Kitabı oku: «The Proper Wife», sayfa 3

Chapter Four

“Actually, I’m looking for Josie’s honey tree.”

Eli thought for a moment he’d misheard. “You’re what?”

“Looking for Josie’s honey tree.” She made the statement as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. “I want to replace the honey that spilled out on the floor yesterday.”

He pulled the buggy to a stop and set the brake. He couldn’t believe he’d gone all this way down a rutted-pig’s-trail-of-a-road on such a fool’s errand. When he turned to speak to her again it was all he could do not to growl. “And Mrs. Collins asked you to do this?”

“Actually, I intended it as a surprise.” Before he could say anything she rushed on. “I never said Cora Beth asked me. I just said we were fetching something for her. Which we are.” She grimaced, then sat up straighter. “I’m sorry. I do know that a lie by omission is still a lie. You’re right to be angry. I should have been more up-front with you.”

Her honesty was disarming but it still didn’t make him any fonder of the current situation. “If you felt the need to replace the honey you ruined, why couldn’t you just purchase a jar at the mercantile?”

A flash of some strong emotion crossed her face, but then she shook it off. “Because that honey was special.” Her tone was earnest but he noticed the way she clasped and unclasped her hands in her lap. “It was the last of a batch of wild honey that has a unique flavor. Cora Beth uses it to make those wonderful fruitcakes that she sells. She didn’t say anything but I know she’s worried about missing some of her regular delivery dates, what with her hurt arm. And now this. She counts on the income from those cakes to help her make ends meet.”

Something she would have no need to do once she became his wife. Not that he could say that to Miss Lassiter.

“The location of the hive is supposed to be secret,” she continued, her voice a nervous babble, “but I had a suspicion Danny would know where it might be.” Her expression turned smug. “I grew up with two brothers of my own and they weren’t likely to let a secret like that get the better of them. Sure enough, when I questioned Danny he admitted he followed Josie, all sneaky-like, on one of her trips. He couldn’t get real close—seems he swells up something awful when he gets stung, but he got close enough to spot the general vicinity.”

That was it? That was what she’d based this ill thought-out expedition on? “I’m going to find a place to turn this buggy around and we’re going to head right back to the main road.”

Dismay clouded her expression. “You can’t, not when we’ve already come this far. Look, right over there is the turtle back rock Danny told me about. We’re close, I know it.”

“Miss Lassiter, I don’t—”

She placed a hand on his arm. “Please. If not for me, do it for Cora Beth. This would mean a great deal to her.”

Her action, as well as the touch of desperation in her tone, startled him.

As if seeing him weaken, she pressed her case. “Give it just ten more minutes. If we haven’t found the hive by then, I’ll go without complaint.” She gave him a cajoling smile. “Besides, who doesn’t like the idea of a treasure hunt?”

He had to bite back a smile at that—the woman really was incorrigible. “Oh very well—ten minutes.” He hoped he didn’t regret the decision. “What’s the next landmark we’re looking for?”

She released his arm and settled back into her seat. “Thank you. There should be a small cabin of some sort just a little way farther along. Then we’ll need to go the rest of the way by foot.”

Of course they would. But he absolutely drew the line at wondering through the woods. If it wasn’t in easy sight of the trail he would most definitely put an end to her quest. “If Danny didn’t set eyes on the hive itself, how do you know you can find it?”

“He says he got close enough to hear her working. Don’t worry, I’ll find it.”

The small cabin turned out to be a one room building that looked as if it would topple over with the next good wind that blew by.

Eli tied the horse to a bit of brush, then paused as he considered a possible flaw in her plan. “Do you even know how to collect honey?”

But she nodded confidently. “I’ve done it a time or two—remember, I have two brothers and I grew up on a ranch.” She smiled as he took her hand to help her down. “How about you?”

“I have not yet had that pleasure.”

His sarcasm seemed lost on her. “Don’t worry, I’ll show you how. I have some netting and gloves for the two of us so we shouldn’t have to worry much about getting stung. And I also have some oil-soaked rags for smoking the little critters, along with a bucket to collect the honey comb in.”

He’d wondered why she’d packed so many provisions to deliver to her brother’s ranch. “Sounds like you came prepared.”

