Lily wondered too, although Mac was far too wise to be hoodwinked.
Aunt Hilda hovered. “One more bite of your biscuit?”
“No, thank you.”
Her aunt took up the tray. “Any pain in your arm?”
Lily nodded. “When I try to move.”
“Then you’d best stay still.” Her features softened. “I’ll bring you a bit of laudanum when I return.”
Lily gently touched the tips of her swollen digits. “My fingers resemble the sausages you cook with cabbage.”
“It’ll be a while before the swelling goes down. Your joints will ache like you’re ninety-five years old, but you’re on the mend and that’s what matters.” Aunt Hilda kissed her forehead. “Now I’ll go fetch a cup of tea and medicine for you and then, while the tea is cooling, I’ll help you to the chamber pot. I’ll even brush and braid your hair before I take the boys to church. But after that you must stay put and rest.”
“Yes, Aunt.” Lily sank into the end of the divan. Her strength waned from the simple task of eating. “Perhaps I can be moved to my own bedchamber.”
“In due time.” Aunt Hilda made purposeful strides toward the door.
While Lily waited for her return, her mind whirred with questions. Would Mr. Blake still carry her two hundred pounds with him to Alexandria tomorrow? Was she doing the right thing by allowing Mr. Everett to take her brothers on the trip? To that end, she carried little influence. Mr. Everett was their court-appointed guardian and Jonah and Jed wanted to go.
Lily worked her lips together as she continued her ponderings. And what about that dream last night? It seemed so real. However, her lack of strength surely proved she had only fantasized of being in the protective confines of Mac’s arms while lively music danced across the orchard’s leafy overhang …
She frowned. Or had she?
“So your decision is final, eh, Cap’n? You’re returnin’ to Alexandria?”
“It is and I am.” Mac glanced to his left and eyed Blake while their boots crunched the gravely road as they walked home from church. “I hate to leave Lily, but I distrust Everett more.” Mac inhaled the mild autumn air, perfumed with the wildflowers, mint, and sage growing along the road. “Besides, the fact that I’ve not heard from my father is troubling. The builders he promised to send should have arrived by now. Before long, the weather will turn.”
“I’m sure Miss Lily will be sad to hear you’re leavin’.”
“Perhaps, but she needs to concentrate on her health at the moment.”
Blake nudged him with his shoulder and sent Mac several paces into the road. “You’re besotted. Admit it.”
“All right, I admit it.” Mac figured he deserved the ribbing.
“I never seen you so worked up over a woman, Cap’n. It’s love fer sure.”
“Oh, and now you’re an expert, I presume?” Mac hurled a gaze toward the heavens.
“Just observin’. Ain’t no crime in that.”
Mac let the remark die away. He had more pressing matters occupying his thoughts, Lily being the mainstay. He wondered how much of their conversation, if any, she recalled today. He’d sent up a prayer in church that, should she remember, she wouldn’t regret uttering words of love.
A southwest breeze drifted down from the Alleghenies, cooling the valley, although the sun’s warmth caressed Mac’s face. He’d been uplifted at church, a strange and radical occurrence for him. Lily’s survival turned even Everett’s stony expression to one of joy. Reverend Kasper gave thanks to God. From his place in the pew beside Jed, so did Mac, albeit in his own way. He would not forget the vow he made to God during the hours he’d feared for Lily’s life. Now, for the first time in many years, Mac deemed another’s existence more precious than his own.
He swatted at a swarm of gnats. Had his spiral into selfishness begun with the seizure of his merchant vessel? Somehow the event heightened Mac’s instinct for survival, and it hadn’t subsided, even when the fighting stopped. Mac supposed he had little defense for his selfishness prior to the conflict. But something happened recently. He felt different.
Reaching his property, Mac eyed the mess of bark chips and tree stumps which would eventually be his barnyard’s drive. He certainly had his work cut out for him. Perhaps he couldn’t afford to leave right now.
Again, he weighed the pros and cons. He and Blake had made great strides in the past few weeks, but there was so much more to accomplish, and bringing on a crew of men was essential.
