A Good Man for Katie Read Online Free PDF Page B

to like, despite the consequences.
    With a voice strong and full of conviction, she said, “Regardless of who and what he is, I owe him a debt of gratitude. If not for his timely rescue, I wouldn’t be here now. I’d be at the bottom of Dead Man’s Drop.” Even now, days after the incident, the memory of how close she’d come to losing her life still had the power to make her shake and thank God Chase came along when he did.
    Mrs. Maitland harrumphed, raised an eyebrow over one beady brown eye and folded her arms across her thin chest, but made no further comment. She did, however, nod to Laurel. Without a word, the woman slid a piece of paper across the table.
    Kathryne glanced at the document then picked it up for closer inspection. It was a list. A short, concise inventory of rules she must sign and—heaven forbid—obey, if the Ladies’ Society offered her the position of teacher.
    No drinking.
    No smoking.
    No late hours.
    No unseemly behavior.
    Proper dress, appearance and decorum at all times.
    And the last rule, written bolder and bigger than the rest: No keeping company with the opposite sex.
    She resisted the urge to giggle and wondered if she would be able to comply with these rules or if she would fail in this as she had at so many other things.
    “Can you live within the rules, Miss O’Rourke?” Mrs. Maitland asked, her mouth pursed as though her diet consisted of only lemons.
    “Of course,” Kathryne replied with a confidence she didn’t quite feel as she glanced at Emeline, who knew her so well. All her life, though she’d never sought bad luck, the dark cloud of trouble hovered over her.
    “Do you have any questions?” Mrs. Jessup asked as she popped another confection into her mouth. White powder sprinkled onto the bodice of her dark blue gown and stuck to a drop of cream filling already there. The woman attempted to wipe off the mess but only succeeded in making it worse—her massive bosom jiggling as much as her three chins as she moved the napkin over the spot, smearing the stain more.
    Kathryne licked her dry lips. “How many children attend school?”
    “Nineteen,” Laurel replied. “Some of the children work their families’ farms before and after school. My son, Walter, helps me in the post office. Mrs. Graham’s daughter helps in the general store.”
    Kathryne absorbed the information and wondered if she was up to the challenge of teaching nineteen children. After all, she’d never had a classroom of her own, had only observed other teachers as part of her training. “What are their ages?”
    “The youngest is Laurel’s son, Walter. He’s six,” Mrs. Cabot replied. “The oldest, Joe Rawlins, is sixteen, almost seventeen.”
    “Are there supplies or does the teacher provide her own?” Kathryne tried not to squirm in the hard, uncomfortable chair beneath her, tried to remain calm, but the sudden feeling she’d failed this interview rammed into her. The lump in her throat grew in proportion and she swallowed, but it stayed lodged. Tears threatened and she blinked behind the lenses of her glasses, hoping to avoid the telltale shine.
    “The Ladies’ Society has set up a fund of sorts,” Mrs. Cabot continued. “Each of the businesses in town donates something. Paper. Pencils. Chalk boards and chalk. And of course, the salary. It isn’t much, but the teacherage comes with the position and the Wagon Wheel has generously given a coupon for dinner a few nights a week.”
    “Well, then, Miss O’Rourke, if you have no more questions,” Mrs. Maitland narrowed her eyes as she spoke, “We’ll give you our answer within a week.”
    Kathryne knew the tone—she’d heard it often enough. She had been dismissed. With as much dignity as she could muster, she rose, bid good day to the women who held her future in her hands, and left Mrs. Maitland’s home.
    ****
    “I thought we agreed to get rid of him.” Cassandra Kinsbrough pushed the sheriff off her and rose from the