“Of course. Actually, I don’t know how Josie managed it on her own. I’ve always thought of this as a two-person job. Come to think of it, it’ll be interesting to see how she managed to not destroy the hive while she was at it.”

He stepped forward to assist as she reached behind the seat of the buggy to collect her supplies. He was irritated with her, yes, but he was still a gentleman.

Miss Lassiter studied the brush beside the road and finally pointed toward a narrow space between two scraggly saplings. “There’s a trail here, just like Danny said. But it’s overgrown and looks to be marshy in spots, so watch your step.”

He stepped forward. “I’d better take the lead.” He wasn’t going to risk her getting them lost or wandering too far afield.

Saying the trail was overgrown was an understatement. Within minutes Eli began to wonder if this was actually a trail at all. When his left shoe sunk into a muddy patch a few moments later, he was ready to call the whole thing off. “I’m sorry, Miss Lassiter, but I think—”

“Look, there it is.”

Eli glanced to his left where she was pointing and sure enough the brush gave way to a small flower-bedecked clearing. And right at the edge of it was a crudely constructed man-made hive.

Without waiting for his lead, she moved toward the clearing. “Why Josie, you clever girl. So this is how you were able to harvest honey from the same hive time after time.” She glanced over her shoulder at Eli. “Normally, when you harvest honey from a natural hive, you end up destroying the hive itself or killing the queen. But Josie’s created a cleverly designed artificial hive using this log. This way, you can get at the honey with minimal disruption to the bees.” Then she looked around. “Oh my—no wonder the honey has such a distinctive flavor. I see honeysuckle vines, wild roses and larkspur, but I don’t even know what half of these other flowers are.”

Eli was struck by the way her face fairly glowed with pleasure as she took it all in. That simple joy made her look even more childlike than usual.

Then she turned back to him and her expression immediately sobered. “Sorry. I know you’re in a hurry to get this over with.”

Oddly moved by the loss of her smile, he almost felt as if he should apologize to her for having dampened her mood.

She waved toward the bag he carried. “You can set that here.” As soon as he’d set it down, she dug around inside and withdrew two pair of gloves and netting.

She turned and handed him a large piece of the netting. “Place this around your head and tuck it securely into the collar of your shirt. It’ll keep the bees from getting to your face and neck. Then put these gloves on to protect your hands.”

Eli studied the material uncertainly. He hadn’t really expected them to find the hive, hadn’t considered that he might actually have to assist in the harvesting. Where was his backup plan when he needed one?

But it seemed he was committed to this project now. With a mental sigh he did as she’d instructed.

Despite his misgivings, he actually found himself intrigued by the whole honey-gathering experience. Miss Lassiter spent some time exploring the setup of the hive and the implements Mrs. Collins’s sister had left on site, all carefully wrapped in oilcloth and stored off the ground to keep them from rotting or rusting. His companion seemed delighted with each new discovery and her explanations were filled with superlatives. When she finally set to work, she patiently explained everything she did and everything she needed him to do in great detail, from how to gently waft the smoke into the hive to how to slice the comb as she lifted the frames.

Her bubbly enthusiasm and childlike pleasure in the task puzzled him. The woman seemed to tackle every job she undertook as an adventure to be savored. Which, while naive and inefficient, was also an intriguing novelty. One, he was certain, would become tiresome over time. And surprisingly she seemed much more confidant and capable than she had with her duties at the boardinghouse.

Once they’d finally collected enough honey to satisfy her they moved a safe distance from the hive with their treasure. She set her burdens down and removed the netting from her head, losing a few hairpins in the process. “Now aren’t you glad we came?” she asked as she tucked the cloth into the sack. “You had a chance to experience something new, and Cora Beth will be so pleased with the honey.”

He added his netting and gloves to the sack and then glanced up at the sky as he picked it up. “Let’s just try to make it to your brother’s ranch before that rain starts.”

She seemed disappointed with his staid response, but nodded. “You have the sack, so I’ll take—”

They both reached for the bucket of honey at the same time, their hands overlapping on the handle. He studied her small, delicate hand next to his larger, coarser one and felt that same something strange that had jangled through him in the boarding-house kitchen yesterday.

