by Betty Bolte
"Looks like we have visitors." Nathaniel strode up to stand at her side while they waited for the men to arrive. "And it seems they've brought what they need to begin work."
A thrill of anticipation and delight bloomed in her midriff. A sensation not related to the man inches from her. "They're starting much earlier than I expected."
"I'm not entirely surprised, but I must admit to some relief." Nathaniel nodded as he shifted closer, draping an arm around her shoulders. "Their presence will deter any would be aggression by others."
The men and horses rattled into the yard, halting by the barn. The dogs circled around the group, woofing a warning. Ethan and Luke dismounted and ground-tied their horses. Bill secured the traces to the brake as he climbed down from the wagon. They greeted the canines, introducing their scent by extending a hand for the dogs to sniff. Satisfied the invaders were friendly, the dogs trotted off to investigate the wagon wheels. Sauntering over to Evelyn and Nathaniel, the men brushed dust off their breeches and jackets.
"Welcome. I'm glad you are here." Evelyn smiled at her cousins, aware of the pressure of Nathaniel's embrace. An unspoken claim directed at the three handsome bachelors arrayed before her.
Ethan removed his hat and held it in front of his chest. His warm smile held more than a hint of interest. "We thought we might as well start so you can live in comfort as soon as possible."
"Very considerate of you." Nathaniel squeezed her shoulder before easing his arm away. He shook hands with the three men. "Do you want a hand to help unload?"
Luke shook his head. "We'll manage. Evelyn, where would you have us set up our sleeping tents?"
"Goodness, I hadn't thought you'd sleep outside." Why would they want to live in tents, what with the uncertainty of the weather during the transition from winter to spring? "Surely we can make room in the carriage house."
Nathaniel stiffened and shot her a look she couldn't interpret. Or didn't want to. After his possessive gesture upon their appearance, he may be feeling somewhat threatened by the men's occupation of her lodgings. Especially if Ethan were to set up a bed inside.
"No, we'd prefer to sleep outside." Bill huffed a laugh. "We rather like it better than being within four walls after spending so much time in the field."
"If you change your mind or the weather turns ferocious, you might sleep in the barn." She smiled as Nathaniel relaxed, an inaudible sigh easing the tension in the air. "I'll leave it up to you."
"Very well." Ethan caught Nathaniel's attention with a nod of his head toward the wagon Nathaniel had been loading. "Looks like you're planning a trip of your own."
"I'm needed in town and am taking Lyn back to her parents' house to collect the remaining items there." He glanced at the wagon and then back to Ethan. "I'm grateful you're here to take care of the place in her absence."
"I'm pleased to do so." Ethan nodded, aiming a grin at Evelyn. "When I heard you'd elected to assist my cousin, I decided we should hasten our timing of the rest of the construction."
"Yes, the timing couldn't be better." Evelyn motioned to the carriage house in a vain attempt to mollify the sudden tension between Nathaniel and Ethan. "We'll be leaving in a short while. Would you enjoy some tea?"
Luke shook his head. "We'd rather begin, if you don't mind."
She laughed and waved them away, her own relief at not needing to witness Ethan and Nathaniel in the same room for an extended period sharp on her tongue. Men could act like such boys at times. "Have it your way."
Chuckling, they donned their hats and strode off to address the tasks before them, Ethan glancing back at her several times as he trailed after his brothers. Evelyn smiled after them, happy the next phase of her life was beginning in very capable hands.
Looking up at Nathaniel, she shrugged and smiled. "Shall we go?"
He glanced at the waiting wagon, then at the men busily removing tents, shovels, ladders, and other tools from the larger vehicle. "Almost ready. By the time you retrieve your things, we can start."
"Give me five minutes."
"With pleasure." He smiled, his gaze landing on her mouth before flashing up to meet her regard. "I'll be ready when you are."
She blinked twice, aware of a hidden meaning behind his words. Ready for what exactly?
