Marrying the Preacher's Daughter. Cheryl St.John
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Название: Marrying the Preacher's Daughter
Автор: Cheryl St.John
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Исторические любовные романы
Серия: Mills & Boon Love Inspired
isbn: 9781472023148
isbn:
He thought a second. “Must be she’s nineteen now.”
The news that Gabe Taggart had a sister shouldn’t have surprised Elisabeth, but it did. People weren’t born in a vacuum, but if she’d been going to imagine his family, she’d have thought up scruffy-bearded brothers, not a sister at a boarding school.
“I own land nearby,” he said, as though offering an explanation to the others. “I’d planned to have looked it over by now and started building a house, so I’m behind.”
Rhys focused his attention on the other man. “Where is this land of yours?”
“From what I can tell, the piece is northwest of here,” Gabe replied, then shrugged. “Doc won’t let me ride, so I haven’t seen it.”
“Do you think you could tolerate a buggy ride?” Sam asked. “We could go look at it tomorrow.”
Gabe smiled, his teeth white. “I’d be obliged, Reverend.”
“Your sister is welcome to stay here with us,” Josie offered.
Elisabeth couldn’t quite pinpoint the look that crossed his features. He studied Josie for a moment before speaking. “That’s generous of you, ma’am, but I’ve got a place for us to stay until I build a house.”
“Oh, really?” Beatrice entered the conversation for the first time. “And where will that be?”
“Seems it’s nearby from what Elisabeth tells me.” He tore his gaze from Josie to glance at the older woman.
“The parsonage,” Elisabeth explained. “Mr. Taggart has rented it.”
“Well, that is close by,” Josie said. “You’ll be able to join us for dinner at least once a week, and I won’t hear any different.”
“I can’t argue with an invitation like that.” The smile he gave Elisabeth’s stepmother softened his features. His green eyes actually sparkled with appreciation. Elisabeth experienced an odd feeling, like the falling sensation in a dream, and placed both hands on the tabletop to steady herself.
“This is the best meal I’ve eaten in months,” Gabe said. “The Hart females sure know their way around a kitchen.”
“I made rice pudding,” Abigail added, quickly vying for his attention.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise and appreciation.
“It’s still warm.” Abigail glanced at her stepmother. “May I serve it now?”
“Just as soon as we clear away a few dishes,” Josie replied.
Elisabeth slid out her chair with the backs of her knees and stood. “Abigail and I will clear the dishes. You stay seated.”
Kalli got up. “I’ll help.”
In the kitchen, Abigail said to Kalli, “Mr. Taggart is handsome, don’t you think?”
Kalli blushed. “Indeed,” she agreed. “It’s not fair that a man has eyelashes like that.”
Elisabeth scraped plates and rinsed them in the pail in the sink before stacking them. Handsome? She supposed if he’d ever done anything but scowl at her, she’d have a different opinion of the man, but he hadn’t smiled at her like he’d smiled at the others this evening. Not that she’d wanted him to. She’d never have imagined her stepmother and siblings to be so easily fooled.
On her next trip for more dishes, she deliberately looked at his eyelashes. He caught her stare, and she turned away in discomfit.
Abigail carried her bowl of steaming cinnamon-scented rice pudding to the table and Elisabeth placed a stack of painted china jelly dishes beside it. Abigail sat, so Elisabeth spooned pudding and carried the bowls around the table, placing them in front of the diners. When she reached Gabe, she stood as far away as possible and leaned in to set the dish before him.
He turned a curious glance upward. “Thank you.”
“We don’t need any bridges.”
Elisabeth glanced up to discover Rhys speaking to Gabe.
“And there are no salt mines nearby. Will you be making shingles in Jackson Springs?”
She sensed a mocking edge, as though Rhys was belittling the other man’s skills or perhaps even questioning his intent.
“Actually, I’m planning to invest,” Gabe replied.
Rhys lifted his eyebrows. “As in stocks?”
“Perhaps. But I’m more interested in finding someone who needs capital to get a business started. I don’t want to work the business, so as long as it’s a sound principle. I’d be a silent partner. Meanwhile I’ll buy a few horses and try my hand at ranching.”
Gabe had Rhys’s attention now. The man sat forward, ignoring the dessert placed before him to focus on Gabe. “And you have the capital to fund a venture such as that?”
It was a rude question, akin to asking the man how much money he had, but Rhys was a banker, and she supposed it was his nature to question.
“That I do, Mr. Jackson.”
“Rhys. Call me Rhys.”
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