by Jo Grafford
“Of course, it isn’t!” Jasmine’s expression relaxed a few degrees at her admission of guilt. “I’ll consider forgiving you if you promise to apologize to Rafe directly.” She shook her finger beneath Bert’s nose. “This is the second time you’ve publicly embarrassed the man, and there’s no excuse for it. None at all!” she added when Bert tried to speak. “He’s such a kind and decent person. It hurts my heart to see you abuse him so.”
The ache between Bert’s ears intensified to a dull roar. “I will,” she whispered. “Cross my heart.”
“When?” Jasmine hissed.
“As soon as possible.”
“Not good enough!”
“Fine. Tonight,” Bert conceded wearily.
“Excellent idea. And as soon as you’re finished apologizing, we’ll see about getting those grass stains out of your borrowed dress.” Jasmine wrinkled her nose at the two dark green creases running down her skirts.
The Redburns are never going to forgive me. For the first time since her arrival into Bent, Bert felt like bursting into tears. Walking and talking like a proper lady was the single most difficult task she’d ever tackled. It was far more challenging than the tower jump from her family’s second-story balcony back in Boston that turned her ankle and left her entire body bruised and sore. Mercy, but she’d choose another risky high-dive any day over the perils of courting hopeful bachelors. I cannot do this. I’m not the kind of female who’s ever going to attract a husband, anyway. For a second, panic gurgled in Bert’s throat. Unfortunately, her parents were depending on her to do exactly that. They couldn’t afford to have her return home.
“There now.” Jasmine’s voice and expression changed as quickly as a summer storm dissolving back into sunshine. “Do not look so forlorn, my friend. Though you have a serious amount of improving to do in the area of manners and deportment, you possess a good heart. Everyone knows that.”
Bert blinked back the tears she’d been unable to suppress. “They do?”
“Yes, we do,” Jasmine returned firmly. “That’s why we love you despite all your prickles and thorns.” She cast a thoughtful glance in Kane’s direction. “Perhaps the Redburns simply haven’t found the right match for you yet. Kane Jameson seems like a friendly fellow. Maybe you can start courting him after you apologize to Rafe.”
Bert followed her friend’s line of vision. “Oh, no, Jas!” she gasped. “He didn’t come here for that. We’re simply…” About to start spending a lot of time together while building a hot-air balloon. Her voice dwindled when she realized how such an explanation would sound.
“You’re simply what?” Her friend demanded curiously.
“We’ve been away from our guests too long,” Bert amended hastily. “Please allow me to go exercise my good manners with Kane and Paisley.” She edged away from Jasmine, hoping she wouldn’t continue to detain her.
“Kane, eh?” Jasmine’s lips curved in a knowing smile. “On a first name basis already, I see.”
Shaking her head, Bert trudged back to the parlor. “Pray forgive my continued absence,” she muttered to Kane as she moved past him. “I promise to return shortly.” She made her way across the room to stand before Rafe.
“I am sorry, truly sorry, about earlier.” It was difficult meeting his concerned gaze. Jasmine was right. He was a nice man — as nice as the good Lord made them. She desperately hoped she hadn’t hurt his feelings.
“What h-happened, B-Bert?” He bent to look her square in the eyes.
“I got distracted, if you must know.” She raised and lowered her hands in agitation. “I overheard a conversation about balloon travel and got up to join in. It’s a sad excuse, really. If you don’t choose to forgive me, I understand.” She glanced away, wishing she was anywhere but the well-lit parlor where so many curious and watchful eyes were observing her. She could practically feel Kane’s slate colored one boring a hole between her shoulder blades.
“I f-forgive you, B-Bert.”
The touch of Rafe’s fingers on the top of her hand made her jump back a half-step. “Thank you, Rafe.” She didn’t know what else to say, so she spun on her heels and returned to Kane.
“Would you take a turn with me around the parlor?” She could read the curiosity and puzzlement in his gaze and was desperate to clear the air with him next.
