Cole nodded his agreement, unsure how he felt about the managing woman. He was surprised to see Miss Jones’ eyes twinkling in amusement once more.
“Thank you for the tea,” Miss Jones murmured as she shook his hand briefly before taking her leave.
Cole stood at the window and watched the two women as they walked away. He was envious of the easy camaraderie between them. It was apparent that both women were well grounded intellectually and emotionally. Even Miss Jones, despite her awkwardness. It was in sharp contrast with his sister. He really appreciated what a good listener Miss Jones seemed to be. It would be good for Mary to spend time with the two women as well as Mrs. Carter’s daughter. He looked forward to telling Mary when she got home from school.
Chapter Eleven
A fter glancing at the watch she kept in her small handbag, Melanie suggested they stop to collect Annie on their way past the school. “It’s only fifteen minutes until class ends. There’s no sense in going home.”
Katie agreed but then added, “That was far more fascinating than I expected.”
“What was? The fact that I keep my watch in my handbag?”
“Don’t play coy, Mel, you know what I mean.”
“No, as a matter of fact, I don’t. What could you have found fascinating about that poor woman’s terrible situation? And poor little Mary, being surrounded by so much negativity! It can’t be good for her either.”
Katie looked shocked by Melanie’s words. “I was certainly not making light of Leandra’s illness, nor the impact it’s sure to have on Mary. I was just commenting on Mr. Miller’s apparent fascination with you. Did you not notice that he could barely keep his eyes off you?”
Melanie felt heat filling her cheeks. “No, I noticed no such thing!” Her declaration seemed to fall on deaf ears as Katie laughed.
“Was that because you were making your own best effort to keep your eyes away from him?”
Now it felt as though her face were on fire, but Melanie tried to brazen it out. “I have no idea what you mean. I maintained my focus on Leandra and our conversation with her.”
“Of course, you did, because you are a lovely, loyal friend,” Katie replied promptly and sincerely, but then she turned teasing. “But you also have eyes in your head, and they seem to find great appreciation in turning toward the handsome rancher.”
Melanie debated with herself for a heartbeat but then she turned to her friend. “Was I so very obvious? I would hate for him to think I was setting my cap at him.”
Katie’s amusement burst into deep chuckles. “Now you’re sounding downright historical! Where did you get that expression from?”
Melanie didn’t think her embarrassment could grow any deeper. “I read it somewhere,” she replied in a stiff voice.
“Oh, don’t take offense, my dear friend, I just couldn’t help it. Surely you realize that a good laugh will release all the tension from that dreadful interlude. You are so sweet, you might not have noticed how very dreadful Leandra was toward me.”
Melanie couldn’t stay offended long and couldn’t help but release a few giggles of her own. “How could anyone not take note? She was such a dear the first time I met her, and even today, she didn’t seem irked with me, but she certainly seemed to have taken you in dislike. I think it’s because of the doctor.”
“Well, that much was apparent. I feel badly for her and her situation, but that’s no reason to tear down another woman’s happiness.”
“Oh, please tell me you didn’t take her words to heart.” Melanie was instantly struck by the unfairness of it all.
“Of course not, I could see through it at once. But it was decidedly uncomfortable. Except for the funny way Mr. Miller kept trying to ignore the conversation completely while still staying around to sneak peeks at you.”
“Was he really?” Melanie was torn between denial and wanting to hear more. “I’m dreadful at conversing with him, or anyone for that matter, and of course, I have no wish to marry. But he is so very handsome. It’s probably all that hard work and fresh air that must come from being a rancher. And he’s so sweet with his daughter. And his kindness toward Annie was heartwarming, too.”
Katie laughed again. “Oh my dear friend, I do think you have a bad case.”
Melanie laughed as well but still asked, “A bad case of what?”
“The love bug.” The way she declared it all drawn out and squeaky made them both fall into a fit of giggles. Melanie was the first to sober.
