“Wonderful,” Tiffany groaned. “Boasting that they have soap, as if no one else in town does. I think we should get back on the train before it leaves.”
“The bathhouse is next to a tavern, which, by the way, this town appears to have too many of, so it’s probably for men who don’t plan to reside in the hotel.”
After that dust cloud they had both just endured, Tiffany wasn’t in a mood to hear tepid encouragement. Nothing short of a hot, steaming bath in a private room was going to appease her right now. “They call them saloons here, and if you were trying to relieve me, it didn’t work.”
“You’ll get a bath at the hotel. I would wager a week’s salary on it.”
Tiffany finally noticed the slight grin on Anna’s face. The maid was teasing her and trying not to laugh. “You’re just full of surprises today, Anna Weston. You’re lucky I didn’t fire you for arguing with me over my decision. I still might. Now let’s get out of the sun, and the dust.”
Anna put her head down because she really couldn’t hide that grin anymore. “Yes, Miss Tiffany.”
Tiffany snorted indelicately and finished the trek across the wide street. She was just about to open the door to the hotel when a deep voice behind her said, “Are you the housekeeper, ma’am?”
She wasn’t surprised that someone from the Warren Ranch had been sent to town to meet Jennifer. The housekeeper had probably sent word ahead to her new employer as soon as they’d been told how much sooner they would be arriving because of the farmers. Tiffany turned around, expecting to see one of her brothers standing there. Well, she could hope, since this would be a perfect opportunity to warn them she’d like her secret kept for a day, even if they didn’t recognize her right off. Despite the years that had passed since she’d seen the three boys and the chance she might not recognize them either, she knew that blond and red hair wouldn’t turn black or brown, and none of her brothers had brown eyes.
It was those two cowboys who had just stirred up the dust cloud she’d almost choked on, both of them now tipping wide-brimmed hats to her. Well, she reminded herself, she was just a servant, or about to pretend to be one. So she shouldn’t be surprised that her father would merely send a couple of hired hands to collect a new employee.
Tiffany answered, “Yes, I’ve been hired by—”
“We know who sent for you, ma’am,” the brown-haired young man cut in. “We’re here to talk you into working for us instead.”
Tiffany frowned, glancing between them. They were both young, tall, and actually rather handsome. They even bore a slight facial resemblance to each other, suggesting they were brothers. But why had they approached her if they weren’t her father’s men?
Just to make sure of that, she asked, “You’re not from the Warren Ranch?”
“No, but can we step inside the hotel to finish this deal? Please, before any Warrens show up?”
“We don’t have a deal—”
“We will.”
“No, we will not,” Tiffany said with finality, turning her back on them, and entered the hotel.
Anna barricaded the door with her body when the men started to follow Tiffany inside, her arms spread out to either side of the doorway. Her message was clear. They were not to bother Tiffany any further. The two men actually pushed right past her as if they didn’t even see her there!
“Ma’am, you really need to hear us out.”
Tiffany swung around, amazed the two cowboys had followed her into the hotel. Anna, behind them now, looked angry enough to start swinging her purse at them, which probably wasn’t a good idea with both men wearing gun holsters.
Tiffany was exasperated. This was ridiculous. She was in dire need of a bath, and she didn’t want to have to scream for help to get rid of two obnoxious young men. The hotel lobby was empty, except for an elderly man sweeping the floor at the back of the large room. She held up her hand to stop Anna from becoming aggressive in her defense of Tiffany and turned to the brown-haired cowboy, who had been doing all the talking.
“As briefly as possible, say what you have to say, then leave.”
“You’re awful uppity for a servant, ain’t you?” the other man suddenly said.
Tiffany’s mouth nearly dropped open. Her eyes flared wide for a moment. He was getting annoyed with her? But before she could lambaste him, his companion took off his hat and hit his friend with it.
“What part of fancy Easterner didn’t you understand?” he growled.
