Moonlight on the Millpond (5 page)

“We're very close. I never thought I'd say this, but once our work moves to the farm fields, I'm going to miss the mill.”

“Well, it comes again in the fall for a bit, and then a full gallop by the end of next winter.”

“You should be thankful,” Cathy added to Doyle's words. “If our millpond wasn't fed by a river as powerful as the Hastings, you'd be operating only in the spring, no matter what.”

“I hadn't thought of that,” Jace admitted.

“I remember when my brother and I worked on the Hastings River,” Doyle chimed in, beginning to reminisce. “It was back in '09.”

“What did you do?”

“We worked the barges that transported wares all up and down the river.”

“And that was what year again?” Jace asked.

“I guess we actually started in 1808 and went for four years or so. Why, that was before Maddie was born.” Doyle gave a small laugh. “Daniel wasn't even married yet, let alone having children.”

“Where is your brother now?”

“He and Vera drowned on that very river. Maddie was just a baby, almost drowned with 'em, but the boat captain grabbed her when she floated past and took her to shore. Dan and Vera were coming to visit us, but they never made it.”

“And we raised her,” Cathy added, her voice wistful. “We raised Maddie and made her our own. We were heartsick about those deaths, but we had a sickly baby to raise and no time to mourn.”

Jace sat quietly and took this in. When he was very young, his own parents had died in a flu epidemic that swept through their area. From that point, he'd been raised by his sister. It was interesting to think that this niece, this woman he'd not yet met, had something in common with him.

“Enough of the past,” Doyle said gruffly. “We sound like we're in our dotage, Cathleen! Now, tell us, Jace, what will you plant in the south field this year?”

And that was the end of the reminiscing. Even though Jace had questions about their past life, he knew they would have to wait. He told Doyle and Cathy what Woody had relayed to him, swift to remind them that it was all new for him. He was still in his first year in Tucker Mills.

The change in topic seemed to do the trick. Doyle relaxed in his chair, Cathy began to smile again, and eventually she brought in a tea tray. Jace couldn't remember the last time he'd had such an enjoyable evening.

Boston

“It's not my aunt's arm this time, Mrs. Nunley,” Maddie explained, Cathy's letter still between her fingers. “It's Doyle's heart, and he needs to rest for some time.”

“Of course you must go,” Mrs. Nunley said, hiding her disappointment. She and Mr. Nunley were planning a trip later in the year or early the following year. They had planned to surprise Paige and Maddie by taking them both along. At the moment Mrs. Nunley was so relieved that she'd never mentioned this to Maddie that her face gave a false impression.

“Please, Mrs. Nunley, please tell me you understand. I can't stay when they need me.”

“Come here, Maddie,” she said gently, taking the younger woman's hand when she drew near. Maddie sat beside her on the settee. “I want you to go, and for as long as you need. I grew quiet only when a stray thought wandered in.” Mrs. Nunley paused long enough to brush Maddie's cheek with one soft finger. “You'll go just as soon as the next train leaves. Mr. Nunley will buy your ticket.”

“Thank you,” Maddie whispered, fearing that her employer would not understand. If Maddie could have given her some element of time, that would have been ideal, but she didn't know when she would be back in Boston. It could be months from now or never, depending on what Doyle and Cathy needed.

It was true that she had moved away at 17 to make a life for herself, but that had not been done with hard feelings or a desire to flee Tucker Mills. Her family needed her, and if she'd been forced to sever all ties with the Nunleys in order to leave, she was willing to do just that.

“Go now and start to pack,” Mrs. Nunley told her, giving her hand a squeeze. “I'll send word to Mr. Nunley, and we'll get you on your way.”

Maddie thanked her sincerely but didn't linger. She slipped into her own room just minutes later and began to organize her things. She hadn't been working for more than 20 minutes when Paige appeared at her door. Even in a home as large as this one, word seemed to travel fast.

“When do you leave?” Paige asked, tears sounding suspiciously close.

“As soon as I can get a train.”

“What am I going to do?”

“Well, you could try writing one of the books you keep thinking up,” Maddie teased her gently.

Paige sighed and flopped onto Maddie's bed. The younger girl had always been welcome.

“Why don't I go with you?” Paige asked, eyes on the ceiling and willing herself not to cry.

“For a number of reasons.”

“Name one.”

