Andrew gestured to a door at the room’s back. “There are supplies in a closet. A cleaning lady comes in once a week. She’s the wife of one of the men who works here. Mrs. Belvedere is her name and she was here yesterday. You can count on her help.”
Patience glanced at the dust on her cream gloves. Perhaps being in the office when the cleaning lady came would inspire diligence in Mrs. Belvedere. Obviously, she’d been slacking off her cleaning.
Andrew stared at the desk then met Patience’s gaze. “If you’re satisfied with the arrangement, shall we stroll back to the house and finish your tour?”
“I’d enjoy that.” She allowed him to guide her outside.
But she was nervous and wasn’t sure she wanted to see anything as intimate as a bedroom in his company. As nice and as handsome as Andrew was, she’d known the minute they met she really didn’t want to marry him. She’d longed for someone near her own age with whom she could share a warm relationship while growing old together. Unfortunately, Andrew had too much of a head start for her.
Patience had accepted his proposal, used the ticket and the money he’d sent, and now believed she was honor-bound to wed him. Certainly, she couldn’t repay him for her expenses. Looking out over the beautiful orchard as they walked toward his home, she realized her options were limited at best.
Perhaps marriage to him wouldn’t be too bad. The agency had assured Papa of Andrew’s good character and so far he’d been gallant in her company. But having a stepson near her age would be odd to say the least.
With the heady apple blossom fragrance surrounding her, she found it difficult not to be as optimistic as her sister. Living in a luxurious home with a lovely view from each window was more than Patience had expected, or even dreamed. To her, well-off meant having a small cushion in savings and not having to worry about paying the rent or buying enough food.
Andrew’s voice broke through her reverie. “You’re very quiet. I hope Stone hasn’t upset you.”
“I was enjoying the scenery and the day. Oh, but I see a few darker clouds low on the horizon. Do you have a lot of rain?”
“Ours is a fairly arid area. We depend on irrigation. That’s why the canals are so important.” They stopped on the porch and he directed her attention. “You see that blue trail winding? That’s another irrigation canal used to water the trees.”
She focused where he’d indicated then realized he waited for her to precede him through the door into the house. “I read on the brochure from the office that you grow more than apples.”
“Cherries, pears, and a few apricots. Some in this area also grow raspberries, asparagus, spearmint for oil, and a few other garden crops. Because we’re set up for orchard harvest, I’ve stayed away from stoop-labor produce.”
“At least with several types of trees, a bad year won’t ruin you.”
He smiled at her kindly but with the look she’d seen in her father’s eyes when she didn’t understand the gravity of a situation. “A bad year can wipe out every grower in the valley. Of course, I have my real estate and investments but if we have a late hard freeze or for some other reason the crops fail, no one can afford to rent my buildings.”
Without meaning to, she was sure, he’d made her feel naïve and foolish. “I guess there’s no certainty in life, is there? Still, I love the fresh air and blue sky here. In Lawrence, we had terribly polluted air from all the factories. No wonder my father has a bad cough. I’m surprised everyone in Lawrence doesn’t have one.”
Emily hurried toward them. “Can I get you coffee or tea?”
Andrew looked at Patience and waited for her to answer.
“I’m fine, thank you, Emily.”
Andrew bowed slightly. “Then shall we continue our tour?”
Emily asked, “Will there be three for dinner, Mr. Kincaid?”
He halted with his foot on the bottom stair tread. “If Stone deigns to show up. As to that, your guess is as good as mine.”
Patience preceded him up the stairs. Now that he’d explained, she could see where additions had been made to the original structure. The effect he’d described as higgledy- piggledy actually pleased her.
Andrew gestured to his right. “Upstairs, the house has two main wings. The right is where Stone lives.”
Patience stopped. “I’m not sure he’d approve of me seeing his private space.”
Andrew waved away her protests. “But he’s not here and this is still my home so look all you wish. Besides, you’ll soon be mistress of this entire house.”
