“Yep. I hep. Hi, Papa,” Erin said, reaching out to Greg. He and Dora spent a considerable amount of time becoming reacquainted with her the previous afternoon while Ginny went for her walk. Erin started calling him Papa, for whatever reason. He wasn’t going to argue.
“Are you being a good girl today?” Greg asked, studying Erin’s face with feigned scrutiny.
“I good,” Erin said, poking her mitten-covered hand at her chest, making all the adults laugh.
“Well, in that case,” Greg said, digging in his pocket and pulling out a lemon drop, handing it to the child.
“Tank you,” she said, kissing Greg’s cheek then wiggling to be set down.
“Candy, Mama,” Erin said, holding her hand up to Abby before popping the sweet in her mouth.
“Thank you,” Abby said, smiling at the men. “Are the girls still planning to decorate after lunch?”
“Last I heard,” Luke said, nodding his head.
“Wonderful. Our little busybody will be down for a nap and Chauncy should be back by then, so we can both help,” Abby said, grinning as Erin grabbed her hand and tugged in the direction of the parsonage door. “We’ll see you soon.”
Greg chuckled and shook his head. “Busybody is right. My, how that sweet little thing has grown. Just think, Luke, by this time next year, you’ll have your own baby to fuss over.”
“Yes, sir,” Luke said, grinning broadly. “He’ll be a welcome addition to our little family.”
“He?” Blake asked, innocently. “You put in a special order, did you? Know for sure it will be a boy?”
Luke glared at him while Greg laughed and thumped him on the shoulder.
“It could very well be a girl,” Greg said as they climbed in Blake’s wagon and he drove the short distance to Granger House.
“I know that, but I’d kind of like it to be a boy,” Luke said as Blake stopped the wagon by the barn. Together they unhitched the team. Since Blake would be in town until late afternoon, Luke offered to keep the horses in his corral so they wouldn’t have to stand hitched to the wagon for hours on end.
“Are you going to impart that information to your wife?” Blake asked with a teasing smile as they led the horses to the gate and Luke tossed a few forkfuls of hay over the fence.
“Not on your life. I value the peace of my home too much,” Luke said, making Greg laugh again.
Finishing with the horses, Luke stopped Blake before they walked in the house and discussed arrangements for picking up Filly’s rocking chair.
Blake planned to drop off the chair at the bank the following morning when he made a few final deliveries then he’d join the Granger and Dodd families as they trekked out to cut down Christmas trees. Blake hadn’t felt so much like part of a family since his parents moved back to England.
Sitting down for one of Filly’s delicious meals, the conversation around the table was lively. As soon as they finished and cleaned up the dishes, they all walked to the church to put up decorations. He, Luke and Greg each carried garlands and wreaths while the women carried candles, red ribbon, and a basket of what Luke called “frippery.”
Abby and Chauncy met them at the church door.
“Nice of you to show up to help,” Luke said, giving Chauncy a playful shove. “Where were you when we were unloading all the props?”
“Visiting Mrs. Heming,” Chauncy said, taking a handful of the garlands Luke held out to him. “She slipped on the ice a few days ago and broke her leg. She’s staying at the boarding house since she lives so far out of town and she’s all alone.”
“How is the poor dear?” Dora asked, setting down the basket of candles she carried. The scent of bayberry drifted up to her nose, making her smile at the pleasant nostalgic fragrance.
“As well as an eighty-year-old with a broken leg can be,” Chauncy said, smiling at Dora then looking around the group. “If you ladies will just tell us what you want done, we’ll get to work.”
Abby and Dora took charge of decorations while Ginny and Filly directed the men in setting up the props for the program. Abby had Chauncy bring over all the costumes and set them behind the curtain they erected to hide the program area.
Finishing with the decorations, they all decided the church looked quite festive. Garlands draped across the front of the church, wreaths hung on the doors and candles sat in the windows, where they would send out a welcoming glow the following evening. Red bows draped the ends of each pew and a big basket of greens with holly sat near the lectern.
