She might have known Mother wouldn’t stay silent and depressed for long. Now she was demanding answers, and who could blame her? She’d been assured Kenvern would be coming over twice a week, at most, for reading lessons, which Laurie and Ada, in the spirit of generosity and concern for those in need, would be happy to provide. Their contribution to charity, so to speak. But things hadn’t quite worked out that way. Kenvern Trenowden could be found in their kitchen nearly every night now. So could Ada, but not Laurie, as she was well aware she wasn’t missed at all. Ada had proven to be an apt teacher, and Kenvern an amazing pupil. Already he’d easily read his way through all the McGuffey Reader and had started reading a collection of short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. Kenvern’s reading skills had increased tremendously. His Cornish dialect was fast disappearing, replaced by the proper English he’d longed to speak. Not that the kitchen had become a solemn area of learning. Every night, the sound of Kenvern’s booming laughter filled the house, punctuated by Ada’s giggles. Obviously, they were having a delightful time together, which Mother couldn’t fail to notice. “It appears they fancy each other,” Laurie replied, aware she was stating the obvious. “He’s a fast learner and quite bright.”
“That’s not the point.” Elizabeth threw her knitting down. “He’s nothing but an uneducated Cornishman, far below our class.”
Laurie concealed her exasperation. She would try to explain, although her words would doubtless fall on deaf ears. Darcy had discussed this very subject once. She remembered what he’d said, and it was worth repeating. “This isn’t Philadelphia, Mother. This is the West, where no one’s concerned about what class someone’s in. Kenvern is a fine man, a little rough around the edges, maybe, but who cares? No one’s judging him by his fine manners, or lack thereof, and you shouldn’t either.” She’d surprised herself. Never had she spoken to her mother more firmly.
Elizabeth sat back in surprise. “Have you no concern for your sister? Don’t tell me you want her married to some Lucky Creek oaf who’s just now learning to read and write. She needs to return to Philadelphia where she can find a man of quality, a man with connections who comes from a fine family.”
Her mother didn’t understand, and probably never would, but she’d give it one more try. “Haven’t you noticed how Ada goes around the house singing these days? She’s happier than I’ve ever seen her. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but would you at least agree to leave her alone for now?”
“What choice do I have?” Elizabeth asked in a martyred tone. “All I can say is, this family is ruined if we don’t get back to Philadelphia soon. And might I ask why you aren’t more anxious to return? Aren’t you dying to get back to Brandon?”
“Of course, I am,” Laurie quickly replied. She’d given the answer she was supposed to give, but did she mean it? These days she so enjoyed working at the Monarch. She loved what she did, and she loved working with Darcy, even though he kept her at arm’s length. She’d adjusted, and she was fine with that, or so she kept telling herself. And meanwhile, she hardly thought of Brandon anymore. Whenever she tried to picture him, his exact image got blurry, like he was disappearing into a heavy fog.
Later that night, Laurie knocked on her sister’s door. “Ada? I’ve come to talk.”
“Please do come in.” Perched cross-legged on her bed, dressed in her voluminous white nightgown, Ada looked as perky as Laurie had ever seen her. Laurie joined her on the bed. “Sounds like you and Kenvern had a lot of fun tonight.”
“Isn’t he wonderful?” Ada blissfully responded. “I love his laugh. I love everything about him.”
“I do believe you’re in love with him.”
Ada’s face lit with happiness. “And he loves me. He’s told me so.”
Laurie wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. How wonderful Ada had finally found a man who loved her. How sad he had to be a man their mother could never accept. “I’m happy for you, Ada, truly I am. Kenvern has many fine qualities, but—”
“Have you ever seen a man so handsome?” Ada burst out. “He’s so kind and caring and gets those adorable dimples in his cheeks whenever he smiles.”
Plainly Ada was so smitten she’d never listen to anything resembling common sense. Yet Laurie couldn’t ignore the one problem that loomed large on her sister’s otherwise bright horizon. “Mother’s not happy about Kenvern.”
