“Don’t be ridiculous! Elizabeth wouldn’t have accepted another free meal, let alone me walking her home,” Auggie murmured, shaking his head as he turned away from the window. “And I can’t just walk her home without damaging her reputation.”
He’d never met a woman like Elizabeth Hamilton before. She was a lot stronger than she thought by forging out a life for herself following the death of her husband. And she didn’t take things for granted like some women did. She wanted to work for her place, not find someone to take care of her or give her handouts. He found that a very attractive trait in her.
Yet, if she knew the position she held had been arranged for her, he had a sinking feeling she’d leave without a thought. The last thing he wanted was an extremely angry woman on his hands.
Then her beautiful face wouldn’t grace the lobby of the hotel again. Not that it mattered to him. He had the hotel’s reputation to protect and hiring a widow, namely Elizabeth Hamilton, under false pretenses would give wagging tongues something to yap about.
A woman like her couldn’t be interested in a man like him. A man with an ugly scar across his face. If he didn’t shave, she’d never see it. He’d be able to keep his damaged face from her enchanting blue eyes. Her smile was soft and inviting, lighting up any room she was in.
“Blast it!” Auggie headed out of his apartment, slamming the door behind him. Taking the steps down two at a time, he headed straight for his office.
The lobby was quiet. Stewart stood behind the desk, going over the guest book for most likely the thousandth time of the day.
“Ah, Mr. Raines.” Stewart looked up from the ledger. “I was just going over—”
“The guestbook.” Auggie grinned, knowing his young desk clerk too well. He was ambitious, and he couldn’t do without him.
“Actually, I was going over the tickets for Mrs. Hamilton. She has several garments to work on in the morning.” Stewart’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “I would think she’d prefer to do them in the order in which they arrived.”
“For Mrs. Hamilton?” Auggie stammered, looking at the tickets upside down. “There are items for her to mend all ready? She’s only been here for a day. This can’t be, Stewart.”
Stewart laughed. “Maybe you should look for yourself, Mr. Raines.” He turned the tickets around for Auggie to get a better look at. “News traveled quickly after the sign was posted and applicants were turned away this morning. Some of the items aren’t from the hotel guests. I didn’t want to turn anyone away.”
“Yes, yes, that was good thinking.” Scanning them, Auggie was amazed at the number of tickets. “Fifteen? Where have you put them?”
“The only place I could think of. Mrs. Hamilton’s sewing room, of course.” Stewart smiled, his chest puffed out, obviously proud of taking the initiative. “I had to have James build some pegs on the wall to hang the clothing on.”
“Well, please show me,” Auggie instructed, his hands sweaty and blood humming.
“Yes sir.” Stewart stepped from behind the lobby desk.
Auggie followed him through the lobby and into the back of the empty dining room where the sewing room was. Stewart opened the door then lit the lantern on the table, the yellow glow illuminating the room.
“Oh my!” Auggie said, hands on his hips and suitcoat tucked behind his arms. “These all came in after Mrs. Hamilton left for the day?”
“Yes, sir. Looks like hiring a seamstress was one of your more brilliant ideas, Mr. Raines. Although I must say, I did doubt the necessity for one,” Stewart said sheepishly.
“Only it wasn’t my idea,” Auggie chuckled, turning down the lantern after taking one more look at the several items ranging from dresses to shirts to pantaloons hanging on the wall waiting for the lovely Elizabeth’s magical touch.
CHAPTER 8
For the next several weeks, Elizabeth went about the business of repairing garments for not only the hotel guests, but also many of the people in Blessings Valley. Especially after Auggie had begun to take in garments in need of repair from the good people of Blessings Valley who weren’t staying at the Grand. In some cases, the customer would have lunch in the hotel’s dining room while she made a small repair.
She and Auggie had a friendly and amicable working relationship. Elizabeth found him to be a kind, good-natured employer. A man who was becoming a friend. Much to her surprise—and dismay.
The more time she spent with Augustine Raines, the more she found herself looking forward to each day. Those first few weeks, she’d enjoyed going to the hotel and working magic with her hands; it gave her something to focus on other than missing her beloved husband.
