She could not hold back the grin. “You have his tone down to a fine art, Daniel McAlister.”
“Enough talk of war. What of the boy? How will we handle this interruption in my therapy?”
“Interruption? I see it differently.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Daniel smiled. “But you must agree that the lad cannot fell a tree or plane boards to fix the slaves’ quarters—is that not where we were headed with my therapy?”
“Yes, but the child can learn and grow to be an honorable man by watching his father’s kind heart.”
“So, have they talked you into minding the child while I work?”
“They have. The boy needs someone to care for his needs, and I expect you to grab every opportunity to bond with the boy on an emotional level. If he is to be raised as your son, you need to give all you have to the task.”
“Are you an angel sent from God?” Daniel asked. “The McAlisters pile on the impossible, and you never bat an eye.”
“How easily you have forgotten your first impression of me, Daniel.”
“It sounds nice when you say my name. I can live up to Daniel, but Mr. McAlister has far too many restrictions.”
“You are your own man.” She got to her feet. “Now, I must go check on the boy. Please, tell me when you have decided on a name for him.”
“It says Jacob on his birth certificate, and I don’t see any reason to confuse the child with a new identity.” He laughed. “Yes, I like Jake for short, but use his formal name with the relatives at the big house—Jacob sounds much more distinguished.”
“And is your name written on the certificate as the father?”
“It is.” He studied her. “Does that bother you? What I did?”
“It is none of my business.”
“But I asked you, nonetheless.”
“Then, no. I have seen my share of women abused by haughty soldiers but also the kind that threw themselves at men for reasons of their own. The Good Lord shall be their judge, not I.”
Daniel stared at the woman who was the epiphany of righteousness, and at the same time, as humble as a shepherd. They were characteristics the opposite of the devious Shannon, who roamed the earth as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
“A noble concept,” Daniel said. “Do you find it hard to maintain such high standards?”
“Excuse me?” she asked.
Daniel watched a shadow cross her face. This complex woman harbored a secret, and he wondered what might possibly mar the pureness of character that seemed to flow from her, quite innocently.
“I hope it is not my past, what little we have learned of it today, that is the cause for your turmoil,” Daniel said, not wanting to bring her additional grief.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Gwen said. She beelined for the door, and he let her go, watching her from the window with renewed interest as she hurried across the walkway separating their dwellings. It seemed that even saints carried extra baggage in their hearts, weighing them down and keeping them earthbound.
When Gwen was gone, his cottage seemed horribly quiet and lonely. Daniel paced the floor until he thought he might go stir crazy. It was suppertime, and he wondered if she’d bring over a plate. He could always scramble up some eggs or find something in his pantry on which to nibble. He’d lived for months fending for himself before she had come along.
In the end, he grabbed his hat and moved onto the balcony. There, he heard giggling coming from the cottage where his nurse and child stayed.
His feet covered the distance to her door before his head registered the fact that he was on the move. He knocked.
Gwen opened the door, holding the squirming toddler in her arms. She laughed at Daniel’s surprised expression. “Jake is a bit of a handful,” she said. “His tiny, wobbly legs can cover the whole cottage in minutes. It’s hard to keep up.”
“I’m sorry if the lad is a nuisance.”
“I never said that at all,” she said, kissing the child’s forehead. “He’s really quite adorable and amusing.”
When Daniel continued to stand there, she moved to the side. “Please, come in. I was attempting to put a meal on the table. Maybe you can run after Jake for a spell.”
It wasn’t what he had in mind, but she was right: the boy was adorable. Those big mischievous eyes seemed to look straight through him and tickle his funny bone on the inside. He felt the tension leave his body and pondered the gift of the child’s innocence. Could peace come that easily?
“It’d be my pleasure, Nurse Gwen, to take my turn chasing the boy while you cook us up a scrumptious meal. What is that aroma coming from the kitchen?”