“I won’t be able to see him again. You’ll have to be the one to go tomorrow and collect Mary’s things. Maybe you can drop in there after you’ve visited one of our clients.”
Katie blinked at her in surprise. “Why ever would you say that? Seems to me you should be all the more anxious to spend more time with the good rancher in his time of need.”
Melanie didn’t even crack a smile over Katie’s words. “It is because of his time of need that he doesn’t need me. He needs someone who can socialize and be normal in order to help Mary as she grows. Even someone who would happily bear children with him. That someone isn’t me. Mary is a dear girl, and I plan to help her as much as I can, but I’m not normal. I can’t help her with social things. And I have absolutely no interest in bringing any babies into this world.”
Katie’s eyes were kind but damp; she seemed at a loss for words. “Give it time, my dear Mel. You might change your mind. And I think you’re completely normal. Just because you would prefer to stay at home doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.”
“That’s not what my father has said.”
“Well your father is a nincompoop, and that’s all I plan to say on the subject. Now, come along. We need to fetch Annie from school. And my stomach is starting to growl. Poor Mr. Miller’s raisin bread was a touch dry. It was all I could do to get it swallowed, even with his delicious tea.”
Melanie didn’t bother replying, just picking up her skirts and hurrying beside her friend to fetch their small companion.
Early the next morning, there was a knock on the door. It was Dr. Jeffries stopping in on his way to an emergency, asking Katie to accompany him. As she gathered her things, Katie couldn’t quite hide her smile.
“I swear to you, I didn’t arrange this. You know I couldn’t have, we were together all evening. And I would never implicate the good doctor in any of my schemes, besides. But now you’re going to have to go collect Mary’s things yourself.”
Melanie stood still and blinked, knowing she must appear a simpleton, but there was nothing that could be done, so she tried to figure out the best course of action. “What about the clients you were supposed to visit?”
Katie bit her lip in uncertainty. “I don’t have time to send someone with a message. I’m so sorry, Melanie. Do you think you could just stop in to see them and explain that I’ll be by tomorrow? Or even later on today if this situation with Dr. Jeffries resolves itself quickly.”
Melanie tried to stay calm. She knew Katie would be concerned for her as well as the patient. Biting her lip and trying to be brave, she shooed Katie out the door. “Just remind me the names, and I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you, Melanie, I’m so sorry to leave you with so many things to take care of. It’s Mrs. Jenkins and Mrs. Spencer. I have notes on them on my desk in my room. You’re the very best,” she called out as she ran out the door after the doctor.
“Yeah, I’m the best idiot in town,” Melanie murmured as her stomach churned and a sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead. She tried to decide what to do first. There were no sewing tasks left; she had plowed through all that needed to be done earlier. That was why it was all the more urgent that the clients be visited. They needed more work. The house was spotless, so she couldn’t procrastinate under the guise of needing to do chores. With a deep sigh, she realized she needed to tidy herself and get on with the necessary visits.
As she combed her hair, she could see how very pale she was. You can do this, she reassur
ed her reflection. After rummaging through Katie’s desk, she had all the information she needed. It was time to set off and find someone who could direct her in the way she ought to go.
Standing on her front porch, Melanie took deep fortifying breaths, willing her heart rate to slow down and her feet to hurry up. If she wasn’t careful, she would need Dr. Jeffries to pay a call on her before long. Or she’d be dead, she thought with a macabre sense of satisfaction. That would eliminate her responsibility to make these visits, at the very least.
While she was dithering, she almost didn’t notice the approaching wagon until it was drawing up on the other side of their little fence.
“Oh Mr. Miller, I’m surprised to see you here.” It was a dull-witted thing to say, but it popped out of her mouth without her permission.
“Good-day, Miss Jones. It seems I’ve just caught you in time. Were you headed our way, by any chance?”
