Love Finds Faith

by Martha Rogers

  That brought a giggle from Molly, and she relaxed beside Hannah as Manfred stopped the carriage and jumped down. He hurried around to help Sallie alight while Molly clambered down on her own. Manfred reached up for Hannah. She grasped his shoulders, and he lifted her up then down to the ground with a firm hand.

  When they entered the hall, a huge sign covered one end behind the stage: WELCOME TO STONEY CREEK HANNAH DYER. Three musicians with a fiddle, a guitar, and a bass viol warmed up their instruments as they discussed the selections for the evening. The whine of the violin and twang of the bass strings foretold of the fun to come later in the evening. A long table against a side wall held a large punch bowl and platters of pastries and cakes from the bakery shop.

  The baker’s wife, Irene Delmont, pushed through the door from the hallway carrying a tray of cookies. She grinned when she spotted Sallie and Hannah. “Good evening, ladies. We’re about ready for your guests to arrive.”

  Sallie rushed over and hugged the slender woman with gray hair in a neat bun atop her head. “It looks wonderful, Irene. You and Gus have done a beautiful job.”

  “Thank you, Sallie. I love baking for parties, and we don’t have near enough of them around here.” Irene set the silver tray on the table and stepped back to admire the effect. “It does look nice even if I do say so myself.”

  Indeed it looked nice, and it was all Hannah could do to keep from snitching one of the miniature pecan pastries right now. How did Mrs. Delmont stay so nice and slim with all these goodies around her? If it had been Hannah, she’d be as round as a pot-bellied stove.

  Moments later guests began arriving. Sallie opted not to have a formal receiving line, but she asked Hannah to stay near the stage so that when the music began, she’d be there to start the first dance.

  Most of the faces greeting Hannah had become familiar in the nearly four weeks she’d been in town and attending church. Their friendliness and acceptance warmed Hannah’s heart and gave her a feeling of home that warded off a longing for her parents. So far Sallie had kept things too busy for any homesickness to linger.

  Hannah let go of Mrs. Hempstead’s hand and turned to the next guest who had strolled up. Dark brown eyes met hers, and she went weak in the knees. Her heart hammered, and she fought to catch her breath until she realized Camilla Swenson stood at the side of Micah.

  A hard swallow pushed back the sharp pang of jealousy. “Mister Gordon, how nice of you to come to my party, and you too, Miss Swenson.”

  Why had he dreaded coming to this party for Miss Dyer? Camilla hadn’t been enthusiastic about it herself, but Ma had insisted, and now Micah was glad she had. “Good evening, Miss Dyer. Your sister must be very pleased with the turnout tonight.”

  “Oh, she is. Sallie’s over there now making sure we have plenty of refreshments. Thank you for coming.”

  “It’s our pleasure, Miss Dyer. Isn’t that right, Camilla.” He turned to the woman beside him, who wore a smile that didn’t reflect itself in her eyes or in any other part of her face.

  “Of course it is.” She extended a hand encased in a lacy glove to Hannah. “These get-togethers for our townspeople are good for bringing people together. Nothing like the Mayor’s Winter Ball, but nice all the same.”

  At the disappointment now tracing itself across Miss Dyer’s face, Micah wanted to scold Camilla for her rudeness. Instead he smiled again and said, “I do hope you will save a dance for me later.”

  As soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to snatch them back. What if Hannah didn’t dance because of her foot? But her smile erased any fears about that.

  “I most certainly will, Mr. Gordon. Thank you for asking.”

  He stared into those incredible blue eyes for a moment longer. No doubt about it, Hannah Dyer was a beautiful young woman.

  Camilla nudged his arm. “Come, Micah, others are waiting to speak with Miss Dyer.”

  He cleared his throat and turned to Camilla. “Of course, excuse us for taking so much of your time, Miss Dyer.” He led Camilla over to the refreshment table. A cup of cold punch would suit him fine now as he needed it in the worst way. Here he had one of if not the most beautiful woman in town on his arm, and he’d been mesmerized by Hannah with hair that flamed with red amidst the gold. He’d never seen anything quite like it.

