Autumn's Angel (4 page)

She'd wanted to be an opera singer but her family wouldn't have approved. Why did that bit of information tug at his chest?

Luvena forged on. “Mr. Birch, my family were patrons of the arts before our money was lost. I have seen numerous operas and plays performed in Boston and Newport and New York. Even in London. I believe I may still be of help to you.” She paused to draw a breath. “If you'll allow me.”

What choice did he have? What choice did either of them have? She had no money at all and what funds he had were tied up in the Grand Coeur Opera House. It seemed, even without marriage, that their futures—at least their immediate ones—were tied together.

He would have to get used to sleeping in his office.

Chapter Six

When Luvena put the two younger children to bed, life didn't seem as hopeless as it had seemed that morning. She would work for Clay Birch, helping him with the opening and running of the opera house, and in addition to the modest salary she would receive, she and the children would have a place to live and food to eat. Plus, he'd promised her a bonus if the theater made a profit at the end of three months.

It wasn't a great deal of money, but it should be enough so she and the children could leave Grand Coeur and settle someplace where there were more employment opportunities. Or perhaps more marriage opportunities. After all, the scandal that had stained her name in the East was rather meaningless here in the West. Or so she hoped.

After kissing Ethan and Elsie good night, she left the bedroom. She found Merry still seated in the rocking chair, mending a tear in the skirt of her favorite gown.

At fourteen, Luvena had been—and still was—rather hopeless with a needle and thread. But then, she'd had a lady's maid seeing to her every need until her father's misfortunes. Merry had been much younger when financial loss and scandal struck, robbing her of such luxuries.

“Do you have enough light?” Luvena asked as she moved closer to the rocking chair.

Merry glanced toward the nearby lamp. “Yes, Aunt Vena. I can see.”

“What a fine job you're doing. No one will ever know the fabric was torn.”

“I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to wear it. There's no more fabric to be let out.” Pink tinged her cheeks.

Luvena understood why. Although Merry most likely had her full height, she was still developing a woman's figure. The bodices of her clothes had grown snug in recent months.

Luvena settled onto the sofa. “Mr. Birch pointed out a dress shop when we went to the mercantile this afternoon. Perhaps Mrs. Treehorn, the proprietress, could help us remake a few of your dresses.”

“It would cost too much.”

“Perhaps not. It wouldn't hurt to ask.”

Merry's eyes widened as she sat straighter in the chair. “Maybe I could do some piecework for the dressmaker. Surely I could make a little money that way.”

“I can't ask you—”

“Yes, you can, Aunt Vena. I'm old enough to help provide something. I know sometimes I don't act like it, but I am.”

“What about school?”

“Is there one?”

Luvena had no answer to that. Clay hadn't pointed out a schoolhouse during their walk, and she hadn't thought to ask him. She'd simply assumed there was one for the children to attend. Oh dear. How would she manage if not? She was even less suited for teaching than she was for sewing.

“Aunt Vena?”

“Yes, Merry.”

“We're going to be all right. God's watching out for us, like you always tell us. He wasn't surprised about those letters the way you and Mr. Birch were. He knew about it all the time and brought us here anyway. It must be part of His plan.”

Tension drained from Luvena's shoulders. “How very wise you've become, Esmeralda Browne.”

Merry smiled.

“I believe I'll go sit on the back stoop and enjoy the cool night air.” Luvena stood. “Would you like to join me?”

As if in answer, Merry yawned. Then she chuckled. “No, thank you. I think I'll go to bed and finish mending this dress tomorrow.”

Luvena stepped over to the rocking chair and placed a kiss on the crown of her niece's head. “Sleep well, Merry.”

“You too, Aunt Vena.” The girl yawned again.

Luvena left the parlor, passing through the kitchen on her way to the back door. She took pleasure in the tidiness of the room. Much had been accomplished today, despite the upheaval of emotions and weariness from many days of travel.

Tomorrow would bring new challenges, no doubt, but for now, she felt an unexpected peace.

