Before the Larkspur Blooms

by Caroline Fyffe - Prairie Hearts Series 02 - Before the Larkspur Blooms

  “Gee, thanks for sharing that, Sheriff,” she huffed. “Besides, you don’t count. You come to see Susanna, not for the food. And if you must know, yes, I am envious as all get-out!”

  Albert patted her shoulder and smiled as Susanna approached. “Curiosity will die down soon enough. Things will get back to normal. You’ll see.” He strode away, meeting Susanna in the middle of the room. Hannah barely heard their murmured greeting. Susanna laughed softly when the lawman bachelor whispered something into her ear, making her eyes light up and her cheeks blossom.

  Stepping through the mercantile door, she let her eyes adjust to the dim interior for a moment. All was quiet. She set her basket on the counter next to the shiny cash register. A new rocker by the window caught her eye, as well as a nice new selection of lantern globes. A basket of brown eggs.

  “Maude, you here?” She rang the bell. A murmur of voices came from behind the partition in the middle of the store, where the textiles department was located.

  Maude poked her head around the wall and smiled. “Oh, Hannah, so glad you’re here. Come see the fabric your mother has chosen for her new Christmas gown. It is just lovely. Imported all the way from England.” She waved a beckoning hand. “She’ll look stunning when it’s all made up. Come see, girl.”

  Hannah almost stumbled on her way over. Christmas gown!

  Stepping around the partition, Hannah blinked. She couldn’t believe her eyes. On the counter in front of her, dark-blue taffeta rippled like a carpet of spring flowers bending in the breeze and then cascaded to a bolt in a basket on the hardwood floor. Its staggering cost was obvious, even for the wealthiest shopper. She had to find some way to stop her mother before she bankrupted them.

  “Isn’t it gorgeous, Hannah?” her mother asked, running her hand over the length. “Just the feel of it makes me light-headed. I can see it in my mind’s eye now. Oh, it’s simply perfect.”

  Could things get any worse? Then, as Hannah opened her mouth to respond, they did. The door squeaked and someone came in. “Mrs. Miller, I’m here to start on your roof.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Were her eyes playing tricks on her? Hannah wondered. If not, Maude Miller had blushed scarlet at the sound of Thom’s deep voice.

  “I’ll be right there, Thomas,” Maude said. “Just give me a minute or two.”

  “Sure,” he called back. “Take your time. I’m in no hurry.”

  Hannah looked back and forth between the women, wondering how best to dissuade her mother. Once Roberta had her mind set on something, it was next to impossible to change it.

  “Hannah, you haven’t said anything. Don’t you like it?”

  “Of course I do. It’s like Maude said, very pretty.”

  “Pretty? It’s more than that. I cannot wait to see it made up. It will be the most beautiful gown I’ve ever owned.”

  The sound of Thom moving about in the front of the store waylaid Hannah’s thoughts, and she struggled to focus on the task at hand. “B-but we should wait until Christmas is a little closer, don’t you think? It’s only May. Certainly too soon to be thinking about parties and such. You might change your mind.” She kept her voice low so Thom wouldn’t hear.

  “Nonsense. It’s never too soon to plan for the Christmas season. A stitch in time saves nine. Don’t you remember me saying that?” The superior look on her mother’s face made Hannah want to scream.

  Maude placed a finger against her lips, thinking. “By the way, Hannah, your new boots arrived yesterday on the stage. I’d planned on delivering them later today, but now that you’re here I’ll get them out of the back room.” Before Hannah could stop her, Maude hurried away.

  Hannah groaned inside. She could not look at that fabric a moment longer. In anguish, she turned, coming face-to-face with Thom.

  He tipped his head in greeting since his hat already dangled loosely in his fingers. “Hannah. Mrs. Brown.”

  “Thom, it—it’s nice to see you,” she stammered. It seemed each time she saw him he had put on weight and filled out more. With just the slightest growth of a beard, he looked devilishly handsome.

  Her mother stared. Her chin edged up just enough to make it possible to look down her nose at him.

  “I can see you’re busy,” he said, pointing with his hat toward the fabric. He began to back away.

