An Unlikely Mother

by Danica Favorite

  “Father!” Flora picked up her fan and playfully smacked it at him. “I’m not that bad!”

  The look John gave George indicated that Flora was probably even worse. And, from what he’d seen of Flora’s wardrobe, George was inclined to agree.

  As Flora caught the look passing between the men, she frowned. “I’m being serious. I don’t need all those dresses.”

  She let out a long sigh. “In fact, I’ve been thinking. The accident that hurt Herman Schmidt—why was it not known in our circles?”

  John shook his head. “Accidents happen all the time at the mines. It’s part of doing business.”

  “They happen at our mines?” Flora stared at him, and George felt a great deal of compassion for the woman who was having the same reaction he’d had to being told the same thing.

  “I’m afraid so, sweetheart.”

  “So, men like Herman Schmidt. What happens to them when they’re hurt at our mines?”

  The question appeared to surprise John, whose brow immediately furrowed. “I...” He let out a long sigh. “I suppose I haven’t given it the consideration I should. Thank you, Flora, for making me realize my oversight. I’ll discuss it with my mine managers at the earliest opportunity.”

  In an instant, John looked far more aged than he had when George had walked into the room. “I suppose I’m guilty of a great many oversights. But I need to start with the most important. If you’ll both excuse me, I’m going to go see to my wife.”

  George murmured assent, though his mind was on the woman giving her father another hug. All this talk of misjudging. Was it possible he was misjudging her and her ability to accept his reduced circumstances?

  After John left, George turned his attention to Flora. “I just wanted to say—”

  She shook her head. “Please don’t. I know. We’ve discussed this. My father and I have spoken at length on this matter. What I need most right now is to sort out my own heart, to seek the Lord and His will for me. Not more of your explanations and apologies.”

  The pain in his heart was more than he’d expected at hearing the same words she’d been giving him ever since they’d discussed his identity. How was he supposed to convince her of the sincerity of his feelings when she wouldn’t let him tell her how he felt?

  Her expression softened. “You’re a good man, George. I would be lying, both to you and myself, if I said I didn’t care for you. But so much is changing in my world right now. Father said that the bedrock of a relationship is trust, and I don’t know what to trust, so I don’t know that I’m in a place where I can trust our relationship. Not just in what you say, but in how I feel.”

  Not a rejection. But the same honest expression of her heart that George had come to love about Flora.

  He nodded. “I appreciate that. But I need you to let me say what I have to say, because I feel that as you weigh your feelings, you need to understand mine.”

  For a moment, Flora looked as though she was going to argue with him. But she gave him a tiny nod. “I suppose it’s only fair that I hear you out.”

  “It’s no secret that I care for you, as well. But just as you are trying to work out your feelings for me, I, too, am struggling. Things do not look good for me financially.”

  She gave him a look of understanding. “You’ve said as much.”

  “I know. But you need to know how important it is to me to have a woman willing to stand by me for better or for worse. For richer or poorer.”

  “I know all this,” Flora said, an annoyed expression crossing her face.

  George shook his head. “Let me finish. That’s the problem with both of us. We keep assuming things without all of the information. And that’s what I’m trying to say. I keep assuming that you won’t have me if I lose everything. Or you’ll be unhappy if I can’t give you the life you’re accustomed to. Just like I assumed you would act a certain way upon knowing who I was.”

  Recognition shone in her eyes. Like they were finally seeing things the same.

  Perhaps there was hope for them, after all.

  “I care for you. There are so many reasons why I respect and admire you, not the least of all being the fact that you are working so hard to know your heart and to be true to who God wants you to be. Even when you didn’t know who I was, you showed me compassion and love, and for that, I will always be grateful. You are a good woman, Flora Montgomery, and I would stake my very life on that fact. Which I have done already, by revealing my true identity to you.”

  If anything could get through to Flora, if she would listen to any reason, it had to be based in complete truth.

  George took a deep breath. “The explosion at the mine was not an accident, and I think you know that. We believe it was set to deter your father, only it had the opposite effect. I didn’t get the chance to tell your father, but when I stopped by the sheriff’s office to talk to Will about Herman Schmidt, I found out that the stagecoach George Bellingham was supposed to be on was robbed. The driver reported overhearing one of the robbers saying that the man they were looking for wasn’t there. He couldn’t see the picture they were looking at to compare to the passengers, but the bandits acted like it was someone important. We believe they were looking for me. To harm me.”

  Flora paled. He hadn’t wanted to worry her, but she needed to know the people they were dealing with were dangerous.

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to find the words. Then he looked at her. “I hate that I am potentially putting you and your family in danger by being here. I can’t ask you to risk your heart for me.”

  He swallowed. “But just know that if you do, if you find yourself willing to offer your heart to me, to stand by me no matter what happens, my heart will be irrevocably yours.”

  She nodded slowly, like she was trying to process the words. George didn’t expect a response, not with so much at stake. Not when his heart was already accusing him of being a liar.

