Chapter Three
The nerve of that man!
Marian shut the door to her family’s home and leaned against it, closing her eyes and breathing steadily in an attempt to slow her heartbeat. Whether it was from all the excitement of the thief, her hurried walk home, or Mr. Robertson’s teasing smile, she didn’t know.
But she certainly had no intention of either seeing or speaking to that horrid man again.
“Marian?”
The voice of her younger sister, Jessilyn, made Marian open her eyes.
Nineteen-year-old Jessilyn held a hand to her mouth in surprise. “What happened?”
Marian pushed herself away from the door. She dropped the filthy and torn reticule and its ribbons on the little entry table in the parlor. As she peeled off her dirty gloves, she realized her hands were shaking. “The town council agreed to let me open a school. They even offered me the use of the old hat shop.”
“That’s wonderful,” Jessilyn said as she took the gloves from Marian’s hands. “But that’s not what I meant.” She glanced at her sister’s reticule.
“Oh, that. I encountered a thief.”
Jessilyn’s eyes grew large, and Marian knew her sister wouldn’t leave her alone until she’d heard the entire sordid tale.
“I took the shorter route across the empty field, and he was lingering there.” Marian unpinned her hat, which, thankfully, wasn’t in as sorry a state as everything else she wore. “He took my reticule.” She bit her lip as she glanced at her ruined bag. If it wasn’t for the presumptuous Mr. Robertson, she’d be without it now. It hadn’t been much to look at, but she could hardly afford a new one.
“Oh, Marian!” Jessilyn breathed the words in a way that sounded as if she couldn’t bear it if she didn’t learn what happened next. “How did you get it back?”
Marian dropped her eyes to the hat in her hands as she pretended to inspect it. “Another man happened to be riding by at the time. He caught the thief and returned my reticule.”
“Who was it?”
“A man new to town. Mr. Robertson.” Before Jessilyn could say anything in response, Marian looked up at her. “He isnota gentleman.”
“Who isn’t a gentleman?” Mama entered the parlor from the kitchen, an apron covering her dress.
Marian groaned inwardly. The last thing she wanted was to discuss that horrible man in any more detail. She’d simply rather forget about him. After all, she had much more important news to share.
“The new fellow who rescued Marian!” The words flew out of Jessilyn’s mouth like birds from a tree.
“Rescued?” Mama turned alarmed eyes toward Marian. Her eyebrows rose as she took in her daughter’s bedraggled state. “What happened?”
“Jessilyn is exaggerating, Mama.” Marian gathered up her gloves, hoping to make this a short conversation. She repeated what she’d told Jessilyn about how Mr. Robertson intercepted the thief and returned her reticule.
“Oh, we must invite him to dinner!” Mama said, her eyes shining.
Heat crept up Marian’s neck as she remembered the man insisting on taking her out for a meal. “I’m afraid we can’t—”
“He’snot a gentleman,” Jessilyn finished for her, with far more enthusiasm than any girl should have had when discussing such things.
“Oh?” Mama clearly wanted to hear more, but Marian had already crossed the room to the door that led to the two bedrooms in the rear of the house.
“I must wash up,” she said as she paused in the doorway. “I have the most wonderful news to share with you over supper.”
