by Ann Shorey
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I thought you knew. She’ll spend her days with him, and return to Thaddeus’s home in the evenings. That arrangement will work well for all concerned—including us.” He dropped another kiss on the top of her head. “Now, what do you say to a double wedding?”
“I say yes.”
At the edge of the water, a great blue heron squawked and rose into the air.
35
On Monday, Rosemary sat at her desk staring into space, ignoring the open ledger in front of her. Bodie snuffling on his blanket was the only sound in the room. Elijah had left early that morning for a house call north of town, leaving her free to daydream.
Three weeks until her wedding. Could she be ready? She’d go to the mercantile after work to share her news with Faith and select a dress pattern and fabric. She felt certain Amy would help her sew a gown. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. Imagine. A wedding gown. For her. She closed her eyes and smiled.
The door opened, jarring her back to the present. A blonde woman near Rosemary’s age stood in the entrance. She wore a sweeping café au lait suit with a matching fringed shawl, topped by a narrow-brimmed hat sporting an ostrich plume. From the regal tilt of her chin to her narrow-toed boots, her appearance shouted wealth.
The woman’s gaze swept the narrow reception room with barely concealed surprise.
“Is this Dr. Stewart’s office?” To Rosemary’s ears, accustomed to soft Missouri speech, the voice carried a flat Midwestern tang.
She clenched her fists in her lap. Another woman coming to see Elijah based on his father’s reputation. Of all the days for him to be away.
“Dr. Stewart is out on a house call today. He may return by late afternoon. If you wish, I’ll take your name and tell him your complaint.”
Her gloved hand at her throat, the visitor chuckled. “I have no complaint—unless you count inattention. Please tell Elijah that Miss Adele Mason has come to see the town he prefers to Chicago. He will find me in the only suite provided by that dreadful hotel near the railroad tracks.”
Apparently noticing Rosemary’s stunned expression, Miss Mason continued. “I’m his fiancée, miss. Surely he’s mentioned my name.” She removed the glove on her left hand and spread her fingers to display a pearl ring on her fourth finger.
Rosemary felt the blood drain from her face. She gripped the edge of her desk for support as she rose.
“I don’t believe you. I’m Elijah’s fiancée. He would never deceive me.”
“Then you don’t know him very well, do you?” She tugged the ring from her finger and handed the gold circlet to Rosemary. “Look at the inscription.”
Rosemary tilted the band sideways and saw, “Always, ES,” engraved on the inside. Her head swam. How could Elijah pretend he loved her when he already had a fiancée?
Miss Mason smirked. “Do you believe me now? This ring has been in the Stewart family for generations.” She took the ring from Rosemary. “Now it’s mine, to seal our betrothal.”
She slid the ring back on her finger and looked with disdain around the reception area. “He’s gone a bit far this time to get me to come after him. But what is the saying? Love covers a multitude of sins, and I shall forgive him again.” She turned back to Rosemary and gave her a look of affected pity. “I must warn you, he will probably deny all of this to drag it out. I’m so sorry you were his pawn.”
Tearing her gaze away from the gleaming pearl, Rosemary took a breath to subdue the pain that radiated through her chest. Heartbreak was more than a figure of speech. The agony she felt was real. She tightened her grip on the desk.
“As soon as the doctor returns, I’ll give him your message.” Her voice wavered. She remained standing until Miss Mason closed the door behind her, then she collapsed onto her chair.
Bodie whined and rested his head on her knee. “It’s not possible,” she whispered. Her tears splashed over his smooth fur.
By midafternoon, the wound to Rosemary’s spirit had deepened to anguish. Elijah must think her a complete fool. How long was he planning to wait before telling her about Miss Mason? Or was Miss Mason the one to receive an unpleasant surprise?
It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. As soon as he returned to the office she’d give him the young woman’s message, then add a message of her own.
At the sound of footsteps on the boardwalk, Bodie ran to the door, tail wagging.
