Free Miss Phipps and the Cattle Baron by Patricia Watters

all
the fences going up. When that happens, the cost of beef in England
will be out of reach for ordinary people. There needs to be
regulation to protect cattlemen against this incursion."
    "Well, if you fancy yourself mayor, " Lady
Whittington said, "you had better keep your eyes off Miss Phipps,
or your electorate will think there is something wrong with you
that you are unable to attract a decent-looking woman."
    Adam bit back a string of expletives. The
fact that he found Priscilla appealing might be his assessment
alone, but he liked the way she looked when she was scrubbed clean,
and her green-brown eyes held that glint of passion he'd seen after
he'd kissed her, and her hair was a tangle of carrot-red curls
around her pretty oval face. Perhaps God gave him the eyes to see
beyond her plain facade and into the soul of the exhilarating woman
she was. But he'd never convince his mother that he could care for
a woman who looked the way Priscilla did when she was the way God
created her. "When Miss Phipps is fashionably dressed and made up
she is a different woman," he said. "When I was at the church
social last Sunday I had to outbid two men for her picnic basket,
and her company."
    Lady Whittington looked at Adam as if he were
deranged. "I cannot believe you would be drawn to the woman in any
way."
    "That's because you don't know her," Adam
said.
    Deciding it would do more harm than good to
plead a case for Priscilla and chance his mother wanting her to
move out, Adam said, "You can rest assured, Mother, I have no
designs on Miss Phipps. I merely wanted to do something charitable
for the woman, plain as she is, and for the church. It was, after
all, a fundraiser. But the main reason I asked her to live here is
so she can keep an eye on Trudy, who has her sights on a young
cowboy out at the ranch. Moving Trudy here, under Miss Phipps'
watchful eye, would keep Trudy away from that temptation. Miss
Phipps' virtue is above reproach, so she would be a good example
for both Trudy and Alice to follow. And she has a razor sharp
tongue when she has a mind to chastise someone. I can assure you,
Trudy would be no match for her."
    Lady Whittington straightened her spine and
pursed her lips, and her head gave a little wiggle, a clear sign
that she was yielding the argument to him, which she confirmed,
when she said in a conciliatory tone, "I was not aware of that side
of Miss Phipps' nature. That being the case, I suppose it's good
that she will be here."
    "I am glad you see it that way," Adam said,
relieved to be done with the session.
    Lady Whittington offered him a self-righteous
smile. "Don’t get me wrong, Adam. I have nothing against the woman.
She seems pleasant in fact. It's just that she is so very
unattractive."
    "Well, I hope you will not continue to hold
that against her," Adam said, feeling his temper mount, knowing
he'd better bring this whole unpleasant affair to a close before he
said something he would regret.
    Lady Whittington bristled. "I am not so
shallow as you portray me to be, Adam," she said. "I feel sorry for
the woman because of the way she looks. But I would certainly not
hold that against her. In fact, I hope to get to know her
better."
    Adam stood. "You will soon be given that
chance." He started for the door.
    Lady Whittington raised her hand to stop him.
"Before you go, Adam, tell me... What is this business you say Miss
Phipps plans to start?"
    Adam shrugged. "A singlesheet newspaper,
which she will call The Town Tattler . It will cover topics
appealing to women—recipes, society news, advice to the lovelorn, a
romantic story, a bulletin where women can air personal grievances.
Things like that."
    Lady Whittington pursed her lips and sucked
in a long breath. "Well, I suppose that would be appropriate for
the woman. She would certainly not do well running a millenary shop
or other business catering to women's fashions, as she has clearly
not been schooled along those lines. I doubt if she has even