by Keli Gwyn
To do that, she must contest Jack’s will, be instated as the new guardian and take the children to Philadelphia with her as her father expected. Many times, his wishes ran contrary to hers, but in this case, she and her father were in agreement.
She should be hearing from Mr. Benedict’s lawyer regarding the building rental soon. When she did, she’d ask Mr. Price if he would take her case.
Norma rubbed her droopy-eyed baby’s back. “It’s nice that you take after Pauline that way.”
“Me? Really?” As much as Lavinia wished she had some of Pauline’s fortitude, she was lacking in that regard.
“You do what you think is right, no matter what others might say. Take your clothing for instance. You’re not in mourning garb because you know wearing the dark, dreary colors makes Dot sad. Standing up for what you believe is right takes courage, and I admire your willingness to do so.”
Words eluded Lavinia. She didn’t regard herself as brave. She was just doing what was best for the children.
Norma didn’t seem to expect a response. Instead, she smiled at the precious infant in her arms, who was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. “Bobby will be nodding off soon. Would you like to rock him to sleep?”
“Certainly.” Lavinia took the precious boy, cradled him to her chest and crooned the French lullaby her mother had sung to her when she was young, “Au Clair de la Lune.” She breathed in the baby’s sweet scent as she sang.
By the time she finished the memory-laden tune, Bobby had succumbed to sleep. Norma motioned for Lavinia to lay the little fellow in his cradle. She managed to get him into it without waking him. A series of S-shaped curlicues formed the sides of the wrought iron creation. She admired the handiwork for a moment and then tiptoed across the room.
Norma followed her out and stood in the doorway, gazing at her sleeping son.
“The cradle is lovely,” Lavinia whispered. “Did Henry make it?”
“Yes, not long after he got to California, right after Alex was born. Pauline and I passed it back and forth, as needed.”
“He’s quite talented, and in so many areas.” He’d volunteered to help in numerous ways the past week. She should have declined his offers, but when he accompanied one with his engaging smile, she had a hard time refusing. “I can’t help but be impressed.”
Norma raised an eyebrow. “Even smitten, perhaps?”
“Oh, no!” Lavinia nearly shouted and then lowered her voice to a whisper once more. “Forgive me for my outburst, but you’re mistaken. There’s nothing between Henry and me—other than wanting to do what’s best for the children, of course.”
Norma chuckled. “Perhaps, but I sense more to it than that.” Thankfully, she let the matter drop and continued at a normal volume. “And don’t worry about the noise. A third baby must get used to sleeping through a certain amount of it. Bobby’s sisters see to it that it’s rarely quiet around here. Olivia especially. That girl has plenty to say. She gives Marcie some serious competition.”
“Marcie takes after Pauline. My sister could talk the bark off a tree, as our grandfather used to say.”
Norma’s voice took on a wistful tone. “That was another thing I loved about her. An ordinary day became fun-filled when she was around, adding her spark to it. No one could embellish a story the way she could, and her ready laugh was contagious. Life won’t be the same without her.” She heaved an audible sigh, left the door to Bobby’s room ajar and headed toward the kitchen. “Let’s see what the other children have been up to, shall we?”
Lavinia could empathize. The thought of never seeing her beloved sister again was almost too much to bear. The ten years they’d been apart was hard enough. During that time, she’d been holding out hope that the rumors her father had heard about “Crazy Judah” were true. The well-educated engineer, Theodore Judah, was a visionary with a plan to build a railroad that would connect the East with the West. When it was built, a person would be able to travel across the country in a week’s time. She’d envisioned making a quick trip to California to visit her sister while her father was off touring his other hotels and dealing with his anger after the fact. But Pauline had gone to her heavenly home before that could happen.
The moment Norma and Lavinia entered the kitchen, the girls held up their creations and began talking at once.
Norma sent them a good-natured smile. “It appears you’re all having fun, but I can only listen to one of you at a time. Alex, why don’t you start?”
