by Karen Kirst
Gladys pulled a bag of sugar from the basket, reached for the large tin in which it was stored and plunked it on the counter. “Henry’s not here yet, but he will be soon. I saw him at the livery renting the prettiest little buggy.” She tossed a grin over her shoulder. “Looks like he wants to impress you.”
“Perhaps he just wants a comfortable ride.” She’d certainly appreciate one. Bouncing around on a wagon seat could get tiresome.
“In my experience, a feller doesn’t usually think of such things unless he’s sweet on a gal. I should know. Emery’s brother’s in town for a couple of weeks and can watch the shop for him, so he intends to take me for a ride as soon as my half day begins this coming Saturday. He said I’ll be traveling in style.”
It was a good thing Gladys wasn’t facing Lavinia because she couldn’t keep her mouth from gaping. She closed it and processed the startling news. “Is Mr. Staples…courting you?”
Gladys shook out the last of the sugar, turned around and giggled. Like a smitten schoolgirl. “I do hope so.”
“I see. I didn’t realize things had gotten so serious. You know I’m counting on you to bake the desserts for the party. I can trust you, can’t I?”
Gladys dropped her hands to her sides, the empty sugar sack dangling from one hand. “Have I ever let you down?”
Not back east, no, but she’d done so several times since they’d arrived in Sutter Creek. “To be honest, I haven’t been able to rely on you like I used to. I don’t begrudge you your happiness, but I expect you to do your job.”
The housekeeper’s shoulders slumped, making her appear older than she was. She hung her head. A few seconds passed before she lifted her chin, her gaze slowly following.
“You’re right to be upset with me, Miss Lavinia. I guess I didn’t want to own up to having let you down, but I know I have. I don’t have a good excuse. The truth is, no man has ever paid me any mind, not since I lost my beau in the explosion at the gunpowder factory where he worked, so when Emery took a liking to me, my head was turned. If you want me to send word and tell him I can’t accept his offer, I will.”
“Oh, Gladys, I’m sorry you lost your young love. I didn’t know that. I can understand why you want to encourage Mr. Staples, and I won’t stop you. I just want your assurance that you’ll see him on your own time. I need your help—with the children and the party.”
“Yes, miss. I know. I’ll tell Emery so when we go driving Saturday afternoon.”
“I appreciate that.” Without Gladys’s help, she wouldn’t have anything to serve her guests—unless she asked Henry to help, which she wasn’t about to do. He’d agreed to take her shopping, but he wasn’t excited about her plans to throw the party, although just why that was, she couldn’t be sure. Perhaps she’d be able to find out during their outing. “I’ll get my things, say goodbye to Dot and be off.”
“I hope you have a fine time. And don’t worry about things here. I’ll take good care of the children.”
“I know you will.”
Lavinia found her niece in the parlor, crooning carols to her rag doll in hushed tones. “I’m going to be leaving soon, Dot, so I—”
“Shh!” Dot pointed at her doll, which was wrapped in a blanket and nestled in a corner of the settee beside the darling girl. “Zoe is almost asleep. It’s her nap time.”
Lowering her voice to a whisper, Lavinia bid Dot farewell and tiptoed out of the room just as Henry stepped into the entryway.
He gave a hearty laugh, accompanied by one of his endearing smiles that made her want to smile right back. “I didn’t expect you to be waiting for me.”
“I wasn’t.” Not really, although she was glad to see him. “I wanted to warn you to be quiet,” she said in a stage whisper. “Dot’s baby is about to nod off.”
Henry lowered his voice. “I’ll be as quiet as a mouse, but I have to give my girl a kiss before we go.” He tiptoed into the parlor, stooped to buss Dot’s cheek, wished her a lovely day and returned. “Are you ready to go?”
“I am. I’ve been looking forward to the trip ever since you suggested it.” She mentally kicked herself. She hadn’t meant to sound quite so eager.
“Have you, now? Then let’s get underway, shall we?” He opened the door and swept an arm toward the waiting buggy, a beautiful model with shiny black wheels and a black leather top that had been folded behind the single seat.
He helped her inside, climbed up and grabbed the reins. She ran a hand over the plush green seat cushion, reveling in the velvet’s softness. “This is lovely, but where will we put the parcels?”
“The livery owner modified the seat so it lifts. We can put them inside.”
“How clever.” That still didn’t leave much room. She couldn’t help but wonder if Henry had planned on that to curtail her shopping. Not that she’d let the limited storage space stop her. If she found what she was after, she’d have the items shipped to her.
A gentle breeze blew, the air crisp but not too chilly. Brilliant blue skies stretched for miles, a sharp contrast to the grass-covered hillsides. “It’s so green.”
“Enjoy it while it lasts,” he said, turning to look at her. “Come May, when the rains stop, everything turns brown.”
“How depressing that must be.”
“You get used to it. There are those who say it’s fitting. After all, this is the Golden State.” He grinned but sobered quickly. “Not that you’ll be here to see it then, of course.”
