"I'll pay him extra for the additional time," Sarah hastily assured him.
"Yes, you will," Dan said, his smile making his statement less stern. "Jeeter already mentioned that, and I told him to let me know how much and I'd pass that on to you."
Despite her concern over whether Dan was still perturbed at her, Sarah was eager to see the books. An avid reader herself, she could imagine the delight on the faces of the children — and the adults — when they realized what wonders awaited them between so many different covers.
"Can we go see them now?" she asked.
"Sure. Wyn's back there prying open the crates. Let's go see what your friends have sent."
She hurried ahead of him, through the goods lining the aisles and on into the storeroom. Then she stopped abruptly. Wyn had what looked like a very expensive volume in his hand, leafing through the gold-edged pages. She recognized it as one of the books which had been boxed up and put in the attic when her father had acted on one of his whims to change the Channing Place library. She hadn't thought to ask her attorney to have someone go through the boxes to check them first.
When he looked at her, Wyn's frown told her that he wasn't pleased with what he held.
"I can assure you," she hastened to say, "that there's probably another edition of that same book still in the Channing Place library. Father probably found the spine broken on that one and decided to replace it. Or the author went out of style and Father didn't want his books in our library."
The thundercloud on his face deepened, and she realized immediately that she'd said the wrong thing.
"This is gold on the edge of the pages," he growled.
"No. No, it's only gilt," she assured him. "And . . . I mean . . . well, I know it does mean the volume cost a little more. And I realize it seems truly wasteful to just keep books around for show, but at least I read a lot of the books in our library."
He continued to scowl, and she wrung her hands together in front of her skirt. "Please don't send them back just because they're expensive, Wyn. The children won't care whether there's gilt on the pages or not. They'll read them anyway."
"He's not sending them back."
Dan laid a hand on her arm, and Sarah moved aside so he could push inside the storeroom. "We've already made our plans for the library, and Sarah's right. A gilt-edged book will read just as well as a plain-paged one."
"Some of these don't even have the pages cut," Wyn told him.
"Probably the mysteries or detective stories," Sarah said. "I've never cared much for reading those."
"Well, I like them." Dan reached for the book Wyn held. "Hey, this is a Sherlock Holmes story! I've been wanting to read another one of those ever since A Study in Scarlet. This one's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Cutting these pages will give me something to do while Mandy arranges the library."
"And while you're helping Mandy set up the library and cutting pages, who's going to help me in the store?" Wyn grumbled. "Robert's . . ." He suddenly appeared to remember Sarah and slid a glance at her. "Uh . . . Robert's busy and this time of year there's a lot of stocking to do. Customers come in to replenish their own supplies and buy seeds for planting."
"Well," Dan mused, still with his main attention on the prize in his hand, "I've been thinking the twins oughta start helping out a half hour or so after school each day. And Lonnie Fraiser's 'bout ready for a job. We might's well get some use out of him, with him a hangin' 'round here after Carrie. And we can see if he's good enough for her a couple years down the road."
Sarah unfortunately said the thoughts flashing through her head aloud. "Carrie's only fourteen! Why, she doesn't need to get married yet."
"She's almost fifteen," Dan corrected her. "And reckon that's going to be up to Carrie. She wants to go away for more schooling after she gets what's available here, I'll see she does it. But she's the one who has to decide."
Another idea Sarah had had clamored for vocalization, but she wisely resisted the temptation to bring it up right now. Maybe later — after she found out how much hot water that other load of stuff Jeeter would surely be bringing before long got her into. Perhaps there was a more subtle way to provide scholarships to the children who appeared promising and who showed an interest in further education. Right now, at least she'd managed to avoid being given her walking papers over the books.
When she heard Jeeter's wagon fairly early the next day, Sarah left her cabin and waved him down. She hastily explained the situation to him, begging him not to spoil her surprise. The freighter agreed, promising he would check her orders from now on and make sure he unloaded that certain one directly at her cabin. He also assured her this load only consisted of books.
Filled with relief but still aware the entire problem hadn't been solved, she walked beside the wagon to the store to help sort the books after they were unloaded.
