“They’re ruined. Waterlogged and moldy.”
“How?” Roland snapped.
“Apparently the roof leaks and has been soaking the books all summer. I picked up one, and it fell apart in my hands. School begins in less than two weeks, and I need books, even if they’re not primers.” On the way here she had thought of one other possible source, thanks to Louise’s musing this morning. “Is there a library or a private collector that would be willing to lend us books until new ones can be ordered?”
Now Roland looked amused. “You aren’t in the city. This is a lumber town. There aren’t any libraries here, and no one has a book collection, at least not one fit for children.”
“Does Holland have a library?” Mr. Holmes interjected. “If so, I could approach them with your request.”
Roland shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“It’s worth looking into.” Mr. Holmes turned to her. “I’ll let you know what I find out.”
“Thank you.” She smiled her gratitude.
Roland looked skeptical. “You can try, but I wouldn’t count on it. Holland is, well, they’re Dutch.”
“As if that makes any difference,” Pearl snapped.
“You do want books in English, don’t you?”
She felt her cheeks heat. “They don’t teach English?”
“Come now, Decker,” Mr. Holmes said, “I’m sure there are plenty of books in the English language in Holland. If not, they can be procured.”
Roland grinned at her. “I could order some primers for you.”
“I’ll take that order back with me to Chicago and send the primers back on the next boat,” Mr. Holmes offered. “You shouldn’t have to go too long without them.”
Pearl felt ill. Roland hadn’t said anything about Mr. Stockton or anyone else picking up the cost. He must think she would purchase them, but she couldn’t begin to afford enough books for a dozen children. Not unless he accepted credit. Even then, it would take some time to repay.
“A reasonable solution,” Roland said. “How many do you need?”
Pearl did not want to discuss the cost in front of Mr. Holmes. Later, after he was gone, she would ask Roland to ply Mr. Stockton to donate them.
She forced a smile. “I will have to compile a list.”
“Good.” Roland’s eyes gleamed as if he was already calculating his profit. “We’ll put the order together when Mr. Holmes and I return from Holland on Saturday.”
“You’re confident in the lad, then,” Holmes said.
“Absolutely. He can handle the store.”
Pearl saw a chance to earn a little of the cost of the primers. “If you need an adult to watch the store, I would be glad to do so.”
Roland looked skeptical, but Mr. Holmes beamed.
“The perfect solution. Why don’t you two run over the procedures the rest of the day? I’ll see you at supper.” The man shook Roland’s hand, bid Pearl farewell and departed.
That left her alone with Roland and the absent Charlie, who might very well have been listening to the entire conversation. The very thought of working side by side with Roland heated her cheeks. To be so close to him made her head spin. Truly, she was behaving more like a schoolgirl than a woman of twenty-one. This had to stop. She examined one of the waterproof coats and tried to get her emotions under control. Still, she could not help but notice the boyish grin on his face. Maybe he wanted to work with her, too. She replaced the coat, but it slid off the table and onto the dirty floor. Oh dear, her clumsiness was ruining the merchandise. If he made her pay for it...
She grabbed for the coat.
“Let me get that.” Roland leaned over at the same time she did.
Their arms brushed, and she jumped back at the sensation his touch caused.
He stood and tried to brush the dirt off the coat with only moderate success. His smile vanished.
She had ruined the merchandise. Now she would never get this job watching the store. If he insisted she pay for the coat, she couldn’t ever afford new primers.
Chapter Seven
“I don’t need your help.” The statement came out more harshly than Roland had planned. Judging by Pearl’s pained glance at the dusty coat, she must have thought he was chastising her for letting it slip onto the floor. “I meant your offer to watch the store. Charlie can handle it. He took over when I went to Chicago.”
Still, her wounded expression did not change.
He inwardly groaned. He hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings. That was the trouble with women. You had to tread carefully, or they’d shatter like bone china. Speaking of which, he’d better keep her away from anything fragile.
He motioned her toward the front door. “You must have a great deal to do to get the school ready.”
She did not budge. “I do, but I couldn’t find so much as a bucket or scrub brush in the building.”
Roland had a tough time believing that. Surely someone had cleaned the school building last year. He searched his memory for anything Garrett might have said, but came up empty.
She continued, “No soap. The water pump needs priming and the privy is in deplorable condition, not to mention the leaking roof. One woman will not get that building ready in time for school.”
“Perhaps your lady friends could help.” That would at least get them away from him for a week or two.
“You think that would solve everything, don’t you?”
He hated that she could read his mind. Even Eva hadn’t done that. She never seemed to guess what he wanted, and he sure didn’t see where she’d been headed. Marry Garrett! What did his brother have that he didn’t?
At Pearl’s curious glance, he reined in the memories and focused on the present. “I’m merely trying to help you find a solution. You need help, and they are available.”
“They cannot repair the roof and privy.”
She had a point.
“I’ll talk to my brother. Garrett will be able to round up some men to take care of that.”
Her gaze narrowed. “You could help.”
He could, but he had plans involving a certain investor. “I will be in Holland tomorrow and most of Saturday, if not longer.”
