The Debutante's Gamble: Western Historical Romance (Debutante's of Durango Book 5) Read online

  "Did you get a spanking?"

  With a shake of her head, she smiled. "No, I'm too old for spankings. But my mother keeps threatening to send me to a convent."

  "What's a convent?" Todd asked, looking at his father.

  How did he explain this to a five-year-old? "A place where women live and worship God."

  The boy's forehead wrinkled. "Why can't they do that in church on Sunday?"

  "Yes, but there they worship him every day, all day long. Their focus is their life with the Lord."

  The little boy walked along between them. "Sounds boring. Can I have a drink?"

  Walter realized the blanket, the basket of food, everything, Fannie carried. She dug inside and found a cantina. "Here you go. Don't drink too much."

  The boy frowned and gazed at her. "Why?"

  "So the water doesn't make you sick. It's hot out here."

  A fly buzzed her dress and Walter reached over and took the blanket and the basket from her. "Let me carry those things."

  "I'm tired," Todd said. "My feet hurt, and I don't want to walk anymore."

  "Consequences," Fannie said. "When your brother took off in the wagon, he left us stranded. That wasn't nice, was it?"

  A sigh came from the child. "Nope. What is conse--"

  While Walter knew she was trying to teach his son, and he liked her simple explanation, but his stomach was tight with worry. Where was Timothy? The tracks indicated the wagon rolled on toward the ranch. By now he should be close to Fannie's family’s home.

  And he prayed they would stop the boy and this time Timothy would not escape punishment.

  "Come on, we still have a long way," Walter said, knowing the evening sun would be setting before they arrived.

  "Papa, is Timothy in trouble?"

  "What do you think?"

  He glanced down at his son, who sighed. "I think he's going to get a butt whipping."

  Shaking his head, he gazed at Todd. "The two of you probably scared Miss Fannie away. No doubt, she won't be doing a picnic with us again and as for becoming your mother, don't count on that happening."

  Todd squeezed his hand as he stared at him. "Is that what you wanted, Papa?"

  Knowing his son had placed him in a predicament, he glanced over to see Fannie grinning. "Yes, I think so. Fannie would make you boys an excellent mother."

  A stubborn expression came over Todd's face as he stared at Fannie. "If we were good, would you be our mother?"

  A laugh came from deep within her as she smiled down at the boy and gazed at Walter. "That depends on your father. In order to marry me, he will need to prove that he loves and wants to spend forever with me. That's how marriage works."

  While her response should have filled him with happiness, the sentiment only made him wary. Because Walter had no intention of falling in love with another woman and taking a chance on having more children. Love would not be a factor when he married again. No, this time it would be so his sons had the mother they needed.

  "Are we there yet?"

  An hour later, relief and anger rushed through him like a flood when they walked around the house and the horse and wagon were parked in front of Fannie's parents. As they hurried up the steps, her mother came running out. "Thank God, you're all right. This poor child was driving all alone and we didn't know what to think."

  At this moment, Walter didn't know how Fannie was feeling as she gazed at her mother. "That poor child is going to feel the switch on his backside for leaving us behind."

  Her mother's eyes widened, and she stared at Fannie and saw the food on her dress. "Looks like the picnic was interesting."

  Fannie shook her head. "Todd needs a glass of water, Mother."

  "Where's my son?" Walter asked.

  "In the house, eating cookies," she said.

  "Not any longer, he's not," Walter said, marching inside.

  Anger drove him to all but run through the house, wondering why was he a parent? Why hadn't his wife lived to help raise these boys? Now Fannie had seen them at their absolute worst, would she even consider seeing him again? Very slim chance.

  When he saw his son, he wanted to hug him, hold him and tell him don't ever scare him again, but now was not the time.

  He grabbed Timothy by the arm and pulled him out of the kitchen and through the house. Still holding his arm, he walked the boy out the door. "Get in the wagon. We're going home."

  In disbelief, he watched Todd double up his fist and punched Timothy. "Thanks to you, we had to walk for miles and miles."

