A Changed Agent

by Tracey J. Lyons

  “Soon we’ll have tomatoes for our dinner!” Harry grinned up at him.

  “It takes a few months for them to grow and mature. But I’d say if the weather cooperates, we’ll be enjoying ripe tomatoes by the end of summertime.” He put the gardening tools back in the shed and then rejoined the children at the back stoop.

  Hugging her doll close, Minnie pointed at Will. He wished she would speak to him. What would it take to get her to do so? He might not know a whole hill of beans about raising children, but his instinct told him to be patient a bit longer.

  “Something bothering you, Miss Minnie?”

  He waited as Harry went over to her and she whispered in his ear, pointing again at Will.

  “She thinks you need to wash up before Miss Mitchell gets home.”

  “Does she now?”

  Harry nodded.

  “Well then, I guess I’d best get a move on.” They followed him into the kitchen. He said, “Harry, your hands are covered in dirt. I’ll help you get washed up first.”

  Lifting the pump handle up and down, Will waited for the fresh water to flow into the sink. Then he helped Harry wash his face and hands. Minnie held out her hands, and he took a cloth from the edge of the sink, wet it, and then gently rubbed it over her hands.

  Afterward, he put a stopper in the drain and filled the sink partway. Then he took his straight-edged razor from the windowsill, soaped up his face, shaved off the past week’s beard, and then cleaned up the sink. When he finished, he went upstairs and changed into fresh clothing.

  Finding the children on the front porch, he said, “Let’s set the table for dinner.”

  As he gathered the plates and silverware, Harry asked, “Do you know how to cook, Uncle Will?”

  “I can manage some eggs and campfire grub.”

  “Maybe one day you and me, we could go camping, and you could show me how to cook like that.”

  Will couldn’t make a promise. He didn’t want to think beyond what tomorrow might bring. He still had to find the bond thief, and once the job finished up, he didn’t know where the next assignment would take him. Looking from Harry to Minnie, he knew leaving them wasn’t going to be easy.

  It was nigh on time he set about coming up with a plan.

  There was a possibility that his sister Mary Beth and her husband would return from their European trip and want the children back. Considering the way she’d left them, Will didn’t think it the best solution, but it would keep them out of an orphanage. His heart ached at the thought of placing them there or with his sister. After what had happened earlier with Minnie, Will knew he would fight to give them a good home.

  “Uncle Will?” Harry’s voice brought him out of his thoughts.

  “Are you going to cook our supper? We had eggs for breakfast. Is there something else you can cook?”

  “Let’s see what’s in the pantry.” He went to the small anteroom off the kitchen. Minnie and Harry trailed after him.

  Minnie picked up a can and handed it to Will. Beans. He could handle opening a can and heating the contents. Harry found a loaf of bread. Will spotted a platter covered with a cloth. Lifting the cloth, he found a portion of a leftover roast. This would definitely do. He picked up the platter. On the way out of the pantry he spotted a jar of applesauce.

  “Harry, grab that jar for me.”

  The boy stood on tiptoes and gathered the jar between his hands. “Miss Mitchell is going to be happy when she sees what we’re cooking up.”

  Will hoped so. After he set everything to heating on the stove, he followed the children back outside.

  There, Minnie led them to a patch of spring violets. He let her do the picking, and when she handed him the small bouquet, smiling up at him like a cherub, he knew his life was changing. The light- and dark-purple hues of the flowers reminded him of the color in Elsie’s eyes.

  Back in the house he found an empty canning jar, filled it partway with water, and stuck the flowers inside. He put the arrangement in the center of the table. The floorboard creaked, and he turned around to find Elsie standing in the doorway, looking as lovely as those spring violets.

  “The table and you look wonderful.”

  Rubbing his hand over his clean-shaven chin, he grinned. “Harry and Minnie made me clean up and they helped with the table.”

