Winnie Griggs (14 page)

Perhaps he was reading too much into the situation, but he didn’t think so. But there was no way to go back and unring this bell now.

Mrs. Ortolon patted her hair. “I suppose I’ll get out of your way. I do hope, Mr. Fulton, that you’ll let me know if I can help in any way, won’t you?”

“Of course.” He had no doubt whatsoever that when she spread word of Abigail’s accident, there would be something more to the story than the bare facts.

There was nothing he could do about that now, however, and there was still Abigail to worry about. He stared at his bedchamber door and raked a hand through his hair. How badly was she hurt? This would never have happened if she’d stayed put in Boston where she belonged.

Needing a target for his pent-up worries, he rounded on Daisy. “How did this happen?” he asked stiffly.

Daisy touched her collar. “I didn’t see the actual fall, but she was carrying an armload of books and apparently tripped on the stairs.”

He made a sharp, dismissive movement with his hands. “That much I already figured out. What I’m asking is, what was she doing carrying those books on your stairs in the first place?”

“She was at loose ends and decided to work toward setting up her circulating library—”

That confounded library again! “I knew you two were up to something when I saw you earlier. She’s been working on this behind my back, and you knew about it.” He saw the flicker of guilt in her expression. “How could you have encouraged this?”

“Actually, it’s more that I didn’t
discourage
it.”

Did she honestly want to nitpick with him?

She waved helplessly. “I didn’t think it would hurt—”

“No, you
didn’t
think.” He saw her wince and tried to moderate his tone. But she needed to understand that Abigail was
his
responsibility, and she shouldn’t encourage her to find ways around his strictures. “Didn’t it occur to you that I was deliberately negative about her little project to encourage her to return to school?”

Daisy’s expression lost some of its defensiveness, and she stiffened. “Return to school? Have you heard anything at all of what your sister’s told you on that subject?”

“Abigail is a child trying to get out of school. I’m thinking about what’s best for her. She belongs in a more refined environment than what Turnabout can provide.”

Her face colored—was it embarrassment or anger? “Do you know anything at all about what it is your sister wants out of life? Or are you only concerned with what
you
want out of her life?”

The woman was definitely out of line. “I suppose, based on your entire three days of knowing Abigail, you know better than I what’s best for her.”

“Apparently so.”

Such unmitigated conceit. “I disagree. And I’ll thank you to remember that I am her brother and guardian.”

“As if you’d let either her or me forget that.”

“And another thing. She shouldn’t have been carting heavy books down those stairs. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that that fool dog of yours tripped her up.”

“You leave Kip out of this.”

“Only if you keep him out of our way.”

Before she could respond, the bedchamber door opened. They dropped the argument to turn their attention to Dr. Pratt.

Everett reached him in a few quick strides. “How is she?”

The doctor closed the door behind him and waved Everett back toward the sitting room. “Her wrist is sprained and she’s got a number of painful bruises and scrapes, so she’ll be quite sore for the next few days. You’ll want to watch her closely for signs of a concussion, but otherwise I think she’ll be just fine.”

Some of the tension eased from Everett’s body. “Do you have any special instructions for how I should care for her?”

“I’ve splinted her wrist, and she should take care when using that hand for a while.” He gave them a reassuring smile. “As I said, keep a close eye on her the next day or two. Fetch me immediately if she has dizzy spells or nausea or seems at all disoriented. Other than that, bring her by my office in a week so I can check her wrist.”

Everett shook the physician’s hand. “Thank you, Doctor. Let me show you out.”

Dr. Pratt held up his hand. “No need. I know my way. I’m sure your sister is anxious to see you.” He gave Everett a knowing look. “And vice versa.” With a wave, Dr. Pratt moved to the stairs.

Daisy met Everett’s gaze. “You go on. I have dishes to wash.”

