Kathleen stared in bewildered silence. Josh had told her that Mary worked for the preacher and his wife. And that the woman had once locked Mrs. Nelson in the cellar, but no one could prove it, and Mary wasn’t confessing.
When she reached the door, Mary turned. “Now don’t worry about anything today. If them rapscallions get out of hand, you give ‘em a good smack. I’ll be around at noon to check on ya and see how things are going.”
Affection surged through Kathleen. Now she understood what had prompted Mary to stop by. She knew Kathleen would be a bundle of nerves at the anticipation of the children’s arrival. “Thank you for the suggestion. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to anything more forceful than a stern word or at worst a few minutes in the corner.”
“Harrumph. That last teacher didn’t believe in corporal punishment, either. And look where she is now. Sometimes a good whack on the behind is the only thing a child understands. Spare the rod and spoil the child. And all that Bible stuff.”
The word Bible reminded Kathleen of Mary’s absence from church on Sunday. Though today was Wednesday, she’d forgotten to ask the woman about it. “Were you feeling poorly on Sunday, Mary?”
“Poorly? Me? No, ma’am, I’m as fit as a fiddle.” She narrowed her bushy brows. “Why’d ya ask?”
“I missed you in church.”
To Kathleen’s surprise, Mary flushed, and pleasure lit the slightly yellowish countenance. “Go on, now. You didn’t miss me.”
“No, I really did. I don’t have many friends in town, and I was looking for a familiar face.”
“Well, I don’t go in for religion much. I gave it a try about a year ago. But that was before …”
Before the preacher got married. Though Kathleen was aware of the woman’s crush on the preacher, she would no more have humiliated Mary by letting her know than she would have admitted her own crush on the preacher’s nephew-in-law Josh.
“It’s a shame you stopped going. But it’s never too late to return to the house of God.”
“So you really missed me, did ya?”
“Yes.”
“I might show up on Sunday. If I don’t got nothin’ better to do.”
“That would be wonderful. I’ll save you a seat.”
A rare smile split the woman’s face, showing a surprisingly healthy set of teeth. “You’d do that? Sit next to me and all?”
“Why, Mary, you have a beautiful smile. You should display it more often. And yes, I would be honored to sit beside you during the service.”
Mary turned four shades of red, cleared her throat, and frowned. She slapped her man’s hat onto her head. “Well, don’t get your heart set on it. I said maybe.” Without giving Kathleen another chance to speak, she opened the door and paused. “You look out for that Myles Carpenter, now. We think he’s harmless enough. But you just never can tell with crazy people.”
Before Kathleen could ask what she meant, Mary slipped through the door, slamming it shut behind her.
Kathleen didn’t have much time to ponder Mary’s warning, as two minutes later the first of a steady stream of students arrived. Boys and girls ranging in age from five to fifteen—a total of twenty-four in all.
Her legs trembled a bit as she called the school to order and the children took their seats, silently watching her … waiting for her to speak. She spotted Flora sitting in the second row of desks. Her glossy brown braids were tied with two blue ribbons that matched her eyes. Kathleen smiled, amazed at the difference a friendly face could make in such a nerve-racking situation.
Clearing her throat, she looked from left to right, including each child with her smile. “Good morning.”
A scattered mumbling of “good mornings” came in reply. Not a very friendly group. But she’d warm them up in no time. She hoped.
“Let’s begin the day by saying the Lord’s Prayer. Please stand and remain next to your desks.”
The sound of chairs scraping the floor followed as the children rose. Kathleen closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she started the prayer. When they’d finished with “for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen,” she opened her eyes, ready to start her first day as a teacher.
By noon, she wished she’d gone back to Rosewood while the getting was good. Now it was too late, despite the unresponsive, disinterested children who barely knew the material. To make matters worse, they were unruly. Jonah Barker had yanked on Flora’s braid hard, eliciting a howl from the girl and a retaliatory smack in the face. Kathleen had been forced to stand them both in the corner for thirty minutes. Snickers from the students during arithmetic had confused her until she realized Jonah was making faces at her. She’d commanded him to stand in the back corner where she could keep an eye on him after that.
