Pearl scrambled to figure it out. “Perhaps the children could take turns bringing the kitten home at night.”
“A kitten! Then you’ve decided.”
“I saw a mama cat with kittens on my walks to and from school. We could raise one of the litter at school.”
“We will.” Amanda beamed. “It might just bring Sadie out of her shell.”
Pearl didn’t miss the emphasis. “Are you volunteering to help out with the project?”
Amanda nodded vigorously. “The Chatsworths had three cats. I know all about them. When you’re working with one group of children, I can show the rest how to care for a kitten.”
“That just might solve my classroom problem.” Or it would make it worse. “Now all we have to do is catch one of the kittens without mama cat shredding us with her claws.”
Amanda glowed. “Let’s ask Roland to help. I know he will since it’s for his niece and nephew.”
God had answered her prayer. She would spend time with Roland, but so would Amanda, who would do all in her power to attract him. Pearl could only watch as her dearest friend took away the man who dominated her thoughts.
Chapter Thirteen
So many people showed up to paint the church on Saturday that they finished before lunch. Pearl stood outside the small cabin breathing in the fresh lake breeze. A chill was in the air, though the sun shone brightly. Soon autumn would be upon them and then winter. All those kittens would need a warm home by then. The last time she’d passed the mewing family, she’d counted three. The black-and-white one captured her heart, but she would like another’s opinion.
Garrett Decker had joined the rest preparing the church, but he was a tough man to single out, for there were always men around him, not to mention Fiona and Louise. The two women made a show of painting, donning smocks and carrying a paintbrush. Fiona’s never saw paint. She offered her artistic opinion of every feature in the room. Some ideas had merit, but they hadn’t the time or the funds to attempt them. Louise painted a tiny portion of a bench near the prospective groom, who didn’t appear to notice her. Both helped out at the boardinghouse in exchange for a portion of their room and board, but that could not last forever. Pearl must press Roland again to find them employment.
She pushed out a breath, which the breeze carried away in an instant.
“Tired?” Roland walked up, wiping his hands on a rag soaked in mineral spirits.
“Not a bit.”
His very presence unnerved her. She’d promised Amanda to steer clear of him. That meant she hadn’t been able to ask if he’d found positions for Fiona and Louise. This was her chance. She could do it if she kept her gaze fixed on the low dune separating the town from the lake. One look at him would send her thoughts spinning again. “You could answer a question for me.”
“Fire ahead.” He handed her the rag. “To get rid of any paint on your hands.”
“Of course.” She rubbed at the few spots while formulating precisely how to approach the topic. “I asked you to help Fiona and Louise find employment.”
“I thought they worked for the Calloways.”
“In exchange for a portion of their room and board. Soon they will need more.” The roar of the waves could not drown out the roar in her ears.
“There isn’t any place else except the saloons.”
“Unacceptable.”
“Have you asked Fiona?”
His question carried such mirth that she had to glance at him. What a mistake! A lock of his dark hair brushed across his forehead, nearly falling into his eye. Those eyes, blue as the lake on a sunny day, took her breath away. She couldn’t think. She could barely remember his question.
“No,” she breathed out. “Have you?”
He laughed. “That’s what I love about you, Pearl. You can turn anything in a different direction.”
Loved? About her? The pressure on her chest was greater than any stays she’d ever attempted to wear. “Me?” She really ought to look away, but she couldn’t.
“Yes, you.” His smile eased into that lazy one she’d grown to appreciate. “I enjoy sparring with you.” Those eyes of his twinkled. “I enjoy any time spent with you.”
Pearl drew in a shaky breath and finally managed to look away. The wind whipped sand off the tops of the dunes like snow in a blizzard. Snow. That brought to mind the other project she had in mind. They must act before winter.
“Have you seen the litter of kittens living under the rotten old dinghy?”
He drew in his breath so sharply that she had to see if he’d suffered a cut or some other misfortune. His complexion had paled, but he, too, stared straight ahead at the dune, all trace of a smile gone.
“Kittens?” He had to clear his voice.
What a peculiar reaction, as if he was terrified of them. “Yes, a litter of three from what I can determine. They will need homes by the time the snow falls.”
“Of course.” He visibly relaxed. “I should have realized that was what concerned you.”
“You don’t think I should care about their welfare?”
His chuckle sounded forced. “They’ll find shelter inside a sawmill or warehouse with the rest of the strays.”
“The sawmill? Isn’t that a rather dangerous place for a kitten?”
His expression pinched. “I suppose it is.”
“Have you ever taken one into your store?”
“Are you mad? And have them getting into the flour and the biscuits and everything else?”
“I suppose you have a point.” But it wasn’t looking good for her plan if Roland opposed kittens. “Perhaps one of them might stay upstairs.”
“No, no and no.”
“The children would love a kitten,” she pointed out. “It would be a great way to learn how to take care of something.” She saw him waver just a bit and seized the advantage. “Especially after they’ve cared for one at school. It might take their minds off...other things.”
His jaw still worked. “That decision belongs to my brother.”
