Her Irish Surrender (11 page)

“Then if you kiss me again, I … I shall have to remove your pie from the room.”

His eyes widened. “I’ll behave, I promise.”

She blushed as she smiled, and put a hand to her chest. “That would be wise considering your mother and father are in the next room.”

“Aye, and probably kissing.”

“Lorcan, no …”

“Yes! You don’t know my
Maither
and
Da
.”

“If that’s the case, then I know where you get it from.
”

“What?”

She blushed and turned away.

He reached over, and took her hand in his. “I’d like to kiss you again, if I may.”

Her blush deepened. It was one thing to be surprised by his kiss, another to know one was coming. What to do? Would he think her wanton if she gave her consent? Or would he …

The thought was cut off, and
the next thing she knew she was in his arms, the plate of pie balanced between them, as he stole another kiss. His lips were soft, and for a scant second she wondered if kissing hurt him, considering his bruised face. But all thought left when his tongue delved into her mouth, and she moaned in response. He set them apart, his breathing ragged. “Ah, lass … you’re killing me.” He swallowed hard and looked at her. “Adaline … what was I thinking?”

“Lorcan …”

“Adaline … Addy.”

She smiled at the nick
name. “My aunt calls me Ada,” she whispered.

“Ada …” he said,
trying it out. “No, I think I’ll call you Addy.” He brushed a curl out of her face. “Beautiful Addy.”

“Ahem …”

Adaline and Lorcan flew apart. What was left of the pie, fell to the floor with a plop, as the plate landed with a clatter.  Mr. Brody sauntered into the room with a smile. “Shall I send for Reverend Franklin?”

Adaline and Lorcan took one look at each other, and burst into laughter. Lorcan sobered first. “There’ll be time enough for that.”

“Any more time, and you two will make me a grandfather. I’ll be speaking with him in the morning then.” He took his pipe out of his pocket, and put it in his mouth. “Carry on.” He turned on his heel with a smile, and left the room.

Adaline’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Carry on?”

“You heard the man!” Lorcan chortled and pulled her into his arms.

“Lorcan Brody, let go of me!”

“The match is done!  We’re not in Ireland, if we were, there’d be courting and all sorts of goings on. But not here, things happen a lot quicker. If I hadn’t been such a fool, we’d already be married.”

She stared at him.
Marriage.
Her body trembled with delight.

“Here now, are you cold?”

“No,” she said, her voice softened again. “Not at all.”

He raised a single eyebrow. “Is it me then, have I set you to trembling, lass?”

She looked into his eyes. “I’m afraid so, Mr. Brody.”

“Lorcan.”

She smiled again. “Lorcan.”

“Lorcan Brody. Let me hear you say it.”

She licked her lips. “Lorcan Brody.”

“Now say your name, lass.”

She thought it odd, but did it. “Adaline Dermont.”

“No,” he said and shook his head.

“No?”

He shook his hea
d again. “Adaline
Brody
.”

Her eyes widened, and she let go a shaky breath as another tremor passed through her.

“Say it,” he whispered as he brought his face to hers.

She swallowed, her mouth dry. “Adaline Brody,” she said against his lips.

“Yes, you are,” he said, and then claimed what they both knew, was now his.

Ten

Lorcan awoke, opened one sleepy eye, stretched, and closed it. His room was still dark, had he heard a noise? Why else would he have woken? Maybe he should get up and investigate. He’d not been able to sleep, thoughts of marrying Addy had kept him up most of the night, when he did fall asleep, he dreamt of her soft lips and smiling eyes. He’d seen them as she stood in the doorway to his room before she left, and gave her promise she would return the next day to see him.  They had much to talk about.

He opened his eyes aga
in, sat up, yawned, and froze, his breathing stopped.
No!

Lorcan’s room was not only dark, it was black.

He shook with the shock of it. “Good, Lord, no. Ye can’t do this to me!”

“Lorcan, lad,” came his mother’s voice. “What is it? Is everything all right?”

“
Maither
…” He had to think fast, he could hear her footsteps coming down the hall. What if it was only temporary? Yes, temporary, a set back, it would heal itself, it had to! “I’m fine, talking in my sleep is all.” He turned his face toward the door. “My head hurts though, maybe a wet cloth?”

She said nothing, and he wondered what she was thinking. Could she tell?
“Aye, I’ll see to it,” she finally said.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her retreat, and put his hands over his eyes. He closed them, opened them, closed them,
opened them again. Black, all was black. “Good God, what now?” He felt something sink into his gut. Despair? But no, Lorcan wasn’t so easily discouraged. Though blind, his eyes widened as another thought struck him.  Addy.

