by Joyce Alec
It was deadly silent. Nothing moved. The dim light of dawn spread unearthly fingers of light across the table, making her shiver. She half expected something to jump out of the shadows, but—mustering her strength—Nora focused her mind on what she had to do.
Within half an hour, the fire was lit, the stove warming, and Nora was busy preparing breakfast for both herself and Joseph—although she fully intended to eat elsewhere, even if it meant returning to her dusty bedroom. Her mind grew a little more settled as she prepared the food, finding calmness in familiar tasks. Checking the cupboards for what she would need to make fresh bread, Nora found an old piece of paper and a pencil, writing down a few things she’d need to buy from the general store.
“Good morning, Nora.”
A small shriek left her mouth as she jumped visibly, only to see Joseph backing towards the door, his hands held up in defense.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her heart hammering painfully. “I didn’t see you come in.”
He didn’t smile. “Yes, I noticed,” he replied, his eyes a little dark. “For the last time, Nora, I ain’t gonna hurt you.”
Shame crept up her spine, but she refused to allow it to enter her mind. “You’ve said that before, I know, but I don’t know you very well yet, Mr. Shaw. You’re going to have to excuse me.”
His eyes flared. “You’ll refer to me as ‘Joseph’.”
It was a demand, not a question, but Nora accepted it quietly, turning away from him.
“I’ll have your breakfast to you in just a minute.” She didn’t look back at him but heard the chair scrape as he sat down. “Do you usually eat in here, or can I take your breakfast somewhere else?”
Joseph cleared his throat. “I usually eat in here—although when my father was with us, we sometimes ate in his study, to get right on to business.”
There was no tremor in his voice, no inflection that told her anything about how he felt about his father’s death. As she spooned scrambled eggs next to the beans and bacon, Nora half wondered whether or not Joseph had been close to his father. Considering that Peter had never mentioned his son in his four letters to her, she guessed that they weren’t.
“Coffee?”
He nodded, and she poured him a fresh cup.
“Ain’t you gonna eat?”
Turning to put the coffee pot back down on the stove, Nora tried to smile. “I won’t disturb you, if that’s what you mean. I’m planning to eat in my own quarters.” She could see in his expression that he wasn’t quite sure what to say to that, his eyes darting from her to his plate and back again. Of course, he was used to eating alone, and she wanted to make sure he knew she respected that. “I know my place, Joseph.”
Again, that clearing of the throat.
“No, I mean, you’re welcome to sit here with me.”
She froze with her plate in her hands.
“The truth is, I could do with a bit of company, Nora,” he continued, gesturing to the empty chair at the other end of the table. “Besides, your rooms are pretty dusty still, ain’t they?”
There was no argument there. “Yes,” she admitted reluctantly. “Yes, they are.”
“Then please,” he said, pointing to the chair with his fork. “Sit. Eat.”
Pressing her lips together, Nora hesitated for a moment and then did as she was asked, feeling tension running all through her. This wasn’t what she’d expected, or what she’d wanted. She was hired help and ought not to be sitting with her employer.
“You don’t need to look so uncomfortable,” Joseph muttered, as she poured herself a cup of tea. “I ain’t going to—”
“Hurt me,” Nora interrupted, finishing his sentence. “Yes, I know. You’ve said.” She hadn’t meant to speak sharply to him, wincing as the words shot from her mouth unhindered. She was just tired and confused, her thoughts muddled as she sat across from this blonde-haired, blue-eyed gentleman, who was looking back at her with surprise. “I’m sorry,” she stammered, aware of the heat that was flooding her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to speak so openly. I’m just a little tired.”
There was another moment of silence, and then he shrugged. “I know this must be difficult for you. I ain’t meaning to make matters more difficult.” His frown deepened. “I guess this is gonna take some getting used to for the both of us.”
Her tension began to fade as he spoke, aware of how his gaze was focused away from her, as if he were speaking to himself and had forgotten she was there.
