The Brides of Chance Collection (28 page)

“Alisa is under the impression she is somehow responsible for my mother’s demise.”

“However would she have gotten such an idea?”

“I’m as much at a loss about that as you are, Mrs. Perryman. But it’s very, very important that I find her.” He leaned forward, his hands wrapped around the teacup. “If Alisa contacts you, I would appreciate it if you would send word immediately.” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out ten dollars.

Mrs. Perryman’s eyes narrowed. She squared her shoulders. “Sir, if you are trying to pay me to betray Alisa, I would like you to leave my home this instant.”

“Please, Mrs. Perryman. You misunderstand. I am simply donating to your cause.”

“The Lord provides for our needs. We do not need your donation.” The woman stood. “You may show yourself out.”

Frustration shook Robert to the core. He looked toward the door and saw a dark head peeking around the corner.

“Come out here,” he ordered.

Slowly a small boy moved to stand in front of him.

“What’s your name?”

“Spencer.” The freckles on his nose crunched together as he grinned, a wide, gaptoothed smile.

Robert found himself responding. He walked by, ruffled the boy’s head, and handed him the ten dollars. “Give this to Mrs. Perryman and tell her to buy some sugar. No strings attached.”

He berated himself as he stalked down the walk away from the nearly dilapidated orphanage.

What kind of a fool was he?

Titus felt his stomach respond to the smell of bacon frying and flapjacks staying warm in the oven. True to her word, Miriam had cooked all of his favorites. He scanned the room but didn’t find Alisa present. His gaze traveled to Miriam. Her lips curved. “She’s still asleep.”

“Good. That was quite a stage ride yesterday. I’m sure she needs her rest.”

“In the meantime, we can take our vote.” Gideon kept his voice low.

“What vote?” Bryce reached for a flapjack, then turned his gaze to Gideon.

“About Miss Worthington staying.”

“Why do we need to vote on that? I figured she was staying.”

Daniel wiped the jam from Ginny Mae’s chin. “This life is too hard on a woman. I think we ought to do her a favor and send her back where she came from.”

Frustration chewed at Titus. He raked his fingers through his unruly hair and glared at his widowed brother. “We’re all sorry Hannah died, Daniel. But that doesn’t mean no woman is cut out for this life. Alisa should have the right to decide for herself.”

“You could always marry her like Gideon married Miriam,” Logan suggested. Bryce passed him the plate of bacon. Logan’s face blanched, and he shook his head.

“He’s right,” Bryce offered. “Then we wouldn’t have any choice but to let her stay.”

Paul and Gideon cackled. “She already turned him down,” Gideon informed them.

“All right.” Miriam set another plate of flapjacks on the table. “If you don’t lower your voices, you’ll wake her up. Take the vote, and get it over with.”

“We already know what Daniel thinks,” Titus said.

Daniel grunted and gulped his coffee.

“I vote yes. Now can I go back to bed?” Logan held his head in his hands. “I’m not hungry.”

“I vote yes, too.” Bryce forked another flapjack. “If Logan’s not eating, I’ll take his.”

Titus shook his head at his brother. So much for his morning pain teaching him a lesson.

“Paul?”

Paul sipped his coffee. “I haven’t even met her yet. Where will she sleep? She can’t stay with Miriam.”

“You’d better believe she can’t.”

Miriam’s face grew red at her husband’s outburst.

“I have that all worked out,” Titus said quickly. “How about if I move back in with you, Paul? Alisa can have my cabin.”

Paul shrugged. “That’d be all right with me.”

“So you vote yes?”

“I reckon so.”

“That settles it, then. We don’t need Gideon’s vote. We have a majority.” Titus felt a smug grin tug at his mouth.

Miriam walked by and patted his shoulder. “Do I get a vote?”

No one said a word.

“After all, I’m part of the family now, too, aren’t I?”

“Well, sure.” Even if she voted no, the four of them had a majority. Titus smiled to encourage her.

“Well, of course I vote yes, but that isn’t the point. From now on, I wish to be included in these decisions.”

“Miriam’s right,” Gideon said. “She’s an adult member of the family and deserves a voice when we vote.”

