The dog wagged his tail so hard at being stroked, he knocked over a vase that Hyacinth knew her mother was extremely fond of. She held her breath as she waited for her mother's response.
Mary sighed. "Take him out there for a bit now, and see what he does. I guess if he behaves himself, he can be an outdoor dog." She obviously didn't like the idea, but it seemed to make Hyacinth so happy that she relented.
Hyacinth smiled happily, thrilled with her mother's unexpected answer. "Thank you, Mama!" She led the dog from the room by his rope, noticing that he still carried the roast for their supper in his enormous jaws.
Once they were in the backyard, she looked at Lawrence. "I can't believe Mama even agreed to give him a chance. We've never been allowed to have a house pet, because she says they all make her sneeze. Iris has had small animals that she was nursing back to health, but that's all." She was thrilled to even be given the opportunity.
Lawrence sighed. "I'm sorry. I really thought that you'd like to have a puppy." Would he ever do anything right? He knew the advice Mr. Livingston gave him was good. He just didn't seem to be able to apply it well.
"I would love to have a puppy, but Mama is a different story." She walked through the garden, leading the dog by the rope around his neck. "Does he have a name?" She looked down at the sweet dog, wondering about his history.
Lawrence shrugged. "The boy I got him from didn't mention one if he does. You'll have to name him."
Hyacinth looked down at the huge dog with paws the size of dinner plates. "I think I'll call him Horse, because he's as big as one."
Lawrence chuckled softly. "I guess as long as you don't name him Fuzzbutt I won't complain too much."
Hyacinth went to the swing at the back of the garden and sat down on it, letting go of Horse's lead rope. Lawrence walked up behind her and pushed her on the swing. She laughed softly. "No one has pushed me on a swing since I was a little girl." She sheer delight in her voice echoed through the yard.
"Tell me about what it was like growing up in this huge house. I can't imagine having seven siblings." He wasn't certain he'd want even one sibling, let alone seven.
Hyacinth described how lonely it had been for her, growing up within a large boisterous family. "I always seemed to be overlooked. I don't think anyone meant to overlook me exactly, but I never caused problems and was generally quiet, so they just kind of forgot about me a lot." She sighed. "Well, Mama and Papa didn't, of course, but my sisters did. They'd play a game and halfway through one of them would ask, 'Where's Hyacinth?' and they'd realize they'd forgotten to invite me to play with them." Usually she hadn't been terribly bothered by being forgotten, but sometimes...sometimes she'd felt horribly left out.
Lawrence looked at her with new eyes at those words. He'd always felt like he wasn't part of things at school because his mother did laundry for a lot of the families he went to school with. He'd never thought about how it would feel to be part of a large family but just not fit in with them. "I'll never forget you. You're the first thing I think of in the morning, and the last thing I think about at night."
She dragged her feet on the ground to stop the swing as she'd done as a child. She got up, walking to him and stopping a foot in front of him. "Really? You think about me that much?" How could anyone care about her that much? He was truly a special man.
He nodded. "I do. I know I seem crazy to you sometimes, but I think you're a unique woman with a big heart. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He knew that she knew that, but how could he convince her of the truth?
Hyacinth took a step closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. "No one has ever said anything so sweet to me. Thank you." How could she ever thank him for the extra confidence he gave her, just by loving her so much?
"I'm just telling you the truth." He stroked her hair before tilting her face up to meet his, leaning down to kiss her softly. "I didn't think I could ever feel this much for someone."
She sighed. She knew she loved him, and she wished she felt free to tell him, but she still worried about his sanity. Of course, last Tuesday hadn't been terrible, and this Tuesday was downright pleasant. Maybe he wasn't crazy after all. She thought about Horse. No, he was probably crazy.
She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, moving her hands around his back and stroking his shoulders through his coat.
His arms went around her and he gathered her closer, his tongue tracing her lips before slowly moving between them to mate with hers. He pulled away when they heard a loud crash. "Oh no!" he said, turning toward the sound.