  "Ow," Timothy said. "Papa, he hit me."

  The look Walter gave him shut the kid up. "Unless you want two spankings, you better be in that wagon."

  Walking beside Fannie, he gazed at her. "I'm sorry this didn't go as planned."

  A grin spread across her face. "Your boys are challenging."

  There were so many other words she could use to describe his sons. "After today, I'm sure you're not going to want me to call again and I understand."

  "How about on Friday," she said with a mischievous smile. "Without the children."

  Stunned, he stared at her in shock and would have kissed her right there in front of the children, if not for her mother standing back watching their every move.

  "Friday. We'll go to dinner, just the two of us," he said.

  "See you then," she said, giving him a wink, which caused his heart to stutter. "You better go, they're fighting."

  With a sigh, he turned in time to see Timothy give Todd a punch.

  "Bye, boys," Fannie called. "Enjoy your spankings."

  They stopped and glanced at her as Walter marched toward his wayward sons. What could he say? She was right, they needed discipline.

  Chapter Twelve

  Fannie stood in her bedroom, letting her mother comb her hair. "Leave my hair alone."

  "No, I'm going to use the curling rod on it, now hold still," Nellie said as she ran the hot iron through her hair.

  "Mother, you're going to burn my hair and then I'm going to be mad. Stop and leave it alone," Fannie said. A part of her was excited and yet nervous.

  "Are you certain you should date this man?"

  The comment went over Fannie like a firestorm in winter.

  Jerking around, she stared at her mother, standing there with the curling iron in her hand. "After you invited him to dinner and introduced us, you're questioning your own decision?"

  "His children are hellions. My wish is for all my girls to be happy. I just want to make certain you're well taken care of. What I'm trying to say is I'm not convinced Walter is right for you."

  Whirling back around, she faced the mirror. The kids did give her reason to doubt seeing Walter, but the man would let her continue going to the gambling hall. How many husbands would allow their wives to step into such a place?

  "I don't know either, Mother. He's handsome, I like him, he's charming to be around. But I'm in no hurry. I'm not an old maid. Why does a woman need to marry?"

  A gasp escaped her mother. "That comment is all I needed to hear. If a woman doesn't have a man looking out for her...well, the very worst things could happen."

  She stared at her mother in the mirror and frowned. "Like what? Tell me what are the worst things that happen to women? Help me understand why you think marriage is so important?”

  With a sigh, her mother leaned down close to her ear. "Do not say anything to your younger sister about this. Someday we will not be here to take care of you girls and if there is no money, you would be enslaved into..."

  Her mother's voice grew lower. "Prostitution -- a whore. All women need a man like a father or husband to protect them, or they could be forced into sex with a stranger."

  With a sigh, she listened to the newest worries from her mother. While she may be a wild woman, she would never become a whore.

  "Is sex fun? Some girls say it is."

  "Fannie," her mother said loudly. "That is between you and your husband. I'm not going to answer that question. You'll fi
nd out when you marry."

  Why did an invisible wall surround the subject when it came to sex and marriage and the only way you learned about the secret was to say I do. What did you do if you weren't compatible?

  "Well, was it good between you and Papa?"

  "That, young lady, is none of your business."

  With a sigh, Fannie shrugged and noticed the color on her mother's cheeks. Clearly, she'd embarrassed her and that never happened. "Sometimes there are noises coming from your room, and from the sounds, you and Papa are having a lot of fun. You even giggle occasionally."

  "Fannie Trippe, you will stop talking. I'm not going to discuss this with you."

  The urge to laugh out loud overwhelmed her, but she restrained herself to a smile and enjoyed seeing her mother so agitated.

  "Well, I'm just wondering if I'm missing out on something fun."

  "When you are a married woman, you'll find out. Until then, you will not speak of sexual relations again, do you understand me?"

  Unable to contain her grin, she glanced at her mother. While she knew better than to push this any further, seeing her mother become all flustered talking about sex was entertaining at least.

