Texas Tiger TH3 (21 page)

His hand crushed hers as he glanced back at her. "You can't hide from the world, Georgina. You have to confront it and shake your fist at it and go on. I have enough battles of my own to fight. I don't want to have to fight all yours, too."

That got her dander up. Glaring at him, Georgina caught up her skirt and stalked down the street. She wasn't any vapid heroine who needed a white knight to rescue her. Janice Harrison was an arrogant pigheaded fool, and she was going to prove it to her.

She did very well when the spry old lady answered the door. Georgina smiled and greeted her and pushed her way into the house without invitation. That was when her determination faltered.

Janice knelt beside a makeshift bed in the front room, a look of worry and exhaustion lining her porcelain face in shades of gray. On the bed lay a frail golden-haired child, her closed eyelids veined in blue. Even her lips were blue against the pinched thin skin of her face. Georgina halted, speechless, while Daniel placed a hand on her shoulder.

Even in her weariness, Janice's anger came through as she looked up at the intruders. "Get her out of here," she whispered, not moving from the child's side.

"Georgina's my wife, Janice. We're here to help whether you like it or not. Betsy's had another of her spells?" He nodded toward the child on the bed.

"She walked clear out to the end of town, looking for wild strawberries, then some fools tried to steal her pail, and she had to run all the way home. The doctor said she shouldn't overexert herself. Her heart's too weak to stand it." didn't comment on Georgina's new status.

That didn't keep the old woman from cackling over it. "Found yourself a good man, did you?" She gestured toward a lumpy stuffed chair near the door. "Have a seat. It's good to see a smiling face once in a while."

Janice scowled, but taking one look at Daniel's expression kept her from driving their visitors away. Instead, she gave Georgina a malicious glance. "What happened to your rich beau? Frighten him away?"

"I couldn't marry a man who would hire a scoundrel like Egan." Georgina took the seat offered although she was certain her light gown would be soiled forever. There wasn't any way these people could beat out the grime that coated this neighborhood.

Janice snorted. "I could marry a man with two heads and horns if he could give me everything Peter Mulloney could give me. You're a fool."

Georgina smiled sweetly. "I'll introduce you two sometime."

"If you'd married him, you could have persuaded him to fire Egan and fix up these places," Janice pointed out, dipping a sponge into a basin and carefully mopping her sister's forehead.

"If I'd married him, I could have grown old talking to the walls. It would have done as much good. The only way to persuade Peter to do anything is from the wrong end of a gun." Georgina looked up to Daniel hopefully. "Could we do that? Could we hold him at gunpoint and force his father to sign over the houses or something? I'd dearly love to see Peter at the wrong end of that rifle."

Daniel's lips quirked up in agreement, but then he turned his attention back to the woman at the bed. "Do you have more of that medicine the doctor prescribed last time? That seemed to work."

Georgina felt a breeze of emptiness pass between them as she, too, turned back to look at the small tableau. The rapport she had found with Daniel before had just been wishful thinking, after all. They were two completely different people with different backgrounds and different goals. How could she have imagined that he needed her, even for a single minute? Like Peter, he was all business. It was just that Daniel's business was more to her liking than Peter's.

Janice who was evading Daniel's question by murmuring something about medicine not being necessary. Georgina didn't think it took a woman to understand that Janice was too proud to admit that they couldn't afford the doctor or medicine, but it might take a woman to tactfully suggest a solution.

Before Daniel could reply, she interrupted. "Which doctor do you use?"

Janice frowned, but said, "Dr. Phelps."

Georgina nodded her head knowingly. "Dr. Phelps owes me a favor or two. I think it's time to call them in. Why don't I send him over here just to make certain Betsy doesn't need something else? He won't charge you if he knows what's good for him."

Daniel's hand closed over Georgina's shoulder as he talked over Janice's protest. "We'll go do that right now. But if you don't mind, I'd like you to think if there aren't some other women from Hanover Industries who might be interested in talking to us—maybe some who don't work there anymore. Make a list, and we'll come by to get it later. Is Douglas still going to help with the deliveries? I'm expecting this next edition to really raise dust."

He understood. Georgina sighed in relief and stood up, taking Daniel's arm as he led her toward the door with Janice's assurances that her brother would be ready. He had not only understood what she had tried to do, but he had helped her. She would dearly like to meet the family that had raised this marvelous man. And then tell them to break his habit of telling lies.

Outside, as they hurried down the street, Daniel glanced down at her and asked, "You don't really know Dr. Phelps, do you?"

Georgina smiled blithely. "Never heard of him. But I have my quarterly allowance and I'm certain he will go anywhere we ask with the proper enticement. That child looked horribly ill to me."

"She had a fever that injured her heart. She probably won't live to be an adult. Are you sure you want to throw away your coins? There won't be any more where those came from."

Georgina jerked her hand away and glared at him. "Stuff it up your shirt, Mulloney." She stalked away without a backward glance.

Daniel's laughter followed her up the street.

It was a heck of a way to start a marriage, but much better than contemplating what would happen in the night to come.

Chapter 16

"You did what?"

The man behind the massive desk leapt up and glared at his eldest son as if he had taken off his head and bounced it on the floor.

