The Spinster (Emerson Pass Historicals Book 2)

by Tess Thompson

  “That was his name?” Delphia giggled.

  “Yes, for his temperament,” Poppy said. “Red like hot peppers.”

  “What did he do that was bad?” Delphia’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. A little too much, as if she were gathering ideas.

  “He pecked the farmer and his wife and chased them away whenever they came to get the eggs,” Poppy said.

  “But why?” Addie asked.

  “Red saw it as his job to protect the hens. But that meant the farmer couldn’t get any of the eggs because of that naughty cock-a-doodle-doo. One day Red pecked their little girl’s hand and caused her to bleed. That’s when they called Dr. Miller and me to come help.”

  “What did you do?” Addie asked.

  “We advised the farmer to establish dominance. Roosters are very prideful. Red had to be taught that the farmer and his wife were in charge.”

  “Pride is a sin,” Fiona said as she placed a comb in the back of Cymbeline’s hair.

  “Even for a rooster?” Delphia asked, sounding disappointed.

  “I’m afraid so,” Poppy said.

  “Did it work?” Addie asked. “Did they tame him?”

  “In this case, they weren’t able to. No matter what they did, Red wouldn’t stop attacking people. Finally, the farmer decided it was too dangerous for his little girls and they had to send him away.”

  “To where?” Delphia asked.

  Poppy hesitated before answering. “I’m not sure. Perhaps they sent him away to another farm.”

  “Probably into the pot,” Cymbeline said.

  “Why was he so mean?” Addie asked.

  “He was just extremely protective of the flock of hens,” Poppy said. “It’s the way some breeds are. Red saw everything and everyone as a threat to his hens.”

  “I feel sorry for him,” Fiona said. “He couldn’t help how he was made.”

  “I did too.” Poppy smiled as she looked around the room. “I’ve missed you all very much.”

  “We missed you,” Fiona said. “Jo’s been practically bereft without you.”

  “It’s true,” I said.

  “It’s good to be home,” Poppy said. “But being away was worth every homesick moment. I’ll be able to help our farmers and ranchers here in Emerson Pass now. I’ve learned a lot.”

  “Speaking of which,” I said, “the Cassidys recently lost five of their cows. When you’re settled, I’d like to take you out there and see if you can figure out what happened to them.”

  “I’ll be happy to,” Poppy said. “I’m grateful to Lord Barnes for sending me to apprentice under Dr. Miller. Although Miller wasn’t exactly welcoming at first. I don’t know what kind of favor he owed Lord Barnes, but he sure didn’t want me there.”

  “Because you’re a girl.” Cymbeline scrunched her face into a scowl. “We have to bow down in gratitude simply for being allowed the chance to work for free.”

  “Cymbeline.” Fiona’s lashes fluttered as she chastised her sister. “Be nice.”

  “I don’t want to be nice,” Cymbeline said. “I want to do things. Be someone important. Not push out babies for the rest of my life.”

  “I do understand,” Poppy said. “However, the reality is it’s harder for a woman to do much besides be a mother, nurse, or teacher.”

  “Was it awful for you?” I asked.

  “Did Miller treat you poorly?” Fiona asked.

  “I hope you gave it right back to him,” Cymbeline said.

  Poppy grinned. “Let’s just say the first time he saw me tame a wild colt, he stopped muttering about training a girl. From then on, he wasn’t friendly but respectful.”

  “You could teach him a thing or two about horses,” Cymbeline said.

  “He knew the insides of horses,” Poppy said. “But I know their souls and what they respond to best.”

  “I’m proud of you,” I said, squeezing her hand. “What an accomplishment.”

  “Now, tell me what’s been going on here,” Poppy said. “What have I missed?”

  My sisters started rattling off answers one after the other.

  “Jo has a beau,” Fiona said.

  “And has stopped moping around after that awful Walter,” Cymbeline said. “Who turned out to be a fraud.”

  “We’re having a party with a lot of cake,” Delphia said.

