“I told you I didn’t want to see him,” Maddie took one look at Jace and accused her aunt.
“This has nothing to do with Cathy,” Jace cut in. “And I’m not leaving until you’ve heard me out.”
Maddie would have spoken but she heard the door just then and turned to see that Cathy had deserted her ship. She had gone back to the kitchen, where Doyle waited, and shut the parlor door behind her.
“What do you remember about the picnic?” Jace asked her when she turned back to glare at him.
“What?” Maddie said, immediately disarmed.
“What do you remember about our picnic? What did we do? What did we talk about?”
“I don’t know.” She sounded as frustrated as she was. “We were in the wagon and then we stopped at the field. You had food for us.”
“Do you remember the little brown flask?”
Maddie heard Jace’s quiet, serious voice, looked into his face, and calmed some, even going so far as to take a seat. She didn’t want to argue with this man, and if his face was any indication, he was as miserable as she.
“A little brown flask?”
“Yes, you drank out of it.”
“I remember now. I nearly choked, but then I was warmer.”
“Maddie, how much alcohol do you normally drink?”
“I don’t drink any alcohol, not even hard cider. I don’t like the way it tastes.”
Jace stared at her, desperately regretting what had happened. Maddie looked back at him for a full minute, her eyes growing wide when she realized what he was saying. Her hand came to her face, her mind desperately trying to remember.
“I can’t remember a thing,” she whispered. “I recall eating and then getting cold, and then we were home, and I thought how nice you had been.”
Jace’s expression changed to one of regret. Seeing it, Maddie rose slowly, her own face losing all color.
“Jace, did we…?” she couldn’t finish the question, so horrifying were her thoughts.
“No.” Jace’s voice was completely tender as he rose and went to her. He took her hand. “We kissed. I swear to you that is all we did. I didn’t plan for that to happen, but you fell against me, and it did. I’m sorry.”
The candle wasn’t lending much light, but as Maddie looked up at him, she had all the light she needed to see that his heart was real. The regret in his eyes was genuine, and he’d not been playing games with her in the store.
“I’m sorry I was angry with you,” Maddie whispered.
“It’s all right. I knew you weren’t yourself, but I didn’t realize you didn’t remember.”
They stood and looked at each other for a long time. Finally Jace spoke, his voice low.
“I want you to know how much I want to kiss you again, but I won’t do that until I know it’s what you want as well.”
“What about now?” Maddie asked, nearly breaking Jace’s resolve.
“Now would work.” They were both still whispering. “But when the time comes I want two things.”
“What are they?”
“I don’t want to be interrupted, and I want you to remember every moment.”
Maddie’s whole frame flushed with warmth. How had she thought this man anything but wonderful? She leaned toward him, and Jace almost leaned as well, but a noise in the kitchen stopped them.
“Some other time,” Jace said quietly, reaching with one finger to stroke down her soft cheek.
Maddie smiled up at him, and Jace touched the end of her nose before smiling as well.
“You, Miss Shephard,” he whispered, “are very beautiful.”
Maddie’s eyes sparkled up at him, and Jace reclaimed her hand.
“Let’s go see Doyle and Cathy. They need to know we’re not in here killing each other.”
Maddie led the way. They joined the couple in the kitchen, who could immediately tell that fences had been mended. The four of them took the parlor a short time later and talked for many hours. It was getting late before Jace took his leave, but tired as they all were, they agreed that they would do it again, taking up where they had finished.
“What changed?” Cathy asked as soon as Maddie came to the breakfast table the next morning.
Maddie was very sleepy, so for a few seconds she only stared at her aunt.
“Is there coffee?” she finally asked.
Cathy poured her a mug, and Maddie sat at the table in the kitchen.
“Are you talking about Jace and me?” Maddie asked after a little more time.
“Yes. After tea last night you didn’t even want to see him, and then you watched each other all evening. Did something happen on the picnic?”
“Yes, something did happen,” Maddie admitted, and then realized she didn’t want to elaborate. “I misjudged Jace,” she ended up saying. “I didn’t think he could be trusted, but I was all wrong.”
“Madalyn.” Cathy used her full name and sat down to put their eyes level. “We think Jace is as fine a young man as you can find, but we won’t push you anymore. We never meant to push you. We don’t want you to ever be hurt again.”
Maddie smiled at her. “It’s all right, Cathy. Jace and I are fine. I don’t feel pushed by you anymore, but I’m glad you told me to go on the picnic. I might not have ever allowed Jace to get close, and that would have been a great loss.”
“Are you sure?” her aunt asked, studying her eyes with great care.
“Very sure.”
Giving Maddie’s hand a squeeze, Cathy nodded as relief filled her. She had lain awake a long time in the night, trying to work it all out in her mind. She wanted Maddie to have someone, of that she was certain, but until Jace had come and the two had talked, she couldn’t be sure he was the one.
Now watching Maddie, sleepy as she was, and smiling at nothing in particular as she drank her coffee, Cathy allowed herself to dream.
The letter started, My Dearest Madalyn, I can’t believe how long you’ve been gone. Maddie smiled at Paige’s dramatics and then sat back to enjoy herself.
