“Mrs. Montgomery. So good to see you.”
“Pastor.” She gave him a small nod, then gestured to the young woman standing awkwardly behind her. A beauty, at least by most men’s standards, but not enough to tempt Silas.
“You remember my daughter, Flora? She’s been spending time with my sister, Bernice, in Denver.”
“Yes, of course. Flora.”
The girl nodded her head but didn’t speak.
Frank gestured to him. “Have you ladies met Silas Jones? He’s running the Stone mine in Joseph’s absence. His wife recently passed away, and our Rose has been caring for his daughter.”
“It is a pleasure,” Mrs. Montgomery said, smiling at him. “I imagine your daughter must be the darling girl we see Rose with on our visits around town.”
“Indeed, she is.” Silas couldn’t help the feeling of pride to hear another woman compliment his daughter, particularly given all the Garretts’ nasty comments about how Rose’s influence would ruin Milly’s reputation.
“I was hoping you might have an idea of some gainful employment for Flora. I do think a young lady shouldn’t spend all of her time idle, and since she’s not welcome at the mission, I’m at a loss as to how to keep her occupied. Someone looking for a nanny, perhaps?”
Flora turned her attention to Silas, smiling and batting her eyes in a ridiculous manner. “I could help with your daughter. It has to be such a strain, your child being cared for by a woman who—”
“I do hope your next words are intended to be positive and encouraging, my dear.” Frank looked pleasant enough, but everyone knew the underlying threat. “And you know you are most welcome at the mission, provided you can be kind to the other women there.”
Flora’s face reddened, and Silas realized that this method of deflecting criticism about Rose’s circumstances probably worked better than most.
Mrs. Montgomery glared at her daughter, then said pleasantly, “I’m sure she only meant to say that it must be difficult to care for an infant and such a young child at the same time. I remember those days well, and if Rose ever needs some time to herself, I’m sure Flora would be happy to lend a hand.”
The scowl on Flora’s face told Silas she’d be anything but happy to help Rose, but she wasn’t going to argue with her mother. Not when she’d already been called out for her bad behavior. Though Silas didn’t know the other girl, he knew enough to know that he wasn’t about to use Flora if Rose was unable to care for Milly.
“We appreciate that,” Frank said with a smile. “I don’t know of anyone needing a nanny at this time, but I’ll be sure to let you know if I do. In the meantime, the mission has greatly appreciated all of the lovely blankets you’ve been knitting. I’m sure we’ll always have a need for cozy blankets.”
Mrs. Montgomery sent another glare her daughter’s way. “Thank you, Pastor. We are so grateful to be able to aid in the church’s mission to serve the less fortunate.”
Then she gave Silas a sly look. “And if you should ever care to join our family for supper, I’m sure you won’t find a more welcoming table. Our cook prepares the finest pies you’ll ever taste.”
He should have expected that at some point, a matchmaking mama would seek him out as the future husband of her daughter. Though Leadville had a good many more men than women, general society agreed that most men weren’t suitable for their daughters. They were too rough around the edges, and their positions gave little hope of a promising future for a young lady. Though Silas wasn’t a rich man, his place at the Stone mine made him a better prospect than most.
“Thank you for the kind invitation, but, I prefer to spend my evenings at home with my daughter.”
An easy enough excuse, but as he felt Rose’s eyes upon him, he knew that there was another reason. The real reason he wouldn’t be dining with the Montgomerys or any other family with marriageable daughters.
“Of course,” Mrs. Montgomery said with the polite smile that told him she understood he had other reasons for refusing her invitation. “Just know that you’re welcome anytime.”
“I’m honored.” Silas nodded at her, then looked over at Frank, who wore an amused expression that he was loath to find out the reason behind. “If you’ll excuse me, I believe the ladies needed me to help them move a table.”
As he walked toward the barn that housed the mission, Silas thought about his disinterest in furthering his acquaintance with the Montgomerys. True, Flora seemed rather unpleasant, but it was more than that. The thought of getting to know any other woman churned his stomach.
