“You’ll be returning for Buddy?” Amber questioned. “Why would you do that, Emery?”
Rachael just had to stand and go to the library door to hear the rest of this conversation, as their voices quieted when they opened the front door. She carefully stepped over the errant books and tiptoed. After all, she reasoned that she might have to report their disappearance to the others in a few minutes.
“Each of the doctors, Monty and Buddy, will take turns tending my cousin. I will host the other one when he is not with John. Doc Evans will also be summoned as a precaution and for advice.”
“Good,” was Mrs. Worthington’s approval, in a word. “I do appreciate your offer to cook dinner for us, though, Emery, and I accept.”
“Thank you, Amber. We shall further discuss our dinner menu on the way to Apple Valley Ridge.”
“Thank you, sweet Emery,” was her warm response.
Rachael heard the door close behind them and breathed a sigh of relief. After placing the books on a chair, she hurried down the hall to where her employer was resting. Knocking lightly on the door, she asked, “How is he?” as Monty and Buddy both came into the hallway to address her concern.
Buddy laughed. “He’s coming to dinner, if that tells us anything.”
“He’s weak, yet he insists on playing host tonight. It’s not really a good idea, though,” Monty explained, a note of concern in his voice. “He still has some fever. I gave him something for pain, too.”
“Cousin Emery took Mrs. Worthington home just now, after her arrival. They won’t be here for dinner tonight. He’s cooking for her,” Rachael explained, feeling just a little bit guilty for the pleasure those words brought her. “However, I did hear him say that he’d return to pick you up later, Dr. Callahan.”
“Excellent. Shall we?” He held out his arm for Rachael. “Dinner is being served.”
“I’m assisting John,” Monty said with a smile. “We shall be right behind you.”
Rachael smiled and curled her arm around Dr. Callahan’s offered arm. As they walked slowly, she found him to be a delight ~ informative, jolly, witty, and she learned what a hard worker he was when he explained his life plans.
“Doctoring, farming, and agriculture are my future and my life,” he explained, adding, “and maybe Miss Amber Worthington, as a wife.”
Smiling up at him, she really wished to say ‘maybe not,’ yet did not want to hurt his feelings. “You’re a poet, and we shall see about Mrs. Worthington.” The words just seemed to slip out, although he probably didn’t hear them, since he was now shaking Crane’s hand.
At dinner, John Davis was quiet. Rachael felt guilty, as if their spat in the kitchen made her somehow responsible for his untimely fall. Dr. Graham spoke some about Washington, though, and could have taken on the role of host with his account and details of what they had seen on their trip. His fascinating explanations were a journey in themselves for Rachael, since she learned more about what their lives had been like, just short of an explanation about the reason for their trip.
“You make it sound so much like a joyful reunion instead of business, Lieutenant Graham. I’m fascinated and impressed to learn of the foods you enjoyed and the wild birds and animals seen. Yet, just exactly what was the purpose of your travels? After all, the war is over.” She did not think she was being invasive or rude with her questioning, yet, perhaps he did.
“Oh, it was merely a railroad meeting and some hospital work. Nothing too strenuous occurred, Miss Hathaway. In fact, both were brief, I assure you. John can probably inform you better than I, at some time in the future when he feels up to it.”
Rachael thought him rather vague on the issue of purpose, so she decided to skip dessert. Remembering the desk key, she reached into her pocket to retrieve it. Placing it next to her employer’s water glass, she asked sweetly, “May I be excused to take leave, please?”
“Well, no,” was his blunt reply, although he did use their secret word. “We have guests, Miss Hathaway.” Secretly, he wished for more time together this evening with this fascinating woman.
She was shocked at his refusal to dismiss her, at the use of their secret word, for she knew they could not speak in private just now, and since she had been unable to engage him in conversation earlier. She also found herself somewhat dismayed that he had not called her by her first name. Has all that changed, or not? She smiled and addressed his guests. “Good night, gentlemen. I am rather tired.” With that said she turned on her heel and limped into the hallway. Her ankle was much better now, although once in awhile a stab of pain or pressure was felt, causing the limp. Dr. Evans had tended it well, even while John was away traveling. For that matter, John had, too. Still, the limp, from pain, sometimes reminded her of her fall, and she hoped her employer would see it, be more kind, considerate, and sympathetic, and have a little more compassion for her, since she clearly had sympathy and concern for him. As she walked away, she did have to wonder what he wished to speak about, or was that just a joke to him, a trick, his using their chosen word?