Did you know there are 96 stairs in this house? I counted each and every one! Is that not the most pathetic thing you’ve ever heard? I’ve never been so bored in all my 16 years. Celeste came today and brought the baby.
Paige changed subjects just that fast, telling of her sister and niece.
I think the baby looks like me and a monkey at the same time. Don’t tell Celeste or Mother I said that. I’ve always heard that babies are beautiful, but the only beauty I see is in her eyes—they resemble mine. The rest looks like a small ape. We did not go on a trip. Did you know Mother was planning one? We were all set to go, but things came up at the office for Father. One of the partners died and left a terrible mess of paperwork and possibly some underhanded dealings. I always thought his eyes were shifty. I’ve decided to write that book. You know, the one you’ve been telling me to write. It will take place by the sea and involve a most vile murder. What do you think?
Maddie didn’t know what to think, but she did laugh. She laughed so hard that tears came to her eyes. She waited only until she could breathe again to start a letter in return. She owed one to the missus as well but would cover Paige first. How she missed that precocious teen.
Maddie couldn’t remember what she did wrong. She had run upstairs to get a tin of oil, planning to head right back down to the store. She wasn’t in a particular hurry, and she didn’t feel very distracted, but that didn’t change what happened.
One moment she was three treads down, and the next moment she was in a heap at the bottom. The pain in her head and shoulder did not register right away, but when it did, she groaned and gasped a little. Moving her neck slowly in a circle, she didn’t think anything was broken, but she was so sore she wondered how she would get up.
“Cathy?” a female voice called from out front.
“I’ll be with you in a moment,” Maddie called back, hoping it was true.
Maddie pushed to her knees and then to her feet. She dusted
herself off, smoothed her apron and hair, and forced her legs to take her out front, hoping she looked more normal than she felt. The woman in the store was a stranger to her, and she wasn’t looking for much. Maddie filled her order in less than ten minutes, relieved to see her go. As soon as she was alone, she slipped out by the stove in the middle of the room and took a seat. Not until that moment did she notice the trembling.
Half of Maddie’s heart hoped that Cathy would not arrive unexpectedly. She would know something had happened. But the other half wanted her to come, and that half wanted someone to hug her and tell her the strange, unsettled feeling that resulted from a nasty fall would soon be gone.
Her heart was still in a muddle when David Scales walked in.
“Well, Maddie,” he said kindly, “on your own just now?”
“Yes.” She rose, trying to keep the grimace from her face. “Cathy is working at home today.”
“Any word on when Doyle will be back on his feet?”
“No, but he’s doing well.” Maddie forced her mind to think about Doyle. “I feel like he’ll be back to himself in no time.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” David told her, and then just stared at her. Maddie caught it and looked back.
“Is something wrong?” Maddie asked.
“I was going to ask you the same thing.”
Hoping to distract his thoughts, Maddie smiled at him and asked what he needed. David fell for it. He gave his list to her, a rather long one, and didn’t seem to notice her again. Maddie was glad. She didn’t want to tell anyone what had happened for fear that it would get back to her aunt and uncle. As soon as David left, Maddie went to one of the mirrors hanging on the wall and put herself into complete order.
She turned away from the glass, determined to look and act normal for the rest of the day.
“I think I’m ready to go back to the store,” Doyle announced as he entered the kitchen where Cathy was dipping candles.
Cathy turned slowly toward her husband, not sure how to reply. She stared at the man she loved, the man she shared a life with and who worried her no small amount.
“Say something,” Doyle commanded.
Cathy’s mind scrambled. “Why do you think you’re ready?”
“I feel good.”
“How good?”
“Very good.”
Cathy smiled at his earnest tone, some of her fear receding, but still she said, “It’s only been two months, Doyle. It’s not enough time.”
He looked as frustrated as he felt, and Cathy expected this response from the man she knew so well. He had wanted her to speak but didn’t really want to hear the words. And she didn’t know what to say next. Would more words get her into trouble, or was he ready to listen?
The questions were taken from Cathy’s hands when Doyle turned and left the room. He didn’t slam doors or appear to be pouting, but Cathy knew that, at least for the moment, the subject was closed.
Maddie could hardly believe the day had come to an end. She didn’t know what time it had been when she fell, but her body ached much more now, making the the rest of the day feel like a week instead of several hours.
She closed the front door with a great deal of satisfaction but didn’t reach the side door in time. Jace was suddenly there, his hat coming off as he smiled at her. She had not seen him on Sunday—Woody had been down—so her heart was torn. She wanted to see him, but she also wanted to crawl into bed and stay there for the rest of the week.
“How are you?”
“Fine,” she lied with a smile, thinking that her back had never hurt so much.
“Long day?” he asked, noticing the strained look on her face.
“It was,” she admitted, warming a little to his caring tone. “How is Woody feeling?”
“Better. He manages to rally every time.”
“I’m glad,” Maddie said sincerely, but Jace caught a tone that put him on his guard. He wasn’t certain, but it seemed as though she wasn’t overly pleased to see him. He’d been so certain she understood about Woody, but maybe he’d misread the situation.
