by Jody Hedlund
Deep red splotches formed on his cheeks. “You’re all right too, Miss Taylor. For a woman teacher.”
She patted his hand again and then started toward the door with Nadine trailing behind her. “Too bad there isn’t another store in town to offer the Coles some competition,” Tessa remarked as they stepped outside into the sunshine of the autumn afternoon.
“We had some men arrive in town and set up shop,” Nadine said, “but they didn’t last long. Mr. Updegraff won’t let anyone step foot inside any place but his.”
“Did I hear my name?” The tall, distinguished form of Percival Updegraff broke away from the group of miners he’d been talking with and strode toward them. In his dark pinstripe suit, bow tie, and round top derby, he cut a dashing figure. His face was freshly shaven, his salt-and-pepper mustache neatly trimmed.
Tessa wasn’t sure why, but she had the urge to keep walking and pretend she didn’t hear him. When Nadine froze, Tessa decided her ploy probably wouldn’t work.
“Mr. Updegraff,” Tessa said and forced a smile. “I didn’t know that you’d returned.”
“I arrived on the Iron City just this morning.”
She followed his glance to the dock, where a steamer had anchored. Deckhands were unloading barrel after barrel into the warehouse, apparently more supplies to see them through the long winter. “I hope your visit with your family was pleasant. I’m sure it must be difficult to leave them behind.”
“I console myself that my work here provides a good and happy life for them.” He smiled wistfully and cocked his head toward the store. “Besides, I don’t like to leave Samuel on his own for too long.”
“He seems to manage well.”
“Apparently not so well in resisting your badgering him to lower prices.” Percival’s voice took on an edge, and before she could sling back a retort about how she wouldn’t need to badger if the store had fair prices, he turned to Nadine. “How is your husband, Mrs. Rawlings? I heard he had to get a tooth pulled.”
Nadine’s haggard features were frozen, and she stared at the bonnet covering her baby’s head. “He’s been in some pain, but doing better now.”
“He was beset with an infection, then?”
She nodded but didn’t make eye contact with Percival.
“And I hear you’ve started an evening school?” he asked, turning back to Tessa.
Henry Benney’s warning about Percival rushed back to her mind. “A man can’t relieve himself in the woods without Mr. Updegraff hearing about it.”
“Yes, I’ve had anywhere from six to ten coming every evening,” Tessa replied. But not Alex. He hadn’t come again after the first night. Michael, however, had continued to arrive early. In fact, he’d started coming early enough to chop wood so that she’d have fuel for not only the evening class, but also for the next day of school. Even if he was one of her quietest scholars, he’d been one of her most helpful, including walking her home once the class was over.
“I’m not sure I approve of the evening classes,” Percival said, narrowing his eyes.
“What’s there to approve or disapprove of?” she asked.
His attention flickered to her bosom. “You’re a young woman alone with a roomful of men. That’s hardly proper for an innocent woman like yourself.”
“I’m teaching the men.” She didn’t like the direction of the conversation or his eyes, and she had the urge to pull her cloak tighter. “They’ve been nothing but kind and respectful to me.”
“You just never know what these men are capable of,” Percival said with a glance toward the wrestling ring and the rowdy crowd. “We certainly don’t want anything to happen to blemish your reputation, do we?”
There was something calculating in his eyes that made her wonder what he’d learned about her past. Had he made inquiries about her while he’d been in Detroit?
She had to stifle a shudder at the thought. “Why don’t you stop by one of the evening classes next week and see for yourself all that the men are learning?” She was tempted to blurt out that then he’d see she wasn’t standing on top of her desk and dancing like a common barroom girl.
Thankfully, at that moment, before she said something she’d regret, she heard a young voice calling her name. “Miss Taylor! Miss Taylor!”
Ingrid Bjorklund hobbled across the rutted road with her cane, her father and brother not far behind. The little girl’s eyes were alight with the pleasure of seeing her.