Chapter 18
Two days later, Evelyn drove her phaeton carriage, drawn by a matched pair of bay mares, toward home. She'd said a tearful farewell to her parents before she and Peggy McKinley climbed aboard and started for the manor. Jemma held Jim close on the rear seat of the vehicle, keeping him warm and dry. The sound of his cooing and burbling mingled with the patter on the cloth roof. A cold rain shrouded the view of the rough lane snaking between the river on her right and the forest on her left. The laden conveyance slogged through the worsening roads, leaving new ruts behind to add to the difficult track.
"Almost there." Evelyn glanced at Peggy's enrapt expression. "Your first time away from town, is it?"
The thin woman sat up straight, her long black hair beneath a simple white bonnet braided down her back and tied with a festive red bow. Evelyn had been impressed with her assertive yet humble grace and demeanor. Her emerald eyes seemed to miss nothing when she aimed them toward Evelyn upon their first encounter at the Exchange to purchase her indenture. That was one trait Evelyn particularly liked in the twenty-two-year-old servant. The keen eye and sharp mind revealed in their first conversation had sealed the bargain for Evelyn. Intelligence would prove more valuable than obedience with training, so that she would be capable of judging for herself the proper response to situations without having to rely upon direction. Still, her attire had cried out for improvement, which Evelyn's mother had addressed forthwith upon Peggy's arrival at their home on King Street. Even dressed in simple homespun, her new maid and, she hoped, friend employed a regal carriage fit for a queen.
"Yes, miss." Peggy shook her head, eyes wide and a smile splitting her face. "It's so beautiful. Almost like my homeland."
"Do you miss Ireland?" Evelyn slowed the horses to a walk as they approached a bend in the road, one made precarious by the onslaught of water rushing across to join the swollen river.
"Aye. But I'm a-hoping to make a better life, a new one, in this new country." Peggy tucked the carriage blanket more tightly over her lap. "Thank ye for paying my passage. I'll work hard for ye, no doubt."
"We'll set a new schedule after we see how the construction is going." Evelyn clucked and slapped the reins on the horses' reddish-brown haunches. They responded by breaking into a trot, harness jangling with each stride. Their black manes glistened in the gloomy light, lifting and falling as they hastened the carriage toward home. "I expect you to take charge of my son's care and assist me with the school after we open to students."
"What about the girl caring for him? Jemma?" Peggy glanced back at the young woman and child. "I do not feel right taking her responsibilities."
"I have other duties for her to pick up." Evelyn smiled at the Irish woman. "I've learned she's a wizard with a sewing needle."
Peggy bobbed her head twice, gazing at the muddy road ahead. "You'll be wanting something special to wear to the Spring Ball in a few weeks, won't you?"
Evelyn grinned and shook her head. "I have already made my gown, and Emily is working on adding some decoration to the bodice."
"Why are you blushing?" Peggy canted her head to peer at Evelyn. "Is there a beau chasing your skirts?"
Evelyn's first thought was to deny such a likelihood. Her neck and cheeks warmed, belying her inclination. But Nathaniel had made it plain his feelings for her grew with each passing day. "Mayhap."
"Have I met him?"
"Nathaniel Williams seems to find me pleasant company." She understated his interest almost to the point of falsehood. The heat in her face increased merely contemplating his tender smile, his laughing eyes and even more, his electrifying kiss.
Peggy guffawed, a most annoying response to Evelyn's comment. "From your expression, me
thinks you feel much the same in return."
"Do not laugh at me." Evelyn tried to sound haughty, to quell the tone of the other woman's rejoinder. She failed. Laughing, she clucked to the horses. "The sooner we get to the manor, the better for my comportment."
When she drove into the barnyard, Rufus and Belle barked in greeting. Ethan emerged from within the husk of the destroyed building, wiping his hands on his sooty pants. Luke strode out of the barn, a shovel in hand, and stopped to lean on the tool until the vehicle came to a halt. Sticking the point of the blade into the soft earth, he took hold of the horses. Evelyn tied the reins to the brake and pulled her bonnet up to cover her hair before climbing down from her seat.
"Welcome home." Ethan hurried to help her, holding her hand until she turned to face him. "I'm glad you've returned in safety."
