Passions in the North Country (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free PDF

town. No one seems to care. Mr. North has invested a lot of money.” She looked meaningfully at her. “All of his money.”
    “Oh?”
    Miriam looked sheepish. “During this transitional period I agreed to work for free. If you climb on board, Ms. Lamb, you won’t be paid either, I’m afraid. Not right away, that is.” She raised her eyebrows in a hopeful gesture. “But if we can turn things around, this could be an excellent job.”
    “All right,” Jenny agreed, “I accept your terms.”
    Miriam was flabbergasted. “You do?”
    Jenny was running for her life. She had some money, but what she needed was a cheap place to stay and, more importantly, a secure place to hide. And a small-town hotel in southern Nova Scotia perfectly fit the bill. In her position, she would not even need to meet the guests. She could be the brains behind the empire, directing the show from the wings. Maybe she could even make a small office right in her room, or, better still, in the Captain’s House, in the room where she had seen the apparition.
    “I just left a job in a big city and I’m tired of the rat race,” Jenny said. “I want something smaller and more intimate. I’ve saved enough to last me a few months, so this job is perfect. I’ll treat it like a new company, with me as a stockholder. That’s sort of what we’d be, Miriam. If the company succeeds, we succeed.”
    “I love your attitude!” the elderly woman complimented. She held out her old, withered hand. “Welcome aboard.” She thought for a moment. “What shall we call you? How about public relations manager?”
    “I like to think of it as a coordinator,” Jenny said, not relishing the idea of being public in any way. “I have some ideas.”
    “Great!” said Miriam with enthusiasm. She gazed at Jenny as if the young woman possessed special powers, powers that would be required in resurrecting the Riverview Hotel. “So, tell me, where did you come from?”
    Jenny’s heart leapt into her throat. “Out west,” Jenny said evasively. She raised her hands. “But I don’t want to bore you with the details. I’m excited about my new life.” She sat up straight and said comically, “You can now address me as the coordinator of the Riverview Hotel. That’s my formal title.”
    Miriam laughed at her. “You have a sweet personality, dear.”
    “Thank you,” Jenny said, genuinely touched. “You’re a very nice person, Miriam.”
    Miriam stood up and put their teacups on the counter. “So, tell me, was it hard to change your tire in the rain?”
    “Luckily a man came along and helped me.”
    “You are lucky,” Miriam agreed, then, as is often the case with people who’ve met for the first time, a moment of awkward silence descended where neither person knew what to say.
    Jenny looked about the room and saw potential where another may have found fault.
    “Do you have a boyfriend?” Miriam asked suddenly.
    “No,” Jenny responded quickly, recoiling. “But enough of me. Tell me more about the hotel. It seems like a place with great character.”
    “It used to be the jewel of Newbridge,” Miriam noted, struck by Jenny’s evasiveness. “A few months ago the town considered turning it into low rent apartments, but then Devon found out it was for sale and started making inquiries.”
    “There’s fantastic potential,” Jenny said, looking around. “It’s a gem.”
    Miriam looked thoughtful. “For years owners came and went. Some of them tried, but they gave up too easily. Others didn’t try. Our last owner only kept the restaurant open at the end. I can’t tell you how glad I was when he sold to Devon.” She lightly ran her fingers over the back of an antique chair. “I’ve worked here for almost forty years. My husband died young, so all I could count on was my son and this hotel. Now Terry has his own family and he’s usually busy, but the hotel is here for me every day. I don’t know what I’d do if they ever shut it