Surprisingly, in the hallway she heard giggling, then laughter. Where was it coming from? Who was it? Perhaps she should check on the three men to whom she’d given dinner, just in case they had entered the house to hide somewhere. She didn’t think that was possible, even though they hadn’t informed her of their names or hometowns. Had they returned the plates and silverware, though, she wondered? “Was he really?” Rachael heard a nearby voice whisper.
“Yes, I saw him hurrying to the entry, hardly waiting for the lieutenant and Dr. Callahan,” a male voice revealed. “I was watering the window boxes when he asked me to get their bags. I think he really was rushing inside to see Miss Hathaway, immediately. I believe he missed her. Remember his telegram to her?”
“Miss Mariah! Crane! What are you doing?” Rachael asked when she saw the two with their heads together behind a large, green houseplant.
Instantly, they parted a foot or so and seemed stiff, embarrassed.
“Miss Hathaway, aren’t you having dessert tonight?” the blushing Miss Mariah quickly asked.
“No. I decided to go up to my room early to write letters and let the gentlemen chat. I also needed to rest my foot,” she declared.
“Of course, you do. We were just waiting nearby to see if we were needed. May we assist you up the stairway?” Crane asked pleasantly, as usual. He didn’t seem as flustered as Miss Mariah obviously was.
Just then, they were interrupted by a rap on the door. Crane went to open it and there stood Cousin Emery. To say the least, Rachael was surprised. She went to greet him, for some strange reason. Perhaps she wanted to learn if he knew she was in the library and overheard his and Mrs. Worthington’s conversation. Was he angry, she wondered?
“Dr. Davis, Lieutenant Graham, and Dr. Callahan are in the dining room yet, Cousin Emery. Please go right on in and join them for dessert,” Rachael advised, playing hostess and liking it, sweeping her hand toward the gathering place.
But he shook his head. “I’m here to see you, Miss Hathaway, and I’ll take Buddy home later,” he happily corrected her.
She was stunned, having already turned again to go to her room. She froze. Why would he wish to see me? “Why, whatever for, sir?” she asked sweetly, as she turned toward him for the answer.
“I have brought something for you,” he told the young nanny. “Would you please get it for us, Crane? It’s just outside the door. You can’t miss it,” he informed the butler, with a grin.
“I can’t imagine what that might be.” Rachael held her position.
He just smiled, hiding his mystery gift’s identity awhile longer. “I should have brought it much sooner. Yet, I wasn’t quite sure you’d be up to it,” he told her soberly. “I believe it will make life easier.”
She noted that he seemed pleased with his gift plan for her. “What is it, a horse?” she laug
hed. Is he going to also tie it to the back of his buggy, she wondered with a somewhat mischievous grin? Then, she had to try hard to stifle laughter, because he did not know that she knew he’d tied Mrs. Worthington’s horse to the back of his buggy when he drove her home earlier.
“Oh, no, my horses are in the stable for the night,” he assured her.
“I was just joking, sir,” she replied, trying to cover the real reason she was laughing, her secret about overhearing their conversation. “Yes, this house is fun and full of secrets,” she quietly remarked.
He turned as Crane entered. “Please call me Emery, and here is your wheelchair.”
“What?” She hadn’t expected this kind of gift, and didn’t fully appreciate it until he explained.
“Please don’t despair. This is only temporary, but also a great way to get around. It works well on level ground or floors, that is.”
Just then, John Davis appeared in the doorway. “Who is here, Crane?”
“I’ve brought Miss Hathaway a wheelchair, so that she might get around easier, at least on this floor, and perhaps even in the gardens, cousin.”
“We’re going to the gardens?” She was thrilled at the idea he’d proposed. At once, she was all smiles. “Thank you. That is exactly what I need and it’s so very thoughtful of you, Cousin Emery, to realize that,” was her emphatic compliment.
