Abigail (Angel Creek Christmas Brides Book 12)

by Peggy McKenzie

  Jeremy’s words caught him totally off guard. “Wedding? Who said anything about getting married?” Will’s pulse raced at the mere mention of the word.

  “Well you can’t play house without the benefit of making it legal. And I fear if you do have to go to court, a bachelor won’t stand a chance against a married woman.”

  “Danielle’s not married either. And I can tell you why. It’s because she’s a piece of work, just like Charlotte.”

  Will’s blood boiled at the thought of someone like Danielle taking his sweet little nieces. Images of David’s sister locking them in their room or starving them or making them work their fingers to the bone came to mind. He knew he wasn’t being reasonable, but that’s where his mind was determined to go.

  “That may be, Will, but think about it. Single man in the military. Single woman living in Boston. Who would you choose if you were the deciding judge?” Jeremy’s words caused even more dread for Will.

  “So, you think if I don’t marry Abigail, Danielle will get the girls?” Will said the words, but he wasn’t ready to believe the truth in them.

  “I would be willing to bet my last dollar.” Jeremy sounded so sure.

  “Well then, I suppose I should at least talk to Abigail about the possibility of such an arrangement.”

  Jeremy nodded his head in agreement. “Yes, I would certainly recommend you do it sooner rather than later before all this turmoil drives a wedge between the two of you.”

  Will was surprised by Jeremy’s comment. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Look, Abigail said she didn’t want to play house when she first came here, remember? You two have had a good run playing momma and papa to those girls. No friction. No outside forces working against you. But now, someone is trying to take those girls from you, and without that commitment of marriage, is Abigail going to want to stay if there’s a chance those girls will be taken from her?”

  Will thought about Jeremy’s frank words. His friend had a good point. “Yeah, I think I understand what you’re getting and, I think you’re right. I’d better talk to her sooner rather than later.”

  Chapter 14

  Abigail suffered through the morning, while Miss Wilson made her presence known. And Abigail had just about a belly full of the woman’s condescending attitude.

  “Abigail, Baby Rose needs a diaper change. Could you see to that?”

  “I’ll take care of it,” she lowered her voice to a murmur that only she could hear. “Like I always do, Miss Don’t-Bother-To-Get-Your-Hands-Dirty.”

  “What was that?” The woman turned from snooping through the kitchen cabinets. “I said, I’ll take care of it,” Abigail repeated.

  “Well, see that you do it quickly. We wouldn’t want the baby to get a rash because of your neglect, now would we?” The irritating woman opened another cabinet and took stock of its contents.

  Abigail was afraid if she opened her mouth, she’d say something they would all regret. Instead, she dried off her hands and picked up Baby Rose from the high chair. “Come on, little Rosie. Let’s get you some dry nappers.”

  “Please don’t call her that. That sounds like the name of a saloon owner. My brother named her Rose and Rose she shall be called.” The woman never looked up from her perusal of the kitchen cabinet contents.

  Abigail gritted her teeth together and clamped her jaw tight. “Ignore it, Abigail. Just...ignore it,” she mumbled behind Rose’s head and left the room.

  She took her time changing Rose’s diaper and she would have liked to shut herself inside her bedroom, but it was time to walk the children to school. Maybe the cold air would do her good. At least it would be warmer than the she-wolf in the kitchen.

  “Violet. It’s time for school. Get your coats and mittens. Your books are on the table by the front door.”

  She had bundled Rose up and put on her own coat when she was met at her bedroom door by the god-awful lady from Boston.

  “Are you walking the children to school? In this cold weather? They will catch their death. You need to call for a carriage. A covered one.” The woman was unbelievable. Where did she think she was?

  “Miss Wilson, I walk Violet to school every day. Lily and Rose go with me because I can’t very well leave a three-year-old and a baby alone, now can I? If you are offering to watch them, then I’ll walk Violet to school alone.”