  His heart wasn’t to be given to Flora sometime in the future. As much as George hated to admit it, she already had it, whether she wanted it or not. But to tell her that now, with so many burdens already upon her, simply wasn’t fair.

  Or maybe that was just another excuse to protect the delicate pieces of himself he was desperately trying to keep together.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dinner was a muted affair. Flora’s mother had come down, but appeared subdued and morose. She barely looked at Flora, and had merely given George a curt nod. The only person who appeared to be normal was Pierre, who joyfully chatted about his day.

  Will had stopped by shortly before dinner, and he’d closeted himself in her father’s study with George and Flora’s father. Since Will’s departure, both Flora’s father and George had been solemn.

  Flora stole another look at George, whose gaze was firmly focused on his plate.

  No man had ever offered his heart to her.

  She’d kissed her share of beaux, a fact she should probably be ashamed of, but despite all of those freely given kisses, not one man had told her he loved her.

  George hadn’t said so, exactly, but his words had hit her far more deeply than any declaration of love. He saw her as his equal, a potential partner in life.

  Flora glanced at her mother. According to her father, that’s how their relationship had begun, as well. So, what had changed?

  She shook her head. Her parents still loved each other. That wasn’t the problem.

  Agnes entered the dining room. “There are two unsavories at the back door, insisting on an audience with Mr. Montgomery and the miner. I told them you were having dinner, but they will not leave.”

  Her father looked up from his plate. “Send them in. And if you would, set places for the both of them. I’m sure they would appreciate a good meal.”

  “On my fine
china?” Agnes looked as though she was about to have apoplexy.

  “Yes, Agnes,” Flora’s mother said quietly. “It is our honor to have them in our home. And I believe it is my china.”

  “Well!” Agnes stomped out of the room.

  Flora’s father placed his hand over his wife’s. “Thank you.”

  For the first time, she looked up, first at Flora, then at George. “I do not approve of this business, not at all.”

  Though Flora had always focused on what her father thought of the situation, she realized that she probably should have been worried more about her mother’s opinion.

  “Mrs.—” George began, but Flora’s father shook his head.

  George nodded and lowered his gaze back to his plate.

  “No,” her mother said. “You may speak. But first I will have my say. I cannot believe that all of you would deceive me so. You may have your reasons, but you have made me look and feel quite foolish. I am very hurt, and when this nonsense is over, I expect a full apology from each of you.”

  She turned to George, a tender expression on her face. “The son of my dear friend, and I did not know. You have no idea how much I have missed...”

  Tears filled her eyes, and she threw her napkin on the table. “I believe I will go to my room and leave you to your guests. I find I have lost my appetite.”

  Before anyone had a chance to react, her mother left the room, nearly running into Agnes, flanked by two men.

  One man was dressed in an odd assortment of furs, with hair so thick and matted, Flora wasn’t sure where his hair ended and the fur began. The other man looked equally the worse for the wear, except he balanced on a crutch. When Flora looked down, she realized he was missing the better part of his leg.

  The stench from both men was unmistakable, and Agnes’s put-out expression equally so.

  Flora’s father stood. “Please, gentlemen, join us.” He held his hand out to the grizzled man. “You must be Crazy Eddie.”

  Crazy Eddie nodded as he shook her father’s hand.

  Her father turned to the other man and did the same. “And I assume you’re Herman.”

  With a gap-toothed smile, Herman said, “Yes sir.”

  Flora also stood. “Agnes, please get these men each a plate.”

  “That’s all right, miss,” Crazy Eddie said. “We wouldn’t want to put you folks out.”

  “Nonsense,” Flora said with a smile. “We’re delighted to have you. I understand you were both acquainted with Pierre’s father.”

  Pierre looked over at the men. Then he looked at Flora and said in French, “They are my father’s friends, but not mine. They scare me.”

  “It’s all right,” she told him. “If they were your father’s friends, they must be nice. Perhaps they can help us find him.”

  Agnes returned with food for the men, and Flora was pleased to notice it was on her mother’s fine china.

  “Thank you, Agnes,” Flora said, as her father helped the men get situated. “Could you please go to Will’s house and let him know the guests we were expecting are here?”

  Though Agnes muttered something under her breath, she nodded. Hopefully sending her for Will would calm her down. She didn’t want to mention the law in front of these men and frighten them, but it would give Agnes peace of mind.

  With a sigh, Flora mentally chided herself. Why should Will’s status as a lawman make them feel any better about having strangers in their home, simply because they were obviously not of the same social station? How would Agnes react when she found out who George really was?

  “Appreciate the hospitality, miss,” Herman said.

  Flora gave him a smile. “It’s our pleasure. Please, what can you tell us about Pierre’s father?”

  “He would never willingly leave the boy,” the man said.

  Crazy Eddie nodded his agreement. “No, he wouldn’t.”

  “I thought as much,” Flora said. “Please, enjoy your meals while we wait for our other guest.”

