Then again, no one would blame him if he was trying to help her after an encounter with a rattlesnake.
He leaned his shotgun against the step, swooped down and lifted her up into his arms. Then he grabbed the gun and headed back toward the house.
“Professor Rhinehart, I insist you put me down. This is inappropriate. If anyone should see us, they would think…they would assume…”
He knew she was right, but unable to once again resist temptation he justified his actions. “I’d just tell them you discovered a rattler in the bathhouse and I had to carry you back up to the house when you fainted.”
He was enjoying the way her soft, round little bottom felt as it rubbed against his arm. He wished the house wasn’t so close, because he wouldn’t mind carrying her a bit farther.
He set her on the top step and she whirled on him, dropping her heavy boots on his feet. He flinched.
“What was that for?”
She glared down at him. “For enjoying the scenery a bit too much, for presuming a bit too much and for imagining I can’t take care of myself.” She paused to catch her breath. “And, Professor...” She leaned forward, her glare snapping at him. “For your information, I never, ever, faint!” She spun on her heels and marched through the front door, slamming it behind her for effect.
Gerritt rubbed his cheek, because even though she’d never raised her hand again, he felt like he’d been slapped.
Chapter Three
A Thing Done Well Can’t be Undone
Prudence paced across her room, glanced in the mirror several times and wondered how she’d ever recover her composure enough to face Gerritt at dinner. She corrected herself, Professor Rhinehart. As an employee she shouldn’t use his Christian name.
He must think she was the lowest of women, a whore of Babylon who’d let him kiss her and who’d even allowed him to take her into his arms to carry her. And she hadn’t objected very much, at least not to the kiss.
She should have protested the moment his lips first touched hers, but she’d craved his touch as his gaze moved across her body. She’d wanted that kiss and didn’t push him away when his mouth slowly, softly, settled upon hers.
Women of good breeding simply didn’t do such things, and despite being married, Prudence was realizing there was a great deal about physical attraction between a man and a woman she did not understand.
She fanned her face and paced again. How could she ever apologize to the professor for her lapse of judgment? Of course, he was responsible for the activities in the bathhouse. Hadn’t he’d initiated the kiss that started everything?
She sighed and flopped on the bed. What did that matter? He was a man, and everyone knew they couldn’t be held accountable for their low, animalistic behavior. It was the responsibility of a good woman to insist a male control himself when he was in her presence.
She hadn’t put up enough resistance to his advances. In fact, she’d probably invited his attentions by making that silly remark about him enjoying the view. She’d been too bold and audacious, enjoying the attentions of a handsome, virile male. Instead of demanding that he turn his back and hand her the sturdy wool coat lying on the bench, she’d savored a few moments of flirtation.
She’d delighted in leaning into his rock-hard body, the thick muscles surrounding her every bit as enticing as she’d imagined. His lips had been soft, but then demanding, and the instant she’d thrust her tongue into his mouth, desire sizzled between them. He’d tasted like honey and heat, all mixed up with a sweet trace of good Virginia tobacco.
When she snapped back to reality, her first response had been to slap him. She’d actually slapped the face of the man who’d offered her professional employment and paid her expenses to travel to Montana territory.
She searched the bed for her fan and used it to cool her face. Perhaps she should just feign a headache this evening and hope she’d be less embarrassed to face him by morning.
Although she doubted there would ever be another moment when she was in the presence of Professor Gerritt Rhinehart when she wouldn’t be embarrassed and tongue-tied.
A loud knock on the door made her jump.
“Yes,” she murmured.
“Are you feeling ill?” Professor Rhinehart asked, the tone of his voice signaling concern.
“I’m a bit tired,” she admitted, knowing he’d know she was too embarrassed to face him again. The man was no fool.
“I was hoping you’d be joining the small dinner party I’ve arranged this evening to welcome you to Jubilee.” His tone was cool and clipped with no trace of the alluring rogue from the bathhouse.
