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She did, however, need him to stick with her long enough to sign the marriage license so she could get that damn deed in her name.
“Since you have witnesses who will swear you are married, can’t you get things settled with the deed now?” Mercy asked.
Nora frowned again. “Possibly. Even with all the signatures, none of this is technically legal until it’s filed at the county courthouse. But you know how things work this far out. As long as I’ve got the paperwork, I’m most likely safe. But if it were ever challenged…” She shook her head. “No. Without a signed marriage license, it’s not legal, and I want it all legal so there is no question. No way to challenge it.”
Mrs. DuVere leaned forward, her face alight with excitement. “So what you need is for Mr. Brady to need you enough to agree to a brief, but legal, marriage.”
Nora nodded. “Essentially.”
Martha picked up on Mrs. DuVere’s excitement and clapped her hands together. “How can we help?”
“Help?” Nora asked, looking among them.
Mercy grinned. “If Mr. Brady wants to stay in this town, he has to get hitched or get a job before the end of the month.”
“Right,” Nora said. “But he’s already secured a job. And lodgings.”
Mrs. DuVere frowned. “Yes, thanks to me and my generous ways.”
The women all laughed. Mrs. DuVere could never help but take in whatever strays she could find, no matter what the species.
She slapped her hand lightly on the table and sat back. “No matter. His lodgings are far from comfortable, I assure you. And I can make sure they become even more so. In fact, I had to shoo Tommy out from under Mr. Brady’s window last night. He and that friend of his were caterwauling and making all kinds of ruckus chasing one of the stray cats. Next time, perhaps I’ll just look the other way. And maybe drop an unsubtle hint or two that he’s welcome to make as much noise under that particular window as he wants.”
Martha giggled. “There’s nowhere else in town to get lodgings, so that means Mr. Brady will be needing a place to stay.”
Mercy snorted. “And take it from someone married to a former gunslinger and who has spent a lot of time with his city-bred deputy. These men aren’t really equipped to do much else. I don’t see Mr. Brady lasting too long as a builder.”
The women all grinned, and Mrs. DuVere tapped her finger against her lips. “Very true. And once he fails at that, he’ll need another job.”
“I could hire him at the store,” Martha said. “And make sure it’s an experience he can’t wait to forget.”
“And I’ll talk to Gray,” Mercy said. “I have no doubt he and Sunshine can find a few unpleasant tasks for Mr. Brady to fail at.”
“I’m sure Preacher and Doc will help as well,” Mrs. DuVere said. “Martha and I will have a little chat with them.”
Martha grinned and nodded enthusiastically.
Nora huffed out a laugh. “I think I’m starting to pity Mr. Brady.”
Mercy waved that off. “Ah, he’ll be fine. Once you’ve got what you need, we’ll make sure he lands on his feet.”
“Afterhe helps you,” Martha emphasized.
Nora chewed at her lip again. “You really think it’s possible to talk a man who wants to avoid matrimony at all costs to accept our marriage?”
Mrs. DuVere took her hand. “You don’t worry about a thing, my dear. Give us a week and we’ll make sure Mr. Brady has no other option but to seek you out. If he wants to stay in this town, he’s going to need you.”
Nora nodded slowly. It could work. Then she could offer him a bargain. Sign the form to make it legal and promise to give him a divorce after a few months. That should be plenty of time to get all the legal stuff squared away with the deed. And once she had that, she wouldn’t need the pungent, bedraggled, and yes, maybe handsome but infinitely irritating Mr. Adam Brady anymore.
Chapter Nine
Adam’s morning had started off…poorly. He’d stood blinking blearily at Mr. Vernice who just looked him over and muttered something under his breath that Adam probably didn’t want to hear.
Frankly, he was just glad he’d managed to get dressed and on the sidewalk in front of the boardinghouse by the correct time. If it wasn’t for Mrs. DuVere’s hair-stripping coffee, he probably wouldn’t have made it. Not that he’d slept in. Sleep was a distant dream with all the racket that had gone on during the night.
Besides all the noises coming from his neighbors, Adam was pretty sure someone had set a cat to yowling right below his window. He hadn’t caught sight of anything but the stable boy when he’d stuck his head out to chuck the pitcher at it. But unless someone had paid the kid to make noise under his window, Adam couldn’t fathom what else would have been making that noise.
He needed to get some actual glass in his window and walls up as soon as possible. Too many more nights like the one he’d just had, and his naturally cheery disposition was going to suffer.
