Phebe's Promise (The Alphabet Mail-Order Brides Book 16)

by Cathryn Chandler

“I’m sure most of them don’t,” Caroline spoke up while Christa pointed to an empty chair beside her own. “At least not in the house I lived in.”

  “Caroline’s stepfather was very wealthy,” Christa said as she pulled out her own chair and sat down.

  Phebe stared at the smiling woman with the cup in her hand. “Wealthier than this?”

  “Oh, lots,” Christa supplied easily while Caroline laughed. “Not that it did him much good. He had to leave it all behind.”

  “Why?” Phebe’s gaze shot from Caroline to Christa and then back again.

  “Because he’d never run into anyone like Adam.” Caroline nodded when Phebe’s mouth dropped open. “But that’s a story for another day. Right now, I’d love to hear what you think of our city by the bay.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Phebe said, meaning every word. “I can see why you live here.”

  Caroline inclined her head before setting her cup down as she turned in her seat to study Phebe. “And we’re all glad you’ve come to live here too.” She paused, her brown eyes full of a quiet understanding. “Madam Wigg wrote that you hope to find your father in addition to starting an orphans’ school.”

  Feeling she owed them some explanation in exchange for their generosity, Phebe nodded as Hannah slid a plate of eggs and a biscuit dripping with honey in front of her. When her eyes closed at the exquisite aromas, Christa chuckled.

  “Why don’t you go ahead and eat while we tell you something about ourselves, and then it will be your turn.” She pointedly looked at the fork lying beside Phebe’s plate, until the other woman picked it up and started eating. “I have two brothers, as you know, Adam and Henry. Adam married Caroline last year, which has been the best thing that’s ever happened to this family.” She glanced over at her sister-in-law and smiled. “And Henry needs a wife.”

  That had Phebe’s hand and fork freezing in midair. “Why?”

  When the other two women both stared at her, Phebe set her fork down and folded her hands in her lap. “He didn’t seem to be interested in discussing the marriage yesterday.” She frowned when Caroline and Christa exchanged a look she couldn’t interpret. “He does know about the marriage, doesn’t he?”

  “Of course he does,” Christa quickly assured her.

  Well. At least that was something.

  “Has he changed his mind?” Phebe held her breath, hoping for an instant denial. All she got was a long pause, filled with silence.

  Finally, Caroline pushed her plate away and leaned forward. “I don’t believe so, but I would guess he’s wondering the same thing about you.” She glanced over at Christa and smiled. “It’s hard to get a word in when all the Frommers are together. What you and Henry need is a little time without the rest of us, so you can have a private talk and come to an understanding about the marriage.”

  Even though she’d only had two bites, Phebe pushed her own plate away as another sudden attack of nerves beat down her appetite. She wasn’t at all sure she was ready to have a private talk with Henry Frommer. She hadn’t managed to form a good response before Christa jumped up from her seat.

  “I think that is an excellent suggestion. Let’s go find him. I spotted him in the garden not long ago.”

  When Caroline rose to her feet as well, Phebe automatically did the same, even as she frantically sought a reason to put off talking to Henry for a bit longer.

  “Maybe he doesn’t want to talk right now” was the best she could come up with, but Christa brushed that off with a breezy wave of her hand.

  “Oh, Henry doesn’t have a very good grasp of time, so now will be fine.” She latched on to Phebe’s arm and pulled her along. “Come on. Let’s get everything settled once and for all.” She headed for the door leading from the kitchen to the outside with a reluctant Phebe once again being towed behind her.

  The three women marched along the stone walkway until they rounded the corner of the house. Here the grounds opened into a small patch of greenery beyond the back terrace. At the edge of the bushes, Phebe could see Henry walking slowly, with his hands behind his back and his head down.

  As they drew closer, she spotted a pile of charred wooden planks spread out in a large square. Henry was pacing the length of one side of it, stopping every few feet to nudge aside a burnt piece of wood. He didn’t seem to be aware of the approaching women until they were almost on top of him.

