Alice Read online

  “You’re so smart, Alice. When are you going to get married?”

  “Probably never.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I don’t know any men who interest me.”

  “What about Sophie’s brother, Devlin?”

  “I hardly know the man.” She wondered why the mention of his name unsettled her.

  “Sophie says he’s handsome.”

  “She would say that because he’s her brother.”

  “Sam is my brother and I don’t think he’s handsome.”

  Sam wandered in and caught the tail end of the conversation. “Why don’t you think I’m handsome, baby.”

  “Because you’re not. I’m a girl, not a baby.”

  “Sooky baby.”

  “I’m going to tell on you.”

  “Stop tormenting her, Sam. And Emily, don’t be such a little, whining tattle-tale.” Alice was not in the mood to put up with their squabbling tonight. Why she felt so out of sorts she had no idea. Yes, she did. The voice of honesty exerted itself. Two little words – Devlin Stone.

  “Here’s a letter for you, Dev.” Deputy Phil Jacks waved an envelope around.

  “For me?” Devlin swung his feet off the desk.

  “Yeah, it’s got your name on it. Jason, the stage driver handed it to me. Looks like female handwriting.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “It does.” Phil flicked the letter at him.

  Devlin caught it in one hand and glanced at the writing on the front. It certainly was not male handwriting if he was any judge of it.

  “Go on, open it.”

  “It might be private.” He grinned at his deputy. Phil could be a real old woman sometimes. He was courting Fiona, who worked at the mercantile, so a move up to marshal of Golden Square with the subsequent pay raise would be helpful to a man thinking of getting hitched.

  “Yeah, and what woman other than some hag would bother writing to you.”

  Devlin opened the letter, quickly scanned the neat writing, and burst out laughing. He had never read such rubbish in his life before. He handed the letter over to Phil. “Read it out loud to me, so I know I’m not dreaming.

  Phil howled with mirth.

  My Dearest Darling Devlin,

  You don’t know me, but I have loved you from afar. Cupid fired his arrow and it went straight through my heart.

  I will be at the church dance in Trails End, please try to find me. I will be wearing a blue dress with a white collar on it.

  Eternal Love,

  Your secret admirer.

  “What kind of demented woman would write stuff like this, Dev?”

  “How should I know.”

  “The bit about cupid firing the arrow. Really?” Phil rocked back on his heels. “Sounds like a line from one of those trashy dime books women read.”

  “How would you know?” Devlin shot back and was surprised to see red creep into Phil’s cheeks. “You read them.” He roared with laughter.

  “I do not.”

  “How do you know what’s in them? What have you and Fiona been up to?”

  “Nothing.” His cheeks turned fiery red. “I sometimes flip through the pages of books in the mercantile while I’m waiting for her to finish up.”

  “How could you lower yourself to read such trash?”

  “I learned a few things from them.”

  Devlin nearly fell off his chair in shock. “Like what?”

  “Um, things women like to do.”

  “I don’t need to read about it. I know what they like.” Devlin laughed. “Me.”

  “You’re so conceited, Dev, no wonder you can’t get yourself a woman.”

  “I can get them. I just don’t want one at the moment.”

  “What are you going to do about the letter?”

  “Nothing. If I cared enough, I suppose Jason might be able to tell me who it was that gave it to him. Quite frankly, I don’t want to know. I promised my little sister I would attend the dance in Trails End, so I’ll be going home for the weekend.”

  “All you have to do is look out for a gal wearing a blue dress with a white collar.”

  “Sure, sure, as if a crazy woman like that would attend a church dance.” Devlin laughed. “Even if cupid’s arrow….” The rest of the sentence jammed in his throat. Alice McGregor had mentioned cupid’s arrow when she was here with Logan. Could it be her?

  He had only seen her a few times over the years and certainly not of late, but she would never write such rubbish.

  A commotion out in the street had him striding out of the office with Phil a pace or two behind him. Two shots rang out and he cursed under his breath. Randy Hamilton was drunk and letting off steam again. The old man was a public menace.