He forced his gaze up to meet hers and was surprised by the soft warmth in those sorrel-brown depths. Shaking off his momentary disquiet, Eli released the bucket and straightened. “We’d best hurry.”

He preceded her as they marched toward the road, wondering what had gotten into him lately. Perhaps all the events of the past few months were finally starting to have an effect on him. He—

A movement on the ground in front of him caught his attention and he halted mid-step. His pulse quickened as he recognized the coiled form. He hated snakes!

His companion bumped into him and he took firm hold of her arm. “I don’t want to alarm you, but there’s a snake directly in our path. Move back.” He tried to keep his voice calm, to ignore the sweat trickling down his back. She would no doubt count on him to keep her safe.

The snake lifted its head and flicked its tongue in their direction. Fighting his own visceral reaction, Eli tried to tug Miss Lassiter back with him. Problem was, she didn’t seem to feel the same sense of urgency.

Blabbering some nonsense about the snake being harmless, she tried to pull away from him. Concerned for her safety he held onto her all the harder and tried to pull her away from the snake’s proximity.

And then it happened. He caught his left foot on something and a sharp pain in the vicinity of his ankle drove him to his knees.

Chapter Five

Sadie’s heart thudded in her chest as she dropped to her knees beside him. “What’s wrong? Are you all right?” Please God, let it just be a stumble.

His expression was contorted, a sure sign he was in pain, but he still tried to get up. “The snake. Where—”

“Gone.” She placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him down. “But like I tried to tell you, it was just a harm less king snake.”

He went very still, his expression closing off. Then he nodded stiffly. “My apologies for the overreaction. It seems I made a bit of a fool of myself.”

Sounded like it was his pride that was injured. Growing up with two older brothers, she’d dealt with her fair share of that ailment over the years and knew how prickly it could make a fella. “I’m sure the snakes in this part of the country look different than those do where you come from.” She offered a reassuring smile. “And when in doubt it’s always wise to give the critters a wide berth.”

Her words didn’t seem to ease his stiffness any. Ah well, he’d get over his wounded pride soon enough. Right now they had other things to worry about.

“Can you walk? ’Cause we probably ought to get a move on. Collecting that honey took a little longer than I expected and from the looks of those clouds up there the rain is going to come in sooner than we expected.”

He glanced up toward the sky and nodded.

Sadie bit her lip as she studied him. He seemed to be okay but the fact that he’d made no move yet to stand was making her uneasy.

She could almost see him gather his strength before he started to push himself up, and her stomach knotted.

“You are hurt.” It wasn’t a question.

“I think I twisted my ankle,” he admitted. “I’ll be fine once I get back to the buggy. If you can find me a stout stick to use for leverage—”

“Take my arm and I’ll help you up.”

His look was dismissive. “I appreciate the offer, but you can’t support my weight.” Now he did sound like her brothers. “I’m stronger than I look.”

She saw the stubborn glint in his eye—probably that pride thing again. Before he could protest further she gave him a stern look of her own. “Look, I don’t see any stout sticks nearby and I sure don’t intend to waste time looking for one while we wait for the bottom to fall out of those clouds. So just take my arm.”

His irritation was plain, but after a second he nodded. “Very well.” He took the arm she offered and gingerly stood, while carefully avoiding putting any weight on his left foot.

She gave him a minute to steady himself. “Okay. Now put your arm around my shoulder and we’ll get you to the buggy.”

Without a word, Mr. Reynolds set his hand gingerly on her nearest shoulder.

The man was exasperating. “That’ll never work. I assure you I won’t break and I won’t swoon. For the next few minutes I will simply think of you as one of my brothers and you are free to think of me as a sister. Now, put your arm around me to my other shoulder so you can get proper support and we can get out of here.”

His lips compressed, but he did as she’d commanded.

As they picked their way along the overgrown trail, Sadie was acutely aware of his arm around her, of his weight against her—warm, heavy, vital.

So much for thinking of him like a brother.

By the time they finally made it back to the road, the first drops of rain had begun to fall. It was intermittent, but the fat drops, suddenly darkened sky and oppressive air promised worse to come.

Once at the wagon, he released her and used the frame of the buggy to leverage himself up onto the seat. At least they’d made it to the relative shelter of the buggy before the worst of the weather blew in.

