“I can see which one of us you missed more,” Nora said dryly.
Bridget laughed, lifting Grace to her shoulder and then crossing the room to give Nora a one-armed hug. “And you, dear sister, have not changed at all since I left.”
“Glad to have you and Will back in town,” Cam said as he raised a brow. “I trust you’re not here on official business.”
Bridget waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, no, nothing so serious. I was just hoping to catch Nora before she went out to do the marketing so I could accompany her.”
“You’re just in time.” Nora untied her apron and grabbed her basket. “I’m on my way out now.” She eyed her employer and his two deputies. “Any requests for your meals today?”
Cam waved her on. “Whatever you decide will be fine.”
“One of those peach cobblers for dessert would be nice,” Gavin added hopefully.
Bridget gave Nora an eager smile. “I brought Grace something from Boston.”
“Oh?”
“It’s for both of you really.” Her grin broadened. “I can’t wait to show you. It’s right outside.”
Her curiosity piqued by Bridget’s obvious excitement, Nora let her sister lead her out onto the sidewalk.
And there sat a small, sturdy-looking wicker cart. It had four wheels and a handle, and had a leather shade on the side opposite the handle. The bottom was lined with a thick, soft blanket.
“It’s a baby buggy,” Bridget explained. “Do you like it? I thought it would make it easier for you to handle both Grace and your parcels when you had shopping or other errands to run.”
“It’s lovely.” Nora ran a hand along the wicker edge, admiring the graceful curve.
“See.” Bridget placed Grace inside and covered her with a lightweight blanket that had been tucked to one side. “She can lay here all comfy and cozy and leave your hands free for other things.”
Nora gave her sister a hug. “Thank you. I love it.”
“I’m glad. When I saw one of these on the sidewalks of Boston, I knew I had to get one for Grace.”
Nora squeezed Bridget’s hand before stepping back. “Well, it was very thoughtful of you.” She eyed her sister teasingly. “You’re looking so happy. Married life certainly agrees with you.”
“Oh, Nora, I am happy and so at peace. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m actually grateful to Daniel McGarth for treating me as he did. If he hadn’t left me at the altar last year I would never have come to this wonderful country and would never have met Will.”
“The Almighty certainly has a way of working things out for us.”
Bridget grasped the hands of the baby buggy and they headed toward the general store. “And I’m going to see even more of this wonderful country. Will has a business meeting in New York City next week. So we’ve decided to go as a family. And we’re traveling by ship. Caleb has shown such an interest in sailing vessels that we thought this would be a treat for him and for Olivia, too.”
“That sounds lovely. And I’m certain the children will see it as a grand adventure.” She gave her sister a teasing smile. “And so will their stepmother if I’m not mistaken.”
Bridget didn’t deny it. “We’re leaving on Friday and plan to return on Wednesday. Esther is staying behind—she says sailing doesn’t agree with her. Oh, and Maeve and Flynn plan to come down on Monday to check on the progress their builders are making, so they will be available if you should need anything.”
Nora tried not to take offense. “Really, Bridget, I don’t need checking up on. I’ll be perfectly fine. And if I do need help with anything, I’ve made a number of good friends in Faith Glen that I can turn to.”
“I know. Still, I worry about you out there in that isolated cottage.”
Nora straightened, happy to have a surprise of her own to share. “Not so isolated any longer,” she said proudly. “I am now the happy owner of a fine horse and wagon which are already sitting in our barn.”
Bridget paused midstep. “You are?” She started forward again. “That’s marvelous, of course. But when…how?”
“I purchased them yesterday. Did you know that James was once a groom for a well-to-do family in Boston? You should see how much pride he takes in caring for them. He’s been quite pleased with life in general since we brought the animal home.”
“We?”
Now why would Bridget pick that word to pounce on? “Sheriff Long helped me with the selection and purchase. He also taught me how to drive the thing.”
“You mean you actually drove the wagon?”
Nora laughed. “I drove it home from the livery myself. It’s really not so difficult a thing. And I have a feeling James will be doing most of the driving in the future.”
“But, and I don’t mean to be indelicate, but how could you afford such a purchase?”
Nora brushed a bit of lint from her skirt. “I made an arrangement with Mr. Platt. I will pay him something out of my wages every week until the debt is cleared.” She gave her sister a sideways look. “That and a pie a week as interest.”
But Bridget didn’t smile. “Nora, if you needed money, you should have come to us. Will would have been glad to—”
Nora didn’t let her finish. “You weren’t here when I struck the deal. And it’s better this way. When the final payment is made I will truly feel as if I earned this purchase.”
Bridget shook her head. “You have always been so stubbornly independent. But at least Cam helped you make the selection.” She paused a moment. “Wait a minute. Does this mean he won’t be driving you to and from town every day?”
Nora couldn’t quite interpret the look Bridget was giving her and so decided to ignore it. “Yes and no. James will drive me and Grace into town in the mornings, and the sheriff will drive us back home in the evenings. He insisted.”
“I see.”