“Of course.” Her mouth twisted into a triumphant smirk. “And I will be assisting your customers. You had best show me how the accounts work and anything else I need to know.”
This was not turning out the way he’d planned. “You don’t need to know how the store operates because you won’t be working here.”
Charlie’s thin voice broke into their debate. “Excuse me, Mr. Decker, but I can’t work tomorrow.”
“Why?” Roland choked on the untimely news.
“I told Mr. Farmingham that I’d help fix the schoolhouse roof.”
Pearl smiled and, if possible, stood even taller than her already unusual height. “My offer still stands.”
Roland raked a hand through his hair. That was the last thing he wanted. That big-headed politician from upriver must have gotten to Charlie while Roland was talking to Holmes. Someone had to fix the schoolhouse roof, but why tomorrow?
“You could stay here,” Pearl suggested.
Roland made a quick decision. Future plans were more important than the present business. How much disaster could happen in one day?
“All right.” Roland held up his hands in surrender. “I know when I’ve been bested. Go ahead, Charlie. Miss Pearl will watch the store tomorrow, but I expect you back here Saturday.”
The scrawny lad’s grin split his freckled face. “Thanks, Mr. Roland. I’ll go tell Mr. Garrett. Mr. Farmingham said he was gonna talk to him next.”
Roland had to give Farmingham credit. The man knew precisely whom to volunteer for the job. Unfortunately, that meant he’d have to spend this
afternoon shoulder-to-shoulder with Pearl Lawson. Even worse, he looked forward to it.
* * *
The tension escalated once Charlie left. If the store had been busy, Pearl might not have noticed, but no one stopped in and no one browsed. She was alone with Roland. A lock of his dark hair drooped over his eye, and he raked it back with his left hand. Was he left-handed? She’d considered how to deal with that issue in the classroom. Her instructor insisted the child must be broken of the habit, but Amanda favored her left hand and she had no difficulties learning or writing.
Roland cleared his throat. “I suppose we should begin. The sooner I go through everything, the sooner you can head home.”
“Home?” Pearl lifted an eyebrow. Was that a slip of the tongue? Roland had made it perfectly clear that he wanted all of them to disappear. She had hoped his brother would fall for Amanda, but he had turned out as pigheaded as Roland. This fortuitous circumstance gave her an opportunity to change the brothers’ minds. Once she and Amanda finished with the store tomorrow, both of them would see what a fine asset Amanda would be. “I assure you that I have no intention of returning to New York.”
“No, of course not. You’re the schoolteacher, after all.” He cleared his throat and straightened the already straight candy jars. “You would like to see your friends safely returned to their families, though.”
“Amanda stays with me. As for Fiona and Louise, that is their choice. If this morning is any indication, though, they seem intent on winning over your brother.”
“You do speak your mind.” The old grin was back. “Garrett could use a wife, but he doesn’t want to admit it.”
“Apparently a common malady in these parts.”
He gave her a peculiar look, but she was not going to explain that the brothers were more alike than they thought. They shared a stubborn streak and an inability to recognize the opportunities right in front of them.
“Shall we address the accounts first?” she suggested.
He looked relieved by the change in direction. “First you need to familiarize yourself with the merchandise.” He held out an arm. “Allow me to give you a tour.”
She was not going to touch him. That had proven too disconcerting thus far, so she nodded and motioned him forward. “Show the way.”
Instead of leading her, he placed his hand ever so gently at the small of her back. The touch sent shivers up her spine, but it was not altogether uncomfortable. In fact, as his hand remained there, she found the sensation somewhat...pleasant. No man had ever escorted her in such a protective, yet endearing manner, as if claiming her as his own. Her? A man like Roland Decker wouldn’t claim someone like her.
She hazarded a glance.
He grinned like a schoolboy.
Impossible. Yet his hand remained as he showed her the dry goods. He said something about pricing, but she couldn’t hear above the thunder in her ears. Surely she was wrong. He had stated quite clearly that he would not marry. Then why the gentle touch of his hand, the leaning close when he spoke?
He must feel the same as she did. That thought nearly left her speechless, and Pearl Lawson was never unable to speak.
“Most men take their meals at the boardinghouse, the hotel or the saloons.” His silky voice flowed over her like a cool river in summertime as he led her past the barrels of flour, cornmeal and other dried foodstuffs. “The Elders, the Calloways and some of the folks from upriver, or on the farm, would be most likely to come in for food provisions.”
She liked how he said that, as if they were setting off on a grand journey. “Like pioneers.”
“Hmm?” He peered at her. “I guess you’re right. In a way they are pioneers, first on the land.” He drew in a deep breath. “Appealing thought, to stake first claim to property.”
“Thinking of heading west?” She held her breath, hardly daring to believe he would share her dream.
He shrugged. “Just thinking about how much easier it would be to claim land out on the vast plains.”
“Or the far west. I hear San Francisco is booming.” She held her breath.
“San Francisco? I suppose, but it’s already a city. I aim to make Singapore into the San Francisco of the east.”
“It’s not on the ocean.”
