Angel In The Saloon (Brides of Glory Gulch) Read Online Free

The
other familiar voice said.
    “Me too!” a
third man’s voice boomed through the room.
    “Me too!” someone
called from the other side of eh room, even though his high-pitched voice
sounded like it belonged to a man with small stature and would certainly not be
much of a threat to anyone.
    The laughter
subsided quickly. Perhaps thought of tangling with any of the first three burly
fellows had given them pause. The patrons definitely understood what was being
said, and straightway went back to their merriment.
    Amelia
swallowed hard. The reality of her living arrangement was sinking in with each
passing minute. This was a saloon frequented by men. And God only knows what
kind of men! Why would her safety be an issue with her aunt? Did God really
know what he was doing by sending her to live there?
    “Supper is
almost ready. We’ll eat in the kitchen tonight. It will be more private than
out here.” Corrin grabbed Amelia’s arm, tucked it under her elbow and retreated
to a room located at the back of the saloon.
    Amelia was
instantly comforted by the homey smells of her aunt’s cooking. This room was
quieter than the outer one and felt cozier and warm too. She deduced that the
footsteps she heard behind her belonged to two men. This was confirmed when her
Aunt introduced her to the two gentlemen. Recognizing their voices, she thanked
them for their gallantry in speaking up for her in the saloon.
    Corrin then
lead them to the table for supper. The gentlemen scrambled to see who would be
the first to help Miss Jackson with her chair.
    “Please, allow
me.” Mr. Strupel was the quicker of the two, and he pulled out her chair for
her, taking her by the arm and gently guiding her to it. Amelia thanked him and
gracefully posed herself on the chair. Mr. Strupel sat to the right of her and Mr.
Cowan to the left.
    Amelia
cleverly felt the edge of the table to obtain an idea of where all her utensils
had been placed, and after locating her napkin, slipped it onto her lap. She
had never dined with complete strangers in her life. Her earlier resolve to be
strong wavered, and she breathed deeply to keep herself from crying.
    › › ›
    As Corrin
served her guests, Amelia reached toward her right and found Mr. Strupel’s arm.
“Would you mind doing me one small kindness, sir?”
    “Of course,
Miss Jackson. What can I do for you?” Paul threw a quick victory glance toward
Mr. Cowan.
    “Supposing my
plate to be a clock and that the hands are pointing to the various foods Aunt
Corrin has placed there, would you kindly tell me what position my foods are
located?”
    All three
sighted friends sent silent signals to one another that told they were baffled
and looked to each other for the answer. But, in turn, they shrugged their
shoulders and just remained silent.
    “I’m sorry if
I’ve confused you.” Amelia pointed directly in front of her. “Straight up is
twelve o’clock, to the right is three o’clock and so on. So, Mr. Strupel, what
time is my meat located at?” She smiled toward his direction.
    “Oh, I
understand now.”
    Corrin thought
she was quite clever to have devised such a plan.
    “Meat at ten o’clock,”
Paul told her. Potato at one o’clock, peas at four o’clock, and biscuit at
about seven.”
    “Oh, goodness.”
Amelia shook her head. “Not peas.”
    “I’m sorry; is
there a problem, Amelia? Are you allergic to peas?” Corrin was a little
irritated that this may be another negative detail of her having her niece as a
permanent house guest. She didn’t care to cater to someone else’s whims. She’s
been independent all her life and certainly didn’t welcome it now.
    “Actually,
Aunt Corrin, I love peas. It’s just that they are the most difficult food of
all for me to eat.”
    “Difficult?”
    “Yes. The
little fellows simply won’t help me out at all.” Amelia giggled.
    Corrin thought
it sounded pleasant. She halted that line of thinking. She didn’t want to like
the girl.
    “I