Now she sat alone eating her lunch of leftover ham between two thick slices of bread. She finished her sandwich all too quickly and stuffed her napkin inside the pail, then glanced at her watch. The children were allowed a full hour for lunch; forty-five minutes remained. She ventured to the window and smiled at the sight of her students playing baseball in the schoolyard.
Wandering back to her seat, she yawned. Her eyes felt gritty from lack of sleep. The desktop looked so inviting that she folded her arms over the desk and rested her head. What could it hurt for just a few minutes? She closed her eyes and felt powerless as she slowly drifted to sleep.
Josh frowned as he heard the sound of children’s laughter. He knew it was half past two because he’d just checked his watch a moment earlier. Why were the children outside?
He pulled into the schoolyard. Flora gave him an uncertain smile. He motioned her over.
“Hi, Josh. How come you’re in town? It isn’t time to pick me up yet, is it?”
“No. Ma sent me for some sugar at the dry goods store. Why are you outside playing instead of inside learning?”
Flora shrugged. “Miss Johnson never rang the bell after lunch, so David Kirk said we should just keep playing until she came out. Only she never did. I looked inside a little while ago, and her head is down on top of her desk. Sarah Thomas said she might be dead. I’m too scared to go find out.” Flora’s blue eyes implored him. “You don’t think she’s dead, do you?”
“Of course not, honey.” Concern knotted his stomach. He wrapped the reins around the brake and hopped down from the wagon seat. “You stay outside while I go check on her, okay?”
Flora nodded. Josh recognized the look of worry in her eyes. He patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, sugar. I’m sure Miss Johnson is just fine.”
He reached the door and slowly stepped inside. As Flora had said, Kathleen was at her desk with her head resting on her arms. With no attempt to keep his boots from making noise on the wood floor, he clomped up the aisle. His heart nearly stopped until he saw the rise and fall of her shoulders. Then it nearly melted. Tenderness such as he’d never before experienced washed over him. He reached out and caressed her silken cheek with the back of his hand. Still she didn’t budge.
“Kathleen,” he said, keeping his voice soft so as not to startle her. He squatted beside her. “Kathleen, honey, wake up.”
With slow movements, she shifted, sighed, and nestled back into sleep.
Josh smiled and gave her shoulder a gentle shake. “Kathleen.”
She moaned and shifted. Then her eyes became slits. In a beat, they opened fully. She gasped and sat up. “Josh!”
“Good morning, sleepyhead.”
“Morning? What time is it?” Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed at her brooch watch. “Oh no! The children. Lunch was over an hour and a half ago. Where are they?”
“They’re still outside playing baseball. They thought you were dead.”
First her eyes widened in horror, but as she observed his laughter, her own lips curved upward. She lifted her eyebrow. “Baseball, huh? My untimely demise must not have weighed too heavily on their little minds.”
He chuckled. “Flora wanted to check on you, but s
he was too scared to take the chance, just in case you really were dead. You know how young ‘uns are.”
With a moan, she pressed the heels of her hands against her forehead. “How could I have fallen asleep like that? The school board will be sure to send me packing now.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that. It’s not as though they’ll likely get yet another replacement this term.”
A frown puckered her brow, adding to the lines still imprinted from her dress sleeves. “Josh, can I ask you something?”
When she gave him that beguiling, innocently confused look from beautiful blue eyes, she could ask him anything. He swallowed hard and tried to focus. “Sure.”
“Why does Coon’s Hollow have such a hard time keeping teachers? Pa said no teacher has ever stayed for a second term. And I know I’m taking over for the last one.”
Josh stood and shrugged. “I guess a town like this isn’t exactly too enticing for a young woman. Plus …” He hesitated.
“What?”
“Well, I take it Myles Carpenter didn’t show up today?”