“I’m so pleased you approve, Miss Hathaway,” he replied sincerely, rolling the chair toward her.
“May we go now?” she asked, looking from John Davis to his cousin, with a girlish sense of excitement. “I’m ready to explore.” She wondered which cousin would accommodate her, since her employer was ill and had hardly spoken to her since his return, except for their argument. He seemed angry tonight, so her next comment was, “Of course, I do not wish to impose on anyone.”
“Get in, my dear, and I shall take you exploring,” her employer’s cousin invited.
“Why, thank you.” She gladly accepted his generous offer, while John Davis turned on his heel and went back to his dessert without comment, which seemed odd to both his cousin and the nanny.
Just before sunset, Magnolias Gardens was radiant. It seemed to glow with rich floral colors, as many flowers were backlit by bright sunshine. Wispy pink and white clouds graced evening sky. Rachael pointed them out, yet was somewhat beside herself, since she had hoped her employer would have shown more interest in escorting her, especially after the way he had acted on the day of his departure. He had said he wanted to hurry home ‘to take care of her and his little daughter, Lily.’ However, she did understand that with a fever and infection he was in no condition to do so. Could he ever take care of her?
Glancing at some pink gladiolus in bloom, momentarily took her mind off of him. She happily pointed them out to Cousin Emery. However, as she touched their soft petals, her thoughts surprisingly returned to John Davis’ soft kiss. She tried to console herself with a picture of him being well and sending for his daughter, Lily. Rachael would actually begin her duties as a nanny, and all would be well. These thoughts cheered her almost as much as the garden tour did. “It’s lovely out here.”
“Don’t you love these roses coming into bloom?” Emery Davis was asking.
“They smell heavenly. Look at all of those buds. They remind me of the row of roses near the woodshed, where we store our ice.”
“These are flowering onions or alliums,” her escort informed her, and she was delighted with his horticultural knowledge. She hung on his every word, since he knew things she didn’t know about gardening. Once or twice, as the wheelchair turned just right, she was able to glance at the dining room and library windows to see if her employer was watching them, but apparently he was not. If he really cared about her, he would have been out here, at least walking beside this wheelchair. She shook her head, dispelling all thoughts of him, knowing she was being unreasonable and childish. The goodbye kisses obviously meant nothing to him.
“Oh, there are some lovely pink tulips. How well they compliment the roses, gladiolus, and sky,” Rachael declared. After viewing them, they turned off the main path to discover other things, which led them around the corner of his home and into another part of the garden layout. There, they also spotted displays of yellow, red, and white tulips, as well. They were now out of sight of the library and dining room windows, and that is when John’s cousin stopped to chat, kneeling beside the wheelchair.
Rachael was nervous at first, until he reassured her with an interesting dialogue and Miss Callie waved cheerily from a south window at her. She happily waved back, appreciating being seen.
“I haven’t been over to call on you while John was away, because I did not wish to embarrass you, Miss Hathaway. Rest assured, I did check with Crane, daily, though. Now, I shall tell you a little secret. I was spending some time with Miss Worthington.”
“Oh, thank you for telling me that, Cousin Emery. You have no idea how you have just made my day more wonderful than you can ever imagine. But, could you please do me an immense favor?”
“Anything,’ he answered, sincerely. “We all wish for you to feel at home here, Miss Hathaway.”
“I would just love it if you would go in and borrow Dr. Davis’ field glasses from him, please. I’d like to see if those soldiers are still in the area. The spyglasses are red and hanging in his library. I’m just certain that he will allow us to borrow them for awhile,” she said sweetly.
“Why, certainly, I shall do just that.” He quickly agreed and hurried toward the house.
So, while he was running that errand, she wheeled herself to view the nearby drifts of sweet woodruff and smiled at the very thought of Cousin Emery confiding his secret affection for Miss Worthington. Rachael had to laugh, though, when it occurred to her that Dr. Callahan had done much the same thing this very evening. These secrets made her feel a part of this family, as she wondered which gentleman would eventually win the lady’s hand, someday. Happily studying the doctor’s garden, both near and in the distance, Rachael soon spotted some small birds near a planting of pastel primroses. Their sudden flight helped announce that John’s cousin had returned with those field glasses to join her.