“I think we should vote on whether Miriam should vote or not,” Bryce said between bites.

Miriam sniffed and tossed a dish towel at him. “How about if I vote to stop cooking flapjacks just the way you like them?”

“Just kidding. I think Miriam should have a vote, too.”

Gideon slapped him on the shoulder. “You’ll agree to anything if it means the difference between Miriam’s cooking or going back to Paul’s.”

“Can’t say as I blame him,” Paul said through a grin just before he shoveled another bite into his mouth.

“All right,” Titus said with a nod. “Then we’re agreed. Miss Worthington stays, and from now on, Miriam gets a vote.”

Daniel grunted his disapproval but didn’t speak.

Logan rose. “I’m going back to my cabin,” he said a bit thinly. “You’ll have to do without me today.”

“Get some rest,” Gideon said sternly. “But when you get up, we’re going to have another talk about you two and your drinking.”

Logan nodded and slunk toward the door.

“Then it’s settled. Alisa stays.” Titus glanced toward the other room, his stomach churning with anticipation at seeing her again.

“Someone’s coming,” Logan announced from the open door.

“Who?”

“Looks like Miss White.”

All eyes turned to Titus. Bryce snickered. “Guess she wants to marry you after all.”

Chapter 7

A
lisa’s heart sank at Bryce’s theory about Prissy and her matrimonial intentions. Guilt pricked her that she’d been eavesdropping the whole time, but the truth was, she couldn’t leave the room without clothes, and so far, hers hadn’t materialized. She could only assume Miriam had taken them to be washed—which was sweet of her—but what would Alisa wear in the meantime?

She jumped a moment later when Miriam slipped into the room. The other woman’s lips twitched. “I guess you heard the vote.”

Warmth flooded Alisa’s cheeks. She nodded.

“I took your dress to wash. But naturally it isn’t dry yet. I brought you one of mine. You’re a bit taller than I am, but it should work until yours is dry.” Miriam deposited the clothing on the bed. “I see you tidied up in here. Thank you. You are going to be handy to have around.”

Alisa smiled at the praise.

Miriam walked to her wardrobe and pulled out some white lacy articles. “You’ll need these as well.”

“Thank you.”

“Just hurry and get yourself presentable. Prissy White just pulled up.”

“I—I met her last night, I’m afraid. I—I don’t mean I’m afraid. I mean…” She cleared her throat. “Well, I made her acquaintance at dinner.”

Miriam laughed. “It’s all right. I completely understand. Prissy takes a little getting used to. Poor Titus.”

“Poor Titus?”

“Obviously, Prissy’s predatory nature took over when she saw you with him. She turned down his proposal—and she wasn’t too nice about it—but it looks like she’s changed her mind. It’ll be interesting to see how Titus gets himself out of this bind.”

“Why would he want to get out of it? If he asked her to marry him, he must love her.” The very words left a bitter taste in Alisa’s mouth.

Miriam waved her hands. “Nonsense. Love rarely has anything to do with marriage in these parts.” A lovely smile tipped her lips. “There are exceptions, of course. Anyway, I will admit Titus was smitten for a while. But that’s all changed. I can see it in his eyes. You’ve definitely caused the glow of Prissy’s presence to dim. He lights up like a Roman candle every time he looks at you.”

Alisa tried not to allow her heartbeat to speed up. She couldn’t put too much stock in a man whose heart switched allegiance so quickly. “I see.”

If a man could get unsmitten with Prissy White that quickly, what was to say Titus Chance wouldn’t meet a prettier face in a few days and get unsmitten with Alisa as well? A chuckle from Miriam pulled her back to the present. “Well, I’ll go greet our guest while you get ready.”

Alisa donned the underthings and the blue gown, which was slightly too short. After pulling her hair back into a loose chignon, a style her grandmother had mentioned was quite attractive, she stepped into the other room. All eyes turned to her, but she locked onto Titus’s gaze and couldn’t look away. His smile started at his lips and spread upward until pleasure glowed in his eyes. “Good morning,” he said, leaving Prissy’s side and walking across the room to meet Alisa. He offered his arm. “May I escort you to breakfast? There’s still plenty on the table. I could heat it up for you if you like.”

