Mr. Withers tipped his head. “Then lead the way, Miss McKay. I’d like to see the entire operation.”
The tension in Levi’s shoulders eased. How had Ainslee known what to do without him saying a word? It was as if she could read his thoughts. He strode to the long wooden table near the windows and gestured to Noah, Ewan, and Mr. Harrington. “Shall we begin?”
After Mr. Harrington had reviewed each of the drawings there were only a few that he vetoed. Not because he disliked the ideas but because Levi had pointed out that they needed to pare down their numbers for three of the rooms in order to place the tiles in the patterns specified in their original layouts.
Mr. Harrington leaned back in his chair and cupped his chin between his thumb and index finger. “Don’t discard those drawings that we won’t be using in the museum. I may want to use them elsewhere. If necessary, I’ll pay you for them now so you hold them in my name.”
Levi shook his head. “That’s not necessary. It’s the least we can do for you. This project is going to permit thousands of people to see the work we can produce here in Weston.”
Mr. Harrington turned in his chair and shifted his attention to Noah. “You and your brother are very talented. I’m particularly pleased with the drawings that symbolize our great state of West Virginia.”
Noah didn’t move away from the back wall, but he did offer Mr. Harrington a slight smile. “Thank you. I enjoyed creating them for you.”
The older man shifted in his chair and removed a pipe from his breast pocket. “Unless you’ve already hired additional workers, I think you’ll soon need to expand. You have a building large enough to accommodate many more workers. The tiles will be one of the last things we install in the museum, which will give you ample time if you can produce the mosaics more rapidly.” He filled the bowl of his pipe with tobacco. “Of course, I don’t want you to rush so much that you sacrifice quality.” He chuckled and pushed up from his chair while puffing on his pipe. “I don’t suppose you need me telling you how to operate your business, do you?”
Levi followed the older man’s lead and stood. “I’m always open to hearing the opinions of others, Mr. Harrington. We have already hired a few new workers, and it will be an ongoing process as we continue to increase production of the tiles.”
“Speaking of the tiles, I’d like to take a look at what you’ve completed. I’m eager to see how some of those first drawings have come to life.”
As they prepared to leave, Mr. Harrington clapped Ewan on the shoulder. “How’s the pottery business in Grafton going for you, Ewan? I’ve heard some good reports about the fine pieces your family has been creating. My wife recently purchased a hand-decorated urn that she tells me was created in your pottery. I believe it was signed by one of your sisters.”
Ewan nodded. “Yes, that would be Rose. She’s quite the artist. Her husband, Rylan, has been overseeing the day-to-day business at the pottery, and she spends a great deal of her time in the decorating shop.”
Mr. Harrington chuckled. “I envy you. It sounds as though you have a good deal of leisure time to enjoy yourself.”
“Not for long. My wife and I, along with our young daughter, will soon be moving back to Bartlett.” Ewan detailed the circumstances surrounding the impending move as they stepped inside the tile shop.
Mr. Harrington shook his head. “A pity we’ve already closed the bids for the museum bricks.”
Ewan nodded. “My aunt had hoped to bid on the bricks before her death, but I’m glad she realized the folly of that idea. I won’t have the yard ready to produce quality bricks until next spring. I’ve got diggers working long hours to get the clay dug so that it can weather throughout the winter, and then we’ll begin production on a small scale. I want to make certain we’ll be offering the same high-quality bricks C&M produced and sold years ago.”
“Then I’ll be sure to keep you in mind for any future projects.” He tapped the bowl of his pipe on the doorframe. Once the ashes fell to the ground, he tucked the pipe into his pocket.
They proceeded down the hallway and into a room lined with long wooden tables, where they were joined by Ainslee and Mr. Withers. Levi lifted the mosaic of a coal miner wearing an oil-wick cap lamp and carrying a metal lunch pail, with the open shaft of the coal mine reflected in the distance. “We began with the tiles that represent West Virginia. Now that the men are trained, we’re moving at a swifter pace. This is one of my favorites.”
Mr. Harrington’s eyes glistened as he examined tiles bearing replicas of a short-eared owl, cardinal, hummingbird, rhododendron, and mountain laurel—all symbols of the state. “These are beyond my expectations. You are a true artisan, young man. After seeing your tiles, I fear I’m going to be anxious when the first visitors walk on these beautiful pieces of artwork. If one should crack or break, it will be most distressing.”
Ainslee drew near Levi and Mr. Harrington. “I don’t think you need to worry about these tiles any more than you would regular tiles. We don’t expect any breaks, but please remember that we can replace any piece that might be damaged in the future.”
Mr. Harrington turned and grasped Levi’s shoulder. “If you’re as smart as I think you are, you’ll make certain you don’t let anyone take this young lady away from you.”
Levi grinned and looked at Ainslee. Her cheeks flamed with color. How he longed to pull her into his arms, but he dare not do anything so bold in front of all these men. Instead, he could only hope she would hear the conviction in his voice and see the love in his eyes. “Believe me, I don’t intend to.”
