A Season of the Heart

by Dorothy Clark

  She could learn. She was certain she could. She had learned to make the decorations. But it was too late. She had come to her senses too late. Daniel had lost all regard and respect for her. And it was her fault. It was all her fault! She had acted so haughty and superior to everyone—how was he to know she would rather live with him in a company-owned log cabin than in the grandest mansion with any other man?

  Oh, why had she ever listened to her mother and father? She whirled from the window, swept aside the gowns and threw herself on the bed, sobbing into her pillow.

  * * *

  Daniel watched Matthew enter the Townsend house, wrapped the scarf his mother had made him more closely around his neck to ward off the chills that seemed to come easily and headed down the wooded path that led to the sawmill. It was a cowardly thing, putting off saying goodbye to Sadie, but he was still shaken from his leave-taking from Willa. He’d been friends with them for so long, they were more like sisters to him really.

  He jerked his mind back from that path. There was business to take care of. He emerged from the path, glanced around and shook his head. He couldn’t even imagine not coming to this sawmill again. It had been a part of his life as long as he could remember. He took a breath, climbed the steps to the office, knocked and stepped inside.

  “Daniel!” Cole Aylward came around his desk and shook his hand, clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s good to see you out and about again. You went through a tough time there.” He waved him to a chair and sat down on the corner of his desk. “I thought Sadie was going to wear herself out praying for you. She would have come to see you and help with your care, but Doc Palmer told her no.”

  He nodded, tugged off his hat and gloves but remained standing. Irish could take over his place as teamster. He was good with the horses. “I need to talk to you, Cole.”

  “All right. But before you begin, I have something I want to discuss with you, Daniel. I’d planned on talking with you about it when the camps started operating again after the blizzard. Then the accident happened and I’ve had no chance.” Cole lifted a small piece of smooth wood off the desk and turned it over in his hand. “I’ve got a problem, Daniel.”

  He stiffened, his instinct to offer help squelched by the knowledge that he wouldn’t be around after tomorrow.

  “My problem is this. I’ve become so busy with my ‘rolling chair’ business, I haven’t the time to manage the lumber camps, this—” Cole waved a hand toward the sawmill “—or my shingle mill any longer.”

  “Not to be rude, Cole—” he shivered in the cold air coming in the cracks around the door and moved closer to the woodstove “—but I don’t see what any of this has to do with me. And—”

  “I want to know if you’d be interested in taking over my place as manager of the Townsend Timber businesses.”

  “What? Me?” The shock went clear to his toes.

  “Yes.” Cole rose, stood in front of him. “I’ve watched the way you conduct yourself with the loggers and the workers here in the mill. You have a way of handling men that draws their respect and cooperation. And your ability to think quick and do the right thing in an emergency situation has been amply proven.” Cole grinned. “And it won’t hurt to have a man running things who the loggers consider a hero. They’re a tough bunch to control. So—Manning and I have discussed all of this and feel you’re the man we’d like to take over as manager. What do you say?”

  He stared at Cole, his mind reeling. Manning Townsend’s business manager! Him?

  “Oh, before you answer, consider that the job would include you running my shingle mill. The wage for that will be separate from the Townsend compensation.” Cole frowned, tossed the chunk of wood into the air and caught it. “There will be ample salary commensurate with both positions, of course. And one other thing for you to consider before you make your decision. The manager must live close to the businesses. So Townsend Timber will cede you a few acres of land and build you a fine house, large enough for raising a family, on the far end of the property. What do you say? Shall we discuss wages?”

  A home of his own... The means to support a wife and children... Ellen... He slipped his hand into his pocket, gripped the rock and grinned. “I say yes.”

  * * *

  There was nothing to delay her further. Her farewells to her parents had been made. Ellen frowned and swirled her blue cloak around her shoulders, shook out its hem and fastened the loop closures. They were unyielding in their opposition to her plans. And her father had firmly refused to pay for her journey, insisting the cost must be paid from her own limited funds. All she could do now was hope that one day they would understand and forgive her for disappointing them.

  She stepped to the mirror and put on her bonnet, pulled on her gloves and picked up her muff. She would have little money left when she reached Rochester, but she was determined that her parents would not again dictate the direction of her life. She was through living their dreams. It had cost her her own. Oh, if she had only realized.... But she had been too young. She had simply, obediently followed where her parents led.

  She took a breath to quell another onslaught of tears and stepped to the bottom of the stairs. “Hurry with those trunks, Asa. I will be waiting in the sleigh.”

  She stepped outside and closed the door on what might have been. It was snowing again. Large fluffy flakes like the day she and Daniel— No, she wouldn’t think of that. She ducked her head and walked down the steps and out to the carriageway. No more memories to crush her heart. From now on she must—

  She stopped, stared at the scarred leather logger boots with red wool socks folded down over their tops. Her heart skipped, took up a staggered beat. She drew on her years of practice and arranged her features in a polite smile, raised her head. “What are you doing outside, Daniel? It’s cold.” She couldn’t quite hide her concern for him. “You should go back in before you take another chill.”

  He pushed away from the sleigh and took a step toward her. “I came to see you. Are you going somewhere?”

