Reforming Elizabeth

by Lorin Grace

  Aunt Mina must have guessed the reason for her focus on the barn. “He likes to do his Sabbath chores early. He will leave the milk on the porch, along with any eggs.”

  Elizabeth’s shoulders relaxed. She’d wanted to impress him today and show him she wasn’t the dowdy niece of his employer. She was, after all, the “prettiest thing on the North Shore.” His late wife must have been uncommonly beautiful as he paid Elizabeth no more attention than he did his burned beans. Today would be a good day to try her falling bun on a man. She pictured his deep-brown eyes widening in appreciation.

  “Walk? But it is more than a mile!”

  Mina shook her head and prayed for patience. “Yes, meaning it is too close to worry about hitching the horse to the buggy. The sun is shining, and the roads are dry. Hurry up, now.”

  “But my slippers …” The protest died on Elizabeth’s lips. One glance at her aunt’s sturdy boots, and she knew the answer. She slumped onto the bench, pulled off her slippers, and replaced them with her half boots. Still too fancy for walking a mile.

  “We must see to getting you a sturdier pair. Remind me to take you to the cobbler’s on Tuesday.”

  Elizabeth groaned inwardly. The last thing she wanted was a pair of ugly, serviceable boots like her aunt’s. But she would need them to keep her half boots and slippers from being ruined hanging laundry, gathering eggs, or walking to who knew where.

  She straightened her blue skirt. Though far from her favorite crimson gown trapped in the keyless trunk bottom, the deep-blue dress was the favorite of those she’d kept. Last night she’d unpicked the fabric she’d added at her father’s insistence. It did not match anyway, being a solid color against the block-print bodice. The collar on this dress had a fashionable yet prudent line. The embroidered fichu she wore was made of thick cotton, a practical concession to the weather since it was heavier than the silk and lace ones she favored. She smiled a bit as she pictured Gideon seeing her dressed fashionably rather than in the old clothes she wore around the house. Should she loosen the fichu? She hadn’t decided yet. It had taken forever to get the newer set of stays in place without the help of a maid, but she knew her figure was shown to its best advantage that way.

  Elizabeth finished tying her boots and put on her cloak, fastening the silver frog, then she held the door open for her aunt. Time to meet the residents of this little hamlet.

  Mina’s knee throbbed as she walked up the hill next to her niece. She should have taken the buggy. Not that she would admit it. More likely than not, they could get a ride home with one of the Brockton farm families. She’d planned on taking the buggy until Elizabeth had come downstairs dressed in her modified gown. The gown, though not as brazen as the one her nephew had described, was enough to prompt her to teach Elizabeth a lesson. A lesson Mina soon regretted, even if Elizabeth’s gown was gathering dust as she hoped it would.

  In one of Boston’s churches in the wealthier parts of town, the dress would be one of dozens similar. Here it would stand out both in fabric and cut. A bit of dust and mud on the dress would be a kindness to her niece. Other than Gideon, only two unattached males attended on a regular basis; one a simpleton and the other a lecherous beast of a man. She thought to caution her niece about him but worried that warning her would only send her straight into his arms. Better she keep a watchful eye instead. Her fichu better not become loosened too much, or Mina would take a needle to the dresses herself.

  A memory of Henry’s flushed and attentive face flitted through her mind. After a particularly vigorous dance, he’d picked up her white-work fichu, which had fallen to the floor as they’d slipped into a secluded corner. She’d bent to retrieve the fallen fabric, but as planned, he’d beaten her to it. That single act had guaranteed the proposal only a day later. Not until their Becca was of age did Mina realize that if her father had seen her actions or the look on Henry’s face, she would have been wed that very night. Mina couldn’t help but wonder if Ebenezer realized how like Elizabeth she had once been.

  Still, Elizabeth needed guidance. There were times for desperate measures and times to behave in a proper manner. Elizabeth needed to learn the difference. Henry had been on the verge of proposing for weeks before she’d dropped her fichu. He’d just needed a boost to get over his shyness.

