Debra Ullrick (7 page)

He hadn’t left her out, and she wasn’t going to leave him out, either. Besides, she knew it hurt a man’s pride to have to take orders from a woman or to not look like he was in charge, so she’d let him think he was. But she knew the truth. And that was all that mattered.

Chapter Five

D
ressed in a simple cotton dress, Abby grabbed the blue wrap that matched it and waited by the front door for Harrison. Before he’d left the night before, they had agreed to go to the furniture place together. They’d also agreed if they liked Mr. Martin’s work, they would hire him and his employees.

Harrison pulled his buggy in front of her house.

Abby swung the door open, scurried down the steps and met him just as he stepped out of the carriage. “Good morning.” Her cheery attitude chirped through her voice.

“My, you’re quite chipper this morning.”

“I have reason to be. I can hardly wait to see what furniture Mr. Martin has in his storeroom. I’m so tired of looking at those sparsely filled rooms. I hope, hope, hope he has what we need.”

Harrison helped her into the buggy and hurried over to the driver’s side. With a flick of the reins, the black mare clomped forward. Harrison glanced over at her then back at the road. “I don’t want to put a damper on your good spirits or anything, but I wouldn’t count on him having enough chairs to fill the theater or enough tables and chairs for the dining area.”

“Huh? Oh. I didn’t mean that. I meant for the parlors, the seating area and the foyer. He won’t carry what I have in mind for the dining area and theater, anyway.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“I want royal blue, plush-velvet chairs for the theater and shield-back style Chippendale chairs with gold, padded seats and matching Chippendale tables for the dining area.”

“Chippendale is extremely pricey furniture,” he stated.

“Yes, I know.”

“Do you also know how expensive they will be to ship out here?”

“Of course I do. You know, I may have been raised on a farm, Mr. Kingsley, but I’m no country bumpkin, and I understand business. My father was a successful New York City businessman. My brothers are successful businessmen. My stepfather owns several successful businesses, half of Paradise Haven, actually. And my mother, my brother Michael, and my brother Haydon all have Chippendale furniture in their homes. So I am very much aware of how much things cost.” She hadn’t meant it to sound so huffy, but his insinuations bothered her. Besides, she didn’t know anyone of his means who would be concerned about the cost of things. Then again, maybe his wealth was tied up in his father’s will. That would explain it.

“I didn’t mean to insult you. I just wanted to make sure you knew how expensive it would be.”

“I can assure you, I do. I’ve been planning this for a very long time now. I have several furniture catalogs, and I’ve checked on the prices of everything, including the cost of shipping the items I want. I would be foolish not to. The Bible makes it clear when it says, ‘Consider the cost.’ Well, I’ve done that for all of it. And I have more than enough funds to cover everything. My father saw to that before he passed away.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Listen, if you’re worried about me asking you for more money, I already told you that all you need to invest is five hundred dollars. The rest is at my expense. And I will keep my end of the agreement that within three months’ time, you will get your original investment back, plus the profit I promised you. Even if there is no profit from the business, you will obtain one at my expense.” She knew she sounded defensive, but after being judged by the town committee and now having Harrison questioning her business instincts, too, well, enough was enough. How doltish did they all think she was, anyway?

His hand settled on her arm. “Abby, I meant no offense. I didn’t bring up the subject because I was concerned about having to invest more money. I was only watching out for your interests.”

Her gaze slid to his bluish-gray eyes and the amber color settled at the bottom third of his right eye. Gorgeous was the only way to describe those orbs of his.

She knew she should look away. But she saw no harm in admiring his good looks and stunning eyes. After all, she knew there would never be anything more between them than a business relationship. Even still, that didn’t mean she was dead. She admired a handsome man just as much as the next woman did. Only difference was, she had to be careful not to give him or any other gentleman the wrong idea, as she could never marry.

The reminder that she could never bear children came as it always did when she thought about marriage, but she refused to entertain it. Instead, she shifted her mind back onto business. “Thank you, Harrison. I appreciate your concern. It is my turn to apologize. I fear I have overreacted. My only excuse is, after what the town committee put me through, treating me like I, a mere woman, had no business running an establishment, well, I guess I’m a little sensitive about the whole thing.”

