Daughter of the Loom (Bells of Lowell Book #1)

by Tracie Peterson

  Lilly silently scolded herself. Confiding in Miss Addie was one thing—she was a person who could be trusted. But Miss Mintie was a woman to be reckoned with, one to whom you gave as little information as possible. “I’d best be getting to my chores, Miss Addie. Nice to make your acquaintance, Miss Beecher. Please excuse me,” she replied, scurrying from the room before Miss Mintie could lodge her objections.

  “Well, I never! Such rudeness—and she calls you by that awful alteration of your name.”

  Lilly heard the older woman’s exclamation of surprise as she exited the room. She half expected Miss Mintie to follow behind, switching at her legs with a sapling branch. Lilly grinned at the thought, but her smile soon disappeared. Miss Mintie’s harsh words were drifting into the room like storm clouds on a sunny day. She strained to hear Miss Addie’s reply, surprised by the younger sister’s lighthearted retorts. Amazingly, Miss Addie’s cheerfulness was meeting with success; the conversation soon calmed to a normal level.

  Almost an hour had passed when Addie bustled into the kitchen carrying the tea tray. “I thought she would never go back across the street. I apologize for my sister’s rude behavior. She shouldn’t have questioned you like that. Unfortunately, Mintie feels she has a right to ask anything she wants to know, but heaven help the poor soul who invades her privacy.”

  The two women laughed in unison. “She does have a way about her,” Lilly remarked, sending them both into gales of laughter once again.

  “I am glad you held your ground with her, Lilly. It didn’t seem to affront her. As a matter of fact, she’s invited the two of us for tea a week from Sunday. Perhaps more people need to confront her.”

  Lilly turned to face Miss Addie. “And what of you, Miss Addie? Have you ever confronted your sister?”

  Addie furrowed her brow for a moment. “I have on one or two occasions. I remember one time in particular. It was probably five years ago. I had gone to the dressmaker’s shop early in the day and picked up a new gown that I had specially ordered. It was a beautiful creation. That evening I donned my new dress for dinner. Mintie came downstairs and saw me. She accused me of being half-dressed, insisting I should wear a pelerine to cover my neck and shoulders. I refused.”

  Lilly stared wide-eyed at the rosy-cheeked woman. “What did she do?”

  Addie frowned. “She continued on her tirade, saying the dressmaker had no sense of fashion placing such a tight band on my plump waist.”

  “That was a cruel remark.”

  Addie nodded her agreement. “She did say she would be praying that I would come to my senses before I died and ended up in the fiery caverns of hell. I told her I would appreciate any supplications she made to the Almighty on my behalf, but I still did not intend upon wearing dreary, ill-fitting garments. You see, my dear, I still held out hope that I would find a husband. In fact, I still do,” she confided in a hushed whisper.

  “There’s nothing wrong with continuing to pursue your dream, Miss Addie. And finding a husband is an honorable dream. Certainly nothing you need to hide,” Lilly replied.

  Addie lifted a stack of plates from the shelf. “I know, but Mintie always chided me for such thoughts. She thought me ungrateful for wanting to leave the Judge’s household. She said a husband would merely attempt to squander away the Judge’s fortune. Fact is, he didn’t need anyone else to help him do that. He managed to lose everything without any assistance whatsoever.”

  “And what of that new dress you wore? Was the Judge aghast at the sight of you sitting down to dinner without a cape about your neck?”

  Addie giggled. “Mintie always discussed the business of the day with the Judge. That particular day he had been at a meeting with some business acquaintances concerning the growth of the textile industry and the fact that several of these men were going to invest in the creation of an entire community based upon the mill industry.”

  Lilly was mesmerized by the thought of it. A group of men sitting down to plot how they could purchase land with ample waterpower in order to make themselves wealthy. It was mind-boggling. The daughter of a man who had been privy to all of the information surrounding the plan to dupe the residents of East Chelmsford now stood before her.

  “What else did the Judge tell you about the plan?” Lilly urged.

  “He didn’t support the idea.”

  “Why not?”