Kane reached for her hand and tucked it through his arm. “Trouble in paradise, Miss Bert?” he inquired dryly as they began their promenade around the room.
Bert barely noticed the oval frames bearing decades of Redburn couples, nor the fine collection of painted landscapes displayed on the wall. She was too busy noticing the muscles rippling up and down Kane’s forearm. Again.
“Er, what do you mean?” She darted an anxious glance up at him.
“Oh, come now,” he retorted dryly. “You can claim to be an inventor all over the rest of the town, but your secret is out of the bag with me. I know the real reason you’re in Bent, Miss Bert Langston.” He nodded his head in Rafe’s direction. “Is he the man you’re to marry?”
Bert felt a blush stain her cheeks. There was no longer any reason to deny the truth. “The Redburns hope so, though I’ve horribly bungled both his attempts to court me.” She briefly closed her eyes. “I was supposed to attend the dance with him tonight, but I mostly trod on his toes. Then, while he was fetching lemonade for us, I overheard you and your friends talking about air travel, and I forgot about him altogether. I’m a wretched woman to court. Though I’ve apologized profusely, I wouldn’t blame him if he never spoke to me again.”
To her surprise and consternation, a chuckle rumbled deep in Kane’s chest. “I don’t believe you have anything to fear in that department.”
She squinted up at him, wondering why the lamps burning around the room suddenly seemed so bright. “I am not certain what you mean.”
He chuckled again. “It means your dear Mr. Adams’ gaze is following us around the room. If you want my opinion, he doesn’t look like a man with the intention of never speaking to you again.”
She blushed harder. “He is not my dear Mr. Adams, and we would never suit.”
“Why, if I may ask?”
“You may not,” she returned tartly. “For the record, I no longer believe I will suit anyone. Perhaps I am destined to be a spinster.” She kind of liked the sound of that, though such status would require her to secure some form of employment and earn enough to rent a boarding house room.
“Somehow, I doubt that.” Kane paused with her in front of a portrait depicting a happy young couple on their wedding day.
His emphatic tenor sent a shiver down her spine. “I am certain your words are intended in the kindest way possible, but I meant what I said.” She turned to him abruptly. “Kane!”
“Yes, Bert?” he drawled in a low, caressing voice that sent another delicious shiver through her.
“Maybe when we finish building my hot-air balloon, I could become a professional air-balloon racer. I’ve done some research. There are quite a few races across the country, and many of them offer cash pot winnings. If I were to place in enough races, I could provide for myself and never have to marry.” She caught her breath at the possibilities. She would be her own person, beholden to nobody, and she would be pursuing a line of work that she loved. She could see no downside to such a plan.
He took so long to respond that she glanced up to see if he was still listening. He was studying her with an inscrutable expression. “It sounds to me as if we’d best get to work on that hot-air balloon right away.”
“Yes.” She was surprised how breathless her voice sounded. “So long as Mr. Redburn doesn’t lock me in the attic for my failure to properly court Rafe, I could meet with you as soon as tomorrow evening.” She smiled at the memory of their agreement earlier. “He said he would set up some space for me to work in one of his older barns.” So long as he didn’t deem her dash to the Black Barrel Inn as a failure to maintain her side of their bargain.
“That i
s kind of him.”
“Very.” She squeezed his arm companionably. “Thank you for listening to my woes. I’m not normally one to bare my soul like this. It must be due to the fact you’re a very good listener, Kane Jameson.”
“That I am.” He patted her hand. “Now that we’re about to be business partners, you may take the liberty of telling me anything you wish, any time.”
She grinned. “Perhaps I will. It’s not as if we’re courting, so there is no pressure for us to impress each other.”
“A good thing, indeed, since I can be a difficult person to impress.” He adopted a mock severe expression that made her laugh.
“Do tell?” she snickered.
“I’m afraid so, Miss Bert. I have a very long list of desired attributes for my future bride. Which is neither here nor there, since I’ve no desire to acquire a wife for myself anytime soon.”
