“I save as much as I can from my wages at the hotel, and there is a lady at the general store who will sell me castoff books when she can spare them. I should have enough to buy another soon.”
Lucy swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. It broke her heart that these people had to scrimp and save for things that she’d always taken for granted. Even in her own days of poverty on her family’s ranch, when they’d been in danger of losing everything to her corrupt sheriff half brother, they’d had books to educate themselves. And a community who didn’t rise up in arms when they tried to do so.
“You’ve done an amazing job here, Lilah. Truly.”
Lilah smiled shyly and looked around at her school with pride.
Lucy walked around the perimeter of the room. The windows were covered with brightly colored fabric that cheered up the bare room considerably. But when Lucy lifted the material to peek outside, she found the window boarded up. She looked questioningly at Lilah, who shrugged.
“I had real pane glass in when the school first started but someone threw a brick through them the first night. After that I used oilpaper but they threw bricks through those as well. The boards aren’t as nice, but they do keep the bricks out,” she said with a sense of resigned humor that broke Lucy’s heart.
“I’d like to help.”
“Any help you’d like to offer will be very much appreciated, miss, I assure you. But…I should warn you. Not everyone here will like you helping us.”
“Well, those who don’t like it can just kiss a plucked chicken’s ass. I’ll do what I please.”
Lilah burst out in shocked laughter and slapped her hand over her mouth. Two small children, their ragged clothing cleanly pressed, peeked shyly around the door.
“And who do we have here?” Lucy asked, smiling at them.
Lilah waved them in. “Come here you two. These are my nephews. Isaiah and Joshua. Say hello to Miz Lucy,” she prompted them.
They both murmured hello but wouldn’t let go of Lilah’s skirts.
Lucy knelt down and held out her hand. “I’m very pleased to meet you both.”
She waited until they got up the nerve to shake her hand, one by one, and then plopped down on the floor next to them, tucking her skirts under her crossed legs.
Their eyes rounded in surprise and she patted the floor beside her. They cautiously sat.
Lucy leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, her chin propped in her hands. “So, boys. I could use your help. Will you help me?”
They looked back and forth between each other and then back at Lucy and nodded.
“Excellent. First of all, what is it that you would most like for your school?”
“Anythin’ at all?” little Joshua asked.
“Anything at all. What would it be?”
They looked at each other again, coming to a silent agreement. “Desks,” said Joshua. “Like the other school up the road.”
“And slates,” said Isaiah.
Joshua screwed up his nose. “No, I like my dirt box. It’s more fun.”
Lucy and Lilah laughed. The boys grinned. They liked this wishing game.
“More books!” Joshua said. “Lilah, she been readin’ us Oliver Twist. It’s awful good.”
“It is indeed,” Lucy agreed with a grin at Lilah.
“I want more stories like that. Lilah says if I try hard, I can maybe read it by myself someday.”
“Well, those all sound like very reasonable requests.”
“Miss?” Isaiah tugged on her sleeve.
“Yes, Isaiah?”
“If we could wish for anythin’, anythin’ in the world, I’d want my daddy to be able to come to school, too.”
The lump was back in Lucy’s throat and she looked up at Lilah.
“Isaiah’s daddy Sam works late in the evenings. He could come in the mornin’s but he don’t want to take up room that the children need.”
“Ah. That sounds like a very noble wish, Isaiah. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Really, miss?”
“Really,” Lucy promised.
“All right, you two.” Lilah bustled them up and shooed them out the door. “Miz Lucy needs to be getting back and you two need to go help your mama.”
“’Bye, Miss Lucy!” they called as they ran out the door.
Lucy laughed and waved back. She gathered up her shawl and followed Lilah back to the carriage, settling inside with a renewed sense of spirit and purpose.
She didn’t know what was going to happen with Finn. She prayed he’d come around eventually. But she was done wallowing alone in her hotel room while she waited for him to see reason. Plans for a new schoolhouse were already flowing through her mind. It felt good to have a worthy cause to fight for again. She was going to build those kids the best schoolhouse they had ever seen, and she’d make sure their parents were able to benefit from it as well.
Lucy was so excited she could scarcely hold still, running through a checklist in her mind of all she needed to do.
“As soon as we get to the hotel, I need to wire my sisters and our bank manager. Once we get the money squared away, we need to find some property I can purchase where we can build the new school. I can build a little house on the property as well. That will be much easier than living in the hotel. It’ll be nice to have my own space again. And once we get the building underway we’ll need to find the supplies we need. Perhaps we can build benches for the students instead of individual desks. The backs of the benches can have small desks built into the backs of them, for the children to write on. That will probably be easier than separate desks. I’m sure there is someone in town who can build those. And then…”
Lucy trailed off, finally catching sight of Lilah’s downturned face. “What is it, Lilah? Oh dear,” she said, a thought just occurring to her. “I’m overstepping, aren’t I? I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. This is your school and you’ve done a wonderful job with it. I didn’t mean to come in and start making plans for changing everything without even asking you.
