Loving Liza Jane (17 page)

“You shouldn’t feel guilty,” Liza said simply. “It’s natural for a little girl to want a mother. I don’t know what I’d have done if it weren’t for my aunt Hettie.”

“I would want her to be pretty, of course,” Lili said.

“Of course.”

“My mama was real pretty. Was your mama pretty?” Big blue eyes met Liza’s gaze.

“All the pictures I’ve seen of her indicate that she was. And my father was handsome.”

“My papa’s handsome, don’t you think?”

The question set her off balance. “Yes…Yes, I think he’s very handsome.” No point in hiding the plain truth.

Lili stretched her neck so that she could better see into Liza’s face. Then she studied her with particular care. “If I got a new mama, I would want her to look ’zactly like you.”

“Oh, Lili, I do believe that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“Maybe you could marry my papa someday. I could ask God to make it happen.”

Liza held her breath. One thing she’d learned early on about Lili Broughton was that her mind traveled nearly as fast as the speed of light.

“Sweetie, I’m not sure you ought to pray for that.”

“Why not? Don’t you think God answers prayers?” Lili’s eyes grew to boulder size.

“Well, yes, I believe He does, but sometimes we have to be careful what we ask for.”

With a confused look, the child continued, “Papa says that God will give us everything that we ask for if it lines up with His will, and if it’s something that we need.”

“Lili! Liza!” A distant male voice carried on the wings of another ear-splitting crash of thunder.

“That sounds like Papa!” Lili squealed, crawling to the opening.

Liza’s heart thumped unevenly.

“Papa! Papa, we’re over here! Miss Merriwether and me are havin’ us a friendly little conversation.”

Liza worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Oh dear, the way Lili made it sound, they were having a regular picnic. All that was missing were the fancy little sandwiches and a platter of cookies. She began to question whether she should have allowed Lili to talk her into stopping. Yes, they’d found necessary shelter, but, on the other hand, if they’d just trudged along, they would likely have been home by now.

How long had Mr. Broughton been out searching for his daughter, and would he hold Liza responsible for detaining her?

Worse, in what kind of mood would he be once he found them nestled in a cave?

Ben let loose a long-held breath and thanked God from the bottom of his heart when he heard his daughter��s voice, then saw her waving wildly, leaning out of a hole in the side of a rock formation at the foot of a huge stony slope.

Kentucky was known for its many caves. He might have known Lili would discover this low-lying one, nearly covered up completely by overgrown brush, and stationed well off the beaten path. It was smart of them to seek shelter. He wondered if Liza had been the one to suggest it.

He clucked at the horses to hurry them along, eager to make sure both the teacher and Lili were fine.

As if sensing something exciting lay in store, Molly poked her head out from under the dampened blanket. “We found them, Mol,” Ben whispered with a smile.

“Gaaaa-gaaaa!” Molly babbled in response, flapping both her arms under the blanket.

“That’s right. Thank You, God.”

He’d already circled the trail twice and had been about to go back into town and report his daughter missing to Sheriff Murdock. It would be the second time since the teacher’s arrival in Little Hickman that he’d been tempted to pay the sheriff a visit. It made him wonder if trouble didn’t follow the teacher. Even her aunt had said Liza could find it faster than a worm at the end of a fishing pole.

“Papa, Miss Merriwether and me been talkin’ about lots of things,” his daughter said as he drew nearer. Lightning struck and, moments later, another round of thunder erupted. It would seem the storm planned to hold on.

“Have you now?” Ben reined in the team at the front of the cave.

“Yeah, and I told her I’m going to ask God…”

At that, the schoolteacher hastily moved Lili aside and poked her head out the opening.

“Mr. Broughton, I can explain. The rain was absolutely drenching, and then what with the thunder and bolts of lightning, well, I…we thought that finding shelter was of utmost importance. Lili remembered this cave that she and Leonora Humphrey had discovered last summer. And so she led me to it, even though I went rather reluctantly. I knew you would wonder…”

“Miss Merriwether, the important thing is that you’re both safe. Now stop your jabbering and climb aboard my wagon. It’s not completely dry in here, but the top does ward off the worst of the rains.”

“Yes, sir, we shall do that straightaway.”