  “Nonsense. I couldn’t possibly watch the two of them. That’s not what I do. I’m not domestic help, so that’s not something I can agree to.”

  “Then how do you propose to care for them?” Abigail wasn’t surprised the woman didn’t intend to care for the girls herself, but she was surprised she actually admitted the fact out loud.

  “I shall hire a large staff who will take care of their every need. In Boston. Where it’s civilized.”

  “Well, although that’s very...interesting, Miss Wilson, I walk the girls to school every morning and since it seems to have escaped your notice, we don’t have carriages for hire in this town. The girls are well protected from the cold because their uncle has spent a hefty penny seeing they have everything they need. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get Violet to school on time.” She turned her back on the shrewish woman and settled Rose on her hip, careful to pull her blankets down over her face.

  Violet started to open the door when the girls’ aunt blocked their way and shoved the door closed. “How dare you speak to me in that tone. Who do you think you are undermining my authority with these girls?”

  Abigail knew things were getting out of hand and it seemed to be up to her to be the rational adult in this situation. “Miss Wilson, it seems to me you have misunderstood my intentions. I am simply following Captain Bennett’s orders where the girls are concerned. He has instructed me to walk the girls to school every morning and I will do that until he tells me otherwise. Last I heard, he was the legal guardian of Violet, Lily, and Rose and until I am relieved of my duties, by him, I will continue to do exactly as he says. Are you clear on the matter, Miss Wilson?” She glared at the woman while keeping her voice as even as possible. The last thing she wanted to do was to upset the girls in any way.

  After a few tense seconds, her antagonist must have decided Abigail was serious about her claims. The woman stepped aside and grabbed her cloak from the hall tree by the front door. “I want to see where this school is and how far these poor unfortunate children are forced to walk in the snow and freezing temperatures. You can rest assured I’ll make my report to the judge when we get to a Missouri courtroom.” Danielle gave her cloak a dramatic flourish whirling it around her shoulders. “Lead the way and know that I’ll be watching every step you take.”

  Abigail shook her head in disbelief. “Alright, Violet. We have your Aunt Danielle’s permission to leave for school now. Lead the way, ladies.”

  Violet and Lily giggled and she followed behind them with Rose bundled up on her hip leaving the woman to follow or not follow. Abigail couldn’t have cared less what the woman decided to do and she wasn’t above wishing the woman would get ran over by a passing beer wagon…not in front of the children, of course.

  Twenty minutes later, their merry little group—including the grouchy aunt in the back—arrived at the school just before Miss Babcock rang the bell announcing that class was about to begin. Abigail followed Violet and Lily through the school door and helped to get Violet settled. She greeted the teacher as she did every morning. “Good morning, Lanora. I hope you had a great weekend.”

  “Yes, I’m sure you do,” the teacher snipped leaving Abigail at a loss to explain the woman’s sarcastic remark. She was certainly confused by the sudden change in Lanora’s attitude toward her. Before Abigail could question Lanora, she turned her attention to the girls’ aunt.

  “And who do we have here? I’ve not seen you around these parts before.” Lanora said to Danielle.

  Abigail wished she could refuse to introduce the woman, but what did it matter? She pasted on a smile and withou
t taking her eyes off Lanora, she made the introductions. “This is Violet’s aunt, Danielle Wilson. She’s visiting from Boston.” Abigail took a step back to open a gap so the two women could meet. “This is Miss Lanora Babcock. Violet’s teacher.”

  True to her character, Danielle simply nodded and looked down her nose at the teacher. “It’s nice to make your acquaintance, I’m sure.”

  “You are Violet’s aunt? Then you must be Will—I mean Captain Bennett’s sister.”

  Abigail could tell Lanora was suddenly very interested in Danielle.

  “Hardly. My brother was married to Captain Bennett’s sister. My brother is the girls’ father. His name was David.”

  “I’m sorry to hear about his death. It was a very tragic accident and I know you must be heartbroken.”