Mac kept on walking, keeping time with Blake’s determined strides toward Mrs. Gunther’s kitchen. The dear lady had invited them to dinner after church and neither he nor Blake refused. Their bellies were as hollow as deadwood, even though they’d dined on food from the party at breakfast time.
However, Mac’s visit held a dual purpose. He wanted to speak with Lily. He couldn’t leave for Alexandria without an understanding between them. He’d made that mistake with Mary and lived to regret it. She’d died without a word from him. He’d been too self-focused and, yes, too ashamed to write.
But this time, such a foible would not be repeated.
Lily gauged her response when Mac entered the room. Elation or embarrassment, which should it be? She feared the blush creeping up her neck and blooming in her cheeks would choose for her and reveal what she dared not express.
“How are you feeling?” He paused near the doorway.
“Better, thank you.” She took in his dapper attire—white shirt, necktie, brown waistcoat, and tan trousers, tucked into knee-high black boots. Aunt Hilda had said both Mac and Mr. Blake attended church this morning.
“Are you up for a conversation?”
“Yes, of course. Please come in.” Before the last words left her lips, Lily’s heart drummed out an anxious rhythm. If her sweet dream had been reality, she owed Mac an apology for her forward behavior. “Anything in particular you’d like to discuss?”
“Yes, actually.” He grasped the cane-backed chair, flipped it around, then placed it close to the daybed. He sat and crossed his legs. “Do you recall my taking you to hear the music last night?”
Her heart fell like a brick. Her face burned as if her fever had returned. “About that …”
He cocked his head, waiting for her to continue.
She winced. “I may have said some things that … well, that might be construed as bold and ever so forward.”
“Yes, you said some things.” His inky gaze darkened.
“Did you take them seriously?” Part of Lily prayed he did.
“Should I have?”
Would he admonish her if she confessed? He’d made it clear he did not desire courtship, love, marriage, children—all blessings that Lily longed for.
“Do you regret the words you spoke last night?”
“I regret the delivery of them, yes.” Lily couldn’t be disloyal to her heart.
“But not the message itself?”
“No.” She dropped her gaze to the quilt that covered her to the waist and traced the pattern with her finger.
“Hmm …”
“Hmm, you say?” Lily frowned. “It’s your fault I freely spoke my heart. You must know you’re terribly charming.”
A smile quirked the corners of his mouth. “Then I shall take full responsibility.”
“How gallant of you.” Varying emotions stung behind her eyes. Hurt. Anger. Irritation. What a horrid reaction to her declaration of love. “I suppose you’re glad you have yet another of my secrets to add to your collection.”
He pursed his lips. “I hadn’t thought of that, but yes, I am glad. Very glad.”
The man was impossible!
Mac glanced at the empty doorway. “And I would enjoy teasing you all the more if I wasn’t so concerned about Silas Everett barging in, preventing me from having my say.”
Lily felt suddenly deflated. “You were teasing me? About such an important matter?” A sorrowful sheen clouded her vision until she blinked it away.
; “Forgive me.” Mac left the chair and knelt on one knee by the daybed. His palm swallowed up her unrestrained hand. “The truth is, I wish to discuss that very topic.” His woodsy, spicy scent enveloped her. “I simply went about starting it off all wrong.” He aimed a gaze at the doorway. “But there’s no time to waste now. Your aunt and Blake are distracting Everett.”
“I see.” She pulled her hand away, immediately wishing she hadn’t broken contact. “Aunt Hilda is aware, then, that you are on your knee and speaking to me about an affaire de coeur?”
“Yes, she knows, at least in part. You see, it’s my turn to share a secret with you.”
Curiosity held her fast. “What is it?”
“You have won my undying affection, Miss Lilyanna Laughlin, which probably isn’t much of a secret, come to think of it.” His brow rippled and tiny lines appeared around his eyes. “Nonetheless, I have nothing to offer you—yet. But in a year, I hope to be in a position where I can ask for your hand.” A tiny smile hiked up one side of his mouth. “If you’ll have me. By then you’ll know me better than anyone.”