Ada’s smile faded. “I know. You would think he was some sort of criminal, the way she looks at him. So far, she hasn’t said anything, but it’s obvious how she feels, and I don’t expect she’ll stay silent much longer.”
“She thinks you should wait until we get back to Philadelphia where you can find someone more suitable.”
“But I don’t want to go back to Philadelphia. I want to stay right here and marry Kenvern Trenowden. Good grief, I’m twenty-three years old, and know what I’m doing. He’s going to ask me soon, and when he does, I’ll say yes, no matter what Mother thinks.”
Startled, Laurie sat back and asked, “Where has my meek, shy little sister gone? I’ve never known you to act this way.”
Ada burst into laughter. “I’ve never been this way. Part of it is, I’m so in love with Kenvern I’d do anything to be with him. Another part, I think, is that living in Lucky Creek is different from living back east. There’s more freedom here. People do what they want and aren’t tied to rigid rules. Remember in Philadelphia how we had to have tea at exactly four o’clock every afternoon?”
“And we wouldn’t dream of going visiting without our calling cards.”
They both laughed, thinking how silly that would look in Lucky Creek.
Laurie continued, “I think I’ve talked Mother into giving the whole situation more time.”
“Thanks for that, although it’s not likely I’ll change my mind. And by the way”—Ada got a playful grin on her face—“lately you haven’t seemed all that anxious to leave yourself. What’s going on? Have you fallen out of love with Brandon? Or could there possibly be someone else?”
From the shrewd way Ada was looking at her, Laurie knew she’d guessed the truth. “I’m in a bit of a dilemma.”
“It’s Darcy McKenna, isn’t it? The man you don’t like?”
Laurie took a playful swipe at her sister. “You’ve guessed, haven’t you? The more I’m with him, the less I find myself thinking about Brandon.”
“It was getting pretty obvious. You talk about Darcy a lot lately, all of it good. What changed your mind?”
“I like that he makes decisions fast and doesn’t dawdle around. He’s firm but fair with his employees and keeps his temper, no matter what.”
“That’s all?”
She’d always been completely honest with her sister and would be now. “Of course, that’s not all. I never used to find him attractive, but now the more I look at him the handsomer he seems.”
“Have you kissed?”
“Yes.”
“More?”
“Yes.”
Soon, to Ada’s titillated delight, she was recounting the night she spent with Darcy at the Gold Spike Hotel. She had to explain at length about how they could have possibly done such a thing on the very night before Valeria was hanged. “I hardly understand it myself. Maybe part of it had to do with how wrought up we both were because of the near lynching. I just know we couldn’t keep our hands off each other, and that’s how it started.”
“You were so swept away on the wings of love you couldn’t help yourselves,” Ada volunteered.
“Perhaps.” Laurie laughed to herself, picturing Darcy’s reaction if told he’d been swept away on the wings of love. Still, Ada could be right.
“So what are you going to do?” Ada asked in her practical voice.
“I honestly don’t know. I’ve committed myself to Brandon. I haven’t heard from him yet, but I’m sure he expects me to return soon as I can. Since t
hat night, Darcy has been friendly enough but standoffish, like he wants nothing more to do with me, other than as someone who works at the mine. After all, I’m not the only woman in his life. He’s cozy with Mrs. Wagner, the woman who owns the Gold Strike. Perhaps there are others, I just don’t know.”
“There’s no one like you, Laurie. You’re bright and you’re beautiful. Have you forgotten all those suitors in Philadelphia who wanted to marry you? Darcy’s just being honorable. He thinks you’re dying to go back to Brandon. Unless you let him know otherwise, he’ll stay away.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“I think you better had before you head back east to marry a man you no longer love.”
No longer loved? Could it be true? “I have a confession to make. Whenever I try to picture Brandon, all I can see are his bug collections. I can’t see his face anymore.”
“Shame on you,” Ada exclaimed, and the two collapsed, laughing, onto the bed.