There was that look again. “It’s only because I don’t always finish at the same time every day. It saves James the trouble of waiting on me or me on him.”
“Quite practical.” Bridget gave her a knowing grin, then turned serious. “But, Nora, won’t you let me help you with this? Remember, I know precisely how tight your budget is.”
Nora gave her sister a teasing nudge. “It is less so now that we have one less mouth to feed.” Then she sobered. “Actually, I’ve come up with a plan to help me supplement my wages and perhaps even build a little nest egg. I’m starting my own business.”
“Oh my goodness, you’re just full of surprises this morning. What kind of business?”
“A baking business.”
“A baking business? Nora, you can’t be serious.”
Bridget’s reaction stung just a tiny bit. “Don’t you think my pies and cakes are good enough for folks to want to buy them?”
Bridget waved a hand, dismissing her question. “Don’t be a goose. Of course they are. But baking is long, hot work. Where will you find the time or energy to do this?”
Bridget’s words eased the sting somewhat. “The sheriff has agreed to let me do some baking during the day while I’m working, and I have Saturdays, as well.”
“Of course he did. But still, that leaves you no free time to rest.”
“I’ll rest on Sundays.” She didn’t want to argue with her sister, especially not today. “Oh, Bridget, be happy for me. If this goes well, I’ll have enough money to supplement what the purchase of the horse and wagon takes from my weekly wages and perhaps some extra to put toward the rest of the repairs at the cottage.”
“How many pies and cakes do you plan to bake?”
“I’m not sure yet.” At least Bridget had stopped trying to talk her out of this. “As many as I get orders for.”
“So you haven’t started yet?”
“Actually, I’m just about to.” She lifted the cloth from her basket. “I have an apple pie to give to Rose Kenny over at the boardinghouse and a chocolate almond custard pie to give to Mrs. James at the general store.”
“Chocolate almond custard?”
Nora smiled. She’d known that would divert Bridget’s attention. “That husband of yours asked me to experiment with chocolate powder in my recipes and this is one of my better outcomes.”
“It sounds delicious.” Then her sister frowned. “Did you say give?”
Nora nodded, proud of her plan. “I thought I would show good faith by giving them their first pie for free. Then, if they are satisfied with how their customers react, they can place an order for more.”
“Clever.” Bridget’s expression turned somber. “Are you doing this because you don’t want to accept help from me or Maeve? Because there’s no shame in accepting a helping hand from family.”
“No, that’s not it. At least not entirely,” she added honestly. “For the first time in my life I have a chance to determine how my life should be lived. I truly want to do this.”
“Well, in that case, you can put me down for five pies every week. And I want one of those chocolate almond custard pies in my first order.”
Nora gave her sister’s arm a squeeze. “Don’t be silly. If you want pies I’ll give them to you.”
“Oh, no. If you won’t take charity from me then you can’t expect me to take it from you.”
“But it’s not charity, you’re family.”
Bridget’s raised brow and pointed look were quite eloquent. Nora laughed sheepishly. “Oh, very well. I’ll have your first pie ready tomorrow.” She gave her sister’s arm a light squeeze. “That makes you my first customer.”
By this time they’d reached the general store. Bridget lifted her chin. “Now, let’s go inside and see if we can line up another for you.”
Mrs. James seemed more interested in the baby buggy than in Nora’s baked goods. In the end, however, she agreed to accept the pie Nora offered her, but was skeptical as to whether she would want to purchase any additional ones. But she promised to see if she could find a customer for it.
Rose, on the other hand, not only accepted the pie enthusiastically but immediately put in an order for two pies a day to serve her boarders, confessing that baking was her least favorite chore.
As they stepped out of the boardinghouse, Nora caught sight of a young girl scurrying quickly away. There was something vaguely familiar about her, but she couldn’t quite place her.
“What is it?”
Bridget’s words pulled her back to the present. “Nothing,” she said, giving her head a mental shake.
“You looked miles away just now.”
Nora waved a dismissive hand. “I just thought I saw someone I recognized, but she was gone before I could be sure.”
“Should we try to catch up to her?”
“Oh, no, it wasn’t important. Just one of those things that will nag at me until I remember.”
Bridget tugged on her gloves. “Well, I should be getting back home. The twins will be ready for some outdoor play by now.” She released the handle of the buggy and bent down to kiss Grace’s cheek. “Tell James and Agnes hello for me and that I’ll be out to the cottage for a visit soon.”
Once her sister walked away, Nora headed back to the sheriff’s office, pushing the buggy with a spring in her step. “Did you see what just happened, Grace? I already have orders for nearly twenty pies a week. I know that part of that order came from my sister, and is likely as much duty as desire, but I’m a businesswoman now and I must treat it as such.”
Grace gurgled in response and Nora laughed. “You’re right. I’m hardly a businesswoman yet. But, God willing, I will make this work.”
* * *
Wednesday afternoon, Cam returned to the office from his midday rounds to find both of his deputies were out. He could hear Nora humming softly in the kitchen and could smell the enticing aroma of cinnamon and baked apples.