Marcie was quick to protest. “How come he gets to go first? He’s not even making a wreath.”
Lavinia was ready to respond, but Norma beat her to it. “Because he’s the oldest and offered to help the rest of you. So how did things go, Alex?”
“Good, but the girls want to know if you have some ribbon. They want to tie bows on their wreaths the way Aunt Livy did on the porch railings.”
“Hmm. Let me think.” Norma tapped her chin, stared at the ceiling for a moment and snapped her fingers. “I just remembered where it is. I’ll go get it.”
Marcie tugged on Lavinia’s sleeve. “Look at my wreath, Aunt Livy. Isn’t it pretty?”
“It’s very nice. You did a fine job.” Marcie must have kept Alex busy cutting pieces of string to keep the many lengthy boughs in a circle.
“Mine’s the biggest.” Marcie flicked her curls out of her face and beamed.
Dot turned toward her sister, her pretty face pinched. “That’s ’cause you took all the long pieces.”
“It’s a nice size, Marcie, and will be just the thing to hang on the front door.” Lavinia picked up Dot’s creation and examined it. “I like yours, too. It will look lovely in that little window beside the door. Alex is right, though. Some ribbon would add a nice bit of color to your wreaths.” She walked around the table to where Norma’s three-and five-year-old girls sat and admired their work.
A knock at the front door sent Norma scurrying from the back room to the entryway. She returned moments later with Henry. “Look who wants to join the fun.”
“Uncle Henry!” Dot ran into his open arms. He picked her up. “Look at the reefs we made.”
Marcie scoffed. “They aren’t reefs. They’re wreaths.”
“That they are, and pretty ones, too.” Henry set Dot down and went around the table, admiring each girl’s handiwork in turn, coming to a stop by Lavinia. “I have a hunch it was your aunt’s idea to make them. Seems she’s eager for Christmas. The house—” he inclined his head toward it “—looks quite festive.”
Olivia, Norma’s outgoing daughter, joined the conversation. “You’re right. It was Miss Livy. She brung over all the extra pieces from the branches, but she run out of ribbon. Mama went to get us some.”
“I found a few pieces in my scrap bag.” Norma held out a handful of ribbon, most of it white with a few pastel shades. “None are very long, but you’re welcome to them.”
Olivia raised herself up on her knees, rested a hand on the table and rifled through the pile. “These are boring. I want red like Miss Livy used.” She turned to Lavinia. “Can you give us some?”
She shook her head. “I’m afraid there isn’t any left.” Pauline’s sewing basket had yielded a nice supply, but Lavinia had used everything she’d found. She’d asked Gladys to pick up some more while she was doing the shopping.
“Perhaps this will help.” Henry reached into his jacket pocket and produced three spools of ribbon—red, green and a red-and-green plaid.
Lavinia stared at the selection and shook her head. “How did you know what we needed?”
He sent her one of his charming smiles that she was fast finding irresistible. “I have my ways.”
She picked up the spools and handed them to Alex. “Would you please cut off pieces for the girls? And Norma, could I ask you to help them tie their bows?”
Her new friend nodded. “Certainly.”
Taking Henry by the arm, Lavinia tugged him to the side and spoke in hushed tones. “So tell me. How did you know we could use some ribbon?”
His lips twitched, as though he was keeping laughter at bay. “You’re a curious one, aren’t you?”
“And you—” she gave him a playful poke in the chest “—are an exasperating one. You will tell me, won’t you?”
The room had grown quiet. She turned to find six pairs of eyes fixed on her and Henry. Norma’s telling smile brought back her comment from earlier, but it was the eagerness in Alex’s eyes that drew Lavinia up short. Did the dear boy think she and Henry...? She dropped her hand to her side with haste. “Everything’s fine. You can get back to work.”
The four girls returned to their wreath-making, but Alex leaned close to Marcie, who was seated beside him.
