Meagan smiled up at him. “Of course you may join me, but it isn’t necessary that you pay for my lunch.”
A waiter came to see him as soon as he sat down.
“I’m taking a coach at one o’clock,” he said. “So I’ll take whatever is the fastest and easiest for you to serve.”
“That would be our stew,” the waiter replied.
“Very good.”
“I didn’t know we had a scheduled stagecoach that departed at one,” Meagan said.
“This isn’t a public coach; it is one that I have chartered for my private use.”
“My, I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who chartered a stagecoach for their own use.”
“It is one of the perquisites of being a wealthy man, my dear,” Houser said. “As is dining with a beautiful young woman,” he added with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“I assure you, Mr. Houser, your money had nothing to do with my accepting your offer to join me.”
“Of course not. Please forgive me for turning what I meant to be a compliment into a crass statement.”
“You are forgiven.”
The waiter delivered the stew.
“I am particularly pleased that you did agree to let me join you, though. As I am sure you know, I am still relatively new in town, and affairs with running the ranch have not provided me with the opportunity to visit town very often, or even visit my neighbors. That has not allowed me to make many friends. To be honest with you, I wasn’t sure you would even know my name.”
“I am a businesswoman, Mr. Houser. And part of being successful in business is in being able to keep up with what is happening. I know that you bought Twin Peaks Ranch from Cliff Prescott’s widow. And I know that you aren’t married.”
Houser smiled. “No, I am not married, and I’m flattered that you went to the trouble to find out.”
Meagan laughed. “Oh, heavens, Mr. Houser, there is no need for you to be flattered. As I told you, I am a businesswoman, and my business is a dress shop. My inquiries into your marital status had to do with whether or not you might have a wife who could become a customer.”
“Yes, of course, I can understand that. And who knows, it may be that somewhere in this beautiful valley I may find someone.”
“That is a possibility, of course, and when you do, please don’t hesitate to introduce us so that I can make her one of my customers.”
“Oh, to be sure, I will definitely introduce you. In the meantime, perhaps you and I could see each other again, maybe for dinner and such other entertainment as may be available in this town?”
“Mr. Houser, I appreciate the invitation, but I am keeping company with Duff MacCallister.”
“That would be the Scotsman?”
“Aye,” Meagan replied automatically. Then, with a smile she said, “Yes. Do you know him?”
“We have had occasion to meet, yes,” Houser said. “He has in his employ a common Chinaman with a rather remarkable ability to injure others in a street brawl.”
“You would be talking about Wang, and believe me, there is nothing at all common about Wang,” Meagan replied.
“Yes, I believe Wang is his name,” Houser replied. “And I agree with you, there is nothing common about him. He was more than the measure of two of my men. I had to apologize to Mr. MacCallister on behalf of my men for causing the disturbance in the first place.”
“Your men couldn’t apologize for themselves?”
“I’m sure they could, but I am responsible for them, and therefore I have a certain obligation for their actions.”
“That’s quite honorable of you,” Meagan said.
“Thank you.”
For the rest of the meal the conversation across the table was incidental, with no further reference to Duff MacCallister. Finally Houser took out a gold pocket watch and examined it then closed it and turned his attention back to Meagan.
“Well, my coach should be ready now,” he said. “Thank you for allowing me to share your table. It made lunchtime much more pleasant than it would have been had I dined alone.”
“I have enjoyed the conversation,” Meagan said.
After Houser left, Meagan smiled at the affectation of his examining his gold watch when there was a big clock on the wall, which was within the view of all in the café.
“Oh, there is no charge for your meal, Meagan,” Katie said when Meagan went to pay her check a short while later. “Mr. Houser paid for it.”
“Thank you,” Meagan said.
* * *
“Hello, Mary Ellen,” Meagan said when she returned to the dress shop. There was a young man with her.
“This is Ben,” Mary Ellen said, smiling at the young man.
“Turley, ma’am. Ben Turley,” the man said.
“Yes, I know you. You’re the foreman out at Twin Peaks, I believe.”
“Yes, ma’am, I foremanned for Mr. Prescott ’n now I’m workin’ for Mr. Houser. Fact is, I brung ’im into town this morning.”
“Yes, I had lunch with Mr. Houser. And speaking of lunch, Mary Ellen, you can go to lunch now.”
“Thank you, I’ll be back soon. Ben is taking me to the Chugwater Café,” the pretty, young, dark-haired girl said with a happy smile.
Meagan thought about her brief visit with Houser. She had told him there was no need to pay for her lunch, and she wished he hadn’t done so. He was clearly trying to ingratiate himself, and she wasn’t interested. He was, she admitted to herself, a rather handsome man, and there was a sophistication about him that could be intriguing.
But there was something else about him, something she could feel, but couldn’t see. If she had to describe it, she would say that he was like a piece of fine crystal that would be beautiful, if not for a slight flaw in its manufacture. In the case of crystal, the flaw can be seen. It was difficult to see the flaw in Brad Houser, but Meagan knew, instinctively, that it was there.
* * *
When Houser returned to the stagecoach depot he saw