  “The Judge was certain the British were somehow involved in it. The plans for the loom had been smuggled out of Britain, and he was sure there would be repercussions. The Judge became upset with me when I questioned the validity of his fears about the English and told me I was speaking like a Tory. Of course, I assured him I would never do such a thing. In any event, my dress—”

  “So he thought the plan folly? Did he feel these business acquaintances were taking unfair advantage of the landowners?”

  “He determined that the textile industry might prove to be a good investment—if, and only if, the British could be kept out. He intended to keep the matter under surveillance as a possible future investment. Of course, that never occurred. We would still be living among the society of Boston had he set aside his fears of the British and invested his money. As to the landowners, he never made mention of that, although he knew the purchase of land near Pawtucket Falls had already begun. Why all these questions about the landowners? I thought you wanted to hear about my dress.”

  “Oh, I do, Miss Addie. Please tell me what the Judge had to say about your dress.”

  “We had just begun eating our fresh strawberries. They were covered with sweet cream,” she added, her eyes glazing over as though the sumptuous dessert might reappear with the telling.

  Lilly waited as Addie licked her plump lips. “What happened?” She could wait no longer.

  “Oh yes. Well, the Judge took a bite of his strawberries, then looked at me and said, ‘Addie, that is a beautiful gown you’re wearing this evening. It would make me proud if you would wear it when we go to dinner at the Whitneys’ next week.’ It was all Mintie could do to hold her tongue. Of course, I immediately told the Judge I would plan to do that very thing. When the Judge had taken his leave to go over some pressing paper work, Mintie told me I would gain an unseemly reputation if I entertained such a foolish notion. But I did it anyway,” she said, her giggle once again returning.

  Lilly laughed along with her. “It doesn’t appear they ran you out of Boston.”

  “No. In fact, I had many compliments that evening, and Mintie in her brown frock received not one word about her attire. I don’t believe I will ever forget that evening.

  “Mercy! Look at the time. The girls will be home for supper in no time.”

  When six o’clock arrived, Lilly still hadn’t made it upstairs to finish the unpacking she’d started days earlier, but Addie had successfully turned out four loaves of bread on her own. In between preparing fried potatoes, baked beans with pork, turnips, parsnips with horseradish sauce, and a sweet plum cake, they had managed to wash the dishes and once again set the table. It hadn’t taken long for Lilly to realize that Miss Addie didn’t comprehend the need to prepare in advance. With some menu and meal planning, the older woman could save valuable time. She had enjoyed their afternoon of visiting, but in the future they would need to devote such time to working on the basic skills of household organization.

  Lilly enjoyed it when the girls returned home for the evening. They didn’t rush into the house in one large cluster as they did for the noon meals. Instead, they entered in twos and threes, visiting with each other as they sat down for their meal at a more leisurely pace. Rather than the clamoring rush of the noonday meal, they seemed to actually enjoy the evening repast, savoring the smells and tastes of the culinary feast, as well as each other’s company.

  “I can’t tell you how pleased we are you’re teaching Miss Addie to cook,” Prudence commented as Lilly placed another bowl of horseradish sauce on the table. She winked at Lilly as though they were great conspirators.

&nb
sp; Addie smiled, not in the leastwise offended. “I’m trying hard to learn my lessons. After all, Lilly’s going to work in the Appleton next Monday. She agreed to help me in the kitchen until then, but after that I’m on my own.”

  There were groans all around the table. “You mean we’ll be going back to scorched stew and bread that’s heavy as a rock?” Eva Medley soulfully inquired.

  Lilly noticed Miss Addie’s shoulders visibly slump and her bright smile disappear. “I think you’re going to continue to be pleasantly surprised, even after I begin working at the mill. Miss Addie is doing a wonderful job in the kitchen. She’s an exceptionally quick student. In fact, that bread you’re eating is her creation. As is the plum cake,” Lilly quickly replied. “And she also prepared those baked beans and pork you’re so heartily eating. She simply needed a bit of guidance on seasoning and cooking time. By the time I start work at the mill she’ll be more than capable.”

  “This bread is very good—and the beans, too, Miss Addie,” Eva remarked. Several of the girls nodded their heads in agreement. “I haven’t tried the cake yet, but it looks wonderful.”