“Curry. It’s a bit spicy, so I put some chicken aside for the baby. Shall I separate more for you?”
“Not at all. I could use a bit of spice in my life.” His remark brought an instant chuckle from her, which blew through the air like melodious music. The woman was captivating, and it seemed impossible to remain standoffish. He even reminded himself that she was his nurse—merely a job for her, here today and gone tomorrow, nothing more. You’d have thought he’d have learned his lesson with Shannon.
With renewed determination, he squared his shoulders and rose to the task of fatherhood. “Let me take the boy, Nurse Gwen.”
As she passed Jake to him, she said, “I would prefer you to drop the Nurse and just call me Gwen.”
“Why? You are my nurse, and now my son’s nanny.” It sounded so cold. He wished he could take it back.
Daniel watched an embarrassing crimson glow cover her face, and she turned away.
“As you wish, Mr. McAlister.”
“Now, don’t go getting yourself in a mood,” he said. “I am still not Mr. McAlister. The name is Daniel to you.”
“As you wish,” was all she said, avoiding eye contact as she hurried toward the kitchen.
Chapter 7
The next day, the sun shone brightly, and Daniel was at Gwen’s door when the first drift of bacon frying hit his nostrils. “I was sitting on my porch when I detected signs of breakfast in the making,” he said. “No sense you bringing meals next door. Might be a nuisance dragging the baby out three times a day. I can come over here…if that’s all right?”
“Thank you. That would be most helpful. We’re almost ready to sit.” She led Daniel to the kitchen, and he grinned at the scene that met him.
“Very creative,” he said. The child was tied to a chair, and she’d dragged in a low table from another room and set it across his lap to hold his plate. Still, most of the meal was either on the floor or smeared over his face.
“Jake is very independent. He does not want me to feed him and insists on shovelling it in with his hands.”
“My parents would be appalled.” Daniel chuckled.
“I was thinking of asking the kitchen if they had a higher chair with its own table attached. I’ve seen some homemade contraptions in Baltimore and suspect it would be a lot safer for the infant, not to mention that Jake could actually sit at our level and feel like part of the family.”
“And are we family, Nurse Gwen?” He saw her anger come to the surface and regretted spoiling her good mood. “Forget I said that,” he apologized before sitting next to Jake. For his attempt at bonding, as Gwen had suggested, the man received a handful of oatmeal square in the middle of his shirt. He jumped to his feet and backed off, staring at the blob.
“It’s not that bad.” Gwen giggled. “Perhaps you should move to the other side until I teach the child some manners.”
“It appeared to be a malicious act on his part. Is that possible?”
“The child is not yet two years old. He doesn’t plan malicious attacks.”
Daniel begged to differ after witnessing the teasing fun swimming in Jake’s eyes. “I believe I shall take your suggestion and sit over there, for now.” He wiped the gooey mess from his shirt and sat again. Gwen placed a dish of food in front of him and poured him a steaming hot cup of coffee.
“Th
ank you.” He allowed himself to be trapped in her observance of him, and for a minute, the world stood still. He wondered what on earth she could be thinking as his mind and heart competed for clarity.
“Shall I go to the house and see what baby things my mother has stored in the attic?” he asked to break the spell that had fallen over them.
“That would be helpful,” Gwen said. “Also, Mrs. McAlister suggested I go shopping and buy clothing to make the young lad’s appearance more presentable.”
“I’ll speak to Arthur. Would this morning be the best time to go—before the child tires?”
“Yes—or you could have offered to stay home with him,” she teased.
Daniel’s face brightened. “I have a better idea: I shall ask Mother to send one of the nursemaids to sit with the child while we enjoy a shopping spree on our own.”
“That is probably the best idea yet. I have no cash or credit in your town, and am certain the store clerks would not accept my word and charge the McAlister account.”
