The Rocky Mountain Heiress Collection Read Free

“Tell me again why your sister isn’t keen on this opportunity. Is this child naughty?”
    Fiona jumped to her feet. “Oh, no, she’s a sweet one, so I’ve been told, though I understand she can be quite the challenge. My cousin cried when she left the family. That’s why she was so particular about sending for one of us to take her place.”
    “I see.” A plan began to hatch and with it came more pacing. “I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to think carefully before you answer. If your sister were offered the chance, would she give her ticket to someone else?”
    A puzzled look crossed Fiona’s face. “You mean would she sell her ticket? I don’t think so. But if there was someone suitable to take her place as governess to that little girl, well, I think she’d be glad to hand her ticket over.” She paused. “Begging your pardon, miss, but I feel I ought to remind you that you’ve got a train to catch shortly.”
    “Yes,” Gennie said slowly, “but first, I need to write a letter to my Boston cousins.”
    “A letter to your cousins?” Fiona shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
    Gennie kicked a pillow out of the way and settled at the writing table. “You’ll understand soon enough. Grab your coat, Fiona, and tell Simmons to send the carriage around. This will only take a moment.”

Dire circumstances seemed the order of the day for Mae Winslow, and yet never had she failed to have a plan. To panic would mean certain death, so Mae lifted the delicate lace handkerchief to her nose and raised her eyes heavenward. Her prayers completed, she sprang into action.
    Through the haze of smoke, Mae found her boots and then her hat. What remained was to see whether the carefully devised scheme would actually work.

    “Oh, miss, this will never work.”
    Gennie shook her head and pressed a gloved finger against her lips. “Quiet now, Fiona. We don’t want our plan to be discovered until…” She paused to wait for the front doors of the house to close behind them. A fresh north wind whipped down Fifth Avenue and chased up her spine. “In order for this to work, we’ve got to stick to the plan.”
    The maid looked doubtful. “Are you certain? I know my sister will be ever so grateful for you to take her place, but I do worry what the child’s father will say when he realizes he hasn’t got a governess after all.”
    “Ah, but that’s the beauty of it.” Gennie nodded at a pair of matrons passing on the sidewalk. “He
will
have a governess. I plan to stay and assist the poor fellow in the caring of this child, at least until your sister and her new husband can cash in my ticket for two lesser fares and join me in Denver. By that time, I will be thoroughly satisfiedwith my adventures in the Wild West and ready to return home.” She beamed and gathered her traveling cloak around her as Papa’s carriage turned the corner. “If all goes well, Mama and Papa never have to know.”
    Fiona leaned close as the carriage pulled up to the curb. “But, Miss Cooper, you’re
not
a governess.”
    “Well, of course she’s not a governess, girl. Who would ever consider such a ridiculous thing?” Chandler Dodd grinned as he stepped out of the carriage.
    “Mr. Dodd!” Gennie stepped back in surprise. Why was Chandler in her father’s carriage?
    “Good morning, Miss Cooper. My, you look fetching.”
    As did he. But then Chandler Dodd always cut a dashing figure. It almost made up for the fact that his dinner conversation, generally discussions of a financial nature, was usually so bland it was all Gennie could do not to fall into the soup in a dead slumber.
    Chandler lifted her hand to his lips, then began the business of ordering the help about. Rendered temporarily mute, Gennie could only watch as her trunks appeared and were loaded. By the time she found her voice, the luggage was settled and she’d been handed into the carriage to sit beside the banker. A surprised squeak let her know