“But the real question is whether you’re willing to share shelf space. You know our books might not get along,” he said, his mouthing tilting up.
Alice looked down at the round ruby inset into gold, and smiled as he slid it onto her finger. “I think the answer might be separate book cases.” She leaned back, looking him in the eye. “Paul, are you really sure? We’ve had such a rocky start.”
“You put the pepper in the gumbo, Alice. I wouldn’t give you up for anything in the world,” he said, laughing. He kissed her cheeks, her eyes, her hair.
She closed her eyes, reveling in that perfect moment. Paul whispered something in her ear, familiar words from the language of her childhood, words that she didn’t quite catch but that her heart understood all the same. It seemed impossible that his love had been waiting for her all those years, and one day she’d woken up, and he was there, the way it was always meant to be.
Acknowledgements
I’d like to give special thanks to people who generously offered their expertise in several areas. All errors are my own, especially any confusion caused by Paul’s grand prize that I created just for the story line. To John Abramowitz for gaming terminology and etiquette, and legal terminology. To Janelle Leonard for reading the first chapter when it was just a dim idea of a plot. To Michael J. Frazier for gaming and technology information. To Dennis Carmichael for insight into business and programming, including the dynamic of boards and appointed officers. To Jessica L. Baldwin for cosplay terminology. To Christalee Scott May for her advice on Southern food and culture, for helping me decide whether Converse was ever plural, for pointing out that my heroine’s eyes changed color every few chapters and for cheerfully suffering through several very rough drafts of this book. To my daughters Isabel and Ana for being the beta readers who never gave up, helping me bring this book to completion. And to all my children, for reminding me that moments spent running around the park or watching a few episodes of Arrow are good for the writerly brain.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading the first book in my new series, Cane River Romance. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Every writer finds herself penning a story that involves a bit of wish fulfillment and this is that book for me. I’ve always wanted to run a rare book store, have a whole herd of cats, and live without technology interfering in my daily life. I also adore anything from the nineteen-forties and fifties, wish I had the tiny waist to wear those shirtdresses and the ankles to walk in high heels. It was pure fun to write this character.
If you enjoyed this story, be sure to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. I love visiting with readers on my author page of Mary Jane Hathaway, or on my blog at The Things That Last.
BIOGRAPHY
Mary Jane Hathaway is an award-nominated writer of Christian fiction and a home schooling mom of six young children who rarely wear shoes. She holds degrees in Linguistics and Religious Studies from the University of Oregon and lives with her habanero-eating husband, Crusberto, who is her polar opposite in all things except faith. They've learned to speak in short-hand code and look forward to the day they can actually finish a sentence. In the meantime, she thanks God for the laughter and abundance of hugs that fill her day as she plots her next book. She also writes under the pen name of Virginia Carmichael.
OTHER TITLES by Mary Jane Hathaway
Austen Takes the South Series
Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits
Emma, Mr. Knightley and Chili-Slaw Dogs
Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin’ Cornbread
Leaving Liberty
Cane River Romance Series
The Pepper in the Gumbo Book One
These Sheltering Walls Book Two
Only Through Love Book Three
A Star to Steer By Book Four
The Boundless Deep Book Five
Until Winter Comes Again Book Six
Arcadia Valley Romance Series
Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley (Boxed Collection of Six Inspirational Novellas)
Summer’s Glory (Arcadia Book One)
OTHER TITLES by Virginia Carmichael
Colors of Faith Series (historical Christian romance)
All The Blue of Heaven
Purple Like the West
Denver Homeless Mission Series
Season of Joy
Season of Hope
A Home for her Family
The cats of By the Book
Mr. Darcy ― Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Elizabeth Bennet ― Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Mrs. Bennet ― Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Van Winkle ― Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving
Mr. Rochester ― Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Jane ― Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Mrs. Gaskell ― author of North and South
Novels, illustrators, poetry, and poets which play a role in this story:
Indeed, there is an Arthur Rackham illustrated portfolio of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens that can be had for the low, low sum of sixty thousand dollars. Most of the books mentioned (Mother Carey’s Chickens, The Duke’s Secret, Tom the Telephone Boy, Beau Geste, Pride and Prejudice, North and South, and Jane Eyre) are books I read in childhood and which occupy a spot on my shelf today. The poets (George MacDonald, Alexander Pope, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Sara Teasdale, Christina Rossetti, and Percy Bysshe Shelley) are some of my favorites. I return to them again and again throughout the year, marking the seasons with treasured lines.
