Daughters of Harwood House Trilogy : Three Romances Tell the Saga of Sisters Sold into Indentured Service (9781630586140)

by Crawford, Dianna; Laity, Sally

  But gentleman that he was, he only enclosed her hand in his much larger one and spoke words that still echoed in her heart. “My dear Lily, once you reach civilization and the children are settled, you may very well realize all you’ve been missing. You’re a beautiful young woman, you know, and your sisters must be concerned for your safety. I’m certain they’d endeavor to see you pleasantly situated in an advantageous marriage. I, too, care very much what happens to you, and desire—” He glanced away, then took a breath and continued, his voice husky. “I’m already so utterly in your debt I shall think no less of you should you choose to travel on to the Barclay Plantation in Virginia. You are so very deserving.”

  “As I told you before—”

  He touched a finger to her lips, stopping her words. “Please, lass, do what’s best for you.” Sweeping her up into his arms, he waded into the water and set her down in the canoe. “May God always keep you in the palm of His hand.”

  Despite the MacBrides’ presence, Lily would have liked him to kiss her good-bye. He did not. But something in his gaze told her he had to leave right then, or he never would.

  “Godspeed, my dear ones,” he breathed.

  Blowing soap bubbles away from her mouth, Lily struggled to contain stinging tears as she recalled John’s compliment. You’re a beautiful young woman. She let the memory linger at the edges of her mind, drawing from it what little comfort she could.

  Just then, Davy, with his typical exuberance, burst into the room.

  She’d forgotten to bolt the door! Lily gasped and grabbed a towel from the stack on the nearby chair, slapping it over her.

  “Lily! Quick!” The imp flew past her to the window. “The biggest horses you ever saw!” Glancing over his shoulder, he widened his eyes. “Oops! I forgot. You’re takin’ a bath.”

  She arched an eyebrow and gave him a stern look. “Quite right. Now be a gentleman and go back out. And close the door behind you.”

  “But, Lily.” He turned again to the window. “They’re giant horses, and they’re pullin’ a giant wagon. You gotta see.”

  She let out an exasperated breath. “Emma wanted to bathe next. But since you’re here, I suppose you—”

  “Huh? No!” He backed toward the door. “I haf ta go back downstairs now. I’ll go get Emmy.”

  As he made his escape, Lily pressed a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter. There was no faster way to get rid of that scamp than to mention a bath. She only hoped Emma would relax enough to enjoy her time in the tub. Lifting the sopping towel out of the water, Lily wrung it out and draped it over the back of the chair to dry.

  Most of Emma’s bruises were fading away, and now that the journey had taken them far from danger, Lily hoped her darling’s fears would fade as well. The child had sat close and still on the boat trip, but her eyes constantly scanned the wooded shorelines, as if expecting a painted savage to leap out of the forest and snatch her out of the canoe. Dear Father in heaven, please relieve those fears. Replace them with Your love. Help her to feel safe again.

  By the time Lily rose from the tub, dried off, and donned fresh undergarments, Emma had slipped into the room, her black eye now a sickly yellow.

  “I hear you and your brother have been having fun watching the travelers pass by.” She dropped her day gown over her head and threaded her arms through the elbow-length sleeves.

  “We shouldn’t a come here.” The little girl’s voice sounded thin, trembly. “Nobody has a musket or pistol or nothin’. Indians could sneak in here an’ grab anybody they want.”

  Dismayed, Lily settled the gown over her petticoats and snugged the front lacings a bit as she sat down on the bed. She held out her arms to the wisp of a girl.

  Emma moved into them, calming immediately.

  Lily raised Emma’s dainty chin with the edge of her forefinger. “Sweetheart, there’s a very good reason why no one is carrying a weapon. There’s no need. We’re several days away from the nearest Indian.”

  “But they could come down the river, like we did, real easy. Pa said they came all the way down from New York, and that’s far.”

  Drawing her closer, Lily hugged her tight. “Listen carefully, Emmy. Thousands and thousands of people live here along the seacoast. They have entire armories filled with guns and cannons if they ever have need of them, and the Indians know that. Believe me when I say you are completely safe here. No Indian will ever, ever take you away from us again.”

