by Joyce Alec
She looked back at him, her smile gentle. “Yes, I do, Joseph. Thank you.”
“Good.”
He couldn’t explain why that brought him such happiness, couldn’t understand why the smile lingered on his face as he looked back at her, but there was something that Nora had brought to his life that had sparked a joy deep within him. Yes, he missed his father’s presence and was still frustrated at how little he’d been told about his father’s life and especially about his mail-order bride, but with Nora present, that pain seemed to lessen a little every day. It was as if, with her taking on the house responsibilities, she’d untied a rope from around his chest and let him breathe again. He wanted to make sure that she was always safe here, that she was always happy and content in her role as a housekeeper. That meant making sure that Mr. Arbuckle, whoever he was, kept his hands to himself.
“I’m glad you’re here, Nora.”
The words slipped from his mouth without him intending to speak them aloud and a flush darkened his cheeks immediately. Nora looked up at him in surprise, only for her eyes to warm and her smile to become a little shy.
“Thank you,” she replied quietly, dropping her gaze to her plate. “I’m glad to be here, too.”
5
Nora did not like Mr. Arbuckle.
Trying her best to give him a small yet cool smile, she ducked her head as Joseph introduced her to him, showing the deference expected of the hired help.
“Very good, very good,” Mr. Arbuckle murmured in a thin voice, his eyes raking over her. “I was sorry to hear you lost your first hired help, Joseph. That must have made things very difficult at what was already a trying time.”
Nora frowned, glancing towards Joseph who had run a hand through his hair, a look of exasperation on his face.
“Yes, it was, although I did not ‘lose her’, as you say, Mr. Arbuckle. She simply disappeared. Her things were packed and gone by the time I returned from work, and from that day on, no one has seen hide nor hair of her.” His gaze traveled towards Nora, and she held it for a moment, seeing the concern in his expression. Did he think that she’d just turn around and leave him one day, with no explanation? Letting her lips curve into a small smile, she turned back towards Mr. Arbuckle, who was looking around the kitchen with interest.
“And you live here, do you?” he asked, addressing Nora. “You have your own quarters?”
Not quite sure if there was an insinuation in his words, Nora nodded and flushed to the roots of her hair, not able to bring herself to look at Joseph.
“Nora has rooms just here, by the kitchen,” Joseph said firmly, his own cheeks a little red. “Now, can we get you some refreshments or would you like to lie down for a short while before dinner?”
Mr. Arbuckle chuckled and shook his head. “No, thank you, I don’t need to lie down. The train was very comfortable, and I was able to sleep just fine.”
Nora took the gentleman in as he turned back to talk to Joseph, feeling her skin crawl as she saw his sharp eyes take in everything. He was very tall, being almost half a head taller than Joseph and was so lean that it looked as though he might snap in half if he bent too much. His long and narrow nose jutted out from the rest of his face, whilst two small, dark brown eyes roamed around the room. His dark eyebrows were close to his eyes, giving him a suspicious look, and his thin lips were often pulled in a small smile that did not quite reach his eyes. A mop of dark brown, almost black hair fell over his forehead, in stark contrast to the paleness of his skin. She did not like him and certainly did not trust him.
Not that it was her place to think anything about Joseph’s relative, she realized, dropping her gaze to the floor. She would continue to do just as she was expected, keeping house and cooking the meals to ensure that both Joseph and Mr. Arbuckle were kept in relative comfort. That was all that was required of her.
“Then might you care for a short walk whilst Nora finishes preparing dinner?”
Mr. Arbuckle laughed, and it was not a pleasant sound. It set Nora’s teeth on edge, and as she glanced at Joseph, she saw that he too was looking a little irritated.
“No, I don’t think so,” Mr. Arbuckle replied, still chuckling. “I am not as young as you, and these old bones have had enough walking for one day. After all, the walk from the train to the general store and then to your home was long enough.”
Nora kept her eyes on the floor, not quite sure what to do. She still had much to do to prepare for this evening’s dinner, but Mr. Arbuckle was clearly unwilling to leave the kitchen as yet.
