by Cathy Marie Hake, Lynn A. Coleman, Mary Davis, Susan Page Davis
Peter took her hand like a gentleman while she climbed out of the carriage.
“You have learned that very well.”
“Mrs. Parker says being a gentleman is the most important thing next to going to church and knowing God.” Peter scrunched up his face. “What’s a gentleman?”
“Being a gentleman is being a good person. Treating people kindly and being fair.” She paused to think. “A gentleman always helps a lady and never does anything to hurt a lady. A gentleman is always honorable. And a gentleman always lets a lady go first.”
Peter frowned. “That’s a lot to remember.”
Abigail stood on the porch of the two-story house holding a year-old girl on her hip. “Vivian, I’m so glad you came.”
She touched the girl’s hand. “Who is this?”
“Sadie. She was dropped off two days ago.” Abigail rubbed the baby’s back. “Her mother died, and the woman who ran the boardinghouse they lived in won’t care for the baby until the father returns. She doesn’t think he will return.”
Scotty walked up. “Mr. Jackson sent over a few things. I’ll take the carriage around to the kitchen door and unload them.”
“I’ll get the boys to help,” Abigail said to Scotty, then turned to Peter. “Get the other boys and help Mr. Scotty unload the supplies.” When Peter ran off, Abigail turned to Vivian. “It’s so sweet of Mr. Jackson to remember us and send food. Without it, I don’t know what we’d do.”
“He’s glad to help. I know if he weren’t so busy with his store and the shipping business, he’d do more.” And busy coming over to see her. She felt her mouth turn up slightly.
“We’ve put in a garden, and when it starts producing, we won’t need so much help.” Abigail walked inside and motioned for her to have a seat on the sofa.
Betsy walked in from the kitchen. “Miss Vivian.” She ran over and gave her a hug; then she pulled some fabric scraps from a basket at the end of the sofa. “Look at what Miss Abigail is teaching me.”
It was a nine-patch quilt square. She turned it over. “Very nice. Your stitches are so much more even.”
“I have seven squares so far.” Betsy’s face glowed with pride. “When I have twenty, Miss Abigail is going to show me how to sew them all together and make my own quilt.”
“Betsy, would you go make some tea for our guest?” Abigail asked.
“Sure.” Betsy put her sewing back and ran off to the kitchen.
“I’m teaching her how to run a household so she can find a good husband someday.”
This is what she’d wanted for Betsy all those months ago when she’d met the girl on the beach. “I’m glad she’s a help to you.”
“I don’t think I could do it all by myself, and I do enjoy having the company of another female in the house.” Abigail caressed the baby’s cheek. “And Sadie here makes three ladies in the house.”
“Do you think her father will come back?”
“I don’t know anything about him or where he went, when he’s expected back, or if he’s even a good man and father. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Sadie rubbed her face on Abigail’s shoulder. “Someone’s getting tired.” Abigail shifted Sadie to her lap, holding her close and rubbing her back.
“How are all the children doing?”
Abigail smiled. “You’ll be happy to know that George came back two weeks ago. I was about to go milk the cow when he waltzed into the kitchen with a full pail. He’d slept in the barn. He asked if I wouldn’t mind him sleeping out there and having a few eggs if he did some chores around here.”
“That’s wonderful news. What did you tell him?”
“We fixed up a pallet in the little spare room. I told him since he behaved like a man, I wouldn’t treat him like one of the orphans but like a live-in workhand. He liked that even though he knows I can’t pay him. He’s so opposed to orphanages. He’s taken real well to the farm chores. He likes tending the animals and working in the dirt. He’s dug irrigation ditches around and through the garden and built a trough to carry the water from the outside pump to the garden. Now if we don’t get rain for a week, the garden can still get watered.”
“I never really knew what he was like. He was always quiet and didn’t say much.”
“He still is.”
Vivian was so happy for George. This might be the first time in his life that he had a stable place to live. “How are the others?”
“I’ve been inquiring after each of the children’s families. I think I found an aunt of Peter’s in Spokane. I’m going to write Miss Garfield a letter.”
“How does Peter feel about leaving?”
“I haven’t told him. Mr. Zahn promised the children one of Mr. Jackson’s puppies. Peter won’t be so happy to leave, and with a dog around here, I think it will be even harder.”
“I’ll ask Mr. Jackson if Peter can take one of the other puppies with him.”
“What if the aunt doesn’t want a dog?”
“If she’s willing to take an orphan, don’t you think she’d take the dog, too?”
Abigail nodded.
Vivian would be sad to see Peter go but glad at least one of the children might have a home with family. “How about Samuel and Tommy?”
“Samuel can be a bit of a troublemaker, and Tommy follows his brother’s lead. George’s presence helps keep them in line.”
Betsy came in with the tea tray. She walked very slowly, staring hard at the tray, and set it successfully on the table in front of the sofa. “Shall I pour?”
“Thank you. That would be nice. You can leave mine on the tray for now.”
Betsy seemed so much happier here where she didn’t have to worry about where her next meal was coming from.
Betsy handed her a cup of tea. “Miss Vivian, I’m making mashed potatoes. Are you staying for supper?”