Then she woke one morning anxious to see not only the people she worked with, but also Auggie. Today was one of those days. And while the sensation wracked her with guilt, it also made her feel alive.
Elizabeth looked through her clothes for the perfect outfit. Slipping on the dark navy skirt and a blue-and-white patterned blouse, Elizabeth felt different. Almost joyous, if that were possible. The last time she’d put something new and colorful on was the morning of the mining accident.
A wave of betrayal swept over her. She’d vowed to love Steven till death they did part. In her mind and heart, those words of promise meant until her dying day—not Steven’s.
Shaking the feelings away, she finished getting dressed then left for the hotel.
The sun felt warm upon her face. The air was fresh with the scent of wildflowers that grew along the path.
And the church she eagerly passed each day glowed in the morning light.
Elizabeth stood on the worn dirt path gazing up at the church. The front door stood open. She waited, expecting to see Fannie at any moment. When she didn’t appear, Elizabeth took a step forward, her heart pounding in her chest.
“Fannie!” Elizabeth called out, anticipating her friend’s sweet voice would answer. When none came, panic swept through her and landed like a boulder in the pit of her stomach.
“Fannie!” She cried out again, running up the steps and into the church. Her eyes searched frantically everywhere in the sanctuary. She walked up and down the aisle, her head swiveling back and forth as she checked between each of the pews. Relief flooded her when she didn’t find Fannie, or anyone else, unconscious.
Feeling the weight of fright leave her, Elizabeth looked up, surprised she stood before the altar. She gazed upon the cross. Her eyes filling with tears, she fell to her knees.
Don’t be afraid, child, for I walk beside you.
A light touch upon her arm startled Elizabeth. She slowly turned her head. Fannie knelt beside her, hands folded in prayer.
“He has been waiting for you, Elizabeth,” Fannie whispered, her head bowed and eyes closed.
“I thought He had forgotten me after Steven’s death,” Elizabeth said through the tears she hadn’t realized were sliding down her cheeks. “When it was I who had forgotten Him.”
“He never forgets, Elizabeth. He waits even as He is always with you. He waits for you to come to Him and pray for what you need.” Fannie smiled, taking Elizabeth’s hand in her own. “He always hears, even if He may not always answer.”
“Thank you, Fannie, for being here,” Elizabeth said, swiping away the tears and rising to feet.
The two walked out of the church together. Elizabeth walked down the steps, waved goodbye to Fannie, then continued into town.
A sense of hope enveloped her being as she strolled along the path. She hadn’t felt this much peace in months. Was she beginning to forgive?
Auggie paced his office. There was a flicker as well as a brick in the pit of his stomach. How could one be nervous and excited at the same time? Especially when that person had been raised to hide any emotion?
Since the arrival of Elizabeth Hamilton, hiding his emotion had become next to impossible. Auggie found with each passing day they spent together he wanted to know more about Elizabeth. As much as was proper for a bachelor to know about a widow grievin
g the loss of her husband.
Where did Elizabeth’s family come from? How had she met her now-dead husband? What was her favorite color? What was her level of education? Did she have any siblings? Or was she an only child like him?
For the first time in years, he was interested in getting to know a woman on a personal level. And the realization had set him off-balance. Now that he’d decided to find out more about her, things felt to be leveling out.
“Will you take lunch in your office today?” Mary stood in the doorway, wiping her hands on a towel.
“Is it that time already?” Auggie asked, glancing at his pocket watch. Eleven o’clock, not quite lunch yet.
“No, but it has been a quiet morning in the kitchen so I thought I would check on you.” Mary glanced at him, her brows furrowed.
“As you can see, I am quite well.” Auggie hid his thoughts behind a smile, hoping Mary didn’t see through his fences.
“Are you?” Mary asked, stepping into his office and closing the door. “Because you haven’t been yourself, or at least the person I’ve become accustomed to seeing each day since your recovery. You’ve been—different. Not so aloof around the staff lately.”