“True.” She and the children would be back in Philadelphia strolling through Rittenhouse Square and taking walks along the Schuylkill River—provided she could come up with grounds to have the will overturned or Henry removed from his position as guardian.
She’d spent a good two hours taking notes on the statutes listed in Mr. Price’s book that day. All she had to do was figure out a way to use one of them to her benefit, which she would. She wasn’t about to leave Sutter Creek without Alex, Marcie and Dot.
The drive flew by as Lavinia and Henry talked about the children’s antics, Christmases of their pasts and more, avoiding the topic of guardianship as though by mutual consent. Before she knew it, they neared the outskirts of Jackson.
He directed her attention to men working in the distance, the ringing of their picks against the rock creating a unique beat. “That mine off to the left is the Kennedy. The one on the right is the Pioneer.”
“I’d heard mining was backbreaking work, but it looks even harder than I’d imagined. Did you ever do any?”
“I tried my hand at it during my first year here, but it didn’t take me long to realize I’d rather do other things.” He glanced at her. A lock of his wavy hair had fallen across his forehead. She reached up to brush it into place, just as she would have done for Alex, but stopped herself. Lowering her wayward hand, she lapsed into silence. It stretched for a good minute, growing more awkward by the second before Henry broke it.
“We’re only a mile from town, so we’ll be there soon.”
“I hope the shops have what I’m after.”
“What are you looking for?”
“I wrote a list.” She opened her reticule, pulled out the sheet of paper and unfolded it. “To begin with, I’ll find some toys. Each of the children could use some clothes and a nice warm coat, too.”
“What’s wrong with the clothes they have?”
Their wardrobes were suited for their lives here in Sutter Creek, but their functional outfits weren’t something a child in her father’s house would wear. How could she respond without coming across as prideful or disparaging? “They’re fine, but I thought they might appreciate something new.”
“I see.” His reply, coupled with a raised eyebrow, told her he knew perfectly well why she planned to buy the children some clothes. So be it. Surely, he could understand that Paul Crowne’s grandchi
ldren couldn’t show up in corduroy and calico.
They lapsed into silence once again, giving her an opportunity to study Henry. He was an incredibly handsome man, but appearances weren’t as important to him as they were to those in her social circle. Other than his coat, hat and cravat, items intentionally purchased to convey a certain image, his clothing was unremarkable, although the man himself was anything but.
The longer she knew him, the more she found herself drawn to him. He had many admirable traits—kindness, helpfulness and an easygoing nature. And he was quite talented. His creativity was evident in his cooking, his music and his metal working, among other things. He was wonderful with the children, and he treated her with respect. If only things were different. He was a man she could believe in, the kind of man who stirred feelings in her no other man ever had.
She mustn’t let herself think about Henry in that way, though. Even if they weren’t at odds over guardianship of the children, they were from different worlds. Nothing but heartache could come of giving way to her growing attraction.
Lavinia pulled herself from her bittersweet musings when Henry drove into town a short time later. The wide main street with shops lining either side reminded her of the one in Sutter Creek, although it was shorter, ending with a row of two-story buildings facing them. “Jackson’s not any bigger than Sutter Creek, is it?”
“You can’t see it all from here. The road turns down at Water Street, where the Louisiana House sits, and turns again on to Broadway, which continues up the hill on the other side of Jackson Creek. Businesses line all three streets.”
He parked in front of the Union Livery Stable, hopped out and came around to help her down. She took his hand, exited the buggy with his assistance and prepared to pull away, but he continued to hold on. His grip was firm but not uncomfortably so. She looked up to find him staring at her.
“I know we disagree on things, Lavinia, but can we declare a truce today? You’ve been looking forward to this outing, and I want you to have a good time.”
Henry was full of surprises. She hardly knew what to think, but she had to say something. It would be nice to enjoy a day spent in the company of an attractive ma—another adult. “Fine. A truce, but that doesn’t mean our disagreements have been—”
“Resolved? I understand, but it does mean we’ve set them aside for the time being and will act more like friends than foes.”
Henry, a friend? Lavinia smiled. “Or perhaps friendly foes?”
He chuckled, a warm, rich sound that seemed to rumble in his chest. “Friendly foes it is.” He gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it, accompanied by a smile that lit his beautiful blue eyes.
Beautiful? What had come over her? She might have agreed to set their differences aside for a day, but she mustn’t lower her defenses.
He left her to wait for him on the raised sidewalk, out of danger from passing wagons, and went to converse with the liveryman, returning a short time later. “What would you like to do first? Get your shopping done or eat?”
It was so like a man to think she could complete her shopping quickly. She needed time to see all the wares the various merchants offered, ponder her choices and make her decisions. For all she knew, she might not find what she was after, requiring additional outings to other destinations. “I’d like to peruse the shops first, enjoy a meal next and make my purchases afterward.”
“Do you like French food? If so, we could dine at E. Le Jeune’s French Restaurant.”
“We can get French food here? I had no idea. I would love to have filet de bœuf aux champignons with beignets de pomme for dessert, if they have those.” She hadn’t savored either since visiting Delmonico’s at her father’s request two years before. He liked to know what the competition was serving, but he was too well-known among the staff at New York’s hotels and restaurants to conduct scouting missions himself. She was more than willing to perform them in his place.