“No, I can’t stay that long.”
Betsy turned to Abigail. “Are we going to have an extra for supper?” Abigail nodded, and Betsy ran off.
“An extra?” Vivian took a sip of tea.
Abigail’s cheeks turned pink, and she turned away, moving Sadie from her lap to the end of the sofa. “Mr. Zahn is coming over for supper.”
“Martin Zahn?”
Abigail nodded and picked up her teacup.
“I thought you weren’t interested in having a man court you.”
Abigail smiled. “He wore me down.”
“You seem glad for that.”
“He’s a very nice man and God-fearing. I don’t think Mr. Parker would want me to be alone for the rest of my life.”
“What does Martin think about you running this children’s home?”
“He doesn’t mind. Enough about me. How have you been doing?”
Vivian’s mouth stretched into an involuntary smile. “I’m doing well.”
“What else?”
“I’m in love. I think for the first time in my life.”
“Mr. Jackson?”
“How did you know?”
“Is there any other man in your life?”
She shook her head. “He loves me, too. He’s coming over this evening to discuss our future.” It felt good to share her news with a friend.
“Futures are good.” Abigail squeezed her arm. “I’m so happy for you.”
She was happy, too, but something nagged at the back of her mind. Something she didn’t want to address.
Chapter 17
Conner stood staring into Vivian’s fire. It helped him think. Today had started out perfect. The woman he loved, loved him back, and while he was thinking of her, she walked through his door. Then his past had reared its ugly head, threatening to devour his happiness.
“Is everything all right?”
Vivian’s lilting voice drew him back from his haunting memories.
“I’m fine.” He turned to her. “I’m sorry. I’m not very good company tonight.”
“Come, sit with me.”
“I’m too restless to sit
.” He rubbed the back of his neck. He had to tell her. “That strumpet stirred up memories.”
“Did something bad happen?”
Something bad? His whole childhood. “Did Randolph ever tell you about his mother?”
“William did.”
He should just say it. “My mother was worse, and I loathed her for it.”
Vivian went pale.
He shouldn’t have told her. It upset her. But he had to.
Vivian clasped her hands in her lap. “But she was your mother.”
His anger at his mother leapt to life anew. “That didn’t stop her from sleeping with any man who had a buck in his pocket.”
“She had a child to support.”
“That’s no excuse. There is no excuse. From the time I was eight years old, I was sweeping floors and cleaning spittoons to feed myself. All she ever did for me was keep a roof over my head because she needed a place to bring men home to. When I was fourteen, Randolph got me a job on the ship he was working, and I never went back.” He wouldn’t go into all the horrid details of his departure.
“You haven’t seen your mother since you were fourteen?”
“And better for it.” He fisted his hands.
“Is she still alive?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care.”
“But she’s your mother.”
He shook his head. “She was just another tramp.” He turned back to the fire.
“What about your father?”
“Never met him. I don’t even know if she knew who he was. I was an accident and a liability to her.”
Vivian came up beside him. “Conner, don’t say that. She must have loved you.”
“She didn’t. She tried to kill me twice. I don’t want to talk about her anymore or ever again.”
“But—”
He didn’t want to hear it, so he drew her close and kissed her. She fit well in his arms. He hoped Vivian didn’t hate him for what his mother was. “Marry me, Vivian.”
“Conner.” His name came out breathy.
“You want to marry me, don’t you?” He held his breath. Did his lineage make a difference to her?
“Yes, I want to.”
He kissed her again, relieved she hadn’t turned him down because of his mother. He would spend the rest of his life proving to her that she made the right decision and that one’s parentage didn’t determine the man.
Vivian didn’t visit Conner’s store again during the day and stewed for a week over Conner’s reaction to the strumpet and what he’d told her about his mother. Her stomach felt like she’d eaten rotten fish, though she’d hardly eaten all week. She had to tell him the truth, but how? He would turn his back on her for sure. But if she didn’t tell him and they married and he found out later, he would hate her forever. She’d tried to tell him after his confession, but the words stuck in her throat.
In her naïveté, she’d thought marrying Randolph would make her respectable. Only the truth would make her respectable now.
“Maggie, do you know where Scotty is?”
“I believe he’s in the barn this time of day. I can go get him. What do you need?”
“I’m going to take the carriage into town. I’ll find him. Thank you.” She went out to the barn but didn’t see Scotty anywhere. The horse poked his head out of the stall and whinnied a greeting by bobbing her head.
She looked from the horse to the carriage parked on the opposite side of the barn and back again. “We can do this, can’t we?” She walked toward the horse.
The horse nodded and flapped her lips. She went into the tack room and took the nearest harness off the peg on the wall, then went back to the stall and opened the door. She held the bit in front of the horse’s mouth; then she turned it over. Which way was up? “Do you know?”
“May I help you?”
She jumped, sucking in a breath and spinning around to face Scotty, stoop-shouldered. “I want to hitch the carriage and go into town.” She held out the harness to him.
Scotty took it. “Honey don’t like this bit.” He disappeared into the tack room and came out with another harness that looked the same to her. When he got the horse all hooked up and hitched to the carriage, he said, “I’ll change my clothes into something more suitable for town.”