Could she be easily discouraged? Would she still want to marry him when she found out? But no, by the time she came for her visit, his vision could already be coming back. He would
wait, wait until he knew for sure. But even so, he wouldn’t be able to keep up the pretense he had his sight. He would have to tell his family, his Addy. 

Lorcan raised his face to the ceiling. “Lord, ye know I haven’t spoken with ye much lately, but I’m speaking to ye now.” The thickness of his brogue surprised him enough to stop
. He knew it happened when he was angry or upset. “You’re all I’ve got, I can’t lose my sight, not now, not ever.” He swallowed, his throat dry. “I’ve stopped the fighting …”

“Here we are,” his mother said.

He listened to her steps, tried to gauge where she was. He’d been so focused on his prayer, he didn’t hear her come in.

“Lorcan?”

He looked in the direction of her voice. “Aye, hand it here …” he said and bumped his hand against her.  She was at his bedside.

“Lorcan …” There was definite worry in her voice. “What’s the matter?”

He swallowed hard. “
Maither
, I … I think I’ll lie down again.” He held out his hand and prayed she would place the washcloth in it. She did, and he listened for any sign she might be on to him. She gave none.

“I’ll be off to work then.
You rest, and I’ll check on you later. Adaline will be up for lunch.”

He closed his eyes at the mention of her name, and nodded. If his vision didn’t begin to return by then, he’d have no choice but to tell them.  Then what?  His
maither
and
da
would be sick with worry, and what of Addy? Would she still want to marry him?  He wasn’t sure she loved him yet. Oh, there was a definite attraction between the two of them, and his feelings for her were growing stronger by the day. But they’d both only begun to have them, and though they were to be married, they hadn’t spent enough time to develop the kind of love that binds two people together through thick and thin.  She could still refuse him, walk away and marry another. Oregon City was full of single, healthy men. Men with eyes to protect her, provide for her …

Lorcan struck the mattress and groaned.
Why now, Lord? Why? I’ve given up fighting, I’m going to marry the bride Maither sent for, what have I done to …

He stopped as he remembered bits and pieces of scripture.  He was never good at memorizing verses, and w
ished now he’d been better at it, but he did know the good Lord was still watching over him. Just because he couldn’t see, didn’t mean the Lord didn’t have his best interest in mind.

He took a deep breath. He would heal, get better, and marry Addy, and that was all there was to it. He raised his face to the ceiling again. “Ye may be the creator of Heaven and Earth, but ye also have to remember ye created one
stubborn
Irishman, and I’ll not stand by and let this lick me ye hear? Aye, and I’ll not be acting the maggot either, I can’t. Some already think me a fool.”  He sighed, done with his rant, and lay down upon his bed. “Let it be back when I wake up again,” he whispered. “Let me see.”  Lorcan placed the washcloth over his eyes, and tried to sleep.

* * *

Adaline studied her hair in the small mirror above her dresser. She put in a few more pins, then turned her head this way and that to examine her handiwork. She spied her trunk behind her in the mirror’s reflection, and smiled. Her wedding dress was in it. She’d not bothered to unpack it after Lorcan marched her to the boarding house her first day in town. She’d been angry, and refused to add to her humiliation by staring at the gown. But tonight she planned on hanging it up before she retired.  It would need to air, and she wanted it ready in case Lorcan decided to get married sooner rather than later. She smiled at the thought, patted her hair, then plucked her shawl from the bed. This was going to be a good day.

Or not. She opened the door
and looked up into the face of Herbert Walker. “Oh, hello Mr. Walker.”

“Miss Dermont,” he said ardently. “I must have a moment of your time.”

“I’m afraid I’m on my way to work. Perhaps later.”

He ignored her remark and kept talking. “Miss Dermont, I’m sure it hasn’t escaped you that I’ve not been around much these last few days.”

She looked at him, he was right. She hadn’t seen him much since Sunday. Today was Thursday. “Were you out looking for land?” she asked. Everyone knew he was in the area to start a farm. She hoped he found something. It would mean he’d be leaving the boarding house. He’d talked everyone to death since his arrival.

“In that you are correct. In fact, it’s the sweetest little piece of farmland you’ll ever see, and just outside the city. You won’t have to go far for supplies, or
to attend church.”

“How wonderful, does it have a house on it? Or are you planning to build?” She turned and started down the stairs. Something didn’t seem right. What did he say?

