Squeezing his eyes closed, Chris released a ragged sigh and threaded his fingers through his hair. That was it! Billy Parker needed to be stopped one way or another.
Groans from the man on the ground pulled Chris from his seething thoughts. Mr. Sprat’s wide eyes met Chris. The older man shook his head as liquid swam in his gaze, his lower lip quivering.
Chris hurried to him and held out his hand. “Mr. Sprat, I’m extremely sorry. I wish I had reached you sooner.”
“Wh—what happened? What did I step on?” The other man’s eyes darted around the walkway.
“You stepped on Billy Parker’s briar trap, I’m afraid.” He sighed. “I have been the recipient of that prank numerous times.” He knelt on one knee and gathered a few eggshells. “Here, let me help you.”
“Nonsense, Mr. Morgan.” Jack wiped the dripping yolk from his face and smiled. “You have a classroom of children to attend to. I’ll be fine.”
Laughter from the schoolhouse chimed through the air, frustrating Chris that much more. He glanced over his shoulder toward the building. The children had gathered at the windows, their faces aglow, and fingers pointed toward the scene.
Jack stood and continued to swipe the yolk and shells from his clothes. Chris withdrew his billfold from his pocket. “Tell me how much this incident has set you back.”
The older man’s gaze met his with tears glistening in his eyes. “Not to worry, Mr. Morgan. All will be fine.”
“But this wasn’t your fault.”
Jack shrugged. “Neither was it yours.” He shooed him with his hands. “Go back to your classroom and try to teach sense to those heathens.”
Chris chuckled. “Try is the operative word, I believe. It’ll take a miracle for me to teach them anything.”
As he stomped back toward the school, anger grew within him. He tightened his lips and hoped he’d be able to control his words and actions when talking to that boy. If not, Billy Parker was in big trouble. This time, he wouldn’t hold back on contacting the boy’s parents.
Before heading back inside, he kicked his boots against the steps, trying to loosen the mud coating his soles. When that didn’t work, he yanked them off and set them inside the door, then stormed into the classroom in stocking feet.
Immediately, the air clouded with smoke and tickled his nose. He waved his hand in front of his face and coughed. Something was on fire!
His heart dropped as he hurried across the room. Billy and Nathaniel stood by the fireplace, tossing papers inside. When their gazes caught his, they threw in the rest of what they held and scrambled to their desks. Giggling throughout the room quickly hushed and the children straightened in their seats.
“What is the meaning of this?” Chris’s voice boomed through the air as he rushed to the hearth. A few pages that had just caught the flame showed him what the two boys tried to burn. Tomorrow’s tests. He gritted his teeth. How was he going to handle those two? A willow switch came to mind.
He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Days like this tested the limits of his patience. Had he made a mistake in answering the call to teach? Yet teaching was much better than going into the family business. He was no thief! He’d never follow in the footsteps of his father and older brother. As far as he was concerned, they were dead to him.
Coughs increased in the room and brought him out of his thoughts. He hurried to the nearest window and pushed it open. “Sarah, Beth, and Peter, could you please help me open some windows?”
The three eldest students followed instruction. Chris tried to maintain the fire in the hearth, bringing it to a normal level of heat. The thick smoke in the room threatened to push them outside and into the rain. The children were unusually silent while they aired out the room, and once the windows were closed and everyone returned to their seats, all eyes switched to him.
All except Billy Parker’s.
Chris paced the floor like a caged animal, his fingers twisting in his hair. How he would love nothing better than to shake some sense into that boy. Violence wasn’t the solution. Yet the temptation was great.
He stopped at the head of the room and folded his arms. Through narrowed eyes, he studied each child. The older girls sat rigid at their desks, looking like China dolls with their pretty bows and ruffles. Most were sweet and nonjudgmental—nothing like Rosanna Townley. He’d give them a few more years before they changed.
The boys wore crisp white shirts and brown knickers with suspenders. Their hair slicked back on their head, looking as if they were ready for church. He couldn’t punish them all for Billy’s prank. It wouldn’t be right.
