A Beekeeper for Christmas

by Kimberly Grist

  “The repairs and painting took me longer than I figured. I’m planning to make us a bench and side tables for in here.”

  “You did a wonderful job. And as far as furniture goes, my grandparents promised to ship some of my things that will suit this space perfectly. All I need to do is send the wire, and the parcels should arrive within a week.”

  “As heavy as the two trunks were that you brought with you on the train, I hate to think what you mean by parcels.”

  Bethany studied the fullness of his lip and watched in fascination as his amber eyes darkened to chocolate. She offered a saucy grin. “You should be very afraid then. My grandparents wanted me to have the things that belonged to my parents. They’re in the process of making room for my aunt and her children to move in. Everything that was in my part of the house should arrive soon.”

  “Your part of the house? I thought you lived in a log cabin?”

  “Our home is built of logs, but it’s not a cabin. The structure is rather large, actually. My father and grandfather built an addition after he married my mother.” Bethany studied his furrowed brow.

  Moses reached for a lock of hair framing her cheek and wrapped it around his finger. “Do you want me to send the wire for you?”

  “It seems a bit premature to do so. You haven’t asked me to stay.”

  His eyebrows narrowed. “I asked you to come and sent you a ticket.”

  “You invited me for a visit to see if we would suit each other.” Bethany felt her face flush. The warmth from his chest made her heart flutter.

  He touched her mouth with his finger. The golden flecks seemed to disappear as his eyes darkened. “There are no doubts in my mind. What about you?”

  “I’m beginning to wonder if you’re ever going to ask me the question.” She pursed her lips.

  Moses's mouth twitched. “I love teasing you, but I can’t stand to see you look miffed.” He knelt on one knee, reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out a velvet box. “I love you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  “I love you too.” Bethany gulped.

  “Is that a yes?”

  Bethany nodded. Moses rose and placed a topaz ring with rose-cut diamonds set at each corner on her finger. “When I saw the color of the stone, it reminded me of honey. I was hoping you would like it.”

  “It’s beautiful.” Bethany sighed and placed her hands on his chest. He gently caressed the back of her neck and leaned closer. Their lips met.

  He whispered in her ear, “You’ve made me a happy man, and I’ll be even happier when we can say our vows.” Moses pulled apart and sighed. “I want to finish the tour before Memphis and Mike arrive.”

  “I’m excited to see it.” Bethany tucked her hand in the crook of his arm.

  “My plan was to show you the surprise Matthew, and I’ve been working on, but it’s not ready yet. So today, we’ll keep our tour confined to the downstairs area.”

  “Surprise? Can you give me a hint?” Her mouth lifted in response to the rumbling of laughter coming from his chest.

  “I can see it's going to be difficult to say no to you. Since you enjoy riddles, try, and guess.” Moses leaned closer. “It’s the only seat in the house.”

  Bethany glanced around the vacant parlor. “Did you build a table and chairs?” Her skirts rustled as she entered the dining room, also devoid of furniture. She pushed the swinging door and entered the kitchen.

  Hands on her hips, she surveyed the room also painted white with a wide aisle between the stove and sink. Moses leaned against a rectangular worktable that had seen better days. “No, I did not build this piece of junk, and your surprise is not in this room.”

  “Is it upstairs?”

  “Yep, it’s a special seat with its very own room. Some people think it’s kind of fancy since it’s on the inside as opposed to out back.”

  Bethany’s hands flew to her throat. “A water closet?”

  “Yep.” Moses grinned.

  Bethany threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you.”

  Moses wrapped her in a bear hug and whispered in her ear, “Must be my lucky day to have you in my arms three times. I figured I’d get a kiss when you saw the ring. But who would think a rabbit and a toilet would get this kind of reaction?”

  Chapter 16

  “Question: What is a bee’s favorite flower? Answer: Bee-gonias.” – Annie Stone, Student, Age Six

  Patting her infant son’s back, Maggie circled the parlor. Her freckled face broke into a smile. “What a difference furnishings made to this room. It looks beautiful and yet comfortable.”

