A Touch of Charm by Karen Fox

Author:Karen Fox
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781941528051
Publisher: Parker Hayden Media

CHAPTER 10

Will stepped out of his buggy in front of his hotel and stretched. What an unproductive day. His attempt to campaign throughout the smaller towns in El Paso County had met with little enthusiasm. The moment he mentioned he was running as a Democratic candidate, he lost most of his audience.

Well, what had he expected? This had been a fool’s errand from the beginning. The only problem was that now he honestly wanted to win.

He’d barely started to unhitch his horse when he heard someone shout his name. Turning, he saw Mrs. Papadopoulos rushing toward him. Where did she come from? He could have sworn no one was in sight only a moment ago.

“Mr. Barclay, I must speak with you.”

The woman appeared more flustered than Will had ever seen her. She stopped beside him and clutched his arm, her breathing uneven.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“I’m fine, but Charisma’s not. You must save her.”

“Charisma? What’s she done now?” No doubt she’d spoken bluntly once again and ostracized herself. Will doubted she would ever learn to hold her tongue. Her question at their last meeting confirmed that. Surely she should have known better than to put him on the spot like that.

He was better off without her company.

But, damn, he missed her.

“Charisma can take care of herself,” he added.

“I’m afraid this time she is in far over her head.” The concern on Mrs. Papadopoulos’s face alarmed him.

“What is it?” Will tried to imagine what trouble the young woman could be in now. Too many things came to mind.

“She’s been going to a house of ill repute in Colorado City in an attempt to reform the young women there. She—”

“She what ?” Will’s alarm gave way to a blast of hot anger. Charisma couldn’t be that foolish, could she? Did she want to completely destroy her reputation? “Who’s with her?”

“No one, I’m afraid.” Mrs. Papadopoulos hesitated and wrung her hands. “I just found out myself. She went out there today to the Blue House and hasn’t returned. I’m so afraid for her. Can you—?”

Will didn’t let her finish. Glad he hadn’t yet unhitched his horse, he jumped into his buggy. As he snapped the reins, he called back to Mrs. Papadopoulos, “I’ll find her.”

Mrs. Papadopoulos’s sense of urgency had transmitted itself to him. No matter how hard he pushed his already-worn horse, he wasn’t going fast enough. Night had fallen—the most treacherous time for a young woman in Colorado City, especially without a chaperone.

Leave it to Charisma to jump in without thinking. What was she trying to do? Surely she realized these women chose their lifestyle, no doubt enjoyed their intimate relationships with a multitude of men. They didn’t want to be rehabilitated.

Of course, his knowledge of such women and their places of work was limited. His brother had taken him to a brothel at the tender age of twelve and paid to have him become a man. The experience had been unpleasant at best, with Will losing control the moment he entered the sour-smelling, middle-aged woman.

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