The Brides Of Tombstone 01 Mail Order Outlaw by Cynthia Woolf Read Free Book Online Page B

something?”
    “No, I guess we didn’t.”
    I have to get a hold of those letters. I need to know what Mal wrote.
    * * *
    Lizzie knocked on his door in morning as she always did. She was the first one up and woke everyone else in the house.
    Ed was ready for the day this time. Already dressed when she came by, not to go to work but to check Lizzie’s room for the letters Malcolm wrote.
    As quietly as he could he slipped into Lizzie’s room which was next to his. He wondered if she’d heard him the other night. He’d been a little noisy leaving his room to check the office for the letters. If she’d heard, she didn’t mention it.
    Where would she keep them? He looked under the bed. Nothing. In her wardrobe. Nothing. Finally he checked her nightstand. There in the drawer he found the letters. A quick count told him there were eight letters. He’d read them all tonight and return them to Lizzie’s room tomorrow. He hoped against hope that she wouldn’t miss them.
    That night he retired early, going straight up to his room directly after dinner. He made an excuse to Lizzie about not feeling well.
    When he got there he sat on the bed and opened the first letter. It was an introduction letter similar to the one Lizzie had sent.
    Every one of the letters was dull. Mal wasn’t a very interesting person. He went to church sporadically, liked to play cards, though he didn’t say what kind. Ed hoped it was poker because that was the only game he knew. He didn’t drink, loved beef and pork.
    Mal told her he was bored by his life and that was why he wanted a wife. He felt a wife would complete him and together they would start a family to leave his dry goods business to. To Ed he sounded conceited. If he’d been Lizzie, he’d have changed his mind about marrying him, too.
    The last letter was like the others. He told Lizzie he was thinking about her and looking forward to meeting her.
    In none of the letters did Mal mention eating fish all the time. Lizzie was suspicious and had been testing him, and he’d failed. Well he wouldn’t fail again.
    He replaced the letters the next day, with Lizzie, hopefully none the wiser.
    * * *
    “Lizzie, I need to ride to town and talk to John Peterson. I want him to put a bid on the Abernathy place for me.”
    “Are you sure? You haven’t seen it yet.”
    “It’s what you want and you’ve already said it’s a good deal. That’s all I need to know.”
    “I don’t know about you. I never thought you’d be so accommodating. You’re letters made you seem more, oh I don’t know, conceited, condescending. Everything had to be your way and yet you haven’t been like that at all. Are you sure you’re the same man?”
    Ed started to sweat; he tried to think what Mal might have been doing by coming here. “I made a decision when I sold the store that I was starting a new life. I was going to make you my wife and that meant changing whatever I needed to in order to achieve that.”
    “I wish you wouldn’t say that.” Lizzie pursed her lips and frowned. “Every time you say you’re making me your wife, I want to run the other way.”
    “I can’t help it. I am determined.”
    “So am I to not be pushed into anything. You can’t buy me with your money or your gifts to my family or by buying the ranch I want. I can’t be bought. Do you understand?”
    He nodded. “I’m not trying to buy you, just make your life easier and keep you in mine. I don’t know how else to do it. I’ve never courted a woman before. Which is why I wanted a mail order bride in the first place.”
    “Just don’t push me. You understand?” She stalked off to the house.
    Ed went to the barn and saddled his horse. Regardless of what Lizzie wanted, he was buying that ranch. She’d come around and if she didn’t, what then? He didn’t want to even think about that.

CHAPTER 5

    July ninth was here and Jamie was no eleven years old. Ed had his present wrapped up and ready for him. He laid it on the