  “Henry,” Christa said, drawing his startled gaze to her. “We’ve come to have a talk.” She grinned and drew Phebe up beside her. “Or at least, your betrothed has.”

  Henry adjusted his glasses on his nose and glanced at Phebe. “Do you need something?”

  Hearing you say more than a single sentence would be nice, Phebe thought, but she kept the retort to herself as she smiled. “I would appreciate a little of your time, whenever it’s convenient.”

  “Oh.” Henry looked lost as he stared back at her. “Of course. Maybe you’d like to inspect my workplace with me? We can talk as we look around.”

  Caroline coughed before subtly shaking her head at her brother-in-law. Christa was more direct with her annoyance, putting her hands on her hips and giving Henry an exasperated glare.

  “Phebe is not going to muck about in that pile of rubble, helping you find anything that can be saved. You need to be in a much better place to have a talk with your fiancée.” She crossed her arms and pinned her brother with a hard look. “Can’t you think of anywhere that you’ve been to, that a lady would enjoy?”

  Henry cast a glance over his shoulder at the charred space that some sort of small building used to occupy, before turning an apologetic smile toward Phebe. “I’m sorry. Of course, we should go somewhere nice for our talk. Perhaps the parlor?”

  “That would be fine,” Phebe said but was drowned out by Christa.

  “Kate’s Tea Shop would be the perfect place.”

  Henry’s features slowly rearranged themselves into a comical look of horror. “Kate’s Tea Shop? I don’t think so.” His voice took on an almost desperate, pleading note. “Our parlor is very comfortable.” He glanced at Phebe. “Didn’t you like the parlor?”

  “It was very nice—” Phebe started, only to be cut off again by Christa.

  “I’ll have John bring the carriage around while you escort Phebe to get her shawl.”

  When Henry finally sighed and nodded, Phebe had to stifle the sudden urge to laugh. She didn’t know why her future husband had objected to going to a tea shop, but he was acting as if it might be the last thing he ever did. Whatever could be so terrifying about this place? Thinking Henry was definitely something of a puzzle, Phebe decided a cup of hot tea would be welcome after all.

  “I’d love to go to the tea shop.” She gave Henry her sweetest smile. “If you have the time.”

  Henry’s face turned pale, but he managed a nod, finally holding out his arm to escort Phebe back into the house.

  Chapter 6

  It had taken Thomas, their stableman, less than a quarter hour to bring around the carriage. Phebe was surprised when she saw a smaller buggy than the one she’d ridden in the night before waiting outside. It would only seat two people comfortably, and she was sure the enforced coziness had been Christa’s idea.

  Phebe cautiously waited to see what Henry would say about it, and finally let out the breath she’d been holding when he held out a hand to assist her up the tall step without a murmur of protest. As she smoothed her skirt out, he took the driver’s seat. Phebe couldn’t help but go rigid until she was sure that Henry wouldn’t have them galloping through the streets, or turning over as they negotiated the lower part of the steep hill the house was located on.

  She experienced a twinge of guilt for doubting Henry’s skill with a horse and carriage, but from the little she had seen of him, she felt those doubts were justified. The man didn’t seem overly concerned with the more practical side of life.

  As Henry guided the mare through the crowded streets, the silence in the carriage wasn’t exactly u
ncomfortable, but Phebe couldn’t seem to relax either. She tried to come up with several polite topics that would be suitable conversation for a tea, but her mind kept roving to the one thing that was her biggest concern. Did Henry even want to get married? It struck her that he didn’t have any reason to marry a complete stranger and go off to live in the mountains near the mining country. So why had he agreed to it?

  “Are you cold?”

  Startled at having her thoughts interrupted, Phebe managed a brief shake of her head. “No. I’m fine, thank you.” She searched for something else to say, her mouth curving into a smile when she felt the warmth of the sun on her face. “I’m enjoying the weather here. It’s certainly different from the cold and rain in New York at this time of year.”

  “Not surprising. San Francisco is three degrees’ latitude south of New York.” Henry kept his gaze on the horse as he guided the buggy through the crowded streets. “That comes out to two hundred and seven miles further south.” He glanced at her with a sheepish smile. “Approximately.”