  “That we are, Mr. Donovan,” Roberta said, the tiny lines around her mouth and eyes deepening.

  He turned. “I’ll just be looking around.”

  “Here we are,” Maude announced as she came through the back room door, holding out a brown pair of women’s boots, connected with a length of twine. “Size six, just like you ordered. Why don’t you sit right there and try them on? Make sure they aren’t too tight. Nothing worse than standing all day in uncomfortable shoes.”

  “Maude—” Hannah started.

  “Go on now.” She gave Hannah a little nudge toward the chair. “Roberta, shall I cut the fabric? Are you sure eight yards will be enough?”

  Hannah twirled. “Mother, no!” Material of that quality would cost a small fortune. A fortune she did not have. “You’re going to have to wait on the fabric.”

  “What are you talking about, Hannah? Of course I’m getting it now. If I don’t, Lorna Brinkley is going to buy it tomorr—” She snapped her mouth closed and quickly looked away.

  Hannah’s heart sank. Her mother was buying the material out from under her best friend? Of course the two women couldn’t have matching dresses. It was too hard to believe. Too horrible. Her mother would not do a thing like that, would she? The enormity of the unkind action and the answer to her own question sapped Hannah of her strength.

  “I’m sorry, Mother,” she said. “We just can’t afford this”—unbelievable waste of money—“at this time. You’ll have to wait. And I’ll have to wait on these, too,” she added, handing the boots back to a very confused-looking Maude. “I apologize, Maude. Can you put them out on the shelf? Perhaps they’ll fit someone else.”

  Maude blinked several times before saying, “I won’t mind holding them in the back until you’re ready to purchase them, dear.” She glanced down at Hannah’s feet. “Your old ones are paper-thin and worn clean through in some places.”

  Oh, she wanted to shrink into a little ball and roll into the mouse hole behind the pickle barrel. Thank goodness Thom had his back to them as he inspected a saddle in the leather section. Surely, he couldn’t hear their conversation.

  Roberta blinked at Hannah in disbelief. “What’s this all about, young lady? I want to know this instant. I have never been so embarrassed in all my life.” At the same time Maude added, “Of course, you can take them on credit if you want, Hannah.”

  Hannah held up her hand, at a loss for words, and composed herself. After a long moment, she turned toward the door and said over her shoulder, “The bread’s on the counter, Maude. I’ll talk with you tonight, Mother. Good day.”

  As Hannah marched away down the boardwalk, Thom longed to go after her. Comfort her. Find out what was going on. Why would she leave the boots she’d ordered behind? He had seen her limping. She needed those. His heart ached for her as he thought of how just yesterday she had tried to make it good between him and Markus. Wasn’t she financially set? He had been in the home she now lived in many times back when he and Caleb were boys, and it was nice. Large compared to most of the homes in Logan Meadows. But, as he knew better than almost anyone, appearances could be deceiving.

  The back of Thom’s neck prickled. He turned to find Roberta Brown drilling him with hate-filled eyes. Maybe she was the problem, spending without contributing back. That wasn’t hard to believe. Everything she ever wore looked new, in style. Most likely she’d gone through her own savings and was now working on Hannah’s.

  “Do you have something to say, Mr. Donovan?” Her tone stretched his already-thinning temper to its limit.

  Thom smiled and held her gaze until she had to look away. “You know I do, Mrs. Brown. Would yo
u like my opinion on the Christmas gown? Or something else?” He took a step toward the women. Seemed the shopkeeper was stunned speechless over what had just transpired in her mercantile. She just stood there fanning herself with a piece of paper. “Because I’m more than happy to oblige you.”

  Roberta gave a loud sniff and then looked to Maude. “I better be going. I want to see what this nonsense with Hannah is all about. Silly girl. Probably making a mountain out of a robin’s egg. Can you please put this bolt in the back, at least for a day or two?”

  Thom swore under his breath.

  Maude looked at the expensive fabric for a long time. “I don’t know, Roberta. I can’t be carrying lavish inventory. First rule of business is sell what you’ve got.”