  “The party’s for the Cassidys,” Fiona said. “They’re having a hard time and Jo’s arranged for a party to raise funds so they won’t lose their farm.”

  “Phillip made a pretty table,” Addie said. “And the twins are opening a ski area where you go down a hill really fast on wood sticks.”

  “My goodness, I’ve missed a lot,” Poppy said. “But let’s start with Jo’s beau.” She turned to me. “Tell me everything.”

  Phillip

  A routine developed to my days, making time gather speed. In the mornings, the twins and I set out together to the Cassidys’ farm. After a few days, with the help of Viktor and Isak, we finished the roof of the barn. The rest of the week was spent doing additional repairs and other chores. In the late afternoons, Josephine arrived in the small sleigh so that I could drive us home. These excursions served two purposes. One, my driving was improving, as was my kissing of Josephine. Two, we talked, laughed and always stopped at our spot by the creek for a few kisses.

  With each passing day, my feelings for her deepened. I wanted desperately to marry Josephine Barnes. But what could I offer her? I didn’t have my own home. Thus far, I only had one paying customer for my furniture. Pastor Lind had asked for a new pulpit, one worthy of his growing congregation. As I worked on the piece in the late afternoons and into the evening, it became clearer to me just what a daunting task opening my own shop would be. It might take years.

  “What is it?” Josephine put her fingers against her mouth, as if worried she’d done something wrong. “Something’s troubling you. I can see it in your eyes.”

  “I’m thinking about the future. Our future.”

  “What about it?”

  “Do you see us having a future together?”

  She looked up to meet my gaze, grazing my cheekbone with her fingertips. “I think you know the answer to that. I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t.”

  “I’ve no home to offer you. And an uncertain future.”

  “When the time comes, Papa will help us.”

  “What sort of man would that make me?” I searched her face for answers, but the thin wintery light cast shadows. I couldn’t quite make out her expression.

  “Money isn’t everything,” Josephine said.

  “Spoken from one who’s never wanted for anything.”

  She stiffened and turned away.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean it to sound unkind.”

  “It’s true. I’ve had everything. Every creature comfort. I must seem spoiled to you.”

  “Not at all.” I struggled to find the right words. “You’re gracious and hardworking. I’m not good enough for you. That’s the trouble.”

  “A confident man believes in himself and his capacity to make his dreams come true. You believe in your talent and drive, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do. But not everything is up to me. There are circumstances out of my control.”

  “And you think I don’t understand that?” Her voice was soft as a feather but as brittle as the ice that clung to the branches of the trees.

  I spoke the next words slowly, knowing they could make her angrier. “I think you’ve had help. And I’ve had little. That’s all. I’m starting with nothing. I’m frightened to fail you.”

  She jerked her head up to look at me. “The only way you’ll fail me is by being timid. If I’m the one you want, then you must do whatever it takes to make me yours.”

  “My desire isn’t in question. I want to be part of your family. But I have to earn it.”

  Her chin lifted slightly as she stared me down. “Is it me you want or my family?”

  I
flinched, surprised. Did she believe it was only her family that attracted me? Could she possibly think it was the money, like stupid Walter? “You, Jo, above anything else. Without question your family’s an additional blessing. I’d be lying if I said the last few weeks hadn’t been the best of my life, in part because of the way they’ve welcomed me into your home. I love pretending to be a big brother to your sisters. The camaraderie with the twins is the type of friendship any man craves. Your father’s attention and advice are an answer to prayer. But without you, Jo, they’re just a family I care about very much. It’s you I want. Don’t ever mistake that.” I reached out to her, taking both her hands. “I know you’re doubtful because of what happened with Walter. I can’t blame you for being so.” I tapped my chest. “But me? I traveled across the country on my last dime to see if what I thought was true.” I hesitated, unsure what to say next. “It’s just that I want the very best for you, and I’m not sure I can give it to you.”

