He walked toward her on unsteady legs. “Don’t worry about it.”
She opened the bottle and applied some morphine to a cloth. “This should help dull the pain.” She rested her left hand against his shoulder and placed the damp cloth against the stitches.
He shuddered. “That’s much better.” His hand rested on her back.
“I keep burning the biscuits.” She straightened and found herself in his embrace.
Tyler raised an eyebrow. “Biscuits?”
“I never burned the biscuits before you arrived,” she confessed. “I can’t seem to do anything right when you’re around. What’s wrong with me?”
Tyler pulled her close against his chest. He brushed a stray curl away from her face. “We were interrupted on the boat, but I think you owe me a kiss.”
“It sometimes helps to ease the pain,” she admitted, feeling guilty for her mistake. Cory’s eyes widened as he lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. His touch ignited a spark that lit up her body like a glowing ember. Her fingertips gripped his shoulder. She felt her knees go weak, and her body yielded to his control. She craved to learn all the secrets two people could share and wondered if she could wait. Her body was impatient, and her heart was in turmoil from denying the truth. She loved him. She gasped for air as he pulled away. Only his arms kept her from collapsing.
“I think you owe me two.” She nodded in agreement, but a knock at the door tore them apart.
Cory grabbed a roll of bandages as Cole entered with a shirt. She had changed from Jem’s ball gown to a plain cotton dress. “Mama wants to know if you’ll be staying for supper.” She stared at Tyler.
He held out his arms so Cory could wrap the bandage around his chest over the stitches.
“Close your mouth,” Cory reminded Cole.
****
The dining room table was large enough to seat ten. Tyler sat to the right of Maureen and next to Cory. Jess and Cole served. They carried the bowls from the kitchen and handed them to Maureen, who passed them around the table. “I’ll be glad to return to Grandpa’s boat after all the work we’ve had to do around here,” Cole said.
“Me, too,” Jess agreed.
“How much jam did you put up?” Cory asked.
“I haven’t counted all the jars, but I’m sure we’ll have extra to sell,” Maureen said.
“I hear Papa!” Jules ran to the window. They could hear the sound of a horse and buggy on the gravel.
“Do you mind waiting?” Maureen opened the door. “Leave the buggy hitched,” she called out before turning back to Cory. “You do want a ride, don’t you?”
“It’s better than walking.”
Sterling Beecher entered with his medical bag and hat in hand. He had dark brown hair with a touch of gray at the temples. He was tall with an intelligent face etched with laugh lines.
Maureen greeted him with a kiss, and his daughters greeted him with hugs and kisses.
“Cory.” He kissed her. “What brings you home?”
Maureen looked toward Tyler. Sterling greeted the young man.
“Tyler Montgomery.” He stood and waited for everyone to be seated before sitting down. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, sir.”
“Is that my shirt?”
“Medical problem.” Maureen passed the dishes. “Cory took care of it. How is the Herbruck boy?”
“Nasty break,” Sterling replied. “The ulna and radius jammed together, and I had to separate and rotate them to set the arm.”
“Did Arthur scream?” Jess asked.
“It was Harry, and you’d scream, too,” he answered. “It was very painful.”
“I like Harry. It’s Art who is always making fun of me in school.”
“Maybe he likes you,” Cole said. “Boys that age act stupid when they like a girl.”
“Well, I don’t like him, and he knows it.”
“Is he the boy you hit?” Tyler asked.
Jess glanced toward her father and lowered her voice. “How do you know about that?”
“I saw Arthur’s black eye. You are not allowed to fight with any boys,” Sterling warned from the end of the table.
“Sorry,” Tyler whispered to Jess. “I didn’t know it was a secret.”
“Nothing I do remains a secret for long.” Jess turned to her father. “Why can’t I hit him? He’s bigger than me.”
“Because he’s not allowed to fight back.”
“And any fighting includes girls,” Maureen added.
“There are other ways to beat girls,” Cole said.
