With Autumn's Return (Westward Winds Book #3): A Novel Read Online Free PDF

dress shop was modestly sized, but it boasted two bedrooms as well as a central space that served as kitchen, dining room, and parlor. Gwen and her daughter shared the bedroom overlooking Ferguson Street, while Elizabeth’s room offered a view of the small backyard, a view that was blessedly free of Mr. Arrogant Nordling. For the first time, she admitted that Charlotte might have been right when she claimed it was better not to live over her office. At least here there were no reminders of her unpleasant neighbor.
    “The man was insufferably rude,” Elizabeth continued. “As bad as the men in my classes.” Though her hands were still shaking with anger, she forced herself to take care as she removed her gloves. They had been a Christmas gift from Charlotte, and Elizabeth didn’t want to damage them. “I could almost understand my classmates,” she admitted. “They were angry that I’d taken a place that could have gone to one of their friends. But there was no reason for Mr. Nordling to behave the way he did.” She’d obviously been mistaken in believing that what she had seen in his eyes was pain. The man was simply ornery, obstinate, and unable to admit that women were capable of far more than his narrow-minded prejudice allowed.
    When Elizabeth finished recounting the litany of JasonNordling’s rudeness, Gwen’s lips tightened, giving Elizabeth the impression that she was trying to bite back her words. Finally, she said, “At least he showed you his true colors at the beginning. Not all men do.”
    The words echoed through Elizabeth’s brain like a clanging bell. Once again she’d spoken without considering the consequences. She should have remembered the story Charlotte had told of how Gwen had believed she’d found true love, only to discover that the man she thought loved her and Rose hid a dark side.
    Knowing that Gwen preferred no mention of her past, Elizabeth fixed an ironic smile on her face and attempted to lighten the discussion. “How sad that that’s the only good thing we can say about Mr. Nordling.” As she’d hoped, Gwen smiled. The moment had passed.
    When they returned to the kitchen for Gwen to put the final touches on dinner, the heavyset woman’s face lit with another smile. No one would call Gwen beautiful, but when she smiled, her light blue eyes sparkled and her cheeks grew rosy, giving her face much-needed color. For a moment, she looked almost pretty, despite her ordinary features and the extra pounds that even Charlotte’s expert tailoring could not completely hide.
    “I have good news,” Gwen said, holding out a creamy envelope. “Miriam and Richard are planning a party in your honor next week.” Her smile turned into a grin as she lifted the lid from a pot and tasted the simmering stew. “I already opened my invitation. That’s how I know.”
    There hadn’t been many parties in Elizabeth’s life. Her father had put them and dancing in the same category, calling them frivolous wastes of time. As a result, neither Elizabethnor her older sisters had learned to dance until after Papa’s death. Both Charlotte and Abigail’s letters had mentioned attending several parties, but Elizabeth had been too busy studying to think about social gatherings. The truth was, she was more comfortable dealing with sick and injured people than with men and women whose conversation revolved around more mundane subjects. Look at how poorly her time with Jason Nordling had turned out.
    “I didn’t come to Cheyenne to spend my time at parties,” she told Gwen. “I ought to be treating patients.” To Elizabeth’s chagrin, her voice sounded as firm as Papa’s had when he’d announced that his daughters should concentrate on more serious things than which ribbons matched their gowns. Though she’d loved her father, there had been times when she had wished he’d been a bit more flexible. Now it seemed she was becoming just as rigid. She couldn’t let that happen, for if she did, she