  “I know he’s going to love it.” Daisy squeezed Bethany’s arm.

  Bethany tapped her finger along her cheek, studying the newly installed curtains. “I’m not sure if it’s because the pattern has all of my favorite colors or if it’s the fact my grandmother added a bit of whimsy to the design, but I love them.”

  Memphis smoothed the panel of the yellow curtain. “Your grandmother was so clever to embroider honeybees amongst the various flowers on the pattern.”

  “Although Grandmother is a wonderful seamstress, it's certainly out of character for her to do something so playful, but it pleased her that I liked the idea. My concern is I don’t think Moses will appreciate it at all.” Bethany tied the panels back with a golden cord with tassels to the hooks in the window frame.

  “What makes you think he won’t like it?” Daisy plopped down on the settee covered in a blue coordinating pattern.

  “There are several reasons, but the main one was the scowl he wore when he and Mike ‘were arranging the furniture.’”

  Maggie’s mouth opened and closed. “I know Moe fancies himself a practical person, but I don’t see anything distasteful about the curtain. Do you have any idea what was bothering him?”

  “Well, he didn’t adopt his grizzly demeanor until I asked him to rearrange the furniture for the third time.” Bethany bit her lip to hide a grin. “I’m happy that centering the sofa across from the fireplace and then sliding the upholstered chairs to create a u-shaped arrangement was the best choice. Because I don’t think I could convince him to move them again.”

  Maggie swayed back and forth, cradling her son. “I know the look you’re talking about. Moe’s scowls are fierce. But he’d do anything in the world to make you happy.”

  “Sometimes, I test his patience. The worst part was after we decided on the furniture placement, I had him roll up the carpet and put it in the bedroom.” Bethany’s laugh was infectious, and her friends joined in.

  “You said there were several reasons you don’t think he likes the room?” Daisy wiped tears from her eyes and gazed around the parlor.

  Bethany fluffed an embroidered cushion and placed it on the settee. “He’s told me several times he doesn’t care for what he calls ‘frippery,’ and his favorite color is brown.”

  Memphis waved her hand. “Trust me. If he’s anything like his brother, he won’t care what it looks like as long as it’s comfortable. I must say, now that the slipcovers are in place, the room looks like something from Godey’s Magazine.” She took a seat next to Daisy and then nodded toward the matching overstuffed chairs. “This would be my preference, but my guess is Moses will claim one of the chairs as his own. The size is more suited to a large man.”

  “I don’t recall seeing these slipcovers before. Did your grandmother make these?” Daisy ran her hands along the fabric.

  “My grandmother loves to cover the furniture with something fresh in the spring and summer. I have many patterns to choose from, which was an additional frustration for Moses.” Bethany giggled and held an upholstered cushion closer to the drapery panel. “She made these years ago and forgot about them. We found them stored in the attic and thought they’d work well with the curtain fabric.”

  Daisy nodded toward the circular table and two side chairs. “In the evenings, David and I spend time at the table working on his bookkeeping. When we’re done, we often pl
ay checkers. Did you bring your set with you?”

  “Oh, yes, what a wonderful idea. Once you add your books and things you use every day, Moses won’t even notice all the floral patterns.” Memphis’s eyes darted from the empty bookshelf to the candlesticks standing on the bare fireplace. “You’re going to need a lamp for lighting, as well.”

  Bethany pulled a telegraph from her apron pocket. “My books, along with the rest of my things, should arrive with my beekeeping supplies tomorrow.”

  “Poor Henry helped me move furniture quite a few times. He’ll be excited to help, especially if it means the opportunity to learn more about beekeeping.” Daisy moved toward the window and looked out on the stable yard. “What are your plans to keep the bees away from the horses?”

  “There’s an area in the back near the creek that captures the morning sun. Maggie and her mother are going to help me plan a garden for the area. The location is far enough away from the stable yard and will be the perfect spot for me to set up a bee farm. The problem I have at this moment is the waist-high length of the grass. Moses said he’s going to cut it for hay, but it will be another month or so before he can get to it.” She scrunched her nose. “I’m not looking forward to hay season; it makes my nose itch, just thinking about it.”