Sometimes Paul and Alice refer to their favorite poets by their initials and EBB in the story is Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Movie references
You’ve Got Mail, with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks
Casablanca
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Parfumerie
Twelve Years a Slave
Louisiana Creole glossary
According to the last census, a quarter of a million people speak French in the home in Louisiana. Most of these speakers use Cajun French, Louisiana Creole, or Creole French. These dialects are similar, but distinct. The Creole people of the Natchitoches region speak Louisiana Creole and that is the dialect that appears in the story. There isn’t an official writing system but I found the online dictionary at LouisianaCreoleDictionary.com very handy. The Louisiana Language Fan Page on facebook was also helpful. This page has an active community that answers questions and creates memes for sharing. You can find it at https://www.facebook.com/Kourivini/. As always, all mistakes are my own!
Sha = dear, sweetie
Merci (spelled a variety of ways) = thank you
Misye = monsieur, sir
Manzelle = mademoiselle, miss
Bonswe = good evening
Donne moi un p'tit bec = give me a kiss
Mais = well
Recipes
Natchitoches Meat Pies
I know this recipe has about a gazillion steps but it’s worth the time and effort! It’s a long list of ingredients, but they’re ones you probably already have and you need every one, so don’t skip any. (Except maybe the jalapeño. People argue about that one. I included it here because more people say it should be in there, than it should be out. I personally don’t care for jalapeños, so I leave them out. If you need it a little hotter, adjust the Louisiana hot sauce to maybe 2 tsp instead of just the one.)
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 small tomatoes, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (optional)
�
� 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce or similar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons water
• ½ cup sliced green onions
• Pie dough, chilled (You can make it from a mix, or use the frozen pie dough, but store-bought pie crust doesn’t fry as well as the home made. Just a heads up!)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Vegetable oil, for frying
1. Combine the meat, salt, paprika, cayenne, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper in a large skillet (even better if it’s cast iron!). Cook the meat over medium-high heat until it is lightly browned and all the ingredients are combined.
2. Throw in the chopped tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, jalapeño. Stir well. Add in the bay leaves, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or so, until the veggies have gone soft and the liquid starts to evaporate. Take out the bay leaves and throw them away. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and add the water. Stir it all together. Adding the flour keeps the mix from getting too runny while it cooks in the pie dough. Add in the green onions and hot sauce, mix well. (Nobody wants all the hot sauce in one pie.) Pour the meat mixture into a bowl or pan to cool on the counter for about 20 minutes. (Make sure you cover it if you have cats like I do. My first batch went to the kitties. Apparently, they don’t mind Louisiana hot sauce at all.) Then put it in the fridge until completely cooled. This will make it easier to work with and you can store it covered, up to a day.
3. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 of an inch thick. Then, using a 4-inch biscuit cutter, cut the dough into circles. Beat the large egg. Brush the outer edges of each circle with beaten egg. Place 2 1/2 tablespoons of filling into the center. Fold the circle over the filling to make a half circle. Press the edges closed with a fork and place onto a baking sheet.
The pies fry up better if you keep the dough nice and chilled, so when a sheet is filled, pop it into the fridge to keep it firm. When you’re ready to fry, you can bring them out one sheet at a time.
I love using a Fry Daddy or Fry Baby, but you can always fry the meat pies in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. Use a candy thermometer to check when about 2- 3 inches of vegetable oil reaches 350º F. Fry them four or five at a time, until golden brown. Remove from the oil and set on a plate covered with several paper towels, to soak up the excess oil. Let them cool for several minutes and enjoy!
These Sheltering Walls
by
Mary Jane Hathaway
All rights reserved. © 2014 by Gumbo Books and Mary Jane Hathaway.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination. www.virginiacarmichael.blogspot.com
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Epilogue
BIOGRAPHY
Louisiana Creole glossary
Songs, Poems, Poets, Writers, Books, and Stories mentioned in the sto
RECIPES
Acknowledgements―
I owe thanks to many people but especially to Christalee Scott May for reading several drafts of this book. Without your friendship and support, this story never would have been finished. Many thanks to Mindy Postlewait for her timely gifts of tea and soup when I was felled by a vicious cold. Thank you to Fr. Ryan Humphries for answering my odd little questions about Natchitoches. Thank you to John Abramowitz for answering questions about legal representation. And a very special thank you to Timothy Stone for his openness and honesty regarding his experience with PTSD. As always, any mistakes and errors are solely my own.
