Exasperating man. “It’s real, I promise.”
All he did was stare at her.
This was taking entirely too much time. Rude man. Stupid, stupid man. Pulling out her knife, she marched around the counter, grabbed his collar, and stabbed him.
His eyes widened as he crumpled behind the counter. Good enough. Now to get out before anyone else saw her.
She yanked the knife out, wiped it on the ugly brown shawl, and slid it back into its hiding place in her skirt. Then she reached into her drawstring bag and pulled out a glove. She hadn’t planned on using this today, but it was best to be prepared. With a wry grin, she laid it on the man’s chest.
Grabbing her purchases and the coin, she lifted her chin then strode out the door. It only took a few minutes to pack her horse. Once in the saddle, she glanced over her shoulder. The streets were quiet.
Huh. Perhaps she’d visit again.
MONDAY, JUNE17, 1889•UNIVERSITYOFDENVER
Martha paced the sidewalk outside the lecture hall. Neither Lily Rose nor Jacob had arrived yet.
Walter called down from his seat on the carriage. “Would you like me to wait, miss?”
She shook off her irritation and smiled at him. “No need for you to delay your dinner because of me. Please return in two hours.”
“Yes, miss.” He set the horses in motion and the carriage rolled away.
As she watched, she noticed Jacob heading toward her. Finally. She released her breath.
As promised, he carried a basket and a blanket. His pace was quick and he was at her side in no time. “My apologies forthe delay, it took a bit more time to arrange everything than I imagined it would.”
“It’s not a problem.” She took his offered elbow and walked with him over to a grassy patch under a tree.
He laid out the blanket and she took a seat while he removed all the goodies from the basket. “It’s nothing fancy, but it should do.”
Over their picnic dinner, they discussed the work of the day. Jacob shared how he’d been so nervous she would fire him over the broken fossil. Once they’d gotten the rest of the bone out, they saw how easy it would be to repair and piece back together. But until that moment, he’d been nervous.
“I don’t wish to scare you, Mr. Duncan.”
He laughed at her teasing. “Oh believe me, you scare us all plenty. You’re the boss, remember?”
Their laughter joined and seemed to roll over the grassy area in a wave of happiness. It was an altogether new feeling for her. She loved every minute of it.
If this was what courting was like, she could understand its popularity.
Of course, that probably had to do with one’s companion. Over a sip of lemonade, she watched Jacob. Yes, the company was definitely the deciding factor.
Jacob checked his pocket watch. “Oh my, we need to get this cleaned up. I didn’t realize it was almost time for the lecture to begin.”
Martha peered around the small grassy area. Where was Lily Rose? It was odd for her companion to be late like this.
By the time they had their picnic packed away and cleaned up, there was still no sign of Lily Rose. “I guess we better head inside. At this rate, I won’t be able to see over any of the gentlemen’s heads anyway.”
“I already took care of that.” The glimmer in Jacob’s eyes was curious.
“Oh? What did you do?”
“Before I grabbed the picnic, I asked a groundsman to allow me in. I laid my coat and a couple of blankets over three seats at the front.”
What a wonderful gesture. “That’s impressive, Jacob, but what if someone moved them? It is cutting it close.”
He shrugged. “I figured we could deal with that once we are inside.” He held out his elbow again. “Shall we?”