  Nettie Smitson gave Addie a warm smile. “You keep this up, Miss Addie, and we may have the best boardinghouse in town by year’s end.”

  A smile returned to Addie’s lips, and her shoulders straightened a bit. “Thank you for your vote of confidence, girls. I’ll do my best.”

  Lilly already felt a burgeoning affection for the plump boardinghouse mistress. Addie was kind and considerate—almost motherly in her attention toward her girls. However, as the evening wore on, Lilly noticed Addie’s mood begin to change. She had been almost jovial as she clucked about the room, waiting on the girls and listening as they related the day’s events and stories of home. But as the young ladies wandered off and settled into small clusters or drifted upstairs, she took on an air of dejection.

  After watching Addie for several moments, Lilly took up a piece of writing paper. Lilly didn’t know what sorrow had overcome the boardinghouse keeper, but perhaps a change of routine would help. “Shall we begin some menu planning, Addie?”

  Addie nodded in agreement as the two of them walked into the kitchen. “Best squeeze in as much teaching as possible in the next couple of days,” she commented.

  “The girls seem like a friendly group. I’ve hardly had time to spend with any of them. Either I’m busy down here with you or they’re well on their way to sleep by the time I get to our room.”

  “They’re mostly a good lot. But they can be demanding—and unforgiving, too. Perhaps it comes from working in the mills and having to meet the demands that are placed upon them. They have very few hours of freedom from their work, and they expect to have their needs met when they come home. They’ll take few excuses. The men over in my sister’s house are more accommodating, especially when Mintie’s ill. But the girls expect their meals on time, their laundry done, and the house in order, no matter what my circumstances may be. Oh, there are a few who understand, but the rest are quick to complain and tell me they’ll soon move if I don’t meet their expectations. They know how the Corporation works, and I realize their remarks are little more than veiled threats that they’ll report me and I’ll receive my discharge papers.”

  “Oh, Miss Addie, don’t worry so needlessly. I promise I’m going to be here to help you. By the time I leave, you’re going to have girls begging to get in this house.”

  Addie gave her a faint smile. “You’re talking about leaving and you haven’t even begun your work at the mill. You’ve got plans, haven’t you?” Addie asked, the twinkle beginning to return to her eyes. “You’ll most likely be taken for a wife before you’ve been with us even a year. Which reminds me, is the Mr. Cheever that Mintie mentioned earlier your Matthew Cheever?”

  Chapter 6

  Lilly sauntered back down Merrimack Street, her arms heavy with the groceries she had purchased for Miss Addie’s girls. It was her first real outing since she’d arrived at the boardinghouse—if one considered grocery shopping an outing. Addie had awakened that morning with a swollen foot, a flare-up of gout, she had explained while asking if Lilly would consider going to the market. It had been an apologetic entreaty, at least until Lilly assured the older woman she would enjoy a walk in the fresh air. And she had enjoyed every lighthearted step as she made her way to the market. A crispness of autumn hung in the September air, yet a vibrant golden sun shone down, vying for one last surge of summer’s warmth.

  Lilly relished the feeling. It took her back to happier times—days that seemed so long gone that they blurred in her memories. With a sigh, she picked up her pace. Nothing could be gained by living in the past. Walking briskly, she made excellent time and, after finishing her marketing, decided she could allow herself a few extra moments to survey the array of new bonnets in Wellington’s Millinery Shop. Perhaps with her first paycheck she would purchase a more grown-up creation.

  Standing in front of the bonnet-filled window, Lilly felt a tap on her shoulder. Glancing around, she met Julia Cheever’s warm smile. Julia, her deceased mother’s dearest friend. Julia Cheever—Matthew’s mother.

  Julia pulled Lilly into a warm embrace. “I’m so sorry about your father, Lilly. We were out of the city when he passed away. Matthew mentioned that Lewis returned home for the funeral. I wondered if you had gone to New Hampshire with him. But now I see for myself that you’re here.”

  “Actually, Lewis was a day late. He missed the funeral, but thank you for your concern,” Lilly murmured. Pulling away, she offered Mrs. Cheever a weak smile. “I’m sorry. I must go.”

