She waited for him to deny it, to explain how she’d misunderstood, but all she heard was the click of the door and his footsteps as he walked down the hall to his room.
Leah sank onto the bed and gave in to tears. What a fool she’d been to think someone had wanted her for anything more than free labor. She was no better off in Caleb’s house than she’d been at her uncle’s. In fact, now that she was legally married, she was bound to stay.
She was a fool.
A silly, lonely fool.
Chapter 3
Leah awoke the next morning to the sight of Stephen sitting cross-legged on her bed.
“Finally,” the boy said. “Aunt Rose said I couldn’t disturb you, and I’ve been waiting and waiting for you to wake up!”
Leah raised a hand to her aching head, a result of her tear-filled night. “What time is it?”
“I don’t know. I can’t tell time yet. But we’ve all had breakfast, and Rose is making meat pies for lunch. Do Quakers always sleep in their clothes?”
Leah sat up and realized she was still wearing her wedding dress. She’d cried herself to sleep, like some fussy baby, rather than undressing to her muslin shift. “Where’s thy sister?”
“In her room. Rose says she’s sulking. What does that mean?”
Leah wasn’t up to a vocabulary lesson. She made her way to the washstand and poured water into the basin. “Does thee have a new foal?”
Stephen’s eyes shone. “Sure do! A filly. She doesn’t look like her momma though. She’s mostly black, but she’s got a few white spots.”
The cool water soothed Leah’s swollen eyes. “And how’s Snowdrop?”
“Joseph says she’s doing great. She was out in the pasture with her baby when I left.”
“Does thy foal have a name yet?”
“Nope. Olivia gets to name all the horses and dogs and cats on this farm.”
That didn’t sound fair, but perhaps Olivia had that privilege since she was older. Leah dried her face with a towel. “After I change my clothes and speak to Rose, I’ll come out to the barn to see the foal. All right?”
Stephen hopped off the bed. “Sure! Aunt Rose,” he shouted as he ran through the doorway, “she’s awake!”
Leah listened to the boy’s footsteps as he tramped down the stairs. It didn’t take much to make Stephen happy. Olivia, however, presented a greater challenge. If Caleb had truly left before sunrise, no one had had a chance to say good-bye or to wish him a safe return. Perhaps Caleb had thought his departure would cause the children pain, but Olivia may have been hurt by what she considered her father’s disregard. Leah found a gray dress in her trunk, changed out of her wedding dress, pinned her hair into a bun, and tied her prayer cap into place. Then she donned a clean apron and made her way to the kitchen.
Rose sat at the table, rolling out small circles of piecrust. “Good morning, Leah. I hope you got some rest.”
“I’m sorry to be so late in rising. It’s not like me to sleep the day away.”
“New brides are allowed to sleep late after their wedding night.”
Warmth rushed into Leah’s cheeks, and she knew she was blushing. She covered her face with her hands and turned away from the older woman.
“I told Stephen to leave you alone,” Rose continued. “I hope he didn’t wake you.”
“No. I didn’t even know he was there until I opened my eyes.”
“Thank goodness. That boy has the patience of a chicken at feeding time.” Rose took her cane and struggled to stand. “Would you like something to eat?”
“Don’t trouble thyself. It’s time I learned the layout of this kitchen. What can I do to help thee finish lunch?”
“The pastry is finished. Just spoon in the meat mixture, and I’ll seal the pies.”
Leah retrieved an iron pot from the stove. “What time did Caleb leave?”
“Before dawn. I heard the horses, but he was gone by the time I got outside. Deciding to leave almost tore Caleb in two. No wonder he didn’t want any tearful good-byes.”
Her new husband was such a puzzle. If he hadn’t wanted to leave, why had he volunteered? “Why did Caleb join the militia?”
“He felt it was his duty. I tried to talk him out of it, but Caleb said he couldn’t sit by and do nothing. Especially after his friend, Conrad Baker, recruited him. Caleb signed on for six months. He’ll be home soon enough.”
And then what? Would her new husband return and take up where they’d left off? He in one room and she in another? Leah filled the last meat pie and returned the pot to the stove. “It seems as though Olivia is taking it hard.”