“They were right over there, past that stand of oaks and foxgloves at the edge of Deep Meadow,” she informed Cousin Emery.
He raised the glasses to search. “Who was?” he asked, wondering on what he should be focusing.
She pointed. He gazed. But, little did they know, John Davis, Monty Graham, and Buddy Callahan had all joined them, ever so quietly, and they were gazing, also.
John asked the same thing, “Who was, Rachael?”
His voice instantly made her heart sing, for he had joined them and he had used her first name this time. The nanny was unable to hide her joy, and it did not go unnoticed by the gentlemen. “It was the three young men, ragged and tired, at their camp,” she explained to the group. “I overheard the soldiers say they were still probably a week away from home and very hungry. That’s why I invited them to eat.”
Sure enough, as the group took turns watching the three at their camp, bedding down for the night, this verified that they were still there. Best of all, Rachael thought, was the fact that her employer had not gone over and forced them from his property, if it was indeed his property, even though they were probably trespassing. So, she asked about that very thing. “Are those your acres, Dr. Davis?”
“It’s John. Yes, I have a tract, stretch of land, along Town Road to Division Road, mortgaged, though. Some is in marshes and meadow grasses, however. But I’ve dreamed of cultivating and planting it one day.” He further broke the ice, if there was any between them, with a grand surprise statement. “If they are still there in the morning, I shall have our Miss Callie make up box lunches for them, with sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, and cookies. We can also help them on their journey when we go to church in the morning by carriage. They m
ay ride along with us. That will subtract a few miles from their trip.”
Rachael looked at him with the greatest of respect, nodding her head in instant approval.
He stared back, seeming like his old self, a man she had begun to know before his departure, a person who intrigued her with his gentle ways.
“You will be accompanying Miss Callie, Crane, Miss Mariah, and I to services, won’t you, Miss Hathaway?” her employer then asked quietly. “Monty and Buddy, will the two of you be joining us? Cousin, will you be escorting Amber?”
The three men nodded affirmatively that they would attend.
“Yes, John, Amber and I agreed upon it earlier this week and reconfirmed it at dinner this evening. Her mother and my father will also accompany us. But, John, perhaps you should reconsider.”
Rachael wanted to ask what Cousin Emery had cooked Miss Worthington and her mother for dinner tonight, yet, didn’t dare. Besides, it was now her turn to assure John Davis of her intentions. “Well, I’d certainly love to go, sir,” she revealed, thrilled to be included. “Wild horses could not keep me away, and I dare say, I hope you will feel up to it, as well.” Instantly, she regretted her referral to horses. But it obviously did not faze John.
“Well, I certainly shall try to go, since it will enable me to announce to the church that I have returned, and to introduce you, as well, Miss Hathaway.” He smiled at their use of the word ‘well.’ All at once, he took hold of the handles of the wheelchair and, surprisingly, gently turned it, taking control.
His gesture made her extremely happy. “I guess it is time to go in, isn’t it?” she asked. “You need some rest, Dr. Davis.”
“Well, you do, too, Rachael, and it is John, remember?” he asked, leaning toward her, so the others might not hear.
She nodded in agreement. “Yes, to both, John.”
“By the way, Monty, Emery, and Buddy,” he began, nonchalantly, as he pushed the wheelchair back along Veranda Path. “Can I ask you to stay and help plan the Magnolia Stables Open? There are some things to iron out, but we won’t be doing that this evening. It’s too late and everyone’s tired. How about Monday afternoon at two o’clock?” he asked. They were in agreement, especially due to his condition. This gave them an excuse to stay in the vicinity. That said, he continued to guide the wheelchair back to the house. Stopping halfway, he bent into the garden and snapped off a dozen pink gladiola stems and handed them to Rachael. Then, when he saw them dripping liquid from their stems, he reached for his handkerchief and wrapped the bottom of them in it. “I saw you pointing to these, so I assumed they must be one of your favorites. I hope you’ll enjoy this bouquet. I’ll put them in a vase for you.”
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