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

by Tracie Peterson

Julia’s lips turned upward in a sardonic smile. “You think that’s all it was? Just remember that I’ve warned you. His niece will soon appear in Lowell, and you will be expected to be her escort. Mark my words.”

  “I was hoping for a pleasant afternoon of visiting, Mother. Would it be possible to change the subject? I’d wager the women were begging to know the secret ingredients for your cherries jubilee.”

  Julia picked up her embroidery and once again began to stitch. “The supper party was delightful, and lest you think you’ve succeeded in changing the subject without my realization, be aware that I know what you’re doing.”

  Matthew responded with a hearty laugh. “Yes, Mother, I’m well aware that we’ll not change topics unless you choose to do so.” He took a deep breath before proceeding. “Did all of your guests attend?”

  She graced him with a demure smile. “All except you. Why don’t you ask what you really want to know, Matthew?”

  He shook his head in resignation. “All right, Mother. Did Lilly attend?”

  Julia nodded in satisfaction. “I knew that was why you came to visit. Yes, Lilly attended and she looked stunning. I dare say, that girl becomes more beautiful with each passing minute. She inherited both her mother’s charm and her father’s intelligence. You let a good thing slip away, Matthew. In my heart, however, I do believe you could win her back if you would set your mind to the task.”

  Matthew tugged at his collar as he rose from his chair. He didn’t want to speak in haste. No need to intentionally become the target of his mother’s ire. He would speak calmly, rationally. He cleared his throat and turned. “Please try to remember, Mother, that it was Lilly who terminated our relationship. As you may recall, I was planning to ask Mr. Armbruster for Lilly’s hand when she became consumed with anger regarding the Boston Associates purchasing the farmland.”

  Julia waved her lace handkerchief in his direction. “Don’t make excuses, Matthew.”

  “I’m not making excuses. I’m reminding you of what occurred. Lilly said she wouldn’t consider continuing our relationship unless I promised to remain a farmer and disengage myself from the Boston Associates.”

  His mother shrugged her shoulders. “Did you even consider her wishes?”

  Matthew stared at her in disbelief. His mother was talking utter nonsense, yet he dared not confront her with such a remark. “You realize we are discussing the choice I made for my life’s work? Lilly wanted me to bend to her will. Think about what a precedent that would have set for our married life. I didn’t want to begin married life having my wife dictate my professional choices. Think how Father would have rebuffed such an idea when you two were contemplating marriage. What if you had told him you wouldn’t marry him unless he gave up farming and became a banker? I think he would have reconsidered marriage. Even God’s word substantiates my position—a wife is to be subject to her husband.”

  “Don’t begin quoting the Bible to me, Matthew, for it also says a man will love his wife above himself. Lilly is a fine girl. Your Mr. Boott will find none that will even begin to compare. You can’t imagine the sorrow I felt for that child, knowing she’s lost every member of her family, and now she’s relegated to working in the mills.”

  “She’s working at the mills?” he asked without thinking.

  His mother gave a self-satisfied smile. “Yes. Poor child. There was nothing left to do.”

  Matthew tried to compose himself. He didn’t want the matter to get out of hand any more than it already had. “You exaggerate, Mother. Lilly has not lost every member of her family. Lewis is still alive, and if she’s working in the mills . . . well, it’s because she chose to work in the mills. I didn’t force her to take a position in the mills. And please don’t forget the fact that there are girls who come from all over the countryside, anxious for such an opportunity.”

  “Don’t even mention Lewis Armbruster in the same breath with his sister. Lewis was a mean child, and he’s grown into a despicable man. I’m told he left Lilly penniless, gambling away all of the family’s money. It would have been better for Lilly had she been left without Lewis. He’s served only to make her life more miserable. As for working in the mills, we both know how distasteful that must be for Lilly.”

  “I agree Lewis is a poor excuse for a brother. He is, however, a living member of Lilly’s family. And although Lilly may find working in the mills distasteful, it was apparently her choice to seek employment with the Associates. I might also remind you that Lilly is no stranger to physical labor. She grew up working on the family farm, which is certainly more taxing than operating machinery in the mills.”

