As Love Blooms

by Lorna Seilstad

  Why had he opened his big mouth?

  “You haven’t met anyone, have you?”

  “Yes I have.” Reese rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “Her name is Tessa—Tessa Gregory—but she’s simply a friend.”

  “Friendship is a good place to start.” Erik downed the rest of his Coke. “Sonja will be thrilled to hear this. Maybe she’ll forget all about Kristoffer on the field when I tell her your news.”

  “It’s not news. You asked if I met any girls, and I have. That’s all.”

  “I know. You’re just friends.” He clapped Reese on the shoulder. “You say that with your mouth, but your face says something else.”

  Since Reese had to move the potted banana trees from the hothouse this morning at Como Park, Tessa planned to stop by Lincoln’s office before heading to meet him. She wanted to know the names of the men on the park commission and figured if anyone could find out, it would be Lincoln.

  She stepped off the streetcar and began the trek to his office on Wabasha. Tessa tipped her face up to view the Ramsey County Courthouse. The large Romanesque Revival–style stone building seemed to symbolize unfailing justice. Was Hannah inside, arguing a case before a judge? Her hours varied now, as she took on fewer clients. She might also be at home or even at the office she shared with Lincoln. If that was the case, Tessa hoped Hannah wouldn’t be in a lecturing mood.

  The ornate oak door to Lincoln’s office bespoke of his clientele. The clerk, a long-faced fellow with spectacles, looked up when Tessa entered. “Good morning, Miss Gregory.”

  “Is my brother-in-law in?”

  “Yes, he is. He’s with a law clerk from another firm, but I’ll let him know you’re here.” The clerk left the room. He returned a minute later and told her to go on in.

  Tessa smiled when she saw the visiting clerk was Edward Ferrell, her dinner companion from last night. Both men stood when she entered.

  “Well, to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?” Lincoln asked.

  Tessa sat down in a leather-clad chair. With Mr. Ferrell present, she’d have to choose her words carefully. “I know Hannah believes my plan may be flawed, but I want to help Mr. Nussbaumer by soliciting more support on his behalf. A conservatory is an excellent idea, and if I can help by encouraging members of the park commission to agree with his plan, then I’d like to do so.”

  Lincoln raised a skeptical eyebrow. “And what do you need from me?”

  “I need the names of the park commissioners and any other information about each of them you can provide. Otherwise, how will I know who to reach out to?”

  “And what makes you think these men will have anything to do with you, Tessa?”

  “I won’t contact them directly. I will try to influence them through their wives and daughters.” She stilled her hands in her lap. “Please, Lincoln. I need your help.”

  Lincoln leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “Let me talk to your sister first. If she agrees, I’ll drop the list by later.”

  Tessa swallowed her disappointment and stood. Hannah would never agree. She’d have to get the names elsewhere. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll walk you out, Miss Gregory.” Mr. Ferrell opened the office door. “Lincoln and I were finished anyway.”

  Lincoln chuckled. “More like at an impasse. Do you think you can get Johnathon to consider my client’s offer?”

  “Absolutely.” Mr. Ferrell shook his hand. “For at least ten minutes. Miss Gregory, shall we leave your brother-in-law to his next victim?”

  Tessa giggled and told Lincoln goodbye after putting in one more plea for the names and information. Out on the sidewalk, Mr. Ferrell offered to walk her to the streetcar stop. Automobiles beeped at one another on the busy street, and patrons bustled from business to business.

  “Miss Gregory, I may be of help with your endeavor.”

  “You want to help?” Tessa paused and looked at the law clerk. Dressed in a chocolate-colored three-button sack suit that complemented his dark eyes, he was the epitome of affluence. Still, he lacked a pretentious demeanor, and she found his deep, rich voice hard to ignore.

  “I have those names you want, and I’m familiar with the men and their families. If you’ll do me the honor of joining me for lunch, I’ll be happy to provide the information you requested. I believe there’s a get-together this weekend, and many of the wives and daughters you spoke about will probably be in attendance. I’m sure you’ll want to begin preparing for that as soon as possible.”

