“You’re my very own uncle. Linnie said so, and Katie told me I could call you Uncle Nicholas if I wanted to.” She took a deep breath, her statement having been a mouthful, and then looked up at him anxiously. “You don’t mind, do you?”
Nicholas cleared his throat, a thickening there causing him a problem as he spoke. “No, I don’t mind at all, sweetheart. I kind of like it. No one’s ever called me that before now.” These two females had come to be of major importance in his life in less than a week’s time. He tested the waters now with Amanda, reaching out to touch her cheek with his index finger. She smiled widely and shot a look of triumph at her nursemaid.
The thought of spending time with Patience was gone, obliterated as if it had never been. If he had to take long walks to exercise his nagging needs into oblivion, he would do just that. But using one woman to assuage the pain of another’s refusal was beneath him.
And certainly, all hope was not yet lost.
He knew, knew it with a certainty he could not explain, that Lin would come to him.
Not tonight. Of that he was sure. But sometime, when the passion in her eyes became a desire she could not deny, she would come to him. It was worth the wait. He’d learn to savor the moment, and not to rush his fences. And if those two homilies were somehow not suited to the occasion, it was all right. The end result would be the same.
She would be his.
Augusta Cleary was a vibrantly beautiful woman, yet Lin, a name she realized she had accepted once Nicholas had blessed her with it, was not made to feel any less than attractive in her own right. The men shared their attention between the ladies, and even Nicky, who by all rights should have been in bed at this hour, claimed his own bit of admiration.
“He’s a scamp,” Augusta said in an aside to her hostess as they watched the pair of gentlemen playing on the parlor floor with the little boy. Just past twelve months in age, he was gloriously beautiful, with his mother’s golden hair and his father’s dark eyes, a contrast that would no doubt hold him in good stead with the ladies one day, Lin decided. And then said as much.
“Well, he has me totally at his mercy,” Augusta told her with a rueful laugh. “And Jonathan spoils him dreadfully.”
“Jonathan? I’ve only heard Nicholas speak of him as Cleary,” Lin said.
“He prefers it.” Augusta’s mouth softened as she shed her gaze on the three male figures, wrestling together on the carpet. “But his name is Jonathan, though when I find occasion to use his surname he sits up and takes notice.” Her smile was possessive, Lin thought.
If this was the relationship between husband and wife that Nicholas had been exposed to over the past years, she was hard-pressed to understand why he didn’t speak more warmly of marriage.
“Do you think this boy needs to be tucked into bed?” Cleary asked his wife as Nicky toddled into his father’s arms. He darted a look that seemed to hold a hidden meaning at the golden-haired woman, and Augusta smiled again.
“Whenever you say. I think Amanda was about worn out chasing him before supper. She didn’t protest when you sent her about her chores a few minutes ago,” she said to Lin.
“She needed to feed her kitten. Nicholas feels if she wants a pet, she must be responsible for its care.” And then as Amanda peeped around the parlor door, Lin held out a hand in welcome. “Come in, dear. Nicky is about to be taken home and put to bed by his mama. Do you want to say good-night to him?”
Amanda nodded, her eyes lighting as the little boy half ran across the parlor carpet toward her. “I thought I’d show him my kitty, but I didn’t want him to get scratched up. Maybe I should wait till Blackie learns how to pull in his claws.” She looked up at Augusta solemnly. “Katie says that kitties have to learn that, and that I must be careful in the meantime not to get scratched up like Uncle Nicholas did.”
“Uncle Nicholas?” Cleary said, grinning at the man in question. “Now that has a ring to it. We’ll have to teach Nicky those words.”
“His vocabulary is quite limited at this point, Nicholas,” Augusta said. “Don’t hold your breath waiting for him to spit out all those syllables any time soon.”
“I won’t mind,” her host told her simply, rising from the floor to sit on the sofa. “I’ve learned in the past days to appreciate the title.” He held out a hand to Amanda and she skipped to his side, glowing as his arm circled her waist.