“That’s understandable. But I want you to know from what little I’ve witnessed, you have a great mind for business and for detail.”

His words embraced her with sweetness and confidence. Knowing he had faith in her meant a lot.

He drove the buggy down the main road through Hot Mineral Springs. A quarter of a mile out of town, a large building with a sign
Martin’s Furniture
came into view. Bubbles of excitement popped throughout her stomach as this was one more step in making her dream become a reality.

Harrison came around to her side of the buggy and helped her down. Cupping her elbow, he led her inside the building.

They stepped inside and Abby stopped. Her hands flew to her cheeks, and her mouth fell open. “Oh, my! I’ve never seen so much furniture in one place before!” Rows and rows of bedroom furniture, settees and sofas of various colors, kitchen tables, dining room chairs, dressers and much more lined the walls and filled the whole interior. There was furniture everywhere. And not just any furniture, either, but beautifully crafted pieces.

Her inspection ended at Mr. Martin, standing in the back of the store. As soon as he spotted them, he said something to one of the three men standing with him, then headed their way gazing at them with a smile on his face. “Nice to see you again, Miss Bowen.”

* * *

Harrison noticed Mr. Martin’s gaze lingered on Abby longer than necessary. He also noticed the attraction in the man’s eyes. Not that he could blame him. Abby was an extremely beautiful woman. A man would have to be dead not to notice.

Mr. Martin extended his hand toward Harrison. “It’s good to see you again, too.” His smile was genuine, and he shook his hand as if he were a long-lost friend.

So far, everyone here in this small town treated Harrison the same as they did everyone else. Something Harrison found refreshing.

Back home, his father had been known as a ruthless businessman. While he hadn’t done anything illegal, some of his business dealings were definitely unscrupulous. By association, Harrison had been thought to be like him, and, therefore, a lot of people treated him with the same disdain they had his father. Except for those who wanted something from him or his deceased wife. Allison had loved him for who he was, the real him. The others? Well, he was either resented or used—neither of which set very well with him.

He shook hands with Mr. Martin and offered him a friendly smile, then looked around the room. “When you said you had a storehouse full of furniture, I expected to see a few pieces. Not this.” He eyes took in the room as he spoke the last words. He studied the intricately carved dresser closest to him. “I’ve never seen such fine craftsmanship anywhere. What are you doing here? You need to move back east. You could make a fortune back there.”

“Thank you for the compliment. But I have no plans to live anywhere else. I’m happy where I am.”

Harrison could understand that. Hot Mineral Springs was a beautiful place filled with friendly people, except for the mayor and his cronies. Then again, if Harrison was being honest, he didn’t blame them. All they were trying to do was protect their town and keep it safe and clean from undesirables.

Would they consider him an undesirable if they knew about his father and how he managed his affairs?

Harrison did what he always did when that thought came around. He reminded himself he was nothing like his father, and he would prove it when he got back home by righting as many wrongs as he could, and by earning the good folks of Boston’s respect. “Well, if you ever change your mind, you let me know. I’d be glad to help you get set up and would even be interested in investing in your company. You could even move your operation into one of the Kingsley buildings.”

“That’s right nice of you. But like I said, I’m happy here.” He smiled. “Now, what can I help you folks with?”

With a look, Harrison turned that question over to Abby.

Her already bright blue eyes sparkled even more. “Well, let’s see.” She ticked the items off her long, mental list.

That began a trek around and through the workshop as Mr. Martin showed her piece after piece. After she purchased what seemed like over half of the storehouse, she turned to Harrison and asked, “May I speak to you privately for a moment?”

He nodded. “If you will excuse us...”

“Of course.” Mr. Martin grabbed his list and went to the back of the store where the other three men were working.

Abby led him out of earshot of the others and gazed up at him. “If this furniture is any indication of the type of work he does, I think we should hire him. What do you think?”