  Emma’s little arms moved up to wrap Lily’s neck, her nose all but touching Lily’s as she peered deep into her eyes. “Promise?”

  “Promise.” Lily smiled gently. “Remember how, back at home, I always took the pistol when I went very far from the house?”

  She nodded.

  “Well, I’m far, far from our house now, and I didn’t even bother to bring it. That’s how sure I am that we’re safe. Now, how about running down to the kitchen and asking them to bring your bathwater upstairs. Oh, and see if you can find out what they’ll be serving for supper this eve.” She eased out of Emma’s grasp. “Just think, Emmy. Supper without us having to cook it or clean up afterward. Won’t that be marvelous?”

  A hint of a smile tickled the little girl’s mouth, the first Lily had glimpsed since the ordeal. “Really and truly? We just get up and walk away? We don’t clear the table or nothin’?”

  “Really and truly. Today you and I are young ladies of leisure.”

  “Hm. Ladies of leisure.” Her smile broadening, she scampered away.

  Watching after her, Lily knew her little angel would soon be Davy’s rather serious, bossy older sister again. Thank You, Father.

  The closing door emitted a whiff of baking bread…bread someone else had made for their pleasure. Breathing in the aroma, Lily wondered if mayhap the niceties of civilization would prove to be too tempting to resist, after all. What really awaited her back in Beaver Cove? Could she—or John—ever betray Susan’s memory? He’d all but ordered her not to return. Yet there’d been something in the low timbre of his voice, the tender touch of his hand, the way he’d scooped her up and gently deposited her in the canoe. And that yearning look…

  Or was it all merely her overactive imagination?

  Still, he had said she was beautiful.

  Stop it, you silly goose! Lily lurched to her feet and grabbed for her day gown’s ties, tightening them so hard she was almost afraid to breathe. The poor man’s wife just died.

  Chapter 13

  Is this Grandpa’s house?” Holding on to Lily’s hand, Davy stared wide-eyed at the gambrel-roofed brick dwelling with its generous dormers and large Palladian window above the columned portico. Black shutters adorned the first-floor windows, and manicured shrubs bracketed the entrance. “It’s as big as the tavern where we stayed last night.”

  “ ’Tis the home the gentleman at the corner indicated.” Lily’s body ached from the long, bumpy stage ride to Philadelphia, and her feet hurt from the hour they’d spent walking the cobblestone streets searching for the Gilford residence. But the lovely garden enclosed by a wrought-iron fence was a refreshing sight to her eyes. Taking advantage of the chance to drink in the lavish array of pastel roses, she filled her nostrils with their heady perfume.

  Emma squeezed Lily’s other hand and pointed. “Look at the door. It’s blue and as shiny as glass.”

  “Yes, it is.” Of far more import, no quarantine sign remained posted. “Come along.” Letting go of the little girl’s hand, she unlatched the scroll-worked gate. John had not exaggerated when he said Susan’s father ran a very prosperous enterprise. This substantial home was proof. It wasn’t as breathtakingly grand as Mariah’s mansion, but it was a far cry from the cabins at Beaver Cove.

  As they neared the porch steps, both children began to lag behind.

  Lily paused. “There’s nothing to fear. Remember what a nice man your grandfather is? How much he loved your mama? He loves the two of you just as much.”

  A worried look crimped Emma’s f
ace. “But what if Davy breaks something?”

  The imp had the grace to look guilty.

  Lily fought a smile. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t.” Taking him by the shoulders, she gave him a warning glare. “No one is happy when something special is broken, but that doesn’t stop people from loving each other. Let’s do our best to mind our manners and be especially careful. Now, come along.” She started up the neatly painted steps, and her charges followed.

  As they approached the door with its brass lion’s head knocker, Emma tugged on Lily’s skirt. “Look how clean the porch is. Maybe we should take off our shoes.”

  “Yeah. My feet hurt.” Davy stooped down.

  Lily pulled him back up. “You need to keep them on.” The children hadn’t worn shoes since early spring, and likely their feet hurt even more than hers. She reached for the knocker and rapped twice.

  “Oh, let me!” Davy jumped up, trying to reach it.