Prudence stood, smoothed her skirts and marched to the door. It was always better to face the thing you feared most and get it over with.
When she opened the door, she was undone again. If a rough, rowdy Professor Gerritt Rhinehart wasn’t appealing enough—when he shaved, combed his hair, put on a white shirt, vest and frockcoat, he was utterly devastating.
The saliva in her mouth dried up. She stared at him, but she couldn’t seem to help it. This afternoon he’d looked like a laborer, but tonight she was reminded he was every inch a gentleman.
“I, um, I believe I feel well enough to join you for a short time,” she offered.
He frowned down at her. Perhaps he’d been hoping she would stay in her room until he managed to overcome his own embarrassment at their encounter in the bathhouse. Prudence wondered if he was being polite by requesting her presence at dinner. She swallowed and he seemed to sense her distress.
“May I come in for a moment?”
Prudence wanted to say no but she couldn’t very well refuse him entry to a room in his own house—even though she knew it wasn’t decent for a bachelor to enter the quarters of an unattached female. Of course, since she was a widow, most people wouldn’t hold her to the strictest rules of etiquette. And she suspected the folks in Jubilee didn’t give much credence to formalities anyway. Frontier life didn’t leave much time to worry about leaving calling cards or which fork to use for the fruit course.
He glanced around the room and shifted from one long, well-shaped leg to the next. “Is your room adequate?”
Prudence nodded. “Quite comfortable and lovely. More than I expected, I mean, as an employee.” She had a sense he was stalling before launching into the topic she wished to avoid.
“We need to discuss what transpired this afternoon.” She began, her voice stumbling a bit over the words. She twisted her hands and studied the floor.” I don’t want you to think that I’m, I’m...” She couldn’t think of a polite word to describe what she’d been calling herself since her very improper conduct this afternoon. Strumpet? Salacious? Scandalous?
When she glanced up at the professor, his shoulders sagged and his fingers drummed against his legs as he looked over her head, avoiding eye contact. “I’m sorry about the way I behaved, it was. . . ” He paused for a moment as if searching for the right word. “Unconscionable.” He looked at her, regret swimming in the dark green depths of his eyes. “It was ungentlemanly of me to take advantage of you and I want you to know, while I won’t make excuses, I swear it won’t happen again.”
Prudence felt a flicker of sadness at his words. She should be glad he was apologizing and assuming full responsibility for their encounter. Yet, his vow to never repeat the actions left her with a miserable sense of loss.
“I believe I might have given you the wrong impression, Professor.” Her hands fluttered in the air in front of her. “I’m not a woman of loose morals, despite how it might have appeared in the bathhouse.”
“Of course, I have nothing but the greatest respect for you,” he assured her.
“And I don’t wish to be dismissed from my position because of a lapse in judgment when I was both terrified and exhausted.” This sounded like a lame excuse even to her.
His lips formed into a gentle smile and a deep dimple appeared. “You mean to stay?”
She blinked at him. “But o
f course, that is, if you still think I can perform the duties as your secretary.”
“Mrs. Worthington, I’d like nothing better than to maintain your employment. Your skills are paramount to getting my businesses— “ he looked chagrined for a moment, “—and my papers in order.” He reached for her hand and shook it.
She drew her hand back after shaking his, annoyed at the way a frission of delight sizzled up her arm at his touch. She nodded. “I believe it’s settled then. We shall pretend the incident this afternoon never happened.” She made it sound like he’d played some boyish prank upon her instead of stealing a dark, sensual kiss that still made her head swim when she recalled it. But, she didn’t want him to recall all the details of what had transpired between them when he was standing in her bedroom.
“We shall begin again,” he agreed. “May I escort you to the dining room?”
Prudence felt like they were acting in a play, pretending to be formal when she wanted to throw herself into his arms and feel those lips plundering her mouth again.
But she needed to discard such thoughts, put them from her mind and ignore the way her fingers tingled when she put her hand on his arm.