“How are you, boy?” Elijah rubbed the dog’s ears and then turned to Rosemary with a wide smile. “I missed you today. Of all the days to be out in the country for hours.”
“My thoughts exactly.” She moved to within three feet of him, then stopped. His face wavered through the sheen of her tears. She held out a slip of paper. “I promised to give you this.”
Concern crossed his features. “What’s wrong?”
“Read it.”
His complexion turned chalky as his gaze flicked over the written lines. “Miss Mason . . . she’s here?”
“A surprise, is it?”
“Rosemary.” He reached for her, but she stepped away.
With deliberate motions, she untied her apron, smoothed the folds, and tucked it into her carryall. Bending over, she clipped Bodie’s leash to his collar.
“I trusted you, I believed you. We made wedding plans.” Her voice caught on a sob. “You’re welcome to Miss Mason. I . . . I’m leaving.” She sidestepped him and stumbled toward the entrance. “Good-bye, Dr. Stewart.”
“Rosemary, I’m as shocked as—”
She closed the door on his words.
Before she’d taken five steps, she heard the door open. Elijah overtook her and stopped her progress by resting his hand on her upper arm. “In that note—you wrote she was my fiancée. She’s no such thing. I barely know the woman. She was a guest of my father’s while I visited him.”
Her sense of betrayal threatened to smother her. “I don’t believe you. She showed me the ring you gave her, with your inscription inside the band. ‘Always, ES.’ She was more than your father’s guest.”
“I didn’t—”
Rosemary dashed a tear from her cheek. “How long were you planning to lead me along before you packed up and left for Chicago?”
“Please, listen to me.”
“Just leave me alone.”
She pulled away from his grasp. With Bodie tugging at the end of the leash, she hastened along the boardwalk toward King’s Highway. Two blocks and she’d reach the mercantile. Her eyes stung with fresh tears, but she willed them away.
When she turned the corner at the barbershop, a group of men standing out front gestured toward her and snickered among themselves. She ignored them. No amount of mockery could be more humiliating than what she’d already endured today.
The bell over the door of the mercantile jingled when she entered. Faith stood at the rear of the store, unpacking lanterns from a wooden crate. She straightened when she saw Rosemary.
“My word. What brings you here before five?” She brushed wood shavings from her apron and met Rosemary next to the checkerboard. “How was your picnic yesterday? Did you tell Elijah you’d marry him?”
Her tightly bound tears burst free. She dropped her carryall and buried her face in her hands. “He already has . . . a fiancée,” she gasped between sobs. “She came to the office.”
“No. There must be a mistake. Elijah loves you.” Faith wrapped her arm around Rosemary’s shoulders. “Sit down and tell me what happened.”
Rosemary obeyed, waiting until she had her sobs under control before speaking. She described Miss Mason, her expensive clothing and perfect coiffure.
“There’s no mistake. She showed me her ring. It’s a Stewart family heirloom. Elijah’s initials are inside the band.” Her voice shook. “She’s at the hotel, expecting him right now.” She drew a shuddering breath and dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. “In a suite, no less.”
Faith rose and dashed to the front entrance. She r
olled the curtains down, placing a “CLOSED” sign in the window. Then she returned to Rosemary’s side. “What are you going to do?”
“Take the morning train to St. Louis. Between Elijah’s fiancée and everything else that’s happened, I can’t bear to remain here.” She drew the dog to her side, hugging him close. “Will you keep Bodie for me while I’m gone? As soon as I find employment, I’ll come back for him.”
Faith’s mouth dropped open. “St. Louis? Where will you stay? Surely you won’t go to your parents’.”
“I wish that were possible, but we know it’s not.” Regret tinged her voice. “Some time ago I received a letter from my former nursing supervisor at the Barracks. She invited me to visit. I pray she can also direct me to a hospital where I could work.”
“There must be other jobs right here.”
“I thought about that while I waited for Elijah—Dr. Stewart—to return this afternoon. I just don’t want to be in the same town with him and his fiancée.” She choked on the word.
“You’re being too hasty.”