“She’s still just a servant—”
“A fancy servant, as fancy as they get. And when Pa hears you messed this up by shooting off your mouth, he’ll tan your hide.”
The black-haired cowboy who’d just got upbraided turned red in the face, but Tiffany didn’t think it was from embarrassment. He was furious, possibly because he looked older than the other man and didn’t like being reprimanded by a younger man. She hoped she wasn’t blushing as well, having just had it spelled out rather plainly that she had no business sounding so imperious with them after going along with their assumption that she was the expected housekeeper.
Hat still in hand and looking conciliatory, the brown-haired man said to her, “Beg pardon, ma’am. Name’s Cole Callahan. This here’s my brother John. That ornery old cuss who hired you ain’t the least bit friendly with us, but we’re his closest neighbors.”
Tiffany was reeling from the knowledge that these two men were her fiancé’s brothers. Anna immediately looked contrite. Tiffany guessed Anna had indeed been about to swing her purse at them and would have regretted it because these were two of Tiffany’s possible future in-laws.
Tiffany was also surprised to hear them refer to her father as an ornery old cuss. Was that why her mother had left Frank? He simply turned out to be too unpleasant and high-handed to live with? Rose did have a bit of a temper. She wouldn’t have put up with orneriness for long. But old? Well, these two young men might consider anyone over forty old.
Highly curious now, Tiffany took a closer look at the men, wondering if Hunter looked like either of them. She had dozens of questions, none of which she could ask since she wasn’t supposed to know about the Callahan family!
In a much milder tone she said, “I’m pleased to make the acquaintance of my employer’s neighbors, even if you aren’t the best of friends with each other.”
“That’s an understatement,” John mumbled. “Thieves and liars who can’t be trusted, the lot of them. You’re lucky we aim to rescue you.”
Tiffany stiffened indignantly on her brothers’ behalf, so her tone was sharp when she replied, “And why would I take your word for that?”
“Now, John,” Cole cautioned his bigger, older brother.
Tiffany didn’t care if the older Callahan didn’t like her questioning him. If he was going to hand out insults to her family, he had to expect some back. Oh, good grief, was this how feuds got out of hand?
But all John did was yell at someone behind her. “Hey, Billy, vouch for me. Am I or am I not an honest man?”
Tiffany looked behind her and realized John Callahan had called out to the skinny, old man who was sweeping the lobby floor. “Except when you’re playing poker,” Billy snickered.
“Answer the damn question,” John said impatiently.
“Honest as the day is long in the summer, you betcha—except when you’re playing poker,” Billy said again, but with another snicker he quickly walked away, disappearing into the back of the hotel.
She noticed John hadn’t asked the hotel worker to confirm that the Warrens weren’t honest, because they were, but she wasn’t supposed to know that yet. And considering John’s size and intimidating manner, she wouldn’t be at all surprised if he got the same affirmative response, true or not, no matter whom he asked to vouch for him.
So she went along with what he was trying to assert and simply said, “Thank you for the warning, gentlemen, but I am committed, so if that was your only reason for detaining me, I’ll be on my way. Good day.”
/> “How ’bout a rescue?” John snapped. “Seems like a damn good reason—”
Cole elbowed his brother to silence this time before saying, “What you probably don’t know, ma’am, is the Warrens don’t need a housekeeper, but we do. We even just lost our cook. So we figured to kill two birds with one stone and steal you out from under Frank’s nose and get us some extra help to boot.”
“Steal?” Tiffany gasped in alarm.
John actually shoved his brother halfway across the lobby just to have his say without any more interruptions. “What my brother means is, we’ll pay you double what old Frank offered if you come work for us instead.”
Chapter Eight
TIFFANY COULD BARELY KEEP from laughing. Positively priceless. What servant would turn down a double salary? Jennifer certainly wouldn’t, not when money had been her motive for coming here. She’d mentioned that she and her fiancé wanted to accumulate a nest egg before they got married. Logically, Tiffany had to accept the Callahans’ offer, didn’t she?
