How Miss West Was Won Read online

  How Miss West was Won

  Diane Darcy

  Contents

  Copyright

  Book Description

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Epilogue

  Thank You!

  Dear Reader

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  How Miss West was Won: ©2017 by Diane Darcy

  All rights reserved.

  Cover Art design by midnightmusedesigns.com

  Sign up for the mailing list www.DianeDarcy.com

  How to outrun a madman intent on murder or worse? Go west!

  To protect a young lady in her care from a murderous villain, New York governess Grace West assumes the identity of her wealthy charge—to lure the villain away. She’s been assured that finding a person in the vastness of the west should be the equivalent of searching for a needle in a haystack.

  Unfortunately, she catches the eye of the charming, gorgeous, and slightly improper mayor. Luke Carrington is intent on hosting a gambling tournament that will attract maniacs from across the country. With so many strangers in town, how will she spot the villain hunting her?

  Luke’s attraction to Grace and her sassy attitude—and the fact that he’s forbidden to see her—ensures he won’t stay away. He likes the lady and he saw her first. The fact that she’s also a challenge, well, that’s just icing on the cake.

  He likes to gamble. He likes to win. She doesn’t stand a chance.

  Chapter 1

  June, 1890

  Grace West was bait and she knew it.

  Now she was being followed, and knew that, too.

  If one could actually be followed on a train speeding along at thirty miles per hour.

  The disturbing reality was, she truly hadn’t believed she’d be discovered. Certainly not so quickly, at any rate.

  She peeked at the man again. She tried to regulate her breathing even as her chest tightened with dread as she took stock of him. Young, dark-haired, handsome. His broad shoulders rose above the velvet-covered seats encased in the high-quality jacket of a businessman. She registered these details before he glanced her way and she lowered her gaze.

  She hadn’t felt this alone in a long, long while. This exposed. Not since she’d been sent away for governess training, an occupation considered well-suited for the daughter of a genteel family brought financially low in life.

  The man watching her had boarded at the last stop and joined their first-class car. Surely he was not the same villain who attacked them in the alley near the library. The idea was ludicrous. That nasty piece of work would have boarded in New York—not four days later in Utah.

  Perhaps she really did need to cease reading so much fiction as Mr. Carmichael had said. But still, what if their attacker had telegraphed ahead to another scoundrel? And what if that rogue currently was looking for her? Was looking at her, right now?

  The idea was preposterous. Right?

  Over her traveling jacket, Grace touched the scar running along her collarbone. When she realized she did it, she forced her hand to fall into her lap. If he didn’t know her identity, if he wasn’t certain, she didn’t want to give herself away.

  She clutched the handle of her travel bag. Simply knowing that the return ticket to New York was nestled inside it provided her with much-needed comfort. She just hadn’t thought she might need to use the voucher quite so soon.

  She glanced around at her fellow passengers. The first-class receipt ensured more room for everyone, but, unfortunately, many had disembarked at their last stop.

  Where they’d picked up the man who was currently showing far too much interest in her.

  Still, she wasn’t exactly alone. A mother traveled with two fussy children. Her husband had fled to the smoking car, along with several businessmen—leaving the woman with a fidgety toddler and a baby who wailed pitifully, probably in the teething throes like Mrs. Jacobson’s baby.

  An older gentleman with a flushed face furtively sipped from a bottle when he didn’t believe others were observing him.

  And there were two ladies who wore all black and had read their bibles, on and off, for most of the five days into their journey.

  A middle-aged man, who slept more often than not, snoring and snorting occasionally, sat in another row.

  And then, of course, there was the gentleman who watched her. Young, strong, well-dressed, and staring at her. Murderous and intent on revenge? She shivered.

  She tilted her head to hide her face, ducking behind the overlarge, expensive bonnet with its high crown and wide brim, purchased for just such an occasion.

  She strangled a sudden bout of inappropriate laughter. At the library she’d sometimes play a game with the babies while their mothers helped older siblings find books. If I can’t see you, you can’t see me! It made them all laugh, especially Grace—the babies were her favorites. Perhaps that was because she knew, in her position in life, she’d never have one of her own.

  But this wasn’t a game and, unfortunately, the ploy didn’t work in real life. She couldn’t hide. He knew exactly where she was.

  She peeked again, to see that the man had relocated a seat closer! Her heart pounded in her chest. She considered herself an extremely level-headed person for the most part, but could feel panic building, threatening to escape.

  Was she being ridiculous? Though she loved reading fiction more than anything, she didn’t like to think of herself as someone who created fantasies in her head or dramas where none existed.

  But this was different.

  Like her much-loved heroines, she might actually be in danger.

  Theo, her favorite porter, walked up the aisle, smiling widely when he caught her eye. “Miss Carmichael? What did you think of the Rocky Mountains?”