Chris took a deep breath, and lifted his chin. “It’s very unfortunate Billy and Nathaniel thought they had to warm the room with tomorrow’s test, because I must admit, it was the easiest test I’d planned so far this year.”
Moans of dejection filled the room. Chris tried not to grin as he continued, “I suppose I’ll have to write another test tonight, which I fear will be more complicated due to my irritation over Billy and Nathaniel’s carelessness.” He shrugged. “Either that or I could fail you all.”
Once again, a round of grumbles arose in the schoolroom.
“That’s not fair, Mr. Morgan,” Beth, the oldest girl in class spoke up, a frown marring her face. “After all, it was Billy and Nate who burned the test. You should give them the harder test.”
He walked to his desk and leaned back on the edge, crossing one ankle over the other. “Beth, you do have a point.” He scratched his chin. “But I don’t have time to write two tests before tomorrow.”
The blonde girl’s eyes widened, as did her smile. “I could help.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Pardon me?”
She pointed to the girl sitting next to her. “And Sarah can help. We’ll make up Billy and Nate’s test and you can make ours.”
Chris nibbled on the corner of his mouth, trying to appear as if he were contemplating instead of holding back a grin.
“No.” Billy jumped up from his seat, his red face making his freckles dim in comparison. “That’s not fair, either. I know you, Beth, and you’ll give me harder questions.”
She smirked. “Of course I will. Maybe next time you’ll think twice about burning our tests and getting us all in trouble.”
Billy stomped his foot. “Mr. Morgan, that’s not fair,” he whined.
Chris held up his hands in mock surrender. “I don’t know, Billy. It’s either that or everyone will be given a zero. I think you’ll keep more friends following Beth’s suggestion. Those in favor?”
The students nodded in unison, all except for Nathaniel and Billy. Their shaking heads silently spoke their disapproval. Chris clapped his hands and stood. “The majority has it. Tomorrow Billy and Nathaniel will take the test made up by Sarah and Beth, and the rest of you will take the test I prepare.” Chris scratched his chin. “Now, that solves one problem.” He focused on Billy. “What are you going to do about the other?”
“What do you mean?” Billy asked.
“I mean Mr. Sprat’s eggs. They are all ruined, Billy. He lost money today because of your prank, and this kind of thing cannot go unpunished.”
Billy’s bottom lip stuck out in a dramatic pout as the boy crossed his arms over his chest.
“I think,” Chris continued, “Billy needs to learn how much time and effort goes into getting the eggs ready in the morning.” A few snickers echoed in the room, but he kept his glare on Billy. “So tomorrow morning, bright and early, Billy will go to Mr. Sprat’s farm and help with the chores.”
The boy’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Red blotches darkened his cheeks. “I will not!”
Chris moved away from his desk and towered over Billy. “Yes you will, and I will pick you up and personally take you there.”
Fire shot out of Billy’s eyes. He jumped to his feet and met Chris’s glare. “You can’t make me. There’s no way I’m going to go to a farm and do their chores.”
Chris reached
out to grab the boy’s arm, but Billy pushed past him and darted out of the room. Within minutes, the door to the schoolhouse slammed shut.
Slowly counting to ten, Chris cooled his anger. He’d deal with Billy later when he spoke to the boy’s parents.
The rest of the day passed quickly, and before he knew it, the end of the school day was upon them. Chris couldn’t wait to breathe peacefully again and to think with a clear head. The children exited the schoolhouse quickly, and as he corrected assignments, his thoughts wandered back to Mr. Sprat and the loss of his eggs. Chris still wanted to pay the man for what he’d been cheated. Perhaps he’d think of another way to give the older man the money.
Chris shook his head. Unfortunately, money wouldn’t stop Billy Parker. That boy needed a good scolding, but it should come from Mr. and Mrs. Parker, not the schoolteacher. Working at the farm might be good for Billy. Unfortunately, Chris would have to hog-tie and drag that boy there in the morning, and his parents would probably be after him with a shotgun, too.