She gaped at him. “You are, indeed, a wicked tease. I suppose this is another joke.”
“The only joke is on me.” His eyes darkened. “What a fool I’ve been these last weeks, fighting my feelings, believing I could be happy living isolated and alone. You and this entire community have shown me otherwise—and in short order.” He took her hand again. He stared at their entwined fingers. “I also made a solemn vow to God.” Mac lifted his head. “I gave the Almighty my life.”
Lily smiled at the news. “You believe?”
“I’m beginning to. Six weeks ago I would have denounced religion as foolishness. However, I’m certain I saw the hand of God work these last few days.”
“You’ve opened your heart to God, and that’s a marvelous first step.”
“The next, Reverend Kasper told me, is reading the Bible, studying short passages at a time.”
“And will you?”
Mac wet his lips. “I think I’m up to the challenge.” He dropped his gaze to their clasped hands.
Happiness bubbled up inside Lily, spilling out in her smile.
“Now, what I want from you, what I’m hoping for, is acknowledgment of my intentions.”
Lily giggled. “Oh, I acknowledge them, but I can’t decide whether to kiss you or slap your face.”
“The former, please.” Mac ran his thumb along Lily’s lower lip, sending shivers of expectancy up her spine. “But not now. I expect Everett to charge in at any moment.”
At the mention of the man’s name, Lily snapped from the hypnotic-like state Mac so easily evoked. She straightened the coverlet on her lap to hide her wayward emotions.
“Everett is no fool,” Mac said. “He senses our attraction to one another and he doesn’t like it. I suspect he has much to gain if he marries you.”
“I’d rather die.” Lily held tightly to Mac’s hand as humiliation filled her being. “He deceived me. I realize that now. But after my father died, I thought Mr. Everett had my family’s best interests at heart. He was, after all, one of my father’s most trusted friends.” She lifted her gaze. “Don’t be taken in by him, Mac.”
“You needn’t worry.” He kissed her fingers, stood, and reclaimed his chair before craning his neck for a better view outside the door. “Lily, I’m leaving for Alexandria in the morning, so I’d like to hear that we have an understanding—if you agree, of course.”
“Leaving?” One by one the puzzle pieces clicked into place. She recalled his regrets for not stating his intentions to his beloved Mary before she passed. “Why are you returning to Alexandria? You will come back, won’t you?”
“I will return, yes.” Mac grinned and sat forward, his forearms on his thighs. “I need to complete a business transaction. I will also invest your two hundred pounds,” he whispered, “if that’s still your wish.”
“It is!” Perhaps the gambler in Papa had manifested itself in her. After all, there was no guarantee she would be any more successful than he had been. It frightened her to think she might be about to squander the funds and lose everything. “Do you think it terribly unwise?” She lifted her hand, palm side out. “Allow me to rephrase. Would you make the investment?”
“I would, yes, but I don’t have a family—yet.” He sent her a devilish wink, setting Lily’s face ablaze.
Alas, it was not quite the assurance she’d hoped for.
“Sleep on the idea. I’ve already told the boys that Blake and I will collect them in the morning so as not to inconvenience Everett. Instruct your aunt to give me the coinage at that time if investing is what you wish.”
“Good advice. Thank you.” She would revisit the matter later with Aunt Hilda. “And I accept your … understanding.”
Mac’s features broke into a smile. “It will give us ample time to get to know one another. As I said before, you may change your mind.”
Lily doubted it. “I’m grateful that you’re willing to travel the distance with my brothers. I fear they’ll misbehave and sorely try Mr. Everett’s patience.”
“Blake and I arrived at the same conclusion. Besides, I need to settle business with my father.”
Reality reached out from its sphere and gave her a shake. How correct Mac had been. Her knowledge of him could fill a thimble. “I look forward to learning about your family.”
A shadow tiptoed across his handsome face—
And then Mr. Everett marched into the room.