  The rumble of a passing wagon jarred Mina out of her reminiscing just as the wheel found a puddle, splashing both her and her niece.

  “Sorry, Mrs. Richards!” yelled the farmer’s wife.

  Elizabeth snorted in disgust but did not comment.

  “Three,” Mina muttered under her breath. She’d made a game of counting how many times she caught her niece minding her tongue each day. So far she’d reached sixteen before Elizabeth made some comment, which she immediately apologized for. Mina longed to tell her she was not like her sister Patience, Elizabeth’s grandmother. Mina had never boxed a child’s ears, even when her son set the hayfield on fire. But for now, Elizabeth’s fear of an imaginary punishment kept her in check. The ruse would serve its purpose until fear of punishment was replaced with a desire to behave.

  The church was far more pleasant to look at from the exterior than the interior. There were no stained-glass windows or finely carved wood to trace with her eyes as the minister droned on. Rough, backless benches left her with nothing to lean on. Only four of the pews shone with a waxy polish. The others appeared unfinished. They sat in the back, the benches surrounding them remaining empty as the congregants huddled together in two groups on either side of the aisle for warmth near the front of the room.

  Two births, a death, and a pair of newlyweds were announced. But the diversion of the newly married couple standing to show off their wedding finery was denied by this pastor. It seemed the newlyweds were also separated by the aisle, with the men on the left side and women on the right. Her favorite part of church service since childhood was watching the bride and groom stand during the sermon and turn slowly so all could admire their finest clothing. She often pictured what she would wear on her wedding day. She envisioned how her eardrops would sparkle in the light streaming through the windows. Her husband would wear a handsome new coat in the latest fashion.

  Here, the minister made an announcement, but the bride and groom only smiled from either side of the room. They didn’t even seem to be wearing their finest.

  Not fair! Twice in the past two months she had been denied the opportunity to gawk at a newly married couple and be diverted from the sermon. The first had been the cause of this punishment. If Samuel and his wife had only stood during the service, father would not have caught her staring at them. Lucy reportedly married Samuel wearing her shift and hadn’t come to the meetinghouse for a month after her nuptials. Perhaps she’d been too embarrassed to stand to allow others to admire their wedding attire, as was the custom in most area churches. However, Lucy’s new dress rivaled her own, its lace exquisite. Elizabeth snorted at the thought. Quickly she brought her handkerchief to her nose, hoping all would mistake her laugh for a sneeze.

  Aunt Mina’s stern look gave Elizabeth cause to listen to the sermon again.

  “Repentance.” The minister delivered the word in a flat voice.

  That one word sent her mind wandering again.

  Gideon observed the congregation from where he sat behind the podium. Mina’s face slowly relaxed, the tightness around her eyes softening as the sermon lengthened. Clearly she was in pain. What had she been thinking to walk to church? He set the buggy out so Mina could hitch the horse to it like he did every week.

  Miss Garrett must have made a mess of things again. He made a note to check on the horse. How such an ill-equipped woman roamed the earth was beyond comprehension. He pictured her working the horse into a frenzy trying to harness it to the buggy and keep her dress clean at the same time. He would need to make sure someone offered Mina a ride home. As for Miss-I-Need-to-Sho
w-Off-My-Lovely-Blue-Dress, she could walk home. The only woman in the congregation who’d completely removed her cloak would have no problem with the cold. Most women opened their cloaks but did not remove them against the chill of the room.

  Not that he noticed the dress or how it suited her much better than the gray and brown ones she’d worn since her arrival. It was harder to think of her as a girl, or child, as Mina kept calling her, in the blue dress. Miss Garrett was all woman, on the outside at least.

  Realizing he was staring, he moved his attention to the other side of the aisle. Two older men nodded in sleep, and the sermon was only half over. He knew exactly how much of the homily remained as Reverend Porter had practiced on him thrice this week.

