Page 131 of Conveniently Wed
She couldn’t have said how long she stood there, but finally awareness sank back in. People surged around her, and she made her way toward the edge of the sidewalk to get her bearings.
She scanned the swarm of dock workers and passengers. What now? She was on the verge of asking someone—anyone—how she could find a decent hotel, when she spotted a row of wagons with uniformed drivers along the street. Most of themhad hand-painted signs that read, “FOR HIRE.” She approached the nearest.
“Sir, might I hire you to transport me and my trunks to the closest reputable hotel?”
He took a long drag on his cigar, his eyes roaming up and down her person. Not in an indecent manner, but calculating. They surely took in her sooty face and hands, gray homespun dress with not a frill in sight, and wispy hair missing a few hairpins.
Finally, he removed the cigar and drawled, “I reckon The Southern is probably the closest, if’n they have any rooms left. How many trunks ya got?”
“Two.”
He nodded. “It’ll cost ya ten cents.”
Leah would have paid ten dollars at that moment if she could just get to the hotel. “Let’s go then.”
He held out a grubby hand. “Ya need to pay in advance.”
She tried not to let her annoyance show, but it took every bit of her training to hold her poise and not throw the dime in his face.
Oh, Leah, what’s wrong with you? Show him grace.The prick of her conscience made her feel more ashamed than her pauper’s clothing.
Gideon Bryant trudged toward Fourth Street, exhaustion weighing his bones like chains. He’d purchased a ticket on theFar Weststeamship that left at daylight the next day, so he only needed a place to lay his head. He’d have bedded down at the docks if there weren’t so many people swarming. His soul craved the quiet majesty of the Montana mountains.
But he was almost there. TheFar Westwas one of the fastest boats on the upper Missouri, so he’d be back home in less than two months.
It’d taken him two years after his wife’s death before he finally worked up the nerve to go East and resolve her final arrangements. But it was done now. And he was going home. Back to where his brother and sister were holding down their ranch.
Gideon crossed over the streetcar tracks at the corner of Fourth and Walnut streets, then stepped into the double doors of the Southern Hotel. As he took in the lush interior and people milling about the lobby, the staircase pulled his attention. Or rather the person climbing the staircase.
The woman from the ferry.
She mounted the steps like a queen, poised and elegant, with her strong chin jutting at just the right angle for him to see her profile. She was stunning. Even in her homespun gray dress, every eye couldn’t help but be drawn to her. A few rich brown tendrils escaped from under her hat, gracing her slender neck.
Gideon watched until she disappeared around the corner on the second floor, but he didn’t want to turn away quite yet. Was he hoping she would reappear? He was off his rocker. The last thing he needed was to get involved with another city woman.
He forced his attention back toward the clerk’s desk and strode that direction. But something had pulled in his chest when he saw this woman. Something that started a longing.
He should fight it, shouldn’t he?
4
It was amazing what a warm bath and a decent night’s sleep could do for a person. Leah added a few more pins to her coif and examined her reflection in the mirror. It was wonderful to be in her dark green brocade with the fitted jacket. In this attire, she felt like Leah Townsend again. Heiress, and lady of poise and breeding.
A rumble sounded from her mid-section. Time to attend to other matters of importance. Grabbing her reticule from the side chair, she swept through the door and down the stairwell toward the dining room.
The large dining hall was well appointed with gold drapes outlining the full-length windows around the perimeter of the room. Elegantly-clad ladies and gentlemen sat at round tables covered in white linens and scores of silverware.
Leah followed the host to a small table, mindful of her poise. It was improper and borderline scandalous for an elegant young lady to be traveling alone—without a chaperone or, at the very least, a servant. With her head held high, she did her best to present a confident appearance.
With a cup of coffee in hand and a copy of today’s St. Louis Republican, Leah scoured the paper for anything that may behelpful in her search for work. A position as companion would be ideal, or maybe a governess. She’d always done well in her studies with Emily and loved to read a good novel.
She still had much of the $500 from her savings, but that money wouldn’t cover living expenses forever. And it would be too risky to contact her father’s steward for money, too much chance word of her location might get back to Simon. Besides, it might be fun to see what life was like in the working classes—at the very least it would be an adventure. And quite honestly, she craved a life of purpose, more than just rising in society’s ranks.
Reading the paper took much longer than she’d expected. The Republican was an overwhelming piece, with eight large pages of very tiny type. It seemed they were almost through with construction on the Eads Bridge, the skeleton-like structure she barely remembered seeing in the distance the night before across the Mississippi River.
On page three, she finally found what she was looking for: Wanted…Situations…Females. There were not as many listings as in the Richmond paper, but she analyzed each advertisement, and came away rather disappointed. If she were a “first-class cook” or “experienced scullery maid” or “skilled dressmaker”, she would have been in luck. As it was, it seemed she was grossly inexperienced for any of these jobs.
Father, You’ve brought me this far. Please show me what You have for me next.