“My father wasn’t a man who liked to talk,” he continued slowly. “We were never close, but I sure did appreciate his company around the house, even if we didn’t talk much.” His eyes traveled back towards her, his lips pulling down. “Does that make sense to you?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“And I ain’t asking too much of you, sitting here with me for breakfast?” he asked, now sounding a little anxious. “Of course, if it’s making you uncomfortable, then you just need to say—”
“I’m just fine,” she interrupted, surprised to see such vulnerability creeping out in his words. She wanted to reassure him, wanted to take away some of the pain she saw on his face, even though they weren’t exactly very well acquainted. “Although might you say grace, so we can eat?”
A startled look crossed his face, only for him to drop his fork to the table with a clatter, bowing his head and muttering a few words of thanks. Nora bowed her head too, beginning to find a true thankfulness growing inside her as he prayed.
“Amen,” she murmured, as he finished, picking up her cup of tea and taking a long sip. Her stomach growled, and—flushing with embarrassment—she picked up her fork to eat.
They ate in silence for a while, with Nora feeling her head begin to grow a little heavy, her tiredness hitting her hard.
“If you have anything you need to get, just come by the general store later to fetch it,” Joseph said, breaking the quiet. “Do you remember where it is?”
She nodded, scrunching up her face as she tried to remember it.
“It’s right by the sheriff,” Joseph said helpfully. “But you make sure to get your rooms cleaned and sorted today and don’t go worrying about the rest of the house. You can get to that later, once your own rooms are organized.”
Surprised, Nora lifted her eyes to Joseph, seeing a small smile on his face as he looked back at her. She’d expected him to tell her to get to work in the house straight away, but here he was making sure that she was taken care of first.
“And I’ll pick up a meat pie from Mrs. Hackleway,” he continued with a small shrug. “She’s always bringing a few extra cakes and the like to the general store for folk to buy. Means you won’t have to go worrying about tonight’s meal.”
“Th-Thank you, Joseph,” Nora stammered, even more surprised at his suggestions. “That’s awful kind of you.”
His smile faded, and he glanced away. “Sure,” he mumbled, as though he’d realized he’d been smiling and hadn’t intended to. “Well, I’d best be on my way.”
Nora rose, even though she hadn’t finished her own breakfast. “Is there anything pressing that I can do for you today, Joseph?”
He paused at the doorway and shook his head. “I don’t think so. Just so long as we get this place in order before Mr. Arbuckle arrives next week. The only room you’re not to touch is my father’s study, which is the room across the hall. It’s not been opened since…” His gaze dropped for a moment. “My study is open to you for cleaning however. It’s the smaller one next to the locked one.” His eyes met hers for just a moment, and Nora was surprised to see them lit with confusion. “I’ll be back this evening.”
Nodding, Nora waited quietly until Joseph had left the room before sinking back into her chair, aware that her heart was hammering in her chest. She couldn’t explain why, and it certainly wasn’t fear that made her suddenly anxious, but she was crawling with nerves all of a sudden. Was it because of Joseph’s strange request to have her sit with him? His awareness t
hat he’d smiled at her and, on doing so, had turned away from her entirely? Or was it that she hadn’t expected such kindness from him, having spent all night believing that he was going to come into her room in an attempt to get something more from her?
A dull throbbing began in her head, and Nora rubbed at her forehead ineffectually. She was so tired, so weary that she didn’t know if she’d have the strength to clear the dishes, never mind start cleaning her room.
Dragging herself from her chair, Nora gave in and retreated back to her bedroom. Making sure to lock the door behind her, she sank down onto her bed, rubbing her eyes for a moment before lying down, her head sinking into the soft pillow.
Within a few seconds, she was sound asleep.
4
“Nora?”
Joseph frowned as he walked into the house, not hearing any sounds coming from the kitchen. It had been four days since Nora had arrived, and he usually came home to hear her clattering around in the kitchen, busy making whatever it was she’d planned to make for dinner.
Now, however, there was silence.