  Daisy opened her bedroom door. "Your feller is downstairs waiting on you."

  "I'll go down first, and in a moment, you follow me," her mother said. "Our conversation tonight is at an end."

  It was hard to contain the giggle she so wanted to express, but that would only get her into even more trouble. "Yes, ma'am," she said dutifully.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Later, they walked out of the house and down the stairs. She gazed at Walter, his emerald eyes warmed at the sight of her. Could she marry this man? Did she want to? At this moment, she still had doubts. All she knew was they were being thrown together.

  "We're going into town to dine at the hotel," he told her father. "We'll return no later than eight o'clock."

  "Dining room only," her mother said. "Don't forget, my spies are watching."

  Of course, her mother had spies observing her every move. Had they seen her go into the gambling hall? Not possible, or she would have awoken this morning in the convent.

  "We'll be waiting up when you return," her father said. "Be careful."

  Taking her by the elbow, Walter escorted her to the wagon. "Your father told me you were a precocious child and my boys reminded him of how much he chased you as a small girl."

  It was true, and she still remembered getting more spankings than either of her sisters.

  Lifting her into the wagon, he climbed in beside her, and she smiled at him. "But I never drove off and left my family stranded somewhere."

  "Yes, well, I don't think Timothy will do that again. At least, I hope he learned his lesson."

  "How is Todd," she asked.

  "He's been a little more subdued this week. Kind of shocking, but he's doing all right."

  The sun was just beginning its descent into the western sky, orange rays shooting out from the horizon. "We could skip the restaurant and just sit out here and watch the setting sun, the stars, and kiss a little."

  His head jerked around, and his brows drew together. "And let the witnesses get back to your mother that you never arrived. Not a good idea."

  "Oh, I don't believe she has spies at the hotel."

  If she had spies, Fannie would be staring out the window of an abbey at this moment.

  "Or we could go to the gambling hall and play for a couple hours. Playing would give me a chance to take more of your money," she said, knowing this was what she would really like to do, but certain he wouldn't dare go there. At least not tonight.

  They rode along in silence for a few minutes. "Are you just wanting to find trouble?"

  "Yes, I feel restless. I feel the need to do something totally out of line for a woman. Before I marry any man, I have a list of things I intend to experience."

  The sun sank lower as he pulled the wagon in front of the hotel. For some reason after talking to her mother, all the uncertainty about her life piled up, and she didn't know what she wanted. Dining in the restaurant seemed boring and dull. Right now, she needed exciting.

  "Tell me some things on your list that you want to try."

  "Well, I want to shoot a pistol, smoke a cigar, drink some whiskey, dance in a dance hall and kiss a man," she said. "And not that peck on the lips kind of kiss, I want a real honest to goodness melt-my-shoes experience.”

  A grin spread across his face. "Have dinner with me, then I'll take you into the bar, and we'll get a sip of whiskey."

  At least he considered her wishes and didn't act like she was crazy. Why didn't other women struggle with these feelings or did they and no one spoke of such desires?

  "What about smoking?"

  "Can we save that for another night? Sometimes smoking can make you ill. Tonight, I'm not ready to deal with a sick woman."

  A smile crossed her face. "Let's go to the bar first, before we eat. Then if the whiskey affects me, the food will hopefully absorb the alcohol."

  After he jumped down from the wagon, his hands gripped her waist as he set her on the ground. They were face to face, standing in front of the hotel, his bright green eyes filling her with warmth. His hands left her tingling. "Would our marriage be like this? Would you give me new experiences that satisfy the curiosity in me?"

  An odd gaze came into his eyes as he pulled away from her. "I'll do my best."

  Something about the way he said it made her doubt him. Some moments, he was so warm, and she could tell he was attracted to her, and then suddenly a coldness seemed to overcome him and that scared her. Not because she believed he would harm her, but rather it felt like a wall existed between them.