“It’s his house, then.”
“It’s his family.”
She would get no further. Though the thought of the wee kittens in a dangerous sawmill bothered her, she might spare one at least.
“There you are!” Amanda exclaimed, her cheeks bright red and her eyes unnaturally bright.
Pearl inwardly groaned. Once again it must appear to Amanda that Pearl had broken her promise. “I asked him if they would take one of the kittens.”
As she’d hoped, the mention of kittens changed Amanda’s focus. “Will you help us? Sadie is so excited at the prospect. When I mentioned it, she smiled.”
Pearl noted Roland’s surprise at this news, but he also cast Amanda a look of admiration. Oh, dear, what if he did fall for her?
“She did?” He grinned. “Well, if that isn’t something. Miss Amanda, you have a way with children.”
She blushed even more furiously. “Why, thank you. I’m especially fond of Sadie and Isaac.”
Pearl couldn’t bear to watch or listen to her friend’s pointed efforts. She edged away, but the breeze carried every word in her direction.
“Will you help us catch one of the kittens?” Amanda hung painfully close to Roland.
“You’ll have to ask my brother’s permission first. He’s been dead-set against having any animals in the house.”
“Can’t you ask him? Pretty please? He...well, he scares me.”
Roland laughed. “Don’t let that crusty exterior frighten you. He’s gentle as a lamb inside, especially when it comes to his children. Go ahead. I guarantee he’ll agree.”
Pearl knew her friend wouldn’t ask Garrett Decker anything.
Amanda’s next words bore that out. “Won’t you go with me? I get a
ll tongue-tied when I’m nervous, and you could be such a help.”
If Pearl hadn’t given Amanda explicit permission to pursue Roland, she would think her friend a minx. As it was, she could only cringe.
Roland, on the other hand, laughed. “I will if Pearl joins us. Three will make the case better than two, especially since it’s for the school.”
Pearl looked up in surprise, only to see Roland grinning at her in triumph. Her heart soared. In spite of Amanda’s best efforts, he had chosen her.
* * *
Roland would never have been able to convince his brother if the ladies hadn’t been standing there. Pearl made a perfect case for the educational benefits of adopting a kitten and explained that the litter would reside at the schoolhouse until the weather got too cold. The others chimed in their agreement. Garrett had been too overwhelmed to protest, but Roland could tell that he didn’t think much of the plan.
On the walk to the abandoned skiff, Roland avoided his brother. That boat brought back painful memories for both of them. Roland had begged Garrett to let him burn it or sink it. Garrett had refused. Roland figured his brother wanted to make him suffer. He deserved it, so he took the punishment like a man and didn’t ask again.
Now Pearl kneeled beside Sadie in front of the rotting skiff. The nest of kittens, which had apparently been abandoned by their mother, squirmed under the protection of the overturned hull. Though Roland hung off to one side, he could make out three, maybe four, mewing kittens.
“Which one do you want?” Pearl asked Sadie.
The little girl pointed to a black-and-white one that stood in front of her howling its displeasure. Naturally she had to pick the loudest one. Garrett was going to be furious. Pearl, on the other hand, took it all in stride. She showed Sadie how to stroke the little one’s head and pick it up while avoiding the prickly claws.
“What will you name her?”
Sadie looked to her father.
He growled under his breath. “Whatever you want.”
The little girl buried her face against the soft fur. “Cocoa.”
Her voice was so soft that Roland almost didn’t hear the name, but then Pearl confirmed it. His stomach churned. Eva’s favorite drink had been hot chocolate, which she called cocoa. Garrett’s strained expression showed he understood the significance, too.
Roland turned away from the abandoned skiff with its horrible memories and the kitten that would now remind him of that awful day every time he saw it.
“Are you all right?” Amanda said softly.
Though she was a pretty girl, her hovering had begun to drive him mad. He could not explain what had happened. Not to her.
He rubbed his stomach. “A bit of dyspepsia.”
“Mrs. Calloway might have something.”
He attempted to shrug away her attention. “I have what I need at the store.”
His brother’s loud voice interrupted the conversation. “Pick a different name.”
Sadie wavered, her lip quivering.
Amanda abandoned him and ran to the little girl’s side, dropping to her knees to embrace her.
Pearl faced off against Garrett. “Cocoa is the kitten’s name. Sadie chose it.”
Garrett’s face grew red. “It’s my house and my daughter. You have no say.”
“Of course I don’t.” Pearl didn’t flinch one bit. “This is your daughter’s kitten. Her wishes should be most important.”
My, she was fine when standing her ground. Roland couldn’t help but grin. If this debate escalated into an argument, he figured she could outlast Garrett any day. One day she would make a fine wife. That thought sobered him. His brother needed a wife for the sake of those children, but not Pearl. Something else simmered inside her. A restlessness. She had dreams, just like him. Could their dreams fit together?
He shook off the thought. The glassworks came first, and she had the school.
“You said that creature would stay at the school.” Garrett fisted his hands, though he had no one to fight.
“Cocoa will stay with us at the school until cold weather,” Pearl confirmed.