  Wandering over to the stove, Elsie lifted the lid on the pot and peered in at the simmering beans. Will had left the roast on the counter, figuring they could eat it at room temperature. He’d found a bowl to dump the applesauce in.

  Elsie spun around. “You all did a fine job.”

  Harry and Minnie came to stand on either side of her. “Wait till you see the surprise we have for you!” Harry beamed up at her.

  “You’re preparing our dinner is surprise enough.”

  Tugging at her hand, he said, “Come on outside!”

  They went out the back door and around to the side of the house. “Uncle Will and I planted a vegetable garden.”

  “Oh my!” Tears sprang to her eyes. “This is quite the surprise. Thank you!” Pulling Harry close to her side, she hugged him and then dropped a kiss on Minnie’s head. Finally, her gaze settled on Will. “You didn’t have to do all of this for me.”

  “Harry said you’ve been too busy to get the plants in. We had the time.” He didn’t want her to make too much out of the project. He’d been happy to finally be able to help out around the house.

  “It’s lovely.”

  “Uncle Will says we’ll have vegetables to eat by summertime.”

  “Indeed.”

  They went inside for their dinner. An hour later, with the meal finished and the dishes washed, dried, and put away, Elsie found herself sitting on the top porch step next to Will. He had gone to a lot of trouble to plant the garden and set the table. This past week had been a long one for her, and she hadn’t realized how tired she was. Will’s thoughtful gesture had revitalized her. What pleased her even more was that he had come home and spent time with the twins. Harry and Minnie were chasing a butterfly around the front yard.

  She looked up at the sky. The sun had begun dipping low on the far horizon. The warmth of the day lingered in the air. She said to Will, “It is a beautiful evening. The best one yet.” Deep inside, she knew it was the best one yet because he was here with her.

  “Elsie, I’m sorry I haven’t been home more.”

  “I knew what I’d be getting into when I agreed to take the job, Will. I understand you have work to do and you can’t always be here.”

  “Still, Harry tells me you’ve been staying after your class lets out to help the postmaster’s son with his schoolwork. And then you come back here and you tend to the children. It can’t be easy.”

  “Nothing worth doing in life comes easy, Will.”

  “True enough. What made you decide to become a teacher?”

  She couldn’t keep the joy from her voice. “I’ve always loved learning about new things. I love being with the children. It seemed like a natural fit. When the former schoolteacher retired, the committee asked me if I wanted to take the job.”

  She brushed an ant from the toe of her shoe. “Nothing gives me more pleasure than when I see the faces of my students light up because they understand something I’ve been teaching them.”

  “What about a family of your own? Do you think that is in your future?”

  Her heart skipped a beat. She shook her head. She wanted to tell him that Harry and Minnie were filling that void in her life. “Right now my days are filled with so many joyous things.”

  They were silent for a few minutes until Will asked, “You know what our front porch needs?”

  She shook her head.

  “Rocking chairs. So we don’t have to hurt our backs sitting on these porch steps.” Resting his hand against his lower back, he added, “I’ll see if the mercantile has any. If not, I’ll have someone at the lumberyard make us up a pair.”

  “I’d like that.” What she would like even
better would be if this moment could last forever. Will actually wore a look of contentment on his face. And he’d spoken the words “our front porch”—as though he’d begun to think of this as their home.

  After the sun began to set, Elsie called the children into the house to get ready for bed. She sat on the edge of their bed listening to Harry recite their bedtime prayers.

  “Thank you, Lord, for bringing Uncle Will home and for keeping us safe. Please watch over Miss Mitchell. Amen.”

  Turning down the lantern, she left them. There could be no denying her growing attachment to the children. With each passing day, they became a bigger part of her life. Elsie had to find a way to stay detached. She needed to keep reminding herself that she was their caregiver, that they didn’t belong to her. It was becoming more and more difficult to remember that.

  Going to her apartment, she found the travel book where she’d left it the last time she’d looked through the pages. She’d been hoping to plan some geography lessons using some of the places highlighted in the chapters. Then some of the students had needed extra help, so between seeing to their needs and caring for the twins, her free time had been limited.

