As Love Blooms

by Lorna Seilstad

  “No!” He clenched his fist. “That’s not what I want. I’m not good at this, I know, but I’m trying to tell you that I’m sorry. I love you the way you are, and they’ll have to learn to love you too. Just because I made a mistake once doesn’t mean I’m making it again.”

  She bit her lip. “Are you sure?”

  “I’ve never been more certain. What do you say we go see how your sister is doing?”

  “You’re coming with me?”

  “Unless you’d rather I not go.” He came around the car and opened her door.

  She set the tin of Oreos on the seat and took his hand. “It’s up to you, but if you think getting your dad’s approval is hard, wait till you try to get hers.”

  “And if she disapproves?”

  “I’m used to it.” She slipped her hand in the crook of his arm. “She doesn’t approve of most of my choices.”

  That was his Tessa. And if he had his way, with or without his parents’ approval, she’d be his forever. All the more reason he had to get that park promotion.

  Two things had surprised Reese when he arrived at Como Park this morning. First, Mr. Nussbaumer told him the conservatory project would be put to a vote tonight, and he asked him to pray about it. Second, he asked Reese to go check on Indian Mounds Park, one of the parks in Saint Paul’s system. The head gardener there had been ill for over a week, but Nels had been assigned to cover for him, a fact that made Reese wonder if Nels was the front-runner for the Como position.

  The drive to Dayton’s Bluff didn’t take long, and his Model T managed the incline easily. Tessa, who’d never been to Indian Mounds Park, hopped out of the car as soon as they reached the Hoffman Avenue entrance. An ornamental flower display with a collection of vivid yellows and reds greeted them.

  “This looks to be in fine shape.” She pressed a finger to the soil. “What was Mr. Nussbaumer worried about?”

  Reese scratched his forehead. “The only thing he said was he wouldn’t abide by his employees lying to him.”

  “How odd. Do you think he was referring to the current head gardener or Nels?”

  “I’m not sure it’s either one.” Reese bent and pulled a dandelion from the edge of the planter. “I’ve never heard a bad word about either man, and as much as Nels irritates me personally, he’s usually a good worker.” He circled the planter, and once he was satisfied all was in order, he motioned to the Model T. “I’ll give you a tour while we’re giving the place a once-over.”

  They followed the paths until they reached the north edge of the park. Young trees dotted the landscape. He’d not yet been employed by the park service when trees and shrubs were planted in this park, but he’d spent many a day watering them.

  He slowed on Thorn Street and stopped in front of an expansive three-story building. “That’s the Mounds Park Sanitarium. It takes patients with both physical and mental problems.”

  Tessa glanced around. “What a beautiful place to recuperate. Look! You can see the park and the river from here.” She leaned out the window. “Are those the burial mounds?”

  “Yes. You look surprised.”

  “I don’t know what I was expecting, but they look like little hills.”

  He chuckled. “Or mounds?”

  “Point taken.”

  He headed toward them. “At one time, thirty-seven Hopewell and Dakota burial mounds dotted this area. Some are said to be nearly two thousand years old. There were at least nineteen mounds around here, and more around Carver’s Cave. Some were excavated in the 1800s. More were destroyed when the rail yard was widened, and additional ones when the park commission bought the land.”

  “They destroyed the sites?”

  “The park was bought for the view of the river more than for protecting the mounds.” He released a long breath. “Some of the mounds blocked the view.”

  Tessa grabbed Reese’s arm. “What are those people doing?”

  “Collecting.” His stomach roiled. “They’re looking for pieces of pottery, mussel shells, arrowheads, and even bones—whatever treasure they can find.”

  “But these are graves. Can’t you stop them?”

  “I wish I could, but it’s not illegal.”

  “I can’t pick flowers in Como Park, but visitors here can desecrate graves?” She touched her fingers to her mouth. “It feels so wrong.”

  “You’re right.” He swung the Model T around one of the mounds. “Mr. Nussbaumer has forbidden his employees from participating in any collecting.”

  Tessa’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe that’s why he sent you here. One of the gardeners might be taking things even though Mr. Nussbaumer ruled against it.”

  Reese moved the throttle upward. “You’re brilliant, Tessa Gregory. Do you know that?”

  “Yes.” She grinned. “But I still like to hear it.”

  When Sam entered the meeting place of the Minnesota Women’s Suffrage Association, she could tell the new leaflets had arrived, for the whole room smelled of printer’s ink.

  She greeted a few of her fellow suffragists while waiting for the others to arrive. At last Clara stepped up to the podium. “Good morning, ladies.” She laid her hand on the stack. “We have our work cut out for us today—five hundred leaflets with which we can blanket the city. After the successful Memorial Day parade, I think this will be a great follow-up. I hope you’re all ready to do some walking.”

  A few of the young women moaned, making Sam smile. In her lifetime, how many miles had she walked for this cause? How many pamphlets had she passed out, and how many speeches had she given? How many times, like Sojourner Truth, had she shown up at ballot boxes only to be turned away?

  Clara picked up a stack. “There are twenty-five of us present today, so if we each pass out twenty, we’ll be done in no time.”

