Romancing the Schoolteacher by Mary Davis

his piece of paper and placing it on the desk in front of Mr. Keen. “The men deserve all of these.”
    â€œYou know as well as I do that the investors will decide.”
    Lindley would like to put the investors in these men’s living and working conditions and see if they didn’t want better. He left.
    Marcus waited outside and slapped Lindley on the back as he exited. “I’d say that was mighty successful.”
    Successful? A start, maybe, but not nearly enough.
    The men crowded around the pair.
    â€œHow did it go?”
    â€œWe still got jobs?”
    Marcus held up his hands to quiet the men. “Of course you still have your job. And more. Our houses will get fixed and our families can see the doctor.”
    The men cheered.
    But they were still working long days for little money. Script no less. It would have to do for now.
    * * *
    The next few weeks of school went like the previous week. Bridget’s eight students had dwindled to six, then after a week picked back up, gaining a pupil or two a day. Dora and Gabe were spared the whooping cough, and for that she was grateful. Two infants in the mining camp had succumbed to the illness. Many of the adults had also become sick. For a while, it seemed as though the whole town was coughing.
    The weather had warmed, and school was almost over for the summer. With only a little more than two weeks left, most of her students had returned. At this juncture, there wasn’t much point in having Gabe and Dora resume walking home with the Bennetts, who still had an ill child.
    On Monday after supper, Lindley followed Bridget to the sink with dirty dishes from the table. His words came out in a rush. “Would you go to supper with me?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI want to take you to the Hotel de Haro’s dining room. I hear they have excellent food.”
    â€œI don’t know.” She couldn’t allow him to spend what little money he had. On her no less. She glanced back at his children, still seated at her table.
    â€œJust the two of us.” His eyes were wide with expectation. “I’ll get someone to look after Gabe and Dora.”
    He wanted to be alone with her? Her heart did a little dance.
    * * *
    This was harder than Lindley ever imagined. His insides felt like a knotted rope. He’d wanted some time with just Bridget but had never been able to muster the courage. He’d been spared all this courting nonsense with Doreen. His father had made an agreement with her father after Lindley had rescued Doreen from a racing freight wagon. He’d known since he was twelve whom he would marry. No falling in love or worrying about whether she loved him. No need to get nervous. They were betrothed, and that was the end of it.
    Doing this on his own was different. Hard.
    He wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers. What if she turned him down? He’d waited long enough so that he was fairly certain she cared about him and not just for his children. Looks she gave him. The blush in her cheeks when he caught her staring. Always having supper ready.
    Her silence unnerved him. “I mean, it is the least I can do after all the meals you have provided for me and my children.” There. Now she might feel as though she could accept because it didn’t sound so much as if he was trying to court her. Which he was.
    But was he really in a position to be courting this fine lady? That didn’t seem to matter. The more she hesitated, the more he wanted her to say yes. Once alone with her, he could make his intentions known.
    She looked down. “Lindley, the hotel dining room is…expensive.”
    Was she embarrassed?
    She continued. “I know miners don’t make much. I would feel bad if you spent your money on me.”
    â€œSo, your hesitance is the cost and not me?” Relief hovered over him in anticipation.
    â€œOf course.”
    He let out his breath. This from a woman with a very expensive