Free Romancing the Schoolteacher by Mary Davis Page A

feelings were rapidly heading that way.
    Dora wiggled, and he had to tighten his hold so she didn’t fall. “Why not, Papa? Why not? You should love her!”
    Gabe breathed hard. “She’s never going to understand.”
    Lindley didn’t think his son really grasped the concept either, but Gabe liked to act as though he knew more than he really did. “It’s not that simple. She would have to love me, too.”
    Dora patted his chest. “I’ll ask Teacher at school tomorrow to love you and marry you.”
    â€œNo!” He took a deep breath to calm himself. “Dora, you are not to say one word to Miss Greene about love or marriage or staying at her house. Do you understand?”
    â€œBut why? Don’t you want to marry her?”
    Gabe shook his head. “See.”
    Lindley hung his head. “Honestly, I don’t know. But you can’t say anything to her. It—it…it might…make her feel bad, and then she might not want us to come over. Promise you won’t say anything to her, or I won’t let you go to school anymore.”
    Dora huffed. “I promise. But you should love her.”
    He just knew his daughter was going to get him in trouble with Bridget. “Gabe?”
    â€œI’m not going to say anything like that.”
    Good.
    â€œPapa?” Gabe kicked a rock on the path. “Why did you talk like that to Miss Greene?”
    â€œLike what?” He didn’t know what his son was referring to.
    â€œAll jerky.”
    Ah, yes. Just before they left. Lindley had sounded like such a fool, trying to ask to use her first name. Fortunately, after he’d made a blundering idiot of himself and still not asked, she had graciously offered him the use of her first name. “I was thinking of other things. I wasn’t concentrating. Which is something you should never do.”
    â€œCan we call Miss Greene Bridget, too?”
    â€œNo. She’s your teacher. You must always address her as Miss Greene. Do you understand?”
    Gabe nodded as he kicked another rock.
    Lindley spoke to his daughter. “Dora?”
    â€œWhat, Papa?”
    Did his daughter not hear and understand? Or had she already learned the feminine art of being coy? “You understand that you must continue to call Miss Greene Miss Greene?”
    â€œBut if she says I can call her Bridget, can I? Bridget is a pretty name.”
    â€œNo. Not without asking me first.” It wouldn’t be proper for his children to accidentally call her Bridget in school.
    Dora’s words echoed in his head. Don’t you want to marry her? You should love her!
    Bridget was definitely a woman he could see himself falling in love with. But how would he know if he was or not? He definitely couldn’t ask her to marry him if he couldn’t even ask to address her by her first name.

Chapter 9
    L indley offered Marcus the chair adjacent to Mr. Keen’s desk.
    The big man shook his head. “I’d rather stand.” He leaned against the interior door frame.
    Was he hoping to make a quick escape if things turned unfavorable?
    The mine manager sat behind his desk, with one elbow on a stack of papers, the other on a flat piece of limestone. His sour expression and narrowed eyes told Lindley the man was annoyed with them for interrupting his day. It wouldn’t be prudent to try to cajole Marcus into sitting. The manager would rather they just leave.
    Lindley wasn’t inclined to comply, so he lowered himself into the chair to let Mr. Keen know they weren’t going anywhere. “Marcus and I represent the miners and kiln workers.”
    Mr. Keen rolled his eyes and sat back, causing his chair to creak. “Thompson, I knew you were going to be trouble the minute I laid eyes on you.”
    â€œWe aren’t here to cause trouble, just want what’s fair.”
    â€œI don’t suppose I can just say no, and the two of you will walk out