Read Online Miss Ruffles Inherits Everything by Nancy Martin - Free Book Online Page A

doesn’t even get the oil and gas company—not yet. A lot of other people in town will eventually receive bequests or have their loans forgiven. Just not until Miss Ruffles is settled. And some were hoping for their money a lot sooner.”
    â€œThe university,” Mr. Carver guessed. “They want that new stadium something terrible.”
    Ten nodded. “There’s a lot of money at stake for a lot of people, but Honeybelle has tied it all up in Miss Ruffles for the moment. I can’t lie. It could get ugly around here. There might even be a lawsuit. Or several. But the three of you don’t have to do a thing except look after Miss Ruffles and keep up the house like you’ve been doing.”
    He tried to sound soothing, but I could see Mae Mae and Mr. Carver were unsettled—bordering on semihysterical. The doorbell chimed again, prompting Mr. Carver to scramble up from the table. He reached for his blue coat and put it on.
    â€œI’ll get the door.” He tried to regain his professional composure, but his hands were shaking too hard for him to fasten his buttons, so he gave up. “Mae Mae, put the refreshments out. Sunny, take that dog outside and keep her occupied until the family is gone.”
    We got busy doing as he said. I pulled the leash from my pocket and made a grab for the dog’s collar. Mr. Carver disappeared out of the kitchen, unsteadily heading for the front door. Muttering to herself, Mae Mae lumbered to the refrigerator and pulled out a decorative plate with a bright green molded salad jiggling on it, surrounded by a garnish of grapes and lemon peel. She pushed through the swinging door and carried it out to the dining room.
    I snapped the leash on Miss Ruffles and dampened a paper towel at the sink to wipe the flour from her face.
    As I bent over the dog, Ten said, “You seem pretty calm about this windfall, Jane Eyre.”
    â€œThe shock hasn’t set in yet,” I replied, noting that my hands weren’t exactly steady.
    â€œAren’t you surprised? To be getting a million dollars from a woman you barely knew?”
    â€œI’m completely stunned,” I admitted, dropping the paper towel into the trash.
    â€œTo be honest,” Ten drawled, “we’re a mite surprised ourselves, down at the office. Tell me, how did you get this job in the first place?”
    â€œI interviewed, and Honeybelle hired me.”
    He shook his head, not believing. “How come Honeybelle hired you and not one of the local girls who applied for the job? Girls she already knew?”
    â€œBecause I was better qualified, I guess. I’ve worked as an assistant for many people at colleges.”
    He met my gaze steadily, his face less friendly than before. Probably taking in the cheap thrift-shop dress and the butterfly locket my mother had given me ages ago—nothing valuable, really, but it reminded me of her, and how the wings of a butterfly could be the beginning of a hurricane. Next to the young ladies he had grown up with, I was probably colorless, shapeless. A sunburned nose in the land of beautiful southern belles.
    He said, “You came all the way to Texas to be a governess for a dog.”
    â€œThat’s not exactly how it happened. I was already here. I had a job at the university, but my boss was fired. And I was hired to be Honeybelle’s personal secretary, not just to look after Miss Ruffles. The job happened to evolve that way. Honeybelle had no complaints about my work while she was alive.”
    â€œHere’s the thing,” Ten said. “If the family decides to sue Mr. Carver or Mae Mae, I can make a good case on their behalf. But you? Your story is mighty suspicious.”
    Miss Ruffles looked from my face to Ten’s and back again, aware of the tension between us. I knew she was wondering if she should bite him. I put my hand on her head to quiet her nerves. She trembled with the effort of holding