“Nasty words are equally unacceptable. I hope you’re not plotting anything, Colleen. You wouldn’t want to miss your first dance.”
Cole squirmed in her seat.
Maureen turned to Cory. “You better try on the dress Grandma made you and make sure it fits. Unless you plan to take it with you and make your own alterations.”
“You’re not staying the night?” Sterling asked.
“Adelaide is expecting us.”
“Us?” Sterling looked at Tyler. “Are you staying with Adelaide, too, Mr. Montgomery?”
Tyler tugged the collar on his borrowed shirt. “I’m meeting a client at Miss Adelaide’s tonight.”
Cory saw her parents exchange secretive glances. “Why don’t I try on that dress?”
Jem stood to join her, but Maureen spoke. “I’ll help her.”
Cory hurried up the stairs as her mother followed more leisurely. Cory found the dark green silk gown spread out on the bed she shared with Jules. “It’s beautiful.”
“Grandma was always talented with a needle, but with a sewing machine, she made dresses for you, Jennifer, and Colleen in a few weeks.” She helped her undress and put on the new gown. “So tell me about Mr. Montgomery.”
Cory shrugged. “There’s not much to tell.”
“You light up like a flame every time he looks at you.” Maureen pulled back her hair to hook the ball gown. “Is this a love bite?”
“What?” Cory stared in the mirror at the bruise in the shape of a mouth. Tyler had left a mark. She groaned.
“What have you been up to Courtney Rose?”
Cory began with the knock on Adelaide’s door two nights ago and nearly everything up to the trip on the Irish Rose. She left out the kissing in the barn and in her father’s office.
“He’s afraid no woman would marry him because of his parents. Do you think that’s a good reason not to marry someone?”
“The members of our family have never had easy love lives. Your father’s family didn’t approve of me, and Grandma’s family didn’t approve of Grandpa.”
Cory wanted to confess her fears to her mother. What if Tyler didn’t want to marry her? What if he was flirting with her until some new girl came along? What if he left and never came back? A sigh escaped her lips.
“What’s bothering you?”
“What would you have done if Papa hadn’t married you?”
Maureen seemed startled by her question. “I think I would have eventually married someone else.”
“But you love Papa.”
“We like to believe love is eternal, but it can grow or die. You can build on your initial feelings for each other or look elsewhere for happiness.”
Cory didn’t want to look elsewhere. “He’s taken a job with Sam Morris. What does that mean, Mama?”
“I think you should find out.” She helped her remove the new gown and put on her day dress. “Do you want to take it with you tonight?”
“Can you bring it tomorrow?” Cory gathered up her formal gloves, fan, and some hair ribbons and added them to the box with her dress. “You’ll have more room in the wagon.”
Maureen stroked her hair. “Before your love grows too much, you need to find out where you stand with this young man. If you don’t, your father will.”
Cory agreed. Tyler liked teasing her. He enjoyed kissing her. But did he love her? Was he over any feelings for Reggie, or was she clinging to false h
ope?
When they went downstairs, her sisters were putting away the dishes. “Where’s Tyler?”
“Papa is talking to him in his office.”
Had her father taken the initiative to question Tyler? And what had he answered?
“Here’s his shirt.” Jem had pressed it. “I don’t think the blood stain is coming out.”
She took the shirt and headed to her father’s office.
Tyler had his borrowed shirt off, and Sterling was replacing the bandage. “I examined his wound,” he said. “The stitches should hold as long as he doesn’t exert himself.”
Cory handed Tyler his shirt and helped him maneuver his left arm into the sleeve. He gathered his vest and jacket from the bench.
“Looks like a gunshot made that hole.” Sterling looked at Tyler. “You’re not in any trouble, are you, young man?”
“No, sir.” Cory helped him with his jacket. “It was an accident.”
“Keep the wound clean.” Sterling looked at Cory. “Are you ready to go?”
