The School Mistress (Emerson Pass Book 1)

by Tess Thompson

  “Oh, Alexander, I love you so.”

  “Let’s go back to the house. Jasper’s opening champagne.”

  We drove back to the house, laughing and kissing as the bells chimed merrily, and the horses shook their manes as if celebrating with us.

  In the foyer, I helped Quinn out of her coat. The sounds of chatter and laughter came from the library.

  “It sounds like they’ve started without us,” she said.

  “We’re back,” I called out. The room hushed.

  Quinn’s brow furrowed. “Why’d they get so quiet?”

  “Come with me,” I said. “You’ll see.” I tucked her arm against me and opened the door to the library. Her mother and sister stood together by the window.

  She went rigid with shock at the sight of them. “Mother? Annabelle?”

  Mrs. Cooper came forward with her arms out. “Come here, my girl, and hug me.”

  Quinn, crying, ran to her mother. Her sister joined them, and they all hugged and laughed and cried at the same time. When they parted, Quinn looked over at me. “How did you do this?”

  “They took the train,” I said. “Surprise.”

  She turned to the children, who were huddled together on the couch, watching the entire affair with big eyes. “Children, were you in on this?”

  “Just Josephine,” Cymbeline said, sounding put out. “Until a few minutes ago.”

  Quinn went to the couch and knelt down next to them. “Do you know happy I am that now all the people I love will be under one roof?”

  “Do you love us as much as Papa?” Cymbeline asked.

  “I love you as much,” she said.

  “I love you too,” Cymbeline said.

  “And you won’t ever leave us?” Fiona asked.

  “I’ll never leave you,” Quinn said.

  I looked over at Josephine. “I told you it was meant to be,” she said. “We knew it from the start.”

  “You knew it and told us,” Flynn said. “I’m glad you were right.”

  “We have a grandmother and an aunt now,” Fiona said as if this were new information. “They’re going to live here with us.”

  “And a mother,” Theo said softly.

  “Yeah, a mother.” Flynn grinned. “The best, toughest mother in the whole world.”

  Jasper popped a bottle of champagne and poured a glass for the adults and cider for the children.

  We gathered in a circle and lifted our glasses. “To the happy couple,” Jasper said. We all toasted, and there were more congratulations and happy tears from the female members of my family.

  “Tomorrow there will be a wedding,” I said. “A Christmas Eve wedding.”

  Quinn laughed as she looked up at me. “I promised the minute Mother and Annabelle were here, we’d do it, so I guess we’re getting married tomorrow.”

  Harley cleared his throat, then tapped his glass. “I have an announcement as well. Merry and I went to see Pastor Lind this morning, and we’ve married.”

  Both Lizzie and Quinn pounced on a blushing Merry. She held up her hand to show off a gold wedding band. “It was Harley’s mother’s,” Merry said. “And Poppy’s graciously let me have it, even though it was meant for her.”

  Poppy grinned. “I’m never getting married anyway.”

  “And why not?” Harley asked.

  “Boys are disgusting,” Poppy said. “And anyway, I’m going to be a veterinarian and won’t have time for a husband.”

  “I think that sounds like a splendid idea,” Quinn said. “But if you’re like me, you might find a man despite your other plans.”

  “Papa, turn on music, please,” Josephine said. “So we can dance.”

  I turned on the phonograph, and the children pranced around the room. Jasper stood by the fire looking miserable. Lizzie sat on the couch drinking her champagne and looking equally despondent. For such a smart man, Jasper was making a terrible mistake.

  I took Harley aside and poured him a whiskey. “Congratulations. When will she move into the cottage with you?”

  “We wanted to check with you first,” Harley said. “Is it all right?”

  I slapped his shoulder. “A man should be with his wife.”

  Abruptly the music stopped. Jasper, near the phonograph, lifted his glass. “I have something to say.”

  Everyone paused what they were doing and turned toward him.

  “I’ve been a fool,” Jasper said. “Lizzie, I don’t want you to marry Clive Higgins. And you might like him because he’s a butcher and you’re a cook and all that, but you belong with me. We belong to each other.”

  She stared at him.

  “I want you to be my wife. I have money of my own, thanks to the lord’s generosity. I can take care of you.”

  Lizzie’s mouth had dropped open a smidge, but she continued to stare at him as if he were a ghost.

  Jasper crossed over to her and dropped to one knee. From his pocket, he pulled out a round diamond with tiny emeralds surrounding it. His grandmother’s ring. She’d left it to him when he was only a kid. I’d forgotten.

  “Please, Lizzie, will you marry me?” he asked.

  “I…I thought you didn’t love me.”

  “I lied. I was afraid.”

  “Of what?” she asked.

  “Of not being enough for you. I’m boring and old-fashioned, and you’re the opposite.”

  “I’ve loved you since we were children. It’s not like you’ve changed.” Lizzie smiled as she reached out to caress the side of his face. “I don’t find you boring.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  “It’s a yes,” she said.

  The children all cheered. Poppy and Josephine held on to each other by the hands and galloped around the room.

  I put the music back on, and we poured more champagne and danced and laughed and talked deep into the night.