Admiring their hard work, the sound of childish laughter signaled the arrival of the children for their final program practice. Greg, along with Luke, Filly, Chauncy and Abby decided to stay and watch. Abby wanted to make sure all the costumes fit properly and Filly helped get the right outfits on each child.
Dora sat at the piano while Blake and Ginny encouraged the children and offered assistance when one of them forgot their line. Practice went smoothly with the adults clapping and cheering. Percy kept his hands to himself and Anna Jenkins smiled at him the whole time.
The youngsters were nearing the end of the practice, singing Away in a Manger with their little voices blending in harmony, when the church door swung open and a small man charged down the aisle, grabbing Ginny’s arm before anyone could stop him.
“Unhand me,” Ginny said, turning to see what buffoon had not only interrupted the children, but also bruised her arm with his tight grip. Her jaw dropped as she looked into the pinched, pale features of Nigel Pickford’s face.
Gathering her wits, she wrenched her arm away and took a step back. She felt Blake’s presence behind her and noticed Luke and her father hurrying to her side.
“How dare you?” Ginny asked, leaning back against Blake, away from Nigel’s vile breath and the seething look on his face.
She’d forgotten what a small, unimpressive little man his appearance made. From his pencil-thin body to the solid eyebrow that crossed his forehead like an unwelcome caterpillar, she couldn’t fathom how she’d ever borne his presence.
“I dare, Ginny, because you are my betrothed and I’ve had enough of your nonsense. We’ll leave immediately for New York where we’ll wed in a fabulous New Year’s Eve celebration,” Nigel said, grabbing her arm again and attempting to tug her toward the door.
“I’m not going anywhere, you lack-witted imbecile,” Ginny said, yanking her arm away from him a second time. “I don’t know why you think we’re betrothed or why I’ll marry you, but I’ll tell you as simply as I can, Nigel, I won’t ever marry you. Ever.”
“Enough of your theatrics, dearest. Let’s go. Mummy expects us back in a few days,” Nigel said, reaching for her hand and grasping air.
Blake stepped in front of Ginny and glared down at the pasty-faced idiot who couldn’t grasp the concept of the word “no.”
“I believe the lady said she won’t go with you. I suggest you go back out those doors and return to wherever you came from,” Blake said. The threatening tone in his voice was unmistakable to everyone except Nigel.
“I’m not leaving without Ginny and we’re leaving posthaste,” Nigel said, trying to sidestep Blake only to find himself face to face with Luke. By this time, several of the children were crying while Filly and Abby did their best to assure them Miss Granger wasn’t leaving.
“Nigel,” Luke said, forcibly turning him around while Chauncy closed the space on his other side, preventing him from getting close to Ginny. “My sister isn’t interested in marrying you, as she very clearly stated. I must ask you to refrain from insisting.”
Glaring from Luke to the big man on his other side, Nigel dug in his coat pocket and produced a paper.
“I have a written agreement, signed by Ginny, stating her intent to be my wife,” Nigel said, handing the paper to Luke. Reading through the document, Luke shook his head and handed it to Chauncy.
“And who might you be?” Nigel asked as Chauncy looked over the paper.
“Pastor of this church,” Chauncy s
aid, reaching behind him and handing the paper to Ginny.
“Marvelous. Why don’t you marry us now and we can honeymoon all the way back to New York. Mummy can still have her fancy wedding next week, of course,” Nigel said, once again trying to step around the men to reach Ginny.
She stood astounded, staring at the paper in her hand. It was most definitely her signature at the bottom of the page, but she didn’t recall signing any such document. Trying to think back to anything she might have signed in Nigel’s presence, she finally remembered him asking her to be the first to sign a petition to provide care for homeless children.
She should have known Nigel would never be interested in or care about something like that. His biggest concern was himself.
How could she have been so stupid?
“You tricked me,” she said, waving the paper at Nigel. “We both know I didn’t agree to sign this. You said it was a petition to provide care for homeless children. You knew I’d sign it without looking at the details.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Nigel said, trying to snatch the paper back from Ginny. Blake intercepted it and read the document. He looked from Nigel to Ginny, then to Luke. Ginny, in fact, had signed a document. It appeared to be dated and witnessed more than a year ago.