Two days later, after all the visitors had departed, Levi assisted Ainslee into the waiting buggy. She had promised to give a reading at the asylum library, and she didn’t want to disappoint the ladies. Her thoughts, however, weren’t on the library. Rather she’d been scouring her memory in an attempt to recall any reason why Ewan and Levi would have shook hands on another business agreement—and why they would keep it from her. She could think of nothing, and it was as though all remembrance of the conversation between the two men had flown from Levi’s mind.
Levi covered her hand with his own and gently squeezed her fingers. “You seem lost in your thoughts. Are you deciding upon a reading for today, or perhaps not feeling well?”
“I feel fine, and there was no difficulty deciding upon what I would read today.” She tapped her leather bag. “I’ll be presenting the ladies with a special treat. Nettie’s story that will be published in Godey’s Lady’s Book. She asked that I not tell the ladies in advance.”
“I’d wager she’s as excited about having her story published as we’ve been about the tiles. It seems she may have a promising career with her writing, but unlike Noah, she has no one to lend her a helping hand.”
Ainslee smiled. “Oh, but she does. I wrote to Grandmother Woodfield about Nettie and her plight and received word from her a couple days ago. If the doctors declare Nettie mentally stable, Grandmother has agreed to have Nettie live at Woodfield Manor. It will be a good arrangement for both of them. Nettie will provide companionship to Grandmother, and Grandmother will provide Nettie with ample encouragement to continue her writing career.”
Levi’s eyes widened. “That’s wonderful news. I’m surprised you didn’t tell me.”
She pinned him with an unnerving stare. “Frankly, my thoughts have been focused on the conversation between you and Ewan earlier this week.” When his brow furrowed, she sighed. “You said the two of you had reached an agreement of some sort. I was going to wait until you mentioned it, but my curiosity has gotten the best of me. What was it the two of you agreed upon the other day?”
He grinned. “Oh, that conversation.” He gently tightened his hold on her hand.
“Yes, that conversation.” She arched her brows. “Are you going to tell me?”
“Ewan gave me his consent to court you.”
She tipped her head back and laughed. “Did he? I fear he’s a wee bit late with his consent and you’re a w
ee bit late asking. Did you mention we’ve been seen together all over town for some time now?”
“I told him, but he’d already surmised as much. I was thankful he wasn’t angry that I hadn’t written and asked before courting you.”
Ainslee peeked from beneath the fur that trimmed her hooded cloak. “What did you plan to do if he said he didn’t approve?”
“I didn’t have a plan. I prayed he wouldn’t disapprove, and my prayers were answered.” Levi pulled back on the reins, and the buggy came to a halt near the asylum gates. Instead of jumping down to assist her from the wagon, he turned to face her. “While we were talking, I asked him something else, as well.”
She waited, and when he didn’t continue, she nudged his arm. “Well, are you going to tell me what it was, or must I continue begging for each morsel of information?”
He shook his head. “No, you need not beg. I asked Ewan for permission to ask for your hand in marriage.” She could feel him trembling. “Since I now have your brother’s approval, I’m asking you to marry me.”
Her heart skipped a beat as his words took hold. “Oh, Levi! Nothing would please me more.”
He cupped her cheek in his palm, leaned forward, and tenderly kissed her. “I love you and promise to do everything in my power to make you happy.”
A burst of excitement rushed through her. “I love you, Levi, and I’m certain we will be amazingly happy.” She hesitated a moment. “We’ll need to be careful that Noah doesn’t feel left out. If we purchase a home and he doesn’t want to live with us, perhaps we could find a place with a carriage house where he could live.”
He wagged his finger. “We don’t need to worry about houses or Noah just yet. There’s another part of my agreement that I haven’t yet told you.”
Her heart fluttered an uncertain beat. “What is it?”
“I promised Ewan we wouldn’t wed until after the museum project is complete.” When she opened her mouth to reply, he touched his finger to her lips. “Let me finish. Waiting will give us far more opportunity to enjoy planning for the wedding and time to look for a proper house. We both need to concentrate on the mosaics. Our future with the business depends upon our making a good impression. If we don’t complete the project on time and to Mr. Harrington’s satisfaction, it won’t bode well for the tile works. Back when we were negotiating with Mr. Harrington, I believe you warned me that we wouldn’t want to breach the contract in any way.”
“You’re right. There wouldn’t be time to plan a proper wedding while working on the tiles, but I can’t say it pleases me to wait so long.”
Levi leaned toward her and captured her lips in a lingering kiss full of promise. When he pulled away, he traced his fingers along her cheek. “Remind me again why I agreed to wait to marry you?”
She giggled. “The mosaics.”
“Oh, yes, those.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips. “I guess this will be a wonderful incentive to get the order filled as quickly as possible.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Ainslee’s heart swelled. “I intend to make certain there’s no slacking.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He gave her a mock salute, his eyes alight with joy.
Oh, how she loved this man! She’d do everything in her power to move the mosaic project along quickly so they could begin their life together.
She blinked and drew in a breath. This must be how Adaira had felt when she eloped.
Chapter 30
Fall 1877
Ainslee turned to Levi and adjusted his cravat. “Are you ready to see your work displayed to all those who enter the West Virginia Museum of Art and History?”