“Too hasty? How would you feel if a woman came to you and said she and Curt . . .”
Faith blanched. “I’d be heartbroken.”
“That’s exactly how I feel.” Rosemary pressed her hand to her aching chest.
“Things are bound to look better in a few days.”
“They’ll look better because I’ll be in St. Louis.”
“I don’t want you to go.” Faith’s voice cracked. “I’ll miss you so much. Curt will be devastated. So will Amy and Grandpa.”
Rosemary stood on wobbly legs. “I’ll return in time for the wedding. Please tell Amy I won’t forget her flowers.” Fresh tears threatened to spill. “Oh, Faith, just yesterday Elijah and I talked about our wedding. Now today those plans are ashes.”
“The Lord must have something better for you.” Her gaze softened with compassion. “I know this is no comfort right now.”
“On the contrary, he’s the one thing in life that never changes. He is my comfort.”
Rosemary’s steps dragged when she left the mercantile. Wagons and riders on horseback moved in both directions along the wide street. An errant puff of wind blew grit into her already swollen eyes, blinding her for a moment. Head bowed, she plucked a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed beneath her lashes.
A horse stopped next to the boardwalk. When her vision cleared, she recognized Sheriff Cooper’s frowning visage.
“Why aren’t you at Elijah’s office? You know what happened the last time you left in the middle of the day.”
She shook her head, struggling to find words. The sheriff and Elijah were friends. Were they both keeping Miss Mason a secret from her? She clenched her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms.
“I’m leaving for St. Louis tomorrow. My association with Dr. Stewart has ended.” To her relief, she sounded normal.
Sheriff Cooper reared back in the saddle with exaggerated surprise. “Well, if that don’t beat all. Just like that? Why, the other day Elijah—” He stopped and stared at her. “You don’t mean you’re leaving for good?”
She nodded, not trusting her voice.
“Amy’s all excited about the flowers you promised for our wedding.”
“I’ll keep my promise. Whatever happens in St. Louis, I’ll be back for the ceremony.”
He guided his horse away from the boardwalk. “I’ll see you home, long as you’re headed that way.”
“Thank you.” She faced east and continued to plod toward her door.
His horse clopped along the street beside her. With a detached sense of satisfaction, she noticed that the men in front of the barbershop disappeared inside the moment they saw the sheriff.
He leaned over the saddle horn when she reached her gate. “I been studying on everything that’s happened to you—the messages and such. I think I got it figured out. Reckoned I better tell you, in case that’s why you’re running away.”
“I am not running away.” She frowned at him, pushing down the thought that running away was exactly what she was doing. “Who do you think it is?”
“Can’t say just yet. Won’t be long, though.”
She huffed out a breath. “The sooner the better, Sheriff. Once I leave, he may find someone else to harass.”
“If’n that happens, it’ll make my job easier.” He lifted his hat. “Evening, Miss Rosemary.” Turning west, he rode toward the jailhouse.
She paused on the path to her front porch and unfastened Bodie’s leash. He galloped up the steps and flopped down on the mat next to her door. Before following him, she surveyed her flourishing garden. Golden yarrow blooms brushed against stems of a coral climbing rose sprawled over one side of her fence. Spikes of lavender shot high over spreading purple geraniums. She swallowed a stab of regret at the prospect of leaving her months of careful work behind.
She assured herself her garden would be fine in her absence. Once she found a place to live in St. Louis, she’d put everything in pots and take the plants with her. She bit her lip, knowing few of them would survive.
Rosemary dropped spoonfuls of her precious jasmine mixture into her teapot, and poured boiling water over the dried tea leaves. The fragrance of summer flowers wafted from the steam. After a few minutes, she poured the light blend into a cup and sank onto a chair.
Later in the evening, she’d pack a valise with enough clothing to last at least a week. If she wore her green paisley skirt and bodice, and included an additional bodice, she should be able to get by without a trunk full of clothing. She took a sip of tea. The events of the past two days had left her groping through thick clouds of uncertainty.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow. That’s what she’d do. One step at a time.