It was Rose who consumed his thoughts, and, though he hated to admit it, already owned a large chunk of his heart. Pursuing her meant risking his in a way he’d never done before. Frank and Will had made it clear that if Silas were to step up, he needed to give Rose his all—at the risk of being rejected outright.
The only way he’d ever heal the wounds he’d caused would be to put back together the broken pieces of her heart, mending it with his own. Could he prove his honor to her? Could he be the man she needed?
Succeeding meant taking Rose as his wife. Failure meant carrying around his own bag of ashes.
* * *
Rose sank into the chair, grateful that Matthew had finally gone to sleep. Though she was only gone a few hours, the entire household seemed to miss having Milly around. Which meant Matthew, used to her presence, had spent most of the afternoon fussing. She’d finally given in and fed him some of the mashed potatoes left over from lunch, which he devoured before promptly falling asleep.
She looked at the clock. The Garretts hadn’t given any indication as to what time they’d be bringing Milly home, but surely it would be soon. Like Matthew, Milly was prone to crankiness when she didn’t get her nap in time. Which should have happened nearly an hour ago.
Just as she closed her eyes, she heard footsteps on the porch. She quickly went to the door, opening it as soon as the knock sounded.
“Rosey!” Milly launched herself into Rose’s waiting arms.
“Did you have fun?” Rose hugged the little girl close, then looked up at the Garretts. “Was it a good visit?”
“We were pleasantly surprised at how well Millicent behaved.” Mrs. Garrett sniffed as though she hated to give such praise. “Of course, as she gets older, she’ll need better education in deportment, and I do think you should work with her on enunciating her words because sometimes she is rather hard to understand.”
Then she looked over at her husband, who nodded. “But everyone at the restaurant thought her charming, and many greeted her as though they knew her. It seems Millicent is quite popular. She has a good many friends who seem to be of an acceptable social status.”
High accolades indeed.
“Who did you meet?” Rose picked up Milly and held her in her arms. “I’m sorry, do come in. I was so happy to see Milly, I completely forgot my manners.”
“No need.” Mrs. Garrett waved her off. “We can’t stay. We were invited to tea at the Montgomerys. I believe you’re acquainted with them, yes?”
Rose wanted to smack the smirk off Mrs. Garrett’s face. Of course she knew the Montgomerys. Hadn’t Mrs. Montgomery been throwing Flora at Silas, since he was too new to town to know what a pernicious guttersnipe she was? Rose nodded her head. She was being unkind in her estimation of Flora, but Flora had never been kind to anyone that Rose knew of.
“Yes, they go to our church.” But she wouldn’t give the Garretts or the Montgomerys the satisfaction of speaking ill of Flora.
“Mrs. Montgomery made mention of it.” Then, with an evil smile that could only be described as contrived, Mrs. Garrett said, “She also mentioned that her daughter, Flora, is seeking work as a nanny. She would be delighted to care for Millicent should you not feel up to it.”
Rose’s face heated, and she closed her eyes for a m
oment to compose herself before looking directly at Mrs. Garrett. “I will always feel up to caring for Milly. And though I do hate to cast stones, since you’re new in town, I feel obligated to point out that while you are concerned with my lack of reputation poorly influencing Milly’s place in society, you should perhaps take the time to discover which homes Flora Montgomery is welcomed in. Very few good families receive her, so I’m not sure you’ll find the situation an improvement.”
Exactly the sort of thing Rose had just promised herself not to say. But it was the truth. And how could the Garretts possibly think to put Milly in Flora’s care?
“I do apologize,” Rose said slowly. “I hate to speak ill of anyone, and I have no knowledge of Flora’s competence with children. But I do know that under Flora’s care, Milly would not be able to visit her dearest friends, as Flora is not welcome in those homes.”
Mrs. Garrett blanched, so Rose added pointedly, “Especially as it pertains to the Jackson mansion.”