  Tessa clapped her gloved hands together. “That’s a wonderful idea!”

  He motioned down the next block. “Let’s make a detour by my office so I can make the list. Then we can have lunch and go over those details.”

  Oh dear, if she went out to lunch with Mr. Ferrell, then she’d be late to meet Reese. What would he think?

  “And Miss Gregory, please call me Edward. All of my friends do, and we may be seeing a lot of one another.”

  A friend like Edward could prove invaluable. Surely Reese would agree when she told him about Mr. Nussbaumer’s plans.

  She smiled and picked up her pace. “I’m indebted to you for your help.”

  Where was Tessa?

  Reese looked over his shoulder at the sidewalk for the tenth time since he’d begun tilling this section of the garden. She should have been here at their garden an hour ago. Was she sick? What if she had gotten hurt on her way? He didn’t even know how to contact her.

  He shook his head and put his weight into pushing the cultivator. From what little he knew of her, she had probably gotten sidetracked watching butterflies and forgotten all about making them a garden.

  No, that wasn’t fair. Tessa seemed to be taking this garden project seriously, and she’d worked as hard as any man. A picture of her in her overalls took shape in his mind, and he chuckled. She’d even gone to the extreme of disguising herself to protect her identity and his job.

  So where was she?

  8

  Another glance down the sidewalk yielded a figure jogging in Reese’s direction. Although the clothes said the jogger was a young man, the manner was all girl. All Tessa.

  Relief swept through him, followed by a surge of anger. She didn’t look injured or ill. So what was her excuse? He needed to slow down and hear her story.

  He brought the tiller to a halt, crossed his arms over his chest, and waited for her to reach the garden. “Where have you been?”

  Out of breath, she whipped off her straw hat and waved it in front of her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I was having lunch with a man . . .”

  She was having lunch? With a man? Instead of coming here to work with him?

  “I wasn’t worried about you. I was worried about this project. I thought you took this opportunity seriously.” He stomped back to the tiller.

  “I do.” She trailed behind him. “If you’ll let me explain—”

  “I don’t need to hear your excuses. Put your hat back on before someone sees you.”

  She grabbed his sleeve. “Reese, you need to listen to me.”

  He didn’t look at her. “The only thing I need to do is get this garden tilled, which I’ve been doing all afternoon—alone.”

  Her hand slipped from his arm, and he fought the urge to turn and stop her from walking away. Had he been too hard on her? No. What was she doing agreeing to lunch when they had work to do? And who was this fellow anyway?

  Jealousy pricked him like the thorns of a rosebush. He grimaced. He needed to get out his clippers and give this particular rosebush a good old-fashioned pruning.

  Tessa patted the ground around the pussytoe plants. Soon the plant would sport white flowers that looked like tiny cat’s paws. Antennaria plantaginifolia might be their official name, but pussytoes certainly fit them better.

  She fingered a velvety leaf and glanced at Reese. All afternoon she’d felt as if she were walking on cats’ feet around him, and she was getting tired of it. She took off her lea
ther gloves and knocked the dirt from them, then went to retrieve one of the jars of cold tea she’d brought. Perhaps a peace offering would help.

  “Reese?”

  He ignored her, so she marched to the plot he was working and positioned herself beside the cultivator. He still refused to look at her. She jammed her hands on her hips. “Reese King, you need to hear me out.”

  “Let it go, Tessa. I’m not sore at you anymore. Girls are flighty. They can’t help it.”

  Before she could stop herself, she tossed the tea into his face.

  She gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. What would Reese do now? Send her away?

  Without a word, he withdrew a blue handkerchief from his back pocket and swiped his face. “I reckon I deserved that.”

  “Reese, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “I do.” He tucked the handkerchief away. “I was rude.”

  “It’s just that I had a good reason for being late. It involves the conservatory Mr. Nussbaumer wants to build, but you wouldn’t let me explain.”

