Tillie’s Theatre: The Alphabet Mail-Order Brides Book 20

by Barton, Keira K.

  “Combs children, come sit in the front row, right side. Joshua, Mary Ellen, and Caleb, front row, left side.”

  “What are we doing?” Christina asked.

  “We are practicing for the Independence Day play. It’s only a few short weeks away, and the six of you need to be my shining stars because I’m not sure who else we’re going to have. You need to have all your parts memorized perfectly, and I mean perfectly. Tomorrow we’ll start working on the backdrops and decorations for the set, and I’ll need a few of you to talk to people around town about borrowing household items for props.” Tillie spouted all of this off as she rummaged through her reticule for the notebook she’d written in the night before. When she looked up again, all six of the children had straightened up and were giving her their full attention. At least I can count on them, she thought. She was doing her best to stay positive, and not to think about William finding out that her school’s success was starting to dwindle already.

  “Have you already assigned our parts?” Mary Ellen leaned forward eagerly.

  “Yes, I have. I might have to change what I’d planned if we don’t end up having enough people to fill all the parts, but I’m certain about yours—Betsy Ross.” Tillie ripped out the first few pages of her bound notebook and handed them to Mary Ellen. “It was the first part I wrote.”

  “I was hoping to play Betsy Ross. I love to sew. It’s the only chore I don’t dread. Even darning socks is better than cooking.” Mary Ellen wrinkled her nose for a moment, then clutched the papers tight to her chest. “I can’t imagine the pride Betsy felt creating our first flag. What an honor.”

  “Indeed. Joshua, I’d like to have you play Thomas Jefferson.” Tillie ripped out the next few pages of the script, then turned to Caleb. “Do you think you can handle playing Benjamin Franklin?”

  The boy, who looked to be about nine, nodded vigorously. “Yes’m. I’d love to.”

  “You’re all so accommodating. Thank you for being willing to play the parts I suggest.” After handing Caleb his script, Tillie turned to the Coombs children. “Amanda, would you mind playing Abigail Adams? She was an extraordinary lady whose husband and son were both presidents of our country.” The middle of the three Coombs children turned her gaze away and lifted her shoulder to try to block her face, but Tillie could still make out a small smile.

  “She’s shy,” Christina, her older sister, volunteered.

  “That’s all right. There is nothing wrong with being shy. Can you see if she’ll answer my question for you?” Tillie tucked her notebook under her arm and waited while the sisters discussed things.

  “She says she’ll do it,” Christina said, a proud smile on her face.

  “Great. And Willard, could you be John Adams? I’d originally planned to have another boy take the part, but since you’re the only one left, I hope you won’t mind playing your sister’s husband. Don’t worry, though—you won’t have to kiss.”

  Tillie winked at the little boy, who promptly made a disgusted face and said “Yuck!” Then stuck out his tongue.

  “Do you think you can do it?” Tillie tried to don her best begging face, and she must have made a good one because she saw Willard’s grimace slowly disappear.

  “All right,” he said reluctantly, scooting away from Christina’s nudging elbow as he did.

  “That just leaves you, Christina. I have a very special part for you.”

  Christina sat up a little taller.

  “Sacajawea.”

  “Oh, yes! I’d love to play Sacajawea. My mother taught us about Lewis and Clark just this winter. I admire Sacajawea so much for how she helped them come west. Mother says Oregon wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for Sacajawea’s knowledge.” Christina’s eyes were sparkling with excitement.

  “I wholeheartedly agree with your mother.” Tillie’s belly was filling with butterflies just thinking about the play. She hoped that a few more students showed up over the rest of the week so she could give out the remaining parts. The last thing she wanted was to be filling in on stage.

  “Now that everyone has their script, let’s start reading through parts. That way, you’ll be able to practice them at home . . .” Tillie glanced at Mary Ellen. “. . . if you can.”

  Tillie hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed teaching, and especially putting together performances. It had been quite a while since she’d written a script too, and all of the creativity was refreshing. It almost made her forget the fact that William still hadn’t come over to try to make things right. Almost.

  * * *

  At lunchtime, Joshua Reed showed up to give William his daily report on Tillie. William handed the boy an apple from his own lunch, then motioned for him to follow him back to a private room where they could talk.

  “How was school today, Joshua?” The boy somehow looked even more lanky sitting on top of the tall exam table. His long legs were dangling off the edge, toes grazing the floor as he rubbed the apple on his sleeve. Compared to the frail elderly people or young children who most often came into the office, Joshua seemed giant.

  “It was real excitin’. At first I felt bad for Miss Thompson because hardly anyone showed up for school today. There were only six of us, and she had all these parts to hand out, but she didn’t seem nearly as sad as I thought she’d be about it. She just kept movin’ forward with plannin’ everythin’.” Joshua took a large bite of the apple, and the crisp crunching sound made William’s mouth water.

  “Parts? For what?”

  “Oh. Yesterday Miss Thompson told us that we’ll be doing a performance for the Independence Day celebration. We’re all dressin’ up like different people who helped make this country what it is.” Joshua’s words tumbled out around the apple chunks he was still chewing, and William was surprised it didn’t bother him more that the boy was talking with his mouth full. He was so curious about Tillie, all he wanted was to keep asking questions, even if it meant seeing chewed-up apple chunks to get the answers.