With a nod, Everett strode quickly to his bedchamber. He was already regretting the tone, if not the words, he’d used with Daisy. Should he apologize? But he was already at the bedroom door, and his need to see his sister drove everything else from his mind.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. She sat up in bed and he studied her closely, relieved to see more color in her face than the last time he’d seen her.

Abigail turned and set her feet on the floor. “Foolish and clumsy. I’m sorry I gave everyone such a scare.”

He sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulder. “I’m just glad it didn’t have more serious consequences.” Then he gave her a squeeze. “What in the world were you thinking?”

“I just thought, if I could show you how the library would look when it was all set up, and demonstrate my ideas for the whole process, that maybe you’d change your mind.”

Had it really meant that much to her? “Abigail, I know you’re perfectly capable of handling such an endeavor—that wasn’t the point.”

“It wasn’t?”

“Of course not. I just didn’t want you to put all that effort into something you won’t be here long enough to enjoy.”

He pulled slightly away so he could study her expression. “And was this all your idea, or did it come from Miss Johnson?”

Abigail shook her head. “Don’t blame Daisy for this. It’s something I wanted to do, and it wasn’t her place to stop me.”

He noted she hadn’t really answered his question, but he let it pass. “No, that’s my place. And what in the world were you thinking, carrying an armload of books down those stairs?”

Abigail’s frown turned inward. “I just tripped is all. I know I was lucky it didn’t turn out worse than it did, but truly, Everett, it could just as easily have happened when I was carrying something down to you on our side of the wall.”

“There’s no dog to get underfoot on our side of the wall.”

She gave him an indignant poke. “Don’t blame Kip, either. He was behind me, not in front of me. As I told you, it was just a misstep on my part.”

She made as if to stand, but Everett held her shoulders down. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Dr. Pratt said that if I take things slow and easy, it’s not necessary for me to stay in bed.”

“He also said you’d be quite sore for the next few days. Don’t you think you’ll be more comfortable resting here for now?”

She gave him an exasperated look. “Don’t go fussing over me. I’d be bored silly if I had to stay cooped up in here for any length of time. I’d rather be where I can have some company. Besides, this is your bed, not mine.”

“I’ll allow you out of this room if you promise me you won’t do anything more strenuous than reading a book or writing a letter.”

Abigail rolled her eyes. “You’re acting like a mother hen with an injured chick.”

Which wasn’t too far off the mark for how he was feeling. And he certainly didn’t intend to let her cajole him. “I mean it, Abigail. I want your word.” He still hadn’t quite recovered from the sight of her crumpled in a heap at the foot of the stairs.

“Oh, very well. But you have to promise not to smother me.”

Everett stayed by her side as she made her way to the sofa. At her request, he moved one of her trunks of books close at hand so she could go through them and select some reading material.

Once he had her properly settled, he stood back, unsure what to do next. Daisy apparently had no such worries. He watched as she bustled past him and fussed over his sister. He also noticed that she studiously avoided making eye contact with him. Was she still smarting over their earlier discussion? But he’d been in the right.

Hadn’t he?

Then she turned to him, her expression subdued. “I know you need to get back to your office. Don’t worry about your sister. I promise to keep a close eye on her until you’re done for the day.”

Was that guilt speaking, or concern? Maybe a bit of both. “Thank you. Make sure you call me if you see the least sign that all is not well with her.”

“Go on, Everett,” Abigail said with a shooing motion. “I’ll be perfectly fine.”

He slowly descended the stairs, feeling uncharacteristically confused. Had he handled that wrong? Should he have given both Abigail and Daisy more encouragement and support?

It wasn’t like him to be so indecisive. It must be Daisy’s influence. His well-ordered life had been turned upside down, and it had all started when she arrived on the scene.

He didn’t like it, not one bit.

The question was, what was he going to do about it?

Chapter Fourteen

B
efore Everett reached the bottom tread, his office door opened. Had some other busybody come to pry into his household’s personal business?

But it was Adam.

“Hello. Back from the cabin, I see.”