Stone’s suite of rooms was larger than her family’s entire rented home in Lawrence. She noted that Stone had a bathing room all to himself. What a luxury.
“His rooms are more austere than the rest of the house. I can picture a studious bachelor here.”
“You’ve assessed Stone to a T, my dear. He used to be more outgoing but now he’s either up here reading or in the office coming up with business strategies.”
When they were in the central hall connecting the wings, he said, “The rooms in the middle are guest rooms. We sometimes entertain, although far less since Alice’s death.”
“They look quite comfortable. Is there a bathing room for this section?”
“Yes, Alice insisted. There’s also one downstairs for Emily and a powder room for guests. Lucky for us we have a good well.”
She told him about the four inch mark at the boarding house.
He laughed out loud. “I was aware Mrs. Shaw could stretch a penny, but I didn’t realize she rationed water. This wing is the master suite and is a mirror of Stone’s. Alice believed we’d be one big happy extended family living here together, bless her.”
“The idea is a nice one. I’m sorry she didn’t live to see that happen. Perhaps it still will, though.”
“Kind of you to say, my dear. It’s my hope Stone will marry soon and bring his bride here to live. Can’t tell you how much I want that to happen.”
She smiled at the idea of pairing him with a series of young women. “Perhaps we can be matchmakers for him.”
He gave her that fatherly gaze again. “I wonder if that’s possible. We’ll see, won’t we? Now, is there anything up here you’d like to see again? If you’re tired, you can slip into one of the guest rooms and rest until dinner.”
“No, but if you’re accustomed to a nap, please don’t let me keep you from one. I would love to see the library downstairs.”
He descended the stairs. “Ah, so pleased to join you there. The most comfortable furniture in the house is in that room. Nothing better than curling up in my wing chair with a good book, is there?”
She followed him into the library. Since he’d mentioned them, she noted the two wing chairs positioned near the fireplace. A sofa and a library table also were in the room.
“I always enjoy reading. I’d begun a fascinating book but of course it’s at the boarding house. I’m reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.”
“Mark Twain always entertains, doesn’t he? I suppose you’ve read his other works?”
“Yes.” She strolled along the shelves noting books she’d longed to read and hadn’t been able to afford. “Oh, you have such a nice selection of books. Is there a bookshop in Destiny?”
“No, Stone orders them. A shop in Tacoma sends him a list of new titles and their descriptions. I suppose books are his vice.”
She laughed. “I hope you don’t consider them a bad thing, Andrew. If you do then you won’t approve of me.”
“No, nothing of the sort. I’ve always encouraged his reading and as a result Stone’s smart as a whip. I won’t worry when he’s in charge of things after I finally retire.”
She hadn’t considered him as retired and home all day. “As vigorous a man as you are won’t retire for years, will you?”
He smiled at her description and puffed out his chest. “Oh, I’m not ready to give it all up yet. Stone still needs help smoothing the way with our customers. Some expect coddling and he�
��s not one to pamper or cosset. In spite of the way he treated you today, he’s not usually rude. He knows all the facts but simply doesn’t have the talent for fussing over clients as they expect.”
“Which is why you’re both going to this meeting you mentioned?”
“Correct. Getting Lortz to go with us is imperative. Not that we can’t manage without his custom, but life will be much easier with him aligned with us.”
“Then I do hope you’re successful, Andrew.”
Later in her room at the boarding house, she gave in to her fatigue. Mrs. Shaw rapped at her door. “Miss Eaton, will you be dining with us tomorrow?”
“I simply can’t say what my plans will be. I’ll have breakfast here and then go work in the Kincaid Orchards office each day. I’m sorry I can’t be more specific.” Would she be expected to dine with Andrew each evening? Possibly, but he must go out to see friends occasionally. She hoped she’d come to feel more relaxed in his company.
