Charity House Courtship by Renee Ryan

Author:Renee Ryan
Language: eng
Format: mobi, pdf
Tags: Romance, Historical, Fiction
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

c

Several hours after leaving Mattie’s brothel, Laney stood

outside the Hotel Dupree, shifting from foot to foot. The

wind tugged bits of her hair free from its knot, while pure

dread sliced through her.

How could she face Marc after this afternoon? How could

she not? She had to explain herself, had to make him under-

stand that her presence in Mattie’s brothel wasn’t as scan-

dalous he thought.

Would he be willing to listen?

As if to mock her agitated mood, day inched slowly into

night, dragging a ribbon of blues, pinks and purples behind it.

Needing a moment to gather her thoughts—and her cour-

age—Laney turned toward the distant peaks. No comfort

came from the mountains’ snowcapped beauty. Only more

apprehension. The memory of Marc’s eyes when their gazes

had connected, the condemnation and disappointment, made

Laney’s heart grew heavier, and more troubled than before.

All her lies, all her deceptions had caught up with her in

a single moment of recognition.

What did you expect? a tiny voice chided. You’ve intentionally misled him every day of your brief acquaintance.

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148

Charity House Courtship

In her attempt to keep Marc away from Charity House

she’d allowed him to think the worst of her.

Having spent the last three hours coming to terms with

her unrequited feelings for Marc, she’d gained insight into

the future that lay before her. Like a barren cloud blowing

over a parched field, promising much but producing little,

any chance of earning Marc’s respect had disappeared.

That didn’t mean she wouldn’t try.

The soft glow of light and low murmurs flowing from the

hotel lobby compelled Laney forward in a strange, mesmer-

izing summons. Answering the call, she entered through the

revolving doors.

As if he’d been waiting for her arrival, Hank drew along-

side her. “Mr. Dupree wants to see you in his office.”

She smiled up at him. “Thank you for letting me know.”

“Just doing my job.” His accompanying scowl warned

her he hadn’t yet forgiven her for the trick she’d played on him in the alley.

In serious need of a friend, she grabbed his arm. “Hank,

wait. I’m sorry about last night. I know you won’t believe

this, but I had to lose you.”

A myriad of emotions waltzed across his features before

his lips cracked into a tentative smile. “I understand.”

“I’m glad. One day, I’ll explain my actions fully.”

“When you’re ready.”

Well, at least she’d healed one relationship. “Thank you

for understanding.”

His face reddened. “Go on,” he urged. “Mr. Dupree won’t

bite.”

“I wish I had your confidence.”

He nudged her forward. “You’re better off facing him

sooner rather than later.”

If only that were true. As the shut office door loomed

ahead of her, several concerns grappled against one another.

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Renee Ryan

149

What would she do if Marc fired her, before she’d earned

enough money to pay off the interest on her loan?

What if he found out about Charity House, would he

threaten to shut her down as Prescott was trying to do?

As nerve-racking as Laney found that unlikely possibility,

another, more selfish, concern rose to the top of her fears.

How could she face Marc, knowing the feelings she had for

him were too strong to deny? And how could she

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