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Chapter 19
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2021-09-02 22:39:17Elise sat on the porch of the great house and gently rocked in the rocking chair that was placed there just for her. Her eyes were locked on the doctor’s buggy as it made its way down the long drive toward town. She was given a clean bill of health and was now able to travel.
The news that her parents had paid the ransom and not tossed her to the wolves invigorated her spirits and aided in her speedy recovery from the ordeals she endured over the last few months. She was anxious to leave the wild west and return to the more civilized east. If she never saw a cowboy or a cow again, it would be too soon. She longed for pretty dresses, beautiful hairdos, glittery jewelry, and elite balls filled with pomp and circumstance.
The closer she got to full recovery, the less she saw of Nate and Oliver. In the beginning, Nate was practically glued to her side with Oliver not far away. After speaking with the doctor for a considerable lengt
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Joseph’s upbringing on the farm, combined with few opportunities to rub elbows with the Philadelphia elite gave him a different perspective of the ranch than Nate and Oliver, who were raised in the middle of social society and had no comprehension about the advantages of bonding with the land and had difficulty comprehending it. He was in such awe of the ranch’s grandeur and smoothness of operation that he could not stop complementing it. He spent a great deal of time mingling with the ranch hands while asking questions about the ranch’s general operation and learning all he could about how a ranch differed from a farm.He was surprised to discover that, at one time, cotton was grown on the ranch. Old man Kincaid got rid of it when he took Angus McCormick on as overseer. Angus had no idea how to grow cotton, nor did he have the desire for it. So, for the last fifteen years, the cotton fields lay fallow. Although Jose
Last Updated : 2021-09-02Paper Widow Chapter 21
Nate, Oliver, and Joseph stepped off the train with a spring in their step. After a long and frustrating assignment out west, they were finally back in their homeland of Philadelphia. Joseph planned on heading to his farm just as soon as they checked in with the Philadelphia Pinkerton office, while Nate and Oliver had plans for long baths, good meals, and a visit to the gentleman’s club. They did their best to coerce Joseph to join them, but he was adamant about getting his family together and discussing their future plans. The more he considered Nate’s offer to oversee the ranch out west, the more attached to the idea he became. He wanted to waste no time getting started.Nate and Oliver quickly settled into their homes, kissed their families hello, made themselves feel and look human again, and then headed off to the Philadelphia club for a night of good food and cards. They were seated in the dining room at a table near
Last Updated : 2021-09-02Paper Widow Chapter 22
“What are the odds of running into Elise Joselyn of the Boston Brahman in Philadelphia?” Oliver chuckled after he and Nate rode their horses far enough away from the Joselyn residence to insure their voices would not carry back for anyone outside to hear. “You did hear her introduced as Joselyn, correct? From what I gather, even Alexander isn’t aware of her little paper marriage. Tsk, tsk, such skeletons.”“I feel like I’m cursed,” Nate growled.“Seriously,” Oliver continued. “We’ve lived here all our lives and never encountered the Joselyns. Then, out of the blue, we befriend a dude from New York who just happens to be their nephew. He invites us to their home for dinner where we’re hosted by the Paper Widow, but we seem to be the only ones who know her as that. I mean, seriously, what are the odds?”“I wish you wouldn’t call
Last Updated : 2021-09-02Paper Widow Chapter 23
“I didn’t know you were part of the Joselyn’s social circle,” Lilith said as she looked up at Nate sitting tall on his hunter.“Considering you are still new to it yourself, I would imagine it will take a while before you meet them all,” Nate said with grudging politeness.“Is this your horse or is it borrowed?” she asked coyly.“Still judging people by their cover, I see,” Nate said scornfully. “Or in this case, their horse. Let me assure you, this nag belongs to me.”“Nag?” Lilith said as she stroked his horse’s neck admiringly. “Really Nathan.”“You know I hate that name,” Nate grumbled.“Yes,” she said sweetly as she seductively sipped on her champagne.“Almost as much as I hate you,” he mumbled between clenched teeth.At the sound of her gasp, Nate realized he did the uninten
Last Updated : 2021-09-02Paper Widow Chapter 24
He swore off Elise Joselyn. She was cold to him whenever he was around her while exceedingly flirtatious with others, so why wouldn’t he swear off her? He was on the market for a solid, dependable wife of good standing. Elise fell short of these things. Of course, only he and his buddies were aware of this fact. The rest of the eligible men of Philadelphia society were scrambling over each other just to be the recipient of a smile from the beautiful Boston heiress.He did not disapprove of her because of what happened out west, although it could have been avoided had she been a bit more sensible and stayed home. He attributed her actions to that of a spoiled socialite who lacked not only common sense, but worldly exposure. What stuck in his craw was the way she flirted with the men who crowded around her at every opportunity. Her behavior reminded him of Lilith when she was just coming out - and even still. He was so proud when Lilith chose him out of all th
Last Updated : 2021-09-02Paper Widow Chapter 25
