“And that’s why Jesse came by—to make sure nothing bad happened to me in your absence. One way or the other, the Atwells have my back.”
Meredith turned and met his eyes. “I hope you know that will always be true.”
He returned her gaze. “I do know it.”
She didn’t know how long they sat there, locked in the moment, but then she scrambled to her feet. “I’d better get back. I’m supposed to be fitted for my dress.”
Luke stood as well. “Then you’d better get back. It wouldn’t do for the bride’s dress not to fit.”
Meredith reached out and touched his shoulder. “Thank you, Luke. For everything. For all these years of being my friend, for . . .” Her voice caught in her throat, and she had to swallow. “For everything.”
“Of course,” he replied.
She gathered up her shoes and socks and headed home, not even paying attention to the gravel she stepped on until she reached her yard and had to take a moment to rinse her feet at the pump. She hated what she’d just seen in Luke’s eyes—it was good-bye, and it looked like forever.
Chapter Eleven
Mrs. Crawford, the organist for their little church, generally played the organ with a great deal of enthusiasm. On this occasion, she had tried to slow things down and show a little more decorum, but Meredith could tell it was taking everything she had not to burst out with something a little more rousing than the “Wedding March.”
She clutched her father’s arm as he guided her down the aisle. The dress that had been sewn for her was lovely, but would also be serviceable for a party later on and wouldn’t sit in a trunk for years while she tried to decide what to do with it. Up ahead, she saw Alex in his new dove-gray suit, a smile on his face, and she felt happiness explode down to her toes. It wasn’t even erased by catching a glimpse of Luke out of the corner of her eye, also looking nice. He gave her a nod and a wink, and she smiled before continuing past.
The pastor said some words, and she knew she must have responded appropriately, but the whole thing was a blur. All she could see were Alex’s eyes. All she could think about was the wonder of becoming his wife. When they exited the church to the sound of applause, her hand gripped tightly in his, she could feel her entire future open up before her, and she could hardly wait for it to begin.
The party afterwards was lovely. It seemed that the whole town stopped by to wish her well, and she nearly lost her voice introducing Alex to everyone. She danced once with her father, once with Jesse, and once with her new husband, and then it was time to leave . . . to leave her home, the place where she had lived since she was nine, the place that would welcome her back for visits on occasion. This just might end up being more difficult than she’d imagined.
She stood in the parlor, looking around, memorizing each thing. Alex came up behind her and slid his arm around her waist.
“Are you all right?”
She smiled at him. “I’m just thinking about all the wonderful memories I have here.”
“Have I done a terrible thing, asking you to leave?”
She considered that for a moment. “No, of course not. I knew I couldn’t live here forever, and I’d rather go with you than anyone else in the world.”
“Well, I’m certainly glad to hear that,” he said, giving the tip of her nose a kiss. “I think there are some people outside eager to say good-bye.”
She held tight to his hand as they exited the house. Her family had gathered near the porch steps, and she smiled through the tears that were forming.
Grandma Mary stepped forward, her arms filled with a white bundle. “The ladies in the neighborhood helped me finish this,” she said.
Meredith pulled back a corner of the sheet that encased the gift and gasped when she saw the quilt folded neatly inside. “Oh, Grandma. It’s beautiful.” She’d seen just the beginnings of it at her grandmother’s house, and never imagined it would turn out this way.
“The pattern’s called Feathered Star, or sometimes Bethlehem Star,” Grandma Mary explained. “It’s the most complicated of all the star patterns. I chose it for you because you’ve always been a rather complicated person—you don’t take the same paths the others before you have chosen. You want to find your own way. May the stars on this quilt be your guide as you navigate the waters of your life.”
“Thank you.” Meredith caught her grandmother up in a hug, quilt and all. “I will treasure this forever.”
Jesse stood nearby, his hat in his hands, Cora next to him. Cora gave Meredith a quick hug, then stepped back when Jesse cleared his throat. “I’ll always be here for you, little sister,” he said. “Remember that.”
“Thank you, Jesse.” She kissed his cheek, even though she knew it would embarrass him, then moved on to hug Kizzie, Cissie, and everyone else who waited.
With her trunks loaded onto the back of the wagon, she was ready to go, and she waved as her new husband drove them off to the train station. This was by far the most frightening thing she’d ever done, and yet, the most exhilarating as well. Her only regret was that Luke had disappeared into the crowd without saying good-bye.
Part Two
Chapter Twelve
Topeka, Kansas
1872
Meredith ran her fingers over the intricate stitching on the quilt her grandmother had given her a year before on her wedding day, then closed the trunk where she kept it safe. She’d had every intention of placing it on her bed once she arrived in Topeka, but when she walked into the house and saw how opulent it was, she knew the quilt wouldn’t belong, and it might not even be welcome. So she’d kept it tucked away and visited it once in a while, allowing herself to think about her family and even yearn for them a bit, since she hadn’t seen them since she left Salina.
Alex had promised to take her back for a visit, but there was always something that stood in the way—a new client, a problem with an existing client . . . the excuses were many. What had broken her heart the most was to hear that Edward had proposed at last, but that Meredith would miss the wedding because Alex couldn’t get away, and when she suggested that she go without him, he’d put a stop to the idea at once.