  “I must say, Micah, that was quite an act of kindness to ask Miss Dyer for a dance later.”

  Micah clenched his teeth at Camilla’s comment. Her condescending tone toward the guest of honor had no place at the gathering. “It wasn’t kindness, Camilla. Miss Dyer is a very nice young woman, and I met her the first day of her arrival. In fact, we were on the train together.”

  “I’m sure she is quite sweet, but with that limp and strange shoe of hers, she might not be able to keep up with the dance steps.”

  He needed that punch now more than ever or his disappointment in Camilla may very well turn into anger over that last statement, even though he’d considered the same thing. The red punch sloshed over the edge of the cup as he filled it. He reached for a napkin to wipe off the liquid before handing the cup to Camilla and almost spilled it again, this time on her. “I’m so sorry, Camilla. I don’t know why I’m so clumsy.”

  “Ladling punch is not as easy as it looks.” She peered at him over the edge of the cup as she took her first sip.

  “No, it isn’t, and I can’t say that I’ve had much practice at the art.” He ladled another cup with almost the same results. More like no practice at all since he hadn’t been to any events like this in the past five years. Beer and whiskey didn’t have to be ladled, only poured, and that was usually by the bartender or someone else. He sipped his punch and scanned the room. Many people he’d known since childhood filled the room. The number of people in attendance gave testimony that they admired and respected the doctor and his wife.

  His gaze landed on Hannah, still greeting guests. A surprisingly intense longing tugged at his heartstrings and sent his emotions on a wave of desire. He gripped the handle of the punch cup and gulped down the cool liquid.

  The sugary sweetness slipped down his throat and cooled his emotions to the point he could now speak with Camilla without betraying where his thoughts had strayed.

  People milled about the room laughing and conversing with one another. Although they lived in the same small town, the only contact some of these people had with each other came on Saturday at the store or Sunday at church. Most of them had grown accustomed to seeing Micah back in town and greeted him with smiles and handshakes.

  No sign of Levi, but then Micah hadn’t expected him to make an appearance. Pa had checked with Hudson, and, as he’d suspected, Levi was there. Micah wanted to go out and drag him home, but Pa said no. Levi had to make that decision himself.

  Ten minutes later the trio of musicians climbed up on the stage and took their places. Manfred headed to the platform then stood center stage, where he called for everyone’s attention.

  After welcoming the guests, he called Hannah to come up and stand beside him. He held out his hand toward her and helped her up. With her royal blue dress and her hair piled on her head and curls dangling at her neck, she looked like a queen.

  Manfred grabbed her hand and held it. “Ladies and gentlemen, most of you have now met my wife’s sister, Hannah Grace Dyer. Mrs. Whiteman and I are honored to have her living with us, and I am especially grateful for her nursing skills. She’s already become a most important part of my practice.”

  The crowd applauded their appreciation until Manfred turned to the trio. “Let the dance begin, and I am honored to have the first one with Miss Dyer.” He grinned with a quirk of amusement in his voice. “Eat your hearts out, young men, and get in line for the next one. Shall we, Miss Hannah?” He helped her down from the platform and nodded for the musicians to begin.

  After watching Hannah’s first few turns, Camilla leaned over and spoke behind the fan she carried. “Well, I do believe our little cripple can dance, although I don’
t see how with that heavy shoe on her foot.”

  Yes, indeed, Miss Dyer knew her way around the dance floor. She didn’t even look winded. He watched her every move while Camilla stood at his side talking with one of her friends. Hannah never missed a step, and when the music ended, he clapped as hard if not harder than anyone else there.

  He turned to Camilla, who eyed him with disdain and said, “It appears she surprised everyone with her dancing. Maybe it won’t be so bad for you after all when you take your obligatory turn.”

  No, it wouldn’t, and he could hardly wait until he could claim that honor. The music started up again, and this time he swirled Camilla to the center of the floor. He hadn’t forgotten how to lead a lady around in dance, but all the time he spent with Camilla, he cast an eye on the beautiful woman in the blue dress.

  CHAPTER 14

  MAY I HAVE this dance, Miss Dyer?”

