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“Arizona Territory.”
“I see.”
“And you?”
“Originally Delaware,” she replied in the snootiest of tones. “My great-great grandfather was a Tory and fought on the side of the Crown against the rebels.”
“He was on the losing side then?”
The green eyes sparked with displeasure. “He went on to found his own mercantile.”
“How nice,” Regan said.
The widow opened her mouth to ask another question but Spring cut her off. “So, what brings you all the way out here, Colleen?”
“I dropped Felicity at the school and since I was in the area, I thought I’d come by and extend a welcome to Colt’s intended. I adored Adele. She was such a lady. He was so devastated by her untimely passing no one thought he’d ever marry again. Did you really answer an advertisement he put in the papers?”
Regan sensed the woman’s hunger for more details but didn’t take the bait. “Is Felicity your daughter?”
“Yes, she just turned seven and she’s such a little beauty. Takes after her mother, if I may be so bold. The beaus will be flocking around her like deer to corn once she comes of age. Have you met Anna yet?”
“No.”
“Poor little thing. She’ll always be in my Felicity’s shadow.”
Regan had had enough. Yes, the widow was a beauty with her light brown skin, straw-colored hair, and striking eyes, but the person beneath was a steaming pile of fresh horse manure. “Nice meeting you, Mrs. Enright. I have a few more chores to finish.”
“But—”
Regan headed for the barn and didn’t look back. Once there, she picked up the fork and went back to work. Her meeting with Dr. Lee claimed her thoughts. At least he was now speaking to her. Would all the accomplishments she’d ticked off about herself outweigh his concerns over her being so unconventional? She had no way of knowing. From his letters, she knew he cared deeply for his daughter. That his final decision rested on Anna’s opinion, spoke to that as well. A man who wanted to do what was best for his child was one to be admired.
A short while later, Spring walked in. “Colleen’s gone.”
“Good.”
“She rubs me the wrong way, too. Always has.”
“How long has she been a widow?”
“Her husband, Erasmus, died four years ago in a Rock Springs coal mining accident.”
“His death had to be terrible for her and her daughter. How long had they lived here?”
“Ten years. He came out here to be a schoolteacher, but the town didn’t have the money to pay him enough to live on, so he went to the mines.”
“She doesn’t impress me as a woman who’d enjoy the lack of status tied to that type of work.”
“She didn’t, and they struggled because she spent most of what he earned on gowns and hats.”
“He must have really loved her.”
“He did, but it wasn’t reciprocal. She was very dismissive of him. Complained openly that she didn’t have a fine house and constantly threatened to take Felicity and move back East.”
“If she was so unhappy why’d she stay?”
“Because she’s in love with my brother.”
Chapter Four