Jemma climbed out of the carriage, lighting without a word and striding into the carriage house to keep the little one out of the rain. Peggy emerged from the other side of the vehicle, carrying a long black object as she moved to stand with Evelyn while Ethan continued to hold her hand.
"What do you have there?" Evelyn peered closer at the unfamiliar thingumbob as she freed her hand.
"You've never seen an umbrella before?" Peggy worked with the device and suddenly she held a wooden stick with a silk canopy over Evelyn's head.
"No, I haven't. Where did you get it?" Evelyn appreciated the protection from the rain the umbrella provided.
"A friend of mine moved to France where they are very popular. It's made from oiled silk and is very useful. Though some folks believe them to indicate an inferior person, one who can't afford their own carriage. Like me." With a shrug and a laugh, Peggy spun the handle and water flung in all directions.
Evelyn jumped back a step, running into Ethan's sturdy chest. Luke moved to steady her, but Ethan's hands gripped her upper arms. The contact between them evoked no reaction, most definitely not the intense response she experienced when Nathaniel touched her. Perhaps curiosity or possibly irritation. Nothing sensual.
Gazing over her shoulder into the robust man's expression, she relaxed. He held no fascination for her. "How are you lads doing on the cleaning out stage of the effort?"
Ethan twitched a brow as merriment appeared in his eyes. He released her. "We lads have about finished removing the worst of the debris."
"Good, good." She put some space between them and grinned at him, knowing he understood her subtle meaning. "We'll settle into the little house while you continue your work. I don't wish to detain you."
Bill chuckled as he joined the group. Of the three men, his classic features proved the most expressive. Whatever emotion he felt displayed plainly on his face. "I'll work extra hard now that we've got someone who really knows their way around the kitchen."
"Truer words were never spoken by any man." Peggy nodded to herself as she shot a grin at Bill.
He smiled at her in return. "I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm William Sullivan, but my friends call me Bill."
Evelyn huffed a laugh at the awkward introduction. "Oh, Bill, please permit me to introduce you properly. Margaret McKinley, these men are my cousins." She looked at each of them as she said their names. "Bill, Ethan, and Luke."
Peggy kept her gaze on Bill for a long moment and finally shook her head with a smile. "You may call me Peggy."
"It's been tough eating the last few days." Bill folded his arms across his broad chest.
"Aye, I can stir together some vittles for you after you finish your day's labors." Peggy propped her hands on her wide hips. "First you work, then you play, my da always said."
Bill stared, enthralled, at the black-haired beauty. He made to say something, his mouth opening and closing several times before he finally cleared his throat. "Whatever you make will surely taste as delicious as you appear."
Then he blushed crimson as his double entendre hung in the drizzly air.
"Be watching yourself, mister..." Peggy's smile stiffened, kept there by an apparent force of will. "I'll not be taking insults to my person."
"I didn't mean—"
"I think you meant exactly what you said." Luke punched him affectionately on the shoulder. "Or you wouldn't be so red in the face."
"Enough teasing." Evelyn stroked the neck of one of the mares, laughing at the brothers' unapologetic grins. "How long do you think the building will take?"
Ethan shuffled his weight from one foot to another, his gaze intent upon her face. "How long do you want it to take? We could drag it out, so we stay nearby longer. Just say the word, my lady."
The blatant attempt to woo her made her smile. Ethan's confident smirk revealed an expectation of winning her permission to court her. Tall, with impressively muscular shoulders that tapered to a trim waist and then to powerful thighs. He rode a horse as though sitting in a comfortable rocking chair, each movement fluid and sure. A fine man. One pleasant to admire.
She shook her head, pretending to show sorrow for what she prepared to say. "In the event, I'd prefer to move in before summer if possible." She gazed up at him, blinking slowly.
He guffawed, a wide smile lighting his eyes. "Point taken."
"We've worked out a plan to accelerate the rebuild, Evelyn." Bill tossed a glare at his provocative sibling. "Don't let Ethan persuade you otherwise."
"Right. We should have the new structure up in a few weeks." Luke grabbed the shovel and leaned on it. "Then a few weeks more to enclose it against the elements."
