“Not often, but I consider John a friend as well as an employee. I stopped by to offer him an invitation to dinner next Sunday. I’ve expressed such admiration for John that my parents are both anxious to meet him, Father in particular.”
Lilly finished her tea and handed the empty cup to Lucy, whose cheeks now resembled those of a squirrel preparing to store food for the winter. “You like the cookies?” Lilly asked with a warm smile.
“Yes, ma’am,” the child mumbled, a few crumbs slipping through her lips.
“I do, too. Which are your favorites?” Lilly inquired.
Mintie watched as Lucy pointed to the cherry-flavored shortbread cookies. “It’s impolite to point or to talk with your mouth full,” Mintie corrected in a stern tone.
“I don’t believe she offended any of us,” Lilly commented. “She liked your cookies, Miss Addie. You’ll have to give your sister your recipe. I’m sure she’ll want to make some soon.”
“Those were my favorite, also,” John Farnsworth commented. “In fact, I think I’ll have another.”
“You have as many as you’d like. In fact, I’ll leave the plate, and you can have some this evening,” Addie replied.
“Only if he promises to share them with Lucy and me,” Matthew chimed in, helping himself to another of the buttery cookies. He turned toward Lilly and in a hoarse whisper added, “Unless you’d like to bake a special batch just for me some day soon.”
“I don’t think so,” Lilly whispered in return. Her heart skipped a beat as she met Matthew’s gaze.
“You used to like to bake me cookies.”
Lucy tugged on Lilly’s arm and smiled. “Miss Beecher says it’s rude to whisper.”
“And she’s absolutely correct,” Lilly replied. “I really must return to the boardinghouse.” The two men jumped to their feet as she stood up. “Thank you for the invitation. It’s been most enjoyable, Miss Beecher. Miss Addie, you need not rush home on my account. Please stay and enjoy yourself.”
“Why don’t Matthew and I escort you ladies home?” John offered.
The flutter of activity appeared more than Mintie could bear. Lilly wasn’t sure if Mintie was angry they were leaving or relieved that she would be absolved of continuing Lucy’s etiquette training. Either way, she was obviously unhappy.
“Grand idea,” Matthew agreed. “I could use a bit of fresh air.”
“They live only across the street,” Lucy offered. “Maybe you should take a walk into town or out toward the falls if you want fresh air.”
Matthew laughed and then leaned down to whisper into Lucy’s ear. He stood up and glanced at the other guests. “I know whispering is rude, but I wanted to share a secret with Lucy. Please forgive my impolite behavior.”
Lilly gave every plausible excuse in the hope of escaping by herself. She was, however, unsuccessful. By the time she reached the front door, Matthew was clinging to her elbow while John and Addie were deep in conversation, oblivious to everyone except each other. Lucy was behind her, tugging at her other arm.
There was an urgency in the child’s appearance. “Miss Lilly, could I talk to you for a moment?”
Lilly separated herself from Mintie and the other guests. “What is it, Lucy? Is something wrong?”
“First, I want to thank you for helping me today. The tea was such fun, even if Miss Beecher will scold me once you’ve all gone home.” She rocked from foot to foot momentarily and with widened eyes looked up toward Lilly. “I know I shouldn’t ask, but Mr. Cheever said that if I could convince you to take a walk with him, he would pay me a week’s wages. That would be most helpful to my family. We’re very poor.” Her voice was warbling, and tears threatened to spill over at any moment as she ended her plea.
Lilly stooped down and embraced the child. “You go collect your coins, Lucy. I’ll take a walk with Mr. Cheever.” Lucy’s face immediately transformed. Her wide smile caused her sunken cheeks to become walnut-sized puffs. “Thank you, Miss Lilly, thank you!” the child called over her shoulder as she rushed toward Matthew.
Lilly remained several steps away, observing the exchange between Matthew and Lucy while feeling angry that he had involved the child in such a scheme. How had a simple afternoon tea turned into this farce?
Matthew approached looking quite pleased. Lilly couldn’t help but remember back to a time when the very sight of him had set her heart to racing. Of course, it wasn’t exactly beating a funeral dirge at the moment.