The creek had expanded considerably, making Ben wonder what tomorrow would bring if the rain refused to let up. He’d seen Little Hickman Creek swell to river proportions in less than twenty-four hours with continuous rain. If that were the case this time, it could become impassable. Even the bridge upstream could wash away with heavy rains. He pulled the horses to a halt at the bank and studied the situation.

“Mr. Broughton, shouldn’t you consider going the extra half-mile to the bridge crossing?” Liza called from the back seat. Relentless water pounded on the wagon’s tarp-like ceiling, doing little to keep them all dry. Much of the precipitation seemed to be falling sideways since the wind had picked up, making the conditions worse than ever.

“Don’t know how safe that would be. It’s a rickety structure, and what with these torrential rains, I’m afraid it might not hold. I believe I’d rather take my chances here.”

“Do you often get rains this heavy?”

“It’s a might unusual to see it come down so hard and so fast,” he answered, looking straight ahead.

“I’m scared, Papa.” Lili’s voice held high-pitched alarm.

“Don’t be, sugar. I won’t let anything happen to you. Liza, will you take Molly, please?”

“Of course.”

Molly went willingly when Ben lifted her over the seat. The exchange took but a second, but in that brief time, their eyes connected and held. He glimpsed concern and so he whispered, “Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

She nodded and managed a brave smile.

Turning around, he muttered a prayer for protection, then tapped the reins, urging the horses forward. As if sensing the danger, they advanced with caution, swinging their mighty heads from side to side and snorting their objections.

“Yah!” Ben hollered, slapping them harder. “Yah!”

One step, two steps, three—they hit the fast-moving waters and quickly sank up to their bellies. How deep was it? No matter, it was too late to turn them around.

Neighing with fright, the horses stopped in their wake, but Ben rejected their stubbornness and urged them into the water’s depths, resorting to the whip more than he would have liked. Obeying, they resumed the trek, snorting their fury at being forced into the cold water.

The wagon tipped precariously, and when they reached the halfway point, water began seeping into the bottom of the carriage.

Lili let out a scream, but Liza must have muffled it with her hand, for the child quieted quickly.

“Almost there,” Ben called while fighting to keep calm himself, feeling the crushing weight of responsibility for his passengers as the waters trickled in, flooding the floor. “Almost there,” he repeated.

The well-trained horses kept their footing and reached the other side, their hooves vibrating the earth as they stomped and clomped on the muddy banks, continuing to pull until the wagon cleared the powerful waters. Once out of harm’s way, Ben called the horses to a halt, threw the reins over the brake stick, and whirled around in his seat.

“Everybody okay?”

Liza sat stiff as a corpse, her eyes bulging with moisture, her face devoid of color. Lili’s head was buried in the teacher’s side, her eyes clamped tightly shut against the cotton fabric of Liza’s clinging-wet dress. Only Molly looked at peace with herself and the world as she poked her head out from under the blanket.

“Paaaa,” Molly cried, sending Ben a toothy grin.

At that, Liza cracked a smile of her own, following it up with a nervous giggle.

Very slowly, Lili emerged from her cocoon. “Are we alive?” she asked Ben, her eyes wide with astonishment.

Ben threw back his head and let out a peal of laughter. “Yes, pumpkin, we are all quite alive.”

Liza brought her hand up to stifle a giggle, but soon out-and-out laughter sprang forth, producing tears that mixed with her already rain-dappled face.

Before long, Molly joined in, and then Lili, although neither of them quite saw the humor for what it was.

Once the joviality died down, Ben turned around and slapped the reins. “It’s time I got us all back home.”

Not until he’d driven several yards down the mud-sloshed path did he realize he’d included Liza when he thought of home.

Rather than take Liza to her cabin, he directed the horses into his own drive, pulling them to a stop at the front door. Jumping off the side, he raised his hands up to Lili so she could jump down. She scampered hastily into the house, darting raindrops as she fled and sloshing mud in every which direction.

Ben took Molly from Liza’s arms next. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back,” he promised, his eyes snagging hers.

In a minute he returned, only to find the stubborn woman already dismounting, her back to him as she lifted her skirts to find her footing. Clasping her on either side of her tiny waist, he set her on the ground, noting that she wasn’t much heavier than his Lili.