“Honestly, Mary.” Auggie turned away, stuffing his hands into those forbidden pant pockets.
“Yes, let’s be honest, Augustine,” Mary snapped.
Now I’m in trouble! She never calls me by my birth name unless I’ve done something wrong, Auggie thought.
“Go ahead, Mary, and get it over with. What have I done now?” Auggie slid his hand from the pockets and straightened his backbone. He wanted to be ready to deflect whatever Mary was about to lash him with.
“It’s not what you have done, it’s what you haven’t done.” Mary stood with her arms folded in front of her, the towel dangling from a hand. “You’ve been walking around this hotel like a lovesick puppy.”
“I beg to differ!” Auggie defended himself.,
“You can beg all you want; it won’t change things. No one in Blessings Valley knows you as well as I do,” she declared, her stern gaze softening a bit. “You like Elizabeth Hamilton.”
“Of course, I like her. I like all my employees, or they wouldn’t be working for me,” Auggie all but huffed.
“Be that as it may, you best do something about your attraction to her, Auggie. Either keep your distance from Mrs. Hamilton or start courting her. Just make up your mind!” Mary turned and marched out of the office back to the kitchen.
“Good grief! Is it really that obvious?” Auggie mused, slamming open the ledger on his desk. Sitting with a huff, he leaned back and closed his eyes.
Would it really be so horrible if I tested the waters a little to see if Elizabeth might be interested in me? To see if there may be a chance of successfully courting her?
That would mean exposing myself to her—scarred face and all. Am I really ready for the rejection that is sure to come? Or the comments from others I have successfully been able to avoid?
Auggie scowled. A vision of Elizabeth on his arm, the two of them laughing and happy. Greeting the people of Blessings Valley openly with no harsh whispers of pity behind their backs.
Whispers of the beautiful and lonely widow and the ugly scarred hotel owner.
“Morning, Willa,” Elizabeth called out as she stood in front of her friend’s boardinghouse. “It’s a glorious day, don’t you agree?”
“Why, yes, it is!” Willa answered, sweeping off the bottom porch step. “You are in a sunny mood today.”
Elizabeth joined Willa on the steps of the boardinghouse. “I am, Willa. Are you free for lunch today? It has been weeks since we last really had some time to have tea.”
“Of course, I’d love to,” Willa replied, a big smile on her face. “It so happens that I am free of boarders for the midday meal.”
“Great. How about noon then?” Elizabeth suggested, suddenly feeling anxious to be on her way. She wanted to have plenty of time with Willa and not have to worry about the garment repairs waiting for her today.
“I’ll see you then, Elizabeth,” Willa agreed.
“See you then,” Elizabeth said, waving as she turned and continued on her way to the Grand.
She was happy to have lunch with Willa now that something inside her had changed. Elizabeth had yet to define it and in truth, hoped Willa would be able to give her some insight on the feeling that had unexpectedly crept into her grief.
Was it peace that brightened that dark spot lodged in her heart for months? Or something else totally unexpected? Maybe she was growing accustomed to being on her own.
Whatever it was, Elizabeth wanted to confide in Willa to hear what she might think was happening. She knew she wasn’t forgetting Steven or their love. How could she when theirs was a match made in Heaven? The tears and sorrow that had been present every minute of every day were subsiding. Deep down, she was afraid of losing those agonizing memories that kept her from moving forward. Because that would mean she’d moved on from losing her husband. The only forward motion she wanted was to make a place for herself in Blessings Valley. Like Willa had.
Elizabeth wanted to know how her friend had done it. How she’d survived without finding another to love.
Elizabeth walked through the doors, breathing in the scents of the Grand Hotel. The rich smell of polish that left the walnut wood gleaming. The mouthwatering smell of Mrs. Hall making bread for breakfast. The fresh flowers that appeared each and every day.
Scents that reminded her of being alive. She, Elizabeth Hamilton, was alive while her husband was dead. Steven’s job on Earth was done, and now he sat among the Saints of Heaven. Her job had yet to be completed, and she’d better get to work and figure out what that was.