“No need, Scotty. I’ll drive myself.”
“Mr. Jackson isn’t going to like that.”
Mr. Jackson wasn’t going to like much of today where she was concerned. “I’ll be fine. I’ll tell him that you protested and I gave you no choice.” She let Scotty help her up into the seat and drove off. A few minutes later, she pulled up in front of Conner’s store.
Conner came out smiling before she could get the brake set. “What are you doing here? I thought I finally got you to stay uptown.” He put his hands around her waist and lifted her down.
She put her hands on his shoulders as he gently set her on the boardwalk. “I need to talk to you. Are you busy? Can you get away?”
“I’ll come by this evening, and we can talk then.”
She didn’t want him coming by unless he wanted to after knowing the truth. “Since I’m here, we can talk now.”
“I have a few customers to help; then I think Martin and Todd can handle things here for a little while.” He guided her inside and started to show her to the stool he usually made her sit on.
She couldn’t be stagnant. “I’m going to look around a bit.” She picked up a can of this and a box of that without really seeing what she was doing.
“I know you.”
She turned to a man with a long, curled handlebar mustache. She couldn’t say anything. She indeed knew the man from her days in Coos Bay but didn’t know his name. She took a slow, deep breath. “You must have me mistaken with someone else.” That was a lie, but she couldn’t admit to her past like this. She’d thought her past wouldn’t find her here. She was a new creation; her sins remembered no more.
“I remember that face.” His gaze scanned the length of her. “And that body.”
Why couldn’t people be as forgetful as God chose to be? “No.” Her voice came out small. This couldn’t be happening.
The man shifted his gaze to just behind her. “Did you get yourself a respectable man?”
She looked back at Conner. The fury on his face said he wanted to rip the man’s throat out. “Apologize to the lady.”
The man laughed. “She’s no lady.”
“Conner, it’s all right. Let’s just go.”
Conner stepped in front of her, his jaw set. “You have made a mistake.”
“I’ve made no mistake. This is Vivian Miller. I’ve paid for her services before.”
Conner squared his shoulders and stepped within inches of the man. “You will apologize to the lady, or I’ll throw you out of my store.”
The smaller man finally registered the potential danger he might be in from Conner. “Sorry, ma’am.” The man hastily left.
“Conner, I can explain.”
Conner pulled her by her arm outside and lifted her into her carriage. “Go home, and stay there.”
“Conner, please.”
He wouldn’t look at her. “Don’t come back downtown.” He slapped Honey on her rump, and the horse stepped into motion.
Maybe Conner hadn’t heard the man right. No, it was all too clear. Maybe he hadn’t believed what the man was accusing her of. But the look on his face was so horrible. Lord, give me the opportunity to explain to Conner. Please, please, please let him forgive me.
By the time she reached her house, her vision was clouded and tears stained her cheeks. Good thing Honey knew her way home.
She waited all evening. Conner never came. She’d hoped he would but wasn’t surprised. She went to her room and out onto her widow’s walk. She’d never felt worse in her entire life.
Conner stalked the streets and ducked into every saloon until he located the man who’d come into his store earlier. The man sat at a table in a smoke-filled room, ho
lding a fist full of cards. Conner walked over.
The man folded his cards and excused himself from the table. “I apologized to the lady as you asked.”
“I want you to never repeat what you said and to leave town. Tonight.”
“I’m heading up to Alaska. Won’t let no one in the Yukon without a year’s supply of food and such. I have to wait my turn.”
“I’ll have your supplies ready for you in the morning. You be gone by the afternoon.”
“Vivian must be something important to you for you to be behaving this way.”
He fisted his hands at his side. He wanted to hit the man real bad, but he wouldn’t be goaded into a fight. This man was spewing nothing but filthy lies.
Conner tried to ignore Scotty when he entered his store. Vivian had sent him every day for the past five days to see when he was coming by her house. He didn’t know how to face her. He didn’t want her explanation for what the man had said to her. He didn’t want to believe what he’d implied. “Scotty, tell her I’ve got trouble at the shipping office. I just can’t come by.”
“That’s not going to work this time. Mrs. Carlyle says if she doesn’t see you tonight, she’s coming down here tomorrow.”
“Tell her that I really can’t come tonight, but I’ll definitely be there tomorrow night. I have a big shipment coming in to Carlyle Shipping that demands my attention. I will come tomorrow night.” That should give him more time to … to what? Avoid the truth?
He sent Martin home, or rather over to Mrs. Parker at the orphanage; then he locked up and headed over to Carlyle Shipping. He skipped supper and was still entering numbers into the ledger when someone knocked on the office door. “Come in.”
Finn poked his head in. “You have a visitor.”
He stood and stretched. “At this hour? Send him in.”
“It’s a her.”
His gut flinched. She wouldn’t come down here? This was worse than his store.
Vivian crossed his threshold looking like an elegant china doll.
He wanted to go to her and hold her and kiss her. Yet she repulsed him. “I told Scotty I’d see you tomorrow night.”
“We need to talk.” Her voice quavered a little.