  His mother was looking past him, staring out the front window toward the dusk-filled skies, a smile beginning to form upon her lips. He would say nothing further. Obviously he had made his point.

  “I believe your father is home,” Julia remarked, the front door opening as she spoke.

  “Look who I’ve brought home for supper, Julia,” Randolph called out from the entryway. His broad smile faded, however, as he walked into the room with Lilly. “Son, I didn’t realize you would be . . .” His voice faltered as he looked toward Julia, obviously hoping she would rescue him.

  Julia rushed toward Lilly, pulling her into a warm embrace. “What a delightful surprise—two of my favorite people for supper. Let me take your cape, dear.”

  Matthew watched in awe as his mother released Lilly, unfastened her cape, and removed it from the girl’s shoulders before there was time for any objection. It was difficult to ascertain whether Lilly was angry or merely perplexed to find herself in his presence. He watched the color rise in her cheeks as she reached for her cape.

  “I told Mr. Cheever I should go back to the boardinghouse, but he insisted. I really must be leaving,” Lilly said.

  “Nonsense. Of course you’ll stay. Supper will be ready in no time at all. Let me go see how things are progressing,” Julia stated while moving toward the kitchen. “Randolph, you bar the door if she attempts to escape.”

  Matthew stood transfixed. His mother was right. Lilly appeared to grow more beautiful each time he set eyes upon her. He struggled for a moment to gain his voice. “Don’t leave on my account, Lilly. I’ll go,” Matthew croaked, his voice suddenly foreign to his ears.

  Julia whirled about. “Nobody is going anywhere. We are going to have supper—all of us—together, like the civilized people we are. Now sit down and visit while I see about the preparations,” she commanded.

  Julia marched out of the room as they seated themselves. Lilly folded her hands and stared at the floor; Matthew leaned back and cupped his folded hands around his knee. Randolph pulled his pipe from his pocket, tapping it gently in his hand. Silence reigned.

  “How was your trip to Boston, Matthew?” Randolph finally asked.

  “It went very well. Thank you for asking, Father. How was your day, Lilly?” Matthew ventured.

  “Hot and tiresome,” she replied without looking up.

  “Hot? I’ve been in Lowell all day and the weather has been beautiful. Where have you been that you consider it so hot?”

  “In the Appleton Mill, where the windows are nailed down. Unlike you, I didn’t have the opportunity to walk about town enjoying the beauty of the day. You should pay a visit to one of the weaving or spinning rooms. Perhaps then you would understand my reply,” Lilly stated, her gaze now riveted in his direction.

  “Supper is ready,” Julia announced, a bright smile on her face as she came back into the room. “I can’t begin to tell you what a joy it is to have servants preparing meals, Lilly. It is such a change for me. Come along now and tell me what you three have been discussing.”

  ****

  As the evening wore on, it seemed that Matthew irritated Lilly at every turn. It wasn’t his intent. In fact, he had valiantly endeavored to find neutral topics of discussion throughout supper. However, with each attempt, the conversation returned to the mills and Lilly’s discontent. To his amazement, Julia appeared to nav
igate the conversation toward Lilly’s circumstances at every opportunity.

  “Matthew!”

  Julia’s voice brought him back to the present. “Yes?”

  “Lilly must return to the boardinghouse. I’ve insisted you escort her. Of course, she objected, but I told her I would brook no argument—from either of you. Hurry. She’s in the hallway with your father,” Julia insisted in a hoarse whisper.

  He met his mother’s steely stare. There was no use arguing, for it would only result in additional embarrassment for all of them. “Ready?” he inquired, nearing the front hallway.

  Lilly nodded in his direction. It appeared, however, that Julia was intent on prolonging the farewell. Matthew waited patiently as Julia hugged Lilly several times while attempting to elicit the girl’s promise to return soon. He noted Lilly’s careful choice of words as she sidestepped the issue and made her way down the front steps.

  “Mother hasn’t lost her knack for manipulating people’s lives,” Matthew remarked as they walked down the street.

