Miss Phipps and the Cattle Baron Read Online Free Page B

discussing what needed to
be done, when the front door slowly opened, and a man poked his
head inside. Priscilla wiped her hands on her apron and said, "May
I help you?"
    The door opened wide, and the man's tall,
solid frame blocked the light, darkening the room as he stood in
the doorway. "I'm Frank Gifford Jr.," he said, hat turning in his
hands. "I'm looking for Miss Priscilla Phipps. The notice said
she'd be here."
    Priscilla studied the man, who looked to be
in his late teens or early twenties at best. She had expected Frank
Gifford to be older. At least from his photograph he looked older.
And in his letter to Edith, he mentioned having children. "Then
you're here about Miss Hogan," she said.
    "Well, yes ma'am," Frank replied. "That is,
I'm here for my father. He sent me to pick up his bride."
    "Your father?" Priscilla stared at the man. A
pleasant looking young man with the stubble of youthful whiskers.
Certainly a better match for Edith than the man's father.
    "Pa's having a problem with one of his mules
and couldn't come, so he sent me over to fetch Miss Edith Hogan. Is
she here?"
    Edith stood in the doorway to the back room,
appreciation in her eyes, a shy smile on her lips. "I am Edith
Hogan," she said.
    The two stared at each other. When neither
spoke, Priscilla said, "Mr. Gifford, please inform your father that
Miss Hogan has changed her mind about marrying him, and if he goes
to the bank, he will find a bank draft in his name to cover Miss
Hogan's expenses. The bank manager will turn the money over to your
father as soon as your father signs the contract, releasing Miss
Hogan from their agreement."
    Young Frank Gifford looked at Priscilla, as
if at a loss for words. Then he shifted his gaze to Edith, and
said, "Ma'am, my Pa will not be happy about this. He's been waiting
for you for a while now and has the place fixed up for your
arrival. There's fresh bedding on Pa's bed and a big bath tub by
the stove so's you can bathe. Pa even took a bath in it this
morning and shaved fresh so's he'd be clean for you when he and
you... that is, when you are... together as husband and wife
tonight."
    Edith stared at Frank, wide-eyed. When she
said nothing, Frank continued. "My Pa's a good man, Miss Hogan. He
never once hit Ma. And the farm's in fine shape so there aren't
many chores that need doing. Pa just wants a wife for tidying the
house and keeping him company at night and fixing his meals and
sharing his bed. And he's not mean or anything. He'd be real gentle
with you too since he knows you're still... a maiden lady."
    Edith finally found her voice. "Mr. Gifford,
please tell your father that I appreciate his offer to become his
wife, but I'm looking for someone considerably younger. In fact,
I'm prepared to join the right man in securing a homestead and
being a help mate in starting a farm. I am not afraid of hard
work." Her lips curved slightly, and she added, "Perhaps we will
meet again in the near future. I'll be here working for Miss
Phipps."
    Frank's smile reflected as tiny points of
light in his deep blue eyes. Then he turned to Priscilla, and said,
"I'll give my pa your message about the bank draft." He looked at
Edith, smiled again, and left. Edith stepped to the window and
watched him walk away.
    Abigail started giggling. "I don't know why
you didn't jump at the chance to bed a man who was scrubbed clean
and shaved and waiting for you to join him, never mind that he was
an old hoot. Actually, young Frank was a looker. Maybe you could
just add Junior to the name on the agreement and marry him
instead."
    Edith turned to Priscilla. "Could I? I mean,
would it be legal if Frank Jr. agreed?"
    Priscilla eyed her in alarm. She needed all
four woman right now. Unlike the tramp type-slingers who roamed
from newspaper to newspaper, hiring for short periods of time and
moving on, women typesetters and compositors were trustworthy and
dependable, and they didn't stash bottles of whiskey around the
place. If she could hold