  Abigail cut a look to Violet and Lily and knew they understood every word of the conversation. She could see how upset it was making them and she quickly intervened.

  “I think we should probably get going since we are interrupting your class time, Miss Babcock.”

  The woman sent her a look of disdain. What was bothering the schoolteacher? She honestly had no idea.

  “Will you be coming too, Miss Wilson?” the schoolteacher asked the girls’ aunt.

  “We shall see,” Danielle replied. Abigail decided to give the woman a taste of what it is like to care for children. “I think that is a marvelous idea. I have plenty to do to keep me busy with Lily and Rose. It would be such a help if you could come instead, Danielle. Thank you for the offer.” She ignored the woman’s shocked expression and grabbed Lily by the hand. “Let’s get you and Rose home and out of this cold air, shall we?”

  She turned up the aisle between the seated students and ignored the angry woman trailing behind. By the time Abigail reached the door of the school house, the woman had caught up with her, sending her a sharp glare through squinted-eyelids. Abigail offered her a smile and kept right on walking, but Danielle grabbed her arm to stop her.

  She looked down at the place where the woman’s fingers pinched her skin. “If you want to make a scene in front of the children, Miss Wilson, know this. I too can make a report to the courts in Missouri and I will attest to your true nature which will disqualify you as mother material.”

  “You wouldn’t dare cross me,” Danielle hissed.

  Abigail raised her eyebrows and pinned the woman with a pointed look. She forced a smile. “I will do whatever it takes to protect these girls from anything, or anyone, who threatens them. And that includes you. Make no mistake, Miss Wilson. I shall do Whatever. It. Takes.”

  Chapter 15

  Will left his commanding officer’s quarters feeling a little bit better after his talk with Jeremy this morning. His friend had pointed out some pretty significant observations and although Will wasn’t sure he was ready to agree with all of them, his friend had made one key point, and that was he would have a better chance of keeping the girls if he were—married.

  He expected to feel that punch in the gut he usually felt when he thought about marriage. After all, Charlotte had given him a really bad taste for matrimony. But Abigail was different...wasn’t she?

  Will spent the rest of the morning drilling his soldiers, putting them through their paces, testing them on the shooting range, and exercising their speed and agility in setting up and taking down their camps. By early afternoon, he was exhausted. And so was his soldiers.

  “Let’s call it a day. I don’t know about you, but I’m beat,” Jeremy proclaimed. Will walked alongside his friend, both of them leading their tired horses toward the fort’s barn. When they arrived, they turned their mounts over to the soldiers whose duty it was to care for the army’s transportation.

  “I think I’ll have me a stiff drink in the officer’s quarters before I get a shower and change of clothes. Care to join me?” Jeremy took off his hat and slapped it against his leg, dust flew in every direction.

  “No. Not today, Jeremy. I have some thinking to do.” Will had been thinking about what Jeremy said all day, and he needed a plan of action before he could approach Abigail with his proposition. He was torn between his genuine feelings for her and his sudden need for a wife.

  “Good luck, my friend. I would sure hate to be in your shoes. You know, you could make all your troubles disappear if you would just let Miss Wilson take the girls. Then you would have no need for your housekeeper or the house at the edge of town. You could move back into the officer’s quarters and we could get back to living the bachelor life, with all that it entails.”

  Will considered his friend’s words for about a minute before he came to the conclusion there was no way he could go back to that place in his life. As much as he’d sworn off marriage, he found himself looking toward a future full of happy times like the ones he’d spent with Abigail and the girls just yesterday.

  “You know I can’t do that, Jeremy. Those girls mean everything to me and I’ll do whatever it takes to see they have a happy, solid future.”

  “And you don’t think Miss Wilson can provide that for the girls?”

  Will shook his head. “No, I’m not exactly sure why she’s fighting so hard for these girls, but I sense there’s more to her reasons than just a doting aunt wanting to raise her brother’s children. The woman is all sharp angles and she’s quick to judge. No, she doesn’t want the girls because she truly cares about them. The more I think about it the more I’m convinced that Danielle Wilson wants something and the key to getting it is to get those girls. I think I’ll write a letter of inquiry to that attorney in Missouri. Maybe he can shed some light on Danielle’s motives.”

