Fate's Intervention (11 page)

“
First, I wanted you to know that you
’
ve done a fine job this past month,
”
Stanharbor began, and Matthew relaxed a bit.

“
I enjoy the work, sir.
”

“
Glad to hear it. You
’
ve got some
good
training skills and I can
’
t wait to put them to the test.
”

“
Thank
you, sir. I look forward to the challenge.
”

“
Well, you
’
ll more than earn your wages.
”

“
Yes, sir.
”

“
My main concern today is to purchase ten mounts for my customers
–
without spending too much money.
”

“
I understand, sir.
”

“
Good, then I
’
ll leave it to you to find what I need. Think you can manage?
”

“
How many horses are usually up for sale at these auctions?
”

“
Fifty or so.
”

“
Hmm. Out of fifty horses, I
’
m not sure I can find ten of high quality. Three or four maybe. It
’
s too bad that we couldn
’
t have kept White Star. He would have brought a good price from a buyer.
”

“
Not as good as I
’
ll get from this auction.
As
for quality, the lower the better. We can train them a bit and bring up their value slightly.
The amount m
y client
’
s pay isn
’
t worth the price of quality
horseflesh
.
”

“
Sure
ly
they
’
d be willing to pay out a little more if you offered them something better?
”

“
Maybe, but I don
’
t want to put out the initial cash, so just bring me ten horses under two
hundred each, and we
’
ll call it a day.
”

Matthew winced, but wisely kept his tongue. Two
hundred would get the purchaser a horse within a few months of a glue factory.
Is that how he got his repeat business
,
Matthew wondered,
by knowingly selling inferior mounts, thereby forcing the purchaser to buy more mounts
repeatedly.

“
Can I ask a question, sir?
”
Matthew asked.

“
Certainly.
”

“
If all you are interested in is cheap
horseflesh
, how in the name of the sun and stars did
you manage to obtain a horse like White Star?
”

“
Lucky break.
”

“
Sir
?
”

“
The
military got him from a local Indian tribe that they were consigning to a reservation.
”

Matthew grimaced,
“
A
nd
you got him from the military for pennies on the dollar, right?
”

“
More like dimes, but still and all it was a very advantageous purchase, wouldn
’
t you say?
”

“
Yes, sir. Did you need me for anything else?
”
Matthew hoped he didn
’
t. The more he spent in Stanharbor
’
s company, the less pleasant the fellow became.

Stanharbor didn
’
t answer him immediately and Matthew tensed.
There was something in his boss
’
s demeanor that said more was coming and he
’
d like it even less than the horse discussion.

“
Well, actually,
”
Stanharbor said finally, straightening his cravat,
“
The
re is another matter that we need to discuss before you go.
”

Uh oh, here it comes
, Matthew thought.
I wonder if he
’
ll wait to fire me until after I acquire his mounts.

“
What
’
s that, sir?
”
Matthew asked cautiously.

“
Well, I guess what I want to know is
–
w
hat do you think of my daughter?
”
Stanharbor
asked suddenly.

Matthew
’
s tension returned in spades.
It
’
s just a question
, he told himself, as he drew in deep, calming breaths.
Don
’
t think anything of it and relax.

“
Begging your pardon, sir?
”
Matthew asked.

“
Simple
enough question, son.
”

Matthew shot a glance out the window in Elizabeth
’
s direction, but she wasn
’
t paying him any attention. That, in itself, was suspicious, since she
’
d not taken her eyes off him since their last conversation.
A
ny
where he went, she wasn
’
t far behind. Like this auction.
Adam
said that she never bothered making the trip
–
until now. Until he arrived.

“
So
, have you an answer for me?
”
Stanharbor asked.