Mrs. Shaw said, “That’s all right. We’ll manage to fit around your plans. Goodnight.”
Patience questioned about her generosity since there were rules posted everywhere about failure to let her know this or that about her boarders’ schedule. Unwilling to worry about her landlady, Patience fell into bed too tired to write Mercy or her parents about the grand Kincaid home and her job at the office. Never mind, she’d have more to tell them in a few days.
The next morning, Patience dressed with care after standing in line for the bathing room. No wonder her room came with a chamber pot. Today instead of her best dress, she wore a blue skirt and jacket and her white shirtwaist.
Pulling her hair back, she tied it with a black ribbon that matched the trim on her jacket. She wished her hair had more red like Mercy’s instead of more brown like Papa’s. As she set her plain straw hat with the simple blue ribbon in place, she wondered if any woman was happy with her hair’s natural color.
Book in hand in case she had time to read at noon and her purse on her arm, she descended the stairs. After breakfast, she awaited Andrew on the front porch. Careful not to snag her skirt on the wicker as she sat in one of the chairs provided, she wanted to enjoy the clear morning sunshine.
Calling for her must inconvenience Andrew. While the office was too far to walk, he might have his stableman ferry her back and forth. Presently she saw him driving the buggy at a clip. She walked to the gate to wait for him.
“Ah, punctual again, my dear Patience. I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.” He climbed down to assist her.
She settled onto the seat. “Not at all, I enjoy your weather here. And Mrs. Shaw’s flowers are lovely, aren’t they?”
He sprang onto the seat and picked up the ribbons. “Are you nervous or eager about your day?” he asked as they drove toward his property.
She smiled at him and opted for honesty. “A little of both. I’m eager to learn all I can about your business and help in any way possible. I’m nervous about working with Stone. I hope I can win his respect if not his friendship.”
“I’m sure he’ll come around. How could he not, my dear, with as lovely a person as yourself? I’m sure you’ll become fast friends before long.”
She wasn’t so sure. “You know him well, but I wonder. He appeared so set against your marrying me.”
“Truth be told, he doesn’t want me to marry anyone. He says I should choose someone from the women in town, but then he finds something wrong with each of them. You see, somehow he feels I’m being unfaithful to his mother’s memory by taking another wife.”
“Oh, but that’s not fair.” She gasped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to criticize. I’m sure many sons and daughters have trouble when their parent wants to remarry after losing a loved one.”
A sad expression came over him and his blue eyes no longer twinkled. His posture sagged slightly. “Perhaps, but he’s old enough to realize that I have enough love to give without detracting from that I have for his mother. The heart doesn’t hold a finite amount of love. I’ll never forget or cease loving her but she’s gone and I’m still here. When she was dying, she asked me to find someone else.”
“What a loving woman she must have been.”
He nodded and appeared to push away his sadness. “She was and that’s a fact. I’ve waited long enough, though, in my opinion. Stone will have to come to terms with that fact. If he makes you uncomfortable, just tell me.”
Never would she do that for she had no wish to cause a rift between father and son. She’d simply have to handle the situation better than she did those jobs in Lawrence that she botched so badly. She’d learned better how to deal with people by now—especially since Stone wouldn’t be making lecherous passes at her.
“Generally, I get along with everyone. Of course, there are a few exceptions, but my sister and I always had lots of friends o-of all a-ages.” She should have worded that differently. Did he think she was prevaricating to include him?
Patience took a deep breath. “I’m sure I can manage to work in your office without upsetting Stone.” She prayed she told the truth, but she had doubts.
He stopped the buggy at the office and sent one of the workmen to deliver the rig to the carriage house.
Patience put away her purse, gloves, and book and sat at the desk. “What day did you say Mrs. Belvedere cleans?”
“Mondays. Well, I’ll let you get settled while I go into my office. If you need anything, let Stone or me know.” Humming under his breath, Andrew went into his office and shut the door.