“There’s already a house, and the barn is enormous,” his words tumbled out as he chased after her. “But about the house. It has
five
bedrooms!”

“Five
? Why Mr. Walker, you must be plan on producing quite a brood.”

“Yes!” he exclaimed as he raced down the stairs, passing her, and beating her to
the bottom. He faced her as she reached the last few steps. “Miss Dermont,” he said sternly. “I’ll have you know I’m a man of risks.”

She stood on the bottom step and gave him a blank look. “Oh?”

He straightened. “I bought it for you.”

“OH?”

“We can be married this afternoon, unless you’d like to wait a day.”

She was speechless, her mouth refusing to work. She blinked a few times in
hopes it would help, but still nothing came out.

He smiled, elated. “Oh, Miss Dermont! You’ve made me the happiest man on Earth!”

Now,
her mouth started to work. “I …what?!?”

He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “I’ll see to the preacher, you see to looking as beautiful as you can!”

She looked flabbergasted at her hand, her lips curled into a grimace as he danced a circle in front of her. “Mr. Walker!” she finally managed.

He ignored her and turned another circle before facing her again. “I’ll see you tonight …
darling
.”

“Darling
?!?”

He was off like a shot, leaving her to stand there with her mouth opening and closing like a guppy’s.

“Adaline?” Polly said as she came down the stairs. “Is something the matter?”

Adaline turned, looked at her with her face still in shock, and shrugged. “Mr. Walker is getting married.”

“He is? Oh my! Now there’s some news. Who’s the lucky girl?”

“Apparently … I am.”

Polly’s eyes grew round as saucers. “What? I t
hought you were marrying Lorcan!”

“S
o did I, however, Mr. Walker has informed me, I will be marrying him.”

Polly covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

“Go ahead, let it out,” Adaline said as she shook her head.

Polly laughed as she came down the
remaining stairs. “You have to admit, Mr. Walker
is
persistent.”

“I’m not sure persistent is the word I would use.”

Polly gave her a questioning look and smiled.

“’Glue’ is a much better word to describe our dear Mr. Walker.”

They both laughed. “Oh dear, you do have a problem,” Polly said through her giggles. “Now you have two men who want to marry you!”

  “Yes, but only one
the proud owner of a farm, complete with a house with not four, but
five
bedrooms. Oh, and an
enormous
barn.”

Polly’s hands flew to her mouth. “Oh
, my Heavens!”

Adaline smiled. “Too bad he’s not the one I’m going to marry.” They laughed aga
in, and Adaline, despite Herbert Walker’s recent shenanigans, hummed as she went to work.

* * *

  The morning passed quickly, and Adaline couldn’t wait for lunchtime to run upstairs and see Lorcan. Her skin would breakout with gooseflesh whenever she thought of him, and twice she giggled with delight, which caught the attention of Mr. Brody. “What may I inquire, has the likes of you in such a fine mood this day?”

“The likes of me?”

“Well,” he said as he filled his pipe. “When you first started here, you were a different girl. Quiet you might say, sort of … let me see, what’s the word … standoffish. Ye know. Unfriendly like. Now look at ye. Happy as a lark and then some.”

S
he gave him a bright smile. “I am happy.”

“Aye, lass, I can tell.” He unexpectedly put an arm around her, and gave her a sideways hug. “I’m glad yer here.”

“So am I, Mr. Brody.”

“We’ll have no more Mr. Brody. From now on, call me
Da
.”

She blushed, tears in her eyes, and had to turn away.  She’d not thought about the fact she’d have in-laws. Her own parents had been gone for years now, and she’d buried her desire for
a mother and father long ago.

“What’s this?” Mr. Brody said as he bent to look her in the face. “Why the tears, lass?”

“It’s … just that … I didn’t realize this would be so …” she looked at him and smiled. “What’s the word?
Wonderful
.”

He glanced about the shop and lowered his voice. “Wonderful until Mrs. Brody has one of her tempers. When that happens, ye best run for cover.” He put
his pipe in his mouth and winked.

She laughed, hugg
ed him, then looked to the back of the bookshop. He patted her on the back. “Go ahead, lass. I know he’s waiting.”

She gave him one last smile, lifted her skirt, and scurried for the stairs. When she got to the upper landing, she pinched her cheeks a few times, smoothed her dress, and knocked.  Mr
s. Brody came to the door, a spoon in her hand. “There ye are, dearie.” She stepped out onto the landing with her. “I’m sorry, but he’s