Things had changed between them, and she didn’t know why.
The first month had been wonderful. His grandparents had taken her in from the start, and Alex showered her with gifts and all the love and attention she could ever want. But as he grew busier with the company, he grew more distant from her, and now it seemed that they were strangers living side by side.
She heard voices coming from downstairs and left her bedroom, gathering her skirts to descend the stairs. Alex and Grandfather Bingham must have come home a few minutes early.
“Hello,” she greeted them, giving them each a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll tell Cook to hurry with supper.”
“No need,” Grandfather Bingham replied. “All’s well. Where’s my wife?”
“She’s resting just now.”
“I’ll go up and see her.”
Meredith watched him climb the stairs, a faint smile on her lips. The love those two shared was amazing, and something she wanted for herself and Alex. The original plan had been for Alex to build her a home of their own, but shortly after they arrived from Salina, Grandmother Bingham had taken a turn for the worse, and it seemed the most logical thing to stay in the home and be of use rather than moving away. Meredith hadn’t minded at all. The house was enormous and gave each couple all the privacy they could ever want, and it allowed her to help care for the kind woman who had filled some of the void created when she had to say good-bye to her own family.
“Can I get you anything?” She turned to Alex, who had taken a seat and was scowling over the paper. “Tea?”
He shook his head. “Brandy. And see about supper, would you? I’m famished.”
Meredith moved over to the sideboard and poured him a brandy. She hated doing it—she didn’t like the effect alcohol could have on a person, and she’d noticed that it only made Alex more
sullen even though he insisted it helped him relax. But she felt she had no choice, so she handed him the glass. “I’ll go speak with Cook.”
The woman just nodded when Meredith passed along word that they’d like to eat early, and when the bell rang a short time later, Meredith exhaled with relief.
Grandmother Bingham came down the stairs leaning heavily on her husband’s arm and joined them in the dining room. “My dear, you look tired,” she said to Meredith. “Perhaps we both should have napped this afternoon.”
“I’m fine, Grandmother, but thank you for being concerned,” she said. “Can I get you anything?”
“Bless your heart, I just want my dinner, thank you. I understand there’s a pheasant on the menu tonight.”
“I did see one in the kitchen earlier.”
Grandmother Bingham leaned forward and said conspiratorially, “I was in a home once where they had actually taken a pheasant carcass and mounted it on the wall as a decoration. Can you imagine?”
“A carcass? On the wall?” Meredith blinked a few times, unable to picture such a thing.
“Oh, I’m sure they took out all the innards and soaked it in formaldehyde or some other such stuff,” Grandmother said complacently, settling into her chair as though she wasn’t saying anything shocking at all. “I must say, though, that it was rather disconcerting. I’m afraid I stared at it all night and couldn’t pay attention to anything that was said at dinner.”
“I much prefer my pheasant on a plate and not on the wall,” Meredith replied, and the older woman laughed.
“I feel exactly the same way, my dear.”
The soup was brought out, and everyone fell to eating. Meredith glanced over at Alex as she ate, wondering what had happened that day to cause the gloominess she sensed coming from him. Grandmother Bingham must have noticed it as well.
“Alex, my boy, how was your day?” she asked.
“I’m ready to fire the entire accounting department,” he said, dropping his spoon into his empty bowl. It clattered and made Meredith startle. “A bunch of idiots, all of them.”
“I’m sure there’s at least one competent soul in the bunch,” Grandfather Bingham said mildly.
“I doubt that. I doubt it very much.” Alex took a sip of brandy, and Meredith saw that he had refilled the glass since she’d handed it to him. “I’ll have to go over all the books from last quarter and make sure they were done correctly.”
“Why don’t you hire an independent accountant to do that? Save yourself some time and frustration,” Grandfather suggested.
“I don’t trust anyone else to handle it, Grandfather.” Alex turned and barked at the footman who had just placed his plate in front of him. “Careful, you idiot! You almost landed sauce on my arm.”
Meredith hadn’t noticed any such thing, but the footman apologized and backed away.
The rest of the meal remained silent and tense. Meredith noticed that the lines around Grandfather’s eyes seemed more pronounced, and she wasn’t surprised at all when he said he’d be going to bed early that night rather than sitting up for his usual game of chess with Alex. Meredith hoped that meant Alex would choose to spend the evening with her, and she hinted that she wouldn’t mind a turn at the chessboard, but he didn’t reply, and spent the evening in front of the fire with a cigar and a novel. She climbed the stairs, got ready for bed, and wrote long letters to Cissie and her parents, wishing there was something she could do that would change this dynamic that had entered into her marriage.
***
The next morning, Grandfather chose to stay home rather than going into the office, and Grandmother was concerned enough that Meredith sent the footman to get the doctor. Dr. Wayment was a nice man, fairly young, but came highly recommended as one of the best in Topeka.
“I believe your husband is just exhausted, Mrs. Bingham,” he told Grandmother as he concluded his examination.