Rose clucked her tongue and shook her head. “That girl’s got a lot of growing up to do. One day she acts like the queen of the castle, and the next she’s pouting like a two-year-old. My advice is to leave her alone until she comes out of her bad temper.”
Maybe Rose was right. Leah had learned that leaving a beehive alone was often the best strategy when the colony was under stress, and Olivia’s sting was probably worse than a bee’s.
“Leah! Where are you?” Stephen ran into the kitchen, his face red from the exertion. “Are you coming or not?”
“I promised to see the new foal,” she explained to Rose.
“Then off you go,” the older woman said. “Lunch will keep until you get back.”
Stephen pulled Leah’s hand. “Come on.”
If she’d a fraction of the boy’s enthusiasm, it’d be easier to get through the day. Leah allowed Stephen to lead her through the side door.
“There she is!” Stephen said.
The gray mare browsed placidly in knee-high grass, and insects flitted around her new foal, causing it to flick its tail and twitch its ears.
Leah smiled at the sight. “She’s lovely, Stephen. All fresh and new and ready to discover the world. Thee didn’t tell me she had a white spot under her ear. It looks like she’s wearing a pearl earring.”
Stephen perched on top of the split rail fence. “Pearl. That’d be a good name, don’t you think?”
Olivia wouldn’t like that. Leah was already treading on thin ice, and usurping the girl’s naming rights would send her straight into frigid water. “I think thee should ask thy sister before settling on a name.”
A man’s deep voice sounded behind her. “Morning, ma’am.”
Leah turned to see Joseph’s kind face smiling at her. “Good morning, Joseph.”
“Look Joseph,” Stephen said. “The baby’s drinking milk from Snowdrop.”
Joseph leaned against the fence and looked at the horses. “That’s right. Snowdrop’s going to need extra feed for the next few months. Got to keep the momma healthy so the baby will grow up to be strong.”
“I’ll get it!” Stephen ran into the barn.
Leah glanced at Joseph, and they both chuckled. “Did Stephen keep thee up all night?”
“No, ma’am. I made him a pallet on the straw, and he fell asleep right away. I woke him shortly after the foal was born.”
“He slept through the birth?”
“Sure did. I thought about waking him, but I decided things would be calmer for both Snowdrop and me if I let the boy sleep.”
From what she’d seen of Stephen, Joseph had made the right choice. “Is it possible for me to use a wagon today?”
“Sure. What did you have in mind?”
“I’d like to find a good spot to set up my bee hives. Caleb told me there were fruit trees nearby. That would probably be the best site, but I also need a way to keep the hives dry.”
“Why not let me show you around this afternoon? I’ll take you to the orchard, and we’ll scout a good location.”
“That would be wonderful, Joseph.”
“Joseph!” Stephen called from the barn’s open doorway.
“What is it, Stephen?”
“Should I bring some grain out to Pearl?”
Joseph turned to Leah. “Pearl? Did he name the foal?”
What had Leah stumbled i
nto? “I told him he’d best talk it over with Olivia.”
Joseph nodded solemnly. “Yes, ma’am. Olivia will be mighty put out if she’s not consulted first.”
Leah sat beside Joseph as he maneuvered the wagon along a dirt trail. The fruit trees stood in straight ranks. Many years ago, one of Caleb’s ancestors had planted saplings that had grown into a beautiful and productive orchard. Leah gestured to a stand of tall, leafy trees. “Those are pear trees, aren’t they?”
“That’s right. See the tiny green fruit growing amid the leaves?”
“Oh yes. Now I do.”
“Cherries in April, pears in September, and apples after that. Yes, ma’am, you’ve arrived just in time for picking season.”
“The orchard would be a wonderful site for my hives. But the skeps will be ruined if they get too wet. Uncle Abram built a small shelter for them. Would it be all right if I asked him to build one here?”
“I’m sure it would be fine, ma’am, but I’ll be happy to take care of it for you. Just tell me how big you want it, and I’ll get to building.”