“I apologize for not being able to hand you up,” he said as he settled in, “but—”

“Don’t give it another thought.” She resisted the urge to rub away the tingle that lingered where his arm had been.

“If I can impose on you to untether the horse, we’ll get on our way.”

She could tell that simple request had not been easy for him. “Of course. Just as soon as I fetch that pail of honey.”

“But the rain—”

“Oh, a little rain never hurt anyone. After all the trouble we put into collecting it, I don’t intend to leave even a drop behind if I can help it.”

Before he could protest further, she hiked her skirts up to her ankles and dashed back into the thicket. She grabbed both the honey and the supplies just as the rain began to fall in earnest. Encumbered by her bulky burdens, she made slower progress on the return trip and by the time she was ready to scramble onto the seat beside him she was more than a little damp.

But it had been worth it.

She ignored Mr. Reynolds’s censoring glance and laughed as she tried to shake some of the water from her skirts. “I haven’t played in the rain since I was a schoolgirl—I’d forgotten how fun it was.”

Of course, it would be a lot more fun if her companion wasn’t so stodgy. She wished there was some way she could get him to relax and see the joy in the little things.

Eli resisted the urge to roll his eyes. How could she make light of her sodden state? She had to be uncomfortable. And even on this warm May day, there was a real chance of her catching a cold if she didn’t find something dry to change into soon. He had to get her back to town.

Then she sat up straighter. “Would you like me to take the reins?”

Some of his sympathy evaporated as he gritted his teeth and released the brake. “It’s my ankle that’s hurt, not my hands.” Just because he’d overreacted when he spied the snake was no reason for her to try to mollycoddle him.

Using the small clearing in front of the ramshackle cabin, he turned the wagon around and headed back the way they’d come.

There, that should show her he could still handle the buggy. He gave her a sideways glance. “Given the weather and the condition of my ankle, I think it best we return to town rather than proceed to your brother’s ranch.”

“Yes, of course. We need to get the doctor to look at your ankle as soon as possible.” She rubbed her hand over her arm as she stared out at the downpour.

Had she already taken a chill? He shrugged out of his relatively dry jacket. “Here, put this on.”

“But—”

“No arguments. You’re soaked through and the last thing we need is for you to get sick.” He tried gentling his tone. “After all, Mrs. Collins is counting on you.”

She chewed her lip a moment as he held her gaze and slowly nodded. “Thank you.”

His coat swallowed her up, making her appear even smaller than normal. Several tendrils had escaped the confines of their pins and hung, damp and forlorn, down her neck. His hand moved, almost of its own accord, to brush her cheek in reassurance. At the last moment he came to his senses and flicked the reins instead, hoping she hadn’t noticed his lapse of control.

They rode along in silence for a while as he tried to maneuver the overgrown trail in the rain. The throbbing in his ankle was getting worse and his mood was going downhill with it as a bright flash of lightning lit the sky just then, almost immediately followed by a much-too-close clap of thunder. His companion jumped, but Eli had no time to reassure her. It took all of his focus to steady the horse. Even so, he couldn’t help but notice how tightly she grabbed the seat.

“That sounded like it was close.” She didn’t sound quite so carefree now.

“It was probably further away than it seemed.” Why this sudden urge to comfort her?

A moment later they rounded a corner in the trail and Eli pulled back on the reins. “Whoa.”

Up ahead, a tree was down, completely blocking the road. The char marks on the trunk left no doubt as to what had happened.

Miss Lassiter leaned forward, trying to get a better view through the driving rain. “Do you see any way around it?”

He could tell from her tone that she already knew the answer. “Afraid not.”

She sighed as she settled back in her seat. “What now?”

What now indeed? Under other circumstances he might have tried to find a way to hitch the horse to the trunk and move the blamed thing, at least enough to allow the buggy through. Or left the carriage behind and rode out on the horse alone to find help. But between the worsening storm and his throbbing ankle there was no way he could make the attempt now. They needed a fallback plan. And there was only one option.

“Now we go back to that cabin and wait out the storm.” He used his most decisive tone. “Once the weather clears I’ll find a way to get us out of here.” To add to their problems, he had no idea what kind of shelter that miserable looking cabin was going to afford them when they arrived. He fervently hoped it was more solid than it appeared, but with the luck he was having lately he wouldn’t be surprised if it leaked like a sieve.