“You begin to resemble a family man, Nick,” Cleary told him beneath his breath, the sound barely reaching Lin’s ear.
She glimpsed a look of chagrin that quickly turned into a frown as the two men rose in unison and walked across the room, Nicholas’s arm sliding up to rest across Amanda’s shoulders, Cleary carrying his son.
Nicholas would not appreciate the designation, she knew. Yet Cleary was obviously given to teasing the man. Perhaps he thought to persuade Nicolas into a relationship matching his own. If so, he had a surprise coming. If she knew anything about it, marriage was far from what Nicholas had in mind for his future. Seduction was more to the point.
“Lin?” Beside her, Augusta called her, using the name she’d begun to respond to with such ease. Now she turned quickly to reply.
“I’m sorry, I was thinking. What did you say?”
“My thoughts probably were matching yours,” Augusta said, glancing at the two men who had walked into the foyer. “I only wanted to know if I might call you by the name Nicholas has bestowed on you. Carlinda is a lovely name, but I noticed that even Amanda calls you Linnie.”
“If you like. Amanda has always shortened it. She was about Nicky’s age when she decided on my title, and it hasn’t changed since.”
“Are you coming along, Gussie?” Cleary called from the front door. “This boy of ours is settling down to sleep on my shoulder.”
“Gussie?” Lin grinned as she repeated Cleary’s word.
Augusta grimaced. “Rather undignified, I know, but he began it early on and there’s no changing Cleary when he gets the bit in his teeth.”
“I like it,” Lin told her. “Let’s agree on something. I’ll be Lin and you can be Gussie and we’ll be friends.” For as long as I’m here.
Lin set that errant thought aside and a quick hug between the women cemented the notion. Lin watched as the petite woman hurried to join her husband on the threshold leading to the porch. I probably won’t be here long enough to keep a friend. That thought was as daunting as the first, but the chance of gaining another woman’s companionship tempted her beyond good sense. She lifted her hand as Gussie turned back, and their eyes met in understanding.
“You had a good time.” It was not a question, but a statement of fact tossed in her direction as Nicholas brought Amanda back into the parlor.
“Yes, I did. They’re lovely people, especially Gussie. And Nicky is a beautiful child. I can see that there’s an appreciable difference in little boys and girls.”
“Between big boys and girls, too,” Nicholas said wisely, his eyes sparkling as he teased her. He looked down at Amanda, who was covering a wide yawn with her palm. “I think this little girl needs to go to bed.”
“I agree,” Lin said, willing to break the mood he’d set in place. “Come along, sweetie. I’ll help you get undressed.” Taking Amanda’s hand, she led her to the door, but the child halted, digging in her heels.
“Wait. Just a minute, Linnie. I didn’t tell Uncle Nicholas good-night.”
He bent to her, holding out his arms, and she lifted her own to clutch at his neck, hugging tightly for just a moment. “Good night, Amanda,” he said, lifting her from her feet for a moment before he lowered her to the carpet. His gaze remained on them as they crossed the floor, and then it lifted to touch Lin with its warmth as he spoke again. “Will you come back down?” he asked.
“Yes.” Her nod lent substance to the word and then she turned to climb the stairs, Amanda chattering about the kitten and the plans she’d already made for its care.
Nicholas waited for her in his study, know
ing she would seek him out there. A sheaf of papers needing his attention sat in the center of his blotter, but he could not concentrate on their contents, his mind on the two females upstairs. His life had changed drastically, and Cleary had caught on quickly to the difference in Nicholas’s household.
He’d given his opinion in no uncertain terms before supper. Have you thought of marriage to the girl? It would certainly simplify things. Cleary had spoken his advice in an undertone during a time when the womenfolk were apart from them. The man could be depended on to get to the heart of any situation, Nicholas thought with a grimace.