•••

Clay was standing in the dark behind the theater—wrestling with the present, fighting with the future, trying to find a way past the dilemma he found himself in—when he saw the back door of the house open and Luvena Abbott step onto the small back porch, light spilling around her from the kitchen. Then the door closed and night enveloped her again. Without the glow of the moon, he couldn't see any other movement, but he guessed she remained on the stoop.

“Father”—her words drifted to him on a soft breeze—“I thank You for all You are doing, for all You have done. In my life. In the lives of Merry and Ethan and Elsie. Help me know what we are to do next.”

He supposed his thoughts—the wrestling, fighting, and answer-seeking—had been a kind of prayer, but her simple words were far better. They were a more faith-filled prayer, revealing an uncomplicated trust. Something he hadn't mastered. It drew him across the short stretch of ground. As he came closer, a twig snapped beneath his boot, and he heard a gasp of surprise.

“It's me, Luvena.”

“Mr. Birch?”

Only when she called him by his surname did he realize he'd used her given name. Had she noticed? It felt natural. Would she mind?

“May I join you?” he asked.

“Of course.”

He turned and sat on the top step next to her. She moved slightly away—he assumed to give him more room—though he was sorry for it.

“It's a beautiful evening,” she said.

“Autumn's in the air. It'll be too cool to sit outside soon.”

“What is winter like in these mountains?”

“It can be harsh. Most years there's deep snow for several months.”

“I like the snow.”

Clay wished he could see her face and not just a shadowy form. He was certain she smiled. “I like it too. Except when it's piled up to the roofline and I can't get out for days at a time. Then I start to feel boxed in.” He shuddered at the thought. Close spaces had troubled him since he'd been locked in a closet as a boy. He shook his head to free himself of the bad memory.

“Do you know what Merry said to me before I came outside?”

“What?”

“That God knew about the changes to the letters and brought us here anyway, so it must be what He wanted.”

Now
that
was a different way to look at their current situation. He'd been so busy being angry with the turn of events in the past twenty-four hours, he hadn't considered there might be a divine hand guiding them.

Was it true?

He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure what to say. Unsure what he felt or believed.

“Mr. Birch?”

“Yes.”

“I'm very grateful for the compromise you have made. Offering employment, I mean, when you weren't obligated to help us in any way. I will do everything in my power not to disappoint you.”

“I believe you . . .”
Luvena
.

The desire to take her in his arms, to draw her close, to kiss those generous lips, enveloped him like a fire. If not for those kids—

He stood before he could give in to temptation. “I'm going to turn in. Good night, Miss Abbott.”

“Good night.”

He was almost to the back door of the theater before he thought he heard something more. Before he thought he heard her say, “Clay.”

Chapter Seven

Clay went alone on Saturday morning to meet with Reverend Adair. Why subject Luvena to any embarrassment that might result from discussing their situation with the pastor? Besides, if they weren't to marry, they had no need to speak to the minister as a couple.

“Well,” the reverend said when Clay had explained about the altered letters and Luvena's nieces and nephew, “this
is
an odd turn of events, is it not?”

“It is.”

“And you're certain the children make the union between you and Miss Abbott impossible?”

“I am.”

“I ask because my son-in-law's nephew, Todd, was nine when he came to live in Grand Coeur, and he's turned into rather a fine young man, despite his surroundings these past six years. Wouldn't you agree?”

“That's quite a different situation.”

“Is it?” The reverend steepled his fingertips and touched them to his lips.

“Yes. For one thing, Matthew's job with Wells, Fargo was settled and secure from the start. He wasn't embarking on a new venture that could well end in financial ruin. He could support his wife and nephew, and he had the time to dedicate himself to raising the boy well.”

“Yes, that is all true.”