“Then might I suggest we sit down either the living room or my study,” Joseph said firmly, walking to the door and opening it for Mr. Arbuckle. “And if you don’t care for coffee, I’m sure I have some decent whiskey lying about.
Joseph sounded a little irritated, clearly a little frustrated by Mr. Arbuckle’s reluctance to do anything Joseph had suggested, to the point that Joseph was now no longer giving the man a choice. Nora raised her eyes just as Mr. Arbuckle sent a long, searching glance in her direction, making her shiver as his eyes fixed on hers.
“Thank you, Nora,” Joseph said crisply, clearly trying to hurry Mr. Arbuckle along. “Do excuse us.”
Nora nodded mutely, more than relieved when Mr. Arbuckle turned away from her, his eyes leaving hers. As the door shut tightly behind them both, she leaned on the table for a moment, drawing in a long breath in order to calm her nerves.
There was something about Mr. Arbuckle that she did not like. Whether it was the sharpness of his eyes or the tight smile of his lips, she knew that he was not a man she wanted to spend any more time with. Relieved that she would not have to eat with them both, Nora set about continuing with her preparations for dinner, telling herself that, no matter how long Mr. Arbuckle stayed, Joseph would ensure he didn’t spend any time alone here in the house with her. At least she could trust him on that, regardless of how she felt about Mr. Arbuckle.
Nora was just about to start pulling the pins from her hair, when something creaked.
She froze, her hands hovering over her head as she listened hard. She was bone weary, having prepared and served a sumptuous dinner for Joseph and his guest, but now her senses burst to life as she waited to hear if the sound would come again.
Dinner had been a simple enough affair. She’d served and cleaned the dishes before taking a tray of coffee through to Joseph and Mr. Arbuckle, who’d been talking in the living room. Joseph had thanked her, but she’d noticed that tightness about his lips as he’d done so, tightness that refused to let him so much as smile at her. Mr. Arbuckle had been overly grateful, practically grinning at her as she’d set the tray down, and she’d had to force herself to stand still and accept his thanks, before excusing herself for the night. Being able to eat her own dinner had brought a good deal of satisfaction, whilst making her keenly aware of just how tired she was, and she’d been looking forward to crawling into bed, only to hear that tell-tale creak.
Someone was up and about.
Sinking slowly onto her bed, Nora looked about the room for something to use should she need to defend herself, but nothing came to mind. The room beyond her bedroom, the small sitting room with nothing but a small fire and a rocking chair, was just as useless, since the poker she used for the fire was currently sitting outside from where she’d been cleaning the soot from it. She’d forgotten to take it back inside, with everything that was going on with Mr. Arbuckle, which meant that she had absolutely nothing to defend herself with.
Another creak, and then the slow whine of the kitchen door being pushed open slowly and carefully. Nora grasped her blankets in an attempt to keep herself quiet, even though terror was beginning to climb up her spine and into her throat.
Another creak. The kitchen door whined again, closing back into place, and Nora closed her eyes tightly, pressing her lips together hard so as not to scream.
The door handle turned.
Her breath was gone. She couldn’t make a sound; she couldn’t scr
eam even if she’d wanted to. It rattled once, twice, the key shaking in the lock. Then it stopped.
Nora still couldn’t breathe, her chest growing painfully tight as she heard the creaks return towards the kitchen door. The whine came again once, twice, and then nothing but silence.
Slowly, her chest loosened, and Nora dragged in breath after breath, her breathing ragged as she gasped for hair. Her hands were so tight on the blankets that she struggled to loosen them, her fear raking through her and chasing weakness into her limbs.
Then hot tears pricked at her eyes, as the shock of what had happened overtook her. Covering her mouth with one hand, Nora let them run freely down her cheeks, feeling them warm and wet. Someone had just tried to come into her bedroom; someone had tried to see if her door was unlocked. It was late enough that perhaps they believed she’d be asleep, that she wouldn’t waken to hear them trying to enter her room.