  “I see. And what part did you get?”

  “Thomas Jefferson. I’m pleased. At least I won’t have to be Benjamin Franklin. Mary Ellen won’t be very impressed with me if I have to shove a pillow under my shirt and wear a long wig and glasses.” Joshua’s smile grew a little bigger, and it was obvious he had some sort of crush on Mary Ellen Rowling.

  “I wouldn’t be too concerned about impressing girls just yet. Trust me, you’ll have plenty of time to do that when you’re an adult.” William tried to think of what else to ask Joshua before he sent him home, but now that he was here, he couldn’t think of what he’d want to know.

  “So, what will Miss Thompson do without the other children to play parts?”

  “Well, today she said she just hoped that more of them showed up before the end of the week, and I reckon a couple will, but she ain’t gonna have fourteen people to play all the parts she’s written. You can bet on that.”

  William thought for a moment about how he could help Tillie. Then he suddenly had an idea that would really sweep Tillie off her feet. “I’ve got it! What if I play one of the parts for Miss Thompson?”

  Joshua laughed, and in doing so sprayed tiny chunks of apple all over the floor. “What? You? Who would you be? This is supposed to be a play for her students.”

  “Yes, well, her students don’t seem to want to show up for school. I could play George Washington, or maybe Alexander Hamilton. I’m not sure who she has left, but the point is, I could help her pull off this production. It’s the perfect way to show her how much I care about her.”

  Joshua snorted again. “If you really think so, Dr. Powers. What do you need me to do?”

  “Nothing yet. Just keep an eye on Miss Thompson’s mood for me. Let me know how she…seems. And let me know if any of the other children show up this week. By Friday, if she still has a part—a male part—left, tell her there’s someone you know who can do it, but who can’t come to school right now. Tell her that you can take him the script and help
him learn his lines, and that he’ll be ready when it’s time for the performance.” William’s palms were tingling with anticipation. Surely if anything could win the favor of Tillie, it would be this.

  “All right. I’ll do it.” Joshua finished up the last of his apple and tossed the core into the waste basket in the corner. “Do I really have to help you learn your lines, though?”

  “No, Joshua. Despite what you might think, I can read.”

  The boy’s face flushed. “Of course—of course you can. I guess I—”

  “It’s an honest question, as I did ask you to tell Miss Thompson you would help me. I guess that will be our one little fib. I won’t take up any more of your time than I already am.”

  Joshua let out a long breath. “Anythin' else you want to know?”

  William headed toward the door to his office with Joshua at his heels. “Nope. We’ll see you tomorrow. Keep your eyes and ears open, Joshua. I know you don’t really know what love is yet, but I’m pretty sure I’m in love with your schoolteacher, and you’re my only hope to get her to see that.” William couldn’t believe that he’d just said that out loud, and to Joshua Reed no less, but it was true. He’d felt a gaping hole in his heart ever since the day before, and with each passing day that he and Tillie weren’t speaking, he knew the hole would grow larger.

  “See you tomorrow, Dr. Powers. Thanks for the apple!” Joshua shouted over his shoulder as he ran out the door and down the street toward home.

  It felt risky putting his future with the woman he loved in the hands of Joshua, but he just didn’t want to push Tillie away farther by trying to speak with her again. She’d been so cold toward him the previous day—stony, and unwilling to see his side. The plan to perform a part in her play was his best shot, and he would put everything he had behind it. It’d be painful not to have her in his life in the meantime, but if it meant they ended up together, it’d be worth it.

  Chapter 8

  The July sun was bearing down on the city of Marshfield, warming the humid air and instantly making Tillie feel sticky. It was only ten o’clock in the morning, but one would never know it for the heat. Tillie was walking from the school down to the mercantile to see if they had a few oil lamps they’d be willing to donate to the school.

  It had been two weeks since the incident with William, and Tillie didn’t know what was more concerning—the fact that he hadn’t even tried to contact her since then, or the fact that she still only had six members of her class who were committed to the Independence Day performance, which was in a few short days.

  She’d kept herself busy working on backdrops and rounding up lamps, desks, rocking chairs, notebooks, and spectacles as props for their play, and trying to comfort Mrs. Caldwell, who seemed to be even more distraught than she was about the fact the she and William weren’t speaking.

  In some ways, though, William’s silence had been a blessing in disguise. If she were as wrapped up in him as she’d hoped to be by this point, she never would have branched out the way she had in the past couple of weeks. She was now well acquainted with several of the townspeople, including Mr. Roberts, who owned the sweets shop down the street, and Emma Anderson, a seamstress. She and Emma had become instant friends one night after Tillie had run to her shop in a panic when she’d accidentally snipped through one of her skirts all the way up to her thigh while she was cutting a piece of fabric for a backdrop.

  Tillie was thinking about stopping by Emma’s shop to see if she wanted to have lunch at Rosie’s Cafe before Tillie headed back out to the Caldwells’ when she saw William walking up the same side of the street. Panic instantly set in, and she began to look around for a place to hide. Unfortunately, both the tack shop and the butcher shop she happened to be passing at that moment weren’t open yet, and she couldn’t dart across the street without being incredibly obvious in avoiding him. So, she lifted her chin slightly and kept moving forward.

