by Lori Wick
“I think you’ll look like an angel. Just remember, a man treats a lady like a lady when she acts like one. How you look is not near so important as how you act.”
Charlie was quiet as she took this in. Her mind conjured up the scene when Tansy allowed Sean to hold her chair; not just allowed it, but expected it. Charlie’s eyes closed in pain as she remembered Sean staring at her those times she had climbed aboard the wagon or buggy like a man.
The more Charlie thought about it, the more she realized she had no idea how a lady acted. Did a man always help a woman with her chair, and how about the wagon? Her grandfather never once helped her or Sadie into or out of a wagon. Of course, her grandfather had been no gentleman, and Sean Donovan was.
Any man who would remove his hat when he entered a room and stand when a woman walked into his presence was a gentleman from the toes up.
“I wonder what his mother was like?”
“Whose mother?”
“Sean’s.”
“Charlotte,” Sean called from the other room before Sadie could reply.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” Charlie responded, hoping he wouldn’t come to find her. She slipped her blouse back on and hurried with the buttons.
Sean was standing near the table, his plate empty once again. That he had wondered where she was and why he had been deserted in the kitchen was obvious.
“Are you ready to go?” Charlie asked.
“Not if you’re busy,” Sean replied.
Always so considerate, Charlie thought, and then called a farewell to her aunt.
The couple walked side by side toward home in the gathering dusk. They were almost to the livery when a voice, slurred with inebriation, came out of the gloom.
“Well, if it isn’t the newlyweds.”
“Get out of here, Murphy,” Charlie told him in disgust.
Murphy ignored her and began to rain insults down on the livery, its owner, and Sean. At one point he waved his arm expansively and nearly fell over into the street. The action seemed to break his concentration. He stared at Charlie as though just noticing her, and then stumbled on into the night.
Charlie waited only the space of two heartbeats before she started after him. Sean’s reactions were quicker, though. In one deceptively fast move his arm shot around her waist, and he pulled her back against his chest.
“Let go of me, Sean,” she panted in fury as she struggled against his hold. “I’m going to give Murphy a kick he’s never going to forget.”
“I think it would be best for everyone if I just held onto you for a while.” Sean’s voice was so rational that Charlie wanted to scream. She continued to pull at his arms, both around her now, but it was like a dragonfly trying to move a horse’s hoof off its wing.
“Weren’t you listening to the things he said?” Charlie fumed, trying another tactic. “The things he said about you?”
“I was listening.” Again he was infuriatingly calm, his voice almost gentle.
Charlie stopped struggling then and let herself relax against her husband’s chest. She felt his chin come to rest on the top of her hat and wished for the first time ever that she wasn’t wearing it.
“What am I going to do with you, Sean Donovan?” Charlie asked with a sigh. “You’re polite to everyone, even your enemies.”
“Had he physically attacked you, Charlotte, I would have knocked him across the street, but that was nothing more than the pitiful rambling of a drunk.” Sean’s voice was compassionate, and Charlie was more confused than ever.
Charlie turned in her husband’s arms, which had loosened to allow her room. She tipped her head back and tried to see him in the now complete darkness.
“What am I going to do with you, Sean?” This time the words were whispered, and the answer was just as soft.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
Without further words Charlie pushed away from her husband’s embrace. Sean let her go, but was more than a little tempted to pull her back. He followed her home in silence, but until he fell asleep much later, his mind dwelt on how lovely she had been to hold.
twenty-three
I can’t be falling for her. It’s too soon.” Sean had been repeating these words to himself for days, and still he was no closer to being convinced than the first time he had said them.
A week had gone by since Charlie had tried to kick Murphy. Charlie’s dress had not been quite ready, so she hadn’t mentioned going to church again. And even though Sean wanted very much to be in the house of the Lord, his mind was so full of his wife that attending services seemed less important right then.
All Sean had been able to do for the first few days of his marriage was thank God he was alive. But soon he had begun to notice the woman to whom he found himself married. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect her to be a woman who possessed so many of the qualities he admired.
That her life had been no bed of roses was obvious in many ways. She rarely asked for help or allowed Sean to wait on her. She never complained about the hard work or mentioned the past, but there were times when Sean would help her in some small way and immediately find himself under her scrutiny. She would stare at him as though figuring out what type of man he was, was the most important thing on earth.
Sean found himself speculating on Charlie’s grandfather a good deal of the time, since he had clearly played such a large part in who Charlie had become. He’d had a good head for business, that much Sean knew, but what had he been like as a person? Sean was unaware both of the new insight he would gain and how swiftly it would come.
The day had flown by as usual, and Sean spent some extra time at the well cleaning up for supper. He knew that Charlie would have the table prepared and the meal set out by the time he arrived. He planned to mention the primer when they did the dishes.
They talked about the customers they’d had that day and even laughed about Sean getting stepped on by a workhorse.
“You can laugh,” he teased her. “You weren’t the one whose foot was being crushed by a thousand pounds of horse.”
“He looked so comfortable too,” Charlie said, her eyes lighting. “As if he could have stood there all day.”