“Oh no, Miz Lucy! That’s not it at all. I think your plans are wonderful. Heaven sent! Truly. It’s only…”
“What?”
Lilah pursed her lips. “There’s a lot of folks ’round here that won’t be happy with what you got planned.”
Lucy frowned. “I’ve already told you what I think of those people.”
Lilah gave her a faint smile, but pressed on. “The thing is, it’s one thing for you to help out at our school. Some folks would have been aggrieved enough at that. But what you talkin’ about, building a school for us…well some folks are going to be fit to be tied, no doubt about it. I’m sure your family won’t want you mixed up in somethin’ like this. People down here…they don’t like change. And jus because some law says they have to treat folks differently, don’t mean they listen. I just don’t want you to have to deal with…”
“The things you deal with every day?” Lucy asked with a wry smile.
Lilah gave a short laugh. “Yes.”
Lucy leaned forward and took Lilah’s hand. “First of all, my family will be behind me one hundred percent. It’s sort of a family tradition to take on monumental and unpopular tasks. And secondly, I’m stronger than I look and I don’t give a riled-up skunk’s hind end about anyone’s opinion of what I do with my time and money. I’ll spend both as I see fit and anyone who has a problem with that can—”
“I know. I know. They can go kiss a plucked chicken’s ass.”
Both women laughed and Lilah settled back looking much relieved.
Lucy, however, despite what she said, felt the first qualm of unease break through her excitement. She’d dealt with bigoted, prejudiced people before. But she knew the situation here was unlike anything she’d ever encountered before. The South may have lost the war, but there were many who weren’t taking the loss quietly.
Well, Lucy had never backed down from a fight in her life. She wasn’t about to start now.
Cha
pter Nine
Thanks to her sisters and a very helpful bank manager, Lucy had the perfect property picked out and purchased within a week. It was amazing what one could accomplish with a ready supply of cash. In short order, Lucy had hired a crew of men Lilah found who were already erecting the walls at both the schoolhouse and the little cottage she was having built for herself on the back of the property.
She stood surveying the construction of her cottage, happiness warming her along with the sun that shone down on the little clearing. The property was picturesque. All green and lush with life, with a little creek that flowed between the clearings where her house and the school would sit. She’d had a little bridge built over the creek and already had visions of children scampering across the lawn on their way to school.
It was wonderful to have a purpose again, to have a real plan for what to do with her life. And to have a place to call her own. She’d done okay in Boston, working with Brynne and Richard at the clinic. But that was their dream, their home. Lucy wanted one of her own.
A touch of sadness invaded her excitement. Her dream would never be complete without Finn. She still held out hope that he’d find a way out from under Philip’s thumb. But until he did, she was happy to have something worthwhile she could do with her life.
A horse cantered to a stop behind her and she didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. It was as if her thoughts had summoned him. He dismounted and came up behind her, close enough that she could feel his presence, though far enough away that no part of him touched her. If she reached her hand out, she could feel him. Instead, she clenched them into fists around the folds of her skirts.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Taggart?”
“This is madness, Lucy. What are you doing?”
“I should think it’s quite obvious.”
Finn released an exasperated breath. “Why do you have to be so stubborn?”
The frustration in his voice brought a smile to her lips. Poor man. Dealing with a Richardson when she’d made up her mind was enough to drive the most patient man insane. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
“I’m sorry that you do not approve, Finn. But as you are not my husband, or even my lover,” she said, turning to pin him with her gaze, “and you have made it quite clear you desire to be neither, you really have no say in what I do with my life.”
He grabbed her arms and pulled her closer, though he stopped just shy of bringing her against his chest.
The only part of him that touched her were his gloved hands, but that was enough. She could feel the heat of him burning into her flesh. And unless she were very much mistaken, the sudden hunger in his eyes meant he could feel it, too. He released her and Lucy had to bite her tongue to keep from crying out.
“A lot of folks around here aren’t happy about this school of yours,” he said.
“I have no interest whatsoever in what these bigoted tyrants think. Lilah’s students have every right to get an education and if their community isn’t willing to provide them with one, I certainly have the time, money, and desire to do so.”
“Bad things happen to those who rock the boat here.”
Lucy pulled herself from his grasp. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you, of all people. I’m not some coward who goes running scared because a few overindulged, arrogant prats want to keep living their deluded lives. The war is over. They lost. They need to start getting used to the new way the world works.”
“That’s what you aren’t understanding. The war never ended for a lot of these people. They aren’t happy about the changes that are being made and they have a nasty habit of retaliating against those who don’t agree with them. I just want you to be safe.”
Lucy waved him off. “I’ll be perfectly fine. It’s just a school, for heaven’s sake. What harm is there in teaching people to read and write?”
“To most people, nothing. And I’m sure there are some in the community who admire what you are doing here. It’s those who don’t that I’m worried about.”
“Oh, what can they do? Let the old windbags stand on their stoops and bluster about. What harm can they do?”
