Morgan? Augustine?”
The saloon owner nodded. “That sounds mighty fine to me, Mr. Sheffield.”
“Thanks,” Morgan added.
Sheffield gestured curtly to the German maid, who had come into the room unobtrusively behind Glory. She poured the drinks and handed them around. Glory lifted her glass, smiled at Morgan, and said, “To new friends.”
Morgan returned the smile but didn’t say anything.
He wasn’t the least bit interested in Glory Sheffield, although he was mildly curious about how she had come to be married to the mining and railroad tycoon, as well as what had happened to Sheffield’s first wife. Edith, that was her name, Morgan recalled suddenly. She must have passed away, and Sheffield had wasted no time in remarrying.
Sheffield threw back his drink. The nod he then gave to Morgan was one of dismissal.
“We’re much obliged to you for your time, Mr. Sheffield,” Augustine said. “I hope things work out for you and Mr. Morgan and that you get those blasted outlaws taken care of.”
Sheffield grunted.
Glory moved closer to Morgan and rested a hand lightly on his arm. “Don’t be late in the morning, Mr. Morgan. I’d hate it if we had to leave without you.”
“I’ll be here,” Morgan promised.
She smiled. “Good. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better. It takes several hours for the train to reach Titusville, so we’ll have plenty of time to…get acquainted.”
Morgan didn’t know what to say to that, so he didn’t say anything. He finished his drink and then left with Augustine. Glory came out onto the platform at the rear of the car to rest her hands on the railing and watch them walk away.
Morgan let out a low whistle of amazement. “Is she always like that?”
“You mean like a whore trying to drum up business?” Augustine laughed. “If you ever quote me on that, I’ll deny it up one way and down the other. I’m just like everybody else. Nobody wants to offend Edward Sheffield, so nobody ever mentions that he married himself a real she-devil.”
“He has to notice the way she acts.”
Augustine shrugged. “I reckon he does, but he chooses to ignore it, and that’s his right. For what it’s worth, I’ve never heard any gossip about Mrs. Sheffield actually doing anything with other men except flirting. But she goes about that mighty serious-like.”
“She’s a very beautiful woman,” Morgan mused.
“No doubt about that. She could make herself some good money if she wanted to come to work in a place like mine.”
“She’s not Sheffield’s first wife, is she?” Morgan already knew the answer to that question, but he thought Augustine might be able to provide some more information and he was just curious enough to ask it.
“No, his first wife died about a year and a half ago, I reckon. He married the current Mrs. Sheffield six months after that.”
“Where did he find her? Some cathouse somewhere?”
Augustine shook his head. “That’s not the way I heard it at all. She’s the daughter of some politician. Mr. Sheffield travels in pretty high circles, you know.”
Morgan knew, all right. He had traveled in the same circles himself, although those memories seemed to belong to another man entirely.
Augustine went on, “It could be that the marriage was some sort of business arrangement. Those fellas like to take care of each other, just like the old kings and queens did in Europe. If that’s the case, then I’d say Mr. Sheffield got the better end of the deal. Mrs. Sheffield’s one of the prettiest women I’ve ever seen.”
Gloriana Sheffield was beautiful, all right, thought Morgan, but she couldn’t compare to Rebel. No woman could.
They walked along in silence for a moment, then Augustine said, “You’re going to take the job Mr. Sheffield offered you, aren’t you, Morgan?”
“Does it matter to you whether I do or not?”
“Of course it does. I’m the one who suggested that Mr. Sheffield talk to you. He wants to hire you,
The saloon owner nodded. “That sounds mighty fine to me, Mr. Sheffield.”
“Thanks,” Morgan added.
Sheffield gestured curtly to the German maid, who had come into the room unobtrusively behind Glory. She poured the drinks and handed them around. Glory lifted her glass, smiled at Morgan, and said, “To new friends.”
Morgan returned the smile but didn’t say anything.
He wasn’t the least bit interested in Glory Sheffield, although he was mildly curious about how she had come to be married to the mining and railroad tycoon, as well as what had happened to Sheffield’s first wife. Edith, that was her name, Morgan recalled suddenly. She must have passed away, and Sheffield had wasted no time in remarrying.
Sheffield threw back his drink. The nod he then gave to Morgan was one of dismissal.
“We’re much obliged to you for your time, Mr. Sheffield,” Augustine said. “I hope things work out for you and Mr. Morgan and that you get those blasted outlaws taken care of.”
Sheffield grunted.
Glory moved closer to Morgan and rested a hand lightly on his arm. “Don’t be late in the morning, Mr. Morgan. I’d hate it if we had to leave without you.”
“I’ll be here,” Morgan promised.
She smiled. “Good. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better. It takes several hours for the train to reach Titusville, so we’ll have plenty of time to…get acquainted.”
Morgan didn’t know what to say to that, so he didn’t say anything. He finished his drink and then left with Augustine. Glory came out onto the platform at the rear of the car to rest her hands on the railing and watch them walk away.
Morgan let out a low whistle of amazement. “Is she always like that?”
“You mean like a whore trying to drum up business?” Augustine laughed. “If you ever quote me on that, I’ll deny it up one way and down the other. I’m just like everybody else. Nobody wants to offend Edward Sheffield, so nobody ever mentions that he married himself a real she-devil.”
“He has to notice the way she acts.”
Augustine shrugged. “I reckon he does, but he chooses to ignore it, and that’s his right. For what it’s worth, I’ve never heard any gossip about Mrs. Sheffield actually doing anything with other men except flirting. But she goes about that mighty serious-like.”
“She’s a very beautiful woman,” Morgan mused.
“No doubt about that. She could make herself some good money if she wanted to come to work in a place like mine.”
“She’s not Sheffield’s first wife, is she?” Morgan already knew the answer to that question, but he thought Augustine might be able to provide some more information and he was just curious enough to ask it.
“No, his first wife died about a year and a half ago, I reckon. He married the current Mrs. Sheffield six months after that.”
“Where did he find her? Some cathouse somewhere?”
Augustine shook his head. “That’s not the way I heard it at all. She’s the daughter of some politician. Mr. Sheffield travels in pretty high circles, you know.”
Morgan knew, all right. He had traveled in the same circles himself, although those memories seemed to belong to another man entirely.
Augustine went on, “It could be that the marriage was some sort of business arrangement. Those fellas like to take care of each other, just like the old kings and queens did in Europe. If that’s the case, then I’d say Mr. Sheffield got the better end of the deal. Mrs. Sheffield’s one of the prettiest women I’ve ever seen.”
Gloriana Sheffield was beautiful, all right, thought Morgan, but she couldn’t compare to Rebel. No woman could.
They walked along in silence for a moment, then Augustine said, “You’re going to take the job Mr. Sheffield offered you, aren’t you, Morgan?”
“Does it matter to you whether I do or not?”
“Of course it does. I’m the one who suggested that Mr. Sheffield talk to you. He wants to hire you,
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