Duly chastised, Harriet swallowed. She supposed she could give it a shot—although this position sounded more like that of a governess, and not a school teacher. “All right,” she said. “I will accept the position.”
Twenty minutes later, Harriet was back in her room after being briefed on the duties of her new job, her pay, her living quarters—which she’d share with Vivian—and her days off. Sundays. On Saturdays she was expected to make home visits to struggling students and offer individual tutoring.
But she would be all right. She could do this, and she would enjoy the new challenges. When Vivian returned to their shared room, she was all aflutter with plans, and Harriet didn’t want to put a damper on her friend’s enthusiasm.
“Our place is not far down the street,” Vivian gushed. “We’ll need new curtains, but otherwise, it’s clean and tidy. We’ll make it into a home yet.”
Harriet was listening, mostly, but she was also wondering what Mr. Pinker’s children were like. She found out soon enough. The very next moment, in fact, when someone knocked on their door.
Harriet opened the door to find a young woman, plainly dressed, and a cap covering her head.
“I’m Jenny.” She lifted her brown eyes for a brief moment, then lowered them straightaway. “I’ve come to fetch you to meet Mrs. Pinker and her children, Rebecca and Wallace. Mrs. Pinker would like you to come right away.”
Harriet exchanged a wordless glance with Vivian, who only smiled and nodded.
So Harriet followed Jenny to the top floor of the hotel, through a set of double doors, and into a luxurious living room.
A blonde woman sat in an elegant chair. She lifted her hand and motioned for Harriet to come closer.
“Hello, Mrs. Pinker?” Harriet asked.
Jenny had disappeared somewhere.
“Yes, are you Miss Silverton?” the woman asked, her hand still midair.
Harriet didn’t know if she was supposed to take the woman’s hand or not.
But then Mrs. Pinker waved her fingers. “Sit down. Jenny will bring the children. I have only two rules to abide by.”
“All right.” Harriet sat in a chair across from the woman.
Mrs. Pinker was beautiful, but faint violet circles were beneath her eyes, as if she hadn’t slept well last night, or for several nights. Harriet felt a twinge of compassion for the woman.
“First,” Mrs. Pinker said. “No noise. I don’t care where in the hotel you teach them, but I don’t want to hear anything, and I don’t want complaints from the guests.”
Harriet didn’t know what to make of the request. Surely there’d have to be some noise.
The woman adjusted the doily on the end table next to her as if she was considering her next rule very carefully.
“Second, I don’t want them near the water.” Mrs. Pinker narrowed her eyes. “I heard what happened to you.”
Harriet opened her mouth, then thought better of it and remained silent.
“Ah, here they are now,” Mrs. Pinker said. “Wallace, Rebecca, introduce yourselves.”
If anything, the two children were spitting images of their blonde mother. Both were impeccably dressed, the girl wearing a pale blue dress with a ruffle hem, and the boy wearing navy short pants and a matching jacket. The boy spoke first.
“My name is Wallace, and I’m eleven.” He gave her a small smile that was a bit mischievous, then he elbowed his sister.
She scowled at him, then switched her expression to a contrite smile in the next breath. “I’m Becky, and I’m eight.”
Harriet had no doubt that Rebecca, or Becky, would be the one out of the two who’d give her some trouble.
“Very well,” Mrs. Pinker said. “Now run along with Miss Silverton. Your lessons will begin right away, then Jenny will fetch you after. I’ll keep to my room all evening, so I expect the two of you to behave.”
Both nodded mutely, although Wallace stole a peek at Harriet.
“Wait, right now?” Harriet said. “I wasn’t planning on—” Her words died in her throat as the double doors opened and an older man strode in.
His thinning gray hair was combed severely to one side, and his ferret-like eyes landed on Harriet. “Are you Miss Silverton?” he asked in a commanding tone.
“I am.” Harriet had no cause to be nervous, but here she was, nervous.
The man nodded. This man must be Mr. Pinker. “She looks decent, don’t you think? Did you tell her the rules?”