For Cleary there would be no other solution but marriage. The lawman was of the old school, which decreed that once a woman came in sight with all the proper qualities of a wife-apparent, it would behoove a man to snatch her up and buy a wedding ring.
On the other hand, Nicholas had seen marriages that had begun with white lace and pretty words and ended up with division between husband and wife that tainted their lives evermore. Yet, having Amanda in his life might lead to an alliance now that there was a child to be considered.
“Are you certain you know what you’re getting into, allowing Amanda to keep the kitten?” From the doorway, Lin’s words were soft, as if she feared the little girl might be listening.
He waved her into his study. “Did you get her into bed already? I thought she’d keep you up there for an hour, making plans for her pet.”
“I promised her we’d do all that in the morning, and she agreed. In fact, she chased me out so she could go to sleep more quickly and the night would go by faster.”
“I never had a pet,” Nicholas said bluntly. “If allowing Amanda to keep an animal will make her happy, it’s the least I can do. In case you run off, it’ll give her something to depend on.” His words were teasing, but he stood stock-still as she seemed to search for an apt reply.
“If I run off, you’ll be given notice,” she told him after a moment “I’m not a coward, Nicholas.”
He agreed with a nod. “Among other things, I’d say you were a brave lady. You brought a child halfway across the country, by yourself, and into an unknown situation, Lin. That wasn’t done without some small amount of concern on your part.”
“I wanted what was best for Amanda. Besides, I’d made a promise to her mother that no matter what happened, I’d take care of her.”
“And had no idea where that vow would take you,” he mused, waving to a chair. And then he settled behind his desk.
“Is this to be a formal interview?” she asked, watching him as he put the large piece of furniture between them.
“No. Far from it. I just want you to know that Cleary has it in his head that we should get married. You may be getting some encouragement along those same lines from Augusta if you see much of her.”
“What do I call myself, Nicholas?” she asked. “Am I a combination nursemaid and companion here? Or a hostess for you, as I was tonight?”
“I enjoyed you sitting at the other end of my table, acting as my hostess, Lin. If you’ll agree to that, we’ll entertain often. I owe suppers to several folks in town.” His hands formed a peak, his index fingers almost touching his mouth as he watched her, and his voice was quiet.
“Are you asking for more than that? If so, I’ve already made an offer.” He watched closely as she considered his question, and her eyes refused to meet his as she spoke her reply.
“No. I’ve never asked a man for anything in my life.” Her mind flashed a picture of herself as a younger woman. Please don’t touch me again. And her stepfather had jeered, turning away until another opportunity should present itself.
Nicholas’s voice was urgent as he noted her loss of color and the trembling of her hands. “Lin. What is it? I didn’t mean to upset you. I promise I won’t mention that occasion again.”
Her gaze was dark with sadness as she looked up at him. “Nothing’s wrong. And it wasn’t anything you said. I just remembered something I’d thought was forever buried in my past.”
Prying was the furthest thing from his mind, but it pained him to see her look so bereft, as if her best and last friend had died. As indeed might have been the case, now that he considered it more fully. “Will you tell me about it?” he asked quietly. “If it caused so much pain, perhaps I can help.”
“No, I’d rather not. I was foolish to let it bother me.” She forced a smile. “So far as you’re concerned, I won’t ask for marriage, Nicholas. And you, on the other hand, must not press me for any other sort of…an understanding.”
“There are things in my past…” His hesitation was long, and then he began anew. “I know you’re familiar with my background to a certain extent, but you need to be aware that until I saw Cleary and his wife together, I wouldn’t have given you two cents for any such an arrangement between a man and woman.” He grinned suddenly, remembering.
“In fact, I knew them before such an idea entered Cleary’s head, when Augusta first came to Collins Creek. I’ll tell you about it someday. She was a real go-getter, and once Cleary took a good look, he was a goner.”
“They seem happy,” she said, “and heaven knows they’re both head over heels with little Nicky.”
“Marriage worked for them. And I’m pleased on their behalf,” he conceded.
