The Duke's Dark Secret (Historical Victorian Romance) by Emily Brant Read Free Book Online Page B

when he tied up his horse outside of Daisy’s to see dozens of customers inside. He was able to find a table and soon found there was a respectable wait for help. Eventually, Gertie came around to his table.
                  “What can I get for you, Jeb?”
                  “You mind if I wait for Louisa? I wanted to have a few words with her, if it ain’t too much trouble.”
                  The woman gave him a knowing smile. “I’ll see she comes around your way.”
                  After a short wait, Louisa walked over. She wore a plain, dark-blue dress with a long smock covering most of it, and a bow in her hair. She gave him a half-smile. “Ann makes a powerfully good breakfast. Surprised to see you here, unless you plan to fatten up a little before getting to work?”
                  Jeb grinned. “Tempting to try more of Gertie’s fare for a snack, but I was hoping I might be able to talk to you during a break.”
                  She glanced around at the tables. “You might have a bit of a wait. We’re not usually this busy, I’m told.”
                  “Word of mouth about the lovely new waitress, I’m sure.” He suggested.
                  Louisa gave him a skeptical glance. “I’m fairly sure it was that you stood up to Frank. People don’t care very much for him, it seems.”
                  “So I may visit you during your break?”
                  “I suppose so. Try around noon.”
                  Jeb spent the morning visiting with folks in the town, people he’d come to know very well in the past decade. Though the banter was familiar and he was interested in their stories, he felt distracted the entire time. It was strange, and he couldn’t place where the feeling was coming from, but there was an unpleasant feeling in his stomach, a tension that shouldn’t have been there.
                  When Louisa was finally free, he escorted her along the plank sidewalk of town towards the outskirts. There, the prairie ran directly up against the final building, stretching for long distances out into the fenced off ranges of the cattle ranchers. They stepped off the planks and strolled along the roadside, finishing up the necessary polite talk that such company called for.
                  “I understand you’ve had little chance to acquaint yourself with the country since you’ve arrived. I thought it might be nice to see some of it.”
                  “It is indeed lovely.” She agreed readily. The view of the Rockies in the near distance helped give the place a border; otherwise, it would have seemed as though a great sea of land stretched out before them endlessly beneath a blazing sun and big sky.
                  “I fear I have something to confess.” He began, clearing his throat. “I am not proud of this, but you must know.”
                  Louisa shook her head. “That is a shame. I had a more favorable impression from you from your act of courage yesterday. I suppose if you must say something upsetting, it would be best if you do so and do it quickly.”
                  “Thomas wasn’t so keen to write, so it fell to me. I wrote the letters.”
                  “I see.” She breathed in sharply, then let it all out in a single rush of air. “Fine. You were the one with whom I wrote. That which is done is done and there seems little point in dwelling upon it.”
                  Despite her words, he could sense the disappointment and hurt in her voice. He didn’t understand why in the short time he had known her that it had already begun to regret his part in the matter.
                  He apologized once more. “Had I realized how much it would wrong you, I’d have never agreed to it.”
                  “I only ask