Mrs. Pinker was the one who answered. “I told her the rules, and she agreed.”
Her husband nodded. “Very well.” His gaze landed once again on Harriet.
And that was it. He said nothing else, just studied her with a cocked eyebrow.
“Yes, well, we’ll be off then,” Harriet said in a slow voice, glancing at Jenny. Perhaps the maid or nanny or whoever she was could help Harriet find where to teach the first lesson that wasn’t even prepared. Because the last thing Harriet wanted to do was ask the Pinkers any questions.
Thankfully, Jenny led them out of the living quarters. Once they were in the hallway, Harriet asked her, “Where is our makeshift classroom?”
“In the attic,” Wallace promptly said.
“In the lobby,” Rebecca said at the same time.
Harriet stopped in the hallway, looking between the children. A faint blush colored both of their cheeks. So she looked to Jenny.
“This way,” Jenny said with a briskness she hadn’t shown around Mrs. Pinker. “At the end of this corridor is a former hotel room. I’ve been instructed to get it ready for a classroom, but I haven’t had time to accomplish the task yet.”
“Understood.” Harriet said, not surprised.
They all followed Jenny, and when the young woman opened the door, Rebecca let out a groan. “It will be so boring in here.”
Wallace sighed, and his eyes seemed to dull. He crossed to one of the chairs and sat down with a thump.
Jenny ducked out of the room, seeming to be glad to leave the three of them alone.
Harriet eyed the room, then the children. “After our lessons on some days, we could go on a field trip,” she suggested.
“A field trip?” Rebecca asked, wrinkling her nose. “What would we do in a field?”
“A field trip is when we go outside, to a museum, or somewhere else to learn about the subject we’re studying about.”
“Where outside?” Rebecca continued. “Mother says there’s crime all over and that it’s not safe.”
“I’m not scared,” Wallace said, puffing out his chest.
Harriet crossed to the hotel window and looked down upon the street below. It happened to be the street where she’d tried to break up a fight between two men. And now . . . she was thinking about Mr. Munns. Would he really stop by the hotel this evening? She shook that thought away. Turning toward the children, she said, “Well, we could decide about it later then. First, I need to know where you are in your academics so that I can better prepare my lessons.”
“I know everything,” Rebecca retorted.
Harriet held back a sigh. Maybe if she ignored the girl’s impertinence, Rebecca would soften up. “What about you, Wallace?”
As he proudly announced his accomplishments, Harriet was duly impressed. “Who’s been your teacher?”
“We went to school until we moved here last year,” Wallace said. “Since then, Mother has been our teacher.”
“But she stays in her room all the time now,” Rebecca said.
Wallace shot her a glare, and Rebecca glared right back.
Harriet didn’t want to get too involved with family dynamics, but she had little choice since they were siblings. Trying to change the subject, she said, “What are your hobbies?”
“Painting,” Rebecca said immediately.
Wallace folded his arms and scoffed, so before he could say something else negative toward his sister, Harriet asked, “What about you, Wallace?”
He looked away, his expression sullen. “Fi
shing. But Father never takes me.”
Stay away from the water, had been one of Mrs. Pinker’s rules.
“Well,” Harriet began. “I might know someone who could take you fishing.” The moment the words left her mouth, she knew it was the wrong thing to say. Wallace’s expression lightened up, and Harriet was left wondering why in the world she’d thought she could offer such a thing.
Caleb secured his fishing boat to the dock where he’d maneuvered it into its usual slip at the harbor. Three boats down the line, he could see Bill working with old McOwen. They hadn’t spoken since the dance. Caleb wasn’t sure if it was due to their fist fight or due to their debate over dancing with Miss Silverton.
Perhaps it was both. Caleb was pretty sure their friendship had come to an irreparable end. No matter. He had plenty of work to occupy him, starting with today’s catch. After securing his boat, he unloaded the nets with fish into a cart and strolled to the fishing vendor he gave most of his business to.
