Reluctantly, he released Lily. She looked as disappointed as he felt.
The man named Shona reached them, and Lily made the introductions. Mac stuck out his hand, and the valley native gave it a shake.
“Shona and his tribesmen have not only been working steadily to bring in our crops,” Lily explained, “but they’ve been so good to camp nearby and offer me their protection.”
“After her rout with Silas Everett,” Shona said, “I felt it was necessary. My men agreed.”
“What rout?” Mac folded his arms across his chest.
“It was nothing.” Lily focused on the tips of her black boots.
“Hardly nothing.” A deep frown weighed Shona’s features. “Everett struck Lily and nearly knocked her senseless.”
“He did what?” Fire erupted inside of Mac. He clenched his fists.
“It’s not hard to believe. Everett is a cruel man. It was a good thing the blacksmith saw Lily enter Everett’s inn and followed.”
“Really, it wasn’t as bad as all that.” Lily’s cheeks turned pink. “Besides, I purposely infuriated him when I learned he sent my brothers to boarding school.”
“Boarding school!” Mac reined in his temper when Lily took two steps back. “Is that what Everett said? He sent Jonah and Jed to … boarding school?”
“Yes.” Lily worked her lips together as if frightened by Mac’s show of anger.
He tamped it down for her sake, but he’d love to darken that man’s daylights for hitting Lily. How dare he? And then he had the gall to lie about the boys.
“Everett did not send your brothers to boarding school, Lily. He indentured them to a sea captain for two years.”
She gasped, and her eyes widened. “Indentured? Oh, no!”
“Blake found out and alerted me. I managed to persuade Captain O’Malley to turn the boys over to me.”
“Thank God.” Lily looked about ready to collapse.
Mac took hold of her elbow.
“Did they come home with you?” Her gaze seemed to plead with him, and Mac cursed Everett for his deception.
“No, Lily. I tried. I even took the matter to my family’s solicitor, who petitioned the court. The indenture stands, although a good friend of mine, Captain Taylor Osborn—”
“I recognize that name. He’s Mr. Blake’s employer and now my aunt’s too.”
“Correct. And he accepted the boys on the Ariel, promising to teach them navigation skills and insist they practice reading, writing, and mathematics. They’ll come away with more of an education than any boarding school can offer.”
“But what if there’s a storm and they’re drowned?” Fear filled Lily’s gaze. “Or what if they’re attacked by pirates?”
“What if they are snake bit?” Shona’s lips formed a half-grin. “What if a wicked innkeeper abuses them?”
Lily huffed. “All right, you have made your point, sir.”
Still, a little pout lingered on her mouth, and Mac longed to kiss it away.
She bent and retrieved her stick. The wood was smooth and it had been fashioned with two prongs.
“What have you there?” Mac folded his arms.
“My snake stick.” She wielded it with a proud tilt to her head. “Shona made it for me. If the snakes don’t hear me coming, they’ll feel the nudge of the stick and get out of my path.”
“Hmm …” Mac glanced at Shona, who shrugged.
“Lily required a, um, crutch of sorts,” he said.
“With my stick in hand, I’m no longer afraid to cross the meadow, or any grassy yard, for that matter.”
Mac recalled her fear and questions about the Almighty on the night of his community barn-christening party. Did she really think God failed her by allowing the snake bite?
Three of his men hailed him from the orchard. No doubt they wanted to know where to unload and where to make camp for the night.
“I must get over to my property. I have thirteen able-bodied men waiting on me.”
“Your construction crew?”
“Yes. Freed black men.” Mac didn’t say they were gifts from his brother. It was more offensive to him now than ever.
“May I come with you?” Lily looked up at him in a way which rendered Mac unable to deny her request.
“Of course.”
“We have a surprise for you.” She bounced on the balls of her feet as obvious excitement got the better of her. “And if you wouldn’t mind, Mac, I’d like to know more about my brothers’ situation. Were they terrified or discouraged to be indentured?”
