More Precious Than Gold

by Merry Farmer

  “And Emma’s dress was simply breath-taking. You saw my Emma’s graduation dress, didn’t you Trudy?” she spoke to Mrs. McBride.

  A cold clip of anxiety threatened to batter down Louisa’s rising spirits. It would break her heart for Mrs. McBride to see her as a hired seamstress—a working class girl—and not a friend and equal.

  “I did see it, and it was lovely.”

  Mrs. McBride diffused the worry before it could start by giving her a quick hug and a motherly kiss, and moving on.

  “If you girls will mind the store, so to speak, until after the parade, then we will come back and set you free to enjoy the rest of the day with your friends.”

  “Yes, Mama,” Wren answered and Louisa echoed, “Yes, Mrs. McBride.”

  Mrs. McBride gave Wren a fond hug and said, “Now I know I have children running around here somewhere,” before she and Mrs. Wick walked away from the booth.

  “They’re probably down in the park blowing those wretched whistles with every other child in town,” Wren smirked.

  “You look nice,” Louisa complimented her friend as she took her place behind the table to get her bearings.

  Wren blushed and touched her hat while glancing down at her dress.

  “I do not. I look like a snow-capped mountain. I wish Mama had let me wear the blue dress instead. I stand out so much in white.”

  Louisa shook her head at her friend. Wren’s dress was made of soft, white fabric with a wide red sash that trailed down the back of her skirt. It was most likely new. In the bright sunlight, the white emphasized Wren’s height and the long strawberry blonde braid down her back. The skirt was not quite ankle-length and the style was just slightly younger than Wren’s eighteen years would have dictated, but she looked beautiful nonetheless. Once again, Louisa felt mousy in comparison, with her glasses, her much-worn dress, and her hair pulled into a chignon under her hat. If Wren had been Gayle, Louisa would have suspected her of dressing to catch the eye of some young man.

  “Have you seen Gayle yet?” Her thoughts carried her on to her friend.

  In answer Wren pursed her lips and glanced across the street and down several yards.

  Gayle stood at the center of a small cluster of young men, most of who were from the Church, but some of who were not. Much to Louisa’s amusement, Henry had joined the group, although he seemed more interested in talking to Rowan than in holding court with Gayle. Rowan looked as serious as ever, and watched Gayle while he spoke to Henry.

  “Well,” Louisa grinned, “there’s no doubt which of us is most likely to snag a husband first, is there?”

  Wren laughed. “Why Louisa White, I had no idea you thought about such things.”

  “I don’t,” Louisa laughed, shaking her head. There were too many other things to worry about. Far too many.

  Gayle spotted them watching her and waved cheerfully at Louisa. She walked away from the men without so much as a goodbye or a backward glance.

  “On second thought,” Wren crossed her arms, “maybe she won’t. Not if she keeps treating them like that.”

  “Well, I’m not worried about her prospects,” Louisa finished as Gayle skipped around a tweeting pack of children and ran behind the table to hug her friends.

  “Happy Fourth of July,” she practically sang.

  “It looks like it is for you,” Louisa teased, nodding to the dispersing men.

  “Who, them?” Gayle brushed her off with a gesture. “They’re just being nice.” Her tone changed and a warm smile spread across her face. “Although sometimes I wish Henry would be a little nicer.”

  Louisa pealed with laughter. Henry was sweet, but he was only average looking and Gayle’s tastes tended to run more to the flashy men.

  “My brother?” She leaned in closer and whispered, “What about C.J.?”

  Gayle looked genuinely surprised. “I thought you were sweet on him.”

  A tickle of giddiness passed through Louisa’s heart. If she was being honest, C.J. Wick was not the young man she was sweet on. Then again, she couldn’t afford to be sweet on anyone.

  “No, I’m not.” She grinned, forcing away the gloom that was trying to wreck her last Fourth of July. “Not at all. Not even a little bit.”

  “Spoken like a lady in love.” Gayle hugged her again.

  They were spared further mischief when Gayle turned to note the variety of goods spread out on the table.