“He probably didn’t even know my foot was down there.”
“That’s true. There’s not a malicious bone in Tiny’s body.”
“Who in the world named him Tiny?” Sean asked as he pictured the gigantic animal in his mind. Tiny’s hoofs were the size of large dinner plates.
“His owner is quite a character. He has a goat he milks every day whose name is George Washington, and a male dog named Dolly Madison.”
They shared the light moment together, and then rose to clean up. It was Sean’s turn to dry the dishes. He waited only until Charlie handed him the first plate before he brought up the book.
“Charlotte, I want to talk to you about the school primer.” She looked startled, and Sean went on in a very gentle voice. “If you want me to return it, I will, but first I want to tell you something.”
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Charlie’s voice was one of near panic.
“Charlotte,” Sean called after her as she darted out of the kitchen and down the hall. With the drying cloth still in his hand, he followed.
Charlie would have shut her bedroom door, but Sean came through behind her and made the action impossible. She never dreamed he would follow her, and quickly looked about for something to do. She couldn’t pick up a catalog and pretend to read, because he knew she couldn’t. She didn’t sew very well, so mending was out. Charlie settled on rearranging her dresser drawers.
“Charlotte, I just want to talk with you,” Sean said from his place near the dresser where he’d followed her, the drying cloth now thrown over his shoulder. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad because you can’t read, and if you’ll just look at me for a moment I can tell you what I have in mind.”
Frustration rose up in Sean as he was completely ignored for the first time in his a
dult life. He knew that if Charlie would just let him explain, the whole matter could be settled.
“Charlotte!” Sean’s voice thundered in frustration, and Charlie jumped before turning to face him.
She looked up into his face with a startled kind of fear, and Sean felt more upset than ever, this time with himself. He had scared her, and that was the last thing he wanted. He suddenly raised an agitated hand to his hair, raking his fingers along his scalp. It took no more than a moment to see that his wife had flinched and was steeling herself for a blow.
Sean became utterly still. With his hand still resting on the top of his head, he saw Charlie realize her mistake and try to cover it. She straightened the front of her blouse and touched the rim of her hat as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
“You thought I was going to hit you.” Sean’s voice was strained and filled with pain.
“No, I didn’t,” Charlie lied.
“Yes, you did.”
“No, I didn’t,” Charlie said, turning away sharply as she spoke. “Don’t be foolish.” But there was no conviction in her tone, and Sean watched as she went back to work on her dresser.
His next actions were those of a man who felt like he was going down for the third time. He would not leave this room until things were settled between them.
He found his hand gently encircling Charlie’s upper arm as he reached for her. He brought her away from the dresser to stand before him, holding her there with both hands on her arms. Charlie looked up at him for a moment and then lowered her head, her hat hiding her face from Sean’s view.
“Please take your hat off.”
Charlie looked up, startled once again, but did as he asked.
“Look at me, Charlotte,” Sean implored her softly and waited for her to comply.
Charlie had never seen a man look the way Sean looked at that moment. His face was a mask of tender determination, and she hoped he couldn’t see the tears she felt gathering behind her eyes.
“I want you to listen to me, Charlotte, and listen well. I would never hit you. Do you hear me, Charlotte? Never!”
Sean watched her eyes carefully and waited until she nodded ever so slightly. Then without permission he pulled her against his chest. Cuddling her full against him, he settled his hands on her back, one thumb stroking idly along her shoulder blade. When he felt her arms come around his waist, albeit tentatively, he began to talk.
“My mother was a teacher. My oldest sister also taught before she started having children, and my younger sister has planned on becoming a teacher for as long as I can remember. I’ve always taken my reading skills for granted, but there were times when I think they saved my life.
“When we lived in Hawaii there was never enough to read. After coming to San Francisco and living with my Aunt Maureen, I learned what it was like to have a daily newspaper. I’ve always loved to read, and when I wasn’t eating or out seeing the city, I could be found in my aunt’s library, reading anything I could get my hands on.
“Then my mother died and my father left for the islands. I remember my sisters and I devoured every word of every newspaper available. I think the pain of my mother’s death would have overwhelmed me if I hadn’t had something to do with my mind. I wasn’t trying to forget her, but dwelling on her loss wasn’t doing me any good either. So I read.
“Rarely was a page turned that I didn’t thank my mother, because she was the one who taught me to read. And Charlotte, I want to teach you.”
Sean’s hands slid back to her upper arms and he held her before him so he could look into her eyes.
“I want to open the world of words to you, Charlotte, because I think everyone should know how to read, and because there isn’t a more precious gift I could give you in all the earth.”
“What if I’m too stupid to learn?”
“There’s nothing stupid about you.”
Sean spoke with such sincerity that Charlie blinked. She did pick up on things rather quickly, but she had never stayed in school long enough to know if she could learn to read. Her grandfather had felt it unnecessary. You know your numbers, Charlie, and enough words to get by. That’s all I’ve ever learned. It’s enough, he used to say.