“But you don’t see it in your future.”
He shook his head. “Not at the moment. If I did, I’d snap you up in a minute.”
“Well…” she began, rising and walking to the door. “I don’t think I’m in danger of that happening tonight. I believe I’ll go upstairs myself. I have some things to do before I go to bed.”
“Good night, Lin,” he said, watching as she walked across the foyer to where the staircase wound its way to the second floor. “You’re right, you know.”
She halted in her tracks, one foot on the bottom step. “About what?” she asked, deigning to turn around and face him.
“You’re not in danger tonight.” He hesitated, and she moved up another step.
“But don’t become complacent, my dear. Danger can come from many directions, you know.”
He saw only the bottom half of her body now as she moved on. And then her feet touched the seventh step, for he’d been unconsciously counting as she climbed. She was unmoving, and he waited.
“I think the biggest danger is not from you, Nicholas, but from within me.” One foot moved and then lowered again to settle beside the other. “I fear I’ll make a fool of myself one of these days if I don’t walk away from you.”
“But not tonight?” He asked so quietly he wondered if she heard him.
Her feet shifted, then moved upward, her voice trailing behind her.
“No, not tonight.”
Chapter Five
Today, as it had been for the past week, the town square was a part of Amanda’s morning walk. “Linnie, let’s hurry, in case Sally thinks I’m not coming.” Impatience was ingrained in her character, it seemed, accompanied by an abundance of energy. It was easier, Lin decided, to include the outing in each day’s plan, using it to her advantage, than to coax Amanda’s cooperation with the simple lessons that had formerly been a part of every morning.
And all the time, she recognized that she was only marking time, that, as someone had once said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The adage, she decided, also applied to women who were in a position akin to disaster and didn’t possess the strength of will to escape its entanglement.
Leaving Nicholas Garvey should be simple; just get on a train and head eastward. Surely an intelligent woman could find work somewhere between Texas and New York. Certainly she was capable of supporting herself if it came to that. She’d done it before, and could no doubt handle being on her own again.
But the reality of never seeing Nicholas again caused a pain in her breast she could hardly bear. And all this after only a couple of weeks in his presence. What would it be like should she be here for much longer, she wondered. Weeks maybe, p
erhaps months.
It didn’t bear thinking about, for certainly her will to resist what he offered would not remain firm but eventually draw her into an illicit relationship with the man. Still she stayed, enjoying her hours with Amanda, settling into a routine, beginning with this daily walk to the park. Sally joined them regularly, her mother apparently not holding too tight a rein on the child’s whereabouts.
Lin took along a book or two each day, and bargained cheerfully with Amanda as they walked the nearly half mile or so into town. “Today, we’ll learn two new letters and three words,” she told her, glancing upward at a sky that threatened rain before the morning touched noonday.
“I know lots of letters already,” Amanda retorted, skipping ahead, uncaring of the dust she kicked up, her eagerness to play overcoming her usual decorum.
“These are new letters, sweet. There are twenty-six in all, and we’ve only gotten to the first dozen. You’ll need to pick today’s letters out from the words on the page for me. I brought two books along to use today, and one of them has a lot of pictures in it.”
“I like picture books best,” Amanda confided, tilting her head to the side, the better to see the cover of the book tucked beneath Lin’s arm. “I know most of those letters on the front of that one already,” she announced, and then, losing interest in her education, she resumed her skipping as Sally came into view.
“Sally.” Her voice rang out, and the little girl she’d come to call her friend caught the ball she’d been tossing in the air and waved, running toward them. “We gotta look at books first, and then I can play,” Amanda said glumly as Sally approached.
“It’s gonna rain,” Sally announced. “I like the books your Linnie has, but today we need to look real quick, in case we get a gully-washer.” She looked up at Lin and confided a small bit of knowledge. “That’s what my papa calls it when it rains extra hard. And mama said I must be home before the first drops fall,” she announced.
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