  She laughed. “Approximately, Mr. Frommer? That seems very precise to me.”

  “I have several books on world geography, if you’re interested.” Henry smiled as he warmed up to the subject. “This country spans over twenty-five degrees of latitude. Of course, we haven’t finished growing yet, so it may end up being a much greater area than what we see now. I’ve found that—” he abruptly stopped speaking. His cheeks stained red as he kept his eyes looking straight ahead. “Yes, well. That is to say, the country is rather large, with different weather depending on where you are.”

  Phebe’s brown eyes crinkled at the corners. “I also have read quite a few books, Mr. Frommer. I am a teacher after all.”

  Henry’s shoulders visibly relaxed. “Yes. I haven’t had a chance yet to see what books Caroline and Christa bought on your behalf. I intend paying a visit to the storage area and look over all the supplies. I might have a suggestion or two.” He turned his head and blinked several times behind the lenses of his glasses. “Although I’m positive that the list you sent of required texts and primers is more than adequate.”

  Trying not to be distracted by the appealing way a thick lock of his blond hair had fallen across his forehead and over the top rim of his spectacles, Phebe smiled. “I’d like to hear your opinion. I wasn’t quite sure what to purchase for the more advanced students.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Do you think there will be some advanced students? Caroline said you wanted to gather the orphans of miners. I looked through several articles last night in a book about the gold rush. I was appalled to read that children, with or without parents, usually ended up working in the mines to survive. But that was a quarter century ago, and I’m not sure how much it applies to the silver mines today.”

  “I’m sure it hasn’t changed,” Phebe said quietly. “The children need help, and an education. They shouldn’t be spending their childhoods in a dark hole in the earth.”

  Now it was her turn to blink when he gave her an admiring look. Phebe couldn’t remember ever being on the receiving end of such a thing. She felt the heat race across her face.

  “Educating our children, so that knowledge can continually be built upon, is the foundation of an advanced society, Miss Wigg.”

  Phebe couldn’t argue with that, but it wasn’t her motive for starting the school. “An education and equal opportunity for everyone is essential, Mr. Frommer. Don’t you agree?” She held her breath. If Henry didn’t believe every child, no matter their circumstances, deserved an education, then she saw no point at all in going through with this marriage.

  “I certainly agree. A good mind comes in bodies of all shapes, sizes, and circumstances, Miss Wigg, and every one of them should be educated.”

  His answer came so easily that Phebe closed her eyes in relief. Henry Frommer sounded like a man who’d be willing to share his knowledge with anyone. The thought made her smile.

  “How many books do you own?”

  He shrugged, his surprisingly broad shoulders making a careless move up and down. “I’ve never actually counted them all, but I’d guess close to a thousand.”

  A thousand? However would they get a thousand books up into the mountains?

  “Do you have a particular set of them that you are most fond of?” Phebe ventured, not even one whit surprised when Henry shook his head.

  “No. I find them all invaluable. You never know what sort of information you’ll need.” He suddenly grinned, charming Phebe with a mischievous wink. “Like how many degrees of latitude there are between New York and San Francisco.”

  Phebe stared at him, keeping her hands clasped tightly in her lap so she wouldn’t reach up to brush that stray lock of hair off his forehead. “Yes, I suppose you never know.” She finally sighed and tried again. “It might be difficult to take that many books with us.”

  “Perhaps, but we’ll find a way. We can put them on the train as far as Sacramento and then hire a few additional wagons.” He paused for a moment. “But Adam said I was to pick out only the most essential, and then he’d gradually ship the rest when we had a place to accommodate them.”

  A few additional wagons for a thousand books? Phebe was certain they would have had to hire a whole caravan. Adam’s idea was certainly more practical.

  “Why did you choose to come to California?” Henry blurted the question out, then immediately hunched his shoulders. “I’m sorry. That was probably too personal to ask.” He straightened up again and sucked in a deep breath. “I was wondering how your trip was.”