“Mr. Samuel Jacobs sent his card this morning,” Mary Joselyn said with smug satisfaction when Elise joined her and Sidney for breakfast. “It appears he wishes to be included in your afternoon entourage, my dear.”“Well, well,” Sidney said with equal smugness. “Now you are making some headway. The Jacobs are a mighty influential family on in the northeast.”“Truly?” Elise said with feigned surprise. “He made no indication of such.”“The sign of a true gentleman,” Mary offered as she slathered butter on her toast.“They have a good deal of family in the south, I believe,” Sidney said thoughtfully. “A bit of a mess, actually. From what I hear, the family was torn apart by the war, but they rallied together once it ended. That’s what families do in a crisis. They rally together and support each other.”“Perhaps we sh
Last Updated : 2021-09-02Paper Widow Chapter 26
It was decided that the benefit ball for the Philadelphia chapter of the Sisters of Charity would be a masquerade ball. Sidney Joselyn was delighted. He found the semblance of anonymity the costumes provided a welcome relief from the constant pressure of having all eyes on his family’s every move. Worry over the antics of his niece being discovered before he found a suitable match for her caused him particular angst. His younger brother, Edgar, was ready to give up and allow the girl to live out her days as a wild and free spinster, but he would have none of that attached to the Joselyn name. He assured his brother that he could find the girl a suitable match so that the Joselyn’s could hold their heads high or his name was not Sidney Joselyn.Sidney and his wife Mary had no children of their own. They enjoyed all their nieces and nephews, but took a particular liking to his brother, Edgar’s, middle child, Elise, and
Last Updated : 2021-09-02Paper Widow Chapter 27
As they lay, satiated, in each other’s arms, the sound of party goers approaching registered enough to rouse them. They quickly made aright their appearances and scurried out of the maze. Although still quite heavily under the influence of the whiskey, Nate was coherent enough to realize the scandal they would cause should he be seen coming out of the maze with Elise on his arm; especially when she was still in considerable disarray.The only thing they had in their favor was the fact that they were in disguise. He mentioned this to Elise, who quickly put her mask over her face before leaving the maze and Nate behind her.Because Nate’s coordination made him a little slower to replace his mask when he finally decided to don it after procrastinating so that he could watch Elise disappear into the night without obstruction, he was recognized by a very angry Elizabeth Pratt. Fortunately, Elizabeth was not informed of the costume Elise chose t
Last Updated : 2021-09-02
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Paper Widow Chapter 39
The house was abnormally quiet as Nate knocked on the door. He was surprised by the length of wait he had between pulling on the knocker and the footman answering the door.“I wish to see Mrs. Smithfield,” he said as he handed the footman his card and stepped into the foyer.The first thing he noticed was the lack of décor. Although still finely decorated, it looked barren in comparison to the way it looked the last time he visited. He followed the footman into the parlor, but did not take a seat. He wired his condolences to Elise when the train stopped in Kansas several weeks earlier, but this was the first he would give them to her face to face. He could not explain why, but he was nervous.The sound of her soft slippers on the foyer’s marble floor caught his attention. He turned just in time to see her enter the room with the assistance of a cane. She looked tired and saddened, but still very
Paper Widow Chapter 38
Joseph stepped out onto the porch and rolled himself a cigarette. Remembering that his friend never developed the skill of rolling a good cigarette and pre-rolled cigarettes were scarce in the west. He followed Oliver’s example and handed the cigarette to Nate before rolling another for himself.“I should quit these things,” Nate mused as he took a long drag. “There’s a lot of scuttle that the nicotine in these things is poison.”“When it’s proof and not scuttle, I’ll believe it,” Joseph said as he formed a ring of smoke with his mouth.“Can you believe I have been here five months already?” Nate mused.“Time flies when you’re planting cotton,” Joseph chuckled.”“I’m mighty proud of what you did with the place,” Nate said. “My uncle used to grow cotton. He gave it up when that bastard Angus came
Paper Widow Chapter 37
Nate stepped onto the train and waved goodbye to his mother and sister. They never came to the station to see him off before. It felt good, but odd.He confided in his mother about his actions where Elise was concerned after swearing her to secrecy. She had a level head on her shoulders. He hoped she would not be overly shocked, but he needed the advice of a woman with a level head. It was upon her advice that he was going to live on the ranch he inherited from her brother, Richard.As a typical mother would be, Margaret Kimble was concerned for the mental health of her son. He was not in the habit of exposing his emotions to her in such a way. The fact that he felt the need to seek her advice on such a sensitive topic made her mind up that what was best for her son was for him to get as far away from Elise and the child she carried as he could. It was sad to think that she would be denied the pleasure of her first
Paper Widow Chapter 36
Elise did her best to disguise her discomfort over the fact that Nate Kimble was seated directly across from her. To his left was Lilith Bertram and to his right was the beautiful Melissa Jameson. Melissa recently came out and was actively searching for a union with an eligible man. Unlike the Pratts, the Jamesons considered Nate Kimble to be an excellent catch. Therefore, Melissa was working hard to gain his favor. Considering Lilith was on his opposite side and she was certain he wanted to avoid any and all conversation with her, it made sense that Nate would pour all his attention on Melissa. The fact that she was a beautiful green-eyed redhead only served to sweeten the situation.The man seated to the left of Elise was an elderly gentleman whose name forever escaped her no matter how many times she found herself in his company. To her right was Oliver Sullivan. To Oliver’s right was the beautiful Amy Owens.