“If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Updegraff,” she said, then started away from him, relieved for the interruption.
“You won’t be paid extra for the evening class.” His hard tone stopped her.
Nadine stood unmoving next to Percival, still staring at her baby’s head.
“I don’t require any payment,” Tessa said. “Except that my scholars reward me with enthusiasm for learning.”
“How noble of you.”
“Yes, it is. Now good day to you, Mr. Updegraff.”
She didn’t wait for his dismissal, but instead knelt and held her arms open to Ingrid, who practically hopped the last distance to fall into her embrace with a cry of delight.
“I’ve been looking for you,” Ingrid said.
“Have you?” Tessa hugged Ingrid tightly and smiled at Gunnar over the girl’s head. The boy smiled shyly in return.
“She hasn’t spoken of anyone but you since we arrived,” Michael said, his hands tucked into his coat pockets. He glanced warily at Percival and gave the man a brief nod.
“How are things at the lighthouse, Michael?” Percival asked.
“We’re managing fine, thanks.”
“I hear you’ve joined Miss Taylor’s evening school.”
“That’s true.”
“I hope you’re not shirking your duties as a result.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Michael’s tone remained unruffled in spite of the obvious tension between the two men.
Tessa wanted to ask what kind of control Percival had over the lighthouse. She couldn’t imagine it was much since all the lighthouses in Michigan were government owned and operated. But it was as clear now as it was the first day she’d met Percival that he thought he was king of the town.
As much as she wanted to ignore Percival and go on doing things as she had while he’d been gone, she had the feeling she wouldn’t be able to—not if she wanted to keep her job.
Thankfully, before she had to say anything else in defense of her evening class, Samuel appeared in the store’s doorway and called to Percival. With a frown, Percival disappeared into the store. After Percival was gone, Nadine finally moved, but only to scurry away as fast as possible, calling to Tessa that she was going home.
“Uncle Alex is wrasslin’ next,” Ingrid said, using the Cornish term for the event. “We hoped you’d come watch him with us.”
“Alex is wrestling?” Tessa asked. “I thought only the Cornish were allowed into the matches.” At least that’s what Nadine had told her.
“They like to try to beat Uncle Alex,” Ingrid explained.
“They’ve made an exception for him since he’s a good wrestler,” Michael added.
Tessa tried to peer past the crowd who’d gathered around a fenced-off area to watch the wrestling. Her pulse quickened at the thought of seeing Alex in the arena.
With Ingrid’s hand in hers, they made their way toward the fence, past several barrels of ale and the men already swearing and fighting as a result of too much drink. She wasn’t sure if such an environment was appropriate for children, but no one else seemed to think anything of the children mingling among the revelers.
She’d been warned to cancel school on payday, and so she had. Her assistant had told her it was the one day a month, besides Sundays, when the men were excused from work. The mine operations were shut down except for the work of measuring the number of feet each miner had cut or drifted. Once the tabulations were recorded, the miners could go to the office and receive their pay—after deducting expenses. The
rest of the day was spent tapering off.
Michael pushed them forward through the crowd until they reached the front. They arrived just as Alex was taking off his shirt and donning a loose jacket made of bagging that was tied closed with cording in the front. He was barefooted, like his opponent.
“Uncle Alex,” Ingrid called.
He turned and glanced in their direction. Ingrid waved. At the sight of his niece, Alex grinned and waved back. The sun turned his hair to light gold. Underneath the loose-fitting jacket, his powerfully built chest radiated strength.
Tessa lifted her hand in a small wave and was rewarded with one in return.
“Make sure you win,” she called.
“I’ll do my best,” he replied above the laughter and chatter of the crowd.
The referees took their places. As soon as the wrestlers were given permission to start, Alex and his opponent shook hands as was customary to start the bout. Then both went through the ritual of rolling up their jackets and tucking them under their left arms. Nadine had told her this was to prevent an opponent from gaining an early advantage by getting a quick free hold and an unexpected throw.