  Tonight she needed to take her mind off Will’s family. She needed to remind herself why she’d taken on this extra job to begin with. She needed to start planning her next trip. One day Will might decide he no longer needed a live-in caregiver. Or he could find a woman to make his wife, and she would become the mother figure for Harry and Minnie. Each beat of Elsie’s heart made her ache at those thoughts.

  Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she picked up The Smithson Travel Guide, thinking it would be best if she concentrated on what lay between the pages. A light tapping on her door made her turn around.

  Chapter Ten

  “Elsie?”

  Setting the book on the side table, she stood, smoothing down the front of her dress, and walked over to answer the door. She pulled it open. “Is there something else you need me to do, Will?”

  “No. I’m reheating the last of the coffee and thought you might like me to put the kettle on for some tea. Would you like a cup?”

  “I was going to work on some lesson plans.” She nodded toward the book.

  “Is that the travel book you received last month?”

  “Yes. I haven’t had time to look through it, and since the children are snuggled in bed, I thought I might get to it tonight.”

  Part of her wanted him to leave so she could get on with her project, and yet a bigger part of her hoped he would persuade her to join him for the tea.

  Then he surprised her by saying, “Bring the book out into the parlor. I’ve a fire going. You can sit by the hearth. I won’t bother you while you work, Elsie.”

  “All right. I’ll have one sugar cube for my tea, please. Oh, and there are some tea biscuits in the round tin on the shelf over the stove.”

  “I’ll find them.”

  Making her way into the parlor, Elsie couldn’t help but think how cozy the house was looking. She’d rearranged the furniture. Her mother had come by and measured the windows, then had surprised her with the airy muslin curtains that were hanging there now. She’d worked on the silhouettes of Harry and Minnie while Will had been up at the lumber camp. She’d wanted to surprise him with a keepsake of the children.

  He entered the room carrying a tin tray lined with two mugs and a plate filled with the tea cookies. She waited until he’d set the tray on the end table and then said, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Elsie opened the travel guide on her lap. Surprisingly enough, the first page she opened to had a journal entry from a young woman who’d traveled on a steamer ship to Europe with her parents. The trip of Elsie’s dreams. Just reading the young lady’s account had her thinking of what she’d pack in her trunk for such a journey.

  Will rested an elbow on the arm of his chair, then took a peek at the book. “Europe. Never been. Seems to me it’d be a long trip.”

  Even though Will had said he wouldn’t interrupt her, Elsie didn’t mind talking about her plans. “The sailing time could be anywhere from seven to ten days, depending on the weather. If the ship hit high seas or storms, it could be longer. But think of all the interesting people I could meet on a ship. There would be plenty of time during the transatlantic crossing to learn about their lives and what made them want to travel to such faraway places.”

  He scrubbed his hand along his chin. “I don’t know, Elsie, seems to me if you do this, you should go with a traveling companion.” The side of his mouth tilted upward, and there was a gleam in his eyes as he said, “A woman as pretty as you, I dare say there’d be men toppling over each other to get your attention.”

  She blushed and turned away from him, pretending to rearrange her skirts. “I’m used to traveling alone.”

  “This wouldn’t be a trip that is just along the Hudson River. You’d be going thousands of miles.”

  “I suppose I might be able to find someone to go with me.”

  “Maybe your friend Amy could go.”

  The idea that Amy would have the money needed for such a trip made Elsie realize that reaching her dream might be further away than she hoped. Disappointment surged through her. “I can tell you think this trip is nothing more than my fanciful daydream.”

  “Why would you say something like that?”

  “Because, Will, I am on a meager schoolteacher’s salary, and Amy is barely making ends meet.”

  “It’s nice to have dreams, Elsie.”

