Grace by Tracy Garrett

Author:Tracy Garrett [Garrett, Tracy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-02-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Grace boiled an egg, chopped it up, and spread it on a piece of bread. It wasn’t how it would have been served at Hill House, but she was thankful for it, anyway. She lingered over a single cup of tea, stalling until she heard Benjamin leave.

He’d kissed her. And said she was beautiful. She touched her lips with shaking fingertips. Theo had complimented her appearance, called her appealing and an asset to his future, but he’d never told her she was beautiful.

Benjamin said her crooked smile, which she’d always hated, drove him crazy. That smile bloomed as she remembered the exasperation in his tone, which told her he didn’t really mind.

Washing up from breakfast, Grace began as she had every morning since she took over the Wells Fargo last week: pin a watch to her bodice, check her hair in the mirror, retrieve her shawl from the armoire in case she had to go out. Checking that the lantern was extinguished, she descended the stairs for her final day as the Wells Fargo Branch Manager.

“There you are.”

Grace jolted at the voice coming from the doorway. Staring into the brilliant sunlight, she made out a man wearing a bowler and carrying a cane. Mortimer Crane. She carefully hid her trepidation at being alone with him and moved behind the counter. “Good morning, Mr. Crane. I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Do you always lounge about upstairs during work hours?”

“The morning got off to an unusual start, I’m afraid. How may I help you?”

He closed the door and crossed the room in a studied move designed to show off his expensive clothing and gold-tipped cane. “I think it’s more what I can do for you, my dear.”

She didn’t care for the way he was looking at her. Groping under the counter, Grace searched for something to use as a weapon. “I beg your pardon, sir?”

“I understand Wells Fargo has replaced you as the manager. While that comes as no surprise to me, as women have no place in the running of a business, I thought perhaps I could offer you employment elsewhere.”

“As you have my sister?”

“Eleanora’s deceased husband owed me money. I offered her options to pay it off. She chose to run my hotel, though it was the option with the least pay for her efforts.”

“I know what your other offers were, Mr. Crane, and you should be ashamed of yourself.”

“Ashamed?” His laugh was cold. “I’m only trying to help a few of the widows in this little town.”

“Help? By forcing them to become trollops?”

“It’s the work a woman is best suited for, you must admit.”

Grace couldn’t stop her temper from exploding. “Get out.”

“But I have business here.”

“No, sir, you do not. Wells Fargo is not interested in doing business with you.”

“The new manager of this branch office might disagree with you, madam.”

“He left me in charge today. Mr. Sloane rode west to investigate a robbery. You’re welcome to follow and take it up with him. Until he returns, get out of this office.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.