law clerk has to run all over town doing errands and things. If I thought I could do that, I'd hire on at the newspaper. I've always wanted to work on a newspaper."
"Have you really?" Evie contemplated that idea for a while, her head cocked at a thoughtful angle. "Well, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't. Tomorrow, we'll set out to become self-supporting workers. We're quite old enough now to be on our own anyway."
Evie frowned at a thumping on the door. She sent Daniel a thoughtful glance, then nonchalantly began to file her nails as she called for their visitor to come in.
Tyler entered, hat in hand. He glanced at Daniel lounging across the bed, then to Evie sitting innocently in the corner making herself beautiful. He wasn't entirely fooled by her display. Many women were so vain that they thought of nothing but themselves. This one had too devious a mind for that.
"The sheriff's posse just returned. They didn't find any trace of the thieves. I told him I'd go back out with them tomorrow. If we're having that little talk, it had best be tonight."
Evie set her file aside and made a graceful gesture at the other chair in the room. "Won't you have a seat, Mr. Monteigne? That's mighty kind of you to offer your services to the local sheriff. I do trust he isn't expecting you to single-handedly catch the outlaws, is he? He seems to be under the impression that you are someone that you aren't."
Tyler sent Daniel another look. The boy still believed he was his hero, Pecos Martin. And it looked like the sheriff had read the same silly novels. He could guess where the sheriff had got the notion.
Shrugging, he set his hat on the table and crossed his legs. "I know how to shoot a gun as well as the next man, I reckon. Southerners learn to shoot and ride before they can walk. Don't worry your pretty little head about me, Miss Peyton."
Evie smiled and batted her eyelashes and pretended to be the simpering idiot he was playing up to. "Why, Mr. Monteigne, how could I not? I'll say a prayer for you tonight before I go to bed."
"You do that." Tyler sent her a smoldering look that spoke of what he would prefer she do in that bed, but he played the part of gallant for the boy's sake. "Now, you were going to tell me how I could help you here in Mineral Springs."
"I thought Evie said..."
Evie sent Daniel a quenching look and looked regretful. "I'm afraid you won't be able to help, after all, Mr. Monteigne. It appears we'll have to stay here for some little while, and we wouldn't wish to delay your return to Natchez."
Tyler swept his frock coat back and shoved his hands in his trouser pockets as he considered the evasive little witch across from him. He had no reason to demand that she assuage his curiosity other than that she had dragged him all the way out here and he wanted to know why.
But he was damned tired of hearing her lies, and he could tell by the set expression on her face that was all he was going to get right now.
So he rolled his shoulders and shrugged. "I'm not planning on returning to Natchez anytime soon. There's no profit in reaching a new territory without exploring it first. I mean to look into a few business enterprises while I'm here. You just let me know if I can be of any help, you hear?"
She smiled sweetly in mocking reply. "Why, of course, Mr. Monteigne, I wouldn't hear of anything else. Now you take care tomorrow, won't you?"
Tyler slowly unfolded himself from the chair and rested his hand on the doorknob. His gaze fell on the lovely bird of paradise perched on the worn bedroom chair, then flickered in the direction of the boy on the bed. Daniel was tense and upset, but he was keeping his mouth shut.
Tyler nodded at the kid. "You tell me when your sister gets herself in too deep. And if there's anything else you want to tell me, I'll be keeping rooms here for a while. You just come find me."
Daniel looked relieved. Satisfied, Tyler bowed farewell and walked out.
Evie kicked the washstand. "Who does he think he is? I didn't hire him for a nanny. Why doesn't he just go away and leave us alone?"
Daniel sent his "sister" a look of