  “I forgot about your hay fever.” Memphis’s eyebrows drew together. “Has it bothered you since you moved to Texas?”

  “Even in Tennessee, the only time I had issues was in the summer or in my Grandfather’s barn if I stayed for more than a few minutes. Our doctor back home said my symptoms might be the combination of hay, grass, and animal dander. Yesterday I spent an hour in the open field, scouting the best area to place the brood boxes for my hives. I didn’t sneeze or suffer from a single sniffle.”

  “There’s a handyman who recently plowed an area for a garden for us. He and his sons made quick work of it too. Since Moses is so busy, why not make it easy on him and hire the work out?” Daisy twirled an auburn lock of hair around her finger.

  Bethany placed her hand over her heart. “I have money saved over the years from selling my bee products. If I pay for it myself, I can surprise Moses by taking something off his ever-growing list of repairs.”

  “Oh, that reminds me.” Maggie settled the baby in his basket, then retrieved her sketch pad. “Wait until you see the design Memphis sketched of the house. She included ideas for a flower and herb garden that will be beautiful and practical. Mike added the design of the front porch.”

  Bethany studied the charcoal sketch of an L-shaped stone house with a white framed front porch with latticework. “How lovely.” She raised one eyebrow. “Do you honestly think this house can look like your sketch?”

  “Of course. Mike said the framework is already there from the former stoops they tore down.” Maggie patted Bethany’s hand. “It’s so hot here in the spring and the summer. To me, a porch is a necessity.”

  “When Mike purchased our home, it had extensive fire damage, and Moses spent hours helping him with the repairs. Mike would like to return the favor and help him by adding a front porch.” Memphis ran her finger along the drawing. “Mrs. Montgomery thinks rosemary would be the perfect plant for the front of the house, and Maggie is going to design a porch swing.”

  “I love it.” Bethany bit her lip. “I’ve hinted to Moses several times about how nice it would be to have a front porch, but he says he likes the simplicity of the house.”

  “You leave my brother to me. Once he sees this sketch, he’ll come around.” Maggie elbowed Memphis. “My co-conspirator and I have the perfect incentive to make my brother see things our way.”

  “What sort of incentive?”

  “Memphis is working on a watercolor to give to Moses that we feel certain he’ll appreciate.” Maggie’s innocent blue-green eyes fringed in dark lashes stared back at her. Her freckled face, turned-up nose, and bubbly personality left her no doubt as to why the Montgomery men found it near to impossible to deny her anything.

  “I would be thrilled to have any art piece Memphis creates. I’m especially fond of her landscapes.” Daisy reached for the sketch pad and began flipping through the pages.

  “I agree and would be honored to have one of her paintings hanging in my home. Even so, I can’t imagine a picture, no matter how beautiful, that would entice Moses to do anything.”

  “Since you haven’t seen it yet, you’re unaware of its appeal.” Maggie slanted her head toward the empty wall above the fireplace. “Knowing my brother, Moses will not only want it, he’ll have it framed and hanging in the parlor within an hour of receipt.”

  Bethany’s eyebrows narrowed. “I’m at a loss to come up with an image in my mind that would carry such an incentive. I hope it’s not one of those terrible hunting scenes with wild buffalo.”

  Daisy placed the sketchbook to her chest and giggled. “This is perfect.”

  “Don’t you dare give it away, Daisy Leah.” Memphis retrieved the book and closed it with a snap. She bit her lip to hide a grin. “Let me go on record as saying the subject matter of the portrait was not my idea. Although I wish I’d thought of it. Mr. Montgomery was the one who suggested the theme.”

  Bethany reached for the sketchbook and received a soft smack of the hand from Memphis. “This is a wedding gift, and you’re going to have to wait to see the finished product.”

  “You realize this is going to keep me up at night trying to figure out what you all are up to?’

  “Go ahead and give her a hint, Memphis Rose. You know how terrible I am at keeping secrets. Bethany will keep pestering me until I tell her something.”