It didn’t matter. Billy couldn’t get away with this.
Grumbling, Chris pushed away from his desk and stood. It was time to pay Billy’s parents a visit.
As he shrugged on his duster, he remembered the rumors he’d heard about the boy’s family. Apparently, Billy’s great-grandfather had been very wealthy, and the money had been passed down to the boy’s father. Chris didn’t think money should be the reason a child was disobedient and disrespectful to the schoolteacher and to others less fortunate.
He wandered through the room to lock the windows and close the curtains before he left. Across the small field in back of the schoolhouse was Mrs. Krause’s house. Her piano sang to life as she taught singing lessons to the children of the community. The student practicing at this hour had a beautiful voice, almost angelic. It reminded him of when he lived at the orphanage and the women of the nearest church choir sang praises every Sunday.
He doused the lamps then stepped into the straightened cloakroom. His boots remained by the door, less muddy than they’d been earlier this morning since he’d had time this afternoon to remove the dirt. Once he slipped into them, he walked toward the door. Just as he opened it, a luster of light from the descending sun nearly blinded him, and a whirlwind of silk and lace knocked into him, taking his breath away. A lilac scent accompanied the bundle and wafted from her hair.
The motion tilted him off balance, as it did the lady who’d run into him. He grasped her shoulders to keep her from teetering to the ground. After the initial whoosh of air from her throat, she pulled back enough to look into his eyes. The glowing sun silhouetted her head perfectly, giving her what looked to be a halo circling her fancy hat. Singing from the neighboring house drifted through the air once again.
Heavens had opened and angels sang...
He shook his head to clear out the ridiculous thought. It hadn’t happened with Rosanna, so why would it happen with a total stranger?
THREE
The woman stared at Chris with wide eyes. Her gaze moved over his face in slow appraisal, first his eyes, then nose, until finally resting on his mouth. From behind her, the sun had shifted enough for her face to become clearer. Azure eyes twinkled, highlighted by long, brown lashes that fluttered in a steady rhythm.
Absolutely beautiful.
“Are you all right?” Chris asked.
She quickly stepped back. “Umm...yes. Thank you. I apologize for colliding into you. I didn’t realize you were on your way out.”
He chuckled. “How could you?” Stepping aside, he swept his hand in front of him. “Would you like to come in?”
“Thank you, Mr. Morgan.” She tilted her head. “I presume you are the schoolteacher?”
“Yes.”
Her accent seemed oddly familiar. The way she dressed reminded him of someone, but he couldn’t put a name to who it would be. But then there were a great number of wealthy people living in this area.
As she walked past, she shrugged out of her lavender cape and displayed a matching skirt that pleated in the back. The white, short-sleeved blouse had pearls for buttons trailing down her back. When she turned and faced him, the high collar neck held a black and gold cameo. Whoever this vision of beauty was, she definitely came from a family of wealth. Somehow, she looked familiar, too, but he couldn’t place where he’d met her.
He closed the door and followed her into the classroom. Because of the covered windows and descending sun, the shaded room made it harder to see. He turned on the nearest lamp.
“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Miss...or are you married?” he asked.
“I’m not married.”
He nodded. “You obviously know who I am, but I’m afraid I haven’t had the pleasure of being introduced to you.”
She held out her gloved right hand. “I’m Miss Parker. Billy’s older sister.”
He’d already extended his hand to slip into hers when the name struck. Immediately, irritation flowed through him. If she was Billy’s sister, would she be as high and mighty as Billy acted? “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Parker. What can I do for you?” He dropped her hand and folded his arms across his chest.
Her gaze skimmed over him once again, this time with narrowed eyes. A frown marred her face as she played with the gold locket around her neck. After a few moments passed, she released it to sweep a lock of honey-brown hair away from her cheek. “Have we met? You look familiar.”