She felt color finally touch her cheeks; hopefully she looked a little less like a corpse. “In a manner of speaking,” she replied with amusement filling her tone. “I was trying to decide who to visit first. But I’m pretty sure that you would have had to be my last stop, since I would have things to carry afterward.”
“Well, then I’m all the more glad that I’ve caught you.”
His friendly smile and warm voice did a strange combination of settling her nerves and setting them to jangling all at once. Melanie wasn’t quite sure how to manage the sensory overload. She merely smiled in return and hoped he would continue talking.
“I didn’t want you to have to carry Mary’s things, so I’ve brought them to you.”
“Oh, that’s so thoughtful of you, thank you so much.” Melanie wasn’t sure if she should approach him, or wait until he brought the things to her. When he began climbing down from the wagon, she decided to allow her feet to remain planted where they were.
“It’s the least I could do since you’ve been so kind as to get my daughter away from the mess at home. Leandra held her composure fairly well this morning as she said her goodbyes to Mary. Mary seemed confused by the whole thing, though, I’m afraid. You might have some strange questions to handle this afternoon.”
Melanie’s stomach sank, but she had agreed to the arrangement, so there was nothing to do but assure the man. “I’m sure we’ll manage to muddle through.”
“Are you sure you’re up to it, Miss Jones? You’re looking a little more pale than usual. Are you feeling poorly?”
Melanie could feel color flooding her cheeks, putting the lie to his observation. But the sudden change made her feel suddenly lightheaded. She must have wobbled where she stood because Mr. Miller put his hand out to grasp her arm.
“Perhaps you should be sitting in the shade. The heat must be getting to you.” He guided her gently toward one of the chairs she and Katie had placed in the shade of the covered porch.
Despite allowing him to direct her to a seat, Melanie protested. “No, no, I’m fine. It isn’t even really all that hot.”
“Well then what’s wrong? Can I assist you in some way?”
His kindness made her want to weep. She hoped her chin didn’t tremble.
“You are being exceedingly kind, Mr. Miller, I thank you. But I don’t think there’s anything you can do. I need to face my demons on my own.” She avoided his gaze by putting the small sack he handed her inside the front door before closing it again behind her.
His compassionate gaze made her wish she could unburden herself, but she resisted. She had made that mistake in the past. She had no interest in repeating it.
“That sounds mighty serious. What sort of demons might a sweet woman like yourself be running from?”
Finally, she couldn’t fight the temptation to share her burdens any longer, and tears welled up over her lids. She wanted to drop through the floor of the porch for turning into a weeping ninny in front of the sturdy man, but the expression on his face looked so much like understanding that she just couldn’t resist.
“I have to go visit our clients,” she finally answered him. She could hear the despair in her voice and would have found it amusing if it weren’t truly how she felt. She felt despair over having to go speak to strangers. But it was obvious the steadfast man before her didn’t understand what she was saying. He stared at her in anticipation of further explanation.
“I’m terrified, and I was trying to talk myself into stepping off the porch when you arrived.”
His smile curdled the edges of her stomach. “And I went ahead and interrupted you. I sincerely do apologize, Miss Jones. I hope I haven’t set you back too much.”
Melanie couldn’t help returning his smile. “Well, I hadn’t made much progress. I had been standing on the porch for at least ten minutes when you arrived.”
“Is there a particular reason why you are so mighty frightened of visiting your clients? Have they been particularly unpleasant? I wouldn’t expect you need to keep a client that abuses you.” His eyes were kind as he tried to understand her predicament.
Melanie hesitated but finally blurted the truth. “I haven’t even met them, so no, they haven’t been abusive. In fact, Katie, I mean Mrs. Carter, has already met both of the women I am supposed to be visiting and enjoyed them very much. In fact, she considers Mrs. Jenkins to be a personal friend by now.”
“Well, I’ve met Mrs. Jenkins, and I could understand why a body might be a little nervous of encountering her. She has a certain personality that might not sit right with just anyone.”