  “This feeling I have for you—if you were to betray me—I would be devastated. This isn’t like with Walter. I made him into something he wasn’t. You, though, you’re real and true. I’m in love with you, Phillip Baker.”

  “You are?”

  “Yes. I was convinced I’d hardened myself to love until you came to me with your big heart. If you walk away because you’re poor, my heart will be broken.”

  Her words melted me. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Ask Papa for permission to marry me. Allow him to help you come up with a plan for your business or some other kind of employment. Take a loan from him if you have to. Don’t let your pride ruin this chance we have for happiness.”

  “All I’ve had is my pride,” I said, smiling.

  “Now you have me. And the rest of my loud, interfering, maddening family. I’d rather live with you in a shack than in a mansion with anyone else.”

  I kissed her again, my heart full.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” I asked.

  “I’m sure.”

  “I’ll ask your father for permission,” I said. “If he says yes, you will too?”

  “Phillip, yes. I’ve said it already.”

  “All right, all right,” I said, laughing at the impatience in her tone. “You must remember, I’m a man and therefore slower than you.”

  “Isn’t that the truth?” Her face broke into a smile. She looked eight years old for a moment, delighted by a gift.

  “What if he says no? What do I do then?”

  “He won’t. Papa wants me to be happy. He’ll help us get started if we need him.”

  I hoped she was right. If she had read him wrong, then I didn’t know what I would do to convince him to take a chance on me. The truth was simple. I was a man with no fortune whatsoever asking for the hand of an heiress. These matches were not supposed to happen. I could only hope that the wild country where he lived was also in Lord Barnes’s blood.

  As we set out toward home, I prayed silently. God, send me a miracle.

  At the Cassidys’, the twins and I spent the morning mending a fence and replacing decaying wood in the stalls. The Olofsson brothers weren’t able to join us, and I’d picked up tension between the brothers. They usually joked and sparred during our work but today the twins were quiet.

  When we broke for lunch, they didn’t seem as jubilant as I felt. We’d finished up the last of the work for a family who needed us. Given their big hearts, it surprised me they weren’t more excited to have completed what we set out to do.

  Leaning against the side of the sleigh, we ate our sandwiches and drank hot tea from the canister Lizzie had sent. The bright midday light made the snow almost blinding, so we stood with our backs to the sun.

  “I’ll go inside and let the ladies know we’re done for now,” Flynn said.

  I expected Theo to tease him about Shannon, but he didn’t say anything or even nod in acknowledgment.

  I waited until Flynn was inside before I turned to Theo. “Is anything wrong between you? You’ve hardly spoken a word all day.”

  Theo sighed and set his empty cup back into the lunch basket. “We’ve had a fight. A terrible one.”

  “I’m sorry to hear,” I said. “Is there anything I can do?”

  “The only way you could help is to take over my part in the ski venture.”

  “I’d hardly be qualified,” I said, lightly, knowing he was joking. Yet was he? “Do you not want to do it?”

  “I want to go to university like I always planned. Flynn has this way of getting me caught up in his schemes. Now I’m trapped. He can’t run the ski business without someone more analytical and detail-focused. He’s to be the public part of the business, dealing with people, while I run the operations.” He rubbed both of his temples with his fingers, as if his head ached. “But I have to tell you, I hate every moment of it. The whole thing is dreadfully dull, and we fight over fundamental aspects of how to run the business. I’m not sure our relationship as brothers is worth the strife. We may end up completely estranged.”

  “What would you rather do with your life?” I couldn’t imagine a better thing than to run a business with a brother.

  “I want to be a surgeon.”

  “A surgeon?”

  “During the war, I learned some techniques from the medics. They taught me how to do simple sutures, set broken bones, clean wounds. I could be useful doing this kind of work. Skiing is fine for fun, but it’s not my life’s work. Flynn’s always wanted to be outside. The minute he saw the ski mountains in Europe, it was like a light went off inside him. He found his purpose over there. So did I. Unfortunately, they don’t match up. I’ve been doing some soul-searching. Wandering into the snow while sleepwalking isn’t right. It’s time for me to do what I want. Not doing so is going to kill me. I know it to be true. I told him this last night, and we fought. Going my own way feels like a betrayal to him.”