  Chapter 35

  Quinn

  The morning of Christmas Eve I woke next to my sister in the bed in my room. We’d agreed that she would take the room when I came home later as Lady Barnes. The night before, we’d been too tired to unpack her trunk, so now I was sitting on the bed watching her move around the room in her dressing gown. She’d had a bath and washed her hair. Her damp, loose hair dried as she hung clothes in the wardrobe.

  Watching her, I decided she seemed older than when I left home just a few months ago. Living alone with Mother had given her a self-assurance she hadn’t had before. It hurt a little to see how life had robbed her of any childish tendencies, but I supposed it was for the best. The world was a hard place and courage our only map.

  She showed me the new dress she’d made for herself in a light green organza. “A day dress or a sister-of-the-bride dress,” she said. “Are you mad I spent the money on fabric?” she asked.

  “Never,” I said. “It was time for a new dress.”

  “It’s just you sent so much money and then Lord Barnes wrote and sent more, so I didn’t think you’d begrudge me or Mother a few new clothes.”

  “I’m glad you had enough to make something nice for yourself,” I said.

  Annabelle bounced on her feet. “I’ve brought something for you, too. When you wrote a month or so ago that Alexander had stated his intention to marry you, I started to worry about a wedding dress. I made this for you.” She pulled from the trunk a high-waisted white organza gown with a tiered skirt and tight sleeves that stopped at the elbows.

  I leapt from the bed and grabbed the dress. “Annabelle, how did you ever do this?”

  “It’s nothing. I used a pattern. Although I tweaked it a bit to suit your small frame. Making this wedding dress was the most fun I’ve ever had.”

  “I adore it.” I placed the dress on the bed and stared at it with great reverence. I couldn’t believe such a pretty dress was mine. “And I adore you.”

  “There’s one more thing.” She lifted a lace veil from the trunk. “I made this from a piece of lace Mother had kept for years and years, hoping one of us coul
d use it for a veil. Do you like it?”

  I fingered the delicate lace my sister had cut and sewn onto a small cap. “Making this from an old piece of lace. You’re such the clever one.”

  “Aren’t I though?”

  We hugged, laughing and crying at the same time. A knock on the door followed by Merry’s voice interrupted us from our sisterly reunion.

  “Quinn, I’ve come to help you get dressed.” She gasped when she saw the dress. “Where did it come from?”

  “My sister made it,” I said.

  Merry couldn’t keep the envy out of her voice. “It’s the prettiest dress I’ve ever seen.”

  We spent the next hour getting dressed. Merry powdered me and blushed my cheeks while Annabelle twisted my hair and fixed the veil with pins. Finally, I slipped into my gown.

  My sister fussed with the material, smoothing it with her fingers. Merry simply watched, shaking her head. “You’re like a princess,” she said.

  Another knock on the door, and my mother entered wearing a light gray organza gown I’d never before seen. My sister’s seamstress fingers had been busy. “Oh my goodness, will you look at you. The dress is even prettier on.” She wheezed and thumped her chest.

  “Mother, are you all right?” I asked.

  “Yes, yes. I’m fine. It’s the first I’ve felt it since we left that dirty city. All this fresh air’s going to cure me.” She pointed at Annabelle, who had fixed her hair but not yet put on her dress. “They’re ready for us downstairs. We must go.”

  Annabelle quickly slipped into her dress, and we all went downstairs together. Alexander and the children were waiting in the foyer, wearing their Sunday best.

  Alexander met me at the bottom of the steps. “You, my love, are a beautiful bride.” Tears moistened his eyes as he held out his hands. “Are you ready to be my wife?”

  “Yes, but there’s one last thing.” I motioned for the twins to come near. “I have a question for you two. My father is in heaven and typically he would walk me down the aisle. I was wondering if you would do it instead?”

  “What do we do?” Flynn asked.

  “Will people be looking at us?” Theo asked.

  “You’ll each take one of my arms, like this.” I tucked their small hands inside my elbows. “And then we just walk toward your father.”

  “And no one will be looking at anyone but Quinn,” Alexander said. “You can trust me on that.”

  The little boys each nodded their heads and exchanged proud looks with each other. “We will do it,” Flynn said.

  Cymbeline stomped her foot. “What about us? We want a job.”

  “You and your sisters are to wait at the front of the church with Papa,” I said. “Make sure he doesn’t run away at the last minute.”

  Both Fiona and Cymbeline giggled.

  “He won’t run away,” Josephine said. “And you can trust me on that.”

  Chapter 36

  Quinn

  That night of our wedding, I lay in Alexander’s arms for the first time. Given my inexperience, I’d been surprisingly calm about the expected coupling. I’d wanted only to be with him. He’d taken his time with me, gentle and courteous, and had promised that it would be better the second time. He was right.

  Nearing 3:00 a.m. and physically spent, I nestled into the crook of his arm.

  “I had no idea it would be like this,” I said as I breathed in the scent of his skin.

  “We’ll have many more nights like this one. My only desire is to give you everything you ever dreamed of.”