  Hannah swirled around at the unfamiliar voice and gulped when she discovered Alexander Hightower standing by her side. Her heart pounded, and she swallowed hard before answering to keep her voice from cracking. “I’d be delighted, Mr. Hightower.” She set her punch cup on the table.

  The music began, and he swept her across the floor to the center. “I must say I was quite surprised to find this type of party in Stoney Brook. I expected a country shindig with cowboys everywhere. This almost reminds me of back home.”

  “And where would that be?” Although she’d already heard it from Manfred, her brain refused to think of anything else to say, and she certainly didn’t want to discuss the weather.

  “I’m from Dallas originally, but I finished my schooling and went into a partnership with a lawyer in New Orleans.” He spun her around and grinned in a way that made his eyes sparkle.

  That grin sent Hannah’s heart into overtime, and she almost missed a step. Then where he’d been registered and she gasped. “New Orleans? That’s just down the road from St. Francisville, where my grandparents live. I’ve only been to New Orleans once, and that was after the war when Mama wanted to go down and visit some friends. It’s a beautiful old city.”

  “Yes, it is. It’s nice to know someone here has been there and recognizes her charms.”

  She’d only been there once, but that had been enough to see why so many people, including Mama, loved the town. “That wasn’t hard to do. We have several homes in St. Francisville that were fashioned after some of the homes there. I love the wrought-iron balconies and French-style windows. Mama made sure Sallie and I learned to speak French, and hearing the language there only added to our delight.”

  As the music came to an end, everyone clapped, and Mr. Hightower led her back to the side of the room with chairs. “Thank you, Miss Dyer. Perhaps we shall do this again later.”

  “My pleasure, Mr. Hightower. I’d be delighted to dance with you again.” As he walked away, her hand went to her heart to still its rapid beat. That had been the most delightful few minutes.

  When Micah suddenly appeared at her side, she started. “Mr. Gordon, I didn’t see you come up.”

  “I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you all right?”

  Before she had a chance to answer, the leader of the trio stepped forward. “Now that you’ve enjoyed your traditional social dances, let’s get down and have some fun. First will be the Virginia reel. Grab your partner then line up, gents on one side, ladies on the other, and away we’ll go.”

  Micah frowned when Mr. Hightower grabbed Camilla, but he turned to Hannah with a smile. “Looks like we’re partners in the reel. Do you want to give it a try?”

  Hannah could only nod as her blood raced with anticipation. She wanted so much to dance with Micah, but would she be able to manage all the steps in her bustle skirt? Most of the other women except Camilla and Mrs. Thornton had worn plain homespun fabric full skirts over petticoats and had much more freedom of movement. But if Camilla could do this, then Hannah decided she could too.

  The music started, and Micah winked at her as he came across and bowed. She curtsied, then they locked arms to dance in a circle. It had been much easier to perform the steps in her hoops a few years ago, but she managed to keep from tripping and losing her balance as they promenaded with her arm locked onto Micah’s. Her heart pounded with pleasure at the pressure of his arm against hers. She’d never experienced such a feeling with a man before. Micah may be way out of her reach, but his attention tonight was more than she dared hope.

  When the music ended, Hannah, out of breath, joined with the others in applauding, but she wanted it to go on and on so she could be near Micah, who still stood by her side. She glanced up at him, but he narrowed his eyes toward Camilla as she laughed and batted her eyes at something Mr. Hightower said.

  How could Camilla ignore the man who’d brought her to the dance? Hannah wanted to yell at the woman for her behavior. If Micah had been Hannah’s escort, her only thoughts would be of him and how he’d held her as they danced. She certainly wouldn’t be spending so much time with another man.

  Micah touched her arm. “Would you care for refreshment? My throat’s somewhat dry after that last dance.”

  “Thank you, Micah. I would enjoy a cup of punch.” Joy filled her soul to be spending a few more minutes with him. She may not have his admiration, but every moment with him would be a blessing.

  They strolled over to the table where Sallie controlled the ladle. Micah grinned at her and picked up two cups. “I’m glad to see someone else handling that ladle. All I did was to spill more than I put in the cup.”