  Inside, though, Tillie didn’t feel even near as calm as she knew she looked on the outside. Once again, all the practice with students controlling their facial expressions on stage was paying off. William was approaching much faster than she’d anticipated, and Tillie felt like her knees had suddenly turned to rubber. Her whole body felt flimsy and awkward, and she sincerely hoped he wouldn’t try to talk to her. As much as she wanted him to, she couldn’t trust herself to respond like a normal human being right now.

  “Hi, Tillie,” William said, lifting his hat and bowing slightly.

  “William.”

  “I trust all is well with you.”

  Tillie wanted to scream, “Of course all is not well! I moved across the country to be with a man who hasn’t spoken to me in weeks. Why would you trust all is well?”

  But instead, she smiled politely and said, “Yes, thank you.” William’s smile seemed to falter ever so slightly at her response, but Tillie was sure it was just her mind playing tricks on her.

  “I won’t keep you any longer, then. I hope you enjoy your day off from teaching.” William tipped his hat again and then walked past her very closely. Too closely.

  Tillie could feel his body heat radiating off him, and she sucked in a breath that she held until she was sure he was a few steps away. She hadn’t expected that jolt of attraction. They were practically estranged, but when he was close, it almost felt as if their connection had grown stronger. Or maybe it wasn’t connection, just tension.

  “Hey, Til?”

  Tillie closed her eyes. Why was he calling her that?

  “Yes?” She didn’t turn around. He must have stopped walking, and she didn’t know how close he was. She didn’t know if she could bear looking into his face again while he was so near. He was so handsome, it made her heart ache.

  “I’ve told Mr. and Mrs. Jones that if you come by the house and need anything at all, they are to assist you. I wanted you to know. I know the Caldwells’ is quite a ways away, and you don’t always have access to transportation, so if you need to, you can use my carriage or one of my horses. Just let Mr. Jones know and he’ll get everything ready for you.” William paused, waiting for her to say something, but she was almost speechless.

  Why would William make such an offer? Was he still interested in her, or did he just feel guilty about the way things had gone? She didn’t want his charity, but it would be nice not to have to rely on the Caldwells for everything.

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.” After a few moments, Tillie glanced back to see if William had started walking back toward his office yet, and she sighed with relief when she saw that he was already a good distance up the street, his back toward her.

  What a bizarre morning.

  * * *

  William’s office was empty. He didn’t usually come to his office on Saturdays, but he was sure glad he’d ventured out of the house that morning. Running into Tillie had been the best thing that had happened to him since she’d arrived a few weeks ago. He was already longing to see her again, and he smiled at the fresh picture he had in his head now. If it was possible, she was even more beautiful than the last time he saw her.

  He’d debated not speaking to her at all after he saw her walking his way, but even if she wouldn’t listen to his explanations about how they’d gotten to this place, he knew he couldn’t let her walk by in silence. It had taken everything in him not to run to her and pull her into an embrace so he could whisper how sorry he was, but he knew that was completely out of the question.

  Was this all his fault? If he had tried harder to talk to her after the whole ordeal with Samantha, would things be different now? He couldn’t be sure. All he knew for certain was that he had a handful of lines for the part of George Washington in Tillie’s Independence Day program memorized, and when she saw him on stage, it had to convince her how much he truly cared.

  If he’d begun to doubt his feelings for that woman at all in the past two weeks, seeing her now proved to him once again just how much he wanted to be with her. If possible, he wanted her mo
re now that he’d forced himself away for a while, and he’d discovered that he thought about her almost every waking moment, and he didn’t know if that would ever change. He was certain of his feelings. The only thing he felt unsure of was how she felt about him.

  * * *

  Back in New York City, Saturdays had been for exploring. Since none of the teachers had to teach classes, they would help with various chores in the mornings, and then Tillie and her friends would take a carriage to see the exotic animals in the Central Park Zoo or to go to the theatre. They usually started the day without a plan, and by the end of the night, they turned their outing into an experience that wouldn’t quickly be forgotten.

  It was with these memories in mind, and with William’s kind offer to use his transportation, that Tillie decided she would ask Mr. Jones to ready one of his horses so she could go for a ride and explore some of the mountain trails around the area. It was such a shame to spend so much time appreciating the beauty of Coos Bay from a distance and not experience it for herself firsthand.

  After she dropped off the lanterns the manager of the mercantile had so kindly donated to the school, Tillie walked up to William’s house to get a horse. She’d passed the house many times on her way to and from school, but something about it seemed to be more inviting today.

  Mr. and Mrs. Jones welcomed her kindly, and quickly saddled a horse for her to ride. Before she knew it, Tillie was off on her own, with a sense of freedom she’d never felt before. Even in New York City, she’d never had her own transportation completely at her disposal, and she would never have been permitted to go off on her own either. She was buzzing with the high of her newfound independence, and before she knew it, she’d made it up a fairly steep trail to an open area on the side of one of the mountains overlooking the bay.