The Uncharted Series Omnibus

by Keely Brooke Keith

  Mandy shrugged at the frowning children and then followed Roseanna to the serving line. She glanced back at Levi, but the crowd had moved, obstructing her view of him.

  Mandy tied on the apron and stood behind the food table with the hired helpers. She smiled as she spooned beans onto every plate held in front of her. The usual compliments on her appearance flowed from the mouths of the well-meaning villagers. She replied with humble thanks but inwardly wished to hear something besides a comment on her appearance.

  As the end of the line drew near, Mandy felt her nervousness for the coming performance return. She scraped the inside of the bean pot with the serving spoon and looked at the last few guests who were waiting for food. Everett followed Bethany in line. Mandy watched how her brother stood close behind Bethany. Though they were still young, they were no longer the animated and comedic pair they once were. They leaned into each other as they spoke, as if their shared observations were now private matters. Everett kept his face close to Bethany’s hair as he waited behind her. Mandy wondered if Bethany knew she was adored and if the adoration were mutual.

  The line of guests continued to pass in front of Mandy. Connor held both his plate and Lydia’s as they walked by. Lydia’s hand covered her stomach. While Mandy spooned food onto the plates, she noticed Lydia’s sour expression. “Lydia, are you well?”

  Lydia nodded and looked away. Connor grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at Mandy as they kept walking.

  Levi was the last person in the line. He held out an empty plate as he stepped in front of Mandy. “You’re working hard tonight.”

  She noticed he did not comment on her dress or her hair, and for that she was grateful. She smiled. “It’s my pleasure.” She lifted the spoon to scoop food onto his plate but stopped short. “Wait—you don’t like beans.”

  Levi grinned. “Yes, that’s true.”

  Mandy withdrew the serving spoon and let it hover over the pot. She chuckled at him. “Then why would you accept a heaping spoonful?”

  “I will take anything you offer.”

  Mandy grinned—thinking of food—but when she caught Levi’s gentle and unwavering stare, she detected deeper meaning and felt her smile fade. His gaze remained fixed on her and she wondered if this was a glimpse of the passionate devotion that John had mentioned. Or maybe Levi was simply being polite while he waited for her response and she stood mouth agape and wordless. She willed herself to say something—anything—but could produce no sound as her thoughts congealed.

  Roseanna breezed behind her. “Time to get back in there, Amanda. They’ll be ready for music soon, and I want to dance. Hello, Levi.”

  Levi grinned and moved along to the other helpers waiting to serve the last guest. Mandy set the spoon into the dwindling bean pot then untied the apron, rolled it into a quick ball, and dropped it on the table. She took a pastry from a basket at the end of the table and picked at it on her way back into the barn.

  As she ambled to the small platform in the center of the barn floor, Mandy wondered what had come over her when she saw Levi. The notion of devoted love from the one man who truly knew her had stirred her desire for the impossible. Though she told herself not to entertain such a hurtful longing, images of proof of Levi’s devotion streamed through her mind. Mandy shook her head as an outward effort to stop the inward distraction, and she picked up one of the new wood violins to check its tuning.

  The drummer tapped his sticks together while a few eager guests waited on the floor in front of the stage. Everett darted through the entrance and straight to his guitar. He pulled its strap over his shoulder and looked at Mandy for her cue. She raised her bow and filled the expansive barn with jubilant sound. Skirts twirled and feet stomped as most of the villagers flowed into the barn. Mandy scanned the familiar faces in the crowd. Many of the men tried to hold her gaze, but she never let her eyes settle on anyone. The tunes varied in style and tempo. Between songs, dancers changed partners and shawls piled on the wooden benches. The barn quickly warmed from the crowd’s heat.

  Mandy noticed Levi standing near the doorway. A young lady in a lavender dress stood in front of him. She had her arms crossed behind her back, and she smiled and swayed to the music as she talked to Levi. When he laughed at whatever the young woman said, Mandy felt an unpleasant surge of jealousy. She averted her eyes, but the burning visceral ache remained.