  “You already have.” I ran my hand over his broad chest, marveling at the feel of him. It occurred to me that I was now allowed to touch him any time I wanted. I was his wife.

  “Will you want a child of your own?” he asked.

  “I already have five of them. They’re mine in here.” I tapped my chest. “They’ve owned my heart since the very first time I saw them.”

  He chuckled and pulled me tighter against his hard frame. “I can only imagine what you must’ve thought—all of us staring at you like that.”

  “I thought I’d died and gone to heaven with the angels. And I was right.”

  “I’m not sure I’d describe them as angels,” he said.

  “Won’t it be wonderful to watch them grow up? I wonder what kind of remarkable lives they’ll have.”

  “They have more of a chance now,” he said. “With a mother to love them and nurture them.”

  “Someday, they’ll have weddings and babies. Think of it, Alexander. All the fun we’ll have.”

  “We might have more children, Quinn. You should prepare yourself for that.”

  I smiled into the darkness. “I’d be pleased. But we’ll see what plans God has for us. He might think we have more than enough for one couple.”

  “I’m a blessed man,” he said.

  “And my mother and sister are here. I can’t imagine how any person could be happier than I am.”

  “Did you see how Clive looked at your sister at dinner?” he asked. “I had to remind him she’s only sixteen.”

  “Well, if he can wait a few years, who knows? Clive’s a good man.”

  “I was thinking as I looked around our table tonight about the children Harley and Merry and Jasper and Lizzie will surely have. The thought of them all growing up together on my land warmed my heart. Someday our children and the others will have children of their own. Do you think our descendants will be as happy here as we are?”

  “Only time will tell,” I said. “But I have a good feeling that this community will grow into a place of love, friendship, and tolerance. You set the foundation with your generosity and fair-mindedness. We have only to head further in that direction with each year that passes.”

  “Ah, my love. What did I do to deserve you?”

  “And I, you?”

  I turned on my side and nestled against Alexander, unable to predict the future but full of hope. Of course, I couldn’t know then that the years would indeed bring much joy to Alexander and me. Our children and the children of our beloved friends did grow up to have love stories of their own and children and grandchildren. As is true in life, the paths to their true norths were not without a few bumps and twists. However, they were armed for any battle because of the depth of their spirits and goodness of their characters. They knew from our example that love was the only thing worth fighting for, the only thing that can fight darkness and evil. But those stories are for another time and not mine to tell.

  I knew only this as I drifted off to sleep. Courage is truly the only map to a satisfying life. We must not shy away from that which frightens us. For if we do, we might not fulfill our destiny, our true callings. Without bravery, we might miss those who will fill the hole in our hearts and for whom we are the missing piece.

  Step off the train, dear ones. Your life awaits.

  More Emerson Pass!

  If you enjoyed The School Mistress, I have exciting news. Josephine’s story comes next in the historical Emerson Pass Series. The Spinster of Emerson Pass is now available on preorder at the retailer of your choice. Get it here: The Spinster. This next installment releases January 11, 2021.

  The first of the contemporary Emerson Pass stories, The Sugar Queen, starring the descendants of the Barnes family is available at your favorite retailer. Grab it here: The Sugar Queen. Keep reading to enjoy the first chapter.

  In the mood for a holiday historical romance? Come Tomorrow, the first of the Castaway Christmas Series releases December 1, 2020.

  One chance meeting. A single act of kindness. Can young soulmates find each other in adulthood, or will hidden truths tear them apart?

  Preorder now: Come Tomorrow.

  The Spinster:

  Her love died on a battlefield. He carries a torch for a woman he’s never met. Can the tragic death of a soldier entwine the souls of two strangers?

  Colorado, 1920. Josephine Barnes wrote every day to her beloved fiancé battling in the trenches of the
Great War. Devastated when he’s killed in action, she vows never to marry and buries her grief in the construction of the town’s first library. But she’s left breathless when she receives a request from a gracious gentleman to visit and return the letters containing her declarations of desire.

  Philip Baker survived the war but returned home burdened with a distressing secret. Though he knows it’s wrong, he can’t stop reading through the beautiful sentiments left among his slain comrade’s possessions. Plagued by guilt, he’s unable to resist connecting with the extraordinary woman who captured his heart with her words.

  When Josephine invites Philip to join her gregarious family for the holidays, she’s torn by her loyalty to a ghost and her growing feelings for the gallant man. And as Philip prepares to risk everything by telling her the truth about her dead fiancé, he fears he could crush Josephine’s blossoming happiness forever.

  Will they break free from their painful pasts to embrace a passion meant to be?

  The Spinster is the second book in the heartwarming Emerson Pass historical romance series. If you like staunch heroines, emotional backdrops, and sweeping family sagas, then you’ll adore Tess Thompson’s wholesome tale.

  Buy The Spinster to read between the lines of destiny today!

  The Sugar Queen

  The first in the contemporary Emerson Pass Series , The Sugar Queen features the descendants from the Barnes family.

  Get ready for some sweet second chances! To read the first chapter, simply turn the page or download a copy here: The Sugar Queen.

  True love requires commitment, and many times unending sacrifice. . .