  “Ooh, this looks lovely. We’ll make a mint for the Church.”

  Gayle ended up being just the sort of lure that their booth needed. She had a way of catching the eye of anyone who walked by and exhibited any sort of interest in the items the Church had for sale, drawing them in further. It was no surprise to Louisa that more than half of the customers who purchased things from them were young men buying sweets. One even tried to buy three of Wren’s chocolate cookies to give right back to them. At one sharp look from Wren the man lost his coaxing grin and pocketed the cookies instead, blending quickly back into the crowd.

  “Oh Wren,” Gayle chastised her. “He was just trying to be nice.”

  “Was he?” Wren watched the fellow’s back retreat into the crowd. “I thought he was being a little too forward.”

  “Psht.” Gayle waved her comment away. “You can’t chase men away like that if you ever hope to find a husband.”

  Wren crossed her arms, pulling herself up to her full height, which was at least six inches above either Gayle or Louisa. “There are far more interesting things to do in life than finding husbands. Besides, I was rather expecting my husband to come find me, not the other way around.”

  “Well how is he supposed to do that if you keep snipping at every nice young man who looks at you with a smile?”

  “He wasn’t in the Church,” Wren told them. “I am determined to marry a man in the Church.”

  “What about James Darling?” Gayle laughed.

  Not only did Wren blush bright pink, her expression flashed through half a dozen emotions—from shock to longing to frustration—before she could work her way to feigned indifference.

  “Jamie is not the right man for me,” she said.

  Louisa wasn’t so certain. Andrew’s friend had impressed her, and she suspected he’d impressed Wren as well, in spite of her protests. Maybe that’s what her protests were about in the first place. In fact—

  She drew in a breath and shook her head, dismissing their girlish nonsense. Men were certainly wonderful, and she wasn’t immune to the delights of speculating about them. What woman didn’t dream of marrying and starting her own family one day? But when it came down to it, some problems couldn’t be solved with a charming smile and a dropped handkerchief.

  She was spared falling deeper into gloom when the parade, in all its noise and glory, made its way down the street in front of them. The mayor rode in an open carriage drawn by a team of white horses at the front. A marching band followed directly behind, playing loud enough to make up for their questionable skill. Behind them marched the fishermen. Fishing was the main industry of their modest seaside town, and more than half of the men who lived there made their living on the sea. Without the scores of marinas and fishing boats the town wouldn’t exist. The fishermen received as big a round of applause as the mayor himself.

  Andrew walked with Jamie right in the thick of them. Louisa’s cheeks flushed the moment she saw him. It was strange to see him in the middle of a group that wasn’t the Church congregation or the McBride family. Oddly enough, he belonged with the mismatched, rough and tumble men of all nationalities as much as he did with the Church. He was just as tan and muscular as they were. But he was somehow different. It wasn’t just that his clothes were neater or finer. There was something in his smile and his easy gait that set him apart. He was as kind and worthy a man as Louisa had ever known, and he had proved that to her in so many ways. And when his eyes caught hers and he smiled, she felt a liquid pool of warmth spread through her heart.

  “What is he looking at?�
� Wren’s startled observation pulled Louisa out of her errant thoughts.

  She snapped her eyes to her friends as Gayle giggled and whispered, “I think he’s looking at you. Yes, see? He’s waving. Wave back.”

  It took Louisa a moment to realize that they were not talking about Andrew. Jamie had noticed them and was waving at them, or rather waving at Wren. A grin spread across Louisa’s face.

  “Wave back.” She encouraged Wren with a nudge.

  Wren raised her hand bashfully, her face flushed as if she weren’t wearing a hat at all. Jamie’s smile widened as he leaned closer and whispered something to Andrew. Wren dropped her hand and pretended to be busy with the things on the table.

  “Oh, my dear.” Gayle laughed and shook her head. “You have so much to learn.”

  “I do not,” Wren snapped.