  When the song ended, Mandy glanced back and saw the young woman was still close to Levi as if she were waiting for him to ask her to dance. Mandy had planned to perform the waltz next but—knowing what Levi would and would not dance to—she chose instead to play a jig. She directed her eyes to the dancers nearest the platform and condemned herself for her envious spirit. When she looked again, Levi was gone.

  After the jig, Everett leaned close to Mandy. “Time to slow it down.” She nodded, then she took a breath and closed her eyes, willing herself to focus only on the music. Drawing the bow across the strings, she began the waltz and let each note ring out in the slow three-four rhythm. The emptiness inside the hollow cavity of the violin resonated with the ache in her heart.

  * * *

  Relief washed over Levi when Mrs. Ashton finally waved her granddaughter back to her. Levi was the only person the young lady had been introduced to, so he had made polite conversation. But by the way the girl smiled and swished her dress, he realized she wanted him to ask her to dance. And since he had no intention of focusing on anyone but Mandy, he removed himself from his position as soon as the young lady was called away to her grandmother.

  Levi thrust his hands into his pockets and meandered around the outskirts of the crowd in the barn. He had known of the possibility that Mandy would not perform, and it pleased him to see her gracing the village with her gift. Her decision was indicative of healing, and that was what he most wanted for her. She appeared confident and controlled, though different in her performance than she used to be. She was less interested in captivating the audience and more entranced by the music.

  When Mandy began to play the waltz, Levi expected Connor to take Lydia to the dance floor as he had both previous years. When they remained stationary in the crowd, Levi moved toward them, concerned. Lydia looked flushed. She fanned her face with her hands. “It’s so stuffy in here. I’m going outside to get some fresh air.”

  Levi watched her walk to the door and turned to Connor. “Is she all right?”

  “Yeah, she’s okay.” Connor looked back at the stage.

  Levi nodded. No matter Lydia’s reason, she was right—it was stuffy in the crowded barn. He stepped back from the rest of the people who were watching the dancers and found an empty place along the back wall where he could see Mandy. He watched her face as she played. Her eyes were closed. The distance was too great to see the details of her features clearly, but he knew her lashes fluttered when she closed her eyes and played. He heard a clarity and length to the notes of the old, familiar tune as she performed. Her music flowed through the air in an unhurried resonance, fueled by emotion and experience.

  Levi noticed Everett standing at the back of the stage with his guitar strapped over his shoulder. He was craning his neck to watch the dancers. Levi spotted Bethany dancing with a boy from her class then understood Everett’s interest. Bethany’s last year of schooling had begun, and Levi wondered if Everett would be waiting at their doorstep, flowers in hand, as soon as the year was over.

  When the song ended, the crowd applauded and the dancers dispersed. Mandy stepped back from the front of the stage and motioned for another player to take her place. As the other musicians began a song in full rhythmic pulses, Mandy slipped through the crowd and up the stairs to the loft. Levi could not see the door to her workshop from where he stood on the barn floor, but he knew where she went. His confidence soared. He knew what she needed and—this time—he was prepared.

  * * *

  Levi curled his forefinger and used his knuckle to knock on the door to Mandy’s workshop. While he waited for her to answ
er, he glanced over the loft’s railing and down at the stage on the barn floor below. Everett looked up at him and nodded, acknowledging his cue. Levi’s knee quivered, so he shifted his weight to the other foot. The door cracked open and Mandy peeked out. Her somber, green eyes warmed quickly when they met his. “Levi.” Her expression immediately changed, and it pleased him.

  He inclined his head to match the angle of hers. “May I come in?”

  “Of course.” She stepped back and pulled the door open. “Do they need me downstairs?”

  “No.” He walked into the dimly lit room and lifted his hand to the lantern on her workbench. Wanting to glean every possible clue from her aspect, he turned the knob on the lantern and increased its flame.