“I didn’t realize.” Mrs. Garrett looked at her husband, whose expression of defeat spoke volumes.
“The Montgomery family as a whole is one of the finest families in Leadville, and I’m sure you’ll have a delightful time taking tea with them. Their cook makes fabulous lemon tarts.”
Rose smiled pleasantly. She shouldn’t have said what she did about Flora, especially since the reason the other girl was all but shunned in their society was how unkind she was to everyone around her, and her penchant for nasty remarks when displeased, but the last thing they needed was to have Milly under her care. If the Garretts wanted some fancy French nanny, that was one thing. But to have Milly cared for by Flora was another.
“I thank you for your concern,” Mrs. Garrett said slowly, looking at her husband. “We’ll be on our way, then.”
“Good day.” Rose smiled at her, then roused Milly, who’d fallen asleep on her shoulder. “Tell your grandparents goodbye.”
“Goodbye,” Milly mumbled, lifting her head briefly.
“It’s past her nap time,” Rose said by way of explanation. “She means no discourtesy. Will you be here to visit with her in the morning?”
Mr. Garrett coughed. “We were hoping for another afternoon visit. The chef at the Rafferty mentioned making special cakes for Millicent’s tea.”
“I’ll give her an early nap so she’s refreshed.” Rose smiled, trying to sound efficient enough that the Garretts would put the idea of another nanny out of their mind.
“We would appreciate that,” Mrs. Garrett said, taking her husband’s arm before turning and walking away.
Rose sighed as she closed the door behind her. At least that visit was over with no real damage done. She shouldn’t have been so harsh in her description of Flora, but she hadn’t misrepresented the truth, either.
Milly had laid her head against Rose’s shoulder again, and though she should have taken the little girl upstairs, Rose carried her to the parlor. It wasn’t just the thought of losing Milly to Flora that bothered her. It was the thought of losing Milly at all.
How had this little girl become so dear to her in such a short period?
She returned to her chair, adjusting Milly so she could hold the sleeping child.
Milly lifted her head, then, as was her habit, twirled her fingers in Rose’s hair. “I missed you, my doxy.”
Rose stilled. “What did you just call me?”
“My doxy.” Milly grabbed Rose’s face with both hands then planted a wet kiss on her cheek. “That’s what Granmudder calls you. The doxy. An’ you’re mine.”
Milly eased back into Rose’s lap, then rested her head on her chest, closing her eyes. “Granmudder not cuddle like you.”
Rubbing the little girl’s back, Rose blinked back tears, trying to focus more on the loving way Milly spoke to her rather than the horrible word she used. How was she supposed to even address it? They didn’t use words like that in their home, even if they were true.
“Rosey?” Milly lifted her head and looked up. “Did you miss me?”
She planted a kiss on Milly’s forehead. “Of course I did.”
Matthew let out a small cry. Milly jumped up. “He go back to sleep. He no share you when I wif Granmudder, so is my turn.”
The look Milly gave her nearly broke Rose’s heart. “See? I know sharing. I teach Ma-few.”
How, in such a short period, had Milly wound her way so firmly into their family?
Milly paused at the door. “Hi, Papa! The doxy is in there. I going to tell Ma-few go back to sleep. Is my turn wif the doxy.”
She turned to go into the other room, but Silas picked her up. “What’s this about a doxy?”
Milly grinned. “Is what Granmudder calls my Rosey. Is fun word to say.”
Silas frowned, his brow creasing into furrows so deep that Rose could have planted an entire forest in them.
“It’s fine,” Rose said quietly. “She doesn’t know any better.”
“But she should.” He looked down at his daughter. “Doxy is not a nice word. We don’t call people that. Ever.”
“Granmudder does.”
The hall clock ticked the seconds so loudly it would have competed with thunder. Or perhaps it was Rose’s own heart. How do you tell a child that someone she must respect has been insulting someone else she dearly loves?