  “Come on, Phil, let’s get him before the old fool kills someone.”

  “I want you to arrest him, Marshal.” Fat Charlie from the saloon grabbed hold of the old man. “Charge him with—”

  “—Unhand me this instant,” Randy yelled in his upper-class English accent. It was a shame a once prominent English gentleman had been reduced to a troublesome drunk. Quiet as a mouse when sober, a raving lunatic when drunk.

  He grabbed hold of the old man’s arm. Phil grabbed the other and they half carried, half dragged him to the cells at the back of the office.

  “You old fool.” Phil pushed him into the cell and closed the door. “You better not mess the place up, Randy. Devlin will make me clean it up.”

  “I demand my day in court. I will—”

  “—You’ll shut up or there will be no supper for you.” Phil glared at their prisoner.

  Half the time Devlin wondered whether Randy got drunk on purpose so he would be arrested and get a free meal. Pitiful really.

  “Keep an eye on him while I take a walk around town to make sure there’s no more trouble brewing.”

  Chapter Five

  Alice prepared for the church dance. For once, she dressed carefully in her blue dress. It was made from a pretty cotton material and she suddenly wished it was silk or taffeta. What are you thinking, carrying on with such stupid thoughts? Normally, she took little interest in what she wore. Devlin Stone had been invading her thoughts far too much of late.

  Sophie had said her brother would be at the dance. “As if I care,” she muttered. She did care, and it infuriated her that she did. She decided to wear her hair loose with a swathe on either side crossed at the back and tied in place with a blue ribbon. The rest of her hair was left to hang over her shoulders.

  “You look pretty,” Emily said.

  “So, do you.” Emily wore a pale pink dress with a deeper pink sash and matching hair ribbons on her plaits.

  Pa grinned when they all met up in the sitting room. Ma’s dress was a deep green and she wore her hair in a chignon, making her look very elegant. Pa and Sam were dressed in a similar fashion; black pants, white shirt, and black shoe-string ties.

  “Our three gals look beautiful, don’t they, son?”

  “Yeah, I guess,” Sam said, giving them a cursory glance.

  Alice could not understand her brother. He had been moody and disagreeable ever since they had returned from Golden Square. That young woman he had seen must have made a lasting impression on him. It was a shame she was already taken.

  “You might meet a nice girl tonight,” she said.

  “No nice girls around here.”

  “There are. What about Lucy Thomas?” Lucy was the blacksmith’s daughter and had liked Sam ever since they started school together.

  “She’s all right, I suppose.”

  Emily sat between her parents on the front seat of the buckboard while Alice and Sam sat in the back. It only took a few minutes to pass through the gate of Inverness and on to the road leading into town.

  Supper would be served; the food being supplied by the ladies as usual. Ma had roasted a couple of chickens yesterday and broken them into pieces and along with the large chocolate cake and a tin of lemon drop cookies, their contribution was quite generous. Uncle Max had donated a hog, which would have been slowly roasting on a spit all day.

  “I hope they’ve got plenty of decent food there,” Sam said.

  “They will have. There’s always too much,” Alice said.

  She didn’t know why she had put her secret admirer letter in her reticule. Would whoever wrote it dare to show his face? If so, how would she know, unless he declared himself? It had to be a prank. What if it wasn’t and he sought her out? I’ll give him a piece of my mind for writing such rubbish. No sensible woman would believe such ravings. Still, it could prove interesting. What a pathetic social life she led when all she had to look forward to was finding out who had written this crazy letter.

  “I can’t wait to get to the dance.” Emily was the most excited out of all of them.

  “I hope my wee gal is going to save a dance for her pa.”

  “You’ll be dancing with Ma.”

  “I know, darlin’, but I’ll want to have at least one dance with you and Alice.”

  “You’re too old for a kid like me.”

  “Now, sweetheart.” Their mother laughed. “You should be proud to dance with a handsome man like your father. I know I am.”