  Mandy closed the door, muffling the sounds from the party below. She walked past him and sat on a wooden stool in front of her workbench. She pulled pins from her hair and dropped them on the workbench next to the lantern, one hairpin at a time. With her eyes fixed on the growing pile of pins, she let out a heavy sigh. “I had to get away. I cannot explain it.”

  “You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

  “I probably seemed rude—it’s my family’s party—but I couldn’t perform any longer.”

  “You weren’t rude at all. You worked hard tonight.” Levi watched her hair fall behind her shoulders as she set it free. He stepped close enough to touch her but forced himself to wait. “I came up here to talk to you about something—something important—but if you are tired, I can wait.”

  “I’m fine, really.” Mandy sat up straight as if to prove her alertness. A curl dropped over her cheek.

  With one finger, Levi pushed the hair off her face. She did not flinch at his touch, but her eyes darted to meet his. The full sound of the gray leaf guitar began to swell downstairs, and he was grateful for Everett’s good timing. “Do you know this song?”

  Mandy gave a small nod. “I haven’t heard it in years.”

  “That’s why I asked Everett to play it. This is the song that was playing all those years ago when I asked to court you.” He watched her eyes, ready to take in even the slightest signal.

  “Oh.” She pressed her lips together and nodded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t remember that this was the song.”

  He shrugged. “That night didn’t affect you the way it did me.”

  Her thin eyebrows drew together. “Levi, you should know that decision is one of my deepest regrets. Actually, it has become the deepest regret of my life.” A smile escaped Levi’s control and she nodded. “I see that brings you satisfaction.”

  “Yes, please forgive me but it does.” He reached for her hands and she stood as he slowly stepped back. “Dance with me.”

  Mandy moved into a formal stance but, ignoring tradition, Levi slid his hand behind her back and pulled her close. As the music drifted up into the workshop, he danced her gently across the dusty floor. Their feet moved in unhurried rhythm. He brought their joined hands to his chest. She rested her head against his collar. In the lantern light, they cast a single shadow across a row of half-completed instruments.

  Their feet stilled before the song ended. Levi loosened his grip but did not let go. Mandy pulled back and looked up at him. He studied her face and found the kind of intimacy expected between old friends but no indication of the kind of attraction reserved for passion. He felt the quiver again in his knees. The risk of rejection was as great now as it was the last time he laid his heart at her feet.

  She seemed to sense his nervousness. Her lips curved in a slight grin. “Are you going to ask me to court?”

  “No.” Disappointment flashed across her face, and it encouraged him. “I don’t see the point in courting. I already know everything I need to know about you. I have watched you grow and change. You have proven you no longer favor the distant admiration of many men. But tell me: do you still wish to forgo the deep affections of one man?”

  Her eyes softened, confirming her understanding of the moment. When she did not answer, he continued. “I’m not here to ask you to court but to marry. I have loved you my entire life thus far, and I will continue to love you for the remainder of my days whether you love me or not. But if you do love me, Amanda Foster, say it and I will marry you.”

  A smile bowed the edges of Mandy’s mouth and her eyes brightened. Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I do love you, Levi.”

  “Marry me.”

  “I will.”

  He released his held breath and felt a surge of elation. He leaned down and kissed her. When he pulled away, he watched her eyes flutter open. She smiled first, then she looked down and her face changed.

  “What is it?”

  Mandy’s hands slowly dropped to her sides. “Levi, you know about my past but my family does not. By the traditional vows, my father will have to testify I’m a spotless bride. I cannot let him do that, nor can I bear to disappoint him with the truth. I don’t care what the village thinks of me, but I will not shame my family.”

  He lifted her chin with a finger. “I have already taken care of it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Since I broke from tradition by choosing my own profession and building my own home, neither of our fathers was surprised when I told them I wanted our wedding to diverge from tradition. The only vows in our wedding will be between you and me.”

  Mandy looked astonished and lifted her hands to his chest. “You kept my secret.”

