Mail-Order Bride Ink: Dear Mr. Turner by Kit Morgan Read Free Book Online

Harrison corrected.
    “I believe so,” Colin said. “If you’re in the market for a fine horse, they’re the ones to see.”
    Pleasant nodded slowly as Colin brought the wagon to a stop in front of what she assumed was the main ranch house. The ranch and its grounds were pristine and well-kept, and a pang of jealousy struck as she remembered her beloved Comfort Fields with its park-like grounds. Would she ever see it again?
    According to Aunt Phidelia, no, she wouldn’t. Her running away had seen to that, and the thought pummeled her with guilt. Her father may have been about ready to lose everything; her departure had assured it. Her family had probably already disowned her – and at this point, she couldn’t say that she blamed them. There would be no going back…
    “Colin! Harrison!” a woman called from the front porch. “Where have you been?”
    Pleasant pulled herself from her thoughts. The woman wore a simple blue calico dress and apron. Her brown hair was braided and piled on top of her head, but stray wisps floated on the breeze around her face. And she had the most beautiful blue eyes. Was she a servant?
    “There you are, wife!” Harrison called as he hopped down, then lifted Pleasant’s trunk out of the back of the wagon. “We have a houseguest.”
    Okay, decidedly not a servant. Pleasant glanced around the grounds a second time. Did these people have servants?
    “I can see that,” the woman said. “Don’t tell me … is this Eli’s mail-order bride?” She had a Southern accent, but quite different from Pleasant’s – Texas, maybe?
    “One and the same,” Colin carried Pleasant’s satchel onto the front porch and handed it to the woman. “Sadie, meet Miss Comfort.”
    The woman arched an eyebrow at her. “How do you do?”
    “Very well, thank you,” Pleasant said from her perch on the wagon seat. “And you?”
    “I’m just dandy.” The woman looked her up and down. “Colin, help Miss Comfort down so she can come inside. She’s probably tired after such a long journey.” She turned to her husband. “Harrison, where’s Eli?”
    “Remember that outlaw gambling house Tom told us about the other day?”
    “Oh no,” she said in alarm. “Did they go after them?”
    “Yes, dear wife, and I suspect they’ll be hauling them in later this evening. We happened upon Eli as he was riding out of town after them. He told us to take care of Miss Comfort here until he returned,” he said as he watched Colin helped Pleasant out of the wagon.
    Pleasant went to stand before Sadie, but before she could say anything the woman grabbed her hand and pulled her into the house. “You poor thing! Come into the kitchen and we’ll fix you right up! Harrison, put her things in the girls’ room.”
    “You heard the woman,” Harrison told his brother. “To the girls’ room!” He snatched up the satchel and headed up the flight of stairs next to them in the foyer.
    Colin shook his head. “I should’ve seen that coming and grabbed the satchel myself.” He hefted Pleasant’s trunk onto his shoulder and headed for the staircase.
    “You’ll have to be quicker next time,” Sadie said with a laugh. She then led Pleasant down the hall and into a huge kitchen.
    “Oh my, this is a large room,” Pleasant remarked. “And Harri – Col – one of the gentlemen said you have a large family. I hope I’ll be able to keep track of them all … eventually.”
    “It’s okay if it takes a while. I’m sure everyone will introduce themselves properly when you meet them. I gather Harrison and Colin did so in town?”
    “Yes, they did. I also had the, er … pleasure of meeting a Mr. and Mrs. Dunnigan.”
    Sadie’s eyes widened, and she chuckled deep in her throat. “Well, I can’t think of two better people to meet your first day in town – if only to get it over with. Irene Dunnigan is … well, we do have a few odd characters in town, but she’s the only one that’s in any way dangerous.”
    “I