“That was hardly called for,” Lilly said as he took hold of her arm.
“Would you have walked with me otherwise? Answer honestly.”
Lilly looked away, afraid of the way he made her feel. “No, I don’t suppose I would have.”
“Then it was completely called for,” he whispered against her ear.
Chapter 14
The walk with Matthew wasn’t nearly as unbearable as Lilly believed it would be. Addie and John Farnsworth decided to accompany them, and with the two of them carrying on a lively conversation, Lilly and Matthew scarcely had to speak two words.
Still, she was greatly relieved when they turned back toward the boardinghouse. Lilly had a long list of reasons already formulated as to why she couldn’t linger once they arrived. Seeing Addie was about to invite the men inside, Lilly opened her mouth to excuse herself.
“Well, look who’s here,” Matthew said before she could speak.
Lilly couldn’t believe her eyes. She had finally arrived home, prepared to escape Matthew’s company, when Julia and Randolph Cheever pulled their carriage to a halt in front of the boardinghouse.
“What a pleasant surprise!” Julia exclaimed. She was leaning across Randolph’s legs, her head poking out of the carriage. “We were going to stop and invite you to join us for a picnic in Belvedere, Lilly. This is going to be especially nice. You can both join us. Come along, children; get in the carriage,” she ordered.
Lilly stepped back, tugging free of Matthew’s grasp on her arm. “I really cannot accept your invitation. I have laundry to complete this afternoon.”
Julia gasped. “Have you forgotten it’s Sunday, Lilly? Your poor mother would be appalled at the thought of her daughter doing laundry on the Lord’s Day.”
“Since I work long hours all week, Mrs. Cheever, I have little choice,” Lilly replied.
“Nonsense, child. I’ll see to that little dab of laundry tomorrow,” Addie offered as she and John drew closer to the carriage. “You go and have fun this afternoon.”
Matthew grinned and folded his arms. “Now what will you do?” he questioned under his breath.
Lilly wanted to scream at him. Even more, she wanted to wipe the smug grin off his face. But with everyone’s attention focused in her direction, she could do neither. “I haven’t been home all day, Mrs. Cheever. With church services this morning, tea this afternoon, and a short walk with these gentlemen,” she extended her arm in a sweeping gesture, “I truly must beg to be excused.”
“I absolutely will not hear of it,” Julia insisted. “You’re too young to hole up in your room on such a beautiful fall day. Besides, you must eat. You get settled in the carriage this minute, young lady. I’ll not take any excuses.”
“May I assist you?” Matthew inquired, his grin growing wider.
Lilly ignored his offer. She climbed into the carriage and positioned herself as far into one corner of the seat as possible. Matthew settled in beside her, taking full advantage of the available space.
The carriage had begun on the road out of town when Julia turned and looked over her shoulder. “You look uncomfortable, Lilly. Move over and give her some room, Matthew.”
“By all means, do move over, Lilly,” Matthew whispered, amusement dancing in his eyes. Before she could protest, Matthew placed his arm around her shoulder and physically pulled her closer. “There. Isn’t that better?”
She glanced down at his leg. His knee was leaning heavily against her own. Lilly gave his leg a hefty nudge and forced a smile upon
her lips. Matthew’s face registered surprise at her action. Good! He need not think she would idly sit by and permit him to make a mockery of her or their previous relationship. For the remainder of the ride, her hands were folded in her lap, her spine rigid and aching by the time they arrived in Belvedere.
“I wanted to surprise you,” Julia began as she began to unpack the picnic supper.
“I don’t know if I can manage another surprise,” Lilly replied. There was more truth than humor in the statement, but obviously Julia found it a charming reply as she giggled at Lilly’s remark. “You’ve always had a way with words, Lilly. It’s part of your allure. Isn’t it, Matthew?”
Matthew glanced toward his mother, then at Lilly. “That’s true, Mother,” he said with his brow wrinkled in thought. “However, Lilly has other strengths that would amaze you. Why, just today in the carriage, the strength of her—”
“What was your surprise, Mrs. Cheever?” Lilly interrupted. “You never told me.”