“More than you can imagine. I mean it, Lucy. This isn’t a game.”
“You keep telling me that, like I’m a child who doesn’t understand what you’re saying. I know that there will be some who won’t like this. But as long as I stay out of their way, I don’t see why they’d get in mine. The school is on my private property, and like it or not, I have every right to build it, so they can complain all they’d like. I’m not playing any game, Finn. I came here to find you, yes. And I haven’t given up on us. But I have no desire to sit in the hotel, biding my time until you get it through your thick head that we belong together.
“You wanted me to move on with my life? Well, I’ve moved on. I’ve stayed away from you as you requested. This has nothing to do with you. I’ve found something worthwhile to do with my time. People I can help. And nothing you say is going to make me change my mind about it.”
Finn’s eyes darted around the clearing, taking in the schoolhouse, and Lucy’s small cottage, with a growing expression that Lucy could only describe as panic. What was wrong with the man?
“What if I agreed to leave with you? Tonight? Would you go?”
Lucy sucked in her breath, her heart pounding so fiercely she thought it might jump from her chest. It was her greatest wish. She wanted to be with him more than anything. But did he truly mean it? She searched his face, looking for some sign that he might be insincere. But his face was carefully blank, except for the intensity of his gaze.
Then a cheer went up as the last wall of the schoolhouse was hammered into place. Lucy looked over Finn’s shoulder at Isaiah and Joshua who were jumping up and down, huge grins spread on their faces.
“I…I can’t just leave…I promised…”
“You don’t need to be here to see the completion. The school is nearly built. You could leave enough to supply it, run it. Leave Lilah in charge. Come away with me.”
Lucy slapped her arms against her sides in exasperation. “Why, Finn? Why now? I’ve been trying to get you to leave ever since I came here and you’ve refused, broken my heart over and over again, told me that you didn’t want me here. And now that I’ve found a purpose for my sorry life, found something I can find joy in without you, you want me to just abandon it? I can’t do that! I can’t just walk away from this, from these people.”
A few of the builders stopped and looked at them curiously. Finn grabbed Lucy’s hand and towed her into the trees until they were out of sight of prying eyes.
“I thought you wanted this. Isn’t this what you’ve been begging me for since you came?”
Lucy took a deep breath through her nose, trying to keep her composure. “Yes, it’s what I wanted, but you aren’t doing it for the right reason.”
Finn threw his hands up. “You can’t be serious! I’m trying to give you what you want and now you’re changing your mind.”
“I’m not changing my mind.”
“But you just said—”
“I said you were doing it for the wrong reason. Yes, I want us to be together, any way that is possible. And if that meant running away together, then so be it. But I don’t want that if the only reason you are doing it is out of some misguided sense of chivalry. I don’t want to be having this same conversation in some remote destination the next time something dangerous happens. I don’t want you running off with me just because you think it’ll keep me safe. I want you to want to be with me because you love me.”
Lucy heard the pleading note in her voice and she hated it. But it just felt too cruel to be offered what she wanted most at the expense of someone else’s well-being. She couldn’t just abandon Lilah and her students now. She couldn’t let them down, not when she promised she’d help them. And besides, what Finn offered her wasn’t really what she wanted either. It was like being handed a piece of fool’s gold and being told it was real.
It might look pretty and even dupe those who should know better, but it was still just a worthless rock. Lucy wanted better. They both deserved better.
“Do you love me, Finn? Do you want to run off with me because you can’t stand to be away from me anymore? Or are you just saying anything to get me to leave town? Because if it’s the latter, then—”
Finn’s mouth descended, effectively cutting off anything she’d been about to say. She thought for a split second about pushing him away, and then he grasped her chin and angled her head up, giving him better access to her lips. A small moan escaped Lucy’s throat and Finn surged against her, pressing her back against a tree, imprisoning her body while he ravished her mouth.
“Miz Lucy! Miz Lucy!”
Lilah’s voice rang through the clearing and Finn raised his head, his breath coming in heated pants that mingled with her own. She had his lapels crushed in her fists and she forced herself to let him go. Lilah’s footsteps grew nearer and Lucy pushed away from the tree, reaching up to pat her hair and brush the twigs and leaves from her clothing.
“Miz Lucy?”
“Here, Lilah,” Lucy called, resolutely keeping her gaze from Finn as she left the shelter of the trees.
“Oh, Miz Lucy, there you are.” The maid’s shrewd gaze looked back and forth between Finn and Lucy, but she didn’t say anything about finding them hiding in the shadows.
“What is it, Lilah?”
“Mr. Halford’s carriage just pulled up. He’s lookin’ for you.”
“Thank you, Lilah. I’m coming.”
The maid nodded and hurried back toward the schoolhouse where Philip stood waiting. Lucy went to follow but Finn grabbed her hand.
“We’ll talk about this later.”
“There’s nothing to talk about, Finn. I can’t leave just yet, not when we’ve just started.”
“Lucy…”
Blood Blade Sisters Series (Entangled Scandalous) Page 49