  There was still enough light left in the day for Alice to see Sam rolling his eyes.

  “I’d be honored to dance with you,” Alice said.

  “Thank you, darlin’.”

  “It will probably be the only dance you get all night.” Sam elbowed her in the ribs.

  “Well, I would certainly refuse to dance with you.”

  “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t be asking, now would I?”

  “Stop bickering, you two,” their mother said. “We’re all going to have a lovely time.”

  “Ma,” Sophie sai
d, “Devlin is coming, too.”

  “That’s nice, sweetheart. Aunt Kate and Uncle Max are always pleased to see him. He might bring a young lady with him.”

  “Oh, no, he’s coming on his own. He isn’t sparking with anyone. If he asks you to dance, Alice, you will, won’t you?” Emily beseeched.

  “I’ll see. I mean, he might not even ask me.”

  “If you smile at him, he will.” Emily finished off in a rush.

  “I said I’ll see.” The child came up with the strangest notions sometimes.

  On arrival at the church, Alice immediately saw there was a good turnout. Numerous buggies and buckboards, single horses, and there were probably quite a few townsfolk who lived within walking distance as well.

  Preacher Amos and his wife stood at the front of the church welcoming their flock. The McGregor family climbed out of the wagon.

  “Good evening, Preacher Amos, Mrs. Amos,” Pa said while the rest of them chorused a greeting.

  “Would you like to take your food inside, Jemma? We have a fine array tonight,” Mrs. Amos said. “The ladies have outdone themselves.”

  Alice glanced around looking for…Aunt Kate and Uncle Max, of course. Uncle Max would have been at the church earlier in the day to get his pig on cooking. The aroma of the roasting pork made her mouth water.

  Sophie came hurtling toward them before they even had a chance to set foot inside the large barn at the back of the preacher’s house. “Emily! Emily!”

  “Did he come?”

  “Yes, he’s helping to set up the tables. Howdy, Uncle Logan, Aunt Jemma, Sam. I like your blue dress, Alice.

  “Thank you.”

  “It makes you look real pretty, that blue dress,” Sophie went on.

  Alice laughed, wondering what was wrong with the child gushing all over her like this. “Howdy, Alice,” was all she normally received and even that was usually thrown out on the run.

  The girls hugged each other as if they had been parted for weeks instead of a day. It was sweet really. She sometimes envied them their closeness. Giggling, they dashed inside the barn.

  Aunt Kate suddenly appeared through the open barn door. “Jemma,” she called out, “I’m glad you’re here. Max is out the back, Logan. He’s hovering over that roast like a mother hen with newly born chicks.”

  “You might as well come with us, Alice,” her mother said. Sam had already disappeared.

  Alice followed the older women further into the barn. Hay bales had been stacked around the walls for seating, she noticed. A stage of sorts was set up down one end with a couple of older men tuning their fiddles.

  On the far side of the barn were several tables covered in red and white checked clothes with plates and cutlery at either end. Aunt Kate and Mrs. Amos would be in their glory presiding over such an array of food. Ma a little less so. “Do you need help?” she asked, even though it was obvious they had everything under control.

  “You could set out the plates. We’ll be serving the food soon,” Mrs. Amos said.

  “Okay, I can do that.” Jugs of orange juice sat on the table and she knew coffee and tea would be served as well.

  These functions were always the same. No alcohol kept many of the young cowboys away, unless they were on the look-out for a girl. Then they were like bees around a honey pot. She had fought off a few would-be admirers over the last couple of years.

  She waved to Myra Jeffries, who had been one of her school friends. Myra had married the son of one of the largest ranchers in the district a couple of years ago and they still met up occasionally for coffee and cake at the diner. Sad to say, they were drifting apart as they had little in common anymore. Her husband’s wealth had gone to Myra’s head and she was no longer the down to earth friendly girl she had once been.