  “So it would seem. I am truly amazed by her transition from farm wife to fashionable hostess. Her party last Saturday evening was exquisite.”

  “No doubt. You probably were never told that my mother’s family was both influential and wealthy. She grew up accustomed to elegant parties and expensive belongings. Her parents were aghast when she married my father. Needless to say, her life changed dramatically. The transition to farm wife was much more difficult than what she has experienced returning to a life of advantage.”

  “I would have never suspected, but it certainly explains her ability to entertain in fine fashion. I must admit that I’m surprised. I always thought your mother was content as the wife of a farmer.”

  “She was very content with her life on the farm. However, she was delighted to return to a more leisurely lifestyle. Given the opportunity, I believe most women would do the same.”

  Lilly stopped and looked up at him. “But not all. There are still women who prefer farm life.”

  “Yes, Lilly, I am well aware of your opinion,” Matthew replied as he took her elbow and began to lead her across the street.

  She tugged her arm from his grasp. “I can find my way back to the boardinghouse, Matthew. We’re out of your mother’s vantage point, and I promise she’ll never hear from my lips that you didn’t escort me all the way home.”

  “I’m afraid you’ll have to put up with me a while longer, Lilly. There’s no way I dare leave you. My mother will subject me to a multitude of questions at her first opportunity. Moreover, I would suffer her wrath should she discover I left your side before reaching the door of the boardinghouse.”

  “You can tell her—”

  Matthew placed his finger on her lips. “Please don’t encourage me to tell her a lie. It’s impossible. From the time I was a little boy, she always knew when I was lying.”

  Lilly backed away. Matthew couldn’t quite figure her mood, but she seemed almost fearful of him. “You’re an adult now, Matthew. You’ve become an expert at deceit. I’m sure that once you set your mind to the task, your mother won’t suspect a thing. And, as I said, I certainly wouldn’t tell her that we parted company before reaching the boardinghouse.”

  Her words stung. While he considered himself truthful and straightforward, she thought him cunning and deceitful. He had never lied to her, never hidden his desire to succeed in the business world. Surely she didn’t think he should hold to a childish promise to farm the rest of his life. Those words had been spoken long before he entered college and realized the scope of what the world had to offer. He had explained all of this to her, but she had closed her ears, unwilling to plan a future unless it was solely on her terms. “I didn’t realize your hatred ran so deep,” he finally replied.

  She didn’t respond, so they continued onward, an uncomfortable silence threatening to smother them, until they finally arrived outside number 5 Jackson Street.

  “Hello, Lilly,” Josephine Regan greeted as she and Jenny Dunn approached from the opposite direction.

  Lilly nodded her head. “Hello.”

  The two girls waited. “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?” Jenny finally asked.

  Lilly’s teeth were clenched together, her jaw forming a hard line. “He is not my friend; he is Matthew Cheever. Matthew, these are two more of your employees, Josephine Regan and Jenny Dunn. Good night, ladies. Good night, Mr. Cheever.”

  Matthew watched as she turned, walked inside, and left him staring after her. “He is not my friend,” she had said emphatically. The words rang true, and the emptiness left in their wake devastated Matthew’s sense of well-being.

  * * *

  “Where have you been, Lilly? Nadene wouldn’t tell us anything except that you’d been invited to supper,” Marmi squealed as Lilly walked in the bedroom door.

  “Shhh. You’ll waken the others,” Lilly cautioned.

  Marmi and Prudence sat up in bed, their attention focused on Lilly. “Tell us, then, or we’ll continue to get louder until you do,” Prudence warned.

  “You have no shame, either of you! I have nothing exciting to report. I had supper at the Cheever household and came home.”

  The girls’ disappointment was evident, but they quickly recovered. “We spent most of the evening deciding on dresses for the Lighting Up Ball. I think we’re going to trade dresses this year. Pru is going to put new lace on my dress, and I’m going to refashion hers just a bit. We’re hoping no one will realize. Do you have something special you plan to wear?”