  His voice... She made the mistake of looking into his eyes. Her knees went weak. She cleared her throat, lifted her chin and prayed he would leave before she was struck with another uncontrollable crying spell. “I’m going to Rochester. Not that it’s any concern of yours.” She upped her chin another notch.

  “No, you’re not. You’re not going anywhere.”

  “I beg your pardon.”

  He took another step, stopped in front of her and raised his hand. “I got your Christmas gift.”

  She looked down at the lopsided heart stone on his palm. He didn’t want it. He was giving it back. The rejection tore at her heart. She blinked hard, didn’t dare speak.

  “I hope this means you’ve given me your heart, because I gave you mine the day I gave this stone to you, and I’ve never taken it back.”

  She heard the words, the beautiful, heart-stopping words. She simply couldn’t believe them. She lifted her gaze to his. “Wh-what?”

  “I’ve loved you since that day, Ellen. I tried to talk myself out of it. Tried to believe it was only a foolish childhood crush, but my heart knew all along that I want you to be mine forever.” He dropped the stone in his pocket, gently tugged the ties on her bonnet and slipped his hands beneath the fur-trimmed brim to cup her face. Her bonnet fell away. He lowered his head, touched his lips to hers. She went on tiptoe answering the wonder of his love, and all her silly young-girl dreams came true.

  He raised his head, drew in a shaky breath and brushed the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. “I’m not a teamster anymore, Ellen. I have a new job as manager of the Townsend Timber businesses. And I’m going to manage Cole’s shingle mill, as well. I’ll earn a good wage, and they’ve given me land and are going to build me a nice house. A house suitable for raising a family. I won’t be rich, Ellen, but I’ll be able to provide you wi
th all you need. I want to share that house and raise a family with you.” His voice was low and husky. His eyes smoky with green flames in their depths. They took her breath away. She’d already lost her heart.

  She lifted her hand and touched the cleft in his chin, more certain than she had ever been of anything in her life that Daniel was the perfect, the only, man for her. “I wouldn’t care if you were still a teamster, Daniel.” Tears choked her voice. “When I thought I might lose you, I realized I don’t care about earthly riches anymore. I love you, Daniel. I’ve always loved you. All I want or need is your love.”

  “It’s yours forever.” He slid his hands inside her cloak and pulled her close into his arms. “Will you marry me, Ellen Hall?”

  She slipped her arms around his neck and whispered her answer against his soft, warm lips. “Yes, oh, yes, Daniel...and—” His kiss stole her strength. His arms tightened, held her safe against him. Daniel always kept her safe.

  “And...”

  She sighed, looked up at him and smiled. “Call me Musquash.”

  Epilogue

  Ellen smiled and touched the small mother-of-pearl buttons that started at the high collar of her pearl-blue velvet gown and continued down the bodice to the wide band at her narrow waist. The garment was elegant. And warm. An important plus on this cold February day.

  She turned her head and looked through the snow falling outside the parsonage window to the blanket-covered bay gelding harnessed to Daniel’s new cutter waiting in front of the church to carry them to their new home. Her stomach fluttered. She took a deep breath.

  “Hold still, Ellen.” Her mother settled the strip of pearl-blue velvet that matched her gown around the base of the curls piled at her crown, tied it in place and stepped back. “Let me see the front.”

  The long skirt of her gown whispered softly as she turned. Her mother nodded. “You were right about not adding flowers to the band or gown, Ellen. The elegance suits you. You look beautiful. And...happy.”

  “I am happy, Mother. I never knew I could be this happy! I only wish Father—” She stopped, determined not to let her father’s rigid refusal to accept and bless her marriage to Daniel spoil her wedding day. “Thank you for my gown, Mother. I’m sorry that making it for me caused dissension between you and Father.”

  “You’re my daughter. It’s my place, my privilege and my joy to make your wedding dress. If your father cannot see that, well...then he is more blind than I have been.” Her mother drew a breath, released it. “I’ve been wrong, Ellen. I can see that when I look at your happiness. And I’m thankful you spurned our advice and followed your heart.” Her mother’s eyes shimmered with tears. “Daniel is a fine man, Ellen. I see that now. And I hope, one day, you will both find it in your hearts to forgive your father and me for the years of happiness we stole from you.” The tears overflowed. Her mother took a hesitant step forward and pulled her into her arms. “I love you, Ellen.”

  She couldn’t remember ever being in her mother’s arms or hearing those words. Her mind grappled with the unfamiliar, accepted it. “I love you, too, Mother.” The words were foreign to her tongue, but they tasted wonderful.

  “Now—” her mother released her, stepped back, blinked her eyes and lifted her chin “—there is still a little time. I’m going home and have a talk with your father.”

  She stared, stunned speechless as her mother picked up her coat and bonnet and marched out the door.

  * * *

  The church bells rang.

  Cole Aylward smiled, crooked his arm. “Ready?”

  She took a breath and nodded, slipped her gloved hand through his arm and walked with him down the parsonage walkway to Main Street. “Thank you for escorting me, Cole.”

  “It’s my pleasure.” He took her elbow, helped her up the church steps and opened the door. “This is fine practice for when I will escort Sadie’s and my daughters down the aisle.”