  Mrs. Brown squirmed in humiliation. Thom knew she hated him to be witnessing such an embarrassing moment. “It’s only until tomorrow, Maude. Please,” she hissed softly. “That’s only a few more hours. I promise to let you know by morning if I’m taking it.”

  “Well, all right. But only if you think that you will indeed be buying it.”

  Thom gave Roberta a secretive nod of triumph, and her face flamed red.

  The shop door opened and Deputy Dwight Hoskins came in. He held the door for Markus, who followed behind, struggling with two long fishing poles and a canvas bag.

  Dwight went behind the counter, took down the peppermint jar, and lifted the lid. He took a handful and handed some to Markus, who struggled to take them and not drop what he was carrying.

  “I thought I told you not to come into my store for a week, Deputy Hoskins,” Maude said. “You forget already?”

  He laughed and shrugged. “Put these on my tab.” He nodded to Roberta, who looked fortified with the arrival of reinforcements. The instant Dwight saw Thom, his expression hardened.

  Silence encompassed the room. Thom smiled at Markus, ignoring everyone else. “Markus, did you catch anything?”

  Markus opened his mouth to respond, but his eyes darted over to his grandmother standing a few feet away and then back to him. His little shoulders straightened. “Yeah,” he said softly.

  “Markus. What did I tell you?”

  At his grandmother’s domineering voice, everything fell from the boy’s arms and clattered to the floor. The canvas bag opened and two fish, some live wriggling worms caked in mud, and a chicken leg wrapped in a cloth napkin all rolled in different directions across Maude’s clean floor. Markus took a small step back. His eyes grew round in fear as if he knew he was in big trouble now.

  “Here, lad,” Thom said, stepping forward. He picked up the poles and set them against the counter before going for the mess.

  Roberta hurried to the door, using the distraction to escape. “I’ll be going now, Maude. Deputy.”

  “Don’t you want to take Markus with you, Roberta?” Dwight asked. “We’re finished for the day.”

  She stopped only for a moment, glancing back. “You said you’d have him until three today, Dwight. I still have some things to do.” The door closed to an uncomfortable hush in the room.

  Maude went behind the counter and replaced the lid on the candy jar Dwight had left tottering on the edge of the shelf. “Don’t worry about the mess, Markus. Three sweeps of my broom will fix it up fine.”

  Dwight just watched, too lazy to help and not concerned in the least that Markus looked like he was going to cry. “Come on,” he finally said when Thom had most of the disarray put back in the bag. “We have fish to clean.”

  Dwight took the poles in one hand and Markus’s hand in the other. Thom didn’t miss the look of interest Markus gave him as the door closed.

  “Sorry to have kept you waiting, Thomas,” Maude said, turning to him. “Never a dull moment in Miller’s Mercantile.” She laughed. “You’re here to work, I presume?”

  He nodded. “Just for the hour over my lunch break. The extra shingles arrive?”

  “They did. They’re in the back. You know the way?”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  As the buggy rolled into town, Sarah, squished between Gabe and Jessie, chatted away like a chipmunk. She oohed and aahed over every little thing she saw. Shane, overcome with all the wonderful sights, sat quietly on Jessie’s lap, his head resting against her breast.

  “First, we’ll go to the mercantile. I’ll say hello to Maude and pick up a few things.” And check the mail. Jessie pushed away her anxiety, refusing to let anything spoil the day. “Then we need to run by Dr. Thorn and have him take a look at Sarah’s throat, just to be sure she’s totally healed. From time to time, she tells me it still hurts. I want to know if that’s common for a three-month-old tonsillectomy. From there, we’ll peek in on Hannah at the restaurant, and if the children aren’t totally worn out by then, stay and have a cup of tea. The last stop will be the Red Rooster to invite Thom Donovan and Violet out to the ranch.”

  Gabe nodded. “That’s a full day of visiting.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot. I also need to go by the bank. Chase has some papers he wants me to drop off.” Chase, dreaming about expanding the ranch, had written a business proposal he hoped Frank would consider financing, contingent on the railroad coming through Logan Meadows. She worried he was wearing himself too thin. The rustlers were always in the back of her mind, a threat to everyone.