“What? Oh, yes, the surprise. In just a little over an hour,” she said while looking at the timepiece pinned to her bodice, “there will be a magic show. A talented magician from Europe is touring the country, and he’s performing here. That’s why we came to Belvedere for our picnic. We were told the young magician is quite talented. It’s said he can pull a coin from your ear—imagine that!”
“Amazing!” Matthew replied in mock surprise. “Actually, truth be told, I was supposed to join Kirk Boott and his family for this very show. Anyway, I’m starving, Mother. Would you like some assistance with the food?”
“Lilly will help me. You men go take a walk. By the time you return, we should be ready.”
She shooed the men away and began unpacking embroidered linen napkins, plates, and silverware, along with fried chicken, biscuits, and homemade preserves. Lilly grouped the items together as Julia instructed, the two of them completing the task in quick order.
“You see? Things go much more smoothly when the men aren’t here to interrupt,” Julia remarked. “Now we have time to relax and visit until they return. You’ve been on my mind since you visited us last week, Lilly. I know you can’t be planning to spend the rest of your life working in the mills. Have you had time to make some solid plans for your future, child?”
Lilly hesitated. “You’re right about the mills. I don’t plan to work there my entire life, but it’s difficult to judge how long I’ll need to remain. I buried my dreams the day I buried my father. My future had always included living on our farm in East Chelmsford, being a wife, raising children, and working alongside . . .”
“Matthew,” Julia said, completing the sentence. “I can understand that you long to have things as they were, Lilly. I know that it is more comfortable when things remain constant. You must remember, however, that if we don’t embrace new adventures in life, we are left behind with nothing but monotony. You would soon bore of such a life, child. There comes a time when we must accept change and make it work for us—move on. Unfortunately, most of the changes you’ve experienced were beyond your control.”
Lilly nodded her head. “Perhaps they were beyond my control, but that doesn’t change anything. The future I had hoped for went to the grave with my father.”
“Lilly, you need a fresh perspective, new goals for your future. We need to develop a plan.” Julia’s voice took on a tone of excitement. “I think you need to take one step at a time and focus on one major area. We’ve established that you don’t want to remain in the mills and you do want to marry. I think the first step should be a reevaluation of your relationship with Matthew. He still cares for you—a mother knows these things. And deep down, I believe you still love him.”
Her heart hammering, Lilly gave a sigh of relief as Matthew and Randolph reappeared and dropped onto the ground beside them.
“You two appeared to be deep in conversation. What was the topic of interest today? Mrs. Brodmeyer’s hat or your new piece of stitchery?” Randolph asked, fondly patting his wife’s cheek.
“Neither, Randolph! You men act as though a woman can’t have a thought in her head that goes beyond fashion or housekeeping.”
Randolph’s eyes widened at the retort. “I’m sorry, my dear. It wasn’t my intent to offend you. What world event were you discussing? Perhaps the summer launching of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Or maybe that rascal Andrew Jackson’s vie for the presidency. Matthew and I would be pleased to converse with you on any such topic.”
“We were having a private conversation that doesn’t require a male perspective,” Julia replied. “But thank you for your apology,” she added, handing him a plate.
Lilly glanced at Mr. Cheever from beneath thick brown eyelashes. The poor man appeared totally baffled but filled his plate and began eating without further comment. Matthew, however, continued to bait his mother, obviously enjoying the fact that each of his questions caused her further discomposure.
“Come now, Mother, do tell. I could argue that you and Lilly are being rude, and we all know that proper ladies are never impolite. What about you, Lilly? Wouldn’t you like to share with Father and me? After all, earlier this very afternoon you taught a little girl about the rules of etiquette.”
Julia’s cheeks flushed. She stabbed a piece of chicken and flopped it onto Matthew’s plate. “You, Matthew. I was discussing you and the fact that you’re still in love with Lilly. Tell me, son, what would you like to share with the rest of us in regard to that matter?”
His plate dropped to the ground, his discomfort evident. “That was uncalled for, Mother.”
Lilly would have laughed out loud had she not been equally embarrassed by the topic. Matthew looked positively mortified.