Lizzie-girl, live your life. I will always be near. Be the woman I knew you always were. The one I fell deeply in love with.
“Mrs. Hamilton?”
Elizabeth turned from Steven’s voice to the one calling her name. Blinking several times, her gaze focused on the kind and gentle brown eyes of Auggie.
“Stewart, please get Mrs. Hamilton a glass of water,” Auggie ordered, then his hand was upon her elbow, their gazes locked on each other.
“Elizabeth?” he whispered.
“Yes, I…I am fine,” Elizabeth responded, her heart thumping behind her breast.
“Mr. Raines?” Stewart’s concerned voice made her turn in his direction and smile.
“Mrs. Hamilton, please come to my office and sit for a moment. Stewart has brought you some water,” Auggie kindly offered, his otherwise cheerful gaze marred with concern.
A swoosh of feeling grounded slammed into Elizabeth. She looked at Auggie again. For a moment, his eyes held something close to an emotion she’d not seen before. Then the flicker of emotion was gone.
Drawing in a deep breath, she straightened herself and turned toward the dining room.
“Mr. Raines, I have work that must be done today. If you wish to discuss anything with me, please do so there.” Elizabeth strolled steadily through the dining room to her sewing room, her heart continuing its rapid beating. She could feel Auggie within inches behind her.
The door closed softly. She took her seat near the window, picking up the garment she’d started working on yesterday. A simple shirt in need of repairs in the seam and a tear in the sleeve as well as a few buttons to replace.
“Elizabeth, what happened back there?” Auggie asked. “You gave me cause to panic.”
“I do apologize, Auggie.” She threaded a needle then looked up at him. He knelt in front of her, close enough that she thought she could hear the rapid beat of his heart. “I’m not sure. It may have been the collective smells of the lobby that caught me off guard this morning.”
“You are feeling better now then?” Auggie asked, concern for her still edging his words.
“Yes,” she laughed. “I am not going to leave this Earth anytime soon, Auggie. At least not today.
“I’m sorry if I scared Stewart as well
. It has been an unusual morning, and I’m afraid my mind was in another place. Many things have taken me by surprise in such a short time.” Elizabeth placed the shirt in her lap, fighting the urge to reach out with a reassuring touch of her hand.
“Elizabeth, do you feel well enough to dine with me tonight?” Auggie asked suddenly, pacing the small room. “I know this may seem, well…I’m not sure what it seems.” He nervously laughed.
“I don’t think that would be appropriate, do you, Auggie?” Elizabeth looked away to hide she’d very much like to have dinner with him. The idea of sharing a meal with someone other than the dust in her house, or one of the other widows, excited her. Yet, would it just invoke more gossip about their relationship, or lack of?
“I understand your hesitation. If it’s the issue of having a chaperone, would you that prefer Mrs. Hall or Mrs. Alexander join us?” Auggie suggested, stuffing his hands into his pant pockets.
“Why not both of them and make a dinner party out of it?” Elizabeth suggested, picking the shirt back up, not daring to look him in the face should her expression reveal too much. It was too soon for her to be entertaining the idea of dining alone with a man. Wasn’t it? Another thing to discuss with Willa.
“Very well. Arrive with Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Alexander about six o’clock.” Auggie snapped his fingers, a smile reflecting in his voice. “I’ll make arrangements for dinner with both of them.”
CHAPTER 9
Auggie could barely contain himself as he walked through the dining room, across the lobby, and into his office. Closing the door, he took a deep breath, smiling.
“She agreed! With conditions, of course, but Elizabeth agreed nonetheless.” He hadn’t felt this giddy since Jenny Smith went to the harvest school dance with him at twelve years old.
The stolen kiss behind the school. He’d felt so grownup—for about three seconds. That’s when Jenny’s older brother threw him to the ground by the shirt collar, warning him to stay away from Jenny. It had taken Auggie years before he ever thought of stealing kisses again.
Elizabeth (Widows of Blessings Valley Book 1) Page 7