  Mr. Jones didn’t bother to pretend to listen to the sermon, his eyes following his new bride. What a shame the practice of sitting as families was not followed by Reverend Porter. Mrs. Curtis wrestled her young twins alone. Shame indeed. He would suggest the change to the reverend. The room would be quieter if the fathers and older brothers could help with the younger children—including the reverend’s own son. Two-year-old Eustace Porter had escaped his mother’s hold again.

  Theodor Butler caught his eye. The man was definitely not paying attention. Instead, he was gawking at Elizabeth. He needed to warn Mina. More than one of the congregants had brought complaints against Mr. Butler. The young maid of the storekeeper had named him the father of her babe and claimed she was forced. No charges had been brought before the church elders or magistrate, as a servant was not in a position to be believed. Few won against one of the richest men in town. The babe went to a foundling home, and the maid was permitted to continue her work, as her employer gave no credence to the tale.

  Ah, Reverend Porter had reached the main point of the sermon and would finish at any moment. Gideon turned his mind to the song he would lead the congregation in to complete the service.

  Elizabeth pulled on her cloak but didn’t close it, though the tiny stove did little to keep the room warm. She toyed with her fichu while watching Gideon survey the congregation. She failed to catch his eye other than for a brief second when his brow wrinkled, hardly the admiring gaze she expected. She continued to study him as the sermon droned on. He narrowed his eyes, something seeming to have disturbed him.

  When she looked across the aisle in hopes of discovering what her humorless friend saw, she found a man who watched her with a crooked grin. His eyes looked not on her face but on the hand playing with her fichu. A shiver ran up her spine, and she dropped her hand and looked away. Something in the man’s gaze left her feeling scared—it was almost as if he didn’t need her to lower the fichu to know exactly what lay hidden underneath. Elizabeth tried to focus on the minister. Repentance was for sinners. Different church, same sermon.

  During the benedictory hymn, Elizabeth chanced a second look at the man. He openly stared at her. The grin he gave her did not reach his eyes. Once, through the kitchen window, she had seen a feral dog stalking her father’s favorite hound. Elizabeth now understood how Apollo must have felt facing the wild dog. She looked away quickly, certain she did not want to encourage him.

  Elizabeth followed Mina down the aisle to shake both Reverend Porter’s and Gideon’s hands. She adjusted her cloak so Gideon could appreciate the dress. She glanced down to see that the fichu covered everything. A display like she had given Samuel would not be appreciated in the church. And as a widower, she doubted Mr. Frost would be as impressed. Sadly, it was too public a place to try her hair. But Gideon would be by this afternoon.

  As Aunt Mina shook Gideon’s hand, he bent low to say something in her ear. Aunt Mina glanced into the churchyard and nodded. Elizabeth wondered what passed between them but found herself face-to-face with Reverend Porter and unable to recall what he’d just asked her.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “I asked how you liked our little town. But it is good to see you watching over your aunt.”

  Elizabeth nodded to let him think her distraction was due to concern for her aunt. “It appears to be nice, and the snow melts a bit faster than on the North Shore.”

  “That is right. You are from the North Shore. I shall visit you this week. Have Mrs. Richards send me word by Mr. Frost as to when would be convenient for an afternoon visit. I am free on Wednesday.”

  Meaning you will visit on Wednesday whether or not it is convenient. “Yes, sir.”

  She moved on to Gideon, stretching out her hand and looking up at him, her lashes fluttering only once. Gideon did not take her hand, so she dropped it.

  “Miss Garrett, I would save your flirtations for those you are genuinely interested in. It is unwise to be seen as a flirt.” Gideon’s gaze moved beyond her to a spot in the churchyard.

  Elizabeth followed his glance and saw the man from earlier.

  “Heed my warning. Good day.”

  Elizabeth hurried down the stairs, her dismissal completed. Mina waited.

  “The Stewards have offered us a ride home.” Mina took her arm and led her to the wagon that had splashed them earlier.