“
Umm,
”
Matthew stumbled, trying to find an appropriately neutral answer,
“
I haven
’
t really noticed her all that much, sir, but I don
’
t doubt that she
’
s a lovely young girl.
”

“
Hmm,
”
Stanharbor rubbed his chin,
“
She
’
s
taken a notice to you. You aware of that?
”

“
I try not to be aware of young girls
at all
, sir.
”

“
Really
? Me personally, the young ones are the only type that catches my eye. Prefer them that way. The younger they are, the easier they are to train
–
if you know what I mean.
”

“
Not really, sir.
”

“
Oh, well, never mind
, so y
ou have nothing to say about. . . .
”

“
I
’
d like to explain about what
went on
a couple of weeks ago, if I may sir,
”
Matthew interrupted, but Stanharbor raised a hand to silence him.

“
No need, son.
Elizabeth
already did.
”

Oh, I bet she did
, Matthew grimaced, certain that her version of what happened was less than accurate.

Stanharbor leaned forward slightly, which was all he could manage because of his size. He pierced Matthew with a look that Matthew could only describe as intimidating. To anyone other than Matthew, it probably would have been. He liked his job, but no man was going to force him into doing something he didn
’
t want, and the impression he got from Stanharbor was that he was trying to do just that. His next words confirmed it.

“
I want you to consider marrying her.
”

“
Now wait just a minute!
”
Matthew said.
“
I never touched her like that, no matter what she said. You can have her examined by a physician, if you doubt my word. Tarnation! She kissed
me
, and the minute she did, I sent her straight home. So, I
’
ll be damned if you or anyone else is going to force me into a shotgun wedding.
”

Stanharbor leaned back, a grin on his lips,
“
W
ho
said anything about a shotgun?
All
I said was that I
’
d like you to consider the possibility. Would appear though, that she
’
s sweeter on you than she even let on
,
and
more of a tart than I took her for. Kissed ya, huh?
”

“
Wasn
’
t exactly a kiss, so much as it was an effort to get my attention.
”

“
Did it work?
”

“
Not like you
’
re thinking, it didn
’
t.
”

“
So
you said,
”
Stanharbor smiled.
“
Well, the plain truth is, you
’
ve caught my only daughter
’
s eye, young man. She came to me last week and fairly begged me to give you to her.
”

“
I beg your pardon?
”

“
Yeah, I know,
”
Stanharbor said,
“
kind of took me by surprise as well. Never thought I reared a loose woman. If you don
’
t marry her, it may not be too much longer before her curiosity about the opposite sex gets the better of her. If she defiles herself,
she
’
ll ruin
her chances of finding a suitable mate. I can
’
t make a match for a soiled tart.
”

“
A
nd
you consider me a suitable match?
A
penniless working stiff.
”

“
I admit I don
’
t know you well, but you seem to me to be a man of upstanding moral virtue.
”

“
The
n I
’
d say you don
’
t know me at all,
”
Matthew said, hoping to dissuade further conversation about marriage. It didn
’
t work.

“
Well, perhaps. Still and all, it would seem that I
’
ve overindulged Elizabeth, being my only daughter and all
; g
iven her everything she wanted when she wanted it
,
and
now she wants you
; s
o she expects me to give you to her. So, if you don
’
t happen to be a moral man, perhaps a little incentive would work to make you one.
”

“
You are aware of how absurd this conversation
is.
”

“
I
’
d agree, if I wasn
’
t completely in earnest.
”

“
Well, in that case, I hope you told her that she couldn
’
t just acquire a husband the way you do a horse.
”

“
On the contrary, young man,
”
Stanharbor argued,
“
I think you can do just that
–
for the right price. Which is why I want to know what your price would be for marrying my baby girl? If she
’
s taken with you, as is apparent to both of us, then I
’
ll do what I can to see her happily wed to you.
”

Matthew was
finding it difficult to
breath
.
He couldn
’
t believe this was happening to him again. What was it about him that made pubescent girls want to dive into bed with him
–
or worse, marry him?
While he knew his looks were easy on the eye, he didn
’
t think it drove girls to insanity when they hit puberty.
At
least not until today.