tote the saddle even without the
added burden of the carpetbag.
    ‘ Best
let me take that, amigo,’ drawled Mark, and swung the saddle effortlessly on to his
right shoulder.
    Two sets of eyes followed
Mark ’s
actions, but with vastly different interests. The boy displayed
admiration over the ease with which the blond giant hoisted up the
load. Running the tip of her tongue across her lips, Beatrice
contemplated the pleasures that might come her way if she played
her cards correctly.
    ‘ Perhaps it would be better if I waited for an escort,’
the Vicomtesse purred and eyed Mark suggestively. ‘But I had so set my
heart on taking a ride—’
    When the big blond showed no
sign of volunteering her services as the escort, Beatrice turned
and made for the stairs. She went with an undulating gait that set
her breasts bobbing and caused the cheeks of her