Banking on Temperance: Book Three of the Cotillion Ball Series (Crimson Romance)

by Lower, Becky

  Basil glanced at her. “We welcome you to winter over in St. Louis, and then head out in the spring on the final leg of your journey. Where will you be staying?”

  For a brief moment, Martha seemed confused. She sighed as she shook her head, and then lowered her gaze to the cobblestones. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll drive out of town a bit and set up camp in the wagon.”

  Basil wrestled with himself for a moment. This family should be of no concern to him, but he couldn’t help himself. “For the time being, please move your wagon into the alley behind the bank. You’ll at least have a bit of privacy there, and be close to your husband.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Fitzpatrick. We’ll do that. We are much obliged to you.”

  Temperance’s jaw tightened at her mother’s words. She wanted no more help from him, which made him want to be of further assistance, just to see the flash of anger from her again. As Basil walked back into the bank, his mind was abuzz. How could he help this family? He couldn’t offer money. They were too proud for that, and he wouldn’t embarrass them by suggesting it. But surely there was more he could do. They reminded him of the large family he’d grown up in. Besides, it would liven up the summer.

  Chapter Two

  Basil hurried into the livery across the street the minute the bank’s doors were closed and saddled his horse. He took a moment to relax, breathing in the comfortable combination of hay, horse, and leather. Among other things, Joseph, his brother-in-law who was a mix of Ojibwa and French-Canadian, taught him to enjoy horses during the past two years. Joseph had been Basil’s best friend during his first year in St. Louis and had fallen in love with his sister, Ginger. They got married the previous November.

  He sorely missed Joseph’s close friendship and the many evenings they had enjoyed sampling the typical bachelor pursuits to be found on the streets of St. Louis. Now, every evening after the day’s work was done on the horse ranch, Joseph and Ginger spent time together at the site of the house they were building, so Basil rode in that direction, eager to see the progress they’d made on the log structure.

  As he came to the hill, he could make out the beginnings of the log house sitting proudly at the top. The walls had been built up to the windows, the openings carved out of the logs. They still had plenty of work to do to finish it, but Basil could already see the symmetry and attention to detail. As he dismounted, Ginger darted out of the house and nearly bowled him over in her excitement.

  Laughing, Basil held her arms to make certain she was balanced before he grabbed her in a hug. “You never were one to slow down. But let me look at you. I want to make certain Joseph is treating you well.” His eyes took in her red hair and light freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her green eyes twinkled with excitement.

  “I’ve never been so happy, Basil, you know that. Joseph and I are fine, and working hard on the house. Come and see the progress.” She tugged at his sleeve, pulling him inside the framed walls of the log cabin. The whack of an axe sliced through the air, and the leaves of a tree shuddered at the impact. He smiled as he imagined Joseph felling another large tree to use for the house.

  Ginger led him through the house, waving her arms to show where walls would go to partition off the interior rectangle. Basil followed her in amusement. He couldn’t keep from smiling at his sister’s enthusiasm. Finally, she slowed in her speech.

  “All right, enough about me. You’ve been too quiet. Is everything okay with Mother and Papa? What’s the grin for?”

  He grabbed her in a fierce hug. “I’m just pleased that you’re so happy. You know I had concerns about you marrying Joseph.”

  “Concerns? Is that how you refer to it? You were a real ass, plain and simple. But that’s all behind us now. I couldn’t imagine myself with anyone else. Come on,” she said as she pulled on his hand. “I have a special room I want to show you.” Together, they walked into an area at the back corner of the house. “This is going to become the nursery, and not a moment too soon. I’m with child! I need to write Mother.”

  Basil had loosened his hold on Ginger, but he grabbed her again in another huge hug. “I’m so pleased for you and Joseph. What wonderful news! When are you due?”

  “I think right around Christmas. It’ll be a happy time.”

