AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was a pleasant house, the whole thing only about twice the size of her bedroom at home, but she could see herself very comfortable here. Ian led her through the parlor, which the front door opened into, to the snug kitchen behind it. To the left was a bedroom. From what she could see, there was a dresser with a mirror, a small desk and a chair, and an iron bed with a very homey looking quilt.
Without her trunks she would have to peel off her wet clothes and after washing up, wrap herself in the blanket while her clothes dried. She turned to Ian. “Thank you so much for bringing me here. Please tell your father I would appreciate my trunks being delivered so I’ll have something to wear.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll tell him that.” Ian began to back away toward the front door, probably anxious to leave once she’d mentioned undressing. He banged into the wall, turned and left the house, closing the door smartly.
Priscilla removed her bonnet and cape and laid them over one of the two kitchen chairs. She went to the sink and pumped the handle, grateful to see clean water splash into the sink. She gave her hands and face a wash and, not finding a towel, dried them on the part of her skirt that was still clean.
She checked the stove and found a pile of kindling someone had thoughtfully placed inside. She took the flint from the shelf over the oven and lit the small pieces of wood, blowing on it until the fire caught. After taking a quick look around, she spotted the firewood box near the back door and, taking two small logs, shoved them into the stove, already enjoying the warmth.
After checking the shelves underneath the counter that ran against the far wall, she found a large pot that she filled with water and set on the stove. Making sure the windows were covered, she shimmied out of her clothes, stripping all the way to her skin. She unbuttoned her half boots and peeled off her stockings, then made a beeline to the bed and yanked the quilt off, wrapping herself in it.
Dragging a chair close to the stove, she enjoyed the warmth while she waited for the water to warm. She wondered how the argument was proceeding out on the street. Well, she was no shrinking violet. She had a contract signed by the mayor of Dogtown. Despite what that dreadful Mr. Beaumont had said, she had no intention of returning home. She was here, and here is where she would stay.
Mitch waved his hand in disgust as Boswick unloaded Miss Cochran’s trunks from the coach and piled them onto the boardwalk. How the hell many dresses did a teacher need, anyway? “If we let this woman stay, I guarantee she’ll be back on that coach in less than a week. I don’t see the point in getting the parents all stirred up about school starting and then have the damn thing close down again.”
“Look, Mitch. Like it or not, the woman is here now.” Ray turned, looking around. “I thought she was here. Where did she go?”
Boswick dropped a satchel on top of the pile of trunks. “While y’all were shouting at each other to wake the dead, little Ian walked her over to the teacher’s house behind the school.”
“At least someone in your family has manners,” Ray quipped.
The mail coach driver placed his hands on his hips and spit out a stream of tobacco juice. “I gotta get moving here, so y’all can take care of seeing to Miss Cochran’s trunks. I’ll be back around again on Saturday if she wants to leave then. Right now I have deliveries to make which ain’t gettin’ done with me standing here listening to you two squabbling like a couple of women.”
“Pa, Miss Cochran said she’d like her trunks brought over.” Ian hurried up to him, his face flushed.
“Oh, she did, did she? Well, of course, I’m sure the princess is used to people jumping at her command.” Mitch reached down and hefted one of the trunks onto his shoulder. “I’ll take these over to the house,” he said to the mayor. “You go on about your business. I’ll stop by your place tonight before the town council meeting to discuss this.”
Ray nodded and headed toward his home where he conducted his law practice.
“Ian, get your chores done before you deliver the newspapers the mail coach just dropped off. I’ll be going to the mayor’s house later on, so reheat that leftover stew from last night for your supper,” Mitch called over his shoulder as he settled the trunk more comfortably, then headed across the street.
He placed the trunk in front of the house and returned to the boardwalk to get the second trunk, then a third. His last trip to the teacher’s house he picked up a satchel and some type of box. The woman certainly had a lot of clothes. Did she come to teach or parade up and down the boardwalk in her finery? Lord help us, he hoped she wasn’t planning on finding a husband here. He shook his head and pounded on the front door.
The portal opened, and Miss Cochran stuck her head out. “Oh, thank goodness.” She pulled the door back to allow him to enter, and Mitch almost lost his teeth. She was wrapped in a quilt, and, from the sight of her naked shoulders, nothing else.
Heat rose to his face as he quickly glanced down at the trunk and dragged it into the room. Taking care to avoid looking in her direction, he pulled the second and third trunk inside, then the box and satchel. “Here you are.”
“Thank you, Mr. Beaumont.” She tugged the blanket tighter around her body. “I believe when I am dressed, we should have a meeting. I would like to go over my plans for the school. How soon we can open and so forth.”
He looked at a spot over her left shoulder.
Her naked left shoulder.
“This hasn’t been settled, Miss Cochran. You gave false information when you applied for this job.”
“Please, Mr. Beaumont. Perhaps I am not as old as you believed, but I am still a teacher, a graduate of a fine Normal School in Oklahoma, and anxious to teach the children of Dogtown.”
Straightening up, he stared her directly in the eye, trying very hard not to have his eyes wander. “There is a small restaurant at the end of the next block, going west, called Pappy’s. I will meet you then when you are…ready.”
She nodded and the blanket slipped a bit. He turned and hurried from the house like the hounds of hell were after him.
Priscilla put the finishing touches on her hair then pivoted in front of the mirror to check her appearance. A sponge bath, clean dry clothes, and warmth from the stove cheered her considerably from how she’d arrived at her little house.
She looked around the bedroom, already planning how she would make it her own. She really would have preferred to stay right where she was, unpack, and put her house in order, but getting Mr. Beaumont to accept her had to be first on her list. Since she hadn’t been given
a key, she hoped the town was as honest as it looked as she closed the door and headed toward the restaurant Mr. Beaumont had mentioned.
She regarded the town as she strolled the boardwalk. Men tipped their hats and ladies nodded in her direction. It was definitely a far cry from her well-settled hometown, Guthrie, but two new buildings going up at the end of the road showed promise. Hopefully she could make a difference for the children in the town. She was anxious to unpack her books and school supplies and get her classroom set up.
