Keith disappeared behind the counter of the little store, through a back door that read 'OFFICE.'  Mary waited, tapping her foot impatiently, but quietly so she wouldn't disturb anyone. No customers were in the store at the moment, it was just Mary among the barrels of flour and jars of bright candy. Bolts of cloth lined one wall, outlined with ribbons and pins and thread, with housewares on one side and tools on the other, under the one large front window. A few barrels of beans, treacle, or perhaps wheat kernels stood in a neat, military line in front of the wooden counter. It was a very organized place. She just hoped that she wouldn't be hired to clean the shop.

Keith came out of the office with a shrewd- looking, salt- and- pepper- haired man that was very clearly his father. The man smiled a small smile as he looked her over. "She'll do," he said finally in a deep and tired voice. "I've had so few applicants that I don't really care. What's your name, Miss?"

Mary smiled, trying to be as pleasant as she could. "Mary MacEilan, sir," she replied.

Mr. Little's pale eyes widened. "Irish need not apply," he said crisply. "I do think I put it in the sign," he continued in. Keith looked dreadfully uncomfortable standing there.

Mary decided to play her unusual heritage to her advantage. "I'm Scottish, " she replied. It wasn't a lie- after all, her father had been Scottish and Mary herself was born in Scotland, though she was raised mostly in Ireland with her mother's very Irish family.

Mr. Little raised one eyebrow. "I could swear your accent is Irish."

Mary's heart stopped and then started all too quickly. "My father's name was James MacEilan, and both he and I were born in Inverness, in Scotland."

It wasn't a lie, just... not the entire truth.

"I fear I've been proven wrong about you, then, miss." He heaved a sigh. "Don't be one minute past six- thirty on Monday morning. You'll open up the place in the morning and work till three in the afternoon, when I've got Ava coming to do the work until closing. Dinner will be provided for you and four dollars a week, hear?"

"Yes, sir," she nodded emphatically, completely jubilant in her newfound occupation. "I won't be late. Thank you."

Mr. Little gestured her towards the door and went back to his office. As Mary moved towards it, Keith rushed to hold the door for her, and with a smile in his direction she left the Littles' Mercantile and General.

Mary breathed a sigh of sheer relief when she and Keith were  outside the shop. "Oh, Mr. Little, I'm ever so glad that I fell over on the train this morning. Without you catching me I never would have found any lodging recommendations or work and oh, I'll never, ever be able to repay you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart." She was ever so grateful, more than she thought she'd ever be in her whole life. Thanks to this blond, crystal- blue eyed young man she had lodgings and an occupation. It was more than Mary had dared hope, and she loved Keith for it.

Keith smiled a bright smile. "You can pay me back, Miss MacEilan, by letting me show you the city. I've got the afternoon to myself until supper, would you care to let me walk you around Denver?"

Mary was delighted. "Oh, I would be utterly delighted to. When shall we go?"

Keith shrugged, still smiling as he looked at her. "Is right now alright?"

Mary grinned, a little dimple appearing on her right cheek. "Aye, that'd be lovely. I've got nothing else to do 'till supper either."

Keith held out his arm. "Is this too forward? When I was in New York last a girl almost fainted when I did this."

Mary chuckled and took his arm. "I've got no idea what's considered too forward nowadays, but I know that my younger sister goes around holding the arm of some young man when he's over." She didn't mention that Anne went around on the arm of a young man who was very seriously considering marrying her. It'd be far too awkward. Mary was not considering marrying Keith at the moment. Nor did Mary say that the said young man lived only a few city blocks away.

Keith raised an eyebrow as they started to walk. "A little sister, eh? How old?"

"Sixteen, seventeen in a few months. Although if you look at them, you think they're fifteen, and after talking to them, you think they're thirty."

"Them?"

"Twins, but Anne's the one that has been on an arm. Emma's not that way."

"You make Anne seem a flirt."

"Oh, she's not, not in the least, she's quite conservative and terribly proper. It's just that she's awfully pretty and I'm a bit jealous. She's sixteen and already bein' courted, and here I am, almost twenty- one, and, well." 