  The men needed no further encouragement. In the past, Flora would have been horrified at the way they shoveled food into their mouths, but having been up at the camp, she’d become accustomed to the men eating like they hadn’t had a meal in days and as if they thought this was the last one they’d ever have. Judging from the gaunt appearance of Herman, she imagined he likely hadn’t been getting regular meals.

  Fortunately, Will didn’t live far from their home. He arrived just as Crazy Eddie and Herman were finishing their second helpings of supper. Agnes would be displeased, since she liked to use the leftover chicken in a soup for lunch the next day, but this was probably the first of many changes Agnes would have to get used to.

  Introductions were made, and Flora noticed that Crazy Eddie shied away when Will let his status as a deputy be known.

  “It’s all right, Crazy Eddie, I know who you are,” Will said. “You’ll have no trouble from me.”

  Though Crazy Eddie looked slightly mollified, he also kept glancing toward the door, as though he would bolt at any second.

  A clatter in the kitchen reminded Flora that they were not quite alone. Flora stood.

  “If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I’m going to check on Agnes.”

  As Flora entered the kitchen, her suspicion that Agnes had been listening in was confirmed. Agnes glared at her like she was angry at having been caught.

  “It’s a fine evening, isn’t it, Agnes?” Flora said as she smiled at the woman, pretending that everything was fine. “I would like to go for a walk with Pierre. Father has asked that I not go out alone, so could you accompany us?”

  Only a fool wouldn’t think Flora was trying to get Agnes out of the house. But since George’s secret had been discovered by Flora overhearing him talk, it seemed best to do her part to continue helping keep it.

  “Strange goings-on here,” Agnes muttered. “It’s just not right.”

  “You are correct,” Flora said with a smile. “And we’re doing our best to make it right. So get your wrap, and I’ll collect Pierre, and we’ll be off so the men can have their privacy.”

  * * *

  George couldn’t help but admire the way Flora so easily handled the problem of Agnes. Though he knew the older woman was a loyal member of the household, it made him feel better to know that Flora was taking her and Pierre out on a walk, leaving the men to privately discuss the situation.

  One more reason Flora was more of an asset than she gave herself credit for.

  George turned his attention back to Will, who was asking Herman about the last time he’d seen Henri.

  “He was upset,” Herman said, shaking his head. “Kept saying in that funny way of his, ‘Ezz not right!’ He couldn’t understand why Dougherty wasn’t giving me any money after I got hurt.”

  The thought made George sick. Because of his work in the mine, Herman had lost most of his leg. And, based on the looks of things, would probably lose more—if not his life—if he didn’t receive medical attention. Something a man like Herman, without assistance, wouldn’t be able to afford.

  “Could you tell us how you got hurt?” George asked, swallowing the disgust at knowing his part in the situation.

  “Dougherty wanted me to explore a vein that had previously been tapped out. Said that he thought we needed to go deeper and to the left. I told him that it looked like we’d be encroaching on another claim, but he said not to worry about that.”

  Herman shook his head. “Strangest thing. I know I placed that charge right, but somehow it was off, and I ended up getting caught in it. I got caught in the rock, and Dougherty just stood there, laughing. He left me to scramble out on my own.”

  Will leaned forward. “Why didn’t you report it?”

  “Report what?” Herman shook his head. “It was my word agai
nst Dougherty’s. I know he left me to die, but I can’t prove that. I managed to make my way out, but my leg...”

  A deep expression of grief crossed Herman’s face. “I was sharing a tent with Henri and Pierre. When I didn’t come home, Henri came looking for me. He brought me to town and left me with a doctor. Said he’d return, but that was the last time I saw him.”

  Herman sighed. “He was torn up about it. Said it wasn’t right. I suppose he was going to go talk to Dougherty, but to be honest, I wasn’t thinking clearly. I still see him in my dreams, so angry about what happened to me. I don’t think he understands. Those greedy mine owners don’t care. They just want the silver, no matter what the cost.”

  Guilt tore at George’s stomach. Of all the things he’d learned about his mine’s poor business practices, this was the worst. Seeing a man who’d been left to die and would now be crippled forever.

  Before he could talk himself out of it, George spoke. “I am so sorry for what happened to you. It’s only fair that I tell you the truth about who I am. My name is George Bellingham, and my family owns the mine. I had no idea what was happening. I am deeply sorry, and I will do everything in my power to make things right.”

  Will stared at him like he’d gone mad, but after being lectured by Flora’s mother about his deception, and now face-to-face with a man whose life was ruined because of his family, George couldn’t help himself.

  Crazy Eddie pounded the table. “I knew you was a gent!”

  “Yes, and I’m sorry for deceiving you,” George said. “But if you gentlemen could please keep my identity a secret for the time being, I would appreciate it. We’re still looking into what’s happening at the mine, and it’s easier if people don’t know who I am.”

  He forced himself to look at Herman’s mangled leg. “I can’t replace your leg, but I will bear the expense of seeing to your care.”

  He turned to John. “That is, if you will help me.”