Henry cleared his throat, drawing Lavinia’s attention back to him. “If you must know, I ran into Gladys at the grocer’s. The subject of your decorations came up, and she mentioned you’d used all the ribbon you had. I figured you could use more.”
“That was thoughtful of you. You surprised us all.”
He rubbed his strong jaw. “I have two more surprises. The first is that Mr. Price asked me to tell you that he’d like to see you Monday afternoon about the rental of the building.”
She smiled. “Wonderful. He must have heard from Mr. Benedict. And the second?”
“You mentioned that Gladys takes her time on the shopping trips. I don’t think it’s due to her rheumatism as much as it is a certain grocer. I caught the two of them talking and got the feeling there was more to the conversation than what was on her shopping list.”
Lavinia shook her head. “I doubt that. Gladys is a practical person. She was probably just asking his opinion or something like—”
A squeal from Marcie turned Lavinia’s head. The expressive girl was grinning at Alex. “Yes! Do it.”
“Do what?” Henry asked.
Marcie spun around wearing a gleeful grin. “Alex is tired of helping us. He wants to go play in our backyard, but he wasn’t sure you’d let him. Please say he can. We don’t need a boy around anymore since you and Aunt Livy are here to help us.”
Henry chuckled. “I understand that, Buddy. A fellow can only take so much time with a gaggle of giggly girls. Go have yourself some fun.”
Dot looked up, a frown on her pink-cheeked face. “We aren’t giggling, Uncle Henry. We’re making re—re—” she glanced at her sister “—these.” She held up her wreath.
“And those wreaths are looking mighty nice, Dimples. I like all the ribbons on yours.”
Dot beamed. Alex jumped up, grabbed his jacket from a peg in the entryway and flew out of the house.
Lavinia looked at the back door he’d closed with a bang. “How odd. He’s usually happy to help. Oh, well.” She smiled at the circle of girls around the table. “There are plenty of grown-ups to help you.”
The next twenty minutes flew by as Lavinia snipped ribbon, tied bows and complimented the girls on their creations. Everything went smoothly until the end, when they were cleaning up and she reached for the scissors at the same time Henry did. His hand ended up on top of hers. She pulled hers away quickly, but the girls had witnessed the collision. Marcie laughed, which set the other girls off. Before long, they really were giggling.
The instant the table was cleared, Lavinia, cheeks still warm, urged her nieces to gather their wreaths, thank Norma for her hospitality and don their coats as quickly as possible. A chorus of goodbyes followed.
Lavinia and Henry followed Marcie and Dot out the door, down the street and through the gate in the wrought iron fence. Marcie bounded up the walkway to the porch where Alex sat on the top step and whispered in his ear. Although she’d been eager to send her brother away earlier, she seemed happy to see him again.
Marcie straightened. “Aunt Livy, can we hang my wreath now?”
“Mine, too!” Dot hollered.
Their pride and excitement warmed Lavinia’s heart. Even though she’d intended to create an elegant wreath to grace the front door, the girls’ desire to see their work displayed was more important. There would be lovely decorations to enjoy in Philadelphia in the years to come, but this Christmas was about them. She could make a concession here and there, couldn’t she? “That’s a wonderful idea.”
Marcie held out her wreath to Lavinia. “Will you hold it up so I can see how it will look?”
“Of course.” She stood in front of the door and centered the wreath at eye level. With its many colorful bows, it was sure to elicit smiles from everyone who entered the house. The refreshing pine scent from the boughs surrounding the doorway added to the festive atmosphere. She inhaled deeply, relishing the fragrance that would always bring with it memories of her sister. “Do you think it looks good here?”
Marcie stood back and tilted her head to and fro. “I think it should be a bit higher.”
Lavinia raised the wreath a few inches and looked over her shoulder. “How about that?”
“Yes!” Marcie smiled. “I like it there. Can we put it up right now?”
“We can,” Henry said. “I’ll get a hammer and nail from the shed.”
“I already have them.” Alex pulled his hands from behind his back, revealing the items.