“Our work.” Levi smiled at her, then turned to Noah, who stood beside him. “All of us had a hand in this.”
Ainslee glanced at Ewan, Laura, and Tessa, who had come to join them for the grand opening of the museum. Even Rose and Rylan had arrived on the morning train. The day would have been perfect if Adaira could have returned in time for the festivities, but she had promised to be back in time for Ainslee’s wedding. Their long letters over the past months had helped the twins regain their intimacy, and Ainslee was delighted her sister would be her attendant when she and Levi married in two months’ time.
When Mr. Harrington stepped to the wide red ribbon strung across the front of the museum, the crowd fell silent. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for joining me today as my lifelong dream comes true. I’d like to thank the other benefactors in this project.” He motioned toward the men on his left. “And my thanks to those who were instrumental in the building of this fine structure. They gave of their enormous talents to make this museum a work of art.” This time he turned toward those on his right.
The crowd applauded, and Mr. Harrington held up his hand. “Without further ado, let me permit you entry to the West Virginia Museum of Art and History.” Using a pair of long scissors, he cut the ribbon with a flourish.
Ainslee and her family followed the others through the front doors into the giant foyer where Noah’s tiles were featured. Was it possible for the mosaics to be even more beautiful now that they’d been laid?
With the doctor’s permission, Noah had accompanied Levi to Wheeling, where the two of them had assisted with and overseen the laying of the tiles. Ainslee had missed Levi terribly during his absence, but knowing their marriage would take place only two months after completion of the project had made their time apart easier to bear.
“Look at this, Noah.” Levi touched the plaque on the wall. “What do you think?”
Noah ran his fingers over the engraved letters. “I can’t believe my name is listed below the name of the tile works. This makes me believe I should continue with my artwork.”
“And you should.” Ainslee bobbed her head. “Everyone who comes in here will know that some of these tiles are your works of art.”
Mr. Harrington approached them. “Well, Miss McKay, what do you think?”
“It’s lovely. All of it.” She glanced around the room, taking in the many exhibits that portrayed the state and its history. “I can’t wait to see the rest of the rooms.”
The older man nodded. “I think you’ll find each room exciting and unique. Levi’s work will prove to all who visit this museum that he and Noah are true artisans.” He reached forward and patted Levi on the shoulder. “And if you hadn’t been here to supervise the setting of the tiles, I shudder to think what would have happened.”
“Everything beautiful needs a good foundation.” Levi flashed a grin at Ainslee.
“That’s very true.” Mr. Harrington gave a slight nod. “So do you have another project planned after this, Levi?”
He chuckled. “I certainly do.” Levi reached for Ainslee’s hand. “This young lady is going to become the artisan’s wife.”
Note from the Author
Dear Readers,
Writing the REFINED BY LOVE series has been a pure delight for me. I have enjoyed the opportunity to portray the beauty of West Virginia, reveal a few of the historic towns, and depict some unique working environments throughout this series. As it draws to an end, I wanted to share a few of the real and fictional people and places included in the series.
With the exception of known political figures, all of the characters in these books are fictional. I did draw upon my personal culture and heritage when I chose the settings. My father’s ancestors arrived in Pennsylvania from Ireland and were of Scotch-Irish descent. They later moved to West Virginia, where they settled in the areas where I’ve set these books.
In The Brickmaker’s Bride, the town of Bartlett is fictional, but my thoughts centered upon Philippi, West Virginia, while writing the book. I gathered a great deal of information and visited Adaland (a mansion situated outside of Philippi) while researching. The construction of Crothers Mansion is loosely based upon Adaland. As stated in the book, the capitol of West Virginia was located in the Linsly Institute Building in Wheeling during the time period of The Brickmaker’s Bride
, but history reveals the capital moved back and forth several times before finally remaining in Charleston.
C&M Brickyard was based upon a brickmaking operation once located in Colfax, West Virginia. After visiting with historians at a library in Fairmont, West Virginia, I made a visit to the town in an attempt to locate any remnants of the business, but to no avail. The brickworks has long since disappeared, although the post office is constructed of bricks that were made in that facility many years ago. The brickmaking process described in The Brickmaker’s Bride is authentic to the time period.
In The Potter’s Lady, the Philadelphia School of Design that Rose attended is authentic. The town of Grafton is a small community located in north central West Virginia. The Grafton train depot and hotel are authentic. The pottery is fictional, although there were a number of potteries located in the area where I situated the McKay Pottery. Lead poisoning in potteries and the lack of sanitary conditions had already come to light during this time period, although few potteries addressed the issue. The Franklin Hotel in Pittsburgh is fictional, but the funicular railway (now referred to as The Incline) is authentic. You can still ride up the hillside to Coal Hill, now known as Mt. Washington, and look down on the city of Pittsburgh where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers come together to form the Ohio River.
In The Artisan’s Wife, the town of Weston and the asylum are both real, although the tile works is fictional. I based the tile works upon the Moravian Tile Works located outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The process for making the mosaic tiles, as well as the mission-type structure that housed the industry, was created by Henry Mercer and the building is still in existence and open to the public for visits. The curator, Charles Yeske, aided me immensely in my research.
The Artisan's Wife Page 28