  Walking into the hotel, he placed her hand in the crook of his arm and headed straight to the bar. "For goodness sake, I hope your mother never learns I brought you here, or she would be furious."

  "Yes, she would," she said. "But I always like to infuriate Mother."

  Shaking his head, he laughed. "Maybe there's a reason you get along with my boys so well. You relate to them by irritating your parents."

  "Maybe," she said. "In them I see the same kindred spirit who is inquisitive and wants to learn more about life but feels like they're being held back."

  A gilded cage whereas long as she behaved like the perfect Victorian woman, she was given moments of freedom.

  "Oh, so tying up their nanny and threatening to burn her, that's being inquisitive?"

  "No, that shows they have vivid imaginations."

  As they walked into the bar area of the hotel, the place looked almost identical to the gambling hall with the ornate mirror hanging behind the counter. Men sat on stools sipping their drink of choice as they watched people enter the room in the reflection of the mirror.

  At a small table, Walter pulled out a chair for her and took the seat across from her. Glancing around, only one other woman was in the bar. Dressed in a low-cut bodice that exposed more flesh than even Fannie considered proper.

  "Look at that woman," she said, whispering.

  Turning, Walter glanced over. "We should go."

  "Why? No, you promised me a drink tonight and I'm not leaving until I have one."

  A groan escaped his lips.

  "She's headed this way," she said.

  "Walter," the woman drawled. "Where have you been? It's been weeks."

  "Savanah, so good to see you," he said. "Do you know Fannie Trippe?"

  The woman stared at her and from her cold expression, Fannie thought the woman didn't like her.

  "Of course not," the woman said. "Good to meet you. Your usual time on Tuesday?"

  Walter's face blushed, and he licked his lips nervously.

  "Not this week. I'll let you know," he said, shaking his head.

  What were they talking about? Somehow Fannie had the oddest suspicion Walter knew this woman. Like they had an appointment.

  "Nice to see you," she said and walked out the door.

/>   "Who was that?" Fannie asked. An air of refined beauty and something else made the woman different.

  He motioned for the bartender and ordered their drinks. "Someone I use to have dinner with once a week."

  "Oh," she said. "What a beautiful, but daring, gown."

  Could the woman be a...no, Walter would never sleep with a woman who...would he?

  When the barkeep set their drinks down, she glanced at the liquor. Lifting the glass to her nose, she sniffed the strong smell.

  Walter gazed at her, his eyes warm as he lifted his glass to hers and the two of them clanked them together. "To a happy future with the most beautiful woman in Durango.”

  He tossed back the whiskey and she did the same. Her eyes widened, and she coughed as the alcohol burned down her throat. Gasping, she slapped her chest.

  What did men like about this nasty drink? Now she could say she tried the vile stuff and definitely didn't want anymore. One more item crossed off her list.

  "Why didn't you warn me?" she asked, tears in her eyes.

  A smile spread over his face. "Because you wanted to experience something new tonight. Sometimes it's better if you don't realize what's coming."

  After a few minutes, warmth began to spread through her, and she leaned across the table and smiled. Now she understood why men enjoyed drinking whiskey. Not for the taste, but the effects. "That warm sensation is really pleasant and if I wasn't certain the drink would make me drunk, I'd order another."

  "And that is why you don't need another. Let's find you something to eat before your mother has her spies attack me."

  A giggle escaped her as she took his hand when he helped her from the chair. Together they walked into the hallway. "My legs are a little rubbery. Don't let me fall."

  "No," he said laughing. "Now, aren't you glad you didn't have a second one?"

  Oh, yes, she realized he was right. Only one drink affected her limbs this much, two would cause him to carry her out of here.

  "No, but it's probably for the best."

  She turned to him, her heart fluttering. "Kiss me."

  Tonight she felt reckless, and she wanted to experience a kiss that would confirm if Walter and her were even possible. If he couldn't give her a melt-her-shoes kind of kiss, then they were done. Never had she experienced a kiss, but before she married, she was determined to learn if passion existed between them.