  “How do you know about the conservatory?”

  “Senator Ferrell came over for dinner. He told me about it.”

  “A senator came to your house?” He drew in a breath and released a slow whistle.

  “Well, not mine. Aunt Sam’s—where I live for the time being.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Come on, Tessa. Let’s go start picking out some more plants. I think we have a lot to talk about on the way.”

  A gentle breeze blew across Reese’s damp shirt front. Given how hot under the collar he’d been all day, it was a welcome change. Now, walking alongside Tessa, he found it hard to believe he’d let his anger get hold of him like that. It wasn’t his usual way. Even when kids in school tried to provoke him, he’d always managed to stay calm. After only a few days with Tessa Gregory, she’d managed to irritate him like a patch of nettles.

  He glanced at her. What kind of family had senators over for dinner? And hadn’t she mentioned her aunt had a driver? The pieces began to fall together. He should have seen she was from a wealthy family from the clothes she wore the first day they met. The ivory and green dress with its enormous ostrich-feathered hat had shouted money. Still, Tessa hadn’t seemed like some of the society girls he’d met. She didn’t seem like she expected things to be handed to her—she seemed like a fighter.

  “I really am sorry about the tea.” Tessa stuffed her hands into her pockets.

  “And I apologize for saying girls are flighty. That sounds like something my dad would have said, not me. Now, suppose you tell me about this aunt of yours.”

  For the next five minutes, Reese listened as Tessa explained how Hannah had met her husband Lincoln and how Aunt Sam was actually Lincoln’s aunt.

  “I guess she always wanted girls, because she’s sort of taken us all in. She treats us like her own, and I couldn’t love her more if she were my actual aunt. But I admit, she does spoil me.”

  “The old maid type, huh?” Reese navigated the cultivator around a bend in the walk.

  “Heavens, no.” Tessa giggled. “More like the bicycle-riding, bloomer-wearing, suffragette kind.”

  “You must be like two peas in a pod.” Reese leaned against a tree. “And she’s wealthy?”

  “Yes, her husband was in the railroad business before he passed. She lives on Summit Avenue.”

  “So that’s where you live too.” He snuck a look at her only to find her taking an interest in her shoes. Was she embarrassed? Did she think he might renege on his offer to help her? Even though he was sorely tempted, that wasn’t his way. “Why aren’t you going to balls instead of digging in the dirt?”

  Her head snapped up. “Why can’t I do both?”

  He chuckled. “Good point. Now, tell me about the senator.”

  Since he was already aware of Mr. Nussbaumer’s dream of building a grand conservatory, he wasn’t surprised by the news. However, he was concerned the senator believed some members of the park commission wouldn’t support the plan.

  “Can’t you see how this could help me get a position here? I can use my connections with the park commissioners’ wives and daughters to encourage each of them to work hard at persuading their husbands or fathers to vote for the conservatory.” She stopped and turned to him. “Between our garden and the help I can give him, surely he’ll see how seriously I take this job.”

  “You can fit into that world?”

  “I’m a very good actress.” She grinned. “And I went to school with many of their daughters. So you see, when I ran into Senator Ferrell’s grandson Edward, who’s a lawyer like Lincoln, I had to say yes to lunch because he said he’d help me with my plans. He provided me with the names of the park commissioners. How else was I to get them? Lincoln wasn’t going to help me unless Hannah said it was all right, and I know she wouldn’t have agreed.”

  “And you didn’t think I’d know who those men were?”

  “No—I mean yes, of course you do, but I needed to know more about them. Edward knows each of the families well.”

  “And how old is this Edward?”

  “A year or two older than you, I’d guess. He told me he may be able to help even more in the future.”

  “I bet he did,” Reese mumbled.

  “Pardon me?”

  “Nothing.” He shook his head. He might not like this on several levels, but the worst one was the position she could be placing herself in. “Tessa, the circle these men travel in is filled with all kinds of politics. Each man has his own motive, and many of them will do anything to get what they want. It would be easy for you to get in over your head, and it could even be dangerous. Just be careful. I’d hate to see you get hurt.”