Amanda whispered something in Sadie’s ear. The girl set down the kitten and wrapped her arms around Amanda.
Roland glanced at his brother, who was frowning. Garrett and Amanda might work if he could convince Garrett to give her a chance. If he could, then maybe that woman would stop hounding him.
* * *
Pearl donned her good dress for the first services in the new church. The russet-colored gown wasn’t fancy compared to Fiona’s elegant attire, but its simple lines accented her figure. It was also considerably warmer than her everyday gown, as she’d discovered while traveling. Today’s wind promised a taste of autumn, making this gown the perfect choice.
At last the church was ready. The paint had been too sticky last Sunday, but Mr. Calloway assured them everything was set now. He’d even donned an old frock coat in the style popular before the war and plunked a faded old top hat onto his balding head.
Mabel Calloway chuckled, but her eyes glowed at the sight of him. “He hasn’t been this excited since we first set eyes on Singapore.”
Pearl had heard the story many times of their being hired away from a hotel way upriver and coming down by boat in the rushing spring waters. They’d almost been crushed by logs and tossed upside down by the current. When she’d set foot on dry land, she’d vowed never to step into a boat again.
“I’m here ’til the good Lord takes me home,” she would then say.
Pearl had grown fond of the Calloways over the weeks, until they’d become like family. They treated their four female guests like daughters. When Pearl went to pay the next month’s rent, Mabel had brushed it off, saying Amanda did so much around the place that rent wasn’t necessary. Though Pearl hadn’t succeeded in paying rent, she did put the money on their account at the mercantile, a fact that did not escape Mabel, who blustered and scolded her when she found out.
At Roland’s suggestion, Louise had secured employment reading to Mrs. Elder, the elderly woman who with her husband had stepped off the Milwaukee ahead of Pearl. Fiona had joined a fellow from the mill who played piano and together they offered a nickel concert on Saturday evenings at the lumber warehouse. They would travel to Saugatuck next Saturday to play at the community hall. Fiona’s skill carried over to Sunday services, and Pearl had to admit her soprano could have graced a New York stage. Today her voice rang over the congregation with such uplifting tones that it felt as if they were standing on heaven’s shores.
When the service ended, the congregation lingered to discuss every inch of the renovations and every aspect of the service. Pearl slipped past the children racing around the boardwalk and took to the sand. Her feet sank into it, but she hiked on alone to the top of the dune. The wind tugged at her skirts and pulled the lake into great, rolling breakers. The freshness of the air and the brilliance of the sunshine reminded her that summer was almost over. Autumn arrived this week and with it the promise of winter.
Everything was beginning to fall into place here. With Amanda’s help, teaching had become manageable. The kittens proved a blessing, as the children learned how to care for them and begged to play with them. She and the other ladies had settled into the boardinghouse. If not for Amanda’s continued attraction to Roland, life might be perfect.
Lord, help me to accept this, to set aside my selfish desires for the sake of my friend.
It was a noble prayer, but she didn’t feel any better. Words aside, her heart still called out to Roland. Every minute in his presence was torture. Rehashing each moment of Amanda’s encounters with him made her stomach churn like the lake below. The wind whipped at her hat, testing the ribbons tied beneath her chin. She wrapped her arms around her midsection and squeezed shut her eyes.
“The v
iew is beautiful from here.”
Roland! She gasped and turned in the direction of his voice, half expecting to find Amanda at his side. She was not.
Pearl looked back at the view. “The lake is wild.”
Roland reached her side though he did not touch her. “It makes me want to run down the dune and splash into the water like a boy.”
“I can see you doing that.”
He laughed. “I see that smile trying to peek out. Why are you cross with me?”
“I’m not cross.”
“Then why the silence and going out of your way to avoid me?”
Had she been that obvious? She drew in a deep breath, uncertain how much to tell him. “I am not in the market for a husband.”
“And I am not looking for a wife.”
“Perhaps you should tell Amanda that. Oops!” She clapped a gloved hand to her mouth. She hadn’t intended to say one word about her friend.
But he didn’t look surprised. “I thought she would have given up by now. I’ve done everything in my power to discourage her.”
Pearl looked at him sideways. “Including telling her you will not marry?”
“Not in so many words.”
“Then her hope will continue.”
This time he heaved a sigh. “I don’t suppose I can avoid this.”
“Not if you want to be kind.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “I suppose you’re right.” That grin returned. “You usually are.”
“Right?”
“Correct.”
They both burst out in laughter. Perhaps it was the relief of knowing he did not love Amanda, but Pearl laughed so hard she had to bend over to catch her breath.
He touched her shoulder. “I do have news I want to share with you.”
That sounded serious. Pearl swallowed the laughter and blotted her eyes. “News of what?”
He looked so solemn that she half feared he was about to tell her he would leave Singapore.
“I received word from Mr. Holmes, the investor who traveled with us on the Milwaukee.” A grin split his face. “He’s pledged a substantial sum toward the glassworks.”
Mail Order Mix-Up Page 14