  I’d already let my mind wander to dangerous places as I listened to him. I would be the perfect partner for Flynn. I had the math skills and detail orientation to run the business while Flynn charmed guests and created an atmosphere of leisure and fun. I yearned to say all this, but I knew better. They would think me ridiculous to offer up such an idea with no experience whatsoever.

  Theo continued. “Flynn’s reasoning isn’t completely selfishly motivated. If it was, I might be able to argue against his ideas. He believes the only way Emerson Pass survives into the future is to have a business that creates work. We have to provide a place where wealthy people want to flock. A place for rich families who have income to spend on luxuries like ski vacations. Papa agrees with him. As it stands now, there aren’t many more opportunities for new businesses that haven’t already been taken. A town can’t thrive without a larger business to build around and create jobs. The mill isn’t enough. Not unless we want to sacrifice every tree on these mountains. This town is ripe for tourism. Not just the ski slopes but ice-skating as well.”

  I’d never heard Theo say this many words at once.

  He abruptly stopped, however, when Flynn reappeared. His expression remained dour.

  “Everything all right inside?” I asked.

  “Yes, the ladies said to thank you,” Flynn said. “I don’t want to go home yet. What should we do?”

  “We could stop in town and see if your father needs anything done back at home,” I suggested.

  As if he hadn’t heard me, Flynn turned toward the northern mountain. “I’d like to show you the lodge, Phillip. Would you like to go out and see what we’ve done before we head home?”

  “Sure, if we have time.”

  “I’ll hitch up the horses,” Theo said.

  “What is it, brother?” Flynn asked Theo. “What’s wrong with you now?”

  I didn’t know what he thought he heard in Theo’s tone, as he sounded benign to me. These two knew each other’s subtleties like their own reflections.

  “Nothing,” Theo said. “We’ll do whatever you bid us to.�
��

  “It was a question not a bidding.” Flynn’s eyes flashed with temper. “You’re finding fault where there is none.”

  “No fault?” Theo asked. “No fault, other than you’ve done this our whole lives.”

  “Done what? Suggested we do things other than sitting in our room reading endless books instead of living?”

  “Is that what you think I do?”

  “If it wasn’t for me, yes,” Flynn said.

  “You’re a donkey’s ass, you know that?” Theo strode toward the barn where Oz and Willie waited.

  Unsure what to do, I made myself busy packing up the remnants of our lunch.

  “Sorry you had to hear all that,” Flynn said.

  “Not at all.”

  “He wants out of this whole thing.” Flynn squinted as he looked up to the sky. “Believes I pushed him into it, which I suppose I did. I get excited about something and always want him with me. He has other plans. Ones that don’t include me. Growing up, that never occurred to me. I thought we’d do everything together.”

  “You two have a bond that goes deeper than most brothers,” I said. “Which complicates matters sometimes.”

  “I didn’t know he was resentful until recently.” He took off his cap and ran his hands through his hair. “And now this. I don’t know what to do here.”

  “Let him go.” I blurted it out without much thought. “Hire someone to manage the business. I’m sure there are a lot of men who would jump at the chance.”

  “I want a partner. Someone with stakes in the game.”

  Theo came out of the barn leading the horses. The twins didn’t speak as they worked in tandem to hitch Oz and Willie, each taking a horse. Their movements were almost identical. Yet there were profound differences in their dreams and desires. I hoped, for their sakes, that this didn’t become a permanent divide. No business was worth losing your brother. Having none of my own, I knew that in a way most couldn’t. Parting ways would be difficult, even for Theo. But perhaps it was necessary for them to become the men they wanted to be.

  Fifteen minutes later, we came to a stop in front of the lodge built from logs. I squinted into the light, taking in the mountain. The slopes had been stripped of trees for two ski runs that snaked down the mountain in snowy rivulets.