It took a bit of maneuvering to get the buggy turned around on the narrow, overgrown road. By the time they were headed back toward the cabin, Eli could feel the tenseness in his shoulders and jaw. Hearing her sneeze only added to his worries about what the rest of this day might hold. What a mess!

She shifted on the seat, glancing his way from the corner of her eye. “I’m sorry I got us into this fix. I suppose I should have thought this whole thing through a little better.”

He agreed, but it would be churlish to say so. Besides, he could have put an end to this as soon as he discovered what she was about. He’d examine his reasons for not doing so later. “I don’t think there is any value to be had in either assigning or assuming blame.” He tried to ease his foot into a more comfortable position. “Our efforts would be better focused on trying to find shelter from this rain.”

It didn’t take long to make their way back to the cabin, but this time they were headed against the wind. Spray from the rain peppered their faces, dampened their clothes. Eli pulled the buggy up as close to the door as possible. Not that it mattered. A person could only get so wet.

Before he could even set the brake, Miss Lassiter had scrambled down and raced around to his side of the buggy.

The woman was already soaking wet.

“Come along, let me help you inside.”

He held onto the frame of the buggy again as he climbed down, but then gingerly placed his arm around her shoulder. There was no time for another argument over the proprieties.

He did his best to help her open the door of the cabin, taking out some of his frustration on the stubborn hinges. Once inside, it took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust. There were four windows with shutters, one set on each wall. Since most of the shutters were broken or askew, enough daylight had pushed through so that it wasn’t entirely gloomy.

It might have been better had it not revealed quite so much.

A thick coat of dust covered everything. ‘Everything’ being a generous term. Very little furniture remained. And it wasn’t just dust—leaves and other debris from outside had made their way inside, as well.

The cabin consisted of one large open area, with an alcove to their right—probably for sleeping—and a fireplace to their left. Fortunately, the roof seemed relatively sound. There was one steady drip in the alcove area and one near what must be the back door. Other than that, the place appeared dry.

He glanced his companion’s way, expecting to see dismay, and perhaps something stronger. Instead she was looking around with interest, seeming pleased by what she saw. “God was definitely looking out for us,” she said cheerily. “We ought to be able to wait out the storm in relative comfort here.”

A sudden rustling from across the room snagged his attention. Before he could do more than stiffen, a squirrel shot out of a far corner. His companion, who’d merely shrugged her shoulders at the sight of that snake earlier, jumped. The animal, tail flickering in agitation, disappeared through a half-shuttered window, apparently preferring the rain to their company.

Miss Lassiter gave him a sheepish look. “Sorry. Hope I didn’t jar you. The squirrel startled me.”

“I’m fine.” He released her shoulder and braced his arm against the wall. To be honest her reaction made him feel slightly better about his own reaction to the snake.

A few other skittering noises came from the vicinity of the alcove, but he told himself they were caused by the wind coming in, not mice or other vermin.

Besides, there were more pressing things to worry about at the moment. Like, was that a working fireplace? A fire would go a long way to helping them dry out.

“Will you be all right for a few minutes?” she asked, reclaiming his attention.

Eli eyed her suspiciously. “Of course. But where do you think you’re going?”

“I need to unhitch and tether the horse. And while I’m out there I intend to fetch whatever I can find in the buggy that we can use to make us more comfortable in here.”

All things he should be taking care of. “That can all wait until the storm—

She held a hand up, palm out. “I can’t get any wetter than I already am. And it would be cruel to leave the horse standing out there for who knows how long hitched to the buggy. Besides, we can’t risk him getting spooked by the storm and running off.”

She was right, of course. But that didn’t make him like it any better. “At least take this.” He pulled his hat off. “That scrap you’ve got on your head is no protection in this weather.” And from the looks of it, it probably wouldn’t ever be fit for use again.

She nodded and untied the ribbon that secured the soggy bit of frippery. He placed his more sensible hat on her head and found himself brushing the hair off her forehead to tuck it under the brim. The wisps tickled his fingers, as if even her hair was prone to playfulness.