  The rhythmic sound of the axe stopped suddenly, and the cracking of wood was followed by a mighty thud as a tree hit the ground. He smelled the wet scent of wood pulp as he and Ginger walked out to greet Joseph. A large oak tree lay on its side with its uppermost branches reaching into the clearing around the log house. Joseph emerged from the woods, his black hair flecked with bark and his dark skin beaded with sweat. He reached out and wrapped a hand around Basil’s shoulder in greeting before leaning down to kiss his wife. She brushed the wood chips from Joseph’s hair.

  “Good to see you, Joseph, and congratulations. Ginger just told me about the nursery. I guess there’s no turning back now.”

  “You were the only one who wanted us to deny our love for each other. Ginger and I were well aware we were meant to be together from the moment we met.”

  Basil rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. “Water under the bridge, Joseph. I’m glad you’re happy. Really, I am. I see you’re making good headway on the house.”

  “Yes, we hope to move in before the snow begins to fly, even if it is not completely finished. After all, we will have a baby before winter is done, and the little hunter’s cabin we are in now will be too small.”

  Together, they walked the perimeter of the house. Basil noticed the precise way the logs dovetailed together at the corners to form a tight bond. The bark had been shaved from the logs, and chinking still needed to be added between them to ensure a tight house, but he was impressed by the size and scope of the structure. Ginger had insisted on a front porch running the length of the house, and they now sat on the floor of the roughed-in porch. She brought out glasses of apple cider to sip on as they talked.

  Basil shared his news from home. “Mother wrote to me the other day, full of details about the most recent family wedding.”

  Ginger smiled at the mention of their mother’s matchmaking efforts. “Since she had such dismal luck with matching me up last year, I’m glad her efforts finally panned out for one of her daughters. Heather and David will be a good match for each other.”

  She glanced over at Basil. “But I’m sensing that news from home is not the reason you’re here this evening. What’s going on, Bas?”

  Basil never could fool Ginger for long. But, to drag out the suspense, and to give himself another few seconds to organize his thoughts, he took another long sip of the tart cider. “You’re right. I do need to talk to you two, and get your ideas. It was an interesting day at the bank.” He quickly filled them in on the morning’s events with the Jones family.

  Ginger put her hand on her heart. “How awful for them! Will the father be all right?”

  “He’s not out of the woods. I wasn’t privy to the conversation between the doctor and Mrs. Jones, but the man doesn’t look good. He coughed while in the bank, and his handkerchief was bloody. So, my guess is he’s got consumption. He has a really high fever that they can’t seem to break and a cough that racks his body. Regardless of the state of his health, since they missed the wagon trains this year, they need to winter over here.”

  Joseph replied, “That may be for the best. It will give the man time to get his strength back, if he can.”

  Basil raked his hand over his dark brown hair before looking up. “I can’t shake the feeling that I need to help them in some way or the other. Maybe it’s because he passed out in my bank, or maybe it’s because his large brood reminds me of our family. I want to find them a place to stay until Samuel gets better, if he gets better. And right now, all they have is a decrepit wagon and two skinny mules. Do you have any ideas on how I can help them?”

  “Oh d
ear. The poor family.” Ginger’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s a shame we’re not further along on this house. We could let them stay in the hunter’s cabin. But we probably won’t move from there until November or so.”

  Joseph leaned over and wiped away Ginger’s tears with a brush of his thumb. He wrapped an arm around her and appeared to be lost in thought. Then he turned to Basil.

  “It is not much, but when my parents first arrived on this land, they only had time to build a rough house from strips of sod before winter set in. The old soddy has not been used in years, since my brothers and I stopped using it as our fort, but it is still standing. We can ride over and take a look at it now.”

  Joseph needed only a few minutes to saddle Ginger’s horse. Joseph preferred to ride bareback. Together, the three of them set off down the hill and into the woods. After about ten minutes, they came to a small clearing, and a sod house built into a hillside. The straw roof had caved in on one corner, but the walls were in decent shape.

  “Let’s go inside,” Ginger suggested. “I want to see if it’s livable.” She slid from her horse and hurried to the entrance.

