Banking on Temperance Read Online Free PDF Page B

the entire family was all right. After all, the road from Joseph’s ranch was long and lonely — no place for a woman to be traversing by herself, but then, there was no other way.
    After a quick review of what Basil wanted cleaned, he showed Temperance where the cleaning supplies were kept. Then Basil turned to her. “My quarters are on the second floor. There’s a flight of stairs by the back door leading up to them. If you’ll let me know when you are finished, I’ll let you out and lock up after you. Try not to be too long, since it’s not a smart idea to be on the road after dark. Especially since you’re new in town and don’t yet know the way.”
    “Yes, Mr. Fitzpatrick. I’ll do a good job for you.”
    “Just don’t be running off with the next man who comes to town looking for a wife, all right?” Basil gave her a wink and a grin before he left her on her own and headed upstairs.
    The business suits he was forced to wear while at the bank were Basil’s least favorite part of his job, and he couldn’t wait to shed them and put on his comfortable deerskin leggings and simple white shirt. He breathed a sigh of relief and decided to pad around his quarters barefooted, rather than force his aching feet into shoes or boots again. After all, it was mid-summer and, when he was younger, he used to run barefoot all season, much to the chagrin of his mother, who despaired of him ever becoming civilized. There was no sweet-smelling grass in town for him to run his feet through, but he preferred going barefoot regardless.
    With his mother on his mind, he settled in behind his desk in the small open room of the flat and began to pen a letter to her. He decided the news about his sister’s pregnancy should come from Ginger, but he had so much other news to impart, his fountain pen flew across the page. The silence was marred only by the scratch of pen against paper. He was on his fifth page when a soft knock came at the door. Basil had been so immersed in his writing, he’d almost forgotten about the tiny woman downstairs. He rose from the desk and grabbed a handkerchief to wipe the ink from his fingers as he walked to the door.
    Temperance took a step back from the door when he opened it. The involuntary motion on her part put her in a precarious position, as she teetered on the top step. Basil reached out and grasped her arms to pull her safely back to the landing. When he caught the blush creep into her cheeks at the familiarity of his actions, he dropped his hands.
    “Thank you, Mr. Fitzpatrick. I’m not usually so clumsy.”
    “Quite all right. Let me just put some shoes on and I’ll head downstairs with you to inspect your work and let you out.”
    She glanced from his face to his feet and smiled. “Noble hates to wear shoes, too, but then, he’s only four years old.”
    “Old habits die hard, I’m afraid. I never cared much for wearing shoes when I was his age, either.”
    Basil quickly pulled on his soft boots and tucked his shirt into his leggings. As he turned back to the landing where Temperance was standing, he witnessed her color deepening even further and she took a long, slow breath. Had she never been alone with a man before? He shook his head. Of course not. She was a good, respectable girl — not his usual choice for companionship. She was Temperance, personified.
    He decided not to prolong her discomfort, and they headed downstairs. Basil was impressed with how clean she had made the bank in such a short time.
    “Very nicely done. Would you also consider cleaning my quarters on a regular basis? My mother will be the first to admit, I’m no good at picking up after myself.”
    Temperance’s blush bloomed again. “Of course, sir. I’d be happy to. From the little I could see of your place, you certainly could use my cleaning services. But you’d have to be somewhere else while I’m working up there.”
    He smiled at her. “I understand. You do have a reputation to maintain, and