“I left Adelaide’s buggy at the livery.” Cory gathered her basket and bonnet and led the way through the house to the back door. She gave everyone a hug. “See you tomorrow.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The buggy was built for two, and Cory had to practically sit on Tyler’s lap. His hand rested familiarly around her waist. She disguised any unease with a steady flow of conversation. Sterling broached the topic of Douglas.
“I heard Mr. Raymond called at Glen Knolls. Most young men wouldn’t call on two ladies alone, especially with one in mourning.”
“He called to check on Miss Adelaide.”
“Every Sunday?”
Cory rarely had to explain her actions to her father but still felt nervous every time he asked questions. “The last few calls were to visit me, but Miss Adelaide was chaperoning.”
“Isn’t he a professor at the college?”
“Not yet.”
Tyler snickered.
Cory frowned. She knew what he was thinking. Douglas wouldn’t be a professor until after he married.
Sterling looked at Tyler. “Do you know him?”
“I met him yesterday when the Reverend Davis and his family came for supper,” Tyler replied.
“Douglas was only looking for his keys,” she explained. “He thought he’d lost them, but Beth found them. Miss Adelaide invited him to join us.”
“Sounds serious. I think it’s time I ask Principal Gregory about him. See what his prospects are.”
Cory cringed. “You don’t have to do that.”
“A father has responsibilities,” he answered. “A man with daughters has to make sure a man isn’t trifling with their affections or their reputations. Adelaide is an adequate chaperone, but if he doesn’t intend to marry you, he won’t be welcomed at Glen Knolls or here. Courtship has rules, or a man would throw a woman over his shoulder and carry her off.”
Her father wasn’t talking exclusively about Douglas. Tyler hadn’t followed any rules of courtship. Wait until her mother told him about the love bite.
An awkward silence ensued until they reached the livery. Tyler helped Lou hitch up Nell. Sterling kissed Cory and shook hands with Tyler. “Stay out of trouble, young man.”
Tyler swallowed. “I intend to, sir.”
On the ride to Glen Knolls, Cory explained how her mother found his mark. “Look!” She pulled back her hair. “What were you thinking?”
“I didn’t know it would bruise.”
She was too amused by his boyish innocence to be mad. Her chuckle turned to a scream when Clyde stepped out from the woods across from the farm and grabbed Nell’s harness.
“Let go there, Clyde,” Tyler ordered. “You’re scaring the horse.”
“What are you hiding?”
“Nothing.”
Clyde circled around the buggy. “Mr. Vandal don’t want to involve federal marshals, but he will if you don’t turn over Tess and her brat.”
“How is Mr. Vandal?” Cory asked.
“Do you know there were leeches in the canal?”
Tyler groaned.
“Buck and I don’t give up.” Clyde moved aside to let them pass.
Tyler handed Cory the reins when they reached the barn and jumped down to slide open the door. He led Nell inside and closed the door before lighting a lantern. “Noah!” Tyler looked around. No reply.
“Maybe they’re in the house.”
“Noah wouldn’t leave without saying good-bye.” Tyler hung up the harness. He led Nell outside and around to the back to put her in a stall.
Cory waited for him by the side door to the lower level, and they crossed the yard together to the back door.
Adelaide was heating some water on the stove. Dirty dishes were piled in the dry sink. Her apron was wrinkled, and her normally tight bun was loose.
Cory put her basket down on the table and looked around. “What’s wrong?”
“One of the chasers came back to town and almost discovered Tess and the baby hiding in a wagon. Then he set up camp across the road to watch for them. Beth had to lead them through the woods, and it took longer.”
“We ran into Clyde out front. He’s still watching the house and road. Where are Noah and Tess?” Tyler asked.
“I put them in Hiram’s office.”
Hiram’s office was off the hallway opposite the dining room. It had been closed up since his death. Tyler and Cory found Noah seated next to Tess on a red horsehair sofa. Tess was holding their baby.
“What’s wrong?” Tyler asked.
Noah stood up. “The baby is sick.”
