Read Online A Girl Like That by Frances Devine - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Frances Devine
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might get the wrong idea.”
Gladness and relief rose up in Katie’s heart. An attorney. Good. So he wasn’t a criminal, after all. “And you don’t mind that I accepted a ride from him?”
“Not after he explained that he was a patron of Harrigan’s and recognized you from your performance.” He glared at her again. “He was concerned you might be accosted. Otherwise, such a fine young gentleman would have never suggested such a thing.”
❧
Sam whistled through the grin that wouldn’t leave his face as he walked into the office. Michael O’Shannon was a good man and a grateful father.
It had been obvious Katie hadn’t wanted to be seen in his carriage. When he saw her talking to a couple of performers outside the theater, he knew he had to avert scandal. And perhaps get on her father’s good side at the same time. It had been a streak of genius that led him to reveal to Katie’s father that he’d given her a lift. Instead of being angry at his daughter and thinking the worst of Sam, he had slapped Sam on the back and thanked him for taking care of Katie.
Now, if Sam could only be patient and let O’Shannon get to know him better, he thought he had a pretty good chance of winning the protective father over so he could court his daughter.
Charlie Jenkins looked up from his desk and gave him a nod. “Glad to see you in a good mood, sir. Your father wants to see you. He said as soon as you got here.”
“Uh-oh. Is it bad?”
Charlie glanced around and lowered his voice. “I wouldn’t want to say, Mr. Nelson, but I will say he didn’t seem very happy.”
“Well, nothing is going to spoil my mood.” Sam headed to his father’s office, wondering what he’d done. “Charlie said you wanted to see me.”
The senior Mr. Nelson turned slowly and peered at Sam through narrowed eyes. “Jeremiah Howard, your client, waited for you for some time. Would you mind divulging where you’ve spent your afternoon?”
Sam looked at his father in surprise. “I don’t remember an appointment with Howard.”
“That’s beside the point. If you’d been in the office, he could have spoken to you instead of railing at me for two hours.”
“I went to see Flannigan again. Something just isn’t ringing true to me.” He picked up a newspaper from his father’s desk and riffled through it.
“So, did you get anything out of the man?”
Sam continued to scan the newspaper, wondering what to say. “Father, Chauncey Flannigan doesn’t seem like a con man to me.”
When his father didn’t say anything, Sam looked up and met silence.
Eugene Nelson eyed his son. “Don’t forget who our client is, Samuel.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“Very well. Send a messenger boy to Howard’s office with an appointment for tomorrow.”
“I will, sir.”
Sam dispatched the messenger then sat at his desk, tapping his fingers against the oak desktop. His father was right. Whatever he personally thought about Howard, he was representing the man and needed to give him his best. He’d been meaning to visit the lumberyard and speak to some of the employees and decided that would be the first thing on his agenda in the morning. While he was there, he’d try to meet the foreman who’d been on duty that day.
Sam leaned back and considered what else could be accomplished while he was in the area. The two tavern witnesses who’d given statements needed to be spoken to. It wouldn’t do for them to waver in their accounts of the fight.
Taking a legal pad from his desk drawer, Sam made a list of questions for the men he hoped to interview. He also intended to look over conditions at the lumber mill and make sure there was nothing to which an accusing finger could be pointed.
The shuffling of feet and opening and closing of file cabinets announced the office was getting ready to close for the day.
Cramming his pad into his briefcase, Sam stood and made his way to the front, amid friendly good-byes. The thought of
Gladness and relief rose up in Katie’s heart. An attorney. Good. So he wasn’t a criminal, after all. “And you don’t mind that I accepted a ride from him?”
“Not after he explained that he was a patron of Harrigan’s and recognized you from your performance.” He glared at her again. “He was concerned you might be accosted. Otherwise, such a fine young gentleman would have never suggested such a thing.”
❧
Sam whistled through the grin that wouldn’t leave his face as he walked into the office. Michael O’Shannon was a good man and a grateful father.
It had been obvious Katie hadn’t wanted to be seen in his carriage. When he saw her talking to a couple of performers outside the theater, he knew he had to avert scandal. And perhaps get on her father’s good side at the same time. It had been a streak of genius that led him to reveal to Katie’s father that he’d given her a lift. Instead of being angry at his daughter and thinking the worst of Sam, he had slapped Sam on the back and thanked him for taking care of Katie.
Now, if Sam could only be patient and let O’Shannon get to know him better, he thought he had a pretty good chance of winning the protective father over so he could court his daughter.
Charlie Jenkins looked up from his desk and gave him a nod. “Glad to see you in a good mood, sir. Your father wants to see you. He said as soon as you got here.”
“Uh-oh. Is it bad?”
Charlie glanced around and lowered his voice. “I wouldn’t want to say, Mr. Nelson, but I will say he didn’t seem very happy.”
“Well, nothing is going to spoil my mood.” Sam headed to his father’s office, wondering what he’d done. “Charlie said you wanted to see me.”
The senior Mr. Nelson turned slowly and peered at Sam through narrowed eyes. “Jeremiah Howard, your client, waited for you for some time. Would you mind divulging where you’ve spent your afternoon?”
Sam looked at his father in surprise. “I don’t remember an appointment with Howard.”
“That’s beside the point. If you’d been in the office, he could have spoken to you instead of railing at me for two hours.”
“I went to see Flannigan again. Something just isn’t ringing true to me.” He picked up a newspaper from his father’s desk and riffled through it.
“So, did you get anything out of the man?”
Sam continued to scan the newspaper, wondering what to say. “Father, Chauncey Flannigan doesn’t seem like a con man to me.”
When his father didn’t say anything, Sam looked up and met silence.
Eugene Nelson eyed his son. “Don’t forget who our client is, Samuel.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“Very well. Send a messenger boy to Howard’s office with an appointment for tomorrow.”
“I will, sir.”
Sam dispatched the messenger then sat at his desk, tapping his fingers against the oak desktop. His father was right. Whatever he personally thought about Howard, he was representing the man and needed to give him his best. He’d been meaning to visit the lumberyard and speak to some of the employees and decided that would be the first thing on his agenda in the morning. While he was there, he’d try to meet the foreman who’d been on duty that day.
Sam leaned back and considered what else could be accomplished while he was in the area. The two tavern witnesses who’d given statements needed to be spoken to. It wouldn’t do for them to waver in their accounts of the fight.
Taking a legal pad from his desk drawer, Sam made a list of questions for the men he hoped to interview. He also intended to look over conditions at the lumber mill and make sure there was nothing to which an accusing finger could be pointed.
The shuffling of feet and opening and closing of file cabinets announced the office was getting ready to close for the day.
Cramming his pad into his briefcase, Sam stood and made his way to the front, amid friendly good-byes. The thought of
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