Though her heart sank unaccountably at his declaration, her curiosity was piqued. “How long of a list?” she inquired suspiciously. “Are we speaking of five to ten items or a Santa-sized list that stretches the entire continent?”
“The latter, for sure.” He quirked his upper lip at her.
What a pompous toad Kane Jameson was turning out to be! “Oh, please do regale me with your list,” she chortled. “Perhaps, I will learn something useful in the event I fail to make a name for myself in the wide open skies.”
“Very well.” He titled up his nose and adopted a nasally voice. “She must be able to plan a delectable set of menus for me daily, cross-stitch dainty designs on my pillowcases, and oversee the cleaning and upkeep of my household.”
Bert sniffed. “All things a good housekeeper could handle. Why marry for that?”
“Why, indeed!” Looking thoroughly amused, Kane dusted at something invisible on the front of his dress shirt. “If I may ask, are there any reasons at all in your keen inventor mind why a man might wish to marry?”
She made a face. “I will not even pretend to understand the reasons a man might choose to marry or not marry. I will tell you this, however. If I had any choice in the matter, I would not choose to marry.”
He raised his brows haughtily. “I would have never suspected you despise men so very much.”
Her eyes widened. “I do not. Quite the contrary. I find them extremely useful at times.”
“Useful?” He looked so aghast that she chuckled.
“But, of course! I believe I expressed my utmost gratitude at your willingness to help me construct my hot-air balloon.” She patted his arm like one might a small child. “I can hardly wait to begin our work sessions.”
His brows remained elevated. “So you find me useful, like a clever tool and nothing more, Miss Bert?”
Confusion swarmed like a hive of bees through her midsection at their strange turn of conversation. “I fear I do not understand your question,” she returned carefully, wanting nothing more than to continue discussing the details of their upcoming work sessions.
He remained silent until she tipped her face inquiringly up to his. “Actually, I find I am more interested in why you feel you have no choice in the matter of your own marriage?”
She failed to see how his latest question had anything to do with his former one. Dropping her gaze, she struggled to find the right words. “My family can no longer afford to keep me on now that I’m old enough to make my own way in the world.” She sighed. “If only it weren’t so difficult for a woman to earn enough to support herself. There’s nannying, teaching, and taking in mending and washing. I suppose I might also serve as a companion to someone older than myself. Alas, none of those vocations would suit me. I have neither the skills nor the patience for such tasks.” She gave another long, gusty sigh. “So unless I can find a railroad company willing to take on a female mechanic or the like, marriage is my last, albeit deplorable, option for getting on in this world.” She felt a trifle exposed but enormously relieved to unburden herself so thoroughly to another person. Kane was turning out to be a very easy person to confide in.
“I see.” His expression was unreadable, though his voice wasn’t unkind. “Is that why you signed a contract with a matchmaker?”
She nodded. “More or less. The idea of traveling to another part of the country appealed to me, as well.” She couldn’t keep the wistfulness from her voice. “This is the first time I’ve ever been outside of Boston.”
“And you’re enjoying it?”
She nodded happily. “More than I ever imagined. The Redburns have been so kind to me, and I’ve made a number of new friends. However, I…” She couldn’t think of a way to finish her sentence without sounding ungrateful.
“You’d much rather be flying a hot-air balloon instead of courting eligible bachelors?” he finished for her.
“Yes. Very.” She ducked her head, grinning. “Does that make me a horrible person?”
“I think it makes you exactly the person you were meant to be,” he replied in a cryptic tone. “I find myself very much looking forward to our work sessions. How soon shall we begin?”
“Tomorrow, please?” She raised her beseeching gaze to his.
“Tomorrow, it is.” He bowed over her hand and took his leave of her, collecting his sister on his way out the door.
Rafe Adams said his goodbyes next, and Jasmine and Abigail disappeared up the stairs, giggling and chattering softly.
To Bert’s consternation, she was left alone in the parlor with Violet Redburn.
“Well?” Violet paced in front of the fireplace with a severe expression on her face. “What have you to say for yourself, my dearest Bert?”
