READER'S ROCK LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE VOL 2 ISSUE 4 NOVEMBER 2014 Vol. 1 Issue 7 January 2014 | Page 29

"The crotchety old woman behind the counter peered at Magen through her spectacles. “I haven’t the slightest
idea that I could use your services, my dear.”
“But your sign says? She glanced toward the window to make sure the sign still occupied its previous position. It
weren’t married? “Now, if you’l l
“You mean she didn’t tell you?”
did. their prey. filled the clerk position already?”
“So, you’ve
have Jacob deliver these
surprised.
“Why, Miriam Finch, when did open. IHe acted genuinely one that you could fill.” Beatrice Taylor said smugly.
“I didn’t say I didn’t have a position
said I didn’t have
you return woman’s hawk-like perusal, “Let me go!” Magen ordered a display supplies out colored bonnets in the
from Chicago?”
Still under the
she casually walked over to
of assorted to the cabin,” she
heard him say. She watched
again, but he ignored her. “I
Beatrice asked but didn’t wait
corner of the store. She selected a dark green one then pretended to examine it with great fervor.
him hand a small piece of paper
warned you,” she mumbled.
for an answer. “Henrietta and I
The proprietor of Taylor’s Mercantile was not the only one in Malden Grove that had responded to whose mouth
her plea for work
to Beatrice Taylor
“Damn it!” Jeremy fumed as he
were looking over the lovely
with cold indifference,Chicago, had Ibeen her last hope. hand away to
was still frozen half-open as she
snatched his
fabric just in from but she but
Dr. Colson you’ve already seen whole town seemed to marksshe was a loose woman. Apparently, they’d already
stared at him incredulously from
examine the think her teeth
guess had been right. The
condemned her for hand.” one night, innocent as it was with Jeremy flesh
beside a stack of flour sacks.
made when they exited the Loud.
everything first staying
“Henrietta,old woman, Magen
I didn’t see you come in.” Beatricethe back of his hand.
Taylor practically purred. “My clerk, Emily, left the such short notice.
Jeremy shot on group his most
on
Nosy
I declare, it’s been doesn’t week, and I haven’t had one hear you applicant for the job.” She paused, breathless. “If
over a she just
suitable curse,""
dashing smile, “Now if you
“I so hate to
thought. Why
this goes on much longer I don’t see how I’ll function. I’m nearly to the point of exhaustion excuse us, we need
ladies will even as we speak.”
she said while straightening her
leave her alone?
Magen watched and nice of youShe wondered why the old hag didn’t just point at to be She may as well have. She
her. getting home.”
dress.
“Beatrice, it’s so listened. to
certainly didn’t seem you’re right. trouble ripping her dignity to shreds with that razor-sharp tongue of the jingle of
With the final signal, hers.
“She’s a little high strung, but
think of me. But to have any
“Excuse comeDid I hear an entirely were looking for work?” energy
the bell attached to it, the door
when she uses that
I’ve me. back with you say you
to Taylor’s Mercantile slammed
constructively, startled hear
new anyone else had entered
Unaware wardrobe. Frankly, I’m a bitthe store, Magen wasyou won’tat first. Then a wave of embarrassment washed
shut.
me complaining,” he replied with
over disappointed in your selection of
her.
“Now, Magen,” Jeremy said,
a wink that countered the
accessories. Now, quite becoming. She wore a fashionable cotton day dress in canary yellow with a matching
The young woman wasrun along,
then took two steps and
women’s looks of sympathy.
I’ve got had apparently heard the entire humiliating episode.
business to discuss with
bonnet and
grabbed her arm just above
“If she’s doubt from one of
Miss Miller.” Using the back of
Magen cringed then prepared for another attack noyour wife, why didn’tMalden Grove’s upstanding citizens. the
elbow.
she tell
her hand, Miriam shooed the correctly or not?”Dr. Colson so after the
“Well, Miss, did I understand you
With little effort, she snatched
accident?”
women like flies, her shoulders. “Yes, you did.” Beatrice asked
but they
Magen straightened
skeptically. corner where they’d been free.
refused to move.
Beatrice Taylor and Henrietta Edwards abandoned the
discussing a new arrival of fabric
see we were married
“Before you do any business like cats, “Well, youand focused on their prey. “Is it too much to ask for you to
from Chicago. They approached
cautious
cooperate?”
by
with that
“Why, Miriam woman,when did you return fromproxy, and we’d actually
Finch, there’s
Chicago?” Beatrice asked but didn’t wait for an answer. “Henrietta
She wondered why he was
never set eyes on one another
something I must tell you!”
and I were looking over the lovely fabric just in from Chicago, but I guess you’ve already seen everything first
yelling at her then she saw them
till I woke up and found her
Beatrice folded her arms
hand.”
and understood.
there at my stove the morning
arrogantly across her chest.