“Glad I could be of service. I love to spend my father’s money,” he said, slightly disappointed that she’d turned his presence on the outing into a practical convenience. His idea had held elements of a fun, co-operative venture, but hers was apparently, a mere job that needed to be done in which the two of them played their separate roles, hers to choose baby’s attire and his to dole out the cash.
Daniel focused on finishing his breakfast. “I’ll head up to the house to make the arrangements now. Maybe you can use the time to clean Jake up so he’ll be respectable for a nursemaid—we may need her services often in the future. We can’t wear my good nurse out, jumping from patient to baby all day long.”
No more words were spoken between them. Somehow, they’d managed to create a distance between them, and Jake began to wail as if he’d sensed it. Daniel stood. “My cue to exit.”
Gwen enjoyed her morning in Guntersville. A general store, banks, hotels, a couple of saloons, the original diner, and a blacksmith’s and livery stable lined the town’s main street. It took on the appearance of old-town, but growth had expanded along numerous side roads. The covered walkways continued lengthways at the fronts of the buildings, which included an outdoor café space, a second diner, a grand hotel, a theater, beauty boutiques for women, and a man’s haircutting place that seemed to be a gentleman’s hangout. A town center and the new bank occupied a large portion of land at the foot of Middle Street, with a groomed common area stretching across the backs of the side streets, creating the perfect place to sit, visit, fish, or walk the path around the small lake. Last but not least were the church and school, separated from the hustle of the town and sitting against the backdrop of a massive range of hills. Gwen sighed at the spectacle.
“You like our town?”
“Very much so.”
“Might I interest you in a walk that doesn’t involve stopping to finger every outfit that catches your eye?” He grinned, and she blushed, knowing she’d gotten carried away purchasing items for the baby, given the unlimited funds. “Then, perhaps, afterward, we can enjoy lunch before heading back.”
“Sounds perfect,” she said. Daniel handed the last of the parcels off to Arthur at the carriage and then offered his arm to her.
Relief flooded Gwen when he was distracted by a cart that had pulled close, for she was sure he’d have heard the racing of her heart and felt the nervous spasm when her arm twitched at his touch. This would never do. Her nursing career was barely off the ground, and falling in love with her first patient was unthinkable. The Harrow School of Nursing would gain the reputation of being a matchmaking scheme rather than a place that gave women the opportunities to prove themselves with a worthy career choice. So many had graduated with the sole intention of living independently without the burden of home and family, and Gwen could not fail them.
She straightened her posture and concentrated on the beauty of God’s nature surrounding them. Huge trees, both leafy and evergreens, speckled the landscape, and the sun’s rays reflecting across the water cast its colors deep beneath the diamond-like glitters resting atop the tiny crests.
Gwen noticed a bench. “Can we sit for a moment? I am tired, and you must be exhausted. I’ve barely noticed your limp all morning.”
“Perfect. We can chalk exercise off your list of worries in the future. I believe the child and the project will take care of that.”
“Are you still excited about the new construction?”
“More than ever,” Daniel said. “As a matter of fact, I have an idea swirling around my head, which I’m certain my father will kill the moment I suggest it.”
“Tell me. I can be your practice run,” Gwen said.
“I’ve noticed a lot of the fields that were previously used to plant cotton have been turned over with an easier crop to harvest. Still, there is much acreage lying undeveloped without enough willing hands to do the work.”
“I understand that growing cotton is a long process, requiring a large number of skilled pickers at harvest time to successfully pluck the tender white fluff-balls off the plants without leaving blood samples on the prickly bush.”
“Yes,” Daniel agreed, “and we have a shortage of help at the plantation, now that my father has to pay them and begrudges every penny spent. I can’t seem to get it through his head that a man will work harder for his own gain than under fear of a whip.”
“I’ve noticed a lot of ex-slaves congregating on the other side of the lake. Obviously, not all have found employment.”
“I’ve noticed them, too. It got me thinking that I might not have to look too far to find workers for my new proposal.”
“Which is?” Gwen asked.