“I’m not being ridiculous, I’m being truthful,” Ginny said, wanting to stamp her foot. “I won’t marry you Nigel. I won’t.”
“What do any of these country bumpkins have to offer you I can’t?” Nigel asked, looking from Blake to Chauncy. He assumed it was one of the two that held Ginny’s interest, and then he noticed a pretty brunette step beside Chauncy and take his hand, which left the man holding the paper in his hand.
“Love, Nigel,” Ginny said, so angry she was about to explode. “Respect. Courtesy. Common decency.”
Nigel rolled his eyes. “A bunch of balderdash. Poppycock. No one marries for love. That’s for fools and fairytales. You, beautiful Ginny, will marry me because I’m the most eligible man in New York City. I can give you a grand home and an extravagant lifestyle - everything your heart desires. You’ll dress in the most expensive clothes, eat the finest food, enjoy the company of societies most elite. We’ll travel the world, experience other cultures, and live a life of gaiety and adventure.”
Snaking out his hand Nigel attempted to grab the agreement from Blake, but he refused to relinquish it.
“It’s not an option, Ginny. Your signature on that paper guarantees you’ll experience a life of ease and pampering. You will marry me, of that there is no doubt,” Nigel said. Preening like a peacock in front of Ginny, he more closely resembled a pompous banty rooster. “Besides, why wouldn’t you want to marry me? I’ll care for you, give you some sniveling little brats to care for. Life will be grand.”
Blake fought the urge to ram his fist down the throat of Nigel Pickford. Since they were in a church and one punch might actually kill the little weasel, Blake kept a tight leash on his growing anger.
“I say, chap, can you even read what it says?” Nigel asked, staring at Blake.
When Blake glared at him, he formed a fist and put everything he had into taking a swing at Blake, hitting his arm in the exact spot where the doctor had just that morning fixed his stitches.
Biting his lip to keep from yelling, Blake turned around and popped Nigel with his other hand, catching him in the face before he even thought about what he was doing.
Sprawled on the floor, holding his bleeding nose, Ginny thought Nigel might actually begin to cry. “That brute has broken my nose! I’ll sue! I’ll…”
“It’s nothing less than you deserve,” Ginny said, standing between Blake and Nigel, wanting to kick him a few times while he sat on the church floor. She could hear the children cheering behind her, despite Abby and Filly’s attempts to subdue their excitement at Blake flattening Nigel with one not even hard punch.
“Come on, Nigel, I’ll take you over to Doc and he can see if it’s broken,” Luke said, practically lifting the small man off the floor and dragging him outside.
Taking a deep breath as the door closed behind Luke and Nigel, Ginny tried to gather her composure before turning around and facing the children.
“How did Nigel know I was here, Mother?” Ginny asked, casting a suspicious glance at Dora. Stepping beside Blake, she pushed away his hand so she could roll up his sleeve and look at the arm he kept pulling away from her probing fingers.
Fresh blood seeped through the bandage and she worried he’d reinjured himself, unaware he’d already been to the doctor that morning.
“Leave it be, Ginny,” Blake said, trying to make sense of what had transpired in the last few minutes. Violence in the church, an arrogant idiot making threats and throwing around demands, Ginny betrothed… it was a lot for a body to take in at once, especially with all the children watching from behind them.
“Mother?” Ginny asked impatiently, glaring from Dora to Greg. Keeping his eyes downcast, Greg seemed to discover an urgent need to help Abby and Filly with the children.
Dora took a handkerchief from her sleeve and began dabbing her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I may have mentioned to his mother the other day something about spending the holidays with our children. She must have assumed you were here, too, and told Nigel. I’m so sorry, darling.”
“Wonderful, Mother, just wonderful,” Ginny said, turning to the children who stared at her, still dressed in their costumes. The excitement that had previously filled them was gone, leaving doubt and a few tears in its place. “You all were splendid today. Make sure you’re here in plenty of time to dress in your costumes tomorrow night before the service begins. Grab a cookie on your way out the door.”