  Grace smiled wanly and considered asking for the man’s assistance. But what could she say without sounding like a hysteric? That man is looking at me? “They were as stunning as you claimed.”

  His smiled widened, showing very white teeth. “Wait until you see the Sierra Nevadas. We’ll be going right through some mountains. That there is a peculiar sensation, I’ll tell you what.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  “Keep your eyes open. There’s more to come.” Chuckling, low and amused—a sound that usually pulled an answering smile from her—he continued on his way, disappearing into the back of the car.

  Grace gripped her hands together, and stared at her lap. That man would have heard her name. Or rather her fake name. If he realized she was Grace rather than Penny, would she die this very day? Murdered and thrown overboard before anyone was the wiser?

  She glanced up to see that the man had moved closer yet again. He must have rel
ocated while she spoke to Theo. Now a scant three seats away, he turned around, looking at her, his expression nervous.

  He had no need to fear her. She wasn’t going to try and kill the man when an opportunity presented itself. Could he offer similar sentiments?

  The gentleman leaned forward, gathering himself as if to stand.

  Grace grabbed her bag, shot to her feet, and quickly rushed across the aisle to the young mother. “Excuse me? I do so love children and you look as if you have your hands full. Might I be of assistance?”

  Without waiting for a reply, Grace slid onto the seat across from the woman, seating herself next to the toddler. As the young mother gaped in surprise, the gentleman across the aisle sank into his chair, crossed his arms, and sighed.

  Grace released a relieved breath of her own. If she could stay alive long enough to get to California, perhaps Mrs. Carmichael’s good friend, Mrs. Braxton, could offer assistance. Or at least a good place to hide.

  The lady smiled as surprise gave way to gratitude. “What a kind offer. Thank you so much. I’d like that.” She glanced at the gentleman and sniffed. “We ladies need to stand together.”

  Self-reproach held Grace still a moment. She hadn’t thought this through. If she’d put this family in danger, she’d never forgive herself.

  She glanced at the man, now seated a few rows up, and across the aisle. No longer looking her way, he’d slid down in his seat and propped a hat over his face, appearing to settle in for a nap.

  Thank goodness.

  “Allow me to introduce myself.” The woman held out a hand. “I’m Mrs. Tanner, and these are my children, Caleb and Mary.”

  “How do you do? I’m Miss Penny Carmichael,” Grace lied smoothly. The man already heard her assumed name when Theo spoke it, so it no longer mattered.

  She opened her satchel to retrieve her favorite children’s book and showed it to the toddler. “Do you enjoy books?”

  The blonde girl’s expression lit as she pointed. “Book.”

  “It’s called Pinocchio.” She glanced at Mrs. Tanner. “I love reading to children. May I?”

  “Of course.”

  Grace set the book aside and held out her hands for the baby.

  “Oh, my dear. He’s a bit sticky. Your traveling dress looks to be a Worth original. Am I wrong?”

  Grace glanced down. She’d forgotten the dress. She still wasn’t used to the finery—she was more the serviceable gown sort, anyway. The fact that she presently owned an entire trunkful of beautiful clothes still astounded her. The Carmichaels had been generous in their guilt. But, finery or not, Grace remained the same. “You have a good eye, Mrs. Tanner. But not to worry. It all comes clean.”

  “If you’re sure?” Mrs. Tanner gratefully handed the chubby-faced baby over. Grace positioned the child and opened the book. “Are you ready for a Grand Adventure?”

  Eyes shining, Mary nodded and Caleb pointed at the illustrated puppet on the cover.

  Grace cracked the page and started to read.

  The baby relaxed against her, and the little girl curled up to her side. For the first time since that awful man boarded, Grace relaxed as she read, giving the children plenty of time to study the illustrations before turning the pages.

  She would truly miss volunteering at the library and reading to the children. Opening the world to them. Sending their imaginations on Grand Adventures, as she herself had traveled so many times before.

  Of course, it was her love of books that had caused all the trouble in the first place. A sting of shame pinched her every time she remembered the way she’d cajoled Penny into visiting the library. There, Penny had unknowingly attracted the attention of a very bad man.

  He’d followed and attacked, pushing them into an alleyway. Grace barely managed to save the younger girl. Even she hadn’t realized she could react in such a way, striking with her fists, screeching like a banshee, and throwing herself between Penny and the knife.

  The villain had run like a coward when men rushed into the alley.

  The remembrance of the unexpected violence still made her shudder. If Grace hadn’t been able to save Penny …

  But she had, she reminded herself.

  And now, here she was, fleeing her home, her city, her mother and sister, and everything she’d known to go out west. To protect Penny from a madman. Because it hadn’t stopped there. Another attempt—a carriage door thrown open and a struggle to drag Penny inside. The orchids, the threats, the notes claiming Penny belonged to him now—until the Carmichael ladies feared leaving the house.