The fishing had been slower today, and he guessed it was because of the incoming storm. So he was later than he’d planned, and by the time he’d washed up in his rented room, he decided it was too late to stop by the hotel lobby. Dark had fallen, and the decent hour had passed.
Still, he could walk by. Perhaps if he saw her through the lobby window, maybe he could walk in and . . . Caleb knew it was a long shot, but he wouldn’t be able to rest tonight without knowing he’d tried. It had been a long time since a woman had so completely dominated his thoughts. Since Lucille, truthfully. And maybe not even with her.
But there was nothing to fear with Miss Silverton, because neither of them was looking to court, and besides, it was perfectly acceptable for men and women to be friends in the nineteenth century. He was curious about her past. He’d certainly told her plenty of his, perhaps too much, and he hoped that hadn’t dissuaded her in their mutual accord.
So, it was with these thoughts in mind that Caleb carefully shaved, then wrestled his way into his too-tight jacket again. Perhaps he’d only accomplish a stroll, but the walking would do him good after sitting in the fishing boat for so long.
When Caleb neared the hotel, he was pleased to see that all the first-floor lights were on. He hadn’t been sure how active the hotel was at night, but it seemed the restaurant was heavily patronized. People were milling about in the lobby, and Caleb slowed his step outside the windows to peer inside.
Those in the lobby were mostly men, and he guessed there was some sort of meeting or convention going on. A quick scan told him that the women in attendance were likely wives of a few of the men, and Harriet wasn’t among them. Neither were any of the other belles whom he might recognize.
Well, he’d tried. Perhaps tomorrow he’d send a note around. Apologize for his change in schedule and arrange another chance meeting. He tried to imagine how Miss Silverton would react to such a note.
“Mr. Munns?” The woman’s voice startled him.
Caleb turned around to see a pair of women walking toward him on the sidewalk. One of them was . . . Miss Silverton.
The first words out of his mouth were perhaps not the best. “You shouldn’t be out here alone at night.”
“I’m not alone, Mr. Munns,” she said in a smooth voice. “I’m with Vivian Little.”
Caleb glanced at the second woman. They’d arrived in the patches of light spilling from the hotel windows. He didn’t care that Miss Silverton was with Miss Little. Neither of them should be out after dark unaccompanied by a man. “Be that the case, it’s still unwise to walk the Seattle streets after dark.” He nodded to Miss Little, and she nodded back. That introduction was sufficient for the both of them.
The two women grew closer, and Miss Silverton’s hair caught the light from the windows, since she wore no hat. She wore a short jacket over her lavender blouse, and her cheeks looked unusually rosy. With a smile, she said, “We only walked a couple of blocks to visit our new accommodations. The sun has barely set. Besides, I had given up on you coming tonight.”
He felt the spark of her gaze, or perhaps it was his imagination. Had she implied that she’d waited for him? Perhaps looked forward to his visit?
“The fishing was slow,” he said. “Which delays everything else. You have new accommodations?” Did this mean that she’d be teaching locally? He shouldn’t let his heart soar, but it did.
“Yes.” Her gaze searched his, and he tried not to read into it. “Both Vivian and I are teaching at the schoolhouse near the docks. Although I’ll be dividing myself between the schoolhouse and teaching Mr. Pinker’s children privately.”
This surprised Caleb. “Like a governess? Is that what you want?”
The line between her brows told him what she wasn’t saying.
“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” she said, her smile not quite genuine. “I already spent the afternoon with the two children. They are very eager to learn.”
Caleb glanced at Miss Little to see that she looked bored. He nodded. “Well, then, I wish you all the best.” He hesitated, wondering how bold he dared to be. “Might I walk you around the block?”
As expected, her brows raised, but then she nodded. “All right.”
Miss Little merely bade farewell and continued into the hotel.
“The night is not too dangerous if I am with you?” she asked, humor in her tone.
Caleb held back a smile. “Avoiding danger completely is impossible, but I’m confident you’ll be safe with me.” With Miss Little absent, Caleb’s guard lowered a bit, and he became more aware of how close they were standing on the sidewalk.
