A Cowboy for Christmas Read Online Free PDF Page B

her aunt, too. “You as well,” she returned. “You and your parents will be at the Chases’ ball tonight, won’t you?”
    “Of course! We wouldn’t miss it for the world. I can’t wait! Penny is going to look so pretty. She’s picked the turquoise gown to wear.”
    “Good, good. I’m sure you’ll both be lovely.”
    Matilda walked Amanda to the door. She believed the young woman was a good influence on her niece, and she was quite fond of her.
    When Amanda had gone, Matilda started upstairs to speak to Penny. Having never married and had children of her own, she had accepted her sister Elizabeth and her niece into her home when they’d returned from Texas. They had lived comfortably together on the family money they had inherited. But since Elizabeth’s death, life had become more complicated. She could only hope she was doing all she could do to help her niece.
    Matilda knew Elizabeth would be proud of the lady her daughter had become. Penny was strikingly beautiful with her dark hair and eyes and slender figure, and there was no doubt she was a very intelligent young woman. She just hoped Penny married well when the time came and that her marriage would be a happy one—unlike her mother’s.
    Elizabeth had become so estranged from her husband that she destroyed any attempt at communication between him and his daughter. Matilda still felt guilty for not telling her niece that her father had written, but she’d promised her sister to keep silent.
    Matilda reached Penny’s room and knocked on the door. “May I come in?”
    “Of course,” Penny responded.
    Matilda let herself in to find her niece had changed back into her day gown. “Amanda said you’ve chosen the turquoise gown for tonight.”
    “Yes, will you help me pick out what jewelry to wear with it?”
    The older woman was delighted to have been asked. They went through her jewelry box searching for the perfect necklace, finally selecting a strand of pearls and matching earrings.
    “These will be perfect with it,” Matilda told her. “And we’ll need to leave by seven.”
    “I’ll be ready,” Penny promised.
    “Good. Now it’s my turn. I’d better go pick outwhich gown I’m going to wear. I certainly want to make myself presentable. This is an important evening.”
    “You’ll be pretty in whatever you decide on.”
    “I do love having you around, dear.” Matilda was smiling as she left her niece’s bedroom.
    When her aunt had gone, Penny sat down on her bed, her thoughts all on the evening to come. It would be nice to see Richard at the Chases’ Thanksgiving ball tonight. As Amanda had said, he was good-looking, and she did enjoy his company. He certainly was one of the best dancers in town, that was for sure. It was just when Amanda had asked her if she was in love with him that she’d grown troubled. After watching what had happened to her parents, she wasn’t sure she could ever risk falling in love and get married.
    Facing the truth of her feelings wasn’t easy for Penny, so she quickly put those thoughts from her. She had a party to think about. For now, she was going to concentrate on just having fun that evening.

Chapter Three
    Dan was glad he’d brought his heavy coat along as he stood outside the train station in the cold weather. He couldn’t help noticing how much the city had changed in the years he’d been away. The station was a busy place, and the streets were crowded with warmly dressed folks coming and going. He was impressed. St. Louis was called “the Gateway to the West” and he knew it was true. He’d certainly headed west when he’d left.
    Dan hired a carriage and told the driver the address for the orphanage. He wanted to see it before he checked in at the hotel.
    The driver gave him a puzzled look as he helped him with his bags. “You sure you want to go there?”
    “I’m sure,” Dan answered.
    “All right,” the driver agreed as they started off, “but there ain’t much left there to