Nosy old woman, Magen thought. Why doesn’t the accident. Turns alone?
The three women stood huddled
after she just leave her out,
“That’s it. I’ve had enough of
“Beatrice, it’s so nice of you to fist of me. she thought she had married back withtogether, three sets of eyes and
But you’re right. I’ve come
an entirely new wardrobe.
this.” Magen clenched her think
Frankly, I’m a bitdown. She’d in your selection of accessories. Now, run along, I’ve got business to discuss with
three nosy noses, watching
some fella by the name of Lout.”
then looked disappointed
MissforgottenUsing the back bonnet hand, Miriamthe woman replied, like flies, but theyfrom the door.
Miller.” the dark-green of her
them refused to move.
“Oh,” shooed the women
“Before you do any business with that woman, there’s something I must tell you!” Beatrice folded her arms
obviously disappointed.
she still held. Quickly, she
arrogantly acrossthe pile and started
If you enjoyed this excerpt you
Magen watched as the man
tossed it into her chest.
“That’s it. I’ve had enough of this.” Magenwove his web of deception, and down. She’d forgotten the dark-green
clenched her fist then looked
can read more at
toward the three women.
bonnet she still held. Quickly, she tossed it into the pile never believe a
and started toward the three women.
she vowed to
“No, I’ve got a few things to tell
http://www.ta mmieclarkegibbs.com
word he ever said. In of lessons I’d like to teach you too.” She raised
“No, you,”got ahissed. “And a couple she hissed. “And a couplefact, he
I’ve she few things to tell you,”
was so skilled at it she doubted
of in the air and to teach you
her fist lessons I’d likeshook it so close to Beatrice Taylor’s nose that the woman looked as if she might pass out.
if even he could around her
too.” She raised her fist inmore, a vise-like grip closed tell when he wrist and forced her hand back down to her
the
Just as she was about to say
was telling the truth and when
air and shook it so close to
side.
Beatrice Taylor’s nose that the
“Let me go!” she ordered as she twisted to he was telling one ofin her way.
see who dared get his stories.
woman looked as if she might the groupHe was so good at it, she’d be
“Hello, ladies.” Jeremy smiled at
of stunned women. “I see you’ve met my wife, Magen.”
willing to bet he could be some
pass out.
“Your wife?” Beatrice gasped.
sort of writer if he set his mind to
Just as she was about to say
Magen struggled against his grip, but he held tight.
it. Come surprised.
more, a vise-like grip closed He acted genuinely to think of it, he was
“You mean she didn’t tell you?”
so good that
around
“Let me go!”her wrist ordered again, but he ignored her. if“Ihe didn’t shut up mumbled.
Magen and forced her
warned you,” she
soon, she was afraid even she
hand back down to her side.
“Damn it!” Jeremy fumed as he snatched his hand away to examine the marks her teeth made when they exited
might start believing they were
“Let me go!” she ordered as she
the flesh on to see who dared get in
the back of his hand.
married.
twisted
“I so her way.hear you curse,"" she said while straightening hermarried
hate to
But they couldn’t be dress.
“She’s a little high strung, but when she uses that energy constructively, you won’t hear me complaining,” he replied
because he was already
“Hello, ladies.” Jeremy smiled
with a winkgroupcountered the women’s looks of sympathy. she thought,
married. “Oh no,”
at the that of stunned women.
“If she’s your wife, why didn’t she tell Dr. Colson so after the accident?” Beatrice asked skeptically.
surely he wasn’t one of those
“I see you’ve met my wife,
“Well, you see we were married by proxy, and we’d actuallyof who set eyes on one another till I woke up and found
men she’d heard never thought
Magen.”
her there at my stove the gasped. after thehe could marry as out, she thought she had married some fella by the
accident. Turns many women
“Your wife?” Beatrice morning
name of Lout.”
as he wanted to. But then, what
Magen struggled against his
“Oh,” the but he held tight. obviously disappointed.
did it matter to her anyway, they
grip, woman replied,
Magen watched as the man wove his web of deception, and she vowed to never believe a word he ever said. In
fact, he was so skilled at it she doubted if even he could tell when he was telling the truth and when he was telling

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