A snort from Bryce brought a scowl to Titus’s nearly perfect features.

Alisa felt her cheeks warm at his obvious attempt at…something. His gallantry wasn’t lost on Prissy. The girl looked as though steam might blow from her ears at any second. Alisa took his arm and walked with him to the table. “Thank you, Titus. I’m sure the food is plenty warm.”

“Would you like some coffee, Alisa?” Miriam asked.

“Yes, thank you.”

“I’ll get it,” Titus offered.

“Perhaps I’ll have a cup after all, Titus,” Prissy said in a slightly falsetto voice.

“Uh, okay. Two cups of coffee coming right up.”

Prissy flounced to the table and plopped down in the wooden chair next to Alisa. “Miriam,” she said, “I’m surprised to see you doing all the work. I thought that’s why Miss Worthington was hired.”

Alisa gathered a steadying breath. She recognized the challenge and refused to take it up. She wouldn’t embarrass herself by insulting her employer’s guest.

Titus set two steaming cups on the table in front of Prissy and Alisa. “We’re giving Alisa a day to rest from the stage ride and to get her bearings.”

“Oh, of course. She must be exhausted. Poor dear.” Prissy gave her the once-over and then dismissed her. Alisa felt the slight to her toes but again chose to let it go. As an orphan she had gained a lot of experience with once-over looks from townsfolk. She’d never been very good at swallowing the insults without resentment, but she had at least learned to keep her mouth shut.

She felt a warm hand squeeze her shoulder and looked up just as Titus moved around her to the end chair. “Did you sleep all right, Alisa?”

“I did.” She smiled. “Thank you.”

“Good!” He smiled back, and Alisa felt the background fade. They were the only two people in the cabin. “Today we’ll get you all moved into my cabin.”

A gasp from the ruffly, ribboned, pink-clad Prissy caused Alisa to jerk around. “Did you burn your mouth on the coffee, Miss White?”

“I am mortified that you will be sharing a cabin with my fiancé!” Prissy glared around the room, taking in the brothers and Miriam. “And quite frankly, I’m shocked that any of you would allow such an abomination.”

Now it was Alisa’s turn to gasp. She shot to her feet, knocking over her coffee cup in the process. The liquid made a brown trail toward Prissy’s pink gown.

A scream escaped Prissy’s painted lips as she tried in vain to jump up out of the way.

Alisa watched, horrified as the liquid trail met the fabric. Titus groaned. The rest of the men grunted with dread, and Miriam gasped. Prissy spun, her face red with fury. “You, you did that on purpose. You ruined my new gown from New York.”

“I most certainly did not do it on purpose,” Alisa said, fighting to keep her temper in check and respond quietly.
“A soft answer turneth away wrath,”
she reminded herself.

“You did, too, you immoral girl.” Prissy’s hand shot out, landing across Alisa’s cheek with a resounding
smack
and an explosion of pain. Alisa stepped back, palm over the stinging area. The girl’s hand came up again. Too stunned to defend herself, Alisa watched the hand descend.

Titus stepped forward, grabbing Prissy’s hand before she could strike a second time. “That’s enough, Priscilla.”

Tears pooled in her eyes. “Did you see what she did, Titus? She poured her coffee on my new gown on purpose. She’s afraid you’ll come back to me and turn her out.”

“Don’t be foolish,” he ground out. “Miss Worthington will not be sharing the cabin with me, and I can’t believe you’d think so little of me as to even entertain the notion.”

“But you said—”

“I’m moving out of the cabin, and Miss Worthington will occupy it alone, of course.”

Her trembling lips curved upward into a pouty smile. “What a relief. I was afraid she had corrupted you.”

“Miss Worthington is completely devoted to her Christian faith. So you have no need to fear the corruption of my morals at her hands.”

Humiliated by the entire conversation, Alisa stepped back. “Excuse me, please.” Unable to meet anyone’s gaze, she fled out the front door, around the house, and toward a path cut through the woods. As an orphan, she’d been ridiculed and falsely accused often, but never had she been accused of loose morals. The spiteful woman.