  To change her train of thought, Jessie glanced behind the seat, checking on the baked goods she was bringing along as gifts. “I haven’t been to town for two weeks, and I’m seeing so many new faces.” They passed a wagon with an unknown man at the reins. He smiled and politely doffed his hat. “See what I mean?” she said, glancing at Gabe. “Where did our sleepy little settlement go?”

  “It’s growing, Jess. It sure is. Whoa.” At the mercantile Gabe hopped out and tied the lead to the hitching rail, then went around to help Jessie and the children.

  Maude rushed forward, leaving two ladies to their own devices. “About time you came to town, Jessie,” she exclaimed. “And you’ve brought Sarah and Shane with you. It’s been a month of Sundays since I’ve seen either.” She chucked Shane under the chin after giving Sarah a hug.

  Bang, bang, bang.

  At the sudden noise overhead, Sarah latched on to Jessie’s skirt and Shane wrapped his arms around his mother, burying his face in her neck. “What’s that?” Jessie asked, alarmed.

  Maude chuckled. “Don’t be scared, honey,” the older woman said to Sarah, and then to Jessie, “That’s just my old leaky roof getting dressed up a bit.”

  The other ladies rushed out the door, holding their hands over their ears. “We’ll be back another time!” one called over her shoulder.

  “You do that. Thank you for coming in.” Maude shouted to be heard over more pounding. She gave a friendly wave. She turned back to Jessie. “I’ll be so happy when the rain doesn’t come gushing in anymore.”

  “Gushing?”

  Maude seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.

  Bang, bang, bang.

  “Well, maybe not gushing, it’s more like drip, drip, drip. Still.” She laughed and then went on, “It’ll be a sight better when everything stays dry. Thom Donovan is doing the repairs.”

  Jessie filed that fact away. “I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting our newest citizen.”

  Maude sidled up close. “He’s as handsome as they come—and then some.” She glanced down as if to make sure Sarah wasn’t listening. “It’s his Irish blood, to be sure.”

  “Maude?” Jessie giggled.

  The shopkeeper shrugged. “I may be old, Jessie, but I’m not dead.”

  Remembering the bread she still held in her arms, Jessie thought it a good diversion. “I’ve brought you some buffalo berry nut bread.”

  Maude’s eyes went wide. “Oh, you needn’t go to all that trouble for me, honey. I have all this at my fingertips.” She swept her arm to the side.

  “That may be true, but you deserve some home baking, too, now and then. I know how hard you work.” She gave Sarah a little nudge
on her back. “Why don’t you go look through the fabric in the snippets bin? We’ll make that new nightgown for Dolly McFolly we’ve been thinking about.”

  Sarah ran off, and Maude gave her a knowing look. “You need to talk in private?”

  Jessie nodded, bouncing Shane in her arms. “Sarah’s birthday is coming up in three weeks and I’d like to order something special. Maybe a play tea set. I hope I didn’t wait too long.”

  Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

  Every time the banging sounded, Shane clapped his hands.

  Smiling, Maude leaned in close, keeping her voice at a whisper. “Not at all. I know of just the one. Made of real china but not expensive. I should be able to get it in by next week if I send a telegram.”

  “That’s wonderful. She’ll be turning seven this year, and Chase and I want it to be special. She’s growing up so fast.”

  Bang, bang, bang.

  “Mommy, I found the perfect one. It’ll even match her other dress.” Sarah ran back, emerald material with little yellow flowers clutched in her hand. “See,” she cried, holding up her prize. Shane reached out and tried to snag it, but Sarah danced out of his reach, laughing.

  “Sweetie, that’s perfect. We’ll take this, Maude,” Jessie said, smiling at the conspiratorial look in Maude’s eyes.

  Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

  Jessie squashed the urge to cover her ears and pointed up to the ceiling. “How long is that going to go on?”

  Maude shrugged as if it was of no consequence and moved to the counter. She jotted down the purchase in a ledger and then quickly wrapped the small square of fabric in brown paper. She handed it to Sarah. “Here you go.”

  Jessie waited by the door. Had the mail arrived today? Was there anything new for them? She glanced at the mail counter, but from this distance it was impossible to tell. That’s one of the reasons you’re here, she chided herself.