Two birds indeed, but the Callahan brothers didn’t know they were her birds. Tiffany could now avoid meeting her father altogether, but still abide by the promise she’d made to her mother. A huge weight was lifted from her shoulders with that realization. She could also find out what kind of man Hunter Callahan was without his knowing she was his fiancée. She felt so relieved that she barely noticed how tense the brothers were, waiting for her answer. She avoided meeting Anna’s eyes because she wasn’t going to discuss this decision with the maid.
But she still had to put herself in Jennifer’s shoes. While she already knew that the Callahans were a prominent family of ranchers, the housekeeper didn’t. And wouldn’t Jennifer present some conditions first?
She thought of one. “I was assured I would have my own room—”
John cut in, “Don’t see why you’d need to share one when we’ve got extra.”
“With a lock on the door.”
“Pretty sure they’ve all got locks.”
“And I will expect my wages to be paid promptly each week,” she added.
“Pa pays the help. I’ll mention it to him.”
“Very well, I accept your offer.”
John smiled at her for the first time. His relief was unmistakable, making her wonder what might have happened if she had turned them down. “You won’t regret it,” he assured her.
Anna had started to sputter. Tiffany quickly added, “Just give me a few minutes to say good-bye to the friend I made on the train, then I’ll join you outside.”
The Callahan brothers glanced around to find her “friend,” then tipped their hats at Anna. The door had no sooner closed behind them than Anna lit into her.
“Have you lost your mind?”
Tiffany took Anna’s arm and led her away from the hotel’s entrance. “Keep your voice down!”
The maid glared at her. “Your charade was only supposed to last a day!” she pointed out in a softer though no less exasperated tone. “And it was only your father you wanted to fool, not the entire town.”
“Yes, but who would have expected an opportunity like this to fall into my lap,” Tiffany said excitedly. “Anna, don’t ruin this for me. It’s already set in motion. I’m going to be Jennifer—what was her last name? I can’t remember after only hearing it once.”
“Fleming.”
“You’re sure it was Fleming? This won’t work if I give the wrong name.”
“Yes, I’m sure, and, no, it still won’t work. You don’t have a wardrobe suitable for a housekeeper for an extended time.”
Tiffany laughed, relieved that was the only objection Anna could come up with this time. “They aren’t going to know what I should or shouldn’t wear, I doubt they even know what the duties of a housekeeper are. Besides, most of my wardrobe is littering the countryside, including all of my evening gowns. I can use the excuse that my work clothes were stolen in the train robbery if they think my few remaining day dresses are too fancy.”
“Are you forgetting that your father expects you?”
“Not for another few days he doesn’t, which is long enough for my mother to let him know I’ve been delayed.”
“And how is she going to know to do that, or even agree to do that?”
“Anna, I never promised Mama that I’d meet my father, just that I’d give Hunter Callahan a minimum of two months. I’ll let Mama know what I’m doing. I’ll telegraph her before I leave town so she can arrange a ‘delay’ for my arrival at my father’s ranch.”
“And that will have her catching the next train here, I don’t doubt.”
Tiffany sighed. “I wish it would, but it won’t. But I’ll get a letter off to her tomorrow with a full explanation. Unlike you, she’ll understand this is a much better way for me to handle this horrid situation.”
“Or she’ll be furious because now she’s going to have to lie to your father to give him a reason for you not showing up.”
Tiffany winced. “It won’t be the first time. She lied to him before to get him out of her life. She admitted it to me. So now she can do the same for me.”
“I simply don’t understand why you would even want to do this.”
That struck such an emotional chord Tiffany almost blurted out the truth, that she was terrified of coming face-to-face with Franklin Warren. Years ago all she wanted was to meet this faceless father of hers. Now she had no desire to know him. Her being in Nashart, Montana, had nothing to do with him. The engagement wasn’t even his idea. He obviously couldn’t care less if he ever met her. He just wanted to end the feud with the Callahans. That was the only reason he wanted her to show up.