The day flew by, and she bid Mandy and Dan good-bye at last. When she came out the front door of the store, pounding coming from the direction of the boardinghouse drew her attention. Wyn was building a ramp up to Mandy's porch, so his pa could go a "courting," she remembered him saying. She smiled, then recalled his promise to do the same with her as she continued on home.
That evening, she realized Wyn hadn't forgotten his promise, either. She found a bouquet of wildflowers in a vase on her table. They were arranged way too well for them to have come from the twins, as her other bouquets had. Sissy could have brought them over, but something told her they'd come from Wyn. She knew she'd guessed right when he stopped by her cabin.
"Thank you for the flowers," she told him after she walked outside onto her top step in response to his call.
"I'm glad you like them," he said. "Sissy put them in the vase for me. I'm pretty much thumbs when it comes to something like that."
"Is this part of your courting?" she dared to ask.
"Yep," he said emphatically. "And I'd like to take you for a walk this evening, but it would have to be later on. I need to put one last coat of paint on the ramp at the boardinghouse yet."
"I do enjoy a stroll in the evening air before bed."
He tucked his thumbs in his belt and grinned at her. "The bed part sounds just as interesting as the stroll, in my mind."
She attempted to give him a huffy glower, but it died in the face of her laughter. She did feel a faint heat steal over her cheeks, but for the most part she had an urge to think of a rather provocative comeback, something she never would have even thought of back in New York.
"Being in bed with you is definitely interesting, Wyn," she blurted, a gay laugh cascading from her when his mouth dropped open and his cheeks flamed.
He bent his head and shook it slowly back and forth, blond curls falling over his forehead to hide his expression. When he looked up at her, the blueness in his eyes sparkled like sunlight dappling a lake surface in the summer.
"Uncle," he said. "I'll be back over around seven. Will that suit? You eat at Mandy's at six, don't you?"
"Well, yes," she agreed. "But I think I'm going to have to start learning how to cook on my own. I'm sure Mandy would like to have Dan over for a private supper once in a while. I'd hate to be the reason she can't do that."
"Mairi's been learning to cook from Sissy. Maybe she'd give you a few pointers in the evenings. But don't let her stick any more of that love potion she got from Leery in . . ."
Wyn clamped his mouth shut, then turned away. "I just remembered something I forgot to do at the store."
Sarah flew from the step and raced after him. She caught him before he'd gone more than a half dozen strides, grabbing his arm and digging in her heels to pull him to a halt. He lifted an eyebrow in a profane imitation of innocent inquiry when she sidled around in front of him and put a detaining hand on his chest.
"Why, Miss Debutante," he said. "I'd be willing to bet a cord of cut and stacked firewood that you haven't skedaddled that fast since you started having a decorum coach teach you how a real lady walks. I'd also bet you ev
en flashed a glimpse of ankle when you came tearing after me."
"You'd win both of those bets," Sarah said grimly. "What's this about a love potion that Mairi got from Leery?"
"Um . . . well . . . I . . ."
"Hey, Wyn!"
Sarah glanced over her shoulder to see Lonnie Fraiser waving frantically from the general store porch.
"Wyn, Tater got his shirt sleeve caught in the coffee grinder!" Lonnie yelled. "He was trying to grind his own beans. And now he says he don't have to pay for them 'cause there's shirt sleeve ground up in them!"
"I gotta go," Wyn said, with a whole lot more than a tinge of relief in his voice. "We don't normally open on Sunday, but Lonnie came in to talk to Pa about the job. And Tater came by 'cause he forgot coffee yesterday."
Side-stepping her arm, he took off at a semi-run. She whirled to watch him go, hands on hips and a glower on her face she was sure her decorum coach would inform her in no uncertain terms would result in a multitude of wrinkles. Gently bred ladies didn't glower — or frown for that matter.
Well, gently bred ladies didn't curse, either, but right then every one of the words exploding in her mind had four letters, some linked into words she didn't even realize she knew. She had no doubt she had played some part in this scheme. Otherwise, Wyn wouldn't have been so nervous over what he had obviously let blunder from his mouth.