  He and Jeremy had reached the point just before the fort’s gate. “If you change your mind about drinks and cards later this evening, you know where to find me,” Jeremy slapped Will on the back sending a cloud of dust from his dirty uniform adrift into the air.

  “I won’t change my mind. See you tomorrow.” Will turned and walked through the fort’s gate and headed towards home. Home. Funny how just a short time ago, that word described a bachelor’s room full of dirty clothes, an unmade bed, and leftover food in dirty dishes sitting around the room. Thank goodness he’d paid someone to tidy up after him once a week. But now...now he helped Abigail with the dishes and bathing Baby Rose and folding diapers and little petticoats.

  He realized he didn’t mind chopping wood and reading bedtime stories and tickling little girls just to hear them giggle. He smiled at the memories.

  And then, there was Abigail. She was kind and sweet. She never raised her voice and she was always putting the girls’ needs before her own. She would make a great mother to his sister’s daughters. The thought jarred him to a physical stop in the middle of the sidewalk. He realized where this line of thought was taking him. She would make a great mother, but even more importantly, she would make a great wife. Thoughts of having a wife led him to the kiss they shared last night. Suddenly, the anticipation of having Abigail as his wife, and in his bed, pulled hard at his appetite.

  He thought he would never even consider the prospect of getting married again. Not after Charlotte. But there was something about Abigail that made his decision an easy one.

  Jeremy’s words came rushing back. “Do it sooner rather than later.”

  Will knew his friend was right. He needed to talk to Abigail about his idea. He needed to know how she felt about it. He thought back to the first day they’d met and Abigail’s words the day he hired her. I’ll only agree to your offer of employment on a temporary basis. I have plans that don’t include playing house on a long-term basis.

  “I hope I can change your mind, Miss Abigail Whittaker, for you are my second chance at a happy ending.”

  Chapter 16

  Abigail heard Will come in the front door from her post in the kitchen. She’d finally managed to shuck Danielle and she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

  “We’re in the kitchen,” she called out anxious to tell him all about her mor
ning with the girls’ aunt.

  She had her back to the doorway busy scrubbing potatoes for their evening meal, but she sensed him and turned to find him watching her. He had such an odd look on his face, but she liked what she saw in his gaze.

  “Good afternoon, Will. From the looks of your uniform, you had quite the day at work,” she teased.

  He nodded and looked around the room. His gaze slowly taking in Lily, then Baby Rose, who was sitting in her high chair nibbling on soda cracker bits. When he finally returned his gaze to her, she sensed something was bothering him.

  “Looks to me like you have something on your mind. Care to talk about it?” She wiped her hands on her apron and looked at Lily and Baby Rose. “Lily, why don’t you go play in your room with your dolls for a bit before we leave to pick up your sister at school.”

  “Alright,” Lily said and slipped down out of the kitchen chair. She approached her uncle standing in the kitchen doorway. She smiled up at him and said. “We missed you, Uncle Will.”

  Abigail could swear she saw tears mist Will’s eyes. If he was tearful, he hid it well when he stooped down and picked Lily up and hugged her close. “I missed you too, sweetheart. You can’t know how much.” She heard his voice quivering with emotion. Now she knew for sure something was amiss.

  Will set Lily down. “You go play until Abigail or I come to get you.”

  Lily skipped down the hallway to her bedroom oblivious to the undercurrent of tension moving around her.

  When Abigail was sure Lily was out of hearing, she turned to Will. “Why don’t you sit down and tell me what’s troubling you.” She turned to the pot on the stove. “Coffee?” she offered.

  He shook his head no and instead of taking a chair at the table as she had suggested, he walked around to the other side of the table and lifted Baby Rose from her high chair, careful to hold her close against his body.