[Harlequin] - Susan Amarillas - Silver And Steel (txt), Ksiazki, txt, ebook, pdf

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Silver and SteelbySusan AmarillasSusan Amarillas was born and raised in Maryland moved to Californiawhen she married. She quickly discovered her love of the high desertcountry-she says it was as if she were 'coming home'.When she's not writing, she and her husband love to travel the backroad& of the West, visiting ghost towns and little museums and alwayscoming home with an armload of books.MILLS & BOONDID YOU PURCHASE THIS BOOK WITHOUT A COVER?If you did, you should be aware it is stolen property as it wasreported unsold and destroyed by a retailer.Neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for thisbook.All the characters in this book have no adstence outside theimagination of the Author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyonebearing the same name or names.They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknownto the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.All rights reserved Including the right of reproduction in whole or inpart in any form.This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin EnterprisesB.V.The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproducedor transmitted in anyform or by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrievalsystem, or otherwise, nithout the written permission of thepublisher.This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way oftrade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherK4se circulatedwithout the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding orcover other than that in which it is published and Wthout a similarcondition including this condition being imposed on the subsequentpurchaser.MILLS & BOON, the Rose Device and LEGACY OF LOVE are trademarks of thepublisher.Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited, Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road,Richmond, Surey 7W9 ]SR 0 Karen L.Amarillas 1994ISBN 0 263 79530 6Set in Times Roman 10 on 11 pt.04-9604-89851 C Printed in Great Britain by BPC Paperbacks LtdChapter OneMontana Territory, 1879Exactly four buildings lined each side of Main Street like a mirrorimage right down to the peeling paint.That was the welcome sight that greeted Mary Elizabeth Clang as sherode into Rainbow Gulch on this sunny Tuesday in May.She had news-good news.News that was going to change everything, and she couldn't wait toshare it with the people who meant the world to her.Where the blazes was everyone?There was only a dust devil to greet her and even that whirled past,leaving the street silent and empty, with only the steady clip-clop ofBuck's hooves and the creak of saddle leather to keep her company.Glancing up over the rooftops, she noted the billowing thunderheadsbuilding over the Bear Tooth Mountains.There'd be rain tonight, a real hide-under-the-covers storm by the lookof things.About that time, she saw Tim Johnson stroll out of the Number Threesaloon and lean casually against the gnarled upright supporting onecorner of the porch.Hard to believe a town of less than two hundred people would need threesaloons.Three or a hundred and three, she couldn't have cared.This was home, and every dirt-covered log shack scattered over thehillsides looked like a palace to her.With a nudge of her heel against her horses's side, she headed inTixn's direction.Poor Tim was as nearsighted as an old woman, and she could see himsquinting, trying to make her out.The instant he did, he straightened abruptly and called over hisshoulder toward the saloon's open doorway, Mary's back!Mary gave him a wave and was rewarded with a hopeful grin slashedacross his freckled face from ear to ear."Hey, everybody come on, Mary Clang's back!"Leaping off the wood porch, he started in her direction, the afternoonbreeze puffing out the sleeves of his too-big green plaid shirt.Reining to a stop in the middle of the sunny dirt street, Marydismounted.Just as she figured, the horse wandered to the nearby water troughwhile all around her men thundered out of the saloons as if someone hadshouted, "Avalanche!Merle Asher took to banging away on a piece of iron pipe that dangledon a length of rawhide like a hanged man in front of the Number One.The alarm was used for emergencies, fire mostly, or when somebody washurt.Today it called the rest of the town's population to a meetin .In no 9 .time, a hundred and fifty or so people had gathered around Mary."Well?" seemed to be the question on everyone's lips.There was a little jostling, a little pushing.Everyone crowded closer, straining for the words that would make orbreak their future.