  Sallie laughed and filled the cups. “Yes, I noticed several of the men with that problem, so that’s why I took over the job.”

  Micah handed Hannah a filled cup. “Would you like to sit down?” He nodded to the side of the room where she’d been earlier.

  Although somewhat tired, she had no desire to sit and have Micah leave her alone. Standing here with him was so much better. “I’m fine, but that dance did take some effort.”

  “Yes, but it was fun. Have you seen our square dances? They’re fashioned after the quadrille, but with a few more steps and calls. Sam up there has been our caller almost since I can remember.”

  “No, I haven’t, but Sallie told me about them and even tried to show me a few moves and turns, but I think I’ll have to watch awhile to really catch on.” The reel had been bad enough, but she’d never be able to make all the quick moves of the squares with her heavy shoe even if she practiced with Manfred and Sallie.

  Micah set his punch cup down. “If you’ll excuse me, I believe I’ll go over and see if Molly would like to join me for the next dance. She’s quite the young lady now. Besides, I remember how excited Margaret was at her first dance.”

  His kindness touched her heart. What a wonderful treat for Molly. His gesture brought back the memory of Benjamin Elliot and his kindness at Sallie’s party. After the music started up again and Micah swung Molly out onto the floor, she turned her gaze to other guests. Mr. Hightower still claimed Camilla Swenson as his partner, and they made a very nice-looking couple. However, if Micah was truly interested in Camilla, Hannah would much rather see someone else with Mr. Hightower. After the way Levi had snubbed Micah and run off, Micah didn’t need to be disappointed in love as well.

  “This is a lovely party, Hannah. Your sister is a wonderful hostess.”

  Hannah turned her head at the comment and found Eleanor Bradshaw, the local schoolteacher, standing at the table. “Thank you, she is. Miss Bradshaw, isn’t it? I’ve seen you at church, but haven’t had much opportunity to become better acquainted.”

  “Yes, that’s right, and please call me Ellie. I’ve been to church each Sunday you were there, but with your being busy at the doctor’s place, we haven’t had much opportunity to get to know one another. I’d like to remedy that and hope we can become friends.”

  Her brown eyes sparkled, and even though Ellie might be a few years younger, she’d be a nice person to have as a friend in the days ahead. “I’d like t
hat too, Ellie. It’s always good to have another woman to talk to now and again.”

  “I saw you with Micah Gordon a bit ago. I remember when he left Stoney Creek. I was just out of school and preparing to go on to learn to be a teacher. He seems to have changed a lot since then.”

  “Seeing as how I haven’t known him very long, I can’t say much about him except that he’s been extremely polite to me and to my niece Molly.”

  “I’m glad. I’m so sorry Levi couldn’t accept Micah’s return. All I know is that Micah was never interested in running the ranch, but their pa always believed he’d come back and take over. Meanwhile, Levi worked hard to prove himself to his pa, but his pa never seemed to notice his efforts.”

  So that’s what was at the root of the trouble between the brothers. Sallie had told her that Levi had been courting Ellie before he disappeared, so she must know the two men very well. How tragic for their mother. She couldn’t begin to imagine how much it must hurt Mrs. Gordon to have her two boys at odds with each other. She’d have to make their reconciliation a prayer priority.

  Ellie’s eyebrows raised, and then she frowned. “Please excuse me, Hannah. I must go do something. Maybe we can talk again later.” Without another word of good-bye, Ellie turned and hurried toward the back of the building and the room where the food was being prepared.

  Hannah bit her lip. What could have happened to make Ellie leave so suddenly? Nothing that had been said could possibly have hurt her feelings. Tempted to follow and find the cause of the sudden departure, Hannah realized it was none of her business, but curiosity nibbled at her. Poking her nose where it didn’t belong only led to trouble, as she’d learned from experiences with her brothers. She turned her attention back to the music and dancers.

  Levi stepped into the shadows and made his way to the back of the town hall. He’d taken a chance coming here, but he had to see Ellie and explain his reason for abandoning her. At least she hadn’t reacted in a way to arouse suspicion when she finally noticed him at the window.