Page 73 of The Saloon Girl's Only Shot

“Exactly. The report would also have your company name front and center, mentioning the steady employment you offer.”

“Hmm.” He finished his coffee, mouth pushed to the side. “All right. Show me what you have so far.”

He set aside his mug with a clunk.

“Really?” She abandoned her gloves and hurried to fetch her book.

Chapter 20

“What do you mean he resumed the debt?” Owen asked Madame Beauville, trying to keep his temper from spiking.

“He paid me ten dollars to put it back in his name. Then he gave me twenty-five dollars against it.”

“Do whatever you want with his twenty-five dollars. I’m paying it out right now.” Owen showed her the carefully measured one-ounce packets of gold-dust that Virgil had brought from camp. He topped it up with a handful of gold coins.

Madame Beauville took a moment to add it all up, then said, “Plus ten dollars for transferring the debt.”

Owen clenched his teeth and dropped a pair of liberty heads onto the pile.

She wrote out a receipt, and he stomped straight back to the saloon.

Virgil was at one of the tables in the parlor. He had helped himself to a drink and was making notes in a book.

“Where’s Temperance?” Owen wanted to reassure her it was done. He knew she’d been worrying about whether he could look after her and he could.

“She went to visit Jane.”

“Read this for me.” Owen stuck the receipt under Virgil’s nose.

He read aloud every word including, “Your debt incurred by special arrangement with Elmer Greenly has been discharged in full.”

“Good. I’ll put it in the strongbox downstairs. That son of a bitch was trying to buy back my debt, so he could take hold of this place.”

“Is that why you didn’t deal with him through the land registration office?”

“Hmm? Oh.” Owen finished pulling back the trapdoor into the cellar. “No, that’s a long story involving Elmer’s prick being where it shouldn’t.”

“Enough said.”

Owen took a bottle with him into the cellar and topped it up while he was down there.

“Are you still looking at my books?” he asked Virgil when he came back up. “I thought you said Temperance is doing everything right.” Actually, what Virgil had said was, She’s liable to have a marriage proposal from Ira once he sees how pretty her handwriting is.

Which was why Owen was thinking Ira could keep his bespectacled ass in camp.

“She is, but I’m even more impressed by her ability to get things done with minimal outlay on her part. This book is hers,” Virgil said with a tap of his pencil against the page. “I told her I’d pay her for a report, and she immediately set me to work writing it.”

“Really?” Owen couldn’t help smirking, proud of her for getting the better of someone as savvy as Virgil.

“Mmm. I’m listing mining companies and camps in the area. What’s that outfit north of us? Pinewood? Pine Valley. That’s it.” He scribbled in the book.

“You’re really going to pay her?” Owen was pleased for her, but a sensation of threat arose in him too. He understood she missed her family, but surely she would settle in here once she knew the saloon was paid for free and clear.”

“We came to an agreement whereby I pay for her ledger book,” Virgil nodded at it, “and provide a postage allowance so she can write away for reference information. I’ll come back in a month or so. If her work is satisfactory, I’ll pay to print the booklet and finance her passage to Chicago. She gets one hundred copies to take with her to sell once she’s there. She’s smart. I’m no longer worried about her robbing you and more worried she’ll leave you in the lurch when she goes back to Chicago.”

“She’s not going back to Chicago.” Owen spoke reflexively, as if he had any say in the matter. It was wrong, he knew it was, but he wasn’t in the habit of being anything but truthful to Virgil.

“I’m sensing this is a no-win situation.” Virgil set down his pencil. “If I hadn’t hired her, you would have been insulted on her behalf?”

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