Rimfire Bride Read Free Page A

road toward Dewey Gehrig’s farm. She knew that she would likely never see either of them again, and she wiped the tears from her eyes before she went back to her bed. Frederick’s heavy snoring told her that he knew nothing of the girls’ escape.
    She crawled into the bed beside him, then said a quick and silent prayer that she had done the right thing, and that Gott would look after her two daughters.
    Bismarck, Dakota Territory—September 1882
    Drew Malone stood in his law office and poured two cups of coffee. He looked back at the rather stout woman who was sitting on the other side of his desk.
    “Ma’am, do you take cream or sugar?” he asked.
    “I can’t always get cream or sugar, so I always drink it black.”
    Drew handed her the cup of coffee, then sat down behind his desk. He held his cup in both hands for a moment.
    “Tell me a little about yourself, Mrs. . . .” He glanced down at his paper. “Considine, is it?”
    “Yes, sir. Elfrieda Considine. Well, I’ve been in the Dakota Territory for almost ten years now—came when they opened Fort A. Lincoln. Myhusband was proud to bring the best laundress Fort Riley ever had.”
    “Your husband was Sergeant Considine?”
    “No, sir. Martin was my second husband. He was killed with General Custer, rest his soul, but John Dalton was killed by a civilian in a drunken brawl. Do you drink, Mr. Malone? Because if you do, there’s no need for this conversation to continue.”
    Drew’s eyebrows raised in amusement at the turn the interview had taken. This woman, who stood close to six feet tall and weighed at least 230 pounds, was interviewing him!
    “I’ve been known to take a drink now and then.”
    “I didn’t ask if you took a drink. I asked you if you drank. Believe me, there is a difference.”
    “I am not a drunk, Mrs. Considine.”
    “Good. Then when do I start?”
    “Don’t you want to know what your duties will be?”
    “I expect you want me to take care of the two little boys that you’ve been shufflin’ from pillar to post since your wife died.”
    “Are you sure you were a laundress and not a detective?” Drew laughed openly.
    “A woman alone in the world can’t be too careful about who she takes up with. I’ve buried two husbands, or rather, the army has buried two husbands for me, and, Mr. Malone, I want you to understand right now, I’m not in the market for another man.”
    “That’s good to know, and I’m not in the market for another wife, so we should get along fine.Besides looking out for the boys, I’d like you to do some cooking, some housekeeping, and laundering. Are you agreeable to that?”
    “Your ad in the Tribune said as much, so I’m expecting to do that. My cooking’s not fancy, but it’s tasty, and I run a clean house.”
    “That’s all I ask. When can you start, Mrs. Considine?”
    “Tomorrow will be right fine. My friends call me Elfrieda, and I would be honored if you would call me that as well.”
    “And you may call me Drew.”
    “No. While I never wore stripes, bein’ married to two soldiers and doin’ laundry for the bunch of ’em, I was in the army same as if I stood reveille ever’ mornin’. And the army taught me that rank has its privileges. You will be Mr. Malone to me.” Elfrieda stood and offered her hand for a shake. “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    When Elfrieda left, Drew stood and watched her from his window.
    What a strange interview. She hadn’t asked him where he lived, what her living accommodations would be, how old the boys were, not even how much money he would be willing to pay her. He smiled. Something told him that with the introduction of Elfrieda, his household was about to be a whole lot different.
    Drew hoped that was so. He had just put Rose Denton on a train back to Chicago. Rose was Addie’s mother and had come out to Bismarck to take her grandchildren back to “civilization,” asshe called it. Thank God