  Wren glanced to Louisa for their usual eye rolling over Gayle’s antics, but a sickening thought had wormed its way into Louisa’s mind, distracting her. What if Andrew’s friend really was Wren’s future husband? What if Gayle found someone as well? She would be across the ocean, relegated to hearing about the courtships, marriages, and even babies months after everything happened. She wouldn’t be there to see it. Her best friends would move on without her.

  “Louisa, is something wrong?” Gayle hopped over to her side. “You’ve gone ashen. Are you sure you feel all right?”

  If she told her friends now, she would at least have a shoulder to cry on. They would be just as miserable about it as she was. But would that make her feel better, or would that just ruin their good time as well as hers?

  “I’m fine.” She skirted around the truth with a shrug. “I’ve got something on my mind.”

  “What, dear?” Wren put her arm around her with sisterly affection.

  Louisa shook her head. “Nothing worth spoiling a beautiful day for.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “I’m sure. I’ll … I’ll tell you later.”

  “All right.” Wren let her off the hook. “But you’d better remember to tell us.”

  It was a struggle for Louisa to put herself back into the spirit of the day. The sunshine helped. She didn’t feel completely better until the entire parade had passed and Mrs. McBride returned with Hannah and Rebecca and Mrs. Wick. They took the girls’ places behind the table, impressed at how much they had managed to sell. Once free, Louisa, Wren, and Gayle crossed the street and followed the crowd as they ambled their way down to the park for the Fourth of July games.

  The park was a large plain of grass occupying a thick peninsula next to the harbor. The band had taken up residence in the large gazebo at the top of the hill, while the mass of people who had been in the parade filtered down into the flat field closer to the water. Most of the children of the town had also converged on the field, and the Fourth of July Committee was already organizing the running races for the smaller children.

  Louisa’s heart rose. There was something so pure and fun about watching little children running and playing, blowing their whistles, and having fun. She edged ahead of her friends to find a spot on the slope of the hill that looked down over the field. They had hardly seated themselves in the grass before Andrew and Jamie walked out of the crowd and up the hill to join them.

  “Happy Fourth of July,” Andrew greeted her, helping himself to the empty spot of grass between her and Wren. Louisa had intended the spot to be for Gayle, but Gayle had spotted the young men she had been talking to earlier and was busy waving them over.

  “Happy Fourth.” Louisa smiled at Andrew. She was determined to ignore the fluttery feeling in her stomach. Andrew was a friend, and she wanted to keep things that way, as long as she could. She couldn’t let her feelings get away from her.

  “Having a good day so far?” Jamie asked as he took a seat on Wren’s other side.

  “Yes, thank you,” Wren answered, blushing. She would have scooted away, but Andrew blocked her path. He looked as though he knew it too.

  “I have a surprise for you, Louisa,” Jamie went on.

  Both Louisa and Wren’s brows shot up.

  “For me?”

  Jamie’s smile widened, and for half a second Louisa thought his eyes flickered to Wren. “I’ve repaired your bicycle tire.”

  Louisa gasped with delight. “Really?”

  “Mmm hmm. It was simple. I took it over to the McBride’s this morning when I went to get Andrew.”

  “You were at our house this morning?” Wren asked, her voice rising to a squeak.

  “Only for a moment or two,” he answered, then went right on to say to Louisa, “It’s ready and waiting whenever you want to pick it up.”

  “I don’t know how to thank you.” Louisa was filled with genuine gratitude and joy.

  “I’ll think of something.” Jamie grinned at her, giving Louisa the idea that he had some sort of plan in mind.

  She caught herself peeking at Andrew to see if he knew what was going on. Andrew sat smiling down at the children’s races, pretending he hadn’t heard the conversation. Pretending a little too hard. A grin grew on Louisa’s lips and she settled back to watch the races herself.

  The youngest children raced first, followed by the school-age children. The first contests were always the simple ones. It was after the oldest children finished that the real fun began. All ages were invited to participate in the next set of races, beginning with the three-legged race. The first of those bouts was for younger children, but they all knew that in a matter of minutes the announcer would call for any young adults who wanted to participate to come down to the field.

