Cutty (Prairie Grooms Book 8) by Kit Morgan Read Free Book Online

I,” he replied sullenly. “Look at the things I did as a gentleman.”
    “Well, yes, you’re quite right. Perhaps someone else should be there with you?”
    “The only other person who knows is you - and I won’t put ya in harm’s way. Newton might go round the bend for all we know and shoot us both.”
    “He’ll do nothing of the kind. I imagine he might be a little upset …”
    “A little? I’m gonna borrow Othello from Ryder in case I need to make a fast getaway.”
    “You can’t run from him after you tell him. It wouldn’t be right,” she advised.
    “Yeah, I suppose.” Cutty sighed. “Come on, let’s go get some lemon drops.”
    “Maybe Mrs. Dunnigan got her order in,” Imogene said with a happy smile.
    “Order? Did you have her send for somethin’?”
    “Yes, a new book.”
    “A new book?” he said excitedly. “Yee-haw! What’re we waitin’ for – let’s go!”
    She laughed as he took her by the hand and hurried toward the mercantile. If there was one thing that could take Cutty’s mind off of revealing to his children the dire news of his identity, it was a new penny dreadful.

Five
     
    “Well, look who decided to show up,” Belle said teasingly.
    Imogene blushed. Cutty scowled. The women of the ladies’ sewing circle were sitting in the mercantile, looking at them with bemusement. “What’re ya all starin’ at?”
    Half the women lowered their heads and got back to their sewing. The other half giggled, Sadie and Belle among them. “You’re late, Imogene,” Sadie remarked.
    “I’m not late, dear – I’m forgetful. We were having tea with Newton, and the time got away from me.”
    “Well, since Mrs. Upton isn’t here either, we can’t blame you,” Belle told her. “Otherwise she’d have reminded you on her way out the door.”
    “It’s our fault she’s not here,” Imogene explained. “She was serving us tea all this time.”
    “I suppose this means I’ll have to get another chair,” Mrs. Dunnigan grumbled, setting down her sewing.
    “No bother,” Imogene told her. “I’ll not be joining you today. But I would like to know if the item I ordered came in.”
    “Yeah, I got something for you back there,” Mrs. Dunnigan said. “Wait here and I’ll go get it.”
    “What did you order?” Belle asked. “Or do I even need to ask?”
    Imogene smiled at her. “Oh, only a book or two.”
    “Two?” Cutty said in surprise. “Ya didn’t say ya got two.”
    “Again, I’m forgetful,” Imogene said with a shrug. “But all the better for our reading pleasure.”
    Constance tried to suppress a very unladylike snort, but it still drew everyone’s attention.
    “I hate it when she does that,” her sister Eloise said. “It always means she knows something I don’t.”
    “It’s … nothing,” Constance said and waved a hand in front of her face.
    “Then why are you fanning yourself?” her other sister Penelope asked. “What is it you know?”
    “Nothing!” Constance insisted. “At least, nothing that I can say here.”
    “Aha! I knew it!” Eloise said triumphantly.
    “Is it for family ears only?” asked their cousin Fina.
    “Not necessarily,” Constance said.
    “Is it about the new house ya plan to build?” Grandma Waller asked.
    “Grandma!” Constance groaned. “It was supposed to be a surprise!”
    “Well then, why didn’t ya say so?” Grandma chastised. “And it ain’t a surprise unless no one knows about it. Land sakes, child, the whole town’s heard by now.”
    “From who?” Constance asked.
    “All eyes gravitated to Fanny Fig. She noticed the accusatory looks and shrank a little in her chair. “I might’ve heard it from Henry, who might’ve heard it from Sheriff Hughes, who just might’ve …”
    “Enough already!” Mrs. Dunnigan barked as she came into the storefront with Imogene’s package. “You were telling folks down at the bank, then you told all of us before Constance got here. Of course we all know!” She