Almost without thinking, he crossed the room and leaned in the kitchen doorway, watching Nora at work. She was bent over the oven, removing a pie with a perfectly browned crust, so she didn’t notice him right away. As soon as she set the pie on the counter, she slid a cake pan into its place. Then she stood and wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. He frowned as he realized how hot the small room was. Perhaps he should add another window in that north wall.
“A body could practically live on the smells coming from in here.”
She jumped, then whirled around to face him.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”
She relaxed. “Oh, that’s okay. I didn’t hear you come in is all.”
Feeling the need to keep the conversation going, he asked the first thing that came to mind. “Do you know where my two deputies disappeared to?”
“Ben said he had to help Miss Esther with something—I’m afraid I don’t remember just what. And Gavin went to help Andrew Dobbs get his cow out of a bog.”
Cam grinned, glad he hadn’t been in when the call came in for help with that particular problem. It would be a good learning experience for the boy.
He nodded toward the pie cooling on her worktable. “So, how many orders do you have so far?”
Her expression changed to one of pleasure. “Bridget wants one pie every weekday, Rose wants two, Mrs. James wants a pie and a cake every day and a few of the ladies around town who’ve heard about my undertaking have placed onetime orders.”
He was pleased for her but Ben’s warning that she might leave them niggled at the back of his mind. “I told you you wouldn’t have trouble getting orders.”
“And I’m very pleased that you were right.” She started rolling out some pie dough on a floured surface.
He watched her for a moment, admiring her deft movements and air of confidence. “I’ve been wondering,” he finally said, “is your baking skill something you come by naturally or did you have to work to learn it?”
“A little of both.” She lifted the thin sheet of dough with practiced ease and set it into a waiting pie tin. “I learned from my mother, of course,” she said as she began fluting the edges of the dough. “She was the best cook in our village.”
Nora was such an intriguing mix of pride and modesty. “Yet your sisters aren’t quite as talented as you are.”
“Maeve and Bridget were younger than I when Mother passed on. Besides, they have other skills, other interests.” She started spooning a mix of blueberries and sliced apples into the crust. “And cooking is something I’ve always enjoyed so I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my mother.”
He heard the wistful note in her voice. “How old were you when you lost her?”
“Fifteen.”
He felt a pinch of sympathy. She’d almost been of an age to spread her wings, only to have them clipped by that loss.
Then she turned the table on him. “What about you? How old were you when you lost your mother?”
He shifted uncomfortably. His past was not something he was interested in talking about. But he’d started this conversation. “Twelve.”
Her expression softened in sympathy. “That must have been a difficult time. Do you have any siblings?”
“No.” He knew his voice was terse but she didn’t seem to notice.
“Then it must have been doubly hard for you.”
Given what his childhood had been like, it was probably a blessing that he hadn’t had siblings to share his fate. “It taught me independence.”
It looked as if Nora wanted to say more, but Grace started to fuss, effectively distracting her.
Relieved to have an end to that particular conversation, Cam turned to leave. But Nora wasn’t quite done with him.
“Oh, dear, there are times when I wish there were two of me.” She cut Cam a hopeful look. “Would you mind entertaining Grace for just a minute? I need to check on the cake I have in the oven.”
Entertain Grace? How did one entertain an infant?
Chapter Ten
Cam glanced back over his shoulder, hoping against hope that Ben or Gavin had slipped in unnoticed. But no such luck.
Okay, that didn’t sound too difficult. And it wasn’t as if she were leaving him alone with Grace. Cam moved toward the basket where Grace lay, her little face scrunched up as if she would be expressing her displeasure very soon and with great gusto. What did one say to an infant? He glanced toward Nora but she had her back to him.
“Okay, ladybug, if it’s attention you’re looking for, you’ve got it. I’m all yours.”
She hushed and stared up at him as if she’d understood his words. He smiled at the fanciful notion. “That’s better. Now, Nora says you need to be entertained but I think you just want to make certain we haven’t forgotten you. As if we ever would. Nora thinks you are exceedingly special, and I must say, you do have a way of lighting up a room.”
“I think she likes you.”
Cam looked up to see Nora smiling at him with a softly approving expression on her face.
Cam straighten and cleared his throat, feeling as if he’d been caught doing something foolish. “Yes, well, I need to get back to work.”
As he moved to his desk, Cam couldn’t shake the image of the way she’d looked at him, as if he’d done something heroic rather than just distract an infant for a few seconds.
A man would do a lot to earn a look like that.
* * *
Nora’s Friday morning routine got a welcome interruption when Bridget stopped by to tell her goodbye before leaving on the trip to New York. The two sisters had a nice long chat while Nora prepared the lunch ingredients to throw into the stewpot.
Bridget was understandably excited about her upcoming travel and chatted on about all of the family’s preparations and plans, making Nora laugh out loud at some of her stories. Finally she halted in the middle of a story about Caleb’s idea of what he should pack, and gave a self-conscious grin. “Listen to me. I haven’t let you get a word in since I walked in here.”
A Baby Between Them Page 9