“Would it be possible to go to my uncle’s farm now? Thee could see the shelter and the skeps.”
“This is as good a time as any.” Joseph turned the wagon in a broad arc and headed it toward the road.
“I thank thee, Joseph. My hives are important to me.”
“No need for thanks, ma’am. Not after what you and the other Quakers did for me.”
Leah smiled to hear the Friends complimented. “Will thee tell me thy story?”
“It’ll be ten years come September. Ten years since I made my way from Kentucky to Ohio, and then to Newport. Quakers helped me every step of the way. I love to hear you speak, ma’am. Thee and thy—every time I hear somebody talking like that, I remember the safe hands that led me from slavery to freedom. There’s no finer people than the Quakers. I put my very life in their hands and they delivered me.”
Slavery. One of the world’s worst evils. How awful for Joseph and for all the other human beings held in bondage. “Does thee have any family?”
“No, ma’am.” Joseph smiled broadly and cut his gaze to Leah. “But I’ve been thinking about taking a wife.”
“A wife? Thee has plans to marry?”
“I’m thinking on it. There’s a fine lady in Henry County I’d like to court, but… Well, it’ll have to wait until Mr. Caleb gets home. I have to ask his permission.”
“Permission? Why should thee need Caleb’s permission to marry?”
“He’s my boss, ma’am. Don’t you think it’d be a good idea to get his consent before I bring a woman to live on the farm?”
“I see thy point. But don’t put off thy own happiness until Caleb returns. Couldn’t Rose give her consent? Or me?”
“I hadn’t thought about that, ma’am. I suppose it’d be all right.”
Joseph’s tone didn’t sound as though he believed his own words. But in Caleb’s absence, surely Rose would be the person to ask. Yet something made Joseph hesitate. “Would thee like me to speak to Rose?”
Joseph turned toward her. “Would you?” His voice was ripe with excitement. “That’d be mighty kind of you.”
Leah had guessed right. “Of course I will. Perhaps thee would like to bring thy lady to see the farm and to meet us.”
Joseph tilted his head back and laughed loudly. “I’ll do that, ma’am. You talk to Rose, and I’ll talk to Delia.”
Matthew was in the barnyard when Joseph stopped the wagon at the Walls’ farm. “And who’s this come to call?” Matthew asked, smiling broadly. “I do believe it’s Mrs. Whitaker.”
Leah stopped her descent from the wagon and looked at her cousin. “If thee calls me by that name, I’m not likely to answer.”
Matthew reached up to help her. “Fair enough. Thee will always be Leah, my cousin who knows how to charm delicious honey out of bees.”
Leah smiled at his good-natured teasing. “Speaking of bees, Joseph has agreed to build a bee shelter. Will thee show him the one thy father built while I visit Aunt Cynthia?”
“Of course. Hello, Joseph,” Matthew said as he shook hands with the man. “Nice to see thee again.”
“Nice to see you, too,” Joseph replied. “Hope you won’t mind Miss Leah taking the hives to her new home. Sounds as though you’re a might partial to the honey.”
Matthew climbed up the wagon and took the seat Leah had vacated. “I plead guilty to the charge, but Leah has promised to keep us supplied, so I don’t mind sharing.”
Joseph passed the reins to Matthew, and the younger man drove toward the squash arbor, where Leah had situated her hives seven years earlier. She loved all of her cousins, but she had to admit that, as the eldest, Matthew held a special place in her heart. He’d turned nineteen the previous spring and would leave his boyhood behind any day now, but she hoped he’d never lose his easygoing nature. Matthew was like the rainbow after the storm, always looking on the bright side of whatever problem beset him.
Leah walked into the house and found her aunt in the kitchen. “What a nice surprise,” Aunt Cynthia said, holding her arms open to embrace Leah. “How does thee like thy new home?”
Leah removed her bonnet and hung it on its usual peg near the back door. “Caleb’s house is a fine place, Aunt Cynthia. And I’m already in love with his boy, Stephen.”
“And Rose? Surely thee met her.”
“Oh yes. She’s been most kind. It’s the other lady of the house that gives me the most concern.”
