Love in the Balance Read Online Free PDF Page A

quacking.
    “. . . empty all the waste bins after hours—that means on your own time. And see that you aren’t tardy again.”
    “Yes, sir,” Molly repeated.
    As soon as the latch on his office door clicked into place, Carrie slid off her stool and rushed to Molly’s work station.
    “How was dinner? What did he do? Did he talk about Prue?”
    Molly unbuttoned four buttons on her right wrist and pushed back the cuff. If only her situation excited her as much as it did Carrie.

    “I survived. That’s all I’m going to say.” Molly touched her neckline and straightened her hair.
    Carrie’s sharp eyes searched her face. “What happened? You’re hiding something.”
    “It wasn’t as bad as I expected. That’s all.”
    “Do you think he’ll leave Prue? He didn’t make advances, did he?”
    “Don’t be absurd.” Molly shuddered at the thought. How high a price was she willing to pay to please her father?
    Turning her back to Carrie, she took the stack of letters delivered during the noon hour, opened the top envelope, and extracted the payment. The smell of ink and the newly bound ledger cleared her head. Numbers were faithful friends. They didn’t expect you to waste your youth waiting. They didn’t tempt you and then embarrass you publicly. They stayed on their paper until you had time for them, and they always followed the rules.
    “Mr. Saul Nimenko, sixteen dollars and twenty-two cents.” Molly dipped her quill in the inkpot and scratched the entry onto the page. Then she slid off the stool and followed Carrie to the wall of bookshelves. Land parcels in the northwest section of Prairie Lea—that was the volume she needed. Carrie took the heavy book for the south central region of Lockhart in both hands and stepped out of her way.
    “Northwest, northwest,” she whispered to herself. She’d never met Mr. Saul Nimenko, but if his property tax was a measly $16.22, she didn’t need to meet him. She’d do just as well with Bailey.
    The rat.
    The office door squeaked open, and a sturdy brunette peeked around the corner.
    Prue.
    Molly ducked her head as Carrie silently waved her friend over. Former friend. The lady would certainly never claim any association with her now.
    “Prue, what are you doing here?” Carrie set the heavy book on her table without a noise. “Is court out of session?”
    “The jury is in deliberations, so I slipped away.” She smoothed her dark skirt, and with another furtive glance toward Mr. Travis’s door, she leaned across the counter to whisper, “How are my friends in the land office doing?”
    Molly lowered her eyes. She felt bad enough already. She mumbled a greeting, trying not to recount Judge Rice’s words. Evidently Prue didn’t believe that any association between her and Fenton was merely endured. She sighed. It was strange that a man like Mr. Fenton had become besotted with the blacksmith’s daughter. Molly expected her to attract a nice humble boy—someone as good as gold and shabby as burlap—not a connoisseur like the banker.
    “Your friends are doing quite well, thank you,” Carrie said. “At least Molly is. She dined with Mr. Fenton today.”
    Molly groaned. Didn’t Carrie understand how hurtful her comments were? Did she enjoy the discomfort she was causing?
    Prue’s large brown eyes rested on Molly. She pressed her hand against her olive shirtwaist and swallowed slowly. “Did he have his roast beef?”
    Molly nodded.
    “Good. If he eats anything else for dinner he suffers from indigestion. He’d prefer to eat at home, but his kitchen is under construction, and there’s no one to cook for him.”
    “There will be soon, if Molly has her way,” Carrie said.
    “Carrie, stop,” Molly said.
    “Why? Prue’s being a sport. If Mr. Fenton prefers you, it’s best he realizes it before he finds himself bound in holy matrimony to the wrong person.”

    Prue’s face turned gray. “I should go. The jury may have reached a verdict.” She clasped