“Not at all. They have Blake, your aunt, and Captain Osborn keeping watch over them. Jonah, of course, was in his element.”
“I imagine so.”
Shona bid them farewell and returned to whatever task he’d been doing before Mac’s arrival.
Lily slipped her hand around Mac’s elbow and they crossed the meadow. Pink and white daisies seemed to bow in deference as they passed.
“Mr. Everett also told me you’re betrothed to a woman named Samantha Eden,” Lily said when they reached the stone bridge. “Is that true?”
“What do you think?” Mac stopped short, earnestly wondering if Lily had fretted over the lie or, God forbid, had lost any sleep over it. Surely, she could tell how he felt about her. He placed his hands on her shoulders so she faced him. “I’m curious, Lily. Tell me.”
“I think Mr. Everett is a liar, and I told him so.” Her features softened, and Mac glimpsed the faded bruise on her right cheek.
He clenched his jaw.
“Don’t be angry with me for asking, Mac.”
“Angry with you?” He shook his head. “I am not the least bit upset with you. It’s Everett I want to pound into the ground.”
“Please don’t.” She placed her palms on his chest while a pained expression pinched her features. “I’d rather forget it.”
Mac kissed her cheek and gathered her in his arms. “I have missed you so. You are always in my thoughts by day and in my dreams by night.” He kissed her temple.
“I’ve missed you, too.”
“And I promise you this, Lily …” He held her at arm’s length and stared deeply into her eyes. “No matter how angry I may get, I will never hurt you. Never.”
“I believe you.” A tentative little smile worked its way across her ruby lips. “But you didn’t answer my question.”
Mac hated the vulnerability that clouded her otherwise sunny disposition. Surely she wasn’t frightened of him. He’d just vowed never to harm her. And she couldn’t possibly have entertained the idea that he was betrothed when the two of them had an understanding.
Then, again, Lily had been heartbroken before.
“I am not betrothed to Miss Eden. She is my sister-in-law’s sister.”
Mac took her hands and explained the circumstances involving Miss Eden. He told her of his family’s misfortune and how Taylor’s decision to buy in and become a partner elevated the shipping business from debt and financed the voyage on the Ariel.
“I invested your funds.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you satisfied now?”
“Completely.” Lily stepped closer. Not a trace of hesitation, worry, or fear showed on her face. She lifted her chin. “If you hurry, you can kiss me while no one’s watching.”
Mac needed no further invitation and gathered her in his arms. He pressed a kiss on her lips and took his time tasting her intoxicating sweetness. He knew then—as he’d known before—that he loved her. Loved her beyond belief. He wanted to make her his own for all time.
“I love you, Mac.” Her voice was a breathless whisper.
“I love you, too.” He’d never spoken those words—not even to Mary—and he’d never felt them as passionately as he did in this moment.
Reality pressed in. He had nothing to offer Lily. Not yet. But soon, and when he was ready …
She slipped out of his embrace and took his hand. “Come and see the surprise we have for you.”
Lily held her breath as Mac inspected the furnished cabin. He said not a word, and she wondered if he liked it. Of course, much of the furniture had chips or scratches, but as temporary items, they were suitable.
Mac halted at her father’s writing desk and placed his hands on his narrow hips. “This is a fine piece.” He swung his gaze to her. “Your father’s? The one from the parlor?”
She smiled that he remembered and nodded. “I thought you should have it.”
“I will cherish it.”
That was all Lily needed to hear.
“And all these furnishings … I’m entirely grateful to my neighbors for their generosity.”
Relief rushed through her. He was pleased. “You are well liked here in Middletown.”
“The feeling is mutual. Middletown is my home.”
But how would the good citizens of this town feel about him if Mr. Everett spread those vicious lies around about Mac being a traitor?
Lily worked her bottom lip between her teeth and approached him. “Mac, I hate to bring up another matter, but I fear I must.”
“Of course.” Mac took her hand and led her to a wooden chair. He sat in an adjacent seat. “Speak your mind.”