  Sophie rushed up to Alice. “Have you seen Devlin yet?” Emily was a couple of steps behind her.

  “No.”

  “Oh?” She sounded so deflated Alice stared at her. What was wrong with these little girls.

  “He might be looking for you,” Emily said.

  “Why would he be looking for me?”

  Chapter Six

  Devlin Stone strode toward her with a broad grin on his handsome face. “Howdy, Alice.” He winked at her. “That’s a pretty blue dress you’re wearing tonight.”

  “What?”

  “I really like the white collar.”

  Emily and Sophie giggled and dashed off. What was wrong with everyone tonight?

  He took Alice’s hand and led her over to one of the hay bales and sat her down, before sitting himself. He kept staring at her with the strangest expression in his eyes.

  “What’s wrong, have I got a smudge on my face?”

  His soft laugh turned her insides mushy.

  “Am I really your Dearest Darling?”

  “Are you crazy? It’s a low act coming to a church event drunk.”

  “I’m not drunk. I haven’t had a drink in days. Cupid shot his arrow right through my heart.”

  “You are crazy.”

  “No, they’re your words, not mine.”

  She suddenly snapped her fingers. “You got a letter, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, from you.”

  “It was not from me. I got one, too.”

  “You’re joking.”

  “I am not. Look.” She pulled the letter out of her reticule and handed it to him.

  He quickly read it and burst out laughing. “I wouldn’t mind feeling your lips against mine.”

  She nearly choked.

  “In fact, I would like it very much.” He lowered his voice and it came out in a soft purr.

  What would it be like to be kissed by Devlin? She pulled her wayward thoughts up. “If neither of us wrote those stupid letters. Who did?”

  “Some matchmaking, interfering old biddy,” he said.

  Alice heard Emily and Sophie giggling close by. “They did it.”

  “Who?” Devlin glanced in the direction of the two girls. “Those naughty little monkeys. Of course, they did. Just look at the pair of them; guilt written all over their faces. Come over here, you two,” he ordered.

  Still giggling, they dashed over. “Doesn’t Alice look pretty?” Sophie gushed.

  Devlin grinned. “She sure does.”

  “And Devlin is so handsome,” Emily said.

  “I know.” Alice smiled sweetly at them as she picked up Devlin’s hand. “And he is so strong and manly.”

  “Nice of you to say so, darlin’. The moment I saw you, Cupids arrow pierced my heart.”

  The girls exchanged triumphant looks.

  Devlin stood, making sure his back blocked Alice from everyone else. He leaned down and kissed her lips. Heat spread like wildfire throughout her body. When he lifted his mouth away, she felt somehow bereft.

  The girls starting jigging around and hugging each other.

  “Now, you two.” He beckoned the girls closer.

  “Yes,” they chorused.

  “You both deserve a good spanking,” he said.

  “Why?” Sophie asked.

  “You can’t spank me,” Emily said. “I’m not your kid.”

  “Well, I can,” Alice said between gritted teeth. “How could you do such a silly thing?”

  “It wasn’t silly.” Sophie pouted. “It was smart.”

  “Why?” Alice wrung her hands. “How could you?”

  “We want to be real sisters, and if you married Devlin we would be.” Emily’s lips trembled.

  Alice gasped in shock.

  “You can’t go around messing up people’s lives like this. Your behavior has embarrassed Alice, not to mention me.”

  Alice was not embarrassed, just surprised at what the mere brushing of his lips against hers did. A king’s ransom would not be enough to get her to admit it out loud. She glanced up at him, but his expression was inscrutable now. Had he felt the strong connection she had? She licked her lips then wished she hadn’t. Something flared in his eyes, and before she could work out what it was, he turned his head away.

  “Are you going to tell on us?” Sophie asked, with some of her bravado evaporating.

  “I’m not sure. I’ll have to think about it.” Devlin gave them a stern look. “Don’t ever even think of pulling a stunt like that again.”

  “We won’t. We won’t,” they chorused before scuttling off.