Read Online Desperate Hearts by Rosanne Bittner - Free Book Online Page B

big-city men back in New York, and certainly vastly different from the one man she hoped to never see again. Men like Mitch and the doctor had an honesty about them, a warmth to their eyes—even Mitch, who, as she’d seen firsthand, could be completely ruthless. The only man she’d known well back in New York was also ruthless, even to the verygood.
    Mitch walked on the street side of the boardwalk, as though to shelter her from the activity beyond thatpoint.
    “Is the trial over?” Elizabeth askedhim.
    “Didn’t take more than a few minutes,” he answered as they walked. “Everybody knew they were guilty. The hanging will be in two days. If we didn’t need to build a gallows, it would besooner.”
    Elizabeth shivered. “Soundsgruesome.”
    Mitch shrugged. “Not to this bunch. It’s the way things are done, ma’am…or I guess I should call you Elizabeth. Feels a little too familiar rightnow.”
    “I assure you, it’s all right to use my firstname.”
    They came to two steps down and Mitch took hold of her elbow to descend the steps, cross an alley, and climb back onto the boardwalk. Men gawked and moved aside as they walked. Elizabeth suspected they kept their comments to themselves because Mitch Brady was withher.
    “What will happen the day of the hanging?” sheasked.
    “Oh, there will be quite a crowd. Some workers will even come in from the mines, take a day off. The few wives who are here will prepare picnic baskets, and the few children around will be told they have to watch in order to learn a lesson about good and bad and that if they don’t walk the straight and narrow, they could also end up at the end of anoose.”
    Elizabeth drew in her breath and stopped, looking up at him. “Childrenwatch?”
    Mitch grinned wryly. “Yup. Teaches them a lesson about obeying the law. Afterward there will be picnicking, and the whores will be kept busy, what with so many men in town. Pardon my bluntness, but you might as well know what life is like here and make sure you really want to make this your home for awhile.”
    He took her arm and they started walking again, past three saloons, a supply store, and a barber shop. Some of the buildings were obviously hastily built of raw wood, and most were no more than tents with stovepipes sticking through the tops. Piano music filtered outside, combined with men’s shouts and women’slaughter.
    And will you visit the whores, too? she wondered. She couldn’t help remembering how disappointed he’d been to find out she wasn’t a lady of the evening. Two gaudily dressed women with painted faces approached them, one giving Mitch a sly grin and awink.
    “Got a new girl, Mitch?” sheasked.
    “Hildy, this is Elizabeth Wainright, and she’s a proper lady,” Mitchanswered.
    Hildy, who Elizabeth guessed to be perhaps twenty, pursed her lips. “Howboring!”
    Both women giggled and nodded to Elizabeth. “Welcome to Alder, honey,” the other woman told her. She was much heavier than Hildy, her bosom billowing above her low-cutdress.
    Hildy looked up at Mitch. “See you later, Mitch?”
    “No.” Mitch kept hold of Elizabeth’s arm and led her past the women. “Sorry aboutthat.”
    “You don’t need to be sorry for anything. It’s not my business. They were friendlyenough.”
    “Oh, they’re friendly, allright.”
    Elizabeth felt Mitch’s uneasiness as he led her down a couple more steps and turned to cross the street. “Watch out for horse dung,” he warned. They quickly walked across the churned-up dirt street and climbed up some steps in front of yet anothersaloon.
    “The boardinghouse is just two doors down. And speaking of why you came here…” He paused, stopping to face her. “Why are you here? A lady like you alone in Alder just doesn’t make any sense. Are you married? Did you leave a husbandbehind?”
    Elizabeth pulled away. “I thought you understood that I prefer to keep my reasons for being here tomyself.”
    Mitch set the bag down and