The bout started the same way as all the others Tessa had seen with both wrestlers getting into a hitch by taking a firm hold of the other’s jacket at the left shoulder and right underarm.
From the previous wrestling matches, Tessa had already learned some of the rules. The wrestlers couldn’t grab wrists, fingers, or any body part below the waist. But they could hold on to their opponent’s jacket, arms, shoulders, and trunk, so long as they managed to throw their opponent onto his back. The goal was to make the landing flat so that all areas of the back touched the ground.
Tessa tensed as Alex circled around with his rival, a man who was equally bulky and stong-looking. As if sensing her worry, Ingrid’s little hand squeezed hers. “Don’t worry, Miss Taylor. Uncle Alex always wins.”
As quick as a flash, Alex wrapped the crook of his arm around the man’s neck. Then he hooked one of his legs through his opponent’s, tripping him while simultaneously flipping him so that he landed on the ground with a thud.
The crowd cheered at Alex’s swift move and the fact that he’d landed his opponent almost perfectly on his back. Alex straightened and looked to the referees, who nodded while raising their sticks in the air, signaling that Alex had indeed accomplished a “back.”
A roar of approval rose from the crowd again. Tessa smiled with relief. Alex had won in the first move. By dropping his opponent flat on his back, he’d earned three pins. The pins consisted of the two hips and two shoulders, and as long as three of the four touched the ground at the same time, the wrestler automatically won.
Alex helped pull his opponent to his feet and shook the man’s hand again. Then he turned in their direction and waved. Ingrid and Gunnar sent up cheers. Although Alex nodded at the children, he aimed his lopsided smile at her.
Her heart nearly flipped at the thought that, with everyone else there, he’d singled her out.
“You did good,” Gunnar said, staring up at Alex with pride after he’d finished his fourth and final bout.
Alex ruffled the boy’s hair. “I don’t think I broke any ribs this time.”
“Broken ribs?” Tessa said, her eyes widening to reveal a concern that warmed his heart.
“You were worried about me getting hurt?” His back ached from where he’d been slammed several times. But other than that, he’d survived the wrestling contest with few injuries.
“I wasn’t worried about you,” Tessa quipped, tipping her face up and revealing cheeks painted pink from the chill in the air and eyes that sparkled with life. “I just didn’t want the children to be exposed to anything too unseemly.”
Unseemly? He’d show her unseemly. He’d kiss her pretty lips senseless in front of everyone. It would be completely inappropriate, but didn’t the victor of the tournament deserve a kiss from the prettiest lady here? He sure thought so.
As if sensing his thoughts, especially since he was staring at her mouth, she averted her eyes and her breath hitched with a soft intake.
The crowd swelled around them, pushing them closer. Hands reached out to slap him on the back, and voices congratulated him on his wins.
Yes, a victory kiss. That would surely be all right, wouldn’t it?
Now was his chance. Michael was gone, buying Cornish pasties from some of the wives who sold them during the contest to earn extra money. Not that they were alone; Ingrid and Gunnar were watching his interaction with Tessa with curious eyes. What would they think if he wrapped his arms around Tessa and gave her a kiss?
“So will you wrestle again today?” she asked somewhat breathlessly as she fidgeted with Ingrid’s hair.
“Ah, I see,” he teased. “You like watching me.”
She started to shake her head.
“Don’t deny it, Miss Taylor. You’re enamored with my big biceps and Goliath strength.”
“Why, Mr. Bjorklund,” she said with mock indignation, “if you must know, I’m enamored by all the sweat, by the lovely smell of it.”
He laughed. How was it possible that she could always make him laugh? He wished there was a way that he could spend more time with her. If only he could attend the evening school. Yet as soon as the thought entered his mind, he dismissed it as he had whenever Michael went on his way to the schoolhouse to attend class.