Chapter 17
What had happened to the gold-bearing ore? As the next week went by, an atmosphere of gloom hung over the office of the Monarch Gold Mine. Iron cars heaped full of ore still rolled from the entrance, but as Tom pointed out, the quality of the ore “just ain’t worth a damn.” As yet, no one acknowledged they’d soon be shutting down, but the obvious threat hung over everyone, from the owners down to the lowliest shoveler.
In an unexpected fashion, the Trenowden brothers were first to make a change. One night, in the midst of a reading lesson, Kenvern blurted, “I’m quitting the mine, Ada. My brothers and I will be going into business for ourselves.” He explained that he, Petrok, and Steren never had any intention of spending the rest of their lives toiling in the darkness for somebody else. They’d been saving their money for years and now had enough to escape a life in the mines. Kenvern would be leaving first, being as he was now the educated member of the family. He would soon be opening a much-needed dry goods store in the town of Lucky Creek.
“Think of it.” Kenvern’s eyes sparked with enthusiasm. “I can see the sign, Trenowden Brothers Dry Goods Store. Petrok and Steren can soon be sending for their wives, and as for me”—he gazed at Ada with adoring eyes—“I’m only waiting until I have plenty to offer, but you know how I feel.”
Since then, Ada had been walking around in a blissful cloud of happiness, although she still hadn’t got up courage enough to tell her mother.
Since her frank conversation with Ada, Laurie had been in a quandary. She wanted very much to have an honest talk with Darcy, but he remained standoffish and never gave her an opportunity to speak her mind. But that would be difficult because what on earth was in her mind? Was she ready to forget Brandon? She wished she could sort out her feelings for Darcy, but how could she when she could never get past the rigid boundary of politeness he’d set up for himself? She still wasn’t sure. Pride alone would keep her from asking, and possibly making a fool of herself, and so she kept silent.
One day, when the day’s production of valuable ore had fallen to nearly zero, Darcy spoke to Laurie, a grim look on his face. “It’s not looking good. I’ll give it a few more days at best, but if nothing happens, we’ll have to shut her down.”
She’d been expecting this, but still, his news hit her hard. “The whole mine?”
“All of it. I hate to disappoint you. This is my fault. If I hadn’t expected that vein to keep going, I’d have told you a long time ago to get out, go back to Philadelphia.”
“No one’s to blame. You warned me of the risk.” She could hardly speak in a normal voice, just thinking what the consequences would be if they lost the Monarch. Mother’s worst nightmare come true. They could scrape up enough money to get home, but then the family would be poor, and Mother would be at the mercy of Aunt Florence. At least Ada would be spared. Laurie couldn’t imagine her lovestruck sister returning to Philadelphia now that she’d found Kenvern. As for Hugh, aside from a few quick visits with Ada and Mother, he wasn’t in their lives anymore. But no doubt Mother would be devastated. “There’s no chance at all?” she asked.
“Not much. We’ll go down a few hundred feet more, but I’m not expecting anything. I’m sorry, Laurie. I wish this had had a better ending. But at least you can feel free to go home now.”
And marry Brandon, she knew he was thinking. The unsaid words stood like a stone wall between them. She so wished she could unburden her heart, tell him she hardly thought of Brandon anymore, but how could she when his every word, look, and gesture were so guarded she never had a chance to speak her mind. “Thank you for being honest with me, Darcy. I know you tried.” She hated giving such an impersonal answer, but at least she could walk away from him with her pride intact.
That night, she got Ada alone and gave her the bad news. As expected, Ada stubbornly clamped her jaw and declared, “Rich or poor, you couldn’t drag me back to Philadelphia now. I dread telling Mother, but one of these days I’ve got to.”
Laurie hated giving Mother even more bad news, but she had a right to know about the impending closure of the mine, the sooner the better. When told, Elizabeth took the news more calmly than Laurie expected. “Are you sure?” she asked.
“Darcy said they’d dig a couple of hundred feet more, but he’s not expecting anything.”
“Then I shall pray for a miracle.”