Openly flustered by his handling, she glanced around the soggy yard. “I’ll just walk up the hill. Thank you for the ride, Mr. Broughton.”

“Come inside,” he ordered, seizing her by the arm.

“Oh, I couldn’t. It wouldn’t be proper.”

He laughed. “Now is not the time to worry about propriety, Eliza Jane. You’re soaked through to the skin, and you need to dry off.”

“I can dry off just as well at my own place.”

“Come inside,” he urged, giving her another tug. “We’ll soon be swimming if we stay out here much longer.”

“Well, all right, but only until the rain lets up.”

Just as Ben closed the door behind them, lightning scratched its evil talons across the darkened sky once more.

***

With Lili’s coaxing, Liza agreed to stay for supper, even helped make the food selections: Boston baked beans and bacon slices, collard greens, canned peaches, and warmed biscuits. While she tried to make herself useful in the kitchen, Lili at her side, Mr. Broughton laid out some garments he’d fished from a drawer and insisted she put on while he tended to the horses and a few other outside chores.

Although she’d shunned his suggestion at first, knowing the clothes must surely have belonged to his wife, she couldn’t help but notice how uncomfortable she felt in her sopping wet dress. Lili had already hastily changed into something else and had even changed Molly’s wet diaper and day dress without her father’s prompting. It seemed foolish to remain the only one in wet clothing.

“Well, if you’re sure,” she said, not allowing her gaze to linger on his deep blue eyes, instead letting it fall to the carefully folded violet dress that lay on the table.

“Of course I’m sure,” he said, standing in the open doorway, his huge frame all but blocking the view to the barn and beyond.

When she still didn’t move, he offered her a ready smile. “It’ll be too big, but at least it’s dry.” Then to Lili, “Supper’s smelling mighty good.”

“It’ll be ready when you come back in, Papa.”

He gave Liza one last look. “I’ll be back shortly.” With that, he closed the door behind him and jogged off across the open yard.

The dress was indeed big. Shoddy might describe exactly how she felt in it. The hem dragged behind her, skimming the floor, no doubt doing a fine job of collecting dust. She’d managed to roll up the sleeves several times, but could do little with the oversized waist and bodice. However, it was dry, and that was the important thing. Mrs. Broughton must have been a splendidly well-formed woman, Liza surmised.

Dinner conversation centered around the continuous rainfall, the events of the school day, including lunch and recess play, and Lili’s lively description of the wondrous cave in which she and Liza had found shelter. Mr. Broughton gave her his full attention, every so often capturing Liza’s eyes in his, the twinkle there telling Liza he wasn’t nearly as interested in what Lili had to say as he let on. Still, Liza thought it wonderful the way he let Lili prattle, as if every word she uttered were of utmost importance.

“And do you have homework tonight?” Ben asked, finally finding a spot in Lili’s long line of nonstop chatter to insert the question.

“Nope!” Lili beamed across the table at her teacher. “Miss Merriwether says the real studyin’ won’t start up till next week. She’s givin’ us a week to get arselves adjusted.”

“Is that so?” Ben asked, laying down his spoon and going for a few sips of apple cider, watching Liza over the top of his tin cup while he swallowed.

Liza found his gaze disarming so she turned her attention back to the smiling Lili.

“I’m sure that set right with the rest of the classroom,” Ben remarked.

“Everyone cheered real loud. Oh, and Miss Merriwether’s readin’ Black Beauty to us, Papa. It’s about a beautiful shiny horse that has to leave his mama and papa at the farm where he grew up. Are you goin’ to read more tomorrow, Miss Merriwether?”

“I certainly plan to,” Liza answered, wiping a speck of something from her chin with her finger, realizing too late that she should have used the napkin provided her.

Benjamin glanced outside. “I seriously doubt there will be school tomorrow.”

“What? But how can that be?” Liza asked, alarmed.

His mouth dipped into a frown. “Little Hickman Creek is rising fast.” He glanced at the window, where water coursed like rivers down the glass pane. “If that rain doesn’t let up soon, the entire valley could flood. Fortunately, Shannon’s Peak is high and we’re set far enough back, but I’d bet my grandmother’s bonnet that the bridge won’t hold past midnight.”