The Outlaw's Kiss (an Old West Romance) (Wild West Brides) Read Online Free PDF

to avoid
it.”
    “Oh, thank you,” I muttered as I stepped around
the foul looking liquid she mentioned and hiked my dress up high enough to step
over anything particularly horrifying. Miss Gretchen took a sip from a short
glass of what I assumed was some kind of whiskey, pursed her lips and nodded.
    From upstairs, a great crashing sound erupted, and
then a rattling. Finally Mr. Swearengen emerged, pulling the straps on his
suspenders into place and donning a remarkably urbane overcoat.
    “Now, I wasn’t paying attention when Eli
introduced you two earlier. What might I call you?” He had an accent that was
difficult to place. It certainly wasn’t anything like Eli’s, but the refinement
in his voice carried a dishonest note, as though he had practiced a great deal
to have such a sound. “Oh, how rude. Yes, yes, of course. I’m the owner of this
establishment, and long-time Deadwood resident. Or maybe I was the first one.
Hard to remember as the years trot past.” He walked his fingers over the bar
top, and pulled back his teeth in a silent laugh. “Any rate, I’m Elbert
Swearengen, but I can’t think of the last time anyone called me that. I go by
‘Al’. My family’s from Iowa, but I’ve moved around, hence the slightly curious
way of speaking.”
    “Elbert,” my father said, extending his hand,
“glad to meet you. My daughter and I – oh, right – I’m Jefferson and this is my
daughter Clara. I’m the part-owner of the James financial institution in New
York.”
    “Jefferson James.” Al leaned forward on top of his
bar. “I’ve heard the name. And I’ve heard you were coming. Are we needing a
place to lay our weary heads?”
    Something about his mannerism was strange, but he
didn’t seem menacing. At least until his gaze moved to me where it lingered for
a moment before Father cleared his throat and got the man’s attention once
again.
    “We were going to stay out of town at the gold
claim, but I –”
    “No,” Al said without a second’s hesitation. “The
Sioux will split you from stomach to throat in half a second. If you’re staying
in my territory, you’re staying in town. I don’t much care for our sheriff, but
he keeps things orderly. And more than that, there’s no raiding parties. You
two will be safe as long as you’re in town.”
    Father nodded. “Yes, but you see we haven’t made
any such plans. I had made arrangements to stay at the inn between town and the
hills until we had our supplies, at which point –”
    “No.” Mr. Swearengen waved his hand. “You can’t.
You’re not understanding. I’ll not allow it.”
    “You can’t control where I stay!” Father scoffed.
“Who do you think you are?”
    At the same time, both Eli and Mr. Swearengen
cocked their eyes. Eli pulled my father to the side. “Look, he might be brusque,
but he’s right. I can keep Itan and his group away, but there are thousands of
other bands out there waiting for someone to get too brash. There’s no reason
to risk yourself that way, nor to risk Clara.”
    “But...but this town is full of filth! This isn’t
a place fit for her!” Father gnawed heavily on his mustache.
    “Well, put it to you this way, friend. If you stay
out there for one night, and make it to breakfast, call yourself lucky,” Mr.
Swearengen’s voice was smooth, but insistent. “If you make it two, you might be
a man who should be playing poker instead of panning for gold. But, as luck
would have it, you don’t have to stay anywhere near the center of the camp.
Something just came open recently. Very nice place on the outskirts.”
    “I... a what?”
    “A house,” Al replied. “On the outskirts of town.
Built by a man for himself and his wife before he took a fall from somewhere
high, or so the story goes. I think his claim just failed and he pitched
himself from a mountain.” He shrugged with curious ease and took a sip of
coffee.
    “The wife’s gone off back to Connecticut I think
they were from. And