Clay leaned forward in his chair. “Reverend Adair, this isn't Miss Abbott's fault, but neither is it mine. I was up front about not wanting a woman with children for a wife. My new opera house is no place for young kids and, like it or not, neither is this town. And I'm sure not the right man to become a father to them. I wouldn't be good at it. I'm too much like—” He broke off abruptly.

Reverend Adair's gaze was penetrating, and Clay began to fear the minister would see the things he wasn't willing to talk about.

The older man broke the lengthening silence. “But because you're willing to employ Miss Abbott, even for the short term, you will still have the children around the theater sometimes. Won't you?”

“I suppose. But not for long. Not permanently. This is a temporary solution. As soon as other arrangements can be made, Miss Abbott and the children will leave Grand Coeur.”

Reverend Adair leaned forward. “I believe there is something you aren't telling me, Clay. Something that has nothing to do with Miss Abbott. Something that weighs heavily on you and has for a long while.”

Clay tensed. “There's nothing more to tell.” It was an outright lie, and he figured the reverend knew it.

“It might help to talk it through.”

“No.”

“Mmm. Well, it seems your mind is made up, then.”

“Yes.” It surprised Clay, the regret he felt.

“Would you mind if I paid Miss Abbott a call? Perhaps our church can be of some assistance to her. I might know of someone down in Boise City who could give her employment and find a suitable place for her and the children to live.”

“Sure.” He shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”

“Then I shall do so.” Reverend Adair rose. “And I shall continue to pray for you both.”

Clay stood too. “Thanks. I reckon we'll need it.”

“Mmm.”

The two men shook hands, and Clay left the reverend's office.

He'd expected to feel relief after talking to his good friend and trusted mentor. But he didn't. Instead, he felt more unsettled than before, though he couldn't put his finger on the reason why.

“Would you mind if I paid Miss Abbott a call?”

Strange question. Why would Clay mind if the reverend called on Luvena? Especially if he could be of some help to her.

“I might know of someone down in Boise City who could give her employment and find a suitable place for her and the children to live.”

Clay hoped—if the person the reverend had mentioned came through with a job and house—that it wouldn't be too soon. After all, he'd asked Luvena to help him with the opening of the opera house. He was depending on her now.

•••

Since Clay hadn't wanted Luvena along when he met with the minister—and she hadn't wanted to go—she decided the morning was a good time to go exploring. She and the children had been inactive too long. They'd been shut up in railroad cars and stagecoaches and even this small house for what seemed an eternity.

But it wasn't the town that Luvena wanted to see. It was the forested hillsides that beckoned to her. And so, as soon as the breakfast dishes were washed, dried, and put back on the shelf, she and her young charges set off. It took a few tries before they found the right road to follow, but soon enough they left Grand Coeur behind them. The cool nights of September had begun to turn the leaves on the aspens to gold. The colors weren't dramatic yet, but they made a nice contrast amid the green of the tall pines.

Grand Coeur, she'd learned, was close to five thousand feet above sea level. Luvena could tell the difference between here and where she'd lived her entire life. The air was thinner and drier. Not better or worse. Just different.

After walking a long while, they caught sight of a stream running through a draw far below them. Two men stood in the water. They were bent over, and each held something between his hands.

Ethan said, “I think they're panning for gold.”

“I believe you're right,” Luvena answered.

Their voices must have carried through the forest because both men straightened and looked up. Something about the miners' posture gave Luvena the feeling they weren't happy to be watched as they worked their claim.

“Let's go, children.”

Pine needles crunched beneath their feet as they followed the trail higher and higher into the mountains. If there were more men anywhere about, Luvena didn't see them. Now it was small forest creatures who peeked at them from branches overhead and from beneath bushes down below. A chipmunk gave them a noisy scolding for intruding upon his woods. With the sun nearing its zenith, golden light battled with the shadows for dominance.

Ethan and Elsie raced each other to the crest of the trail. Luvena smiled as she watched them. They were well-behaved children. Considering all the upheaval they'd endured in their young lives, their happy natures were nothing short of miraculous.