But Anna didn’t need to know all that. “Have I let on even once that I’m pleased with this situation?” Tiffany demanded. “No, I haven’t. I’ve been viewing this trip to Montana as a two-month prison sentence, and the very moment the cell opens, we’ll be back on a train going home.”
Anna frowned. “I thought you told your mother you’d be open-minded about your young man.”
“He’s not my young man. And, yes, I’m going to be open-minded for all of one minute when I meet him. That’s all the time it will take me to decide he won’t do. He’s a cowboy, Anna. Can you really see me married to a cowboy?”
Anna tsked. “You do realize that is not the definition of open-minded?”
“Two months and not a day more,” Tiffany gritted out adamantly.
“You make this sound like a punishment, but I certainly don’t see it that way.”
“You’re not the one being asked to marry a stranger.”
“True, but then neither are you. You’re not going to be rushed straight to the altar. He won’t be a stranger for very long. And you could view this from a different perspective, you know. I agreed to come along because, unlike you, I thought I’d enjoy such an interesting new experience. New sights, new people, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. And other than that train robbery, I have been enjoying it. You’ve lived in the city your whole life, too. Aren’t you the least bit curious about how people live in this part of the country?”
No, she wasn’t, but Tiffany was tired of butting heads with Anna. For someone who hadn’t wanted to be her friend, Anna was sure overstepping herself on this trip. Yet the maid could ruin everything if she refused to go along with this, so Tiffany did need to give her a reasonable explanation.
“You haven’t considered all the ramifications, have you?” Tiffany said. “What if I do like my fiancé and think I can stomach it here for love’s sake, but after the marriage I find out he’s a horrible man? Then what? Run away like my mama did? And how will I know what he’s really like if he has to come to the enemy camp to court me? He’s either going to be extremely wary and not himself, or out to impress me with artificial behavior, so again, not really himself. But suddenly I have this perfect opportunity to find out what he’s really like before he puts his best foot forward. I don’t want to find out what the other foot is like after
the wedding, when it will be too late to back out. So let me get to know these people before I have to deal with their insincerities.” Tiffany raised her chin stubbornly. “And if you don’t think that’s a good reason, well, too bad.”
Anna seemed to think about that for a few moments before she pointed out, “Sounded to me like they assume a housekeeper is also a cook.”
Not expecting that simple reminder but a torrent of objections and disapproval, Tiffany realized that Anna was conceding and burst out laughing. “So? I’ll set them straight on the duties of a housekeeper. Now, you still have the money Mama gave you, right?” Anna nodded. “So you should go ahead and get yourself a room as we planned, but just plan for a longer stay. You can consider this a holiday for the duration. I’ll visit you tomorrow when I come back to mail Mama’s letter and let you know how wonderfully this is going to work out.”
Tiffany gave Anna a hug and walked out of the hotel before Anna could change her mind and voice any more objections. Only one of the brothers was waiting for her outside the hotel. She was glad it wasn’t the grouchy one.
“I’ll need a coach for my trunk,” she told Cole. “It’s rather heavy.”
He stared at her blankly for a moment. Tiffany sighed to herself. She probably shouldn’t be giving him orders. She was going to have to be more careful about that if she hoped to fool them into believing she was a servant.
Cole laughed, explaining, “No coaches round here, ma’am. John’s gone to borrow a wagon and pick up the new wheels for our broken one. He’ll meet us at the train station.”
“Excellent. And if you could point me toward the telegraph office in the meantime? I need to let my family know I’ve arrived safely.”
“Don’t have a telegraph office, but we do have a telegraph. I’ll show you to it.”
“Thank you.”
It was a short walk back across the street. At least no other riders went by just then to stir up any more dust clouds. He was taking her to the Nashart Stage Depot. Scribbled on the lower half of the large sign above it were the words AND TELEGRAPH.