Tears of Gold by Laurie McBain Read Free Book Online

stayed out at sea, for he was a failure as a landowner and ended up selling out just before he died.”
    Brendan stood up and stretched his long legs, in pale, gray-striped merino, and poured himself another whiskey, taking a hefty swig before continuing his story.
    “The only problem was that the young lady had been affianced to a gent while still a child in California, and the Spanish relatives want that agreement legalized. So off goes Don Luís to fetch his niece back to the rancho and her Spanish fiancé. Did I neglect to tell you that the fiancé is the other ranchero —that’s what these fellows call themselves—who is involved in this business deal with Don Luís? No need to tell you how important this alliance between the niece and this ranchero could be to Don Luís’s position.”
    Mara’s interest was caught, as Brendan had intended. “So what happened in England? Did Don Luís find his niece?”
    “Yes. In York, to be exact. And a colder, more stiff-laced bunch of prudes you’ve yet to set your eyes on, or so they appeared to Don Luís.” Brendan gave a devilish chuckle. “Can you imagine how the don appeared to them? It must have shook them out of their very proper accents. Sittin’ around the tea table, their monocled eyes fair to poppin’ as their ladies fainted into their teacups. ‘I say, do get the salts, Smythe. I believe her ladyship has fainted. A pity, too, it was a demmed good cup of tea.’ I can hear it all now,” Brendan laughed, imitating an English lord to perfection.
    Mara smiled reluctantly at the scene Brendan had painted so brilliantly. How horror-stricken and affronted they must have been when Don Luís, olive-skinned and very foreign, had walked into their very British parlors and demanded the return of his niece to California. “I can see you’ve caught the humor of the situation. Miss Vaughan had become quite Anglicized during her residence in England and was barely civil to her maternal uncle. Much less did she entertain the idea of journeying to California with this strange foreigner. Besides, much to Don Luís’s consternation, he found her happily contemplating her upcoming nuptials—to an English viscount, no less. Alas, he could not persuade her that she would do better to honor a fifteen-year-old agreement by marrying a Californian ranchero.”
    Mara shook her dark head, her eyes shading into a rich bronze as she replied discouragingly, “And what would Don Luís gain by masquerading me as his niece? For there’s not a ghost of a chance that I’d be marrying this fellow.”
    “Mara, me love,” Brendan laughed easily, “it’d never be coming to that. Don Luís only wants to gain a little time. That’s all. Would you be denying him all hope? What harm can it do to be pretending, just for a little while, that you’re this Amaya Vaughan? He’ll cancel all debts if we agree, and he’s even willing to pay us. And, Mara,” Brendan added, “think of Paddy and what this will mean for him. It’ll keep him from the streets. Ye’d not be havin’ an O’Flynn turn beggar, would ye?” Brendan warned in exaggeration, his dark eyes narrowing. “As well as keeping you from the streets, maybe? I’ve no money, which means you and Paddy have none. And will you be turning Jamie out too? She’s too old to be finding herself new employment. And how will we be eating? Especially if Don Luís has me arrested, or killed, for not payin’ me debts. This way we’ve got a chance, Mara. I can get out to where the gold is. Before you know it we’ll be rich. I might even be buying this ranchero’s land from him. Well,” Brendan demanded, “what’s it to be?”
    Mara flushed angrily. “’Twould seem as though you hold the winning hand, Brendan. But I’ll not be playing the game for nothing,” Mara warned him as she got to her feet. She picked up her bonnet and muff and turned to face Brendan.
    “You’ll not be taking me for a fool again. I’ll be having your