How dare he leave her hanging after that inadvertent slip of possibly volatile information? Had he had anything to do with this love potion? Or had it been completely Mairi's idea?
She didn't give a diddly darn whether Tate wanted to pay for his coffee beans or not. Or whether Wyn was busy mediating the disagreement. If he thought he wasn't going to explain what he'd said to her fully, he had another think coming.
Gently bred ladies had tempers just like mountain bred ladies did!
Lips thinning, she lifted her skirts and stomped toward the store, climbed the steps and strode on inside. Wyn glanced up at her as he handed a small burlap bag to Tater, his expression turning wary. She paced on over to stand beside Tater, responding with a nod with he greeted her. Crossing her arms, she patted her toe on the floor and waited for Wyn to total up Tater's order.
Tater appeared to sense the animosity Sarah was holding in check.
"Jist put that there on my bill, Wyn," he said, grabbing up the brown-paper wrapped bundle lying on the counter. "I know you won't cheat me."
"Tater, you can wait a minute," Wyn insisted.
"Huh-uh." Tater shook his head. "I done had two wives and I know when a woman's got somethin' on her mind to talk to her man about. I'll see you next time."
Tater scurried out the door, and Sarah didn't even bother to call after him and correct his misbegotten impression that Wyn was her man. She continued to pat her foot and stare at Wyn. Was that a bead of sweat on his forehead? Why, could it possibly have been him that put Mairi up to getting something as crazy as a love potion from the old mountain healer?
He backed away from the counter, but he couldn't go far. The shelf behind him brought him up short, and she stood between him and escape into the storeroom. He took a quick glance at the front door, but she harrumphed warningly.
"You were saying something about a love potion," she said.
He rubbed a hand across his mouth, not once but three times. She waited impatiently, the rhythm of her toe-tapping escalating. From the corner of her eye she saw Lonnie come out of the storeroom, and she spoke to him without turning her head.
"Lonnie, you go on upstairs and ask Sissy if she and Mairi have any of the cookies left they baked yesterday."
Used to obeying her in school, Lonnie didn't think to check with Wyn first. "Yes, ma'am, Miss Channing."
His boots clumped up the stairwell, and Sarah continued waiting.
"Can't we talk about this when we go for a walk this evening?" Wyn pleaded. "There's really not that much to it."
"Then it won't take you but a few seconds to explain it to me now, will it?" Yes, she did believe that was a bead of sweat on his forehead. One tress of blond hair looked damp, and . . . why, yes, indeed, that was a drop of sweat curling down his cheek.
"The love potion," she reminded him.
"Look, Sarah." He stepped forward and propped one hip on the counter top, attempting a negligent wave of his hand. "It's really nothing, like I said. I overheard Mairi talking to Leery about a l . . . love potion that Mairi baked into those blueberry muffins she made. But I rode out there and asked Leery about it, and she confirmed that one of the pair the potion was intended to bring together had to ask for it. Otherwise, it didn't work. So, see, there's not a thing to worry about."
She tilted her head and studied him. "Were you that worried? About that potion working? So worried that you made a special trip out to Leery's to ask her whether or not it was Mairi — or possibly me — who'd asked for that potion?"
"Not worried exactly," Wyn denied. He bent his knee and lifted his leg to lie on the counter, then clasped a palm on his knee. "Those l . . . love potions are just a bunch of hooey, I'm sure."
"You seem to have quite a bit of trouble saying that word," Sarah mused. "You said it fine a few minutes ago."
"What word?"
If he hadn't shifted his eyes, Sarah might have believed the puzzlement in his voice.
"Love," she said smoothly.
His hand slipped from his knee and thumped on the counter. His elbow hit a jar of jawbreakers beside him, sending it crashing to the floor, the lid flying off. Somehow the glass remained unbroken, but the bright balls scattered across the floor.
Just then, Luke and Jute raced in, their eyes widening when they saw the jawbreakers rolling hither and yon.