How was she ever going to manage to ignore the way he made her feel? She‘d never experienced anything like if before, not with Eli, who’d been little more than a boy when they’d married. Professor Gerritt Rhinehart was a full-grown, sensual man who would understand the great mystery of fulfilling a woman’s deepest carnal needs.
She craved more of his lessons in lovemaking, but if she offered herself as a willing pupil for his tutelage, she’d lose her job. And she couldn’t return home now, she’d be disgraced and it would leave all of her dreams, all of her plans, in shambles.
And her mother-in-law would enjoy tormenting her about her failure, reminding Prudence that she was an ignorant, plain woman that only an innocent boy like Eli could be stupid enough to marry. She’d reminded Prudence every single day that she was useless and ugly. The memory of Ada Worthington’s constant harangues, criticism and physical abuse steeled her resolve to remain in Montana.
They descended the staircase and she could hear the buzz of voices from the dining room. When they turned the corner, she was surprised to see a small gathering seated around a huge mahogany table. Everyone stopped talking when she entered the room with Gerritt.
He seated her near the head of the table, then stood behind the chair next to her.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m pleased to introduce you to my new secretary, Mrs. Prudence Worthington.”
He pointed to a pretty young blonde woman seated opposite her chair. “This is Miss Henrietta Blakely, and her mother.” He indicated an older gray haired buxom woman in a lavish gown seated next to an elderly bald gentleman farther down the table, “Mrs. Edith Blakely.”
Both women eyed her with an expression akin to the viewing of a small, rancid dish being placed on the table, and Prudence felt a shiver creep up her spine. It was clear that they were not the warm, welcoming committee she’d hoped to find from the ladies of the small town.
“Seated between them is Mr. William Templeton, the manager for my mining operations.”
The man stood. He was tall and slim, elegantly dressed in what Prudence now thought of as formal Western style, with a black frock coat, white shirt, vest and silk cravat with dark trousers. He extended a hand across the table. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.” His eyes were friendly and she smiled at his show of good manners.
“And sitting next to you is Mr. Alfred Heisman, my bookkeeper. You’ll be working with him to review the accounting procedures for my mining company.”
Mr. Heisman was a broad, rather rotund man with long, greasy black hair, wearing a gray shirt that might have been white once and a jacket that hadn’t received even a brushing in quite a while if she could judge from the lint and dirt clinging to it. He gave her a sour smile. “I’m sure a young woman, such as yourself, doesn’t know much about how to keep account books.”
Prudence let the warm smile fade from her face. A bolt of anger slapped at her. She shot the man a confident smile instead of the glare she wished she could give him.
“On the contrary, Mr. Heisman, the double-entry bookkeeping system was part of the course of study at the Lamere Business College which I attended.” She sent a warm smile around the table. “I believe my high mark in that course was one of the deciding factors in my obtaining this position.”
Gerritt nodded. “Mrs. Worthington was one of the first female graduates from the school and she’s even brought a typewriting machine with her.”
Mrs. Blakely gave a small gasp. “My word, you are a creature of many talents, aren’t you, Mrs. Worthington?”
Prudence sensed the older woman was not being complimentary. She glanced at the daughter, who seemed to be embarrassed by her mother’s rude remark.
“I’m a war widow, Mrs. Blakely, and I decided rather than rely upon my husband’s family for care and sustenance, that I would attend a business school and find a way to support myself that didn’t involve taking in washing or resorting to prostitution.”
Prudence snapped her mouth shut and regretted the outburst the instant the words left her mouth. She shouldn’t be answering rude behavior with her own caustic remarks. What would her employer think of her?
“I agree,” the professor said as he found his place at the head of the table. “It’s to our shame the war is leaving so many women and families destitute. I applaud Mrs. Worthington for her lofty goal to support herself and to have a meaningful career.”
The younger Miss Blakely now looked as if she’d swallowed something nasty. Prudence couldn’t let the moment pass without taking advantage of Professor Rhinehart’s good will.