Mary stiffened after a second's, realizing what that had sounded like. "Oh, that's not what I meant, I-"

"Oh, I understand." Keith chuckled good- naturedly. "So this town of yours, Running Creek, what's it like? I've only ever seen it in passing."

Mary shrugged as they turned a corner. "It's fine. Of course, I was raised in one of the largest cities in all Ireland, so-"

"You are Irish?"

Mary remembered all too late that she had near renounced her Irish heritage in the store not ten minutes before. "Half. I hope you're not angry with me for tellin' your father otherwise."

"But did you lie completely to him, or are you actually Scottish as well?"

He didn't seem mad- on the contrary, Keith seemed quite amused. 

"I didn't lie at all- didn't make up anything. My father was from Inverness, in Scotland, and I was born there as well." She gave a short, bitter bark of a laugh. "I don't like to associate myself with my father, though. If it hadn't been a question of if I'd have a job or not, I would have answered that I was full- blooded Irish, without a moment's hesitation."

She had completely caught Keith's attention now. It wasn't that he had been disinterested before, only that now he was entirely caught in her words and fully enthralled. They looked at one another as Mary spoke, walking more slowly so as not to run into anything.

"Why's that? Is there something that happened? I don't mean to pry, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Oh, I don't mind in the least, if I hadn't wanted to speak of him I wouldn't have brought up my near- about renunciation of my Scottish blood. He's gone," she rushed a bit quietly. "When I was fourteen. He up and left us in Galway- my mother and all ten of his children. Not that it mattered," her voice cracked and she looked away from Keith's eyes a moment. "Two of them were already dead, and he'd been long gone in the head for a while."

"You mean... he was mad?" Keith probed carefully so as not to offend her. He didn't want to offend her- he was enjoying her company so far, she was so vastly different than the girls that met him when he traveled to New York, as he often did, or in Boston when he was there on business.

Mary shook her head. "No, just a drunk. Lost his job and left us all to rot. So we came here six- almost seven years ago."

"You didn't have to tell me all that," he replied gently. "That's very personal stuff, Miss MacEilan, so if you didn't-"

"Oh, no, it feels good to speak about it," she interrupted, looking back up into his eyes, melted with something like pity, or sympathy- maybe it was something else she couldn't name. "It's been so long since I even said more than a few words to someone not living with me, I like it."

Keith decided it'd be best to change the subject. "So you have six siblings, then?"

Mary shook her head sadly. "Not anymore. Just the twins and my older brother, Iain, but he's married and has a child and one coming, so he's too preoccupied for his sisters anymore. My mother's gone too. She... she... left with my two youngest siblings not long after we came to Running Creek." She choked on her words, she let her soul go into them. How long had her words been corked inside her? It felt good to let them bubble out a bit, even if it did mean she was crying in public, in front of an acquaintance. 

Keith's eyes widened. "Oh, my word, miss, I really didn't want to set you off like that." His attempt to change the subject had blown up in his face.

Mary shook her head and smiled weakly. "I'll be quite alright. I've been dealing with this nearly seven years, I'll deal with it. I'm used to this." She looked out and her eyes widened. "Well, this is Sally's. I don't believe I know the city any better now, Mr. Little," she teased as they made their way up the front walk.

Keith chuckled. "No, I suppose you don't, but I know you better now, and knowing a person is better than knowing a city that will forever be changing, isn't it?"

They un-linked their arms and Keith gave a shallow bow and a small smile. "It's been a pleasure, Miss MacEilan. I hope for your sake and mine that you're not one minute past six- thirty Monday morning. Father will kill me for persuading him to hire you, and he'll kill you for being late."

Mary laughed as she gave a shallow, wobbly curtsy-she never had been ladylike like Anne and Emma and was incredibly bad at anything feminine. "I'll not be a single second late. Will I see you Monday?"

"I certainly hope so. I'll look forward to it."

"As will I." 

Keith opened the boardinghouse door and Mary stepped inside. "Until Monday, then," he bade farewell.

"Until Monday," she agreed.

How are you guys enjoying this story so far? I'm SUPER excited for this story to develop...

Megan