He laughed. “It’s on the next best thing—Lake Michigan, the Great Lakes, which eventually drain into the ocean.”
“Over a gigantic waterfall,” she pointed out.
“A small matter, considering the canal and system of locks built around it. A regular feat of engineering.” His gaze focused far away. “One day Singapore will send its resources through that canal to Europe. People will want to come here like they now visit San Francisco.”
She couldn’t help but look out the window at the dreary landscape shrouded in fog. The dozen buildings could not compete with any town she’d ever known, least of all the golden city of San Francisco. Roland was a dreamer.
But then he smiled at her, and his hand drew her imperceptibly closer. “I knew from the first time we met that you would understand.”
She could not breathe, could not think, could not stop looking at the curve of his lips and her reflection in his eye. What if he got even closer? What if he wanted to kiss her? Her. Pearl Lawson. Her heart practically leaped out of her chest.
“Mr. Decker?”
The feminine voice made Pearl jump. She hastily withdrew from Roland. A woman with honey-gold hair looked from Roland to Pearl and back again. She was not elegantly dressed, but her gown marked her as either skilled with the needle or a bit more prosperous than most in this timber frontier. Pearl expected condemnation, but the woman’s expression reflected compassion and an eagerness to meet her.
“Mrs. Wardman.” Roland stepped toward the customer. “What can I get you this fine day?”
The woman held out her basket. “A half pound of sugar and five pounds of flour.”
He took the basket and headed across the store to the counter.
The woman turned again to Pearl. “You must be new in town. I’m Debra Wardman. Please call me Debra. My husband’s a sawyer up at the Saugatuck mill.”
Pearl swallowed. “I’m Pearl Lawson, the new schoolteacher.”
“Welcome.” If she wondered what Roland and Pearl had been doing so close to each other, she had the grace not to say anything. “My two girls will be pleased to meet you. They didn’t much care for Mr. Grich. He was so somber that I think he frightened them, but he did teach them to read. They’re eight and eleven and love books.”
“I look forward to meeting them.”
Pearl felt a twinge of regret that she didn’t even have primers yet. She had hoped that Mr. Stockton would provide them and in the swirl of talk about the store and the men going to Holland, she had neglected to ask Roland to speak with his boss about the matter. She would remedy that as soon as he was done filling Mrs. Wardman’s order.
“When does school begin?” Debra asked.
“The first of September.”
“Angela and Beth will be there.” Debra reached out to clasp Pearl’s hand. “There are so few women in this area. I do hope we will be friends.”
“Me, too.” Pearl’s heart swelled at the gesture. Although she had more than her fill of female companionship at present, in time Fiona and Louise might leave. If all worked as she hoped, Amanda would marry. Pearl could use a friend. “Do you live here?”
Debra shook her head. “We live upriver in Saugatuck.”
Of course. She had said her husband worked in the mill there. Pearl tried to hide her disappointment. “Is it a long walk?”
“Not far, but you don’t want to walk.” She glanced at Roland. “Have Mr. Decker bring you by boat. And congratulations.”
“Congratulations?”
Debra blushed. “You and Mr. Decker.”
Pearl’s eyes widened when she realized what Debra thought. She must have heard about the advertisement and the women’s arrival. After seeing Roland with his arm around her waist, she had assumed they were courting. She opened her mouth to correct the mistake, but nothing came out.
Roland called out, asking if Debra wanted brown or refined sugar.
Debra left to deal with her order.
Pearl turned away and fanned her face. My, oh my, did she need some cooling off. Her cheeks must be glowing like the sky at sunset. Her and Roland? Though the thought had crossed her mind, hearing it said aloud made her feel ridiculous. He had made it clear that he was not going to wed. She could not marry, or she would lose her job. All such thoughts were just daydreams and nothing more.
“Pearl,” Roland called out. “Let me show you where I keep the scale.”
Business. That’s what she needed to concentrate on. Romantic notions needed to disappear, or someone like Debra Wardman might say just enough to get Pearl removed from her teaching position.
* * *
Roland had no idea what Debra Wardman was saying to Pearl, but he couldn’t mistake the latter’s high color. Thankfully, Mrs. Wardman was not one to pass on rumors or create gossip. Her husband worked at the Saugatuck mill when he wasn’t on one of Stockton’s lumbering crews upriver. They had two girls who would be in Pearl’s school. That must be what they were talking about. He hoped.
Women could get to talking and go on for hours. With each passing moment, his irritation grew. Hadn’t Pearl insisted on manning the store tomorrow? This was the perfect opportunity to learn, yet she stood there chattering away with the customer.
That’s why he called her over, not to show her where he kept the scale. A woman of her intelligence would figure that out.
“Weigh the empty container first,” he instructed. “If they’re not buying a full sack, they’ll bring something to hold the foodstuff. Today we’ll add the flour until it reaches five pounds plus the weight of the container.”
He expected a sharp retort about simple arithmetic, but Pearl looked distracted, her thoughts far away. Color still dotted her cheeks, making her irresistible. Moments ago he’d nearly broken his pledge when he got too close. She’d looked so vulnerable, so unlike her usual prickly self that he couldn’t resist.
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