“Mary Bilge mentioned him as well, but I don’t recall a child by that name.”
“Myles isn’t a child, except in his mind. He’s about seventy.”
“Then why would you ask if he showed up at school?”
“Sometimes he gets a little confused and thinks he’s the teacher.”
At her look of alarm, he hurried on. “He’s a little strange but harmless. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to value cleanliness, so he doesn’t look or smell too great.”
She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “That’s a shame, but what does it have to do with Coon’s Hollow’s inability to keep a teacher?”
He took a breath. “Apparently, Myles was once a schoolmaster. Then the War Between the States started, and he left to fight. When he came back, he wasn’t the same. His wife welcomed him home, but they never had children. She died about ten years ago. The old-timers say Myles lost what was left of his mind when she passed on.”
Pity clouded Kathleen’s eyes. “How sad.”
“Yes, and most of the teachers feel that same compassion until he orders them from his classroom three or four times.” Josh smiled. “The board goes to him, and he promises to behave, but he always ends up back at the school. I’ve never thought him to be crazy, to be honest. Personally, I think he drinks too much.”
“Oh, my. Does he frighten the children?”
“Naw. They’re used to him.”
“Well, I’ll be on the lookout. Thank you for giving me advance warning.”
“I suppose I should have told you sooner. But I was afraid you might not stay.” A smile curved her full lips. “I might not have.”
He gazed speechless into her eyes, and it was all he could do not to finish the kiss he’d almost started a few days ago in the barn. Obviously, she realized his train of thought, because her eyes grew wide, and she shifted back. “Josh,” she said, her voice faltering. “You need to know something.”
“Yes?” He couldn’t concentrate on anything when she looked at him that way.
“I’m not … free to become attached to anyone.” Her eyelashes fluttered downward as she studied her hands in her lap.
Feeling like a bull had kicked him right in the gut, Josh winced. “I see. You’re already spoken for by someone in your hometown?”
She glanced up quickly. “Oh no. Nothing like that.”
Relief shattered the sick feeling of defeat. “Then you’re free to be courted properly. You don’t have to worry. I can restrain myself as long as we don’t spend too much time alone. I won’t try to steal any more kisses.”
Her face turned several shades of pink. “It’s … I mean I am free in that I’m not being courted by anyone.” She gathered a long breath. “What I meant to say is that I cannot allow myself to become attached to a man who lives so far away from my family. I don’t want to live apart from them.”
That sick feeling stole over him again as he realized she was saying he had no chance. “I see.”
“Do you?” Her beautiful blue eyes implored him to understand.
He was trying. Smiling, he pressed her hand. “Then we’ll be good friends? Deal?”
Hesitation shone across her features, and Josh swallowed hard and hurried to add, “You don’t want to go to the dance next month all by yourself.”
“Dance?”
“Fall dance. We usually hold it earlier in October, but with the teacher leaving so suddenly and all, no one had the heart. It’ll be the second Saturday of November.”
“I see. Maybe I’ll just stay home.”
“A girl like you doesn’t stay home from dances. Besides, it’s held in the schoolhouse.” He grinned.
Her lips twitched in amusement. “Maybe I’ll go alone.”
Josh knew they were playing a game, and he played along. “All right. But without an escort, all the fellows will buzz around and try to court you. You’ll be doing an awful lot of explaining about how you’re not to court anyone not from Rosewood.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Are you teasing me or making fun?”
Tenderly, he knelt beside her and took her hand and pressed it to his heart. “I promise you, I will never make fun of you.”
Tears sprang to her eyes, making them look like two clear pools. It was all Josh could do not to move in for a kiss. But she’d made her position clear. He had no intention of letting her go if there was any way to change her mind. But he’d let her get to know him. If he had to be her protector, her friend, until she realized he was the man for her, then so be it. He’d finally found the woman of his dreams, and he’d be a no-good disappointment to generations of Truman men if he didn’t try his best to win her love.