“Just got back an hour ago.” He sobered. “We heard your sister had an accident, and Reggie sent me by to see how she was doing.”

By mutual accord they moved to the chessboard. “It could have been worse. She ended up with a sprained wrist and some bumps and bruises, but Dr. Pratt thinks she’ll be okay.”

“Glad to hear it.”

The two men took seats and stared at the board. It was Everett’s move and he studied the pieces silently, but he wasn’t really seeing them. He fingered a captured pawn, struggling with whether or not to ask the question foremost in his mind. Finally, keeping his gaze on the board, he cleared his throat. “What else have you heard about our bit of excitement?” Had he kept his tone as casual as he’d attempted to?

Adam grimaced sympathetically. “I suppose you’re referring to Eunice’s gossip about the open doors between your and Miss Johnson’s living quarters.”

There it was. Everett clenched his jaw. It sounded quite unsavory when expressed that way. “That door is only open when Miss Johnson is working here, and only as a convenience to her. There’s nothing untoward going on.”

“I didn’t think there was.”

Everett frowned. “But it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

Adam’s expression remained carefully neutral. “There are always those who will read more into a situation than is there.”

Is that what this was—a
situation?
“I was afraid of that.” Everett gave a crooked smile. “What do you think the chances are that it’ll blow over if we just ignore it?”

Adam raised a brow. “You’re the man of the world here—what do
you
think?”

The walls closed in on Everett as he tried to think of some way out of this mess. Daisy was
not
the type of woman he’d pictured himself marrying—not even close. It was hard to picture her on his arm in a society drawing room or trip to the opera.

But that was beside the point now. He had to be man enough to shield her from the wagging tongues that could shred her reputation to pieces. He was not his father.

Besides, he’d already been responsible for ruining one life through the inadvertent but reckless spread of lies. He couldn’t stand by and let unfounded rumors and innuendo ruin another life, not when he could do something to prevent it.

After a long moment of silence, Adam spoke up again. “I guess the real question at this point is, what are you going to do about it?”

Everett met his gaze head-on, and the weight of his responsibility settled squarely and with great finality on his shoulders. There was only one answer he could give. “What I have to.”

* * *

Later that afternoon, Daisy heard a knock on her back door and opened it to find Everett standing there, his expression solemn—even more so than usual.

“Miss Johnson, if you have a moment, there’s something I need to discuss with you.”

Her imagination immediately kicked in. “Is it Abigail? Is something wrong? I checked on her just twenty minutes ago—”

He held up a reassuring hand. “Abigail’s fine, or at least no worse than when the doctor left earlier. Constance Harper came by for a visit and the two have their heads together, thick as thieves.”

She breathed a mental sigh of relief, then another possible reason popped into her head. “If this is about what happened, I’ll admit I shouldn’t have encouraged her, but—”

He shook his head. “I know you’re not entirely to blame. My sister can be quite headstrong when she puts her mind to something. As her presence in Turnabout demonstrates.”

His seeming change of attitude had her thoroughly confused. “Then what is it?”

He swept an arm out. “If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to take a short stroll while we talk.”

She stepped outside, still trying to figure out why he was here. “Do you mind if Kip joins us?” She wouldn’t press him if he refused, but to her surprise, he merely nodded.

That really started her worrying as to what might be on his mind. “If it’s not about Abigail, or my part in her accident, then what has put that serious look on your face?”

Rather than answering her question, he asked one of his own. “What do you know about Eunice Ortolon?”

Was that really what he wanted to talk to her about—one of their neighbors? But she obediently answered his question. “She runs the boardinghouse, doesn’t she?”

“She does. She’s also got a wagging tongue the likes of which would be hard to match.”

Daisy gave him a mock-stern look. “A body could argue that you’re indulging in a bit of gossip yourself just by saying that.”

His half smile acknowledged her point. “True. But that still doesn’t negate my prior statement.”