  The ladies fell into line, and Sam took her place with them. She accepted her pile of papers and read over the one on top. The leaflet listed ten reasons why women deserved suffrage, with each statement beginning with the word “because.” She especially liked two of the points: “Because women suffer from a bad form of government just as men do” and “Because women are citizens whose government is of the people, by the people, and for the people, and women are people.”

  She sighed. She’d heard all of the arguments listed on the paper before, but what would it take for other people to truly hear them? Sure, they’d made progress. Women were now allowed to keep their own wages, own land, and expect an education, but there was still much to do. Why couldn’t the politicians see that until women were treated like citizens, with all the rights and privileges due to them, they were not truly free?

  Every night she would pray for the politicians, especially those in Minnesota, to have the courage to stand up for what was right. They needed someone willing to risk their career on a cause that was unpopular among many male voters. For years she’d prayed James would be that person, but now? She wasn’t sure anymore.

  Heading for the stairs, she said a silent prayer, asking God to let her see the day when women and men could stand side by side and cast their vote. Gaining the right to vote for women was only the first battle. Persuading women to use it would be the true test of victory.

  Excitement fizzed inside Tessa as the entrance to Carver’s Cave yawned black before her. When she’d awoken this morning, exploring a cave was the last thing she expected to do.

  Reese lit the lantern in his hand and held it aloft. “Ready?”

  She nodded. They’d spoken to some of the park workers and asked about the mounds and the artifacts. Although none of the workers would give them a name, nearly all of them said they’d find what they were looking for inside this cave. Getting to the cave entrance, which was on a cliff face below the park, hadn’t been easy, and she’d been grateful for her masculine apparel.

  Reese took her hand, and they started to follow the path along the wall. The cave entrance opened to a huge domed area carved out of the limestone, so large it seemed to swallow the
light of their small lantern. Immediately the air temperature dropped several degrees.

  Her footsteps sank in the white sand, and the lantern’s light glinted off the water of an interior lake.

  She sucked in her breath. “Why haven’t I ever heard of Carver’s Cave? It’s amazing.”

  “The railroad shaved off a big section of this place to widen the rail yard a long time ago.” He came to a stop. “Hold up. Here’s the boat.” He passed the lantern to her and shoved the rowboat into the water. Once Tessa was seated, she asked him to continue his explanation.

  “A man named John Colwell was charged with finding the entrance again. He traced the spring of water leaking from the bluff to find it. The park system’s plans are to make it a lure for visitors.”

  “Do you think that’s wise?” The steady sound of the oars slapping the water echoed in the massive chamber.

  “Not really. Look at how people have treated the mounds.” The deeper they went into the cave, the quieter his voice became. “There are supposed to be some rooms at the back of the cave. That’s where we’re headed.”

  About thirty feet into the cave, the dome began to slope downward until the limestone ceiling was only nine feet above them. The air was heavy with dampness, and Tessa’s pulse beat harder as they lost sight of the entrance.

  “You okay?” Reese asked.

  “Of course.” Her voice sounded tight.

  “The Indians called this place Waukon Teebee, which means ‘house of the spirits.’”

  “Really?”

  “Any ordinary girl might be a little afraid.”

  She cleared her throat. “Any ordinary girl might.”

  He kept a steady flow of conversation going, explaining things like how the back of the cave was nearly fifty yards from the entrance. Swinging the boat toward the lake’s edge, he stilled the oars. “Hold the lantern up. Let’s see if we can find any of those rooms.”

  Reese moved the boat slowly along the edge while Tessa peered into the darkness, hoping to catch a glimpse of something different than the limestone walls. “Reese, look.” She pointed to an even darker area a few feet above the lake. “A room?”

  “We have to get out of the boat to check. Do you see anything to tie it to?”

  She swung the lantern around. “Nothing.”

  “Then you stay here and I’ll go check.”

  “No!”

  “So you want to be the one to go inside and see if there’s anything there?”

  Tessa bit her lip. Neither option made her happy. If she had her druthers, she’d stay in the boat, but would Reese think she was scared? How could he not? But if she offered to go, he’d refuse to let her. Then she could act irritated but still stay in the boat—safe and sound.

  “Sure, I’ll go.” Using her best acting voice, she took on the confidence of a pirate. “You can boost me up.”

  He seemed to study her for a minute. “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “All right, let’s do it.” He pressed his hands to his thighs and stood. “I know you like a thrill every now and then, and this one should be safer than riding a motorcycle.”

  “Truly?” She nearly choked, but she didn’t dare tell him she’d been pretending. “You’re going to let me do it?”

  He hiked a shoulder. “Why not? I’ll be here if you need me.”

  “What do I do?”

  He took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “I’ll lift you up to the ledge. Then once you’re inside, I’ll pass you the lantern.”

  She swallowed. Was she really going to do this?

  “Ready, my little risk taker?”

  She nodded. They moved slowly in the flat-bottomed boat until they were in position.

  “Be careful.” Reese’s breath was hot against her ear. He placed his hands on her waist. “One, two . . .”