  What Will didn’t understand was that Elsie would find a way to make this dream come true. She flipped to the next page in the book. Here was a depiction of the interior of one of the luxury liners that were now sailing out of New York City. She ran her fingers over the picture. Maybe she would have her students come up with ideas on where they could travel and how they might get there.

  She felt Will’s hand on her arm.

  “Elsie, I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry.”

  “No. You were right. I’d never thought about needing a traveling companion. And, of course, I know how expensive the trip will be.” Trying to brighten the mood, she said, “My students will enjoy the geography project I’m planning.”

  He removed his hand from her arm and leaned back in the chair. “I like sitting here in front of the fire. I noticed you added some things to the house while I was gone.”

  “I hope that’s all right. It seemed the house needed some warm touches.”

  “I want to thank you for those portraits you did of Harry and Minnie, too.”

  “You’re welcome. They’re called silhouettes.” She laughed remembering how she’d had to entice Harry to sit still. “Minnie sat perfectly still while I drew her likeness, but Harry, he squirmed like he had ants in his pants! I finally promised him one less arithmetic problem for homework if he sat still long enough for me to finish.”

  “I’m glad everyone is settling in.”

  “Children thrive when their life has routine.” She absently turned another page. “Will, they appreciated the time you spent with them today.”

  “I had a day off.”

  “I know, but surely it brought you closer to them.”

  He didn’t respond. Elsie wondered what he was thinking. Was he remembering the day he’d shared with the twins? Was he happy enough here to eventually make this a permanent home? Will interrupted her thoughts.

  “How did your meeting go?”

  “We got a lot accomplished.”

  Elsie stared off into the fire, watching the flames curl around a small log, shooting sparks up the chimney. Elaine Moore had wasted little time rushing to tell her how her husband, Francis, had seen Will coming out of the saloon earlier this week. Though she’d tried, Elsie couldn’t understand his need to go there. She wondered if he had a gambling problem. Maybe he liked to imbibe, or heaven forbid, he spent the time carousing with those women.

  She didn’t want to imagine any of those
possibilities. Something kept drawing him there. She knew asking him might make him angry, but she was willing to risk ending this peaceful interlude.

  Elsie shifted in her chair, turning to face him. The soft glow of firelight filled the room. Will’s eyes were closed. His mouth relaxed. Elsie nibbled on her lower lip. Finally she spoke. “Will?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I need to ask you something and I want you to promise me you won’t become angry.”

  He opened his eyes. Her heart stuttered as she stared into his gaze. His pupils darkened. Elsie watched as he raised his eyebrows. She could feel the shift in his demeanor. Maybe she’d been wrong to ask him to make any promises.

  “I’m listening.”

  Suddenly she didn’t feel so brave. Before the nerves got the best of her, Elsie said, “Elaine Moore joined us at the committee meeting today. Do you know who she is?”

  “Francis Moore’s wife.” Will repositioned himself in the chair.

  “She told me her husband has witnessed you leaving the saloon.” The words came out in a rush. A log in the fireplace rolled backward, sending more sparks up the chimney.

  Leaving her chair, Elsie found the long-handled poker and pushed the log back into place. Behind her, Will remained quiet. Determined to find out why he was patronizing the saloon, she turned to face him.

  “I seem to have forgotten that Mr. Moore knows everything that goes on in Heartston,” he said.

  “He is a bit of a gossip,” Elsie agreed. She rested the iron poker alongside the fireplace wall. “I don’t understand why you are going there, Will.” She turned to face him again.

  “We discussed this issue before.”

  “I know. I thought that since you seem to have settled here, you weren’t frequenting the establishment anymore.” Of course, she’d no idea where he’d really gone when he wasn’t home. This past week had shown what Will had said from the beginning—that he’d be gone long hours and maybe for days at a time. But to think he would rather spend his free time in the saloon than be here with the children got Elsie riled.

  Deciding to take a more gentle approach, she pushed back her ire and chose her next words carefully. “Perhaps you shouldn’t be going there when you are needed at home.”