Her mind twisted with dark thoughts. It surely couldn’t have been Joseph who’d come down to her room late at night, could it? After all, she’d been here for a little over a week now and he’d shown her nothing but respect and kindness. In fact, she’d found herself looking forward to their breakfasts together, found herself wondering how long it would be until he came home from another busy day at the general store. She’d enjoyed his company and his conversation, which meant that her mind refused to accept that it was him who’d tried to get into her room.
Which meant that it could only be one more person: Mr. Arbuckle.
Her whole body shook with fear as she wiped yet more tears away. She’d felt that prickle of fear when he’d looked at her with those dark eyes of his, and she had turned away from him with a sick feeling in the depths of her stomach, but she’d never expected him to do something as bold as this. What was it he wanted from her? Did he think that she gave away her favors to Joseph as well as kept house for him? The thought turned her stomach.
She wasn’t going to sleep tonight, that was for sure. In the morning, she’d have to find a way to talk to Joseph alone, so she could explain to him what had happened. Looking around the room, Nora drew her legs up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her knees. She wanted to stay working for Joseph, but fear began to chase that happiness away. What if Mr. Arbuckle tried again?
You trust me when I say I’ll make sure you’re safe here, don’t you?
Joseph’s words came back to her as she rose on unsteady feet and walked to the door, her fingers touching the key to ensure that it was safely back in the lock. She did trust him, didn’t she? Swallowing hard, Nora walked to her small sitting room, shut the door tightly and walked to sit down in the rocking chair, letting the red glowing embers bring a small measure of comfort to her tortured thoughts. She would wait until the morning and then tell Joseph everything that had happened. What he would do when he found out, she couldn’t imagine, but she had to trust that he would keep her safe, just as he’d promised.
6
Joseph came down the following morning to find breakfast already waiting at the table. There was no sign of Nora, however, which he found a little odd.
“Ah, good morning, Joseph.”
Unable to prevent his spine from stiffening as Mr. Arbuckle greeted him, Joseph tried to smile as his relative sat down at the table, immediately helping himself to the food that was waiting for them without saying another word to Joseph.
“Did you sleep well?” Joseph asked in an attempt to be pleasant, as he went to sit down opposite Mr. Arbuckle.
Mr. Arbuckle shrugged, a half smile crossing his thin face. “I do not often sleep particularly well,” he replied, shoveling scrambled eggs into his mouth. “Last night was no exception.”
“I am sorry to hear it,” Joseph murmured, taking in this supposed distant relative of his. “Might I ask what it is you intend to do while you are here? There is not all that much to see, I’m afraid, after the general store and the rest of the town.”
Mr. Arbuckle chuckled, his eyes narrowing. “I hope you ain’t trying to get rid of me when I’ve only just arrived, Joseph.”
Swallowing, Joseph shrugged his shoulders, a little surprised at the man’s sharp tone. “I just don’t know what it is you’re wanting to do here, that’s all, Mr. Arbuckle, although it’s kind of you to come to pay your respects to my late father. I know he’d have appreciated it.”
Mr. Arbuckle said nothing. He simply grunted as he picked up a rasher of bacon with dainty fingers, shoving it into his mouth. Joseph wrinkled his nose, his appetite suddenly gone.
“Remind me, Mr. Arbuckle, how were you related to my father?”
There was nothing more than the sound of chewing for a while, but Joseph kept his tongue still, refusing to say another word until Mr. Arbuckle spoke. Whilst they had talked for a while yesterday evening, Mr. Arbuckle had been deliberately vague, not saying anything in particular and certainly giving very little about himself away. Joseph didn’t want to think unkindly of the man, but he had very little idea of Mr. Arbuckle’s intentions.
“Your father and I were cousins,” Mr. Arbuckle replied eventually, through a mouthful of food. “Second cousins, by rights.”
“And when was the last time you saw him?”
Another shrug. “It would be some years ago now, I reckon. I was sorry to hear he’d passed away. Left the lot to you, did he?”
Joseph nodded mutely.