“That must be catching. I’ve been rather tired myself as of late,” Grandmother said with a chuckle.
Dr. Wayment smiled. “Unfortunately, as we get older, we tire more easily.”
“You sound as though you’re suffering from that ailment yourself. You’ve got years left in you.” Grandmother chuckled again, but then grew serious. “What’s to be done for him?”
“He just needs some rest. I recommend that he not be bothered with things going on at the office or little quibbles here at home. Feed him good, nourishing foods and let him sleep all he can. He should be up and around again in a few days.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Grandmother said. “I appreciate your kindness.”
Meredith walked Dr. Wayment to the door. “I’m not sure that we can keep business matters from him,” she said. “He’s very involved in every aspect.”
“I trust that your husband can run things quite well,” Dr. Wayment replied. “And he may have to agree to a little subterfuge to keep his grandfather from worrying, but that’s how it must be.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Meredith promised. “Thank you.”
After the doctor left, Meredith put on her hat and gloves and walked down the busy street toward the shipping company. She needed to talk to Alex, and hopefully, doing so at his office would be less uncomfortable than doing it at home.
She climbed the stairs to the outer office door, passed down the hallway, then rapped on the door that led into Alex’s inner sanctum, as she thought of it.
“Come in.”
When she opened the door, he looked up with an expression that was very much like his old self, and her heart gave a little leap. There was the man she’d fallen in love with.
“Meredith. What brings you down here today?”
She crossed the room and took a seat across from him. “The doctor just left the house. He says your grandfather will be fine, but he needs to rest for a few days, and has asked us not to speak with him about work in the meantime.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate. I needed to ask him about these invoices.” Alex stabbed his finger into a stack of paper on the desk. “I suppose it can wait.”
“In the meantime, I wondered if you’d like to take a walk with me this afternoon. It’s a beautiful day, and we haven’t had the chance to go out together for a while.” Meredith held her breath, hoping she could entice him away from his desk and out into the fresh air. It could only do him good.
He glanced at the clock. “Sorry, I can’t. Especially with Grandfather out of the office. Another time, all right?”
“All right.” She stood, and so did he. “I’ll see you back at the house.”
“I’m sorry, Meredith. I really am.” He came around the desk and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “As soon as Grandfather’s well, let’s plan a trip, all right? Why don’t we go see your family?”
Meredith grabbed his arm. “Really? Do you mean it?”
He chuckled. “Yes, I mean it. We’ll go.”
“Thank you!” She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss, which he absentmindedly returned. “Oh, thank you!”
“Better let me get back to work.”
“Of course.” She stepped back. “Thank you, Alex. I’ll see you at home.”
He gave her a little wave, and she all but flew back to the house. Now she had something worth looking forward to. She could hardly wait.
Chapter Thirteen
Dr. Wayment nodded as he listened to Grandfather Bingham’s heart, then put his stethoscope away in his bag. “Excellent,” he said. “You’ve followed all my instructions, and I hereby proclaim you well. You can return to work at any time, but I do advise you to go a little slower. You still think like a young man, but your body would disagree with you.”
Grandfather nodded. “I understand. Yes, sometimes I forget that I really should be wrapped up in an afghan in front of the fire.”
“Oh, I’d hardly say that. You just need to leave the stairs and the heavy lifting to the younger fellows.” Dr. Wayment picked up his bag and turned to Meredith and Grand
mother, who were trying to stay out of the way in the corner. “The two of you make excellent nurses. The patient likely owes his recovery to you.”
“I did have to pinch his nose a few times to get him to swallow his broth, but he behaved himself for the most part,” Grandmother replied with a twinkle in her eye.
Meredith saw to it that Cook knew to make something special for dinner that night so they could celebrate, and then she went into the front sitting room to wait for Alex. Of all the rooms in the house, this one was her favorite. It was lined with bookshelves, though not nearly as many as in the home’s actual library, and it had an excellent view of the street. She could see him coming from a block away.
This house was fairly new, as were all the buildings in Topeka because it was a young town. She could imagine that in years to come, however, the house would be filled with memories, and she couldn’t wait to start creating them. This trip with Alex would be just the thing. She’d take him back to the oak tree on the Camerons’ property and remind him of their first kiss, and by the time they returned, they’d be on the same page again. She was sure of it.
There he was, striding toward the house with purpose. He stepped to the side to avoid running into a woman with a baby carriage, but he didn’t seem pleased to do her that small kindness. Instead, it looked as though he raised his voice at her, and she scurried off down the sidewalk. Why would he have done that?
Meredith decided not to worry about it. He was likely worn out from his long day, and once he heard Grandfather’s good news, he would relax.
She met him at the door with a kiss and a small glass of brandy. “I have something wonderful to tell you. The doctor was just here, and he says that Grandfather will be all right. He’ll need to do a bit less at the office, but he can come back as soon as he likes.”
“Hmm. That is good news.” Alex walked into the sitting room and picked up the newspaper, becoming engrossed in it as soon as it was in his hands.
Meredith's Mistake (Grandma's Wedding Quilts Book 4) Page 7