Peter shoved his hands in his pockets and glared back. "I wasn't going to let her be ruined by that scoundrel. It serves them both right. What I want to know is where he got the name. I haven't been down to the courthouse yet, but he swears his name is Mulloney and that he's my brother. Even an ass wouldn't make that claim unless he has something to back it up."

Artemis Mulloney went white, whether with rage or some other emotion wasn't easily discernible. His fingers locked around the desk, and the light from the window behind shadowed his face, making it impossible to read his expression. "The lying, conniving son of a..." He halted in mid-curse, straightened up, and took his seat. "His intent is evident, of course. It's a simple enough matter to forge documents. I'm not certain how he found out, but he has evidently done his research. We've not mentioned it to any of you because it never seemed important, but there was a child born before you, a son. He died within three days of his birth. He's buried in the family cemetery. You can see the stone for yourself. It reads 'Daniel Ewan Mulloney.' "

Peter took the first deep breath of the morning. "I knew there had to be an explanation. The bastard is trying to pass himself off as one of us so he can walk in and claim his share of our wealth and Georgina's, too. Do you think he means to take it to court? Surely forged documents can be detected?"

Artemis reached for a pen and began to scribble across a piece of letterhead. "I suspect he will opt for blackmail. He won't want the courts involved. I'll notify our attorney. We'll stop this before it can even begin." He looked up and glared at his son. "Marrying him to Georgina Hanover is the stupidest thing you've ever done. But I'll take care of that. You get back to work."

Peter stiffened again. Biting his tongue, he swung around and stalked out. Sometimes, he had a great deal of difficulty liking his father, but he didn't have to like him to obey him. The old man knew what he was doing, there was no doubt about that. But just this once, Peter would like to be a step ahead of him.

He would start with a visit to the courthouse.

* * *

Georgina stared out the window of her new home to the dirty street below where a farm cart rattled past loaded down with fresh produce from the country. It was a little late to be arriving for the Saturday morning market. Perhaps the farmer had been so successful he had gone back for a second load.

Turning around, she gazed at the nearly empty room that she and Daniel would now share. This wasn't even a house. It was a warehouse. These rooms were made for offices and stock and hordes of dirty, sweating men. The walls hadn't been painted since the building had been built. The floors were worn and scraped with years of machinery and feet crossing them. They had never been sanded and polished for the feet and delicate shoes of women.

At least there was some semblance of plumbing, she had discovered much to her relief, but that was as gracious as it got. The windows had no curtains. The floors had no rugs. The rooms had no furniture, unless one counted a printing press, a pallet, and an old armchair.

Her eyes strayed to the pallet Daniel had slept on the night before. Surely he wouldn't expect her to share that?

Raising her chin, Georgina started for the door. Daniel had left her here while he ran errands. She didn't know what he expected her to do with the time, but she knew what she wanted to do. She set out to explore the other possibilities of this filthy building.

When she was done, she was even more depressed than before, but at least she had some ideas. There was another room across the hall she could use for herself. She just needed a broom, a pail, and a mop to clean out the dirt and the spiders and the cobwebs that had accumulated with years of neglect. She hoped Daniel didn't have to pay much rent for this pile of garbage.

She counted the coins left in her purse after she had given Daniel some for Dr. Phelps. Her allowance was generous, and she could calculate the number of new dresses and shoes she could purchase with it, but she didn't know the cost of anything else. It seemed wisest to hang on to every penny until she knew where the next would come from. Why should she waste her precious money on brooms and mops when she knew where she could get some for nothing?

Her father would have a conniption fit, but Hanover Industries belonged to her as much as it did to him. Or almost as much. She could see no reason in the world why she couldn't use their brooms and mops if she liked.

Deciding action was better than inaction, Georgina unpacked her satchel, shook out the simplest cotton gown she had, and changed. She kept one ear open for the sound of footsteps, terrified Daniel would be back before she could dress, but all she heard was the whine of the dog wanting his ears scratched.

After she smoothed the gray skirt over her oldest petticoat and tied her shoelaces, she let the dog in and gave him the requisite pat. His tail wagged eagerly, and she debated taking him with her, but Daniel needed him to guard his machines. Leaving him with a scratch and a promise, she walked across the street.

Doris stared when Georgina sashayed into the office in a gown that looked like it had never been pressed and should have been worn by a servant. Georgina gave her a big smile, commented on the weather, and swept into the next room. The women at the machines had their backs to her and didn't dare to turn to see who entered, but the foreman was quick to note any invasion of his turf. Fortunately, he was on the other side of the room and had to dodge boxes and machinery before reaching her. Georgina waved tauntingly and opened the maintenance closet door.

She had the required equipment in her hands before Emory could reach her. Praying that her father had not mentioned her disgrace, knowing he wouldn't breathe a word of it for the sake of his own pride, she pretended she was still the spoiled daughter and merely smiled at the foreman's shout.

Gathering up her tools, she called, "I'll bring them back shortly. Don't worry about me! I can handle them." Then with an insouciant calm she didn't feel, she deliberately swung her hips and walked out.

Georgina waved at Doris as she passed by. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she got outside and let it out again. She had done it. She hadn't exactly bearded the lion, but she had staked a claim. And she would keep on staking that claim until they realized they couldn't keep her out.