Cradling her teacup in one hand, she left the kitchen and went to a letter box she kept on a shelf in the sitting room. Alice Broadbent’s most recent missive rested near the top. Rosemary remembered writing to her former nursing supervisor when she first met Elijah. She’d wanted to share her pleasure at meeting one of the doctors both women had known during the war.
What a difference from then until now. She hadn’t known him as well as she thought she did.
The letter she held in her hand was filled with news about the opening of a home for disabled soldiers. Alice had invited her to visit and tour the facility should she ever return to St. Louis. Thus far, Rosemary hadn’t replied, and now there wasn’t time. She prayed she’d be welcome when she appeared at the woman’s door tomorrow evening.
Movement outside prickled her senses. Not again. She stepped to the window and peeked through the curtain.
Elijah strode toward her porch.
She dropped Alice’s letter and opened the door a crack.
“Please, leave me alone.”
“Not until you listen to me.” His jaw tight, he gave her his haughty doctor look.
“Go talk to your fiancée.”
“She’s not—”
“I saw the ring.” She choked back a sob. “Now go.”
36
The next morning, Rosemary sat between Curt and Faith as they traveled toward the station. She appreciated that he drove past Second Street before turning south, so they wouldn’t pass Elijah’s office.
Another new beginning. When she came to Noble Springs, she’d had Curt. In St. Louis, she’d have Alice, and maybe Cassie, depending on Mrs. Bingham’s current standing at her brother-in-law’s. Rosemary tried not to think too far ahead. Take therefore no thought for the morrow.
Curt stopped the buggy in front of the station and then helped her and Faith to the ground. A team and wagon, along with another horse, were tied to the hitching rail.
“We’ll wait here while you buy your ticket. Looks like you have plenty of time. I can’t see the smoke yet.”
She adjusted her green paisley shawl over her shoulders. “I shouldn’t be long.” Chin held high, she marched inside the boxlike station. An unoccupied wooden bench s
at against the wall opposite the ticket counter. Sunlight streaked through the windows, highlighting the dusty plank floor. Save for the railway clerk, the room was empty. The wagon outside must belong to a teamster who waited up the street in the hotel.
The hotel. Her breath caught. Was Miss Mason there right now? Or was she spending time with Elijah at his office? She sucked in air and held it until her lungs ached. The train couldn’t leave soon enough. Once she was in St. Louis, she’d be away from both of them.
“You wanting a ticket?” The clerk peered at her over round-rimmed glasses. He pushed them up on his nose. “One-way or round-trip?”
“Round-trip, please.”
The train rocked from side to side as it rolled eastward toward St. Louis. The iron wheels seemed to mock her decision. “Running away. Running away. Running away.”
Rosemary covered her ears. She was making a necessary change. Not running away at all.
She shifted on the seat, glancing around the car at her fellow passengers. Across the aisle, a gray-haired woman plied knitting needles around strands of brown wool. While she worked, a stocking took shape under her fingers. Her busy hands reminded Rosemary of Cassie and her tatting.
She patted her handbag, feeling the crisp sheet of paper inside. She’d copied Cassie’s address next to Alice’s, planning to visit her friend at the first opportunity. If Cassie had never left Noble Springs, perhaps her companionship would have made remaining in town tolerable.
Rosemary blew out a weary breath. No matter how often she considered her situation, she reached the same conclusion. She needed to leave.
The woman across the aisle tucked her knitting into a tapestry bag. Holding one of the supports that rose between seat backs and storage space overhead, she stood and peered over her spectacles at Rosemary.
“Excuse me, miss. Do you have any idea when we’ll arrive in St. Louis?” Rays of wrinkles framed her kind blue eyes. A net covered a coil of braids at the back of her head. Something about her expression reminded Rosemary of times when her mother would join her while she sat reading in the library of her childhood home. They’d sit together and discuss whatever book Rosemary held in her hand. She blinked to dislodge the memory and turned to her questioner.