“I said nothing about being from back east. How did you surmise that?”
Carter folded his arms over his chest and shrugged. “Because we’re very nearly as far west as you can go. Just about everything is east of here.”
“Oh. I see.” She nodded, a bit of a twinkle in those expressive eyes. “Go on, then.”
Carter lost no time. “You are confident and of the opinion that your affairs are of the utmost importance. You are careful with your appearance, but not so stuffy that you don’t consider comfort.”
She stopped him once again. “How do you suppose that?” She mirrored his stance, crossing her arms against her serviceable brown jacket.
“I noted that you were wearing well-worn walking boots. Seems to me a woman of means with such boots keeps them for their comfort. I know that’s why I continue to wear these boots of mine.”
She smiled at that. Barely.
But he’d count it. “See. I was right.”
“You are good at deducing. That’s all.”
Carter offered her a chair. “Won’t you sit and tell me why you’ve come today, Ellie.”
She sat on the edge of the chair, hands folded in her lap. “Stop calling me that. You’re giving casual consideration to a relationship that doesn’t exist. Only my parents use my nickname.”
“But I like it so much better than Eleanor. Eleanor is stuffy and formal.”
“Which is what I prefer to be with you.”
He leaned against the edge of his desk and watched herlook around his office. It probably wasn’t as fancy as offices she’d seen in businesses back east. But it served the mill well. It was clean and the large windows set in the brick eight feet above them let in enough light to warm the room. “Stuffy and formal? You want to be considered as stuffy? That’s hardly a flattering characteristic.”
She rolled her gaze heavenward and sighed. “You, sir, are one of the most exasperating men I’ve ever encountered.”
Carter laughed. “My mother has often said the same thing. But she loves me dearly.”
“Well, you needn’t fear the same reaction from me.”
He rubbed his chin as he studied her face. “I don’t know, Ellie. I might grow on you.”
“I highly doubt that.” Those eyes flashed at him.
But her lips tipped up ever so slightly. It was a perfectly charming response. She was enjoying this.
“Maybe not today—”
“Maybe not ever.” She pointed to his face. “How’s your eye?”
“It hurts, but I’ll live.” At least the bruise was fading to a greenish-yellow rather than the bold purple from a few days ago.
“Too bad.” Her growing smile softened the sting of her retort. “I didn’t hear at the train station how you came to be so bloody and bruised.”
“The railroad had just made an announcement at a town meeting. People weren’t too happy about it. I happened to walk into a couple punches.”
“Interesting story. Are you sure you weren’t the initiator? You don’t seem to have trouble starting arguments.” She held his gaze.
His jaw dropped. She could definitely hold her own. “I can assure you that I am not a pugilist.”
It was her turn to appear surprised. “I’m impressed that you know the word, Mr. Brunswick.”
“You give me far too little credit.”
She waved a hand. “Never mind. I recently heard about your father’s massive acreage. I’m told that he owns twenty thousand or more acres of land. I want to know why a man would believe himself in need of that much land.”