“Well, then, lead the way, Mr. Munns.”
“I might not be one of the fancy gentlemen you’re used to back east, but I do know how to offer my arm.”
She laughed, and he grinned.
“I was testing you, Mr. Munns,” she said, slipping her hand around the crook of his elbow so naturally that it was as if this wasn’t their first walk.
“Testing me?” he said. “For what?”
“To see if you’re more of a gentleman than you think you are,” she said, as they took the first steps together.
With her smaller stride, he kept his steps shorter as well. He didn’t mind. He was in no hurry for the time to pass. “And what is your conclusion?”
“I haven’t formed one yet,” she said. “Although I will say that I’m not sad to leave any of the eastern gentlemen behind. They can all have nice lives without me.”
Caleb rather enjoyed the press of her fingers against his arm, and the way her clothing brushed against his. The companionship. Of a woman. “Is this revelation part of what you promised to tell me?”
“I don’t remember promising, exactly.”
He looked over at her as they walked past a restaurant. “It was definitely a promise. I don’t forget things like that.”
Her eyes connected with his, the dark pools of blue in the dimness captivating him. “All right. I suppose this had been your plan all along?”
He chuckled. “Something like that.”
She exhaled, then said, “All right. My tale of woe began about five years ago, when both of my parents were killed.”
Caleb stopped then and there. He felt awful for making light of her past. “I’m very sorry.”
Her smile was sad. “Thank you. Even though it’s been five years, sometimes it feels like yesterday.” She cleared her throat. “Everything went to my brother, of course, but he made sure I was taken care of. For the most part. Until he started drinking.”
They began walking again, Caleb listening intently. This was not the story he had expected to hear.
“It was painful to watch his disillusion grow,” she said in a quiet voice. “He blamed everything and everyone else for our situation. He’s my twin, you know, so you could say that it cut to the bone.”
Again, Caleb stopped walking. He placed a hand over hers on his arm. “You don’t have to tell me any more.”
“I haven’t reac
hed the good part,” she said in a voice that betrayed a bit of her emotion.
So they stood there where they’d stopped on the corner, facing each other, touching, while she continued.
“I’m a clumsy person by nature,” she said, blinking up at him. “Harry, my brother, used to tease me about it. I never thought I’d miss it. But the clumsiness continued into adulthood, and with it a new awkwardness. I would say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, even think the wrong thing.”
“Is that possible?” Caleb asked.
“In Philadelphia society it is,” she said. “Women who aren’t seeking husbands are ostracized from the social circles. I wanted an education. And I got it, but that also drove the ‘gentlemen’ away.”
Caleb instinctively tightened his hand over hers. She didn’t draw back.
“I watched my friends marry one by one, and at the last dance I went to, I was asked by a man twice my age.” She shrugged. “After that it wasn’t too hard to accept Mr. Mercer’s call to relocate teachers. I didn’t want to be around my brother anymore, and there was no comfortable place for me in society.”
Caleb understood, he really did, but he still had a question. “With Philadelphia behind you, do you regret your decision to leave?”
“No,” she said. “The schoolchildren here need me. No one in Philadelphia did. And I think it’s important to be needed.”
Caleb agreed, although no one needed him. “The students of Seattle are fortunate to have you as their teacher. Forget marriage.”
Her smile was much more genuine this time. “Right. I don’t need to marry. I already have children, of sorts. I’ll be spending plenty of time with my students, day in and day out. Besides, what does it matter that I never get kissed, never married, never have children of my own—”
“Wait,” Caleb said, drawing back so he could see her more fully. “You’ve never kissed a man?”
Her pretty blush returned. “I haven’t.” She tugged on his arm, and they began to walk again. “There are more important things in life.”
“Very true,” he said, thinking fast. Why should this information about Miss Silverton capture his attention so completely? Plenty of women, and likely men, didn’t marry, or kiss a love interest, he assumed. But it was hard to believe that Miss Silverton had never been kissed. What was wrong with the men back east?
Mercer's Belles Page 5