“Will you let me teach you to read?”
The question jerked Charlie back to the present, and before she could change her mind, she nodded her head. Sean grinned and pulled her into his arms again. After giving her a tender squeeze, he took her hand and led her back through the kitchen and into the living room, ignoring the unfinished dishes.
A mere moment went by before he had lit the lamp, retrieved the primer, and settled with her on the sofa. Sean read to her from the front of the book and then showed her the letters printed within.
Charlie didn’t catch everything he said because she was so busy looking at him. She didn’t know that men like Sean Donovan existed.
The talk around town is that you’re falling for your husband. Those had been Duncan’s words and Charlie felt something almost painful squeeze around her heart at the sight of this man beside her. She also found herself thinking, the talk around town is true.
twenty-four
Sean discovered during their second lesson that Charlie had learned the alphabet. She looked so pleased with herself that he wanted to kiss her. When he began teaching her sounds, Sean made a point of starting with words that were pertinent in her world.
While most people learned that A is for apple and B is for boy, Charlie learned that A is for anvil, B is for bellows, and C is for carriage.
Charlie was as fast a learner as he had expected her to be. The first few days were great, so great, in fact, that Sean was a little confused when Charlie did not want to study on their third night.
“I need to go to Sadie’s,” she explained, hoping that Sean would not question her.
Sean didn’t question her, but he did feel let down. She seemed almost as skittish and hesitant as she had been before they’d talked. It never occurred to him that she was harboring a secret. He was quiet as they made their way to Sadie’s, and just as silent as he took his place at the kitchen table. Charlie glanced at him before going to find her aunt. Sean would have been surprised to know she was laden with guilt.
“Why do you look so down?” Sadie asked as soon as Charlie stepped into the small parlor.
“I just feel bad about leaving Sean in the kitchen.”
“Well, tell him to come in here and get settled then. We’ll measure your dress in the sewing room.”
“Is it really ready for me to try on?” Charlie asked, excitement lighting her face.
“It sure is, honey, and I’m sorry I didn’t have it ready for you last week.”
“It’s all right, Sadie; I’m sure the dress will be worth the wait.”
“So you think you’ll go to church this Sunday?”
“Sean and I haven’t talked about it, but I think we’ll try the church that Duncan and Lora attend.”
“Good,” Sadie said emphatically. “Now get Sean in here so we can get to work in the sewing room. I’ll have the dress ready for you to take home when you come for your bath Saturday night.”
Charlie could do nothing more than stare. Sadie had hurried her into the dress, made a few measurements, and whipped it back over her head before she could even think. Now the dress was hanging again, and Charlie stood before it and looked her fill.
The fabric was an off-white, almost a cream, with the palest of flowers and leaves swirled throughout in a delicate pattern. The only word that would come to Charlie’s mind was “soft.” The pink and blue flowers, and the green leaves and vines were all soft pastels. The small redhead reached out reverently to touch the fabric.
The sleeves were short and sewn to puff at the shoulders. The waist was gently gathered, and Charlie’s hands went to her hips as she remembered the way the fabric fell in a flattering line from her waist.
“Well, what have we here?”
Charlie stiffened at the so
und of Tansy’s voice.
“My,” Tansy said brightly, “what pretty material. I think the neckline is a little too high for my tastes, but then it’s probably just right for your figure.”
Wishing that Sadie hadn’t left the room, Charlie watched as Tansy’s shoulders went back to best display her full chest.
“Is Sean here?” Tansy did nothing to disguise the hope in her voice, and Charlie nodded reluctantly.
The voluptuous girl shot out of the room, and Charlie, after another look at her dress, followed slowly. She knew the exact moment Tansy found Sean because her voice went up three octaves in a way she thought men found attractive.
Charlie entered the small parlor to find Sean standing behind the chair and Sadie sitting on the sofa. Tansy was in front of the chair talking to Sean. His look was guarded.
“Why Sean, if I didn’t know better I’d think you didn’t like me.” Her full lips went into a pout, and Charlie watched Sadie’s eyes narrow.
“Would it help if I had Sadie make me a dress like the one she’s making Charlie?”
Sean’s eyes swung to his wife as Charlie, looking utterly crestfallen, turned and walked stiffly from the room.
So that’s why we’re over here, Sean thought. Sadie is making a dress for my wife, and Tansy just let the cat out of the bag. He knew it was time to put the situation in order. He came back around to the front of the chair and stood in front of Tansy. When she put one hand on his chest he removed it none too gently.
The stunning blonde looked with genuine confusion at the man before her and then took a step back.
“I’m a happily married man, Tansy,” Sean’s voice was implacable, “and you’ll do well to remember that. Do not touch me or flirt with me again. I won’t put up with it.”
Tansy misunderstood, and a sly smile lit her face. “Afraid you won’t be able to control yourself?”
“Exactly,” Sean said sternly, only to finish by dashing Tansy’s hopes. “I’ve never hit a woman before, and I really don’t ever care to, but no one is going to hurt my wife, physically or emotionally, and get away with it.”