“No, Matthew, it wasn’t,” Julia replied in a steady voice. “You would not allow the matter to rest. I answered your question only because you prodded me until I did so. I spoke the truth. Now let’s eat our supper. We want to be finished before the show begins.”
Throughout their meal, carriages continued arriving from Lowell and the surrounding countryside. Word of the magician and his supernatural abilities had obviously extended well beyond the immediate vicinity. There was an air of excitement as folks strolled about, visiting as they waited outside the old yellow house that had become the favorite spot for visiting entertainment in the surrounding countryside. Julia and Lilly packed the remains of their picnic into the basket and waited with Randolph while Matthew took the basket back to the carriage.
Lilly tried not to think of Matthew or the comments made by his mother, but it was rather like telling someone not to look in the cookie jar. The more she thought of not thinking about Matthew, the more she did think of him.
Julia muttered under her breath and stiffened. Lilly immediately glanced up and saw the object of the older woman’s concern. Matthew was striding toward them, accompanied by Kirk Boott and three women.
“Look who I found,” Matthew exclaimed. “Mother, Father, Lilly, you know Kirk Boott. I’d like to introduce you to his wife, Anne. And this is Kirk’s sister, Neva Locklear, and his niece, Isabelle Locklear. I believe I mentioned having supper with them while I was in Boston.” He looked at Lilly as if to ascertain her reaction.
Mr. Cheever extended his hand to Mr. Boott, and the ladies nodded toward each other.
“We’ve heard the magician is quite talented,” Isabelle remarked.
The silence was momentarily deafening. “That’s what my parents have said, also,” Matthew finally replied.
Isabelle smiled at Lilly. “You are Matthew’s sister?”
“No. I’m one of your uncle’s hired hands, Miss Locklear, a mill girl. At one time, however, my family’s farm adjoined the Cheevers’. That was before the Boston Associates redesigned the landscape and turned East Chelmsford into what is now known as Lowell.”
The group stared at her as though she were some lunatic who had escaped from an asylum. Lilly wasn’t sure why they appeared shocked at her reply. She would have continued her dis
course, but Julia took hold of her wrist in a viselike grip that sent a searing pain up her arm.
Kirk smiled broadly at Julia. “I hope you won’t mind, Mrs. Cheever, but I’d like to steal your son away for a while. Isabelle was sorely disappointed when I was unable to locate Matthew before leaving Lowell—he was to have joined us for our outing today. But it appears that fate is with us, Isabelle,” he said, now looking at his niece. “We have ample room in our carriage. He can accompany us back to Lowell.”
Julia leveled a foreboding stare at her son. “Matthew?”
Matthew avoided making eye contact with his mother. Instead, he looked at his father. “I’m going to join the Bootts and Locklears for the show.” He kissed his mother’s cheek. Turning away, he added, “Good-bye, Lilly. I’m sure you’re pleased to be free of me.”
Lilly stared after the group, angry at the longing that invaded her spirit as she watched them leave. Isabelle’s laughter floated back where Lilly stood, reminding her that Matthew was no longer a part of her world. He, too, had changed. And not for the better—at least not in her opinion. One minute he acted attentive, almost affectionate, and the next minute he performed in a roguish manner.
The remainder of the day was a haze. The magician appeared; the people cheered and clapped; laughter surrounded her—but Lilly was unaware of it all. She was watching Matthew and Isabelle, unable to focus on anything except the two of them as they whispered and laughed, obviously enjoying each other.
Darkness was beginning to fall and long shadows overtook the roadway as they returned to Lowell. Lilly leaned back against the carriage seat and closed her eyes, anxious to get back to her room. She had planned to spend some time with Nadene today, but there would be little opportunity for much visiting this evening. The thought that she must once again arise before dawn and voluntarily commit herself to a prisonlike existence inside the walls of the Appleton Mill caused her to shudder.
Julia turned sideways in her seat. “I do hope you enjoyed yourself in spite of Matthew’s rude behavior. I thought the magician was delightful.”
Daughter of the Loom (Bells of Lowell Book #1) Page 15