“Mr. Everett claimed that you were never impressed into the British navy, that you fought against Americans because you chose to. Is that true?”
A shadow crossed his face.
Lily rushed to his defense. “But you were forced to take up arms against us, weren’t you? Oh, Mac … please tell me.”
“I was impressed, Lily, but that doesn’t make me feel less guilty for what I did. Impressment is a strange thing. It causes men to lose sight of right and wrong and forces them to act on their survival instincts.”
“Of course. That makes perfect sense to me.” Indeed, he had been forced, as in against his will.
“Listing out at sea for weeks, a man gets to know his comrades. At that time, I was under the command of Taylor Osborn.”
“Your friend?”
“Yes. It was he who rescued Blake and me, in a manner of speaking. The same way he accepted Jonah and Jed aboard his ship. He’s a good man, and once I gained his trust, I didn’t want to betray him. Blake felt the same.”
“Again, it all makes perfect sense.”
Mac sat forward, his forearms on his thighs. “When my merchant vessel was overrun by a British frigate, every man on my crew, with the exception of Blake, was forced to walk the plank. Mary’s brother was one of them. When I returned to Alexandria, I found her parents heartbroken by the loss of their children. They wanted revenge. Someone to blame. That someone was me.”
Mac stood and pivoted toward the window. He gazed out over his barnyard. Somewhere in the distance, a man’s deep voice called to another as the crew of freed men unloaded supplies.
“They charged me with treason and murder, then garnered sufficient support for a trial. In the end, I was acquitted, but the Albright name took quite a hit.”
Lily stood and came up behind him. She touched his suede waistcoat, noting its softness. She ran her fingertips across his shoulder until she reached the sleeve of his white shirt. Then she captured his hand in hers.
He gave her a sorrowful smile. “It wounded me deeply. The people I held dear to me, those who I thought should be glad to see I’d survived the war, wanted instead to watch me hang.”
“Oh, Mac …” Lily felt wounded for him. There were no words to express how much she longed to comfort him.
But, perhaps, starting anew in Middletown would prove all the solace he needed.
He possessed her heart.
And he loved her.
What more could a girl want?
Mac woke up and stretched. His muscles protested the movement. This past week’s journey had obviously caught up to him. But how grateful he was to have come home to a soft bed, made up with linens and a quilt. This community had won his affection.
He pushed off the bedcovers and swung his legs off the straw mattress. His feet touched the cold plank floor, and he was tempted to hop back into his warm bed. Instead, he padded to the well-worn chest of drawers and glanced at his timepiece. Church service began in one hour, and Mac didn’t want to miss it. Already the congregation seemed like family.
Pulling on black trousers and donning a clean shirt, Mac stepped from the cabin barefoot and headed for the recently dug, brick-lined well. It had been started years ago by Lily’s father, but never completed. Together, Mac and a local mason renewed the project the day Lily fell ill from her snake bite. Mac had been glad for physical labor in which he’d worked out his fear for Lily, although the well hadn’t been completed when he left for Alexandria.
Yet another surprise from his friends here in Middletown. The well was finished, except it was still poorly marked. Mac would have to work on it in the days to come, and, perhaps, build on a well room for easy access in the winter.
After collecting water, Mac washed up and finished dressing. He walked north, toward the back of his property where Rogan and the others had made camp. He paused, hearing their joyful song of worship, punctuated by heartfelt praise, and decided he wouldn’t interrupt.
Coming back around to the front of his yard, Mac walked down the wagon-rutted pathway to the pike, made a right, and headed for church. He arrived and noticed no one stood in the churchyard chatting. Buggies and wagons filled allotted spaces, and horses and mules munched on tidbits of drying grass and leafy branches.
Music drifted through the church’s open doors. Mac straightened his waistcoat, then made his way inside. Dread sliced through him. He’d arrived late, and he had no wish to make a spectacle.