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The Philadelphia House felt especially crowded. Nate pushed his way past the gaming table as he made his way to the dining room. He was to meet Oliver for dinner and drinks and hoped his friend was on time. He spotted him seated at a table near the window and smiled while waving a greeting. He was only gone a few months, but it felt like years. It would be good to spend time with a close friend; especially after such an unsettling visit with the Smithfields.Oliver was full of positive energy and juicy gossip. Before they knew it, they were done with their meal and making their way to the smoking room.“Well, hello there,” called Sidney Joselyn. “I declare, I didn’t expect to meet up with one of you fine gentlemen this evening, let alone both of you. What a great surprise.”“It’s good to see you again, sir,” Nate offered.Oliver echoed his sentiments while they vigorously shook hands.Sidn
Paper Widow Chapter 34
It was an easy week before Nate found the courage to pay his respects to the newlyweds. Although he was happy to be able to have an excuse to be near Elise, he found it odd that they did not go off on a honeymoon as was generally the case amongst the privileged. He just could not shake the fact that there was something amiss with this marriage.He found their home extraordinarily large, but tasteful. The Georgian style mansion was located near the banks of the Delaware River. It was set far enough away from the declining seventh ward, yet still convenient to the hub of things. The sprawling garden gave the illusion of a country estate. Nate longed to have been the one to provide such a lovely home to the woman he loved. His heart felt heavy at the thought that he would never have that opportunity.“You frown so, Mr. Kimble,” Elise said as she gracefully descended the grand central staircase. “Does the house offend you?”“Certa
Paper Widow Chapter 33
Nate stepped off the train and then turned to offer his assistance to Catherine. Her step was light and filled with joy. She was once again on familiar ground. As much as she thrived in the wild west, she had to admit to herself and to others that she was, at heart, an easterner. Her brother was so very happy running the ranch for Nate that she could never tell him how much she longed to be back east. The dilemma of trying to focus on such a large operation while keeping a watchful eye on her safety in a world peppered with ruffians proved her ticket to freedom. Not only was she back east, but her brother’s good friend was paying for her to go to finishing school.The time she spent on the train with Nate helped her to understand why Joseph was so fond of him. Beneath that surly look that seemed like it was pasted on his face was a kind, gentle, and sensitive individual. She thanked him profusely for becoming her family’s benefa
Paper Widow Chapter 32
“This is a most surprising telegram,” Alexander said as he sat unceremoniously on the divan in Elise’s bedchamber. “Is this new?” he asked as he smoothed his hands over the floral tapestry.“It was delivered just this morning,” Elise replied.”“I have to say, I like the way you have decorated our new home,” he said admiringly as he looked around the tastefully decorated spacious room.“I have to say that I adore the house you chose for me to decorate. It’s easy to fill it with beauty when you begin with such splendor,” she said with a smile.“What’s money for if not to spend?” Alexander asked.“We seem to have a lot of it,” Elise pondered.“We are incredibly, shamefully, rich, my love,” Alexander said as he stretched his arm across the back of the divan and crossed his legs at the ankles.“Oh, good,
Paper Widow Chapter 31
Alexander paced the parlor while Elise sat quietly on the settee.“He seemed like an upstanding fellow,” Alexander said worriedly. “It makes no sense for him to completely ignore my wire.”“Are you sure the wire reached him?” Elise asked.“I checked,” Alexander replied testily, “it was picked up by a ranch hand that very day.”“Joseph struck me as the conscientious sort. I imagine he would make sure Nate received it as soon as he arrived,” Elise said thoughtfully.“If that’s the case, then the man’s a scoundrel,” Alexander spat.“He said he loved me and I believed him,” Elise pouted.“Men say all sorts of things when they’re drinking and having their way with a woman,” Alexander said thoughtlessly. “Has he declared his love to you while sober and not in the throes of passion?&rdquo