  “Nonsense, I’ve only just found you. You must tell me what is happening in your life. Where are you living? Am I amiss in my information regarding your brother living in New Hampshire?”

  Lilly didn’t want to tell the woman that she had no idea where her brother had taken himself. “I’m not sure about Lewis. I’m living on Jackson Street.”

  “Are you staying with friends?”

  Lilly stiffened. “I really have to go. I have a great deal to do. I’m sorry.” She made every attempt to hurry back to her secret hiding place at the boardinghouse. Of course, now it wasn’t quite so secret.

  “You’ll not escape so easily, Lilly. I insist you come for supper this evening. And I’ll not take anything but yes for an answer!” Julia insisted.

  Fearing Matthew’s participation in the meal, Lilly was loath to agree. “That could be rather uncomfortable for Matthew,” she finally said.

  Julia shook her head. “He won’t be there. He’s out of town on business.”

  Lilly made other protests. “I’m in mourning. It wouldn’t do to have me partaking in dinner parties.”

  “Nonsense,” Julia retorted. “We’re practically family, and this would hardly be a party.”

  Lilly felt awash in defeat. Each of her arguments was met by Julia’s counterattack. No escape could be had, so she finally smiled as sweetly as possible. “Just tell me what time and I’ll be there.”

  “Very good.” Julia gave her the information, then added with a hint of amusement in her voice, “If you don’t make your appearance, I’ll send Mr. Cheever to fetch you.”

  Now, as Lilly watched Julia depart, she wished she had stood her ground and refused the invitation. Mrs. Cheever, the picture of refined elegance, glided down Merrimack Street, her skirt swaying like a bell. No doubt it was of the latest fashion and fabric. The Cheevers hadn’t frittered their fortune away. Lilly swallowed hard. A dinner party at the Cheever home would bring nothing but discomfort and humiliation.

  The older woman’s parting words still echoed in Lilly’s ears as she watched Julia disappear into one of the shops. “If you don’t make your appearance, I’ll send Mr. Cheever to fetch you.” It sounded every bit a threat.

  Lilly turned and hurried toward Jackson Street with unwelcome memories of the past invading her thoughts. It had been at Matthew’s urging that the Cheevers sold their adjoining acreage some five years earlier
and built a home in Lowell. Although Lewis had visited the Cheevers’ new residence when he had made his occasional visits home, Lilly had never so much as seen their new house. Of course, Julia had invited her on many occasions when she’d come to the Armbruster farm for a visit, but Lilly had resisted. In fact, she’d gone out of her way to avoid even a glimpse of the new mansion. Seeing the Cheevers in another home would solidify their absence and force her to admit they were never coming back to tend their orchards or their flocks of woolly sheep.

  “Of course, Father’s death has assured that fact for me, so it truly doesn’t matter anymore,” Lilly told herself. She only wished it wouldn’t hurt so very much.

  ****

  Miss Addie was seated in the kitchen peeling potatoes and scraping vegetables for the potpies, her foot propped on a wooden stool. “You’re back in no time at all. Did you run all the way?”

  “No, of course not,” Lilly replied, forcing herself to return the woman’s jovial smile.

  “I forget those young legs can carry you much more quickly than these worn-out old stubs. Did Mr. Lacy have everything we needed?”

  Lilly nodded as she continued unpacking the basket, her back to the older woman. She continued searching her mind for some way she could avoid supper at the Cheever residence. A cheery Miss Addie tapping on her arm interrupted Lilly’s solitary thoughts.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you again, Lilly, was the Matthew Cheever Mintie spoke of your long-lost beau? You went scampering out of the room like a mouse after cheese when I inquired about him earlier.”

  This time there was no escaping Miss Addie’s question. “Yes. My, it appears you’ve made excellent progress on the potpies,” she stated, hoping the change of subject would put an end to the investigation.

  Her strategy, however, failed to work with Miss Addie. “And now he’s Kirk Boott’s protégé? It would appear you let a good thing get away from you, Lilly. If that young man has captured Mr. Boott’s attention, he’s sure to go far with the Corporation. Whatever caused the two of you to go your separate directions?”