  The simple room, not larger than ten feet square, with its dirt floor and earthen sides, was full of debris and smelled of neglect. Basil noticed old animal nests in the interior. The floor was pockmarked and muddy in the corner where the roof had collapsed, and at the entrance, where the door had long ago rotted away. A little wood stove was still in one corner but the chimney was in serious need of repair. Mouse droppings littered the corners, and spider webs were on every surface. One window was cut in the front of the structure, which allowed for a dim light to appear in the room. The shutters had fallen off and were lying in a pile underneath the windows, but even though the window, doorway, and roof were wide open, the room was dark and dirty. It smelled strongly of the musty earth.

  “This is not much room for a family of eight. I doubt they could all fit in the room at the same time.” Ginger gazed up to the ceiling. “Could a sleeping loft be put in, Joseph?”

  “We will need to test the strength of the walls, but possibly. We can certainly at least put on new shutters and a door to hold back the night.”

  “Regardless, this is a hundred times better than what they currently have. If you’re certain it will be all right with your parents, I’ll tell the Jones family tomorrow about the place. Thank you, Joseph.” Basil stepped out of the soddy.

  Ginger clapped her hands together. “How delightful that we’ll have new neighbors to get to know over the winter. Tell me about the family. What are the ages of the children?”

  “There are three boys and three girls, ranging in age from eighteen down to four. They are all named for virtues — Justice, Valor, and Noble are the boys. The girls are Temperance, Prudence, and Faith.”

  Ginger grinned. “Ah, so it’s Temperance, is it? She’s the real reason you want to help the family.”

  Basil shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. His sister understood him too well. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because I know you, and I know there must be a woman involved for you to care. And there was something in your tone when you recited her name. Is she the eldest one? She’s eighteen?”

  Basil rolled his eyes at his sister’s comment. “Yes, she’s the eldest. And very attractive. But she’s not going to appreciate any help I can give them, since she’s a proud and stubborn woman. No, it’s not because of Temperance that I want to help. If anything, it’s in spite of her. They simply remind me of our family. Strong and caring for each other. Their circumstances are just a bit different from ours. More challenging. If the tables were turned, I would hope someone would do the same for us.”

  “Good Lord, I do believe my brother is starting to grow up.”

  Basil laughed and held up his hands. “Possibly so.”

  “Maybe you could offer the mother a job at the bank. Cleaning it or something,” Joseph said.

  “No, I think she needs to stay close to her husband. I’m thinking of offering it to Temperance.”

  “So it is Temperance! I guessed it!” Ginger declared.

  “Only where her family is concerned, dear sister. Don’t let your imagination run wild.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Ginger whispered, loud enough for Basil to hear. She did it just to bother him. And she was right.

  Chapter Three

  Temperance bent over the washbasin as she put a cloth to the face of her youngest brother, Noble. She sighed as she scrubbed the cheeks of the squirming child, who howled in protest. “How is it one little boy can get so filthy?”

  Noble stared up at her, his brown eyes huge. “Did you see all the cats who live here? There must be fourteen-eleven of them. I had to catch and pet each and every one!”

  “So, you’re telling me that you not only got dirty, but you also probably have fleas? Dear Lord, what am I to do with you?”

  “I don’t have fleas!” Noble’s little hand formed into a paw and he hissed at Temperance as she reached for his ears.

  Smiling at his boyish behavior, Temperance danced the wet rag in front of his face. “Be a good kitty now, Fluffy.”

  “Fluffy’s a girl’s name! I’m Bob. Bob the Bobcat. Meow. Meow.” Noble’s eyes gleamed as he batted at the cloth.

  “Looks as if you’ve got your hands full there, Miss Jones.”

  Temperance’s spine straightened as her head snapped around to gaze up into Basil Fitzpatrick’s deep blue eyes. Despite the fact he had been helpful to her family yesterday and didn’t treat them with the same disdain his employee did, she was aware of his type.

