of those in front of him. In a town where most women considered dressing up putting on a starched apron, Bergette was quite a sight.
“Welcome to Texas, Bergette,” Adam managed to say with a forced smile.
“Thank you,” she answered sweetly as she leaned and almost touched his cheek with a kiss. “I just couldn’t stay away from you any longer, darling.”
“I see she’s here! That’s her, ain’t it, Doc!” Harry yelled. “I’m mighty glad she wasn’t the woman on the stage two days ago.” Harry’s normally twitchy body seemed to have been wound to double-time with the excitement of seeing such a pretty lady.
The young station operator broke the spell on the crowd and everyone moved about their business. The young officer excused himself to return to his duties, and the stage driver pointed toward two huge trunks left behind as though he expected Adam to do something about them. Bergette simply turned away, as always, expecting someone else to take care of the details.
“You surely didn’t come alone, Miss Dupont?” Adam looked around at the other passengers across the street claiming luggage.
“Of course not.” Bergette giggled. “Charles and Lily are with me, but I’ll know true hardship without my cook and personal maid.”
Adam offered her his arm, and they moved into the shade. He’d recovered from the shock, but still found his muscles tense as if waiting for a blow he knew would come. “Why are you here?” he whispered between clenched teeth as they strolled.
Bergette pouted a moment, as if hating to answer. Her temperament made him almost laugh aloud. Could it be possible that she thought he’d run to her when he saw her step off the stage? Surely she wasn’t that short of memory, or that vain?
“When Papa returned from Indianapolis, he wasn’t happy about our broken engagement.” She played with one of her perfect curls as she spoke. “You’re a returning hero, a doctor, a McLain.”
Adam stopped walking. “What does my name have to do with our engagement being canceled? Or anything else for that matter.”
Bergette looked around, as if hoping to be distracted from this conversation. “Your father was one of the immigrant bosses on the work crews that built the canals.”
“That was years ago!” Adam snapped.
“But if my papa runs for state office, people have long memories. The older men will remember your father, the younger may remember you or your brothers. Papa had no son in the war, and you know he didn’t have the health to fight.” She began to pout again. “He said I let him down. I hurt his chances of election. Oh, Adam, you wouldn’t believe how he talked to me!”
“I’m sorry,” Adam tried to sound sympathetic. To be honest, he doubted his family name would help much in getting the old man elected. Dupont had been a selfish, self-centered, money-hungry fool for far too long. His only talent in life had been to father a beautiful daughter.
“So.” He tried to follow her reasoning. “You ran away?”
“No,” she answered as she dabbed at dry eyes. “I ran to see you once more. I just had to talk to you.”
Adam didn’t want to talk to her. He’d said all he planned to say the morning he’d left her house. “Have you already arranged for a place to stay?” Adam asked, knowing she probably hadn’t and hoping to change the subject.
“I thought you’d recommend a hotel or boardinghouse. But the officer who rode in with the stage said he thought the doc in Fort Worth
“I do,” Adam could feel the hinges of the trapdoor beneath his feet starting to creak, “but there are only three rooms vacant, and they need a great deal of work before they can be rented. The owner is recovering from a long illness. And I’m making noise all day and night with patients coming. And-”
“I’ll survive.” Bergette lifted her chin. “Show me the way. Papa made sure I had enough money to be comfortable in this primitive state.”
Adam planted his feet square apart and folded his arms. “Hold on. First, I don’t know if Mrs. Jamison is willing or able to take on three new boarders, and second, we need to get something straight right now, Bergette. We are not engaged to be married.” He wanted to add a third that he had all he could handle hiding a woman from Mrs. Jamison, much less bringing another home.
Bergette pulled at one of her curls so hard it needed reironing. “All right, Adam. We’re engaged to be engaged. And we will be no problem to this Mrs. Jamison. Charles and Lily will take care of me. I’ll offer whatever’s necessary to talk her into letting me stay. But I’ve decided to give you another chance and I’ll hear no argument.”
She lowered her voice. “And before you get all upset you might as well know I’m only staying a month. Papa says I can come home then, alone, or with you if you come to your senses.”
Adam forced himself to breathe. He could endure one month of anything, even Bergette. Maybe he could figure a way to only look at her and not have to talk to her. The nun would help him keep Nichole out of sight.
“I’ll go check with Mrs. Jamison about you renting her extra rooms.” He hated giving in. If he could have thought of another way for her to turn he’d have sent her packing, or left her on the streets. But this town was no place for a lady alone.
Knowing she’d won the first battle, Bergette smiled and motioned for Charles and Lily to follow.
An hour later the smile faded as she climbed the steps to her new home. What had been a serviceable alternative for Adam was enough to make her cry out in horror. Only Adam’s description of the hotel kept her from running for other lodging. She’d shown no interest in meeting the nun or Nance Edward and barely glanced around at Adam’s office. But Mrs. Jamison was different, she received the full measure of Bergette’s charm.
After the short tour, she rested in his office while Adam helped Charles move furniture upstairs. Lily, the maid, cleaned. In less time than Adam thought possible, they’d transformed the three extra rooms into living quarters for Bergette. A bedroom, a sitting area, and a dining room. With all new furniture, lace and linens from the stores, Bergette thought the space livable. Carpenters arrived by midafternoon to enlarge the two windows facing the front and to build a second-floor balcony for Bergette.
Adam dropped in on Mrs. Jamison, fearing the noise would not allow her to rest. Surprisingly, he found her happy. She assured him that Bergette had offered to pay for all repairs and planned to leave the furnishings when her stay ended. On top of everything, she insisted on paying full rent not only for her three rooms but for her employees. The tiny little blonde had won Mrs. Jamison over by treating the widow as if her position as proprietor were of great importance. Bergette acted as though she valued the widow’s advice and thanked her for being so kind in allowing her to stay. For the first time in years, Mrs. Jamison forgot she was an outlaw’s widow and felt important.
Lily made a cot in the laundry room off the kitchen with the agreement that she’d do all the house’s laundry, and Charles rigged himself a tent on half the back porch. Suddenly, the boardinghouse was full.
By late afternoon Bergette hired a buggy to take the Jamisons and her employees shopping. As soon as they were out of sight, Adam went in search of the nun.
He found her cuddled between boxes in the storage room with Nichole asleep beside her.
“Heaven help us, Doctor,” the nun cried, “the devil has blond curls.”
Adam laughed. “You’ll get no argument from me.” He helped the nun to her feet.
“What are we to do with our poor child?” She touched Nichole’s head. “I’d let her stay with me, but my room is little more than a closet. There’s not enough room for another cot in it. And here isn’t safe, I’ve spent the day hiding her from people bringing in items to store. This close to the fancy little lady would never be wise.”
“She could stay in my study,” Adam suggested. “I could move my books to the medical office across the hall. Anyone would have to cross through my bedroom to get to Nichole and trust me, Bergette will never be in my bedroom.”
The nun showed no surprise at his announcement. She was a woman who looked deeper than ruffles and lace. “I could easily bring her food and tell the others you hate having your things disturbed so they are never, never to go in your quarters. Nance hears everything said in this house, he could let us know if they suspect something, and he loves a secret. He’d be a fine ally.”
“It might work,” Adam agreed.
