Accidental Sweetheart. Lisa Bingham

being overheard by every Tom, Dick and Harry having a sandwich in the cook shack.”

      Her explanation seemed logical—making his own response seem truculent. And yet...

      He couldn’t escape the feeling that he was walking into a trap.

      “What are you up to, Lydia?”

      She stiffened. “I don’t know what you mean.”

      “Let’s say you’re acting out of character.”

      “Out of charac—”

      Gideon stood. “Yes, out of character. Let’s face it, we’ve spent most of the last few months bickering with one another.” He waved to his empty plate. “And now, suddenly you’re worried about whether I’m eating enough or sleeping enough or—”

      “I’m simply being polite!”

      “Well, stop it!”

      The words echoed in the small room, reverberating in a way that made Gideon realize he’d stomped right over churlish and marched on to childish.

      “Fine,” Lydia huffed. “I’ll leave you alone—right now and for however many days I have left in this valley.”

      He sighed, his head dropping. “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so...”

      “Suspicious?”

      He conceded with a nod.

      “It’s just that... I’ve got a lot on my mind and...” He met her gaze head-on. This time, she didn’t regard him with a neutral stare. Instead, her eyes glittered with a mixture of pique and irritation. “And I’d love to come to the Dovecote for lunch tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be there at three.”

      After a quick nod in his direction, she strode from the room in a rustle of skirts, the door slamming behind her.

      He winced, then slowly sank back into his seat.

      * * *

      Once again, Lydia had barely navigated a few yards before being joined by a pair of women from the Dovecote. This time, Iona and Marie accompanied her on either side.

      “Well?” Marie asked somewhat timidly.

      “He agreed to meet for lunch at three.”

      Iona smiled. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

      Lydia tried her best to tamp down the emotions whirling in her breast—excitement, trepidation and most astonishingly, guilt. “Yes. It’s a good thing. Because the man is already more suspicious than we’d supposed.” Her mind swung to the countless things that still needed to be done. “Do we have the placards in place?”

      “Yes. The quarantine is now official.” Iona’s eyes sparkled in delight. “And just in time. The ‘measles’ seem to be spreading.”

      “Oh?”

      “Yes, a dozen men heard about our protest and volunteered to participate.”

      “Really?” Lydia’s heart thumped at the thought.

      “I believe Charles is responsible. He and Willow have begun inviting a few of the married men to their home. After plying them with Willow’s cookies, they’ve outlined how they hope to persuade Batchwell and Bottoms to change the rules. So far, their efforts seem to be working.”

      “Wonderful. Are you ready for your lunch with Mr. Bottoms, Iona?”

      The woman’s cheeks grew pink. “I’ve made a special meal complete with his favorite dried cherry pie for dessert.”

      “And you’ll remember to subtly ask him for information on his views about the effect the women have had on the community?”

      “Yes. I made up a little card with possible questions which I’ll keep tucked in my pocket. If I need to, I can peek at it under the table.”

      Lydia reached to squeeze the woman’s hand, knowing that Iona felt uncomfortable being thrown into the role of femme fatale. But of the two owners, Bottoms was the most approachable, and Lydia had noticed of late that he seemed to follow Iona with his eyes. In Lydia’s opinion, that spark of interest should be encouraged.

      “Very smart, even if I doubt you’ll need the prompts. Somehow, I think that you and Mr. Bottoms will catch on like a house afire.”

      Again, the older woman’s cheeks flushed and Lydia knew that Mr. Bottoms wasn’t the only one anticipating the lunch alone.

      “Have we had any progress infiltrating Mr. Batchwell’s home?”

      Marie nodded. “A few days ago. He’s been kept abed with his leg, and up to this point, the only people he’s allowed inside have been the man he’s got working as his personal servant and a few mining officials—including Charles Wanlass.”

      “My, my, my. Charles has been a busy boy, hasn’t he?”

      “As the temporary Mine Superintendent as well as lay pastor, Charles has had plenty of excuses to go to the top of the hill,” Marie said with a sly grin. “Anyhow, for the last few days, he’s brought Willow with him.”

      Lydia’s brows rose. When Willow and Charles had impulsively claimed a pair of abandoned twins as their own, Mr. Batchwell had proved to be their most formidable foe. Although Willow had never said as much, Lydia knew that the brusque, burly man had secretly terrified her. But after Charles had openly declared he would rather lose his job than Willow, she’d gained a wealth of confidence which, apparently, had extended to her relationship with Mr. Batchwell.

      “Anyway, you know Willow. At first, she tut-tutted about his leg, then about the state of his house, then about how cold his meals were once they were brought up from the cook shack. She’s been going up for an hour or so every day since then to cook and tidy things up. According to her, Mr. Batchwell is as grumpy as ever, but he does seem secretly appreciative of her help.”

      Lydia clapped her hands together, then rubbed them as she thought things over.

      “It sounds like our efforts are coming along much better than I’d imagined—and just in time, too.” They had over sixty men purposely staying off the job through a fictional quarantine. Mr. Bottoms was about to be courted, and a spy had been inserted into Batchwell’s home.

      The entire situation was better than she could have ever hoped. But there still remained one opponent who could bring their plan down before it could do any good.

      Gideon Gault.

      He’d already made his views clear on the situation. He would never come to the women’s aid. Not willingly.

      Which meant that something had to be done about the man.

      And much as she hated to admit it, Lydia needed to be the one to do it.