  She’d seen him on the street in the afternoon, and he nodded and smiled at every woman he came into contact with. Some of them even clung onto his arm or dropped a hankie in his path in the hopes of getting his attention. And none had been disappointed. Even Pennsylvania farm girls were familiar with smooth-talking men such as Mr. Fitzpatrick, and she had to shield herself from him. Noble took advantage of the interruption to scoot away from Temperance and her washcloth.

  She scowled at Basil. “Aren’t you afraid of getting your shoes dirty back here in this alley, sir?”

  “Please, call me Basil, not ‘sir.’ That’s what I call my father.” Basil glanced at the ground and his shoes. “And I’ll be certain to scrape my shoes before I enter the bank. Thank you for reminding me. I wanted to check on your family and see how you fared. I know the alley’s not the best place to spend the night.”

  “We managed quite well, Mr. Fitzpatrick. And I’ll not be calling you by your given name.” She ignored him and began to fold the washcloth and towel to put them away.

  Basil sighed and put his hand to his heart, taking a fake stumble backwards at her words. “Your words have pierced my heart, Lady Temperance.”

  Temperance fought the urge to smile at his foolishness. He and Noble were two of a kind. She was certain his undeniable charm worked on most women.

  “Ma spent the night in the doctor’s office with my da, but we can’t keep him there any longer. This alley isn’t the best place for him to continue his recovery, though. It stinks of rotten food and the contents of too many chamber pots. I don’t know what Ma has planned for us now, but we’ll find something.”

  “I understand your concerns and hope I have found a solution. Not just for your father, but for all of you. After all, I wouldn’t want your lovely skin to be exposed to the sun for too long.” Basil’s gaze lingered on her face.

  Temperance bristled and a blush of color rose to her cheeks. “You’ve done quite enough already, sir. We appreciate your help yesterday, especially taking care of Da, but we don’t expect you to do more. We are used to making our own way.”

  “I’m sure you are. And I never meant to imply otherwise. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll head into the doctor’s office before I open the bank and tal
k to your mother for a moment.” He turned and glanced down at Noble, who was standing nearby and watching Basil with great curiosity. The other children huddled in a group near the wagon, but Noble’s curiosity got the better of him. Basil gave him a wink. “I’ll let you get back to cleaning up the bobcat.” He tousled the boy’s hair before he left the alley.

  Temperance’s gaze followed him as his strong, long strides ate up the ground between the buildings. Noble turned to his sister. “He’s a nice man, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, Noble, he’s quite nice. Now, come back here and let me finish up with you.”

  “Are you going to marry him?”

  Temperance smiled. “Heavens, no. You’re not going to get rid of me that easily. I’ll still be here to clean out your ears for years to come.”

  Despite the good qualities he’d exhibited yesterday, Temperance was aware that Basil Fitzpatrick and his fine bank were in a much different social class from her. The ladies he spent time with would all have soft hands and pretty dresses with corsets underneath to make their waists look tiny. Not faded homespuns that had patches over patches and did nothing to show off her figure. She tried to imagine him taking her hand as he led her to a carriage, and how he would recoil from her rough, callused fingers. No, she was not the type of woman he usually dallied with. Thank goodness he would pay her no mind.

  With a small sigh, she turned back to her work, cleaning and feeding her younger siblings. She most definitely had little time to spare and it was better spent scratching out a living, not daydreaming about any man. Especially a ladies’ man, which she was sure Mr. Fitzpatrick could call himself. But yet, she couldn’t resist one final glance at his retreating form.

  • • •

  Basil found Martha Jones at her husband’s bedside. Based on the bowl of water and damp towel at the bedside table, he guessed she had just finished giving him a sponge bath. She finished putting her husband’s arm in the sleeve of his shirt. Basil hurried to her side and helped to support the man’s weight as the Reverend got out of bed and onto his feet. Basil placed his arm around Samuel’s shoulders, while Martha kept her arm around her husband’s waist.