Standing in the shadows, he clasped his hands behind his back and felt the autumn breeze that cooled the perspiration on his neck. He looked over bonneted heads and thought he spied Lily sitting in the second pew from the front. He wasn’t about to dash up the center aisle in order to sit with her. But when the congregation stood, he hurried toward the first vacancy he saw in the third pew from the last.
He stepped in and immediately realized his blunder. Beside him stood a starry-eyed brunette by the name of Candy … no, Cindy. Cynthia. Yes, that was it.
She gave him a coy smile.
Mac inclined his head politely, then trained his gaze on the altar. They sat, and three older women marched to the front of the altar. The piano accompanied their practiced warbles and, at the end of the song, Reverend Kasper stepped up to the pulpit.
“All rise.” His voice boomed through the country church.
Mac pushed to his feet.
“Let’s pray as the Lord Jesus taught us. Our Father which art in heaven …”
Mac lowered his head, but before his eyes closed in prayer he glimpsed Lily leaning out of her pew. She met his gaze and motioned him forward. He glanced around at the many bowed heads, then stepped out and quietly made his way up the aisle.
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors …”
Mac reached her pew and she moved over to make room for him.
“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”
“Amen,” Lily echoed, along with the rest of the congregation.
“Please be seated.” The reverend made a downward motion with his hands.
Mac sat and slid a glance to Lily. She nudged him, and he swallowed a grin.
“And now for our message today.” Reverend Kasper opened the large, leather-bound volume in front of him. “As we reach another Sabbath, let us reflect on—” He sucked in a startled breath, his eyes grew wide, and his jaw dropped.
Mac twisted around to see what had captured the reverend’s attention. A young man, with thick blond hair and a winning smile, walked slowly up the aisle. Horrified wheezes, grunts, and fluttering fans followed in his wake. Women fainted in their pews.
Beside him, Lily gasped. Mac turned. Her eyes appeared voluminous against her suddenly pale complexion.
“Who is that man?” Mac whisp
ered.
“Why … it’s Oliver Ashton!”
Lily remained in her pew, her head bowed, long after the rest of the congregation sprang up and shuffled to the courtyard. Oliver’s easy tone carried to her ears, followed by happy voices and exclamations. She wiped the moisture from her cheeks, hoping to conceal her emotion from Mac. He sat like a bulwark beside her, but he needn’t have stayed.
She let out a ragged breath that likely gave her away, but she couldn’t walk out of the sanctuary now, couldn’t face Oliver.
“Do you still love him, Lily?” Mac’s breath tickled her cheek.
“I despise him.” She hiccupped, and more tears leaked from her eyes. Why couldn’t she seem to stem the flow? Her heart was as cold as a slab of limestone, yet she cried like a child.
Mac’s palm encompassed her hand, and warmth spread through her glove.
“But perhaps I despise myself more.” Lily turned aside and slid her damp hankie across her eyes. “The reverend’s message was about forgiveness, but all I can think of is how I’d like to see Oliver Ashton drawn and quartered. Then publicly flogged. And then—”
“Lily, if you don’t love him, you should feel nothing.”
“Should I?” She lifted her head so she could see Mac, unencumbered by her wide-rimmed bonnet. “But I’m certain it’s not love I feel at the moment.”
Mac’s features softened, and he fished out his handkerchief. “Here.”
Lily accepted it, breathing in his rugged scent. It seemed to calm her nerves. “It’s just such a shock.”
“I’m sure.”
“And I don’t believe he was held on a prison ship for years. He looks far too healthy, so he’s lying.”
Mac pushed out his bottom lip and quirked his brows. “Good point.”
“What’s more, the experience hasn’t humbled him one bit. He’s as cocksure and full of himself as the day he marched off to fight the British.”
“So what, exactly, will appease you, Lily—other than a lynching?”
“How about an apology?”
“Mmm …” Mac’s gaze darkened with a new understanding. He leaned closer. “I believe you’d have better luck organizing a lynching.”
My Heart Belongs in the Shenandoah Valley Page 24