As much as he wanted to go along and make sure that Tessa paid him just as much attention as Michael, he’d known after the first class that he couldn’t skimp on his responsibilities at the lighthouse simply because he didn’t want to share Tessa with Michael.
He’d sensed Michael’s eagerness, had watched him groom himself carefully for the first time in five years since his wife had died. Although Michael never showed much excitement or emotion, it had become increasingly clear that he was interested in Tessa. Just how interested, Alex couldn’t judge. His brother had always been hard to read.
Nevertheless, the small amount of interest had been enough to worry Alex and make him wonder how he could spend time with Tessa too. His only chance at seeing her was when he dropped Ingrid and Gunnar off at school in the mornings. Usually she was already too busy with the other students to give him more than a friendly nod.
“I wish you’d consider coming back to evening school,” she said. “I know the teacher is really mean and hard, but I still think it would be worth your while.”
“You’re right,” he said. “She’s a bear.”
Tessa smiled. “Since when did you let a little old thing like a bear scare you?”
“She’s actually a pretty young thing.”
She tilted her face up to him with that sparkle in her eyes that made him wish more than ever that he could see her more often. Surely if he put his mind to it, he could think of something.
Michael shouldered his way through the bystanders until he was standing next to Tessa. He balanced two pasties on a piece of brown paper. “Have you had a Cornish pasty yet?” he asked Tessa, not bothering to give Alex a glance or word of congratulations.
“No.” She eyed the pasty warily. “Nadine has given me the pleasure of many delectable dishes, but apparently not this one.”
“Then you’re in for a treat,” Michael said. He held the pasties toward her.
Tessa stared at the thick crusted pastry and raised a brow. “Does it have giblets inside? I’ll only try it if it has giblets.”
Michael shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’m fairly certain these have venison.”
“Tessa’s being sarcastic, Michael,” Alex interjected. Apparently Tessa had experienced something only a Cornish person could love. “Next time Nadine has giblets, make sure to eat it with Cornish Yarg. That way you’ll enjoy the giblets even more.”
“Yarg?” She quivered with revulsion. “I make it a practice to avoid eating foods that begin with the letter y.”
Alex laughed, but Michael only looked at Tessa with confusion.
“Try the pasty, Miss Taylor,” Ingrid said, taking half of the one Gunnar had given her. “It’s delicious.”
Tessa broke off a piece of the pasty that Michael was holding out to her. She nibbled at the meaty side, which in addition to venison had chopped onion and potato. The Cornish miners usually took a pasty in their pocket down into the mine since they were unable to return to the surface at lunchtime. The pasty was easy to hold and eat, and the thick crust often kept the filling warm for several hours. It was the perfect miner’s meal. And they were gaining in popularity among the locals.
Tessa took a bigger bite.
Michael watched for her reaction.
She finally rewarded him by popping a larger piece into her mouth and murmuring with approval.
He smiled.
At the sight of his brother’s genuine smile, Alex couldn’t begrudge Michael a moment of happiness, even if it was with Tessa. When Michael’s wife, Rachel, had died and left him with two young children to raise, Alex quit his tender crew job and moved in with Michael to help his brother, thinking he would stay until Michael got through the worst of his grief.
After the funeral, Alex had assisted Michael in his job as a wharf supervisor down in Detroit. Then when a head lightkeeper and assistant position had opened up in Eagle Harbor, Michael asked him to move there with him. Alex couldn’t say no, not when Michael could hardly function from day to day. He’d seen firsthand how his brother was struggling to take care of himself, much less the two children.
Jenny had said she’d needed him too. She’d already put their wedding on hold for the months he’d been gone with the tender crew, and she wasn’t willing to delay any longer. At the time, he hadn’t understood what her hurry was, why she couldn’t wait another year. In hindsight, he could see her frustration hadn’t been about the amount of time. It’d been about his unwillingness to commit. He’d put his family above her, and she didn’t want to settle for second place in his life.
He had loved Jenny, and her rejection stabbed him painfully. He’d hurt for a long time after that.