“I'll do better than that,” Maddie continued as she sorted and packed. “I'll name several: Your parents would never approve. This is not a vacation; it's work. You have never lived in anything but the lap of luxury, and the Shephards do not live that way. And lastly, you would be bored silly when I was working all day and not able to be with you.”

Maddie stopped working, and their eyes met. She went on quietly. “I'll miss you—you know that—but I have to go. I want to more than anything. Even if I stayed, my heart would be elsewhere.”

“Like with that man,” Paige surprised her by saying.

“What made you think of that?”

“Oh, just when you were seeing him, your mind was elsewhere.”

“I can believe that,” Maddie said, able to speak of it after so many years. “And what a waste of time he turned out to be.”

“I'm not ever going to be married!” Paige said, not for the first time. “I'm never going to let a man hurt me like that.”

Since Maddie now felt the same way, with maybe slightly less teenage zeal, she could hardly argue with the girl. She opted to say nothing, simply going back to her packing.

“Tell me about Tucker Mills,” Paige begged, having stared at the ceiling for a time.

“It's small and wonderful. The people care and work hard.”

“And you were born there?”

“No, I was born in Worcester, but my parents died when I was very young, so Doyle and Cathy raised me.”

“Don't you call them Aunt and Uncle?” Paige asked in astonishment, knowing that Maddie knew better.

“They never led me to believe that I was their child. I always knew they were my aunt and uncle, but they didn't want those words coming out of my mouth with every sentence, so they've always just been Cathy and Doyle.”

“Maddie,” Paige said, suddenly voicing another thought, “women don't work in Boston shops. Is it so very different in a small town?”

“Actually, it's not, but folks seem to accept it a little more. I grew up in the store, and Cathy comes and goes throughout the week. It's not normal, but folks will understand, especially with Doyle being ill.”

Paige took this in for a quiet moment. When she realized that her mind had drifted, she looked to see that Maddie was almost done. Tears flooded her eyes, tears she could not stop. Maddie saw them and went to her. She put her arms around Paige, truly sorry to be leaving with so little warning but knowing she had no choice. Leaving for Tucker Mills just as soon as she was able was the right thing to do.

Tucker Mills

Woody and Jace started the day very early at the sawmill. The orders were being filled quickly, and both were ready to be done. There was a sense of completeness that came with such tasks, and both men worked hard on the job.

Neither man had heard the train in the early hours, even though it was running way behind and had arrived in the wee hours instead of the afternoon before. They had both awakened early because of it but not attributed the disturbance to the distant sound of the train. Certainly neither one knew that Maddie Shephard had come to town.

It was a cool morning, but Cathy wanted the spring air to rush inside and give the store a good smell, a smell of cleanliness and fresh goods. Her mind was on this when she opened the doors, so she didn't look outside. It was for this reason that she was behind the counter before seeing who had come in.

Weary from the train ride, Maddie stood still and waited to be noticed. It had been a few years since she'd been back. All would probably have looked the same to her, but the only person she could see right now was Cathleen Shephard, who took a moment to become aware of her.

“Maddie,” Cathy suddenly whispered, her hand going to her heart and her body moving around the end of the counter all at the same time. “When did you get here? Why didn't you come to the house?”

The women hugged each other for a long time, so long Maddie forgot she'd been asked a question.

“Well?”

“Well what?” Maddie's tired brain tried to think.

“When did you get here? Just now? I didn't hear the train.”

“No, it was a few hours ago.”

“You poor dear. Were you sitting outside?”

“I wanted to let you sleep,” Maddie replied, evading the interrogation. “Now stop with the questions, Cathy, and tell me about Doyle.”

Cathy stopped and looked at her, not an ounce of worry on her face.

“As soon as I said I was sending for you, he relaxed. He's been resting ever since.”

“And what about you? How are you doing with it all?”

“Well, Mic is some help, and I just do what I can.”

Maddie looked into her face. She looked tired but not older. Maddie hoped that was a good sign.

“Who is Mic?”

“A young man we hired until you could come.”

Maddie smiled. Weary as she was, there was no dimming the light in those blue eyes.

“Well, I'm here now. I'll take care of you both.”

Cathy pulled her back into her arms. They hugged again for a long time, stopping only when Maddie said that as soon as she'd run next door to kiss her uncle and then returned and found an apron, she'd be ready to work.