Enough of this shilly-shallying. “And why should Mrs. Ortolon’s chattiness interest me? Surely you’re not worried over what she might say about your sister’s fall? There’s nothing about the accident that would reflect badly on her.”

“I agree. There’s nothing the woman can say that would reflect badly on
Abigail.
At least, not directly.”

She could tell he was trying to make a point, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure it out. “Then what?”

“I realize things were unsettling in the first minutes after Abigail’s fall and that neither of us were thinking clearly. But now that things are back to normal, try to remember all that happened in the time after the doctor and Mrs. Ortolon arrived.”

She frowned as she did as he asked. There was obviously something specific he was concerned about—concerned enough to seek her out. “Well, Doc Pratt did a quick check of Abigail when he arrived. There was some discussion going on, but I was focused on your sister so I wasn’t paying much attention.” She met his gaze. “Is that it? Was something said that has you worried?”

Everett shook his head. “What happened next?”

She concentrated on trying to picture it all in her mind. “Then we all went upstairs so Doc Pratt could examine her in private.” This was silly. Why didn’t he just tell her straight out what was on his mind?

“Yes, we all went up
your
stairs and into
my
quarters through the adjoining door.”

“Yes, of course. It was the quickest way to get her to bed. And it was—” Daisy put her hand over her mouth as the full implication hit her. “Oh.”

“Yes.
Oh.
”

Her cheeks heated. “But, surely...I mean.” She met his gaze and was suddenly glad he had directed their steps to the less populated areas of town. “Oh, bother! It’s all perfectly innocent.”

“So it was. And is. But that no longer matters. You were in my bedchamber, remember, which only compounded things.” His tone dripped with exaggerated patience, as if he were talking to a child. “If it were only Dr. Pratt, we could count on his discretion, but I’m afraid with Mrs. Ortolon in the mix, there will be no containing talk of this. In fact, there is some talk already circulating around town.”

Daisy rubbed her cheek, trying to take in what this meant. “Be honest with me. How bad is it?”

“To speak bluntly, our reputations will be tarnished, and it may very well splash over onto Abigail, as well.”

Her spirits sank. Was her dream of being a welcomed member of the community over so soon? She wouldn’t accept that. “But surely, if we just go on about our business, in time the rumors will die down.”

He shook his head. “I wish that were true. But this sort of thing can take on a life of its own, and folks have long memories. Believe me, I know.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?”

“There’s only one thing we
can
do—you and I must immediately announce our engagement.”

Daisy halted in her tracks and stared at him, not sure she’d heard correctly. Was he serious? The only hint of emotion she could see in his face, however, was that irritating hint of cynical amusement he wore like armor. Did he think of this situation as a joke? “Surely there’s something else we can do.”

He spread his hands. “I’m open to suggestions.”

She’d come to Turnabout fully intending to find herself a husband—in fact, that was something central to her desire to have a family. But this—this was as far from normal as one could get.

The last thing anyone would call Everett Fulton was the settling-down type. And to have a man—
any
man—feel forced to offer for her, well, that was a terrible thing to base a marriage on. “I’m sure, if I had time to think, I could come up with something.”

“I’m afraid time is something we don’t have.” He held her gaze. “The gossip is already spreading. I want to put it to rest before Abigail hears anything...unsavory.”

Daisy’s cheeks heated all over again. “We can’t let that happen.”

“Then you agree to our engagement?”

Daisy stared at him, unable to give in just yet, still mentally scrambling for another option.

His expression softened into something approaching sympathy. “I know this isn’t the ideal pairing for either of us, but the choice has been taken out of our hands. And I give you my word that I’ll do my best to make this as painless for you as possible.”

Somehow that only made her feel worse. “Not the most romantic of declarations.”

He frowned. “I’m sorry I can’t offer you love poems and other romantic nonsense. You need to understand that this is a matter of necessity.”

Well, that made his feelings perfectly clear. “Of course.” Then she grimaced. “I feel like this is all my fault, like I should be apologizing for putting you in this position.”