“Forestry. I hear the industry is picking up momentum. With all of the new building going on, there is quite a market for raw material,” Daniel said. “And we happen to have thousands of wooded acres ready to meet the demand.”
“Would you sell the logs to mills, or set up one yourself and serve the customers directly?” Gwen asked.
“Well, there is something to think about,” Daniel said thoughtfully. “Cut out the middleman.”
“In our travels today, I happened to notice building projects underway in this locale. I suppose Guntersville is not any different than many towns that have lost homes and businesses to the hand of fire-happy troops, thinking it fun to burn someone’s hard work to the ground.”
“Of course, the papers are full of the downtrodden cases, but there are also those who seek to rise above the devastation, people with money but floundering as to how to go about adapting and repositioning their businesses in these changing times.”
“Like your father, perhaps, who is angry at his losses and cannot figure out how to go forward—do you suppose that is what makes him so irritable?”
“It seems to come naturally to the man, but you’re probably right—he definitely prefers the old ways of doing things. He and many in the wealthy sector struggle with concrete plans as to how to maintain their margin of profit with having to pay for every service enabling them to continue in the comfortable lifestyle to which they are accustomed.”
“Another reason why he needs a son with modern ideas to come alongside and bring the family’s heritage into the next era,” Gwen said.
“Since my return, I haven’t taken an active interest in the goings-on—I’ve been too absorbed in myself, I have to admit—but Father may be receptive if I present a sure plan, one in which he can see green on the bottom line.” Daniel studied Gwen as he spoke, a new enthusiasm spilling into his words. “The mill is a good idea. We can use the river for power—it runs through our land. We can even use the water to transport some of the logs to our mill. Correct positioning of the enterprise will be an important factor for success. What doesn’t come by water, we can bring by wagons, or let the horses drag them to the mill.”
“You’ll need to research it, Daniel, and then present a detailed, flawless plan to your father. Tell him you will
take charge of the new business: McAlister Forestry and Mill. Sounds delightful.” Gwen’s excitement matched his. “Not only will you and your family benefit, but the service will provide a solution to great need in our nation.”
“I shall do it!” Daniel exclaimed. “You have motivated me, woman, and I thank you for planting a dream in my soul.”
“Perhaps the presence of young Jake will inspire you, as well. He will need something to inherit from his father, one day, and you can mold him into the best tree-man in the land.”
“Father and son—you are pushing the envelope, Nurse Gwen. I’ve barely gotten used to the idea of his existence.”
“You are doing wonderfully,” Gwen said. “You’ve made progress in my short time here, and to see a family reunited makes me feel like I’ve accomplished my job. The McAlister household is one moving forward with goals for the new future and not one crying over a lost past.”
“Here’s hoping my father latches onto the idea,” Daniel said, bouncing to his feet. “Meanwhile, I’m starved. Shall we eat?”
Gwen reached for his outstretched hand, and once again, shivers raced up her arm. This time, he was too close not to notice her reaction. When his eyes blazed into her soul, a connection was ignited. She speculated from his lingering stare that the idea did not disappoint him.
The days following merged into one another. The household had found an entire collection of baby furniture in the attic, and Gwen had set up the second bedroom as a nursery. A crib kept the toddler confined and made her less nervous about leaving him alone in his room. During his two naps during the day, she hurried to get the never-ending chores done. Caring for children, making meals and overseeing her patient was an all-encompassing job – not one she’d have picked for herself but she found satisfaction in the diversity it offered. The woman she’d met at the row houses was assigned to do their laundry, as well as Daniel’s. Gwen was grateful for that burden to be lifted from her shoulders, as she particularly disliked washday.
Constance Harrow must have sought God in prayer before placing her graduating nurses, for no one could have known that this assignment would bring such delight to Gwen. The business of hospitals, operations, and doctors barking orders to their staff, seemed a distant threat now, and she smiled at the easy life she was settling into.
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