  “Daughters?” She gasped and looked over her shoulder as Cole removed her cloak. “You mean— Is Sadie—” His grin was all the answer she needed. “She didn’t tell me.”

  “She hasn’t seen you since she found out.” He hung her cloak on a peg, opened the door to the sanctuary and waved his arm. The hum of voices stopped. He came back and offered his arm again.

  She slipped her hand through it and squeezed. “I’m so happy for you both!”

  He grinned and nodded and they stepped through the door into the sanctuary. She paused, stared. There wasn’t an empty spot in the church. The pews were filled with villagers and townspeople pressed shoulder to shoulder. The aisles along the outside walls were packed full of the overflow, along with loggers and teamsters and their families. Her heart swelled with pride. They were all here for Daniel. Everyone loved Daniel. But not as much as she did. No one could.

  Callie and Ezra sat with Sophia Sheffield, all of them smiling at her. A radiant Sadie was beside Grandmother Townsend, who sat at the end of the pew holding hands with Grandfather Townsend, seated in his rolling chair in the aisle. He grinned up at her as they neared, lifted his good hand to touch hers and whispered, “I pray you will be as happy as Rachel and I have always been.”

  Tears welled. She leaned down and kissed his cheek above his gray beard, straightened and looked at Willa holding baby Mary and smiling, her green-blue eyes sparkling. She mouthed a silent “Thank you” to her, received a cheeky grin and a silent “You’re welcome” in reply.

  “She’s gonna be our aunt Ellen now.”

  “How come?”

  “Because she’s marrying Uncle Daniel.”

  “Oh. I’m glad.”

  Joshua’s and Sally’s whispers, loud in the silence, brought grins and chuckles from those around them.

  She leaned down and whispered, “I’m glad, too.”

  “So am I.”

  Mrs. Braynard! She glanced at the other side of the aisle and caught her breath. Daniel’s mother was sitting beside her mother in her parents’ pew. Her father sat rigid and facing straight ahead beside them. But at least he was there. It was a start. She smiled at her mother, let go of Cole’s arm and stretched her hands out toward Daniel’s mother. “I’m so glad you’re here, Mrs. Braynard. I thought you were in Syracuse.”

  “I’ll be goin’ back to care for Ruth. But I’ve been prayin’ for this for twelve years. I couldn’t miss it.” Mrs. Braynard’s soft, warm hand closed around hers, squeezed. A smile curved her lips, warmed her green eyes. She went on tiptoe and whispered, “You can let go of that now—you have the real one.”

  She smiled and opened her hand, looked down at the lopsided heart-shaped stone on her palm. They had been so young then.... She heard a footstep and looked up. Daniel took her hand in his, his long, strong fingers folding over the stone. Her heart trembled at the love in his eyes. He tightened his grip and drew her close.

  “Twelve years is a long time to wait. Let’s get married, Musquash.” His lips brushed her cheek, a promise of forever in their tender touch.

  With the stone clasped between their joined hands, they stepped to the altar.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from A COWBOY FOR CHRISTMAS by Lacy Williams.

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed reading A Season of the Heart. Ellen and Daniel’s story ends the Pinewood Weddings series, though I hadn’t intended it to be that way. You see, authors can be...well...hijacked by their characters. That is what happened to me.

  The Pinewood Weddings series was supposed to be three books about three young ladies, lifelong friends in a small town. I added a gentleman friend—Daniel—for these young women because I’ve always wanted a brother. With his addition my cast of main characters was set. And then Ellen sneaked in there. In the first book, mind you!

  I paid Daniel and Ellen little attention. D
aniel was there to give brotherly support to my main characters when needed. And Ellen...well, I wasn’t sure why Ellen was there. And then I wrote a scene in the first book, Wooing the Schoolmarm, that the charming Daniel and the audacious Ellen simply stole from me. Cheeky pair! That scene came out nothing like I had intended when I started writing it. And when it was finished, I knew Daniel and Ellen had to have their own story. Thus A Season of the Heart was birthed, the fourth and final book in the series.

  I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Willa and Matthew, Callie and Ezra, Sadie and Cole, and Daniel and Ellen, along with the village of Pinewood and its residents. It’s a bit sad for me to leave them. But I have recently made the acquaintance of some young ladies who are accepting teaching and lecturing positions for a summer course at Fair Point on Chautauqua Lake in New York. I fully expect there will be clashes with handsome young students and even professors, for these feisty young women number a temperance advocate and a suffragette among them.

  I do enjoy hearing from my readers. If you would care to share your thoughts about Ellen and Daniel’s story or about Pinewood Village with me, I may be contacted at dorothyjclark@hotmail.com or www.dorothyjclark.com.

  Until the summer session at Fair Point begins,

  Questions for Discussion

  Ellen and Daniel decorated the church and the gazebo with materials available to them. Have you ever made Christmas decorations? What is your favorite?

  Daniel saved Ellen from drowning when he was twelve years old. He told Willa that he knew that day he never wanted to live without Ellen in his life. Do you believe young people can fall in love? Do you think such a love can last a lifetime? Have you any examples to support your opinion?