Harrison knew how hard it was for her to include him in her plans. She’d never wanted a business partner and resented the fact that she’d been forced to get one. From what he’d witnessed, she didn’t need one. Still, he was pleased to be included in the decisions. “I agree. But before we do—”

“—we need to do a walk-through and show him exactly what needs to be done and find out how much he will charge to do the job.” She finished his sentence.

“You read my mind.” He smiled at her. “Do you want me to ask him, or do you want to do that?”

“You can ask him.”

“Very well.” They strolled back to where Fletcher was. “Mr. Martin, when would be a good time for you to come to the mansion again? We would like to show you everything that needs to be done and get an estimate from you as soon as possible.”

“If you two are free now, I can follow you over there.”

Harrison glanced down at Abby. Anticipation sparkled through her eyes, and she gave a quick nod.

“Yes. That’ll be fine. We’ll meet you there.”

They turned to leave, but Abby stopped. “When’s the soonest you can deliver my furniture?”

“My men can deliver it this afternoon if you’d like.”

“That would be wonderful.” She clasped her hands together. “Thank you, Mr. Martin. I shall finally have real furniture. What great joy!”

The carpenter’s face registered the enthusiasm of her words, much to Harrison’s displeasure.

“Please, call me Fletcher.”

Her smile resembled summer sunshine. “And you may call me Abby.”

For some odd reason, Harrison didn’t like the informality between them. But Abby wasn’t one much for formality. Besides, he had no claims on her.

“We’ll see you back at the mansion.” Harrison normally cupped her elbow, but this time, he looped her arm through his and led her outside. Did he do it on purpose? If so, what for? To give Fletcher the idea they were an item so he wouldn’t pursue her. That wasn’t fair to Abby. After all, he would be leaving, and she would be here. She deserved to find a nice man. He discreetly moved his hand to her elbow. If she noticed the change, she didn’t say anything. Much to his relief.

On their way back to her place, her excitement bubbled over and so did her words. “I’m so happy. I never expected to find everything I needed right here in town. Can you believe it? I mean, really, who would have thought such a thing? Well, with the exception of the theater furniture, that is. Oh, I wish Fletcher had time to make our chairs for us. Did you see the quality of his work?” Her gaze darted to his, but she didn’t wait for his answer. Instead, she went on and on about Fletcher, the furniture, his talent and more.

All the accolades about Fletcher almost made Harrison jealous. Almost. But that was just plain ludicrous, and he knew it.

The three arrived at the mansion at the same time and headed inside.

They showed Fletcher through the house. In each room, he jotted down notes. Lots of them. While Harrison was no carpenter, he did know a bit about buildings. And this one needed a lot more repairs than even he originally thought. He wondered if Abby knew just how many repairs were needed. She said she’d counted the cost, but judging by the smile on her face, he had a feeling she didn’t know just how much money this place was going to take to fix it up.

Somehow, he needed to warn her before they got the estimate. In the meantime, he could only hope he was wrong.

In the massive theater room, Abby told him about the stage and props she would need built, and Fletcher continued to jot down notes. His list grew, and so had Harrison’s dread. What if she didn’t have enough money to cover all the expenses this place needed? Would she still pay him as promised? While that was important to him, it was equally important that she succeed at making her dream come true. And once again he was determined to do whatever it took to help that dream become a reality.

When they finished the lengthy inside and outside tour, she ordered tea and cookies for them. Abby sat next to Harrison on the settee, and Fletcher sat in the chair across from them. She asked the man a million questions, ending with, “How soon can you get those figures to us?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Will that work for you, Harrison?”

“Yes. That’ll be fine.”

Fletcher stood. “Well, I need to get going. Thank you for the tea and cookies. I’ll bring my estimate by tomorrow morning. Around nine, if that’s acceptable.”

Abby looked up at Harrison. He nodded.

“See you at nine.” Fletcher headed toward the parlor door.

Harrison started to follow him.

“You’re not leaving now, too, are you?”

He stopped. “I was. Why? Did you need something?”

“Well, we still have business to discuss.” She glanced at Fletcher, then back at him.

“Very well.”