Flummoxed, Patience went to the cleaning closet and dug out an unused can of furniture polish and a cleaning rag. Mrs. Belvedere either used up the former polish or hadn’t bothered to even open the one provided. Looking around, Patience thought the latter was correct.
She’d just cleared off the desk and was bent over dusting the sides when Stone came out of his office. “Is this how you plan to learn the business, from the bottom up?”
Straightening, she felt the heat of a blush stain her face. “Apparently, the lady who’s paid to tidy hasn’t bothered much. I didn’t want to soil my clothes or the records.”
He scooted a chair near hers. “If you’ve finished your housemaid duties, Miss Eaton, perhaps you’d like to learn about the records we keep.”
She took her seat and adjusted her skirts. “I’m quite ready to get to work. First, remember I asked you to call me Patience.”
“In the bottom drawer on your right, there’s a pair of sleeve protectors Miss Youngblood left. Now, let’s get to work.” He set about explaining the system they used.
His close proximity unnerved her more. Each time his arm brushed hers, she lost track of his train of instruction. She simply had to get herself under control and concentrate on what he said.
He raised an eyebrow and gazed at her. “Are you listening, Miss Eaton?”
Drat the man. He knew she wanted to be called by her given name. She would fix him. “Yes, Sonny, I’m listening.”
He stared at her agape a few second and then snapped, “What did you just call me?”
“I believe you heard me, Sonny. If you insist on calling me Miss Eaton, I’ll have to remind you I prefer to be called Patience by calling you Sonny. Or would you prefer Stoney?”
His ears reddened and his jaw clenched. Without answering her question, he lowered his gaze to the ledgers. “Back to your job.”
She suppressed a smile as he continued his tutoring. He was assigning her easy duties and she believed she could accomplish them with no problems. She’d still have to ask the occasional question, of course. And this man was anything but one of the eight-armed octopuses she’d encountered working as a housemaid.
But then, he disliked her intensely. At least he was considerate enough to leave the door open when he went back into his office. She worked steadily until almost noon.
Andrew came out of his office looking suspiciously as if he’d been napping. “Time for dinner. Stone, I hope you’ll join us for the noon
meal. Emily’s expecting you.”
Brushing his hair off his forehead, Stone looked up from his work. “Dad, I need to finish this schedule.”
“All work and no play will age you far ahead of your years. Come with us to humor me.”
With a weary exhale, Stone stood up and joined them.
As they walked toward the house, Patience looked up at the sky. “I can’t get over how lovely your weather is.”
Andrew said, “It’s your weather, too, my dear.”
Walking with his hands in his pants pockets, Stone glanced at her. “Wait until August. You’ll hate it then.”
“Not with all these trees around me. I had no idea how dismal a factory town was until I had this for comparison. Such clean, fresh air and your view must be glorious all year long.”
Andrew patted her hand where it rested on his arm. “I agree, Patience. I love this orchard and the life we have here. I hope you’ll come to love it as much.”
“Since you had to build up your livelihood, you have the sense of ownership a newcomer never can, but I’ll try.”
Under his breath, Stone muttered something about “little Mary Sunshine” but she couldn’t understand more of what he’d said. She was almost certain he hadn’t intended her to hear.
Lunch was a congenial event with Andrew talking about his business interests. She tried to be cheerful and attentive. Stone was silent unless his father asked a question—except when he spoke to Emily. Then he smiled genuinely and his tone was kind and respectfully teasing.
Two people resided in Stone Kincaid and she was determined to make friends with both of them. Maybe not today or even this week, but she would if it killed her. Or, as she inwardly smiled, if it killed him
Chapter Five
After dinner, Stone Kincaid walked back to the office beside the attractive woman who was scheduled to become his stepmother, heaven forbid. How was he going to keep that wedding from happening? He’d made no headway trying to talk sense into his father’s head. And no matter what he said or did, Miss Patience Eaton just plowed ahead.
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