He moved back and studied the picture she made in his too-big-for-her coat and hat. They swallowed her up, making her look like a child playing dress up. But she was covered except for the bottom half of her skirt.

As if reading his thoughts she gave him a reassuring smile. “Thanks, this is much better. And don’t worry, I shouldn’t be long.”

He watched her head back out into the weather, feeling frustrated at his enforced uselessness. Then he looked around, taking stock of their temporary shelter. The least he could do was get to work doing what he could to make the place as comfortable as possible. Even though he was certain that thanks to Miss Lassiter, this would be one of the most uncomfortable afternoons he’d spent in quite some time.

Arms full, Sadie shoved the door of the cabin open with her shoulder. The load was bulky and awkward to manage but she hadn’t cared for the idea of making a second trip to the buggy in this weather.

Stepping inside, she found Mr. Reynolds sitting on the low hearth, working on cleaning out the fireplace. Even with damp clothes and smudges on his sleeve, the always-dapper banker was still quite handsome.

He looked up and caught her staring so she looked away, setting the hamper and the covered bucket of honey just inside the door.

“I feel sorry for the mare,” she said to cover her embarrassment. “She’s a good horse and deserves a nice dry barn to wait out the storm in.”

“Hopefully this will blow over soon.”

Sadie refrained from comment, but she’d seen this kind of storm before. She doubted it would be over “soon.”

“So what did you find in the buggy?” He eyed the hamper with interest. “Any food?”

“Hungry, are you?” She grinned as she folded the blanket into a smaller square. Then she set it down on top of the hamper and bucket, taking care to not let it touch the dirty floor.

“Not starving,” he answered. “But I wouldn’t turn down a bite to eat.” He gave her a challenging smile. “Not that I’m worried we’ll starve. There’s always that honey you have there.”

“Bite your tongue—that’s for Cora Beth.” She doffed the hat he’d loaned her and bumped it against her skirts to shake some of the water off. “Besides, I don’t think it’ll come to that.” She removed the coat and gave it the same treatment. No point trailing water all through the place—all this dirt and dust would turn into a muddy mess. “The hamper has all of the stuff Cora Beth helped Viola pack for the folks at the ranch. I think they’ll forgive us if we help ourselves.” She tried to jab a few stray hairpins more securely on her head. “I know it’s nothing fancy but we can always pretend we’re on a picnic.”

“Picnic fare sounds good. Given the situation, I’d say we’re lucky to have it.”

“I’d say, rather, that the Good Lord was looking out for us.” She opened the sack and began digging around. “As far as other supplies, I found an old picnic blanket under the wagon seat, and I also have this sack of honey-gathering tools, including—” she straightened “this flint.”

His eyes lit up at that. “Good. Because as far as I can tell the chimney is clear, and I think the first order of business should be to get a fire started so we can try to dry out.”

“I agree.” She looked around as she crossed the room. “And there certainly seems to be a lot of material laying around that we can use for firewood. That old stool and those rickety benches both seem to be fit for nothing else. And the shutter on that window is already hanging by one rusty hinge.”

He nodded, only glancing up briefly before resuming his work at the fireplace. “There’s a few pieces of actual firewood the last squatters left behind in the hearth. But we could really use some kindling. If you see any twigs or other bits of debris that would serve the purpose gather them up.”

She took in the layers of dirt and debris surrounding them and wrinkled her nose. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”

Once he took the flint from her, she hung his hat and coat on two of the half dozen nails jutting from the mantel. The garments would fare much better there than on any of the dusty surfaces the cabin had to offer.

In short order she had collected a goodly number of twigs, pecan husks and other flammable-looking bits and carried them to the hearth.

She tamped down the urge to offer to lend a hand as she watched him arrange the kindling and bits of wood. Instead, she stood and surveyed the cabin. “If we’re going to be stuck here for a while, we might as well try to make it more comfortable. I don’t suppose you saw a broom anywhere?”

He glanced up with a surprised expression, then shrugged. “Afraid not.” He looked at the floor with a grimace. “Too bad.”

“Then I’ll just have to improvise. A leafy branch or bit of brush will work just about as well—bound to be lots of those handy. If you’ll loan me your pocketknife I’ll see what I can find.”