Chapter One
“The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you.”
― David Foster Wallace
Henry Byrne stepped into the small foyer of the Natchitoches Parish Historical Archives and shivered at the thirty degree difference in temperature. The early August humidity was at an all-time high, rolling in off the river, carrying the smell of red clay and fish and slow moving water. There was a neat line of chairs, and a large potted plant stood sentry in the corner. A middle aged woman with an elaborate updo of tiny braids sat at a desk near the far door, her eyes focused on her computer screen.
Henry crossed the room, her heels sounding like a metronome on the tiled floor. “I’m here to see Mr. Becket. I have an appointment at two,” she said, pushing her glasses up with one finger. There was no reason to be nervous. Gideon Becket might be reclusive, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t friendly.
The receptionist turned from her monitor, gave her a quick head-to-toe scan, and flipped open a desk planner. She ran one short, gold fingernail down the list. “I’m sorry. It looks like we have someone else scheduled at that time.”
“Henry Byrne? That’s me. I’m the new head of restoration at Cane River Creole National Historic Park.”
“I’m Bernice Watterson,” the secretary said and reached out a hand. Her grip was warm and solid. “Glad to meet you. Most of those buildings have been in a right terrible state for years and years.”
“We’re working to change that. I’ll be at Oakland Plantation most of the time, but I’m excited to see what we can do to help the rest of the park.” She heard the pride in her own voice.
“Well, I know these things take time but you’ll get there. You look like a real hard worker. Ambition puts the Tabasco in your patience.”
Henry smiled. It sounded so much like something her Granddaddy would say. “That’s right.”
Bernice’s gaze flicked back to the planner. “Henry must be a family name. I have an aunt named Howard. Well, it’s actually Howard Mae. I always thought that was a pretty name.”
Lie.
Henry felt the familiar twist of anxiety in the pit of her stomach. “Yes, I see―”
“Are you from around here? You look familiar.”
“I grew up in Shreveport, but my grandparents live here. Birdie and―”
“Frank Pascal,” Bernice interrupted. “You’re Lisette’s girl. I thought your name started with an ‘L’, though. Anyways, I shoulda seen it the moment you walked in. You look just like your granddaddy.” She shook a finger at Henry, as if she’d been caught in a fib.
“I hear that a lot. It must be the green eyes.” Henry adjusted her satchel and tried to look happy about being linked to her family within five minutes of her first professional meeting. This wasn’t unexpected. No need to panic. She wasn’t a little girl anymore. She felt a drop of sweat make its way down the back of her neck.
“I think it’s that pretty smile. He has a picture of you on his desk but you’re just a little thing in it.” She held up a hand as if she’d just remembered something. “You should join our bowling league. We
had a real shot at the city tournament but Missy Standish decided to break her arm falling off her own porch.”
“I’ve never bowled but thank you for the invitation.”
“Well, it’s never too late to start, honey.” Bernice chewed her gum for moment. “You’ve got strong arms. I think you’d do real well.” She leaned closer. “It’s not just the arms. Everybody wants to join the Gutter Gals but we’re picky. We don’t like catty women. It ruins the mojo.”
Henry nodded, feeling flattered that she didn’t seem the catty type.
“You know who you need to meet? My nephew, Blue Chalfant. You’re single, aren’t you?”
“I― Yes, I am.” She was sorely tempted to lie, if only because she couldn’t see herself ever dating a man named Blue.
“He’s a lawyer.” Bernice said this with the same reverence as if he’d been president. “He graduated at the top of his class at Duke and has an office right in the Natchitoches Historic District.”
She nodded again, wondering how hard it was going to be to avoid Blue Chalfant since she had just moved into the same area.
Bernice went on, “On one side is the cutest little bookstore called By the Book, and it’s right down the block from the Pastime Café.”
Henry almost groaned out loud. Bernice had just described the exact location of her new apartment, which was above that cute little bookstore. “I’m sure we’ll run into each other.”
“You see your aunt much?” Bernice asked. “She’s my favorite and I’ll pay to see anything she’s in, I don’t care what it is. I just loved Affair on the Rocks. Oh, and Hearts Collide. So romantic!”
And there it was. The conversation she didn’t want to have. “No, not really. We’re not very close,” she said. “If Mr. Becket is busy, I’ll just wait over here.”
Along the Cane River: Books 1-5 in the Inspirational Cane River Romance Series Page 30