  “If no one answers our first summons, I’ll pick you up and let you knock again, how’s that?”

  He shrugged. After a few seconds, he stretched his arms up to her. “Now?”

  As Lily reached down for him, the door opened. An unsmiling, middle-aged woman wearing a mobcap, starched white apron, and black service dress swept a glance of appraisal over Lily and the children. One eyebrow arched. “If you’re looking for a handout, you need to go around to the kitchen.” She started to close the door.

  Lily quickly stepped within the portal. “We’ve come to see Mr. Gilford. These are his grandchildren.”

  The woman eyed them more critically. “They aren’t any grandchildren I’ve ever seen.”

  “That’s ’cause we live in Beaver Cove,” Davy announced.

  A visible change came over the servant’s demeanor. She quickly stepped back to allow them entry. “The master and mistress are upstairs dressing for supper. If you would kindly wait in the parlor…” She gestured toward an archway to the right of the tastefully appointed entry. But rushing up the wide staircase, she glanced back with that same expression of doubt.

  Again, Lily wished she’d had time and funds to have had the children properly clothed. Far worse, she dreaded having to be the one to bear the sad news of Susan’s passing.

  Walking into the parlor, Lily noted that the furnishings would have been respectable even in a cosmopolitan city like Bath. Susan’s father had done remarkably well for himself in his trade. Her gaze assessed the sapphire velvet drapes with sheer underpanels; the upholstered settee with its matching Queen Anne chairs, done in satiny stripes of blue and silver; and lamp tables in dark wood. The same rich wood capped the fireplace with a mantel that held porcelain figurines and an intricately carved clock.

  “Wow.” Standing openmouthed with her brother in the archway, Emma grabbed Davy’s hand. “Don’t touch anything. Come with me.” She led him to the settee and perched gingerly on the edge, tugging him onto the seat beside her.

  The blessed sight of Emmy becoming her old self again, mothering Davy, almost brought tears to Lily’s eyes. She smiled and crossed to one of the companion chairs. But before she could sit down, she heard a door bang open on the upper floor. Rapid footsteps descended the staircase.

  “Where are they?” Auburn-haired Mr. Gilford rushed into the room and went straight for the children, his thin mustache spreading wide with his smile. “Emma. Davy.” He gathered them into his arms and kissed each in turn. Then he turned to Lily, and his joyful expression fell as the reason for her presence dawned on him.

  She nodded gravely. “I’m so very sorry, sir.”

  A surge of grief brought moisture to his eyes, and he rubbed a hand down his face.

  Lily waited for him to regain his composure before uttering the words she’d prepared ahead of time. “I want you to know our dear Susan’s passing was made so much more peaceful because of your visit. She spoke of little else afterward, and some of her last words expressed how happy she’d been to see you again. She loved you very much.”

  It took a brief span before he could respond as he tried to come to terms with his daughter’s loss. Then he drew a fortifying breath. “But for that blasted quarantine, her mother would have been able to visit her as well,” he muttered, still holding the little ones. “The city official came only yesterday to remove it. I went immediately to the stage office and purchased our fares to the Susquehanna. Olivia and I would have set out for Beaver Cove in the morning.”

  Lily stepped closer to the stricken man and laid an empathetic hand on his sleeve. “I can only imagine how hard the waiting was for you both.”

  He nodded and hugged the children close again.

  “I realize our coming was not announced, sir, but you had offered to have Emma and Davy come visit….”

  “Absolutely.” His enthusiasm returned. “Thank you for bringing them to us. It will mean so much to their grandmother.” With the children still clinging, he wheeled around and strode out to the entry. “Olivia!” he shouted up the stairwell. “Forget your state of dress! Come down at once. I have a wonderful surprise!”

  Lily had thought she’d been pampered at the travelers’ inn merely because she’d been able to bathe in a real tub. But for three days after she and the children arrived at their grandparents’ home, they’d been treated to a whirlwind of luxuries. Mistress Gilford proved to be a tireless shopper, scouring the bookseller’s for picture books, the toy shop for playthings, and arranging for her seamstress to provide wardrobes for her grandbabies and Lily. And once the older couple learned of Emma’s ordeal, they both lavished extra love on her.