Mac patted the inside pocket of his coat containing Lily’s money and surveyed the large red-brick structure across the street that he once called home. After two and a half long days of travel with nonstop chatter from Jonah and Jed, the stagecoach pulled up to the inn where he, Blake, the boys, and Silas Everett disembarked. They parted ways, Blake heading to the docks to inquire over a job, Everett and the Laughlins to the hotel, and Mac, to his parents’ house.
He surveyed the scene around him. Ladies strolling, shielded by their parasols, maidens scurrying off on chores, and men hurrying past, packages tucked beneath their arms. Buggies and wagons clamored down the street. Odd how he could forget the hustle and bustle of the city in such a short time. Where once he’d preferred wide open waters, where the sky seemed to bow to the sea, he now appreciated the slower, amiable pace of Middletown.
It had been a long while since he called Alexandria “home.”
Shifting his valise from his right hand, he crossed the street then climbed familiar stairs to the front door. Who would be home this time of day? Mother, perhaps. His four younger sisters had married and would, no doubt, be caring for their own families. Father and Prescott were presumably attending business at the office and warehouse on the river’s edge. He faced the gleaming brass doorknocker and, feeling more of a stranger than part of the family, decided to use it.
Mac rapped three consecutive times and waited. He gave the neighborhood a glance, searching for a familiar face, and found none. Relief caused the knots between his shoulder blades to unwind. Given the scandal last year, anonymity suited him.
The door opened, revealing the longtime housekeeper’s priggish scowl.
“Hello, Pearl.”
She blinked, then her brown eyes widened and she cupped the sides of her face. “Mercy!”
“May I come in?”
She opened the door wider and bid him enter.
Mother’s honeyed voice wafted in from the parlor. “Who is it, Pearl?”
“Why, it’s none other than Blackbeard himself, ma’am.”
Mac chuckled and set down his valise. With three days’ growth on his jaw, he probably deserved the jab. “It’s nice to see you too, Pearl.”
Her scowl deepened, and she marched off.
Mother sailed around the corner, spotted him, and broke into a wide smile. “Mac! You’re home. Why, I barely had time to get a letter off to you.”
He wrapped his mother’s pudgy figure in a warm embrace. The tangy jasmine
and spice scent of her imported perfume gave his fondest memories free rein. Mother had always been his true supporter.
“I didn’t expect you.”
“There was no time to send word.” Mac stepped back. “Besides, this is an impromptu visit, mostly business.”
“Ah …” Mother patted the sides of her coif but nary a single strand of her silvery locks had come unpinned from Mac’s exuberant greeting.
“Of course, I realize it’s best not to advertise my arrival.”
Mother expelled a long, weary sigh. “I suppose not, although the scandal is no longer foremost on wagging tongues.”
“I’m glad.” Mac meant it. The angry accusations and disgraceful perpetrations by citizens and solicitors alike had resulted in a mockery of American justice. Mac was lucky not to have been hanged. Unfortunately, the damage to the Albright name had been significant.
He followed his mother into the parlor. Nothing in the sunny yellow room had changed in the past month and a half.
“What sort of business brings a Middletown farmer back to Alexandria?” Mother sat on the edge of the settee and arranged the skirt of her deep-blue printed gown. “Have you tired of the countryside?”
Mac grinned. “Hardly. Things are moving along quite well. With the help of my new community, my barn is up, and Blake and I built a cabin where I plan to winter until my home is built.”
“Oh.” A tremulous smile played on Mother’s mouth.
“Did you wish to hear that I abandoned my farming ambitions and have returned to Alexandria for good?”
She heaved a sigh. “I suppose I did.”
Mac crossed the room and kissed her cheek. “I missed you too, Mother.”
She waved him away, and pink spots plumed in her powdery cheeks.
“Actually, my visit here is twofold. My neighbor asked me to invest two hundred pounds in one of Albright Shipping’s merchant vessels.”
“A welcome investment. Your father will be pleased.”
“Yes, I think he will.” Mac took a seat beside his mother. “I’ve also come to inquire about the construction crew Father promised. The men have not shown up, but the lumber for my home has been ordered.”
My Heart Belongs in the Shenandoah Valley Page 18