  Ten

  After a light dinner, Aunt Mina excused herself for a nap. Mr. Frost did not come to dinner after church. Instead, he rode his horse on by as Elizabeth watched out the parlor window. The Howell family had invited him to share their Sunday meal. It took Elizabeth a moment to place the family. She failed until her aunt reminded her of meeting Joanna outside the church. The mousy girl reminded her of Lucy and was one of a handful of eligible girls in the congregation. Obviously she’d set her cap for the preacher’s assistant.

  Elizabeth added a trickle of hot water from the kettle to the basin in the dry sink. The advantage of Mr. Frost’s absence was she only need clean two sets of dinnerware. Perhaps she would take a nap after she tidied up. Her muscles didn’t ache as they had last Sunday, but the early morning hours she kept took a toll. If Aunt kept these types of hours her entire life, it was a wonder she was still alive at her age.

  The dishes dried and put away, Elizabeth poured the dirty water into a bucket. Best empty it now so Aunt Mina did not need to remind her later. Before he left, Father neglected to tell her that her aunt would be writing a weekly report of her behavior, a fact her aunt had mentioned only moments ago. Thank goodness she abandoned her plan to flirt more with Mr. Frost at church. She would need to be careful with her flirtations.

  Before hefting the bucket outdoors, Elizabeth looked over the kitchen once more. Nothing needed an extra wipe of the cloth, so she headed out to the drain without putting on her cloak. She emptied the bucket carefully so as to not drip on her blue dress.

  The sound of Jordan’s trot reached her in time to smooth the wrinkles from her dress before horse and rider came around the house.

  Mr. Frost nodded his head before dismounting. Elizabeth’s hand flew to her bun. Did she dare? No one else would see them behind the house. She palmed one of her pins. Now to get him in conversation.

  “Mr. Frost, Aunt Mina asked me to set aside some of the apple pudding. Would you like to come in?”

  “One of Mina’s?”

  Elizabeth did not miss the hopeful sound in his question. “No, but she did supervise, and it turned out so much better than my bread.”

  Gideon led Jordan to the barn. “Very well. I need to talk with Mrs. Richards. I’ll be in momentarily.”

  He disappeared before Elizabeth could tell him Aunt Mina slept. Just as well. She doubted he would come in if he knew her aunt wasn’t there to act as a chaperone.

  Now to plan. She studied the kitchen from the doorway. If she stood at the sideboard and pretended to be startled when he opened the door, she would be framed by the afternoon light coming through the window. Not close enough to have him “accidentally” feel her hair, but the light from the window would show it to its best advantage.

  E
lizabeth set the bucket in its place and stepped to the sideboard.

  “Jordan, I’m making a mistake. I hope she doesn’t see it as encouragement. You know I wouldn’t go in without Mrs. Richards being present.” Gideon removed the saddle from Jordan’s back. “This may cure my fondness of apples. A week ago I would have told you it was impossible to ruin beans, but even the sow refused to eat them. If it wasn’t for the cheese and dried fruit Mrs. Richards slips to me, I might be starving.”

  Gideon wouldn’t go in at all, but he needed to warn Mina about Mr. Butler further than the “Keep her away from Mr. Butler” he’d whispered as she left the church. The man might come calling, and he doubted Elizabeth would refuse him. The best outcome was a marriage wherein Mr. Butler continued his philandering ways beyond his wife’s notice. But with Elizabeth’s flirtations, he feared Mr. Butler might take liberties Elizabeth didn’t intend to offer, despite the fact her father’s profession put her somewhat in a different plane than the girls he usually seduced.

  With Jordan settled in the stall, Gideon found no other reason to delay further. Only Elizabeth was visible through the kitchen window. Mina must be in the front parlor. He let himself in the back door.

  Elizabeth squealed and whirled around, her hair tumbling down her back as her bun fell with the sudden movement. The movement appeared practiced, and his eyes narrowed. Could a woman plan for her hair to fall? The ineffective movements she made to fix her hair showed off her hair rather than set it in order, solidifying Gideon’s suspicions.