His frown deepened as he walked into the kitchen to see pots on the stove but no sign of Nora anywhere. Something smelled wonderful, but he couldn’t quite get rid of the worry that filled him as he called Nora’s name again.
Silence.
Biting his lip, Joseph walked to the door that led to her bedroom and sitting room, knocking loudly on it before trying the handle. It was locked tight, which meant, most likely that she wasn’t inside. Nora hadn’t taken to locking her door until she went to bed, which he had appreciated as it meant, to him, that she was beginning to trust him.
“Nora?”
Walking back through to the hallway, he paused in case he could hear her, only for his anxiety to climb all the higher. Hurrying into his study, he looked all about him before heading back into the living room, finding it entirely empty as well. For a moment, he wondered about digging out the key for his father’s study and opening it, just in case she was in there, only to dismiss that idea as a foolish one.
Running one hand through his hair, Joseph tried not to let his worry grow even more, telling himself that there had to be some reason as to why Nora wasn’t in the house. This wasn’t like her. Even though he’d only had her cooking and cleaning in the house for four days, she’d already established a routine that he was becoming used to—and that routine told him she should be in the house at the moment, putting the finishing touches to their dinner.
Why are you worrying so much?
The thought had him stopping dead in his tracks, his mind beginning to whir with questions. He had no idea why he was suddenly so anxious, why he was suddenly so desperate to find Nora. After all, she’d only just come into his life, and now, all of a sudden, he was frantic with worry because she wasn’t where he expected her to be?
That didn’t make sense.
And then he heard laughter, and the sound of Billy’s voice intermingling with Nora’s laugh, and his whole body went weak with relief.
“Just come into the kitchen, Billy,” he heard Nora say. “That bread’s already done baking, and I thought to put in a couple of pies for you as well. One’s rabbit and the other apple. Will that do for you?”
“That’s more than kind of you, Miss Nora,” Billy replied, as Joseph made his way back towards the kitchen. “I sure wish I could pay you for your time.”
As Joseph stepped into the kitchen, he saw Nora handing Billy a basket, patting his shoulder with one hand.
“No, you ain’t gonna do nothing of the sort,” she said firmly. “It ain’t your fault that your wife’s taken ill, and I’m glad to do this for you until she gets back onto her feet. You’ll come by again tomorrow for more, won’t you?”
Billy looked down at the basket in his hands and then back up at Nora, and Joseph was astonished to see dampness in the man’s eyes.
“You’re awful kind, Miss Nora,” he said hoarsely, pressing her hand. “Thank you.”
Nora smiled back at Billy, and Joseph felt his heart squeeze painfully. “You’re more than welcome. Now go on and take care of that wife of yours. I know she’ll be waiting on you coming home.”
“I sure will,” Billy said, turning towards the door, only to stop as he saw Joseph framed in the doorway. “Oh, Joseph, sir, good afternoon. I was just stopping by to–”
“I’m sorry to hear your wife ain’t well, Billy,” Joseph interrupted, a little embarrassed that he hadn’t known this about Billy, whilst somehow Nora had. “Do you want to take a day off tomorrow to take care of her? I won’t take it from your wages, of course.”
Billy stammered for a moment, his eyes wide. “I—I’d sure be glad of it, Joseph, sir, but I couldn’t leave you alone.”
“I can help if needs be,” Nora interjected, making Joseph turn towards her in surprise. “If your wife needs you, Billy, then that’s gotta be your most important concern.”
Joseph tried to flatten his spark of irritation at Nora’s interruption, not quite sure that she’d really be able to do anywhere near as good a job as Billy did. “Billy, I don’t want to see you back at work until Monday,” he said firmly, making the older man gasp in surprise. “That’ll give you a good few days with your wife, and if she’s not any better by then, come and tell me, and we’ll make some kind of arrangement. As I said, I ain’t gonna take any money from you for this, so don’t go fretting about that.”
Billy swallowed hard, dropping his head for a moment to keep his composure. “That’s awful kind of you, Joseph, sir. I’ll be glad to see you again on Monday.”
