Last Promise Read Online Free
Author: Scarlett Dunn
a pistol in one town for her own peace of mind. She knew how to use it and she wouldnât hesitate if she had no alternative.
She found the men in this new country crude and overall quite distasteful. Other than her last fateful encounter with Edmund Stafford, she had never been pressed to protect her person from unwanted attention. And look how that had ended; with her running away so she would not be forced into a loveless marriage. She should have called Edmund out instead of expecting her father to exact satisfaction. Her father would not even listen to the truth of what happened that night. His mind was made up and he was going to force her to marry Edmund. Perhaps after she left, Edmund had told her father the truth about that night, but she wasnât inclined to wait and see. She made the decision rather quickly to leave England, and told herself once she arrived in Wyoming she would live the life she wanted.
Her uncle George, the proprietor of this hotel, had written in his letters how much he loved this country and sheâd been excited to find out for herself. Uncle George had failed to mention that America was filled with ruffians. Upon her arrival to this very town, the first person she sees is that miscreant brawling in the middle of the street. The man was truly fearsome with his large black hat and pistol riding low on his hip. He must be a . . . what did they call them out here . . . oh yes, a pistolier . Granted, sheâd been startled by his twinkling blue eyes when he stared directly at her, but make no mistake, that man was a scoundrel if she ever saw one. Just the memory of him fighting those men made her shiver. And the way those two women were putting their hands all over him! By displaying such a lack of breeding, one could only conclude they were surely not ladies. The rogue didnât seem surprised by their behavior, sheâd heard him promise to show those women a good time! Of all the nerve. If he lived in Promise, she prayed she wouldnât encounter him often. Surely there were gentlemen in this town who understood proper comportment.
Aside from the ill-bred men in this country, she was mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the West. Sheâd never seen anything as magnificent as the mountains in the distance, or the thousands of stars twinkling in the infinite night sky.
Standing with her back to the door, Mary Ann inspected her quarters. It was a very well-appointed room and much larger than she expected. The four-poster bed was covered with a pristine white quilt embroidered with lilies of the field. Spanning one wall was an ornately carved wardrobe, and a writing desk filled one corner. A round mahogany dining table with four deep blue velvet upholstered chairs, along with a lovely crystal chandelier above, were cleverly positioned by a window overlooking the street below. The massive stone fireplace covered the wall nearest the bed, and she imagined it would be warm and cozy with a fire blazing in the hearth on a chilly night. Sheâd heard about the frigid Wyoming winters, and this room would be perfect for cold winter nights. All of the wood was polished to a glossy finish and the room was spotless, not a speck of dust could be seen. The room was lovely, and even though it was only a quarter of the size of her bedroom at home, she knew she would be comfortable here.
Her uncle had written heâd built a hotel that any Englishman would be proud to own in the new country. She certainly couldnât disagree. When sheâd hurriedly made her decision to depart England, this was the only place she thought she could go to escape the long reach of her father and Edmund Stafford. But as members of the peerage, they had vast resources at their disposal. She had to face the fact that if they wanted to track her down, she would be found sooner or later. She hoped it was later.
* * *
Luke made it up the stairway without running into any walls or dropping her trunk. The
She found the men in this new country crude and overall quite distasteful. Other than her last fateful encounter with Edmund Stafford, she had never been pressed to protect her person from unwanted attention. And look how that had ended; with her running away so she would not be forced into a loveless marriage. She should have called Edmund out instead of expecting her father to exact satisfaction. Her father would not even listen to the truth of what happened that night. His mind was made up and he was going to force her to marry Edmund. Perhaps after she left, Edmund had told her father the truth about that night, but she wasnât inclined to wait and see. She made the decision rather quickly to leave England, and told herself once she arrived in Wyoming she would live the life she wanted.
Her uncle George, the proprietor of this hotel, had written in his letters how much he loved this country and sheâd been excited to find out for herself. Uncle George had failed to mention that America was filled with ruffians. Upon her arrival to this very town, the first person she sees is that miscreant brawling in the middle of the street. The man was truly fearsome with his large black hat and pistol riding low on his hip. He must be a . . . what did they call them out here . . . oh yes, a pistolier . Granted, sheâd been startled by his twinkling blue eyes when he stared directly at her, but make no mistake, that man was a scoundrel if she ever saw one. Just the memory of him fighting those men made her shiver. And the way those two women were putting their hands all over him! By displaying such a lack of breeding, one could only conclude they were surely not ladies. The rogue didnât seem surprised by their behavior, sheâd heard him promise to show those women a good time! Of all the nerve. If he lived in Promise, she prayed she wouldnât encounter him often. Surely there were gentlemen in this town who understood proper comportment.
Aside from the ill-bred men in this country, she was mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the West. Sheâd never seen anything as magnificent as the mountains in the distance, or the thousands of stars twinkling in the infinite night sky.
Standing with her back to the door, Mary Ann inspected her quarters. It was a very well-appointed room and much larger than she expected. The four-poster bed was covered with a pristine white quilt embroidered with lilies of the field. Spanning one wall was an ornately carved wardrobe, and a writing desk filled one corner. A round mahogany dining table with four deep blue velvet upholstered chairs, along with a lovely crystal chandelier above, were cleverly positioned by a window overlooking the street below. The massive stone fireplace covered the wall nearest the bed, and she imagined it would be warm and cozy with a fire blazing in the hearth on a chilly night. Sheâd heard about the frigid Wyoming winters, and this room would be perfect for cold winter nights. All of the wood was polished to a glossy finish and the room was spotless, not a speck of dust could be seen. The room was lovely, and even though it was only a quarter of the size of her bedroom at home, she knew she would be comfortable here.
Her uncle had written heâd built a hotel that any Englishman would be proud to own in the new country. She certainly couldnât disagree. When sheâd hurriedly made her decision to depart England, this was the only place she thought she could go to escape the long reach of her father and Edmund Stafford. But as members of the peerage, they had vast resources at their disposal. She had to face the fact that if they wanted to track her down, she would be found sooner or later. She hoped it was later.
* * *
Luke made it up the stairway without running into any walls or dropping her trunk. The
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