Melanie began to relax, just as he had obviously intended. She even mustered up a chuckle over his description of Mrs. Jenkins. “Yes, Katie told me of her first encounters with Mrs. Jenkins. But she truly sounds like a dear old soul. I just really don’t like meeting new people.”
Mr. Miller’s forehead crinkled in concern. “Do you truly have to go, then? If Mrs. Carter usually makes these visits, why don’t you leave it until she can follow up? You don’t need to work yourself up into a taking over it.”
~~~
Cole watched as the pretty woman stared out into the vista. He was fairly certain she was pondering his words. His heart wrenched for her. He couldn’t quite relate to her fears, but it was obvious she was nervous of people. He couldn’t help but notice it the very first day they had met. But she always seemed to handle herself well despite those nerves. Clearly, he didn’t fully understand her situation.
She finally broke her silence. With a low voice she said, “I’m afraid if I don’t do it now, I’ll be stuck in this house forever, and then of what use will I be to anyone, including myself?”
He shocked himself by realizing that he was filled with pride for her brave effort, even though he still didn’t understand.
“Besides, I’ll be letting down Katie and Annie. We need the work to be able to support ourselves. I don’t really care for myself, but we need to keep our clients happy in order to keep business coming. Something came up for Katie this morning, an emergency that the doctor needed her help with. She had promised these two women she would visit them. I need to at least let them know that she’ll stop by another day. We’ve already done work for each of them, you see. I can’t let any of them down.”
Cole admired her diligence, but he wondered if perhaps it was part of her problem. “Seems to me like you might be putting too much pressure on the situation. Is it really so very vital that these clients get visited today? What would happen if you don’t?”
He watched as she chewed her lip, deep in thought. The desire to run his thumb across the abused lip, to sooth it and her, overwhelmed him. He resisted the urge, unsure if he liked the fluttering in his midsection as he watched her but knew his feelings were becoming engaged whether he wanted them to or not.
“Since there wasn’t a seamstress in town before we arrived, no, you’re probably right, nothing dire would happen. It’s not as though they can take their business elsewhere. But it’s important to both Katie and me to keep our word. And we also believe that
if we are reliable, it’ll make the ladies more inclined to place orders, you know? I mean, if it’s a truly positive experience for them, they’ll want to repeat it.”
Cole nodded, understanding her insistence on making her visits. “If it means that much to you, then why are you so nervous about it? Doesn’t your motivation overpower your hesitance?”
“I was hoping it would,” she answered, her glum tone making him want to smile, but he resisted, sparing her feelings. He was rewarded by her further words as she gazed out into the yonder once more. “I don’t really even remember how it started. Probably some snide remark as I walked Henry to school. But I became more and more nervous about going outside. I forced myself for Henry’s sake, but I was never so relieved as when he finally insisted that he was too big to be walked to school anymore. I didn’t completely agree that he was big enough, but our father sided with him, and then I didn’t have to make myself do it anymore.”
“Was your father just trying to spare your feelings?”
The laughter that answered his question was bitter. “Certainly not. If he knew how much I dreaded the morning visits, he would have insisted Henry still needed to be escorted to this day, even though the boy is sixteen.”
Cole blinked, wondering how anyone could mistreat this sweet woman. “But you’re such a strong, determined female. I’m surprised the murmurings of a few nasty women would tie you up into such a knot.”
Her smile was gentle as she finally met his gaze. “That’s kind of you to say, Mr. Miller, but I don’t really think I’m that strong. And the mothers at school were only the start of my problem. It grew exponentially when I was beaten and robbed while going for the shopping one day just after I had dropped Henry at school. I was fifteen. I should’ve known how rough the neighborhood was that I was walking through. And I shouldn’t have walked through it. But I was rushing to get things done because I had promised one of the upstairs neighbors to help her with something, and my father expected all my chores to be finished before I thought of doing anything else.”
Orphan Train Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 4 Page 38