Abby and Filly, with the assistance of Dora and Ginny, removed the costumes and ushered the children out the door. Greg picked up after the children while Blake and Chauncy stood rereading the document Nigel claimed gave him legal right to marry Ginny.
The last thing Blake was going to do was let her leave with that nasty little man.
“How did you ever get entangled with him?” Blake asked as Ginny wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his chest.
“I don’t know. I traveled to Europe with a group of friends two years ago. We participated in several tours and he was on most of them. A mutual friend introduced us and I figured out he was from one of the most wealthy families in America. I guess the thought of having all that money and power made it easy to overlook… Nigel. For a short while, anyway. Before we ever boarded the ship to return to New York, I realized what a mistake I’d made by letting him think, even for a minute, I was interested in him. He wouldn’t leave me alone, followed me everywhere. I couldn’t even leave the house without him right behind me. That’s why I ran away.”
“My word, Ginny, is he serious? Will you have to marry him?” Abby asked, looking from her husband to Blake.
“I won’t marry him. I won’t,” Ginny said, turning to Dora with fury in her eyes. “Why, Mother, did you have to say anything? You knew she’d tell Nigel. You knew she would.”
“I’m sorry, Ginny. I didn’t think he’d have the gumption to come all the way here looking for you,” Dora said, crying into her handkerchief while Greg shook his head.
“I think we better all go home. Maybe things will look better tomorrow,” Chauncy said, helping Abby on with her coat, then Filly.
“They can’t look much worse,” Blake muttered as he helped Ginny on with her coat and painfully slid his over his arm. He’d go have Doc take another look at it, but he didn’t want to run the risk of seeing Nigel or receive another tongue-lashing from the town’s physician. It would just have to wait until he could get home and put on a fresh bandage.
“Come along, children, home we go,” Greg said, leading Dora out the door, followed by Filly with Blake and Ginny bringing up the rear.
“I’m so sorry, Blake. I had no idea… I never imagined… He could have forced me to marry him any time since I signed that paper. Why would he decide to
do it now? There must be some reason for his sudden sense of urgency to wed,” Ginny said, looking close to tears as she held his right arm and walked toward Granger House. “Is your arm very painful?”
“Not a bit,” Blake lied. He could feel blood trickling through the bandage and soaking into his shirt. As puny as Nigel seemed, he wouldn’t have credited him with making any sort of an impact with that scrawny fist. He wouldn’t have, either, if he’d hit him anywhere except on his arm.
Stopping at the end of the walk, he held Ginny’s hands in his and kissed her cheek.
“Try and have a restful evening, Ginny. We’ll figure something out. I promise,” Blake said, giving her an encouraging smile.
With tears blurring her vision, Ginny threw her arms around Blake’s neck and hugged him. “Thank you for being my hero. I don’t care what he says, I won’t marry him.”
“I know, love, I know. Now, get inside,” Blake said, turning her toward the door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Heading to Luke’s barn, Blake caught his horses in the corral then hitched them to his wagon. He was almost finished when Luke appeared at his side, looking every bit as tense and furious as Blake felt.
“You get him fixed up?” Blake asked, looking at his friend.
Luke grinned at Blake. “He screamed like a girl the whole time Doc tried to look at it.”
“Figures,” Blake said, feeling a smile work the corners of his mouth upward. “I honestly didn’t mean to punch him. It just sort of happened.”
“I know. I’m glad you did,” Luke said, taking a look at Blake and noticing him favoring his arm. “You better go have Doc look at that arm again.”
“No thanks. I don’t need another lecture about taking care of it. It’ll be fine,” Blake said, leaning against the wagon. “So was his nose broken?”
“No, the big baby,” Luke said, shaking his head. “I don’t think there is a masculine bone in his entire body. I almost had to carry him to the boarding house. You should have heard him complaining about the ‘wretched accommodations.’ He’ll be lucky if Mrs. Ferguson doesn’t toss him out on his ear. What my sister was thinking to ever say more than a polite hello to the dolt is more than I can comprehend. I’m really sorry about all this, Blake. We won’t let him cart her off, but that document does appear to be legal and binding.”
The Christmas Token Page 20