  She laughed. “Don’t worry. Careful is my middle name.”

  9

  What a treat it was for Sam to have all three nieces with her this bright Saturday morning, although it meant attending a stuffy social function.

  From the backseat of the Oldsmobile Cadillac, Tessa laid her hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Thank you for taking me to the Ladies’ Gardening Society, and Hannah and Charlotte, thank you for coming along. It’s like old times—spending the day together.”

  Sam patted the back of the girl’s hand. “You don’t need to thank me, dear. Everyone is invited.”

  “But we all know that isn’t really true. Without your introduction, the members wouldn’t truly welcome us.”

  Sam turned to look at Tessa and lifted her eyebrows. “I’m not sure how much good an introduction from me will do with these ladies. I believe I’ve been referred to as a ‘crazy old troublemaker’ more than once by the club’s president. You might be better off simply attending with your sisters.” She glanced in the rear seat and smiled at Charlotte and Hannah. “You two don’t have to hold your tongues. You both know I’m telling the truth.”

  Charlotte bit back a chuckle. “It’s always an honor to go out with you, Aunt Sam, and it will be fun to spend the morning supporting our sister.”

  “And keeping an eye on her.” A mischievous glint sparkled in Hannah’s eyes.

  Tessa frowned. “Hey, I don’t—”

  “She’s teasing you, dear,” Sam said as the driver pulled the automobile to the curb. He climbed out and came around to open Sam’s door. She surveyed the area. The gardening society met near the Elks Club, across from the post office. She was familiar with the Rice Park area since her suffrage meetings were near here.

  She noticed a friend standing on the porch of the Elks Club. “Why don’t you girls go on in? I see someone I’d like to speak to. I’ll be right up.”

  Once the sisters entered the hall, she made a beeline for the columned Elks Club. Her friend came down to the sidewalk to meet her.

  “Hello, Samantha. I was hoping you’d come over to speak to me.”

  Her lips curled up at the sound of his deep voice. “James, how did you know I’d be here?”

  “You mentioned you might attend
the club meeting with Tessa. I had my clerk find out when the next meeting would be.”

  As if she were a schoolgirl with a crush, a tiny thrill fired through her, but that was silly. She was too old for this nonsense.

  He motioned toward a bench. Once she was seated, he took his place beside her. “I know I’ve asked several times already, but will you have dinner with me, please?”

  Should she? They’d been friends for years, but somewhere along the line, things had begun to feel differently. Their once-a-week lunches seemed to take on a life of their own, filled with innocent flirtations. Both of them had been widowed a long time now, but would their families approve? Dinner seemed to be a big step forward, and what if it ruined the friendship she’d grown to cherish?

  She licked her dry-as-cotton lips. “I’m not sure we should take the chance.”

  “Where’s the crusader? The woman who learned to ride a bicycle at fifty, who wears bloomers to every social function she possibly can, and who’s intent on saying what she thinks on any given subject? I know my risk taker Sam wants to say yes to dinner.”

  She looked into his coffee-colored eyes, fanned by wrinkles much like her own, and smiled. “But your friend Sam isn’t so sure it’s a good idea.”

  “One dinner. Then, if you want, we can go back to weekly lunches, and I won’t bother you anymore.”

  Hope radiated from him, making her traitorous heart swell at the thought of an evening alone with him.

  “One dinner. Next week.” She stood. “I’d better go before the girls come looking for me. I’d like to keep our friendship private, all right?”

  He grinned. “For now.”

  Tessa nearly bounced up the stairs of the hall. A gardening society. Surely this would be a place she’d find several kindred spirits. She could share her knowledge of horticulture and garden design, and participate in hours of flora and fauna discussions. What could be better?

  She scurried inside with Hannah and Charlotte on her heels. She paused in the foyer and glanced upward. Her heart skipped. Oh my, even the light fixture sported periwinkles.