Flora took that moment to burst into the schoolroom. “Josh! Come quick! Jonah’s beating up Andrew Coon. We can’t get them to stop.”
Chapter 6
Kathleen fought tears as a paper wad zinged past her ear and smacked the wall behind her. She surveyed the unruly room—proof of her utter failure as a teacher—then allowed her gaze to settle on Flora. The girl stared back, her wide blue eyes clearly asking her why she was putting up with such shameful conduct from the boys.
The answer was that they were big. At fifteen, Andrew Coon was the size of a grown man. She was clearly at a disadvantage, and he knew it. Therefore, ever since the first humiliating day when she’d fallen asleep—had that really only been two weeks ago?—Andrew had essentially run the class. No one was learning, and she could barely hear herself think above the chatter and shouting.
A glance at her clock revealed a depressing one-thirty. Too early to dismiss. Oh, Lord. What am I going to do?
Outside, the wind howled, shaking the place, and she found herself almost wishing for a blizzard to close the school down for a few days. “Ow, Miss Johnson, help!”
The sound of Melissa Sharpton’s pain-filled cry pulled Kathleen from her fog, and she leaped to her feet. “What is it, Melissa?” Tears pooled in the eight-year-old’s eyes. Behind her, Andrew cleared his throat … loudly.
“Well, Melissa?” Kathleen asked.
“N–nothing.”
Kathleen turned to Andrew. Triumph shone in his eyes. Indignation lit a fire inside Kathleen. Clearly the bully was terrorizing the smaller children. “Andrew, I would like for you to stand in the corner.”
“What for, teacher? I didn’t do nothin’.”
He had a point—she hadn’t absolutely caught him. Still, she couldn’t back down now. Not if she were ever to have a prayer of regaining control of her class. She planted one hand on her hip and pointed with the other. “In the corner. Now!”
The room became deathly silent. Andrew sneered. “I ain’t doin’ it.”
Out-and-out defiance. Exactly what she’d been afraid of and the very reason she’d failed to confront Andrew thus far. Now what was she supposed to do? “You will obey me, or you will not return to my classroom. Is that clear?”<
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“Ain’t nothin’ you can do about it. I’m a Coon.”
“I don’t care if you’re a squirrel. You’ll do as I say.” The children snickered at her joke.
Andrew’s face deepened to a dark red. “Shut up!” he bellowed. The room fell silent once more.
A gust of wind jolted them from the intensity of the moment. All eyes turned toward the open door. Kathleen gasped as a man—who could only be Myles Carpenter—walked regally into the room. Though layered in filth and crowned with a thick head of uncombed gray hair, Mr. Carpenter owned the room from the moment he appeared.
“What can I do for you, sir?” Kathleen walked cautiously toward him.
“What can you do for me, young lady? You can control your students, that’s what.”
At least for the moment, he recognized that she was the teacher.
“What was that hollering I heard coming from in here?”
What did she have to lose? If she was going to be criticized by the town crazy man, how long was she going to have her job anyway?
She gathered a deep sigh. “I’m afraid that was Andrew Coon. He is disobedient, rude, and refuses to be disciplined.”
The man’s gaze narrowed. Then he turned to the classroom. “Which one of you, may I ask, is Andrew Coon?”
Every set of eyes in the room turned to stare at the culprit, but Andrew averted his gaze. Clearly his pride in his name had all but vanished.
But Mr. Carpenter got the hint. His odor trailed behind him as he sauntered across the room, his back straight as an English butler’s.
Kathleen gathered the sides of her skirt into the balls of her fists to keep from pinching her nose.
“Stand up, young man,” Mr. Carpenter ordered.
With a nervous laugh, Andrew turned his head and stared at the window as though he hadn’t heard the man speak. In a flash, Myles’s hand shot out. He grabbed Andrew by the scruff of his collar and lifted him to a standing position, knocking his chair back in the process.
Tracie Peterson, Tracey V. Bateman, Pamela Griffin, JoAnn A. Grote Page 4