Nothing that you wish to hear. “I apologized to Rafe, and he forgave me,” she offered in a small voice. “I feel awful about the way I treated him. Not only did I trod on his toes during the dance, I got caught up in a conversation about air travel afterwards and entirely forgot he was supposed to escort me home.”
Violet rounded on her so quickly, her checkered skirts swished around her ankles. “Is that how you became acquainted with Kane Jameson and Mrs. Wilson?”
She nodded shamefacedly. “Though we shared a fascinating conversation over a pot of coffee and tray of cinnamon rolls at the inn, it in no way excuses my behavior. The truth is, Rafe Adams deserves better than the likes of me. He is a good and kind man. Perhaps, you can find him a more suitable match?”
Violet looked arrested at her description of her visit to the inn and waved away her comments about Rafe. “Cinnamon rolls, eh? Straight from Train Wilson’s oven, I imagine?”
Bert grinned despite herself. “They were heavenly. Kane Jameson went so far as to decorate one like a hot-air balloon.” She glanced hastily around the room but did not find what she was looking for. “He boxed it up and sent it home with me. I’ll need to return the plate.”
“Do not worry. I saw Jasmine carrying a box towards the kitchen, if that’s what you’re looking for.” Violet plopped down in the nearest chair and arranged her skirts prettily around her ankles. “So you discussed air travel with Mr. Jameson, he served you a cinnamon roll, then what?”
“I mostly discussed air travel with Matthew Crutchfield.” Bert twisted her stained skirts in her hands. “He’s a brilliant scientist and happens to be Mrs. Annabelle Bradshaw’s brother. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“Yes, dear,” Violet said impatiently. “But Kane Jameson and his sister were the ones to walk you home. How kind of them!”
“Yes. I like them a lot. Kane has even promised to help me construct my hot-air balloon, that is…” She stared at the floor. “If Mr. Redburn still intends to give me some space to work, after tonight’s scrape and all.”
Violet chuckled. “I believe all Mr. Redburn asked you to do was attend the picnic and dance with Rafe. He did not precisely state you had to return home with him, now did he?”
Bert couldn’t believe her benefactress was making light of what had happened. On closer inspection, she found the woman’s eyes twinkling with pure mirth. “
You are correct,” she agreed faintly. “Upon reflection, I cannot recall him precisely stating that.”
“Therefore, when I assure him you kept your word, I cannot fathom there will be a problem with him keeping his.”
“Thank you, Violet. Oh, thank you!” Bert rushed across the room to close the distance between them. She leaned forward to throw her arms around the slender woman. “I will continue to try harder. I promise!”
“I know you will, love. How about you start by changing out of that dress, so we can treat those stains?”
Chapter 4: Better Acquainted
Kane
Kane whistled as he strode in the direction of the Redburn mansion. Today was the day he would begin courting Bert Langston. So the little minx viewed men as nothing more than useful creatures, eh? Ouch! She sure knew how to take a man’s pride down a few notches. Fortunately, he wasn’t one to stay down long. He planned to show her a thing or two about the other merits men possessed, starting with his own merits. He’d already exhibited his good listening skills. Next, he was going to convince her he was an inventor worth his snuff. In addition to that, he planned to prove he was an air enthusiast to rival all air enthusiasts. And somewhere down the road, he planned to demonstrate he was an excellent kisser.
But before he commenced his plan to court Bert, he figured a visit to Chance Redburn might be prudent. He cornered the man the next morning in his horse training ring.
“Morning, Chance!” he doffed his hat then leaned his elbows on the fence to watch the man work. He was breaking in a new pony today, getting the frisky little thing accustomed to wearing a saddle. A former rancher, he very much still enjoyed training his own horses.
“Huh?” Chance looked up in surprise. “Oh, hello there, Kane. I’ll be with you in a minute or two.” He was leading the lovely creature around the ring by a set of new leather reins. She was a gold-hued beauty with an ivory mane. At the sight of Kane, she tossed her long neck proudly and whinnied.