Hyacinth looked. Horse had dug a huge hole in the middle of her mother's flower garden, but what had caused the crashing sound was what really worried her. He'd knocked one of her mother's large pots that she used for decoration off the rock it had been displayed on. It was broken into hundreds of pieces. She sighed. "I think you need to take him home with you while I go explain what just happened to Mama. I just hope she doesn't ask what we were doing instead of watching him." She shook her head. Why hadn't she been watching the beast?
Lawrence caught his rope and led him out through the back gate. What had he been thinking?
Hyacinth sighed. Why couldn't he have gotten her a tiny puppy like a normal man? He had such good ideas, and he tried so hard, but they never seemed to turn out like he planned. She shook her head. Maybe it was time for him to stop trying so hard to please her.
*****
Hyacinth went over to his house after writing the following day, knowing it wasn't really proper, but also knowing she wasn't terribly worried about what anyone might say. She wanted to see Horse.
Lawrence had taken to making him stay in his back garden, rather than allowing him to destroy his house. When she got there, she shook her head at the mess he'd made.
Someone had put a huge bowl of water and some food out for him, and the food was gone, but the water had been spilled everywhere. There were huge holes all around the yard, and since it had rained that day, they had all filled in with water. "Well, if he digs enough more, you can just add fish, and have your own pond back here." She tried to look on the bright side of things, but she knew he would never be allowed to live at her parents' home.
Lawrence shook his head. "I don't know why I thought that getting a huge puppy was a good idea. I've never seen such a destructive dog." He wished he'd gotten a tiny poodle or some other small dog. Of course, now that he knew her mother wasn't fond of animals, he wouldn't be able to amend his mistake.
Hyacinth wrinkled her nose. "You know, most men get women tiny puppies that they can hold under their chin and snuggle. Why did you get me Horse? Not that I don't love him, because I do, but it just seems like an unusual gift." Maybe he would be able to explain his reasoning, and she would understand his 'Tuesday madness.'
"I was at the mercantile looking over the board in the corner where everyone puts notices hoping I could find someone that needed to give away puppies. I was thinking a tiny little furry dog would be perfect for you." He shrugged. "Then this little boy came in and said he had to find a new home for his puppy. He was crying. Before I knew what was happening, I'd paid him a nickel for Horse and was leading him away by the rope."
Hyacinth found her heart warmed by the story. He had done a good thing for that little boy, giving him five cents for a dog that obviously would be more trouble than he was worth. She smiled. "I'm glad you got me Horse then."
His astonishment showed clearly on his face. "You are?"
She nodded. "I'm glad you helped out a little boy and got me a sweet dog at the same time."
Horse came running at the word 'dog' and jumping up, put his paws on Hyacinth's shoulders and licked her squarely on the mouth. "I like you, Horse, but I don't like kissing you." She wiped her mouth off as she gently pushed him down. "The man is a much better kisser than you are." She hadn't been thinking when she said the words, and froze when she realized what she'd said.
Lawrence winked at her. "Is that so?"
"I'm glad you like my kisses, even if you only like them compared to the dog's."
She grinned, walking toward the gate. "Mama would be upset if she knew I was here. I'm going to head home." She didn't want to be caught and have her mother find out. She preferred to choose when and how she got married, not let circumstances choose for her.
He nodded. "I'd offer to walk you home, but I really think I need to find some kind of solution to keep this dog from destroying my yard."
Hyacinth waved. "I'll see you tomorrow."
*****
She stopped to see Horse every day that week, and finally, on Friday, Lawrence announced that he was going to find Horse a new home. He needed to be on a farm where he could run and play. "As big as my yard is, it's just not big enough for a dog like horse." He hated disappointing her, but he knew that it wasn't going to work out.
Hyacinth was sad, but she definitely understood. "Do you want me to help you?" It wasn't always easy to find a dog like Horse a good home.