  On three, he lifted her high enough that if she swung her feet upward, she could reach the opening. Thank goodness she was wearing overalls. At the last second, he gave her a little extra push, which made her land hard on the clammy stone floor.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Peachy.” She leaned over the edge and took the lantern from him.

  Even with the lantern illuminating the small cave room, the craggy rocks left eerie shadows she’d have to explore.

  “What do you see?”

  “A lot of crevices.” She took a few steps away from the doorway and stopped. “Reese, can you still hear me?”

  “Sure.” He paused. “Listen, if this is too much, come back down, and I’ll go up. I shouldn’t have let you do it anyway.”

  “I’m fine.” At least she was physically. Her nerves, on the other hand, were a bit shaky. She eased along the right side of the room. What if some creature made an appearance? Did snakes live in caves? She shuddered at the thought.

  “See anything?” Reese’s voice startled her.

  “Nothing yet.” Her light illuminated something wedged inside one of the crevices. “Wait. I think I found a sack.” She set the lantern on the ground and pushed her hand past the cobwebs into the crack. Her fingers came into contact with a familiar itchy fabric. Burlap? She gripped it and yanked it free.

  After grabbing the lantern, she hurried to the edge and hoisted the sack in the air for Reese to see.

  “Great work, Tessa.” He held up his hands. “Hand it to me, then pass me the lantern.”

  She did as she was told, then sat on the edge and waited for him to help her down. A noise behind her made her skin crawl. “Now, Reese, now!”

  28

  Reese tossed the sack in the bottom of the boat and whirled. The panic in Tessa’s voice made his heart race. He yanked her off the ledge and set her down in the boat. “Are you okay?”

  She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. “All of a sudden I got the distinct feeling I wasn’t alone up there.”

  He lifted the lantern in the air to see the opening. “I don’t see anything.” She’d probably gotten spooked. He certainly didn’t blame her.

  After tugging off his jacket, he wrapped it around her shoulders. “Better?”

  “Much.” She burrowed inside it. “Reese, not that I haven’t enjoyed this little outing, but can we go back now?”

  “Had enough adventure for one day?” He chuckled. “Now there’s a first.”

  Half an hour later, they exited the cave with the burlap sack in hand. Reese untied the rope binding its top and gently poured its contents on the ground. A few fragments of pottery and arrowheads tumbled out first. He gave it another gentle shake, and a human skull rolled to the ground.

  Tessa gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Reese, who would have taken this?”

  “Only park employees know about the cave’s back rooms.”

  “Nels?”

  “Maybe.” He put the items back in the bag. “But we don’t know enough to accuse him.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would anyone do this?”

  “Collectors will pay a pretty penny for items like this. Whoever took this might be a collector themselves or might be looking at making some money by selling these artifacts.”

  “That’s despicable. Whatever happened to honoring the dead?”

  He pressed his hand to the small of her back. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, Tessa, I promise. And we’ll put these things back where they belong.”

  Tessa stood back and surveyed the garden she and Reese were creating. The perennials they’d planted were filling the areas in nicely with bright pink blooms. The shrubs had taken root, and the only landscaping left was to lay the pathways with paving bricks. In another two weeks, it would be complete.

  She missed Reese’s company at Como. Given Monday’s discovery, Mr. Nussbaumer had requested his presence at the Indian Mounds Park both yesterday and today. She couldn’t very well join them and keep her identity a secret, but she trusted him to do what he promised. He’d find out who was taking the artifacts and return the items
to their rightful home.

  After removing her straw hat, she wiped her sleeve across her brow and smiled. Rock-solid, honest, faithful Reese would take care of the situation there, while as his partner, she’d handle the one here.

  She plopped her hat back on and returned to the wheelbarrow. Once she had these plants in, two of the three sections of the garden would be complete.

  She paused. Like mercury in a thermometer on an August day, a creepy feeling rose inside her. Was someone watching her? Not wanting to scare away whomever it might be, she nonchalantly took the shovel from the wheelbarrow and glanced around. Movement in the trees caught her attention. She gripped the handle of the shovel. Why would someone be spying on her? Had someone discovered she was a woman?

  She was probably overreacting. Too many stories filling her head. Besides, people came to the park to do all sorts of things. This fellow was probably hiking or enjoying the variety of trees in the arbor. Just in case, she’d keep her hat on and her head down.

  When the figure moved again, she glimpsed something yellow out of the corner of her eye. That had to be a good sign. There was no way any respectable outlaw would get caught wearing yellow. But was it someone who was trying to out her disguise?

  She couldn’t worry about that now.

  Shoving the interloper from her mind, she went back to work, planting several clusters of candy-colored lupines. The whimsical spires were among her favorites in this garden. When she finished, she looked up to see someone again watching her—only this time he was near the water fountain, a yellow kerchief hanging from his back pocket.

  He was still too far away to be of any danger to her, but his presence unnerved her. If only she could see his face, she might be able to determine if he were friend or foe.

  Stop it, Tessa. You’re letting your imagination run away with you.

  Sam patted her lips with her napkin. White linens and glittery chandeliers might make conversations more civil, but they did not make them any easier.

  “James, I believe it’s time to discuss the elephant in the room.”