“Tenderloin with mushrooms and apple fritters?” Henry patted his stomach. “Sounds good. If they have them, I’ll order the same.”
Not until she heard his translation did she realize she’d used the French words for the items. “Do you speak French, too?” She wasn’t as fluent as she would have liked to be, but she’d learned some from her mother, who had emigrated with her family from the village of Saint-Omer in northern France when she was a girl. Lavinia’s grand-père had turned his knowledge of glass-making into a lucrative business, leaving her mother with a sizable inheritance that had given her father his start.
“I learned some words that relate to cooking, but that’s all.”
Lavinia tossed a playful smile his way. “And here I thought there wasn’t anything you didn’t know.”
He acknowledged her gentle teasing with a wink, a gesture that set her traitorous heart to tripping. “Since you’re ready to go shopping, Mademoiselle Crowne, shall we begin?” He held out an arm, and she slipped her hands around it without hesitation.
They set off down the wooden walkway, their boot heels thudding in unison. She rarely strolled with a gentleman, but Henry wasn’t like the potential suitors her father had sent her way, each of whom had hoped she’d take a shine to him. The men had known that her father was eager for her to choose a husband and male heir he could train to take over the running of his hotels. They’d all been well educated, hardworking and ambitious—like her father. The trouble was that they didn’t care about her thoughts, her opinions or her dreams any more than he did. She wanted a man who cared about what she had to say and loved her for who she was, not for what he could gain by marrying her.
Henry and Lavinia spent the next hour exploring the shops. It took little time for her to see that the wares available in Jackson weren’t much different from those in Sutter Creek. Surely, he was aware of that. If so, had he suggested the trip to make a point? No. That couldn’t be it. He was a kind person and had been honest with her from the start about what he wanted and what he thought.
They reached the foot of Broadway, and she inclined her head toward a bench alongside Jackson Creek. “Could we stop for a minute? There’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“Sure.” He led the way, and they sat facing each other. “What’s on your mind?”
“Why did you offer to bring me here?”
“You wanted to go shopping somewhere other than Sutter Creek. This was the closest place.”
“So there was no hidden motive?”
He shook his head, but whether to indicate a negative answer or in disbelief, she wasn’t sure. She said nothing, patiently awaiting his response.
“If you want to know my reasons, I’ll tell you. First, I hoped I might be able to help you choose things the children would like.”
She worked to keep her tone as calm and as level as his. Not an easy task. “You don’t think I could make the selections on my own?”
“Of course you could. I just thought that because I’ve known the children all their lives, you might welcome my insights.”
“I see. And what insights might those be?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you want to hear them?”
She nodded.
“Very well. You said you’d like to get a pair of red boots for Marcie. She already has a perfectly fine black pair that isn’t but a few months old.”
“But she admired my red ones.”
“She did, but I think there are things she’d like more.”
More than boots in her favorite color? Perhaps he didn’t know Marcie as well as he thought. Girls loved fancy footwear. She always had. “Such as?”
“You’re right about Marcie liking to look nice, but there are things more important to her than that. Think of what she likes to do most of all.”
Lavinia shrugged. “She likes to talk.”
Henry smiled. “E
xactly. So, what could you give her that would enable her to talk and have people eager to listen to her?”
“I don’t know, but apparently you do. What do you have in mind?”
“You picked one up in the mercantile and used it to ask me a question.”
Understanding dawned, sending a ripple of surprise racing down her spine. “You’re talking about that puppet, aren’t you? Yes! That would be ideal. If I get her some puppets, she could put on plays for her friends—or even with them. She would love that.” When they got back home, Lavinia could have a portion of the nursery turned into a stage, complete with red velvet curtains like those in a real theater.
Perhaps she’d been too quick to doubt Henry’s motives. It seemed he did want to be helpful. “What about Alex? I don’t have experience with boys.”
“I think you know more than you realize. Tell me about him.”
“Well, he’s bright and inquisitive, but he’s cautious, too.”
Henry nodded his encouragement. “So, what might he like?”
She thought back through everything they’d seen in the shops, trying to remember what Henry had looked at, anything he’d said. “You asked the hardware store owner about a small block plane. Were you thinking Alex would like one?”
“I was. He spent an entire morning with me on the shed roof, listening and learning. I excused him soon after you and I talked that day, but he stayed and saw the job through, working alongside me the entire time and asking insightful questions. I think he has a knack for woodworking.”
“But isn’t he a bit young to have tools of his own?”
Henry’s lips twitched, as though he was trying not to smile. “I was in the smithy working with Pa and Jack before I could even see over the forge.”
“Why, you wouldn’t have been much older than Dot. What could a child of four or five possibly do to help?”
“Plenty. I swept the shop floor, hung completed horseshoes, hinges and other items on hooks and carried in coal from the shed out back. Alex is old enough for me to teach him basic carpentry skills. He’ll have fun while learning a valuable skill.”