  “Yes.” He covered her hands with his. “Next Saturday—one week from tomorrow—leave your father’s house and meet me at the chapel at noon. I will vow to love you faithfully all of my days. Then I will take you home with me to the house I have built for us.”

  “One week?” Mandy beamed. “So you are going to keep the tradition of Preparation Week. Does the village know?”

  He glanced at the closed door and back at Mandy. The music had stopped and it was quiet in the barn below. She pointed at the door. “Are they waiting for my answer?”

  “Only our families. Everett is waiting for my signal whether or not to announce it to the village.”

  Mandy let out a small laugh and put her hand over her mouth. “What is your signal?”

  Levi stepped to the door. “Whether or not I walk out alone.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Mandy folded a set of finely embroidered muslin curtains, hugged them to her chest, and smiled at Lydia. “Thank you. They are really beautiful.”

  “It’s just my part in the preparations.” Lydia sighed and sat at the desk in her medical office. “Levi will take them to the house later today and hang them. He probably won’t be pleased I showed you first, but I wanted to make sure you liked the design.”

  Mandy set the folded curtains on the corner of Lydia’s desk and lowered herself into the chair beside it. “I can’t imagine the amount of work he’s done this week to get the house ready by Saturday. Not just him—the whole village. It’s all a bit overwhelming.”

  Lydia propped her elbows on the desk. “How much of the preparations have you seen?”

  “Well, I haven’t seen the house this week, of course. Bethany showed me the dishes she made at the pottery and I’ve noticed the parade of villagers going to Levi’s house—”

  “Your house,” Lydia corrected.

  “Our house.” Mandy pressed her fingers to her temples and shook her head. “I still can’t believe it.”

  “In two short days you will be a Colburn.”

  “We will be sisters.” Mandy giggled. “Did you ever think that would happen?”

  “No… yes… no, but I’m thrilled with the way things turned out—for you and for Levi. I’m sure you both will be very happy together. Is your dress ready yet?”

  Mandy nodded. “Mother brought it home yesterday. The color is a lovely light blue. I liked the white dress you wore when you married Connor, but you’ve not worn it since.”

  “I thought it was an impractical color, but I wore white for Connor’s sake. He said it’
s the tradition in his land for the bride to wear a white dress. They believe it symbolizes the bride’s purity.”

  “Oh, well, I’m relieved we have no such tradition.”

  Lydia wrinkled her nose and waved her hand as if shooing away the notion. “He said most brides there wear white even though few of them are actually pure.”

  “Yet here the brides are rarely blemished.” Regretful, Mandy looked down at her hands. Levi had promised never to speak of her past. He was willing to give up his honor for her mistake, and to her that would forever be proof of his love. She lifted her head. “Levi said in our wedding ceremony he and I will say our vows, but there will be none of the other traditions.”

  Lydia’s eyes widened then she nodded. “I wasn’t sure how he would do it, but I knew he would find a way to protect you. A simpler ceremony seems perfect for the two of you.”

  “Do you think people will wonder about me since we are breaking from tradition?”

  “No, especially since Levi has our father’s support. Besides, once you’re pronounced Levi’s lawfully wedded wife, no one will have the right to question your past.”

  Mandy sighed and looked at the ceiling then back at Lydia. “It is befitting of Levi.”

  “It is redemptive. He’s truly devoted to you.”

  “And I plan to give him a life worthy of such devotion.”

  When someone knocked lightly on the door, Lydia stood to answer it. As she walked to the door, she put a hand over her abdomen. She rubbed her flat belly while she whispered to the person at the door. “I’m not with a patient but your bride is in here, so you will have to come back later.”

  Mandy heard the quiet murmurings of Levi’s low voice and felt desperate to see him. In keeping with the tradition, they had not spoken since the night of the betrothal. One week apart to prepare for their union seemed like an eternity. Knowing she would spend her life with Levi did little to ease her constant desire to be with him. The week had given her nervous anticipation that fluxed from quiet desperation to giddy eagerness.