Heart of Gold (A Gold Rush Romance) Read Free Page A

had mastered the art of appearing proper long ago, but it seemed she had yet to absorb the lessons internally. She reminded herself of her plan to keep her infatuation at bay. One chaperoned dinner where she maintained her propriety, then avoidance of the situation in its entirety.
    Her plan seemed far less simple now, though, when Mr. Lancaster opened the door, stunning in his formal attire. She told herself to keep breathing as she nodded to him in greeting.
    How could anyone look that attractive? Some black pants and a vest, she tried to tell herself, but it did nothing to soften the effect he had on her. Her insides melted into a warm pool deep inside her.
    He ushered the two women in, pressing Alice’s hand with his own for just long enough to send a thrill through her. “It is wonderful to see you again, Miss Crenshaw,” he said, his voice and eyes emphasizing the words so much that they felt like a universal truth rather than just a polite greeting.
    She nodded, her mind blank, unable to create a response. His eyes lingered on hers a moment longer, sending smoky tendrils curling through her, and then he turned to Mrs. Leach, Alice’s benefactor and chaperone. “You must be Mrs. Leach. It is a pleasure to meet you. Was Mr. Leach unable to come?”
    Mrs. Leach beamed at him, and Alice wanted to shake her head in exasperation. If he could charm everyone, what chance did she have to keep her heart safe? Not that Mrs. Leach was difficult to charm, as she had to be one of the most agreeable women Alice had ever met. Still, it did nothing to help Alice’s predicament.
    Mrs. Leach took his hand in both of hers and said, “Mr. Lancaster, the pleasure is all mine. I had Mr. Leach stay with the children tonight. One of our boys has a touch of fever, and who knows what kind of mayhem would occur if we both left for the evening. I thought it best that I be the one to come with Alice. I have spent enough of my days around young boys and their temperaments that I may be of some service.”
    “Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate any help you can give. Please, come in to the sitting room.”
    The two women divested themselves of bonnets and shawls and followed their host to the sitting room, a large open expanse of a room, full of windows and rose-colored furniture and dark wood that was likely very expensive, but still managed to appear warm and welcoming. Joe’s mother had decorated the place with thought and care, and Thomas—Mr. Lancaster—had obviously seen no need to change it.
    Alice tried to draw some kind of reassurance from the beautiful surroundings, but it was no use. She was feeling less and less comfortable about this evening and the events unfolding. This man was too impressive for her own good, that much was obvious.
    Compared to his suave manner and gallantry, she felt almost clumsy and very inappropriately dressed. Silks and frippery were under no circumstances acceptable attire for a teacher, but anything else seemed out of place beside him. Her calico dress, which closed high at the throat and covered as much of her skin as possible, her tight bun high on her head, felt unbefitting.
    She had admired the women who wore fashionable gowns, and often wished she could allow her hair to fall loose against her shoulders, but she had never before felt this type of pure regret for the restrictions that prevented her from partaking in the styles of the day. Any of those ornamented women would look better on his arm than she would in her plain frock.
    Alice shook her head slightly, trying to remind herself that nothing could happen between her and the handsome man in front of her, so there was no purpose to her wearing a fancy dress in any case. It would be silly and absurd to imagine his eyes roving slowly over her body, taking in the sight of her in a beautiful dress. There was no reason to wish her dress left more for him to see. He would never look at her like that, let alone run his hands over silky material and