"That's amazing." Evelyn glanced at each man, surprise coursing through her. "How do you intend to finish in such a short amount of time?"
Ethan chuckled and tapped one finger on his temple. "We've got a few pals we can press into service to expedite the raising of the structure."
"We're fortunate to have young Tom Elfe to assist with the woodwork." Luke rested his arms on the handle of the shovel. "You may remember his father, Thomas Elfe, who was known for his fine cabinetry and furniture."
"I recall the elder man died a few years back, at the start of the war." Ethan shifted his weight to rest on his other hip. "Just as well, given his loyalist views."
"His son inherited all of the man's tools so he can carry on the business." Luke straightened and pulled the blade out of the earth. "We're fortunate he's almost as talented as his father."
"I cannot afford to pay more men, especially expert artisans." Evelyn's hope dimmed. Dare she borrow more from her father? What other conditions might he demand? "My funds are limited."
"These friends owe us a favor or two." Ethan winked at her, a conspiratorial gesture. "They'll help without needing any recompense."
Optimism returned to Evelyn's chest, freeing the weight of uncertainty and dread. "You're certain of the schedule?"
Ethan nodded as he motioned to his brothers. "We're going to complete a quality job as efficiently as possible."
"The design you proposed may need a few adjustments to make a sound building." Luke gripped the tool in one hand and shifted the brim of his hat with the other, allowing a cascade of water to fall to the ground.
"Adjustments?" Evelyn frowned, trying to understand what might need to change.
"I'd like to modify the overall size of the house, so it's not such a long center passage." Luke straightened away from the tool and demonstrated with his hands a squat recumbent "I" shape. "With the hall like this, the breeze will be channeled more strongly through it. Making the house cooler in the summer, and when it's closed up in the winter will keep the warmth inside."
"Brilliant." Evelyn beamed at him. "I'm pleased with the idea. Proceed."
"In the meanspace, we're getting soaked standing out in the rain all this time." Bill shook water from the brim of his hat with a shiver that shook his entire frame.
"At least it's eased off." Peggy switched hands holding the protective umbrella above the two women. "But we all have work to do, I'd venture."
The men bobbed their heads in unison, rain water dripping from
their hats onto their shoulders. Evelyn regarded each of them, appreciating their enthusiasm even more than their talents. Soon, faster than she'd imagined possible, she'd have a real home to call her own.
"Let's get to work." Evelyn glanced at Peggy, a silent request to follow her inside. "We'll see to dinner and a fresh pot of tea."
"Aye, miss." Peggy pursed her lips for a moment, then relaxed them into a line. "I will see what is in the makeshift kitchen. Between that and what we brought with us, we'll soon have a hot meal for you men."
"Will two hours be enough time to work your magic, Miss McKinley?" Bill's sea blue eyes focused on the woman's face, his lips seeming to fight forming into a smile.
"It will do." Peggy tilted her head. "By then you'll be needing a bit of warming."
Bill smiled, his entire visage showing pleasure at her words. He gripped the crown of his hat, lifting and replacing it in one brief motion. "Until then."
As the men drifted in their separate directions, Peggy escorted Evelyn to the door, the umbrella a welcome protection. Peggy folded the delicate item with care, while Evelyn opened the door and stepped out of the mist into the warmth. Peggy slipped inside and pushed the door closed.
Evelyn removed her cloak and hung it on a peg, her servant following suit. Jemma had settled Jim on his little bed of straw, swaddled to keep him warm and secure. The black woman moved about the room, rubbing a rag over the mismatched pieces of furniture. Peggy paused beside Evelyn long enough to determine the whereabouts of the kitchen. She strode away from Evelyn to begin her magic.
Her temporary home felt more real and loving than her former permanent one ever could have attained. Happiness mingled with the anticipation of her new life. One filled with family and friends and plenty of love for all. In her mind's eye, she envisioned Nathaniel as part of her family, the core that would bind the whole. A presence to buffer and perhaps chase away the lingering memory of terror and trajedy. As their relationship evolved, she dwelled more and more on his character and personality. She would proceed with due caution, but the path appeared clear. Finally, her future seemed secure.