"We'll pick 'em up for you, Wyn!" Jute shouted. With a yell of glee, Luke hit the floor along with his twin and they scrambled around on all fours.
Sarah calmly gave Wyn a cool look.
"You're right. That explanation didn't take long."
She moved toward the front door, dodging the twins with no problem. Their voices were steadily rising as they captured more and more of the elusive jawbreakers.
"Hey," she heard Jute shout as she went through the door. "Wyn can't sell these now. They're dirty from bein' on the floor. We'll have to eat 'em ourselves!"
"Yes!" Luke yelled in return as she swept down the steps.
All the way home to the cozy little cabin, she wondered if Wyn would show up for their walk that evening.
Chapter 17
At six o'clock, Sarah headed over to Mandy's. Seeing Gray Boy on the boardinghouse porch, she wasn't surprised to find Mairi inside with Mandy, as well as Pris. All three of them were digging through the crates of books scattered around the floor, and Dan was working with a crowbar to open a crate that was still nailed shut.
The room was a large one Sarah hadn't seen yet, across from the parlor where she and Mandy visited when they didn't sit in the kitchen. Mandy had the windows open, and a breeze fluttered the curtains, intermingling the odors of lemony furniture polish with the smell of the dusty tomes in the crates. A large cherry wood table sat against the far wall, now covered with stacks of books, and a few other pieces of furniture had been pushed back into corners of the room. Sarah could already imagine the huge room filled with shelves and the table portioned off halfway into a nice desk for Mandy.
"Oh, my," Mandy said as she caught sight of Sarah and stood. A smear of dirt marred her cheek and nose, almost as though a man's finger had trailed across her face. "Is it that late? I haven't even thought about dishing up supper, Sarah. I'm sorry. I was so busy, I lost track of time. The girls and I finished cleaning this parlor and decided on the spur of the moment to start bringing books over here."
"There's no hurry on supper, Mandy," Sarah assured her. Land sakes, she wasn't even sure Wyn would show up after while, so there was no sense rushing Mandy. And besides, she wasn't real sure she even wanted to go with him, if he did show up.
Liar, her mind accused her. She ignored tha
t traitorous piece of her body.
"Look, I'll help you with supper. What can I do?"
"Oh, I didn't totally forget to prepare the meal, just what time it was," Mandy said. "I've got a stew on the stove. I'll go slice some bread and butter it, then we can eat."
She left the room, and Dan spoke up quietly. "Mairi, you and Pris better get on over to the house. I'm staying here to eat with Mandy, but I've already told Sissy that."
"All right, Uncle Dan," Mairi agreed. When she started past Sarah, she cocked her head and looked at her. "Thanks so much for having your friends get all these books for us, Miss Sarah. This is soooo wonderful."
"I'm glad you will enjoy them, Mairi."
The two girls skipped from the room, and Sarah caught sight of Dan's face, creasing from a smile into a frown.
"Sarah," he said. "Reckon I need to speak to you."
"Oh, no," she couldn't keep from saying. "Now what did I do wrong?"
Dan pulled his pipe from his pocket and nodded at a chair near him. While he filled his pipe, she crossed to the chair and sat, giving a huge sigh of apprehension.
"It's probably nothing," Dan said after he got his pipe going. A thin stream of smoke exited his mouth with his words. "But I need to ask you. Did you list anything special when you asked for book donations?"
She bowed her head. "I told my attorney the school was a poor one. I suggested he tell the people he chatted with that they should send any old textbooks they ran across that they didn't want."
Dan puffed on his pipe for a few seconds. "Sarah," he said at last. "That crate of books I just opened is new textbooks, not used ones."
"Oh!" Her head flew up. "Well, that's wonderful for the children, Dan, and you can't possibly be thinking of sending the books back, just because they're new. Can you?"
Dan's scowl reminded her very much of the same disapproving glare she got from Wyn when he didn't agree with her about something. She truly didn't understand why he was upset over brand new textbooks instead of old one, but she supposed he was going to tell her. The MacIntyre men were blunt and to the point, if nothing else.
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