He shrugged. “What’s done is done. Placing blame serves no purpose now.”

She noticed he didn’t try to contradict her claim to be at fault. Did that mean he
did
blame her?

“The newspaper goes out tomorrow,” he continued. “I’d like to insert a notice of our engagement. Hopefully, that will stem some of the censure. Do I have your permission?”

She took a deep breath. It seemed there was no getting out of this. “It sounds like I don’t have a choice.”

He gave a small smile. “Good. It’ll be just a small notice. We can visit Reverend Harper tomorrow and set a date.”

This was all happening too fast. Better to focus on something less frightening. “How do you think Abigail will feel about this sudden engagement?” Surely Everett’s sister had higher expectations for the woman her brother would marry than a peddler’s daughter.

“She’ll probably be surprised, but she seems to like you well enough. All in all, I don’t think she’ll have any objections.”

Again, not an enthusiastic endorsement.

“Rather than standing here wondering, though,” he continued, “why don’t we go over and tell her the news?”

By this time they had returned to her back door. “Now?”

He led the way to his own door. “Of course. If I’m going to place an announcement in the paper tomorrow, don’t you think we should tell her now?”

“Yes, of course.” The thought of saying it out loud to anyone, even Abigail, made it seem more real, somehow. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to avoid telling her that we’re doing this because we were backed into a corner.”

His brow lowered at that, and she rushed to explain. “It’s not just to spare my feelings.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Though I’ll admit that’s part of it. But I want to spare
her
feelings, as well. I don’t want her to suffer any pangs of guilt over this because of her accident. That wouldn’t be fair to her.”

He hesitated, then nodded. “I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re correct—Abigail has a keen sense of responsibility. I won’t lie to her, but I don’t see any reason to elaborate, either.” He nodded toward the door. “Now, if you’re ready, shall we?”

She nodded and preceded him inside. Were they really doing this? Or would she wake up soon and find this was all some kind of dream?

Please Lord Jesus, help me find a way through this. I’m so confused right now. I know You led me to this place for a reason, and even though it looks like I’ve really messed things up good this time, surely You can make it all come out right. I don’t know if I’m doing the proper thing or not, but I’m counting on You to show me a way out if that be Your will.

They entered Everett’s sitting room to find Abigail lounging on the sofa with a book in her lap.

“Oh, there you are.” Abigail gave them a mock frown. “I’d begun to wonder where you’d gotten off to.”

Everett looked around. “Where’s Constance?”

“She had to go.” Abigail looked from one to the other of them, and a small frown puckered her brow. “Is something wrong? You both seem so solemn.”

Daisy couldn’t stop the guilty flush warming her cheeks.

Everett, on the other hand, seemed as coolheaded as ever. “We have something to tell you,” he said.

Abigail sat up straighter. “Bad news?”

“Actually, no.” Everett took Daisy’s hand. “In fact, we hope you’ll think it’s happy news.”

Daisy stood silently beside Everett as he delivered the news to his sister. A silent prayer was running through her head.
Please, please don’t let Abigail be upset by the announcement.

But almost before Everett finished speaking, Abigail launched herself at him with a squeal of delight, leaving no doubt as to her feelings.

“Oh, Everett, I’m so happy for you. This is so unexpectedly spontaneous and romantic of you.”

Everett appeared momentarily startled, but he patted his sister’s back and then set her away with a smile. “I’m not certain whether to be flattered or insulted by that statement, but thank you. Now, stop flailing about—you need to be careful of your wrist.”

Abigail dismissed his concerns with a wave. “Oh pish-posh, my wrist can withstand a hug or two.” She turned to Daisy and gave her an equally enthusiastic embrace. “I’m so happy. I’ve always wished for a sister, and now I’ll have one. And such a wonderful one at that.”

Daisy, unused to such easy and exuberant displays of affection, found herself squeezing the girl back.