“Let’s hope you find one,” Laurie replied, although she highly doubted any such miracle would occur.
* * * *
Late the following afternoon, Darcy, Tom, and Laurie were in the office when Petrok Trenowden burst in. “Mr. McKenna, Mr. Crain, you’ve got to come look.” The two rushed out of the office and headed for the mine, Laurie following. At the entrance, she stood anxiously waiting while the three men disappeared inside. She could hardly dare hope for good news, but why else had Petrok been smiling? After an agony of waiting, she heard a faint cheer go up from deep inside. She waited, hardly able to breathe until Tom and Darcy appeared again, both with broad smiles.
“By golly, we hit it!” Tom exclaimed.
In a quieter but still exuberant voice, Darcy told her, “We’ve found another vein, Laurie. It’s even bigger than the first one.”
She clasped her hands in front of her heart. “Then the Monarch won’t be closing?”
Both men broke into laughter. Tom grabbed her and swung her around. “You’re rich, little lady. You should see the size of that vein, a stream of golden ore at least thirty inches wide. I’d wager it’ll take years before it gives out.”
Men started pouring from the entrance, everyone in a jubilant mood. They’d been given the rest of the day off and were on their way to town to celebrate. “You should come along,” a beaming Tom told Laurie.
Happy though she was, she couldn’t picture drinking beer with a bunch of boisterous miners in a saloon. “Thanks for the kind offer, but I’ll just close the office and go home.” As the miners scattered, headed for town, she started back to the office and soon noticed Darcy following. “You’re not going to celebrate?” she asked.
“There’s time enough for that later.” He held the office door open for her, and they stepped inside. “I’ll close the office if you’d like to get home. You must be anxious to tell your mother and sister. Just think, you can go back to Philadelphia in style now. From what I saw of that vein, you’ll never have to worry about money again.”
He might be making a show of sounding calm and detached, but she hadn’t missed the suppressed excitement in his voice. Hearing it, a reckless mood possessed her. For once, she wouldn’t hide her true feelings like she usually did and would say exactly what was on her mind. “You’re not fooling me for a minute, Darcy McKenna. You’re just as excited as I am, and you might as well show it.”
He stared for a moment, then tipped his head back and burst into laughter. “Of course, I’m excited. But this means you’ll be leaving soon, and I won’t like that.” H
is gaze traveled over her face and searched her eyes. “I won’t like that at all.”
The next move was up to her. Common sense prompted her to step back, thank Darcy again for his efforts in saving the mine, then leave for home. That’s what she ought to do, but she wasn’t going to. She reached out to touch his arm and looked directly into those deep, amazingly blue eyes. “Finding that vein means a lot to me for a lot of reasons, and you’re one of them.”
For a moment, he didn’t move. Had she made a mistake? The prolonged anticipation became almost unbearable until he gripped both her arms and asked in a voice harsh with emotion, “What reasons, Laurie?”
“For one thing, I don’t want to go home.”
“And why is that?”
It was time to throw caution to the winds. She slid her hands up his chest and rested them on his shoulders. “Because I don’t want to leave you. And because—”
She never finished her sentence and soon forgot what she was going to say as he pulled her into his arms. With a pent-up emotion explosively released, he devoured her mouth with a kiss that ignited a heat that spread through her blood and made her forget everything except how much she wanted him.
“God, how I’ve been wanting to do that,” he said in a whisper when he came up for air.
“I haven’t forgotten.” Her heart slammed in anticipation as she pressed against the hard, flat planes of his body. Within the next few minutes, a blur that later she barely remembered, they had made sure the door was locked and the old couch in the corner cleared, its contents tossed unceremoniously to the floor. This was the second time they’d made love. After the first, she’d thought it couldn’t get any better, but it did. Afterward, as they lay exhausted on the rickety old couch, totally content, he asked, “So you want to stay here in Lucky Creek?”
She snuggled closer, running her hand over the hard muscles of his chest. “I don’t want to leave you.”
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