@'Did we get it?"The train. Did we get the train?""C'mon, Mary, spit it out.""Where's Papa?" she countered, wanting the most important person inher life to be there when she told them."Here I am, Mary girl," Brian Clang called over the heads of thecrowd."Hey, let a man through, will ya?"A smile lighted up her face as she watched him shoulder his way throughthe group.Dirt stained his denim pants and faded blue shirt.At nearly fifty, he stood ramrod straight, hair graying at thetemples."Good to have ya back, girl."He gathered her in a fatherly hug then put her slightly away fromhim."Ya okay?I don't like you making that trip to Bozeman alone.Mary smiled.Some things never changed - "I'm fine and I missed you, too, Papa,and-" "You two can get reacquainted later," Sam Rafferty cut in.He ran a hand through his thinning brown hair."Now what's the verdict? Good or bad?"Mary straightened, swiped at a stray lock of curly black hair thebreeze kept pushing in her face and said, "It's good.The House of - " " Did you hear that?" Tim Johnson asked, scanning the crowd of startled faces." We doneit.The Congress said yes.We're gonna get that railroad spur!"Tim, I didn't mean-" Too late.Her plea was lost in the excitement.For a moment all she could do was watch in horror as the bystanderswent wild, shouting, laughing, slapping one another on the back.The wives, the dozen there were, hugged their husbands and cried .And the handful of children played a game of ring-around-a-rosy."No. Wait!"Mary pleaded, but no one paid attention.Brian Clang beamed."Mary girl, I wish yer ma was here to see this day. She'd be proud."Mary's pulse pounded in her ears.This wasn't how it was supposed to be.She had to explain."No, Papa, I-" His laughter drowned out her plea.Sam Rafferty's chubby cheeks pouched up in an eyesquinting smile."That danged letter writin' stuff Mary thought of worked.""No!"Mary shouted."You don't understand."Panic filled her.Desperately she tried to get everyone's attention." Please! " She pushed into the crowd, grabbing first one, thenanother."Listen! It's not over!""What?"Eddie Edwards stiffed.He let his daughter slide through his arms to stand on the ground."What do ya mean it ain't over? You just said-" Briaif s smilefaded.Slowly, the crowd seemed to pick up on the conversation.People quieted and once again all faces turned toward her.Her panic turned into a knot that started in her stomach and threatenedto choke off any speech."I was trying to tell you," she began swallowing hard, "Mr. Macklinwired that the House of Representatives passed legislation torenegotiate the treaty with the Crow and allow a railroad spur to bebuilt across Indian land to Rainbow Gulch."She rushed all she had to say in one long breath."So? Ain't that enough?"Tim Johnson asked, obviously confused.Others nodded.Mary gazed around at the faces of the people she loved as if they wereher blood kin."The House of Representatives is only the first step-and we passed,"she added quickly, wanting them to feel encouraged, not disappointed."Now it has to pass the Senate.""So ... we didn't get it."Sam's voice was barely a whisper.No one in the crowd moved.Even the afternoon breeze stilled, leaving the air as lifeless as thepeople gathered around.Mary saw the look of disbelief on their faces.How could her good news have turned out so badly?"We gotta have that railroad."Eddie voiced what everyone was obviously thinking."Hauling gold outta here on pack animals was tough enough, but now thegold's gone.It's silver or nothing and it's too danged heavy to haul outta here onmules.Mary shared their frustration."I knoiw."She thought of the rich vein of silver her father had claimed.This was it for them like everyone else here.Their one chance at a future, a decent life.Lord, she hated this.Why couldn't the Senate have voted, too?Of course, that wasn't the way of politics.Sam Rafferty shifted from one booted foot to the other."If we don't get that train, this'll be a ghost town come first snow.This silver won't be worth diggin' if we can't get it to a smelter.With the main railroad track only fifty miles away, seems like itoughta be a cinch ... except for them danged Indians.""What are we gonna do?"Eddie asked solemnly."The letter writin' stuff was your idea, Mary. Hell, you wrote most of'em yerself and it worked, as far as it went, but now...Mary took a deep breath and let it out slowly.Behind her, the chestnut gelding, suddenly restless, pawed theground.The late afternoon shadows of the buildings edged across the streetlike the feeling of dread... [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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