  “Look what Grandma bought me, Lily.” Lying in bed next to Emma, Davy pointed to a stool in the corner of the nursery, where an assortment of lead soldiers stood in a row. “I have this many.” He held up all his fingers. “And Grandpa said if I go straight to sleep, he’ll help me build them a fort tomorrow, just like Papa’s.”

  Lily gave him a pleased smile.

  “The one on the littler horse…that’s Captain Busse. I’m gonna make Papa the general. The general’s the captain’s boss. That way, Papa can come home anytime he wants.”

  “Aren’t you the clever lad.” Lily tapped his nose with her finger.

  On his other side, Emma propped herself up on an elbow. “Grandma’s seamstress is making a dress just like mine for my new dolly.”

  “That’s marvelous, sweetheart.” Lily shifted her gaze to the porcelain doll that lay on the pillow on Emma’s far side. “You couldn’t ask for more generous or kinder grandparents.” Had they been otherwise, she’d never be able to leave her little ones in their care. “I hope you remembered to thank them.”

  “We did,” they said in unison.

  “Good. Now it’s time to say your prayers.”

  “Me first.” Always wanting to be first at everything, Davy pressed his palms together and bowed his head. “Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the food, for the soft feather bed, for my new clothes, an’ for my new whip-an’-top an’ the bag of marbles. But most of all, for my lead soldiers. Amen.”

  Emma tucked her chin and glared at him, then looked at Lily with a long-suffering shake of the head. “I’ll do it right. Dear heavenly Father, thank You for taking care of us even when we think You can’t….”

  Lily’s heart melted over Emma’s having to learn such a hard lesson at such a tender age.

  “Thank You for Grandma and Grandpa and all the pretty things they bought us. Bless everybody here and back home in Beaver Cove. And please keep Papa safe till he comes to get us. In Jesus’ name,” she added with emphasis as she peered at Davy. “Amen.”

  “Well done.” Leaning across the bed, Lily kissed each of them again. “Sweet dreams. See you in the morning.” Then, after blowing out the bedside lamp, she left the room and headed downstairs to have supper with the adults. She wished the little ones were coming with her, but she’d been reminded that in polite society, children were fed and put to bed before the evening meal was served. How unfortunate that fo
lks would allow stiff rules to deprive them of some of life’s most precious times. She had so enjoyed meals with the family all together—even if they could get loud and rather messy on occasion.

  Reaching the bottom landing, she heard voices coming from the dining room and recalled that the Gilfords’ eldest son and his wife had been invited to dine with them. Lily stopped before the gilt-framed mirror to check for any out-of-place curls or a twisted tucker. Assessing herself in her lovely new gown of ruffled ivory dimity, she decided if not for her work-hardened hands and newly tanned face, she’d have looked quite presentable. No bonnet had been able to shield her from the reflection coming off that mile-wide river.

  Well, nothing could be done about that now. She plastered on a pleasant smile and glided toward the dining room, just as she’d been taught by her sisters so long ago, to meet the older brother Susan had often talked about with fondness.

  A tempting array of delicious aromas greeted her as she entered. The sideboard displayed a wider variety of items than it had the two previous evenings.

  At the head of the table, Susan’s father rose, and his son, a man of equal height, but less breadth, did as well. He, too, had a mustache, and bore a marked resemblance to his sire. “Lily, dear, I’d like you to meet Warren and his lovely wife, Veronica.”

  As Warren nodded politely, the overhead candlelight cast a warm glow on his auburn hair, a few shades richer than his father’s. Beside him, his sable-haired wife also nodded as he reclaimed his chair. Their gazes lingered a touch overlong as they took the measure of Lily.

  “I’m pleased to meet you,” Lily breathed as Mr. Gilford drew out the chair next to his and seated her. She settled her skirts around her.

  At the foot of the table, Mistress Gilford, looking regal in an emerald satin gown, her salt-and-pepper hair in an elegant upsweep, plucked a silver bell from beside her and rang for service.

  The younger Gilford mistress leaned forward, her ice-blue eyes cool as they focused on Lily. “Mother Olivia tells me you’re from Bath, England, that you’re the daughter of a jeweler.” She blinked as she elevated her little pointed chin.