  “Good point,” Memphis said. “Let’s just say your future father-in-law believes Moses would enjoy a nautical theme.”

  “A nautical theme is something Moses will enjoy?” Bethany stared at her friend's cheeky grin. “Please tell me it’s not going to be some sort of pirate ship.”

  “Pirates, no. A ship sailing on rough waters, yes. And you, my friend, will make a perfect mermaid playing not a harp but an Appalachian dulcimer.”

  Chapter 17

  The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others.

  – St. John Chrysostom, Bishop

  The morning sun sent rays of light over the town and across his back. Standing on the boardwalk outside the bank, Moses took in a deep breath, thinking about the work still awaiting him at the livery. The last few days were productive. By working fourteen-hour days, he and Mike had managed to complete a job in three days that should have taken five. The effort would be worth it since it would allow him to surprise Bethany and take her to dinner tonight.

  Clucking to his horse, he made his way to the two-storied stone livery. Annie, sitting on the bench of a wagon filled with lumber, greeted him, “Morning, Uncle Moe.”

  “Well, hello there, young lady.” He tipped his hat. “Are you the new delivery man, I mean, girl?”

  Annie giggled. “No, but I’m helping Uncle Mark by keeping him company. Everyone else is at your house.”

  Moses pushed his Stetson to the back of his head and stared at the stone structure. From a distance, he could make out several figures behind the house and what appeared to be a freshly plowed garden. “Hm, looks like Aunt Bethany’s been busy.”

  “Yep.” Annie clasped her hands under her chin. “Wait until you see what her grandpa sent this time.”

  “Morning, Moe. You and Mike made good time.” John-Mark appeared carrying a crate.

  “We did.” Moses left the saddle and rubbed his mare’s neck. “Am I going to be sorry I came back early?”

  “Carol, Memphis, and their friend, Daisy, have spent two days straight working with Bethany setting up housekeeping at your place.”

  “I thought we were just about finished when I left.” The muscle in his jaw twitched. “Annie said Bethany’s grandpa sent something else.”

  “You missed the excitement of the arrival of Bethany’s bee supplies. That’s all
Andrew has talked about for the last two days.” John-Mark glanced over his shoulder. “He and Daisy’s nephew, Henry, have been following Bethany around and helping set things up.”

  “Set things up?”

  “Congratulations, brother. You just added another vocation to the family business. I was thinking about making you a sign.” John-Mark made an L-shape with both hands. “Montgomery Livery Stable, Horse Breeder, Farrier, Blacksmith, Handyman, and Beekeeper.”

  “Very funny.” Hands on hips, Moses returned his attention toward the land behind his stone house. “You’re kidding, I hope.”

  “Nope. Bethany’s grandfather shipped a crate of bees, and they’re now making their home just a short walk from your back door.”

  “Aunt Bethany says the bees are a little riled up. She’s making Andrew and Henry wear hats with a net. That way, the bees can’t sting their faces and necks.” Annie made swatting motions with her hands. “I’m going to wait until Aunt Bethany calms them down before I go back.”

  “Did you get stung, Shortcake?”

  Annie swung her head, making her braids swish back and forth. “Nope. Don’t plan on getting stung either. Which is why I’m waiting.”

  “Smart girl.” Moses retrieved Annie’s hat from the back of the wagon and placed it on her head. “I’m planning on giving your aunt a wide berth when it comes to those critters myself.” I would never have thought the pests would survive a trip like that.

  “Andrew and Henry have decided they want to go into the bee business. Can’t say as I blame them either.” John-Mark motioned toward a crate. “Bethany told me what her grandfather receives for shipping bees. The price of a box of bees is about the same as a calf or sheep, more than a hog.”

  Moses blew out his cheeks. “Bethany mentioned in her letters that bees were her grandfather’s cash crop, but I thought she meant he made a bit on the side selling honey and things they make from wax, like candles and balm. I had no idea you could make that kind of profit.”

  “Distributing them is big business. Bethany says he sends out shipments on an ongoing basis and even has a waiting list of customers. No wonder the man can afford to send you a houseful of furniture.”