Cynthia frowned. “Not little Olivia. She’s just a child.”
“A child who’s sulking because her father left her with a stranger for a mother.”
“But a child, nonetheless. Give it time, Leah. She’ll come around.” Cynthia poured coffee into two cups and set them on the kitchen table. “Now it’s time for we two married women to talk. Does thee have any concerns or questions about thy wedding night?”
Leah felt heat climb her neck and settle into her cheeks. No doubt her face was the color of ripe apples. “Oh Aunt Cynthia.” Leah sank into a chair. “I can’t… I mean…”
Cynthia settled herself in a chair and reached for Leah’s hand. “Who else is there to speak to? I remember my wedding night quite well, and I would’ve given anything to speak plainly to my mother about what happened. I’m only giving thee that opportunity.”
Leah closed her eyes and drank deeply from the cup. Her aunt’s curiosity felt like a colony of ants marching across her chest. What should she say? How could she explain? She forced herself to meet her aunt’s expectant gaze. “I don’t have any questions.”
“No? But how did thee know what to expect?” Cynthia patted Leah’s hand. “Was there pain?”
Where were Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Any other time, the boys would be tramping through the kitchen asking for a taste of this or a bite of that, but the one time she needed them to divert her aunt’s attention, her cousins were in the fields.
“Thee has nothing to be embarrassed about,” Cynthia said. “It is the Lord’s will for husbands and wives to love each other with their hearts as well as their bodies. Was Caleb patient with thee?”
There was no escaping. Unless she chose to be rude, Leah would have to admit everything to her aunt. “I didn’t have a wedding night.”
“No wedding night? Didn’t Caleb leave for Evansville this morning?”
Leah’s throat closed around her voice. “Yes,” she whispered hoarsely.
“He left without…” For all her boldness, not even Aunt Cynthia could say the words.
“Yes,” Leah whispered.
Cynthia propped her elbow on the table and rested her cheek in her hand. “Did thee say something, Leah? Did thee ask Caleb to wait?”
“It’s not like that, Aunt Cynthia. The thing is…” There was only one way to tell her aunt. Leah took a deep breath and let the story fall out of her mouth like rocks tumbling down the side of a hill. “I suspect Caleb never told Uncle Abram he wanted
a wife,” she said in conclusion. “All he needed was someone for his children, someone who was able to care for them until he could return.”
Aunt Cynthia shook her head slowly. “I don’t believe it.”
Leah used the hem of her apron to wipe away the tears that threatened to embarrass her. Why couldn’t Cynthia leave well enough alone? Being rejected by her husband had been bad enough.
Hoofbeats sounded outside, and Uncle Abram’s voice called to his son. “Mark, take my horse. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Cynthia’s gaze met Leah’s.
“No, Aunt Cynthia, please don’t—”
“This is between me and my husband, Leah. Thee shouldn’t interfere.” Cynthia stood, her hands on her hips, and waited for her husband to enter.
Abram came through the door, removed his hat, and turned to his wife. “Thee looks as though a summer storm is brewing in thy stomach. What’s happened?”
“Thee.” Cynthia pointed her index finger at her husband. “What has thee done to Leah?”
“To Leah? What is thee talking about?”
“When Caleb Whitaker approached thee about Leah, what did he ask for?”
Abram looked out the open kitchen door, probably wishing he could escape through it. “Caleb told me about his decision to join the Army. He was worried about his aunt being able to care for the children.”
Cynthia crossed her arms in front of her chest. Her foot tapped a warning rhythm. “And?”
“And he wanted to know if I knew a woman who could live in the house and care for his children while he was gone.”
Cynthia’s foot kept pace. “And?”
“And I told him about Leah.”
“Leah had a home. She didn’t need a job.”
“She needed a home of her own. So I made a deal.”
“A deal? Just what kind of deal did thee make?”
“He could have Leah, but he had to marry her.”
Cynthia dropped her arms and fisted her hands at her side. “I don’t believe it. Did thee give so little thought to Leah that thee bartered her away like a horse?”
Where the Heart Is Romance Collection Page 30