Henry took them. “You certainly planned ahead, Buddy.”
Alex shrugged. “I knew Marcie wouldn’t want to wait.”
Lavinia laughed. Alex knew his sister well.
Henry joined Lavinia at the door, used the nail to mark the spot where it would go and asked her to remove the wreath. She lowered it and moved aside.
In no time, he’d pounded in the nail. She cast a glance at the children, who had their heads together and were whispering among themselves. They jumped apart when they saw her, guilty looks on their faces, almost as if they’d been caught doing something wrong.
“We’re ready if you want to watch me hang it.”
They nodded in unison. Clearly, they were up to something. No doubt, she’d find out soon enough. She stepped up to the door where Henry stood, hammer in hand, and hung the wreath.
“Uncle Henry, Aunt Livy, look up!” Marcie hollered.
Lavinia lifted her head at the same time Henry did, spied a sprig of mistletoe tucked between the boughs overhead and froze.
“It’s mistletoe,” Dot announced.
“Yes,” Henry said, his voice thick. He cleared his throat. “I see that.”
“You’re supposed to kiss.”
Lavinia didn’t need Alex’s reminder. What she did need to do was breathe. She gulped in some air, slowly lowered her head and looked at Henry, who appeared as dazed as she was.
His gaze dropped to her mouth, causing her heart to slam against her corset. She’d never allowed a man to kiss her before, although several had wanted to. Even so, she half hoped Henry would dip his head and touch his lips to hers.
All sounds faded except for his whisper-soft exhale. Her gaze traveled over the smooth planes of his cheeks to his strong jawline. If she leaned toward him ever so slightly...
No! Although the idea of kissing Henry appealed to her far more than it should, she couldn’t give in to her wayward feelings. She’d vowed to wait until she met a man she loved for her first kiss.
She produced a shaky smile, took two steps back and worked to regain her composure. Hopefully, Henry would attribute the color in her flaming cheeks to the chill in the air.
“Stop!” Marcie wailed. “It’s mistletoe. You have to kiss him.”
Disappointment was etched in the faces of her nieces and nephew. “I know that’s the way it works, but a kiss is something special, and your uncle and I haven’t known each other that long.”
Dot
frowned. “Uncle Henry’s nice. Don’t you like him?”
“I do, but...” How could she explain her tangle of emotions to a four-year-old when she didn’t understand them herself?
“If you want some kissing, Dimples, I can make that happen. Here.” Henry handed the hammer to Alex, picked up Dot and gave her a loud smack on her cheek. “How’s that?”
Dot smiled. So did Lavinia. Once again, Henry had saved the day. She’d have to make sure there were no more encounters like this one because the longer she knew him, the more she liked him. But they weren’t destined to be friends. Even if they weren’t at odds over the children, her father would never approve of his remaining daughter harboring romantic feelings for a Hawthorn.
Not that she did, of course. Henry was a friend. Nothing more.
Chapter Five
The scent of lemon wax greeted Lavinia as she entered the attorney’s well-appointed offices Monday afternoon. She also welcomed the warmth, which was a nice change from the chill outside.
She spoke with Mr. Price’s clerk and took a seat on the plush sofa in the waiting area. An ornate vase on a claw-legged table held a small branch, from which several exquisitely crafted German-made ornaments hung. They reminded her of the tall tree that would be set up in her father’s ballroom back home soon.
Memories of Christmases past flooded her mind, with Pauline at the center of them. Her sister’s enthusiasm for the holiday and its celebrations had known no bounds. She would have eagerly endorsed Lavinia’s plan to throw the biggest party Sutter Creek had ever seen.
Surely, Pauline would have supported Lavinia in challenging Henry for guardianship, too. After all, her sister had made it clear years ago she wanted Lavinia to care for the children should the need arise, well before Jack had written his will. Perhaps Jack hadn’t even talked with Pauline before naming Henry. Not all men felt a need to apprise their wives of such matters.