“And I can take a basket of things to your house tomorrow, to save you coming by,” Nora said softly, her eyes alight with sympathy. “I do hope she recovers quickly.”
Billy thanked them both profusely before hurrying out of the house, leaving Joseph to watch Nora as she began to set the table for their dinner.
“That was awful kind of you, Nora,” he said slowly, his irritation still spiked. “But in the future, if you want to do something like that, you’d best tell me first since it’ll be coming out of my goods.”
She paused, her hand holding a glass as she went to place it on the table. “Oh, no, Joseph, you don’t understand. I purchased all the things I’d need for Billy and his wife out of my own pocket.” Arching an eyebrow at him, he saw her lips flatten. “I sure hope you don’t think I’d be as forward as all that.”
His irritation ebbed away at once, followed by a wave of shame. “I see. Thank you.” His eyes drifted away from her, as he saw something like disappointment in her gaze, realizing what she must think of him.
“It’s not that I would have minded,” he said hastily, trying to cover his mistake. “I just meant that I would like to know first.”
She nodded, turning away from him. “I understand. Dinner is ready, if you’d like to sit.”
Frustrated with himself, Joseph sat down quietly at the table, leaning his elbows on it so that he might bury his hands in his hair. He’d been confused by his own reaction to Nora’s absence from the house. That had allowed his confusion to rise into irritation at her supposed kindness to Billy, using foods from his own larder—only to realize that she’d not been doing that at all. In fact, he’d not even known that Billy’s wife had been ill, but somehow Nora had. How had she found out when she’d only come to the store once or twice so far?
“And Mr. Arbuckle is due to come on the train on Friday?” Nora asked, dragging him out of his thoughts, as she placed a plate filled high in front of him. “And he is your relative?”
Joseph nodded, speaking grace before answering her questions. “Yes, that’s right. Friday. He’s a distant relative though, and I ain’t sure exactly where he comes from.”
He watched as Nora hesitated, her fork halfway to her mouth as she thought. “You don’t know him at all?”
Joseph shook his head. “No.”
She nodded slowly, her blue eyes filled with curiosity. “Might I ask the reason for
his visit?”
Shrugging, Joseph chewed thoughtfully before answering. “He said something about paying his respects. I guess that’s all he wants to do.”
“Do you know how long he’ll be staying?” she asked, her expression a little concerned. “I’ll make up the bedroom tomorrow for him, but the reason I’m asking is just so I know how much flour and the like to buy from the general store.”
Again, Joseph had to shake his head. “I don’t know that either, I’m afraid.”
To his surprise, instead of appearing frustrated, Nora simply smiled, her eyes dancing. “You sure don’t know a lot about him, do you?”
Joseph had to laugh, albeit a rather rueful one. “No, I don’t. I was surprised to hear from him, especially since I only remember my father talking about him once or twice.”
Nora’s smile grew all the more, and—to his astonishment—Joseph felt his own smile grow as he looked back at her. Now that she was more relaxed, now that she knew he wasn’t going to hurt her, wasn’t going to disrespect her in any way, she’d become a good deal more trusting, and he found that he liked that. In fact, he liked it so much that he was beginning to look forward to coming home at the end of a long day. It was so much better than having to head on home to an otherwise empty house, to spend the evenings alone in the quiet stillness of the night, his thoughts running wild through his troubled mind. Nora’s presence in the house calmed his mind and troubled heart, helped him to get through each day with the sense that, yes, he had achieved something significant. She’d only been here for less than a week, but he could see the difference in his own life already.
“I—I won’t be here with him alone, will I?”
His thoughts dragged back to Nora, turning to her to see her expression a little concerned.
“I mean, if you don’t know him, then I’d worry that…”
He nodded, trying to reassure her. “Of course not. I’ll make sure he’s with me during the day, whether I’m at the store or in my study here.” He tipped his head, hating that she’d had to ask the question. “You trust me when I say I’ll make sure you’re safe here, don’t you?”