Mr. Arbuckle smiled, his eyes a little darker than before. “Just as it should be,” he murmured, casting a sharp glance over Joseph, a look that unsettled Joseph more than he could say. “That must be a lot to bear on your young shoulders.”
Joseph managed a thin smile, suddenly awash with the grief over his father’s death, the pain of having never grown close to the man he’d loved and respected. “Yes,” he said quietly. “It has been difficult. I’m sure grateful to Nora for coming to take over from Mrs. Allan.”
Mr. Arbuckle chewed loudly, but his eyes never left Joseph’s face. “Mrs. Allan, your housekeeper.”
Nodding, Joseph picked up his fork, thinking it best he eat something before what was sure to be a busy day, still listening carefully to anything Mr. Arbuckle said.
“It does make you wonder where she might have gone, don’t it?” Mr. Arbuckle murmured, half to himself. “Seems strange that she’d just disappear like that.”
Joseph murmured something inaudible, only to see Mr. Arbuckle glance over at him, the smile fading from his face. “I could always try and find her for you, if you wanted. It would give me something to do while I’m here, instead of trailing you around the place.”
Chuckling, Joseph shook his head. “There ain’t no need for that,” he replied, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Nora does a much better job than Mrs. Allan ever did, so even if she were to come back, I ain’t planning to take her back and restore her to her position here.”
Mr. Arbuckle laughed, the darkness gone from his eyes. “She certainly can cook!” He accepted a cup of coffee from Joseph, adding a splash of milk before settling back in his chair. “So, what is it you’re planning on doing today? Anything else I can help you with?”
“You’re welcome to come down to the general store with me,” Joseph suggested, realizing that he soon needed to be getting on his way. “There’s a lot to see that I’m sure would interest you, and there’s Billy to introduce you to as well. Oh, no, Billy’s tending his sick wife,” he remembered, rubbing his forehead. “Then I could certainly do with your company today, since I’ll most likely be on my own.”
This, however, didn’t seem to please Mr. Arbuckle. “I’m rather tired today, after all my traveling. I thought I might rest up here, back at the house. Although, I could join you this afternoon.”
Joseph didn’t know what to say, remembering how he’d promised Nora that he’d not leave her alone in the house with Mr. Arbuckle, but the way Mr. Arbuckle spoke didn’t give him a whole lot of room to reason.
“You don’t mind, do you? I won’t be any trouble to your housekee
per, I promise.”
It was those words that made Joseph’s brow furrow, his worry growing with a sudden fierceness. He had to do as he’d promised Nora; he had to make sure she was kept safe.
“Actually, I could sure do with your help, if it ain’t too much trouble,” he persisted, getting up from the table so that Mr. Arbuckle couldn’t continue to refuse him. “With Billy gone, and it being a busy day for orders, it’ll be a struggle to manage by myself. Can you be ready in a few minutes?”
Mr. Arbuckle cleared this throat, now looking none too pleased at being forced to come along with Joseph. “Sure.”
“Thank you.”
As Joseph walked from the room, he was fairly certain he heard Mr. Arbuckle muttering something under his breath, but couldn’t quite make it out. It was clear that Mr. Arbuckle didn’t want to join Joseph, but Joseph’s promise to Nora came first, before Mr. Arbuckle’s personal feelings.
Which reminded him, where was Nora?
Frowning, Joseph climbed the stairs back up to his bedroom, turning the handle and stepping inside—only to see Nora standing, hands clasped by his bed.
His stomach turned over in shock.
“What are you doing here?” he hissed, his brows furrowing as his mind began to scramble with possibilities, suddenly afraid that she wasn’t the woman he thought her to be. “Nora, you shouldn’t be—”
“Did you come to my door last night?”
He hesitated, seeing for the first time, the paleness of her cheeks, her bloodshot eyes. Something was upsetting her.
“No,” he said slowly, his eyes filling with concern for her. “No, of course I didn’t.”
She shuddered violently, one hand to her mouth, and—on instinct—Joseph stepped forward and took her hand in his, his free hand rubbing her back gently in an attempt to comfort her.