“It doesn’t make it right,” Silas said softly. “From now on, I don’t want you using names your grandmother calls people.”
“So I shouldn’t say Ma-few is a bass—” Milly’s brow furrowed. “I not ’member the word.”
“And you shouldn’t,” Silas said firmly. “Your grandmother shouldn’t, either.”
Milly frowned, then struggled in Silas’s grip as she looked at Rose. “Rosey, I sorry I called you a bad name.”
Tears filled Rose’s eyes as she held her arms open for Milly. Silas let her down, and Milly came running to her. “I know you are, dearest. You didn’t know. What matters is how much we love each other, and because we love each other, I know you’d never say something mean on purpose.”
Big green eyes looked up at her. “But why does Granmudder?”
A lot of reasons the little girl would never understand. Reasons Rose didn’t understand, except that Mrs. Garrett was hurting, but even that excuse was starting to wear thin. Except how many times had Rose herself said something mean to cover up her pain? How did one continue forgiving someone who continued to say hurtful things?
“Because your grandmother is really sad,” Rose said softly, stroking Milly’s hair. “And sometimes when people are sad, instead of saying they’re sad, they say mean things. So in our house, when we’re sad, we just say we’re sad, all right?”
“Awright.” Milly looked around the room, straightening. “Ma-few not crying no more. He went back to sleep all by his self.”
She smiled and buried her head in Rose’s chest again. “So I get time wif my Rosey.” Then she looked up and glared at Silas. “Go ’way, Papa. Is my time wif my Rosey.”
Silas shook his head and grinned. The smile sent waves of contentment down Rose’s body, warming her all over.
That was the trouble with how strongly she’d told Silas that they had no future. When he looked at her like that, she could almost forgive him anything.
But what did he really want from her? Her love? Or a mother for Milly?
However, with the sweet little girl playing with the tendrils of hair that had fallen from her bun, Rose was almost willing to give up on her own notion of true love to keep Milly with her always.
Chapter Thirteen
For the past week, Silas had been priding himself on the distance he’d been keeping from Rose. Not so distant that they never spoke, but he’d been careful to avoid speaking of things of a personal nature with her. He’d been asked
to leave her alone, and though he hated treating her like a polite acquaintance, he couldn’t figure out how else to act around her. Did he want to make amends? Desperately. But how did a man win the heart of a woman who’d made it clear it wasn’t his for the taking?
No. That’s not what she’d said. He’d have to work for it. But what did that mean?
How did a man court a woman when he couldn’t court her?
And how did he fall in love with someone he respected, admired and felt drawn to, but could not explore any deeper feelings with?
Rose entered the room, carrying Matthew. The baby’s eyes were shining, and he was smiling.
“Someone must have had a good nap,” Silas said, reaching for the baby. “Come see Uncle Silas.”
“Uncle Silas?” Rose gave him a funny look.
“Well, you refer to Frank as Uncle Frank, and I know it wouldn’t be proper for the little guy to call me Silas, so why not Uncle Silas?”
In truth, he’d like to hear the little boy call him Papa, because just as Rose had been saying that Milly was as dear to her as her own, so, too, was Matthew to him.
“Uncle Silas it is.” A pretty smile filled Rose’s face as she handed Matthew to him. “He really likes you. I can’t believe how well he’s adjusted, thanks to your help.”
Silas gave the baby a kiss on top of his head. “I just happened to have information that most people don’t. You did the rest. You’re a wonderful mother.”
She turned away, her cheeks tinged pink.
He wanted to stop her and tell her that she had nothing to be embarrassed about, but how would his encouragement be taken? Instead, he focused his attention on the baby, making funny faces so that he would giggle.
“And you’re an excellent father,” Rose said quietly. “I know the Garretts are making noises about going back to Ohio again, but everyone here fully supports your right to keep Milly in Leadville.”
They’d presented him with another offer—more money in exchange for having Milly return to Ohio with them, and this time, he’d be allowed to visit. As if that made selling his child any more acceptable.
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