“It's pretty, isn't it, Aunt Vena?” Merry asked, motioning to the view of the valley below.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“I like it, though it's different from back home.”

Back
home
.

For just an instant, Luvena imagined she caught the whiff of a sea breeze, tasted salt upon her tongue, saw white sails as boats skittered along the surface of the water, and heard the sound of laughter as her family played along the shore. Her family. Her beloved family. Her sister. Her father. Her mother. Missing them—and the sadness that came with it—hit her so hard she almost couldn't draw breath.

“Aunt Vena! Merry!” Ethan called. “Hurry up!”

She lifted her gaze to the top of the rise. Her nephew waved at them, and she and Merry waved back. The action caused the intense sadness to ease. She still had family. She had Merry, Ethan, and Elsie. None of them was alone. They had one another. They would be all right. They would make a new life for themselves. They would make a new home and new memories. She wouldn't allow fear to take root in her heart. She would embrace the future, whatever came.

Tossing a challenging grin at her niece, she said, “Come along, Merry. I'll race you to them.”

Luvena held her skirts and ran as fast as she was able, but Merry caught up with her. They arrived at the top of the hill in a dead heat. Luvena sank to the ground at Elsie's feet, mindless of the dirt, laughing between gasps for air. The children joined in, and the sound of their laughter mingled with hers was the balm she needed to chase away the last dregs of sadness.

•••

When Clay learned from one of his workmen that Luvena and the children had been seen walking north on Canyon Road, his first response was irritation. Hadn't he made it clear that he preferred they all stay close to the house unless he was with them? After an hour passed, irritation became anger. But when they still hadn't returned another hour beyond that, he grew worried. So he saddled his horse and rode into the mountains. Higher into the mountains. Deeper into the forest.

He heard their laughter a minute before he saw them. The happy sound spilled through the forest, bouncing off trees, making it impossible to tell which way it came from. But then his horse rounded a bend in the trail and Clay followed the path with his gaze to the top of a rise. There they were, all four of them, on the ground, the younger two rolling about.

He forgot why he'd been irritated, angry, and worried. Now all he wanted was to join them. To feel as carefree as they sounded. Clay nudged the gelding with the heels of his boots and rode toward them.

Merry was the first to see Clay. She poked her aunt's arm. Luvena's smile vanished along with her laughter as she got to her feet, followed moments later by all the children.

Drawing close, Clay reined in. “I didn't think I'd have to ride this far up to find you.” He leaned a forearm on the pommel of the saddle. “You shouldn't be out here without an escort, Miss Abbott. None of you should.”

“Surely we are safe in the middle of the day. There are four of us, after all.”

There were stories he could have told her about mining camps throughout the West and the wicked things dangerous men were wont to do. Stories that would make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Maybe give her nightmares. But he didn't want to frighten her. Her or the children. Oddly enough, he wanted them to like Grand Coeur. To believe in it, the way he did, that it would one day be a good and decent place for families to put down roots.

“You're all going to be starved before we get back to town.” He stepped down from the saddle. “We'd better start back.”

“I'm already starved,” Ethan said.

Clay grinned at the boy. “Figures.”

“Come on, Elsie.” Ethan headed down the hillside with an exuberance common to boys.

“Ethan,” Luvena called, “don't get out of sight. You stop and wait for us.” Looking at Clay, she said, “I hope he heard me.”

Elsie didn't chase after her brother. Instead, she took Merry's hand and the sisters set off at a more sedate speed. The two adults followed in the rear, Clay leading his horse.

“How was your meeting with Reverend Adair?” Luvena asked after several minutes of silence.

“He was disappointed there wouldn't be a wedding. But he understood the reasons for our change of plans.”

Why, he wondered, did those words feel false as they left his mouth?

Perhaps because the change of plans had been his decision and his alone. Not theirs. His. Luvena would have married him if he'd been willing. That was why she'd come to Grand Coeur.

But he wasn't willing. Nothing would change his mind.

Nothing.