To Tame A Texan by Georgina Gentry Read Free Book Online Page A

time.”
    â€œThunderation, it’s cold,” Lynnie said.
    He might have taken that as an offer to cuddle from some other female, but from straitlaced Miss McBride, he was sure she was just filling the silence.
    â€œLynnie,” he said kindly, “ladies don’t usually use a word as strong as ‘thunderation.’ They say ‘goodness gracious’ or ‘mercy me.’”
    She fixed him with a green, nearsighted stare. “‘Mercy me’ sounds sissy and idiotic. It’s the kind of thing that addle-brained Emmalou Purdy would say. You know, she’s my oldest pupil.”
    Lordy, Emmalou Purdy. He sighed wistfully as he pictured the pretty, buxom girl. He’d like to be her teacher. On the other hand, there wasn’t much he could teach that lusty girl.
    The carriage pulled up and halted in the drive of the governor’s mansion. From inside, light streamed through all the windows, and as the big front doors opened to accept new arrivals, Ace heard a faint melody drifting on the cold air. Carriages were everywhere, with people all decked out in their finest arriving for the evening. There would be lots of beautiful girls at this dance, and here he was stuck with prim Lynnie McBride. Ma drove a mighty hard bargain.
    The driver came around, put down the step, and opened the door. Ace stepped out and reached to help Lynnie down. She stumbled, and he had to catch her by both arms. She was stiff to his touch. “Unhand me, you scoundrel.”
    He stood her on her feet. “Lynnie, if you’d put on your spectacles, you wouldn’t trip over the step.”
    â€œAnd if you were a gentleman, you wouldn’t notice my tripping.”
    Oh, Lordy. He took her arm in case she tripped over the entry steps, and they went inside. Down the ornate stairs floated music, much laughter, and talk. The butler took their wraps. “Ballroom on the second floor, sir.”
    He wasn’t sure just how much Lynnie could see without her spectacles; she looked as blind as a newborn kitten. In fact, for a moment, she seemed almost fearful and very vulnerable. Lynnie? She could cut a man to pieces with just her sharp wit, he thought glumly. He took her elbow as he escorted her up the stairs. It wouldn’t do to have her trip and fall all the way down in a tangle of pink silk and petticoats.
    Many a young lady turned and gave him her best and most inviting smile, and out of force of habit, Ace smiled back. If he could palm his lady off on some luckless hombre, maybe Ace would get a dance or two with some of these eager beauties. He paused in the doorway of the big ballroom and watched the dancers sway gracefully to the music. “Lynnie, would you like some punch?”
    â€œI suppose so.” She acted a bit bewildered, and he remembered that she hadn’t had much in the way of a social life. Well, it was her own damned fault for being so prudish and smart. Ace parked her against a wall and ambled over to the punch bowl. Half a dozen fellows he knew were standing about, ogling the arriving young ladies.
    Ace nodded to several of them. “Hey, hombres, good night for a dance.”
    Bob Anderson nodded. He was a bit of a dandy, Ace thought. “I came stag so I could choose among the girls.”
    â€œMe, too,” Sam and Howard said. “What about you, Ace?”
    Before he could answer, Bob laughed. “Didn’t you see? He’s escorting Lynnie McBride. What’d it take to get you to do that, Ace?”
    He almost admitted that his own mother had called in her marker on him; then he looked toward Lynnie looking a bit forlorn, and his heart softened a little. “I’ve had enough of brainless beauties. Lynnie can talk about politics and all sorts of stuff.”
    â€œSince when does a man want to talk to a girl?” Willis Forrester joined them. He was older and had menacing blue-green eyes as hard as turquoise. “I brought Emmalou