  All because Grace wanted to visit the library.

  When the Carmichaels came up with the solution of sending Penny in one direction, and Grace in another, she’d jumped at the chance to make restitution.

  Penny was spirited aboard a ship bound for London with her mother and sister. And Grace West, now Penny Carmichael, was on her way to stay with Mrs. Braxton—a family friend of Mrs. Carmichael’s—until the danger passed.

  In other words, she was to stay out west until Penny was safely on the other side of the pond.

  Out west!

  The very words conjured visions of quests and excitement. For the first time, she was on a real Grand Adventure of her own. And, of course, as her own name was West, it seemed to hold a special significance for her.

  Better to see it that way, rather than she’d been ejected from her home, fleeing a violent attacker who may kill her if he found plain Miss Grace West, rather than Heiress Penelope Carmichael.

  But it wasn’t as if the Carmichaels expected her to get hurt. They’d assured her they didn’t believe the villain would be able to find her in the vastness of the Wild West. And Grace was going about as far west as she could possibly flee.

  Yes. Her very own Grand Adventure.

  She glanced at the sleeping man further up the aisle.

  If she made it there safely.

  The summer scenery slipped by, changing by the day and, for the first time, she’d seen wonders she’d only read about in books. It had been an exhilarating journey so far.

  The train slowed for the next stop at about the same time Grace finished the book for the second time, and the children were dozing against her.

  The gentleman stood and picked up his belongings. He met her gaze, and tipped his hat. “Ma’am.”

  Stiffening, she nodded, watching as he disembarked.

  Graced exhaled as she watched him walk by on the platform below. He hadn’t been following her at all. Slight heat warmed her cheeks. She was a fool.

  “I think he admired you,” Mrs. Tanner said. “But I don’t blame you for staying away from unfamiliar men. One can never be too careful about such things.”

  Grace sighed as the train lurched and began the next leg of her journey. “That’s so true.”

  She had too big an imagination. The sooner she arrived at Orchard City, the sooner she’d settle in.

  It was time to start her new, albeit temporary, life.

  “Luke!”

  Luke Carrington glanced around as he walked down the boardwalk and saw Sheriff Gabe Kildare step out of his office and head toward him.

  “Gabe,” Luke nodded as Kildare crossed the street.

  The sheriff lowered his voice as he approached Gabe. “You get the invites out yet?”

  Luke’s lips quirked as he looked up and down the street before stepping up onto the boardwalk. “I don’t think anyone can hear us, Sheriff.” It was funny to see a big, dangerous-looking man whisper. Or try to whisper, anyway. Gabe’s voice, naturally low and deep—with just a hint of a brogue that betrayed his Scottish heritage—was always loud, so it was a stretch. Fortunately, on this warm June morning, there wasn’t anyone nearby interested in what they were saying, anyway.

  “Oh. Right. Right,” he replied after following Luke’s gaze. He jutted his chin across the street to where Sawyer Graham, a rancher and lifelong friend to both of them, exited the mercantile. “Sawyer! Come on over here,” his voi
ce boomed loudly.

  Luke tried to tamp a flare of irritation. He didn’t like answering to anyone and this was starting to feel like an interrogation. Sometimes he wondered why he’d accepted the position as mayor of the little town but then remembered that nobody else had stepped up to take the job.

  After loading a few supplies into the back of his wagon and instructing the store owner’s son to stack the rest, Sawyer wandered over, taking his sweet time. “Sheriff. Mayor.” Sawyer was big, strong, and grumpy as usual, his dark hair blowing across his eyes. “What’s going on?”

  Luke’s irritation grew and he barely stopped himself from walking the few steps to his office and shutting the door.

  “Luke and I were just talking about the announcement. He was telling me—”

  Luke raised a brow at Gabe. “Yes. What was I saying?”

  Gabe grinned, not in the least put off. He never was. “He was about to tell me the news concerning the announcement.”

  When Luke didn’t respond, Sawyer’s brow’s rose. “Well?”

  Luke exhaled a long sigh of resignation. “It’s official. It’s been sent,” he admitted. “It’s out on the wire and we should start getting some sort of response immediately, I should think.”

  Sawyer’s lean, tanned face took on a sardonic expression. “From the town? Or from interested parties?”

  Luke suppressed a smile. “Both.”

  Sawyer whistled, shook his head, and grinned. “Orchard City hosting a five-card draw poker tournament! You ever try and control a stallion that’s scented a mare in heat? ‘Cause I’d say that’s about the same ferocity you’ll face when the good people of this town find out what you’re up to.”

  Gabe chuckled. “Which shouldn’t take long considering that Elmer Goggins is in the widow’s back pocket and everyone knows it. He did send the telegram, didn’t he?”

  Luke twisted his lips. “Who else?” was all he said. It was all that needed saying, really.