Miss Phipps and the Cattle Baron by Patricia Watters Read Free Book Online Page A

elbows and hugged her forearms. Below the wasp waist, the
skirt gathered at the small of her back and rose over one of the
new braided wire bustles. And below the sharp point of the bodice,
it flared over her hips and tapered in at the ankles, giving her
figure the sought after hour-glass look. She wasn't sure how she
was going to sit on the ground on a blanket during the picnic, but
she'd worry about that when the time came. A lime silk parasol
trimmed in olive green topped off her outfit. Opening it and
twirling it against her shoulder, she turned around slowly in front
of the full-length mirror. For the first time in her life, she felt
pretty.
    Maybe someone would bid on her basket.
She'd packed it with pastry sandwiches and small pigeon pies, and
custard tarts, and plum pudding with lemon sponge, and cucumbers
and tomatoes and an array of cheeses. Lastly, she included a small
loaf of freshly-baked bread, sweet cream butter, and a baked tongue
for slicing. She tucked in a bottle of wine and two wine goblets.
She was sorry she had to purchase everything already prepared from
stores, but the kitchen in her building was not yet serviceable.
She hoped to rectify that soon, but getting the first issue of The Town Tattler out took priority.
    Picnic baskets loaded into the back of the
buckboard, Priscilla and the women set out for St. Marks Episcopal
church and the picnic social that would follow the service.
Priscilla couldn't help wondering what Lord Adam Whittington's
reaction would be on seeing her fixed up as she was. If he noticed
her at all, that is.
    ***
    Adam gazed at Priscilla, dumbfounded. When
she'd first arrived at the social he'd wondered who she was. But on
closer inspection, he realized it was the homely spinster he'd been
unable to shake from his mind. Not only did her dress accentuate
her very shapely figure, but her red hair gleamed like spun copper,
the heat of day brought high color to her cheeks, and her eyes seem
to dominate her face. Even at a distance he could see that they
looked green, obviously taking on the hues of her green dress.
    Standing in a circle of women while talking
with great enthusiasm, she seemed to have captured the full
attention of the wives of his opponents in Cheyenne's upcoming
mayoral race, as well as the wife of Wyoming's territorial
governor. Whatever she was telling the women, they were listening
with rapt attention.
    He suspected there was far more to Miss
Priscilla Phipps than he'd initially thought. She appeared to be
elucidating to the women in the circle around her something of
great interest to them, and he was curious to know what it was. He
also had a business offer to make to her. He'd been mulling it over
for days, and it seemed the answer to at least one of his problems.
The other problem would take a woman in his bed to solve, and Miss
Phipps was not yet ready to fill that role. But she would be
eventually, he vowed.
    Picking up the blanket roll he'd brought as a
ground cover, he tucked it under his arm and joined the throng of
men sauntering over to where the picnic baskets were set for
viewing, and prepared to make his bid. He'd have Miss Phipps'
company for the afternoon, along with her basket of tempting
delicacies, whatever it cost. But already he saw several men
gathered around her basket and knew the bid was rising.
    Thirty minutes later, Adam went to collect
Priscilla and her picnic basket. He had not expected to bid against
two other men. And the price of the basket turned out to be
considerably higher than he'd anticipated. But she was his for the
afternoon, and he intended to take full advantage of it. He had his
business offer to make her, along with a curiosity as to what she'd
been telling the women that had held them captive. He also intended
to kiss her before the day was done. He had not seen her since he'd
helped her unpack her printing press, but from the look on her
face, she was shocked with the bid her basket brought, or maybe
because he was the