“Is everything all right?” Jace tried again, not wanting to jump to any conclusions.
Maddie looked away, and Jace’s heart sank. He had thought that having her was too good to be true and knew that his fears were becoming reality.
“I’m just weary,” she said, but her voice said more.
“I think it’s more than being tired,” Jace said, working to keep his voice normal when he felt anxiety rising inside.
Maddie didn’t look at him when she answered. “Have you ever fallen and found it to be unsettling? Did it shake you up?”
“You fell?”
Maddie nodded, still able to see the stairs, banister, and ceiling all rushing up in her mind.
“Where did you fall?”
“Down the stairs.”
Jace’s heart jolted as he moved so he could see her face. “Where on the stairs?
“Near the top,” Maddie said, finally looking at him.
Moving slowly and carefully, Jace put his arms around her.
“Come here,” he whispered. “Let me hold you.”
Maddie let herself relax against him, once she realized he wasn’t going to squeeze her.
“Feel better?” he asked after several moments of silence.
“Much,” she said, her eyes closed, her head pillowed against him, thinking she never wanted to move.
“I’m surprised Cathy let you finish the day on your own,” Jace commented, his hands warm and gentle on her back.
“She doesn’t know,” Maddie admitted, feeling Jace stiffen. He shifted enough to see her face.
“You were here alone?”
Maddie nodded. “A customer came in, but I didn’t tell anyone.”
“You have to tell Cathy.”
“That’s the last thing I can do. Doyle needs her, and she doesn’t need to worry about me right now.”
Jace opened his mouth and shut it. He wanted to argue but realized he couldn’t. Maddie stood looking up at him until Jace forgot all about her fall. He looked into her eyes and drew her close again. His head was lowering when she gasped.
“I’m sorry,” he said, coming back to earth in a hurry. “I didn’t mean to crush you.”
“I must have a bruise on my side,” Maddie said, her voice still breathless.
Jace looked down at her with regret. The kiss was forgotten; he was only sorry she’d hurt herself.
“I’ll walk you home,” he offered.
“Will you stay for tea?”
“What do you think?” he teased, smiling a little.
“I think you’re so fresh that Cathy will chase you off with the broom.”
The image caused Jace to laugh, and even though Maddie chuckled, she remembered her aches and pains just then. Not wanting to delay a moment longer, she led the way out of the store and across to the house, hoping that Cathy would not need much help with tea and that no one would notice when she went to bed early.
“I think you’re angry with me,” Cathy said to Doyle after the lantern was turned low and then off.
“I’m not,” he said, but Cathy knew he was put out. He’d been quiet, even during Jace’s visit, and had wanted to turn in early.
“You can be angry with me,” Cathy told him. “I just need to know about it.”
Doyle didn’t answer for a long time. Cathy knew she wouldn’t sleep if he left it like that, but she also knew she couldn’t force the words out of him.
In the next instant she was angry herself. Why would he close her out? She had done everything in her power to make him comfortable and put him back on his feet. She deserved better than to be treated as though it was her fault.
“Cathy,” Doyle said in the dark, his voice having changed. “I can feel you getting angry over there.”
“And what if I am?” she said to him, flouncing a bit on the pillow. “I’ve worked hard to take care of you, and you want to throw it all away!?
??
Doyle didn’t speak, but he was smiling in the dark, having just come to the same conclusion. He lay still for a moment but knew he would have to make amends.
Cathy felt his hand on her back—her lower back—his fingers kneading gently where she always ached the most. She almost moved from his touch, but her anger cooled when she saw it for the apology that it was.
In the next few minutes, Doyle rolled onto his side to reach her with both hands. Cathy relaxed under his ministrations until he came close enough to put his lips against her neck.
“Your heart,” she said softly, not wanting to even mention it.
“My heart can go ahead and stop in my chest if I can’t even touch my wife.”
Cathy turned to him, her arms going around him, to welcome his embrace.
Standing before the tall mirror in her room, Maddie stared at the bruises on her body, knowing that Cathy would be very upset if she knew. It looked as though someone had beaten her. Her side was nearly black, and her back wasn’t much better. Her upper arm and shoulder sported dark marks, as did the side of her neck.
Maddie planned on wearing high-necked clothing for the next few days and mentally prepared for the work it would take to keep this from Doyle and Cathy. She had thought for a few moments that Jace was going to let something slip, but he’d kept his mouth shut.
With a sigh of relief, Maddie slipped into bed, only to find that every position she attempted caused pain. She had expected to feel so good when she lay down that her disappointment was keen. It was some time before she was able to fall asleep.
Alison stood by the tall spinning wheel, her eyes on the fluffy strips of wool as it spun its way into the thick yarn that she would use for mittens, hats, scarves, and socks. It was a long time before people would need such things, but she liked to get a head start because she traded goods with Doyle Shephard during the winter. He liked the patterns she put in her goods, and he knew her quality was excellent. During the summer Douglas would do odd jobs to gain a little more income, but that became harder in the winter, and having things to trade at the general store had become a lifeline.