  Since she wasn’t sure she wanted to confide any of her own reasons for coming so far west to Henry yet, Phebe happily accepted the sudden change in topic. “It was hard to leave my friends, of course, but the trip was quite comfortable. Jesse was enjoyable company to travel with.”

  She frowned when Henry dropped his head and seemed to be looking at his shoes.

  “Most of the ladies enjoy being around Jesse.”

  When his gaze stayed glued to the floor of the carriage, Phebe smiled. Henry’s voice had held a clear note of dejection. The same note she’d often heard coming from her young male students when they were upset but too embarrassed to admit it. Fortunately, she’d had plenty of experience and could handle low spirits easily enough.

  “He does have a gift for storytelling that helped pass the time. I found his conversation to be most --” she deliberately hesitated before adding, “--adequate.”

  Henry’s head immediately popped up and turned in her direction. “Adequate?”

  Phebe smiled calmly. “Yes.”

  “Adequate. Not charming or engaging, but adequate.” Henry repeated the word, looking very pleased with it. Phebe kept her eyes forward and her lips pressed together, determined not to laugh as she diplomatically pretended not to notice how much more lighthearted he sounded.

  “Ah. Here we are.” Henry let out a sigh as he pulled the flashy chestnut mare to a stop. He inclined his head toward a quaint-looking shop, with windows framed by blue shutters, and a white picket fence across the front. A sign proclaiming it as Kate’s Tea Shop hung over the door.

  Holding his breath, Henry gingerly lowered himself onto the spindly chair, hoping the thing wouldn’t completely collapse underneath him. The ominous creak of wood had him wincing as Kate stood patiently waiting, a smile on her face. The short, sturdily built woman with hair as white as the large apron she was wearing tapped a finger lightly on the tabletop.

  “I haven’t seen you in here in ages, Henry Frommer. How are Adam and Christa?”

  “Fine, thank you.”

  When Kate pointedly inclined her head toward Phebe, Henry frowned.

  His blank stare had Kate rolling her eyes toward the ceiling in a clear bid at asking for divine help. “Henry, who is this lovely lady you’ve brought to the shop today?”

  Henry’s mouth formed into an “O” as he finally caught on that he needed to remember his manners. “This is Phebe. I mean Miss Wi
gg.” He gave Phebe an apologetic smile. “Miss Wigg, this is Kate. She owns the shop.”

  Kate shook her head at him before turning her smile on Phebe. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Wigg. Are you here visiting San Francisco?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I mean, that is . . .”

  Phebe looked to Henry, but he didn’t notice as he studied the delicate teacup sitting in front of him. He wondered if it would break the minute he picked it up. Finally catching Phebe’s hesitation, he absently put out his own answer to Kate’s question.

  “Phebe and I are going to be married, and then we’ll be off for Lake Tahoe to start a school for orphans.” He looked up and smiled at Kate’s astonished face. “It’s something Caroline has always wanted to do, and so has Phebe. The whole thing worked out quite nicely, I think.”

  “Why, yes. Um . . . nicely,” Kate stuttered out, her wide-eyed gaze bouncing between Henry and Phebe. “I’ll get your tea and something to nibble on.” She backed away, almost bumping into the next table before turning and running toward the kitchen.

  Henry stared after her, wondering at her peculiar behavior. His gaze encountered that of an acquaintance sitting nearby, and he was surprised to see the man was staring back at him with his mouth wide open.

  “Are you sure?”

  Phebe’s voice was soft and didn’t carry far, but Henry heard her words well enough. Glad for the distraction, he turned his attention to her.

  “About starting the orphanage? Of course. It will be a great adventure, and a noble one.”

  Her brows drew together. “I believe so, but I was talking about getting married.” She took a quick look around before fixing her stare back on him. “You’ve just announced it to everyone here.”

  The small shop, which had been completely silent for several moments, suddenly came alive with whispered conversations.

  “Well, anyone who’s interested would have found out soon anyway. I’m sure Caroline intends to make some sort of announcement.” Henry scrunched his forehead as he gave it some thought. “Probably in the newspaper. I have no idea how such things are done.”