  “You’ll be my partner, won’t you Gayle?” Louisa heard C.J. ask behind them.

  “Forget him.” Mark laughed good-naturedly. “We’re closer to the same height. Race with me.”

  Gayle giggled and Louisa could have sworn that she glanced around to see if any of their other friends would make an offer before saying, “Alright, Mark then.”

  Mark rejoiced while C.J. made a show of being disappointed. Louisa would have laughed as Gayle and Mark skipped down the hill if Andrew hadn’t surprised her by grabbing her hand and pulling her to stand.

  “Come on.” He grinned, sunlight sparkling in his mischievous blue eyes. “We can lick them any day of the week.”

  Hesitation weighed heavily on Louisa’s heart. She swayed on her spot, staring at her hand in his. She wasn’t sure if she could trust herself to get through a three-legged race with Andrew and consider it just plain fun.

  “Are you sure it’s proper?” she asked, surveying the crowd and looking for the disapproving stares she was certain she’d find.

  “Two old friends like us?” Andrew said, a sparkle in his eyes. “Of course it’s proper. We can’t be beat.”

  “Two new friends can beat two old friends any hour of the day,” Jamie said. His challenge stopped Louisa’s worry before it could start.

  To Louisa’s surprise, Jamie stood and turned to offer a hand to Wren.

  “I—” Wren opened her mouth to protest but no other sound came out. Color stained her cheeks. When she looked around and realized all of her friends were spoken for and the alternative was to sit alone on the hillside, she hesitantly held out her hand. Jamie took it gently and helped her to her feet.

  Andrew tugged Louisa to start down the hill, and in no time she had her free hand holding her hat to her head as they scurried toward the starting line. The Fourth of July Committee members were handing out strips of old calico for racers to tie their ankles together. Andrew found a long strip of green with pink flowers and drew Louisa away from the giddy crowd to tie their legs.

  “You don’t mind, do you?” He paused halfway through bending and reaching for the hem of her skirt.

  In a flash of panic Louisa wondered if her stockings had holes in them. Surely not in the ankles.

  “I don’t mind,” she said, then held her breath as he barely lifted her skirt high enough to wrap the strip of cotton around both of their ankl
es.

  “We’re getting too old for this.” He laughed and shook his head, securing the strip tightly. He straightened and threaded his arm around her waist. “Much too old.”

  Louisa’s heart hammered in her chest. She told herself that she was just imagining the intimacy in his voice. It was natural to feel close to someone when you were tied to them. Even if his hand did rest with light but noticeable firmness on her waist. He led her to take a test step forward. She moved alongside him easily. He took another step, slightly faster. His legs were much longer than hers and she stumbled forward with a yelp, followed by a laugh, her arm clamping around his waist for support.

  They managed to work their way to the starting line, to where Gayle was firmly fastened to Mark, and Wren stood stiffly beside Jamie. Louisa felt guilty for finding so much amusement in the rigid way that Wren stood. She was a few inches taller than Jamie, and with her hat she looked taller still. But it was her fair complexion and strawberry hair alongside Jamie’s midnight black hair and tanned skin that made Louisa giggle. Two people could not have been more different.

  “Does he…?” she whispered to Andrew before she could stop herself.

  Andrew turned to her with a grin and nodded. She was sure she imagined his arm around her waist tightening.

  She didn’t have time to think about much else. Warren Harrison and his sister Victoria took a spot at the starting line right in the middle of them.

  “Happy Fourth of July, Academians,” he jabbed at them all.

  “Oh no,” Louisa groaned.

  “Ignore him,” Andrew advised her in a whisper, following his own advice and smiling at her instead with singular focus.

  Not everyone took his advice.

  “Do you have a problem, Harrison?” Mark took the bait.

  “I’m not the one with a problem, Jasper,” Warren replied with a smug sniff. “I hear that the arrogant folks in Philadelphia are about to sulk off and start their own church.”

  “Good,” Mark snapped back. “I can’t wait to be rid of the likes of you.”

  “Mark.” Gayle gaped at him, standing as far back as she could while still tied to his ankle.