“I’m so happy Mr. Rhinehart invited me to Montana territory. It’s been an exciting adventure and I look forward to working with him to get his business papers and office organized.” She bestowed her sweetest smile on the professor.
Both the Blakely women now wore the sour expression of someone who’d sucked on a lemon, a fact that delighted Prudence.
“I’m very supportive of women’s rights, Mrs. Worthington.” The handsome younger man seated at the foot of the table raised a glass of wine. He was dressed identical to Gerritt, but his sandy colored hair curled a bit at his collar and he had a thin mustache above well- shaped lips. Prudence couldn’t remember the last time she’d attended a dinner with one handsome man, much less two in the same evening.
“I toast the ladies for their strength of will and tenacity.” He said.
Gerritt gave the man a sardonic glare. “You would, Simon, since I’m sure you’ve tested many a lady’s tenacity.”
Simon laughed. “What will Mrs. Worthington think of me, Gerritt?”
“That she should be warned you leave a trail of broken hearts in your wake, Simon.” Gerritt responded as he leaned forward to whisper in Prudence’s ear, but he said it loud enough for everyone at the table to hear him. “Beware of Mr. Faherty, our schoolmaster, for he possesses a silvery tongue to go along with that handsome face. Many young ladies have fallen victim to his charms, yet he remains unmarried.”
Prudence glanced down the table and couldn’t keep from smiling at the wounded look on the schoolmaster’s face. But his soft blue eyes glinted with mischief.
“I doubt I’m the one she needs to be wary of, Gerritt. After all, she resides in your home.”
Prudence saw Mrs. Blakely sniff before glaring at Prudence. “He is right, Gerritt. Perhaps Mrs. Worthington should take a room at Mrs. McCauley’s boarding house? It doesn’t seem proper for a single young woman to be residing here alone with you.”
Gerritt frowned, but before he could answer Alma Faraday stomped into the room with a roasted chicken on a platter. “Proper? And I suppose I shouldn’t be living here with the professor neither? We work for him and he ain’t the kinda man to take advantage of a woman who owes him her livin’.” Alma glared at Mrs. Blakely, she didn’
t seem a bit intimidated by the other woman’s fancy clothing or snooty attitude.
She slammed the platter down on the table and the wine glasses jumped. “If you all don’t know his character by now, you should be ashamed of yourselves.”
Prudence smiled at Alma in gratitude. The housekeeper winked at her before bustling out of the room to get the rest of the meal.
“Well,” Mr. Templeton said. “You can’t ask for a better character witness than Alma Faraday. She doesn’t mince words and ‘far as I know, she’s the most honest creature God ever put on earth.”
“Then let’s just drop this whole topic. I thought you folks might be interested in hearing the news from back East.” Gerritt nodded at Prudence. “The papers are slow to arrive here, so anyone with current knowledge of the war is more than welcome in Jubilee. Can you give us the latest news?”
Prudence glanced around the dinner table, brushing her fingers against the starched white tablecloth. She gathered her thoughts as she admired the huge carved mahogany cabinet that took up one wall of the room. It was stacked with fine china, crystal and silver serving pieces.
Professor Gerritt Rhinehart might be living in a wilderness, but he’d carved out a small oasis of civilization with his elegant home. She’d only seen a few rooms, but from the expensive furnishings, the fine wine, which he’d said was shipped from Seattle, and elegant setting of the dinner table, she could tell he was wealthy and enjoyed the finer things in life.
She took a deep breath and could see from the eager expressions on the faces of the guests that they were hungry for any current information she could share about the War Between the States.
“Mr. Lincoln has been criticized by his Generals for wanting to modernize the army. He’s hooked up a telegraph to the White House to improve communication and he’s working with the railroads to make sure the expansion into the West is finished as soon as possible.” Prudence watched as several heads nodded in understanding.
Prudence and the Professor Page 4