  The color had heightened in both girls’ cheeks. Just talking about the dance had obviously given them great pleasure. Lilly wasn’t sure how they could become excited over something as trivial as a dance, but she would never tell them her true feelings. “I don’t plan to go,” she replied simply.

  Their gasps echoed through the room. “Not going? But you must. We all go—it’s . . . well, it’s expected. The ball is one of the nice things that the Corporation does for us,” Marmi explained while Prudence bobbed her head up and down in affirmation.

  “If it’s one of the nice things the Associates do for us, surely they won’t mind if I don’t take advantage of their kindness. I think what they want are hours of drudgery in the mills, not the opportunity to hold us on the dance floor.”

  The two girls giggled. “That’s true for most of the men, but there are a few who find it enjoyable to pull a girl or two close,” Prudence replied. Once again the girls began their chortling.

  Lilly glared at them. “You find that kind of repugnant behavior humorous?”

  Immediately the girls sobered, Marmi appearing on the verge of tears. “Several of the girls have managed to find husbands at the mills,” Marmi whimpered. “Is it wrong to giggle about that? We all want to find a husband. The Lighting Up Ball is a good opportunity to meet some of the men.”

  Lilly silently chided herself. Prudence and Marmi didn’t know about Thaddeus Arnold and his disgusting activities; they were merely excited about having an evening of fun squeezed into their monotonous existence. She was spoiling the small ray of sunshine in their lives. “You’re right, Marmi—the ball is an excellent place to meet some of the men. Please accept my apology. I’m tired and didn’t think before speaking.”

  Immediately Marmi’s mood lightened and she bounced across the bed. “That’s all right, Lilly. Do you have a special dress you can wear?”

  There was a soft knock. Prudence climbed across the bed and stood whispering through the door, “Who is it?”

  Instead of a reply, Josephine and Jenny pushed open the door. Josephine folded her arms and plopped down on the bed opposite Lilly. “Just who are you, and how is it you know the likes of Matthew Cheever?” she demanded.

  Lilly was silent. How could she answer Josephine’s questions? Matthew Cheever was from another time and place. A time and place that no longer existed, that had slipped away and would never return.

  Chapter 12

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nbsp; Restlessness plagued Lilly’s sleep. Images of her father and Lewis arguing were mingled with a woman’s screams. Lewis was counting coins at a table in front of the fire while her father mumbled indecipherable words.

  The scream again. Lilly’s eyelids fluttered and then closed. Lewis was riding off at full gallop on a chestnut mare.

  Another scream.

  Lilly bolted upright in her bed. A loud crash followed by a piercing cry and a man’s muffled voice filled what should have been a silent night. She looked about the darkened room, her heart pounding. The other girls slept soundly; even Nadene’s cough was silent tonight. Something crashed against the wall, followed by a heavy thud.

  “Please don’t,” a woman begged, her voice shrill.

  Lilly grasped Nadene’s arm. “Wake up, Nadene,” she whispered. “Please wake up!”

  “I didn’t hear the bell,” Nadene muttered.

  Lilly leaned close to Nadene’s ear. “The bell hasn’t sounded yet. There’s something going on next door. Listen!” The man’s voice grew louder. A dull thud reverberated, then sobbing followed a woman’s shriek. “Did you hear that?”

  Nadene nodded. “These row house walls are not very thick. I hear it almost every night.”

  “You do? Why haven’t you mentioned it?”

  Nadene wriggled upward in the bed, leaning her back against the headboard. Lilly sat beside her, both of them staring toward the wall separating them from the sickening sounds.

  “I decided there was nothing we could do. Losing sleep isn’t going to benefit Mrs. Arnold, and it certainly isn’t going to do us any good, either.”

  Lilly’s mind reeled at Nadene’s words. She turned in the darkness and looked toward Nadene. She could barely make out her friend’s features. “Mrs. Arnold? Mrs. Thaddeus Arnold? Is that who lives there?”

  “The Arnolds moved in last week after he became supervisor of the spinning room. That’s when the noises began. We never had any of these disturbances when Mr. Hester and his family lived next door in the supervisor’s quarters.”