He shook his head. "No, you need to finish writing that book of yours. I'll do it. I'm the one that chose him, so I'm the one that needs to find a new place for him. After we're married I'll find you a nice small puppy that you can watch grow up and snuggle with."
She smiled. "You're still talking like us getting married is a foregone conclusion."
He dropped a kiss on her lips as he walked with her to the door. "At this point, you're going to have to beat me off with a stick if you want me to go."
"I'll bear that in mind if I ever decide I want to get rid of you."
*****
It had been almost two weeks since their discussion about waiting a couple of weeks before discussing marriage, so Lawrence went to the bank to talk to Hyacinth's father. He wanted to have the man's permission to marry her before he bought a ring and started planning his marriage proposal. He wanted it to be special when she finally said she would marry him, because she was an amazing woman, and she deserved nothing less.
Daniel was sitting in his office toward the front of the bank when he went in, and he came out, shaking hands with Lawrence. "Good to see you! What brings you to the bank today?"
"I was hoping I could have a moment with Mr. Sullivan," Lawrence said, slightly embarrassed.
Daniel's face transformed into a huge grin. "You're going to ask for Hyacinth's hand in marriage, aren't you? I know that look. I saw it in the mirror the day I asked for Lily's."
"How is he when asking for his daughters? Kind? Gruff?" Lawrence needed some advice from a man who had been through it all before.
Daniel laughed. "Mr. Sullivan doesn't have a gruff bone in his body. He's kind as can be all the time."
Lawrence breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad to hear it. I want this to be as painless as possible. Especially since I haven't asked Hyacinth yet." If he was this nervous about asking her father for permission to ask her, how would he feel when it came time to actually talk to her about it?
"You two are a good couple. She won't say no." Daniel smiled at the younger man, knowing he would make a good husband for Hyacinth.
"I hope not. I've never asked a girl to marry me before. I've never even thought about it before."
"Well, there's not a nicer man to ask for his daughter's hand. Mr. Sullivan can be odd at times, but he's a good man, and he has great daughters."
Lawrence smiled. "I'm glad to hear you think that even after you've been married for a while."
Daniel grinned. "You know, I once thought I was in love with Rose and that my life would end if I didn't have her as my wife." He laughed. "I can't imagine being married to anyone but Lily. I think my devotion to Rose was because it was the popular thing to do. All the boys at school, and even a lot of the older men, were in love with Rose. She would have five or six of us over at a time all dancing attendance."
"I can see her doing that. I could never marry a woman like Rose. I need one who is quieter and more subdued." He shrugged. "Of course, I could never imagine being married to someone like Lily either."
"I can't imagine anyone but Lily." Daniel clapped Lawrence on the shoulder. "Mr. Sullivan will leave for lunch in about twenty-three minutes. He's a creature of habit, and won't want to go a minute later. You'd better get in there and talk to him."
Lawrence drew a deep breath and nodded. "I can do this, right?"
"You can! You'll make a great addition to the family."
Lawrence nodded his thanks and went to knock on the door Daniel had indicated.
"Come in."
Lawrence turned the knob, stepping into the office and looking around him. There was a nice polished wood desk with a comfortable padded chair with arms for Mr. Sullivan, and a chair that looked equally comfortable across from him. Bookshelves covered an entire wall from floor to ceiling. So this was what a bank owner's office looked like. He'd never been in one before. "May I speak with you privately for a moment, Mr. Sullivan?"
"Yes." Fred looked the younger man up and down, having no doubts about why he was there. He'd already married off five daughters after all, and gone through this same scenario three times with other young men.
Lawrence walked into the office and closed the door behind him, folding his lanky frame into the guest chair. He cleared his throat, trying to get up the courage to ask the question he needed to ask. "I'm in love with your daughter, sir." He blurted the words out quickly, hoping that they would be painless.
Fred smiled and nodded. "I could see that when you were at my brother-in-law's house for Christmas."
"I came here to ask for your permission to marry your daughter." Lawrence closed his eyes as he waited for Mr. Sullivan's answer.
Fred nodded slowly. "You have my permission to ask my daughter for her hand. I don't have the final say in whether she marries you. She does." He didn't add that he'd forced one daughter to marry, because that was none of this young man's business.
Lawrence felt as if a huge weight was off his shoulders. "Just that simply? I thought you'd ask me about my financial situation." He was surprised the man made it so simple. As a banker, wasn't he worried about his daughter's financial future?
Fred laughed. "I'm sure you know that my sister-in-law investigated your life before you came here, before she told us that you were an acceptable suitor for Hyacinth." At Lawrence's nod, he continued. "I did my own investigations during the same time. I probably know more about your financial situation than you do at this point."
Lawrence shook his head. "I had no idea. It's a good family that is so protective of its daughters." He couldn't help but be impressed by a man who cared so much for his children.
"I love my girls. They're all very unique. No two are even remotely the same. I wouldn't let any of them leave their fate up to chance. I expect you'll be the same with my granddaughters."
Lawrence smiled slightly. He loved the idea of having daughters with Hyacinth. "I promise you, I will."
Fred smiled at the younger man. "I know you will. Thank you for stopping by. Are you planning on asking her immediately?"
Lawrence shook his head. "I'm trying to think of the perfect way to ask her, but I didn't want to plan out anything elaborate until I'd at least spoken to you first. Why bother if I was going to be told no?" He wasn't certain he'd have accepted the answer, but if he'd heard it, plans would have changed.
"You're a smart man. That will take you far in life." Fred got to his feet and offered his hand for Lawrence to shake.
Lawrence stood and shook the older man's hand. "Thank you, and I hope we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."
Fred nodded, pleased with the young man. He was going to be a fine husband for Hyacinth, and a good addition to the family. "I'm sure we will."
Chapter Eight
Women love it when men cook for them, because it shows men think of them as more than just cooks. So if you are trying to court a woman, fix her a special meal a
nd take her on a picnic. Don't take 'no' for an answer. Women love forceful men. Show her that you think of her comfort. Make her feel like a queen as you feed her and court her. Make this a truly special occasion for her. William Livingston, Advice Column to Lonely Men published in The Seattle Times, January nineteenth, 1897.
Lawrence grinned, leaning against the doorjamb. "I came to take you on a picnic." He caught Hyacinth's hand, playfully trying to pull her out the door toward him.
"It's too cold outside for a picnic. Come back in April or May." Hyacinth shook her head at him, half laughing. What was wrong with the man? He had the strangest ideas.
"I cooked all morning so I could take you on a picnic today. Put on your coat. You'll be fine." He was going to take her on a picnic if it killed them both. William Livingston had said not to take 'no' for an answer...so he wouldn't.
She couldn't believe he would insist on her going out in the cold. The man was certainly an odd duck...but only on Tuesdays. Why was he like that on Tuesdays? "I really don't think that's a good idea. We could have a picnic in my parlor if that would make you feel better." She really didn't want to have a picnic in front of her mother, but she knew she would never be allowed to go to Lawrence's house and could think of no other warm, dry place.
He sighed. Raising his voice, he called, "I'm taking Hyacinth out for a while, Mrs. Sullivan. Is that all right with you?"
Mary came around the corner and nodded, smiling at Hyacinth. "I think that's just fine."
Hyacinth knew her mother had gotten a good report from John Higgins about Lawrence, but that didn't mean he wasn't insane. He had an illness that only came out on Tuesdays apparently. Why did her mother always agree with his odd schemes? "But, Mama, he wants to take me on a picnic, and it's cold!" Surely her mother would agree with her that it was too cold for a picnic. She wouldn't want her to become ill.
Mary frowned. "It really is too cold to sit outside and eat a picnic, Lawrence."
Hyacinth (Suitors of Seattle) Page 9