Wouldn’t he have recalled meeting someone so lovely? But then the longer he stared at her, the more familiarity tugged on his mind. He had met her somewhere. It wasn’t until she cocked her head and planted her hands on her hips that he recalled from where he knew her. The memory struck him like a tree trunk slamming against his skull.
His gut twisted. This was the same woman who’d almost run him over as he was leaving Rosanna’s house after she rejected his marriage proposal a few weeks ago.
“So, Miss Parker, what would you like to discuss with me?” He bunched his hands into fists and hid them in the pockets of his duster. So far, she didn’t act as if she recognized him. Then again, he was just invisible to people of her station.
She sashayed to a student’s desk and sat on the edge. “I’d like to talk to you about what happened today with my brother.”
He chuckled. “You probably won’t believe this, but I was coming to speak to your parents just before we ran into each other.”
“Indeed?” She arched an eyebrow. “And pray, what would you have said to them?”
Sighing heavily, he walked to his desk and sat on the corner, facing her. “Billy’s mischief has become a nuisance to the class. He’s disruptive, and extremely disrespectful. Today he pulled a prank. This prank caused a man to lose his hard-earned money. Mr. Sprat sells his eggs in bulk to stores around this area, and Billy had set a trap for him. Not only that, he coerced another boy in the class to help him burn tomorrow’s tests while I was outside helping Mr. Sprat.” He shook his head. “Miss Parker, I cannot allow that kind of behavior in my classroom. His actions need to be punished.”
“And so you are going to punish him by making him take a test his classmates have written for him? That doesn’t seem fair.”
He shrugged. “It was either that or give the class zeros. The class made the choice, not me.”
She arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Oh, I think you had a lot to do with helping the class come to this decision.”
He folded his arms. “Tell me, Miss Parker, what would you have me do, then? What kind of punishment should I have given your brother?”
“Well, I certainly would have discovered why the child acted the way he did, instead of making presumptions.”
“Oh, really?”
She nodded, keeping a solemn, hoity-toity lift to her chin.
“What if I don’t need to find out why Billy acts this way? What if I already know?”
Her lovely azure eyes widened. “You do?”
“Yes. He does it for att
ention.” He walked to the hearth and warmed his hands near the low burning embers. The fire was nearly out, but thankfully, warmth still emanated from inside. “Coming from a wealthy family, I assume he has someone other than his parents to raise him.”
She huffed. “Since you obviously don’t know wealthy families hire governesses and nannies, I will look past your ignorance.” Her lips thinned.
Anger shot through him and burned to the core of his stomach, causing it to churn with disgust. “Miss Parker, did you not come here to talk about your brother and try to straighten out this mess?”
She nodded and reached into her wrist satchel. “I have come to put an end to my brother’s torture.” She pulled out a coin purse and opened it. “I’m willing to settle this right here and now.” Her hard gaze met his. “How much do you think it would cost to overlook my brother’s behavior?”
He gaped as her graceful fingers withdrew gold pieces one at a time. Shaking his head, he said, “You cannot be serious.”
“I most certainly am.”
“You’re going to pay me off?”
“Only if it will soften your heart to see past my brother’s misgivings.”
Infuriated, he strode to the window, pulled back the curtains, and peered into the evening. The setting sun sank lower in the horizon.
“So what will it be, Mr. Morgan?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Miss Parker, you don’t have enough money to make me overlook Billy’s behavior. Besides, what will that accomplish? It certainly won’t make your brother change, and he definitely won’t learn anything from this, either.”
Shooting invisible daggers at him with her eyes, she dropped the coins back in her wrist purse with a definite clink. She stood, keeping her chin as erect as her back. “Mr. Morgan, you are one foolish man.”
He swung away from the window and marched toward her. The closer he came the wider her eyes opened, but she remained in place, even when he stood face to face. He glared at her. “I’m foolish because I can’t be bought? Where I come from, that’s called having honor. I come from a strong ethical upbringing, and I shall not waver in my beliefs.” He shook his head again. “Obviously, the wealthy are the ones who need a lesson in manners—and in morality.”
Keep on Believing Page 3