“He won’t suckle.” Tess covered her breast. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”
Cory studied the family. Noah was a big man with muscles honed from hard labor. His hair was cut short, a black mass of tight curls. His features were those of a black man with a smooth round forehead and high cheekbones, but his nose was not as flat on the bridge. The white race was more evident in Tess. Her skin was lighter, and her nose was narrow. Cory studied her face, looking for any similarities to Edward Vandal.
“I bet you don’t meet many slaves in Ohio,” Tess said quietly.
Cory was embarrassed for being caught staring. “I am sorry for being rude. You’re quite beautiful,” she added.
“What?” Tess hid her face.
Cory turned her attention to the baby. He was quiet. He opened his big round eyes but didn’t seem interested in his surroundings. Cory placed her hand on his forehead. He was warm to the touch and listless, neither crying nor smiling.
“Let me see your hand, Tess.”
She held out her small hand palm up.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” Cory turned it over and saw fresh briar scratches. She pinched the loose skin on top before releasing it. The skin remained peaked before smoothing out. “Have you eaten?”
“Miss Adelaide fed us when we arrived.”
“What about before that?”
“We had some breakfast, but Adam hardly nursed. It’s been so hot in the church.”
“You’re overheated.” Cory looked at Adam. “It can be deadly.”
Tess held Adam closer.
Noah stroked his son’s head. “Can you do something?”
“He needs fluids.”
Tess choked back tears. “He won’t nurse.”
Cory cleared a table. “I’ll start by giving him a bath to cool him down.”
“Will my son be all right?” Noah asked.
Cory didn’t want to lie to them. She didn’t know. Dehydration from the heat could kill an adult in hours and less time for an infant. “You need to start drinking water, milk, anything we have,” Cory instructed Tess. “Otherwise, you won’t have any milk for Adam.”
“I’ll go milk Bessie.” Tyler hurried out the door.
“You have a cow named Bessie?” Noah asked.
His grin was familiar. Cory didn’t have time to wonder why. “He calls all the cows Bessie.” She
opened the door. “I’ll fetch some water.”
Cory found Adelaide in the kitchen. “The baby is overheated, but well water will be too cold for a bath. What did you do with the hot water you were heating?”
“I used most of it to wash the dishes, but there’s some left in the pot. Is it enough?”
Cory lifted the pot. “Enough to take the chill off.”
Cory headed for the pump and filled a pitcher. In the kitchen she added the hot water from the stove and tested the temperature. She gathered up bathing supplies and entered the study. Tyler entered with a pail. “How much milk did you get?”
“About half a pail.”
“Have Tess drink as much as possible.”
Cory filled a basin with water and laid the towels on the table before she turned her attention to Adam. He wore a soiled gown made from a flour bag. She helped Tess remove it and watched as she undid a piece of string holding a triangle of burlap lined with cotton that served as a diaper.
Cory felt the diaper. “It’s dry.” She looked at the others. “That’s not good.”
“Help him,” Noah urged her.
Cory cradled Adam in her arm and lowered him into the water. She gently bathed him with a sponge.
Noah and Tess held hands as they looked on.
“Don’t forget to drink the milk, Tess.” Cory nodded toward the pail Tyler had placed on Hiram’s desk. “You’ll need to be ready when this young man becomes hungry.”
Tyler crowded behind Cory. “Is he any better?”
She continued to wet down the baby’s dry skin. Adam stared. “You’re wondering who I am, aren’t you? All these new places and strange people. You’ve had quite an adventure.” He reached for her. “You are too pretty for a boy. Look at those long lashes. Where did you get such pretty eyes?”
Adam smiled and revealed four small white teeth.
Cory looked up. “I think he’s feeling better. He’s flirting with me.” He slammed his fist in the water and splashed her. “Now, I know he’s better.”
“I can’t believe how much he’s grown.” Noah reached his finger out, and Adam grabbed it. “He can sit up and feel that grip.”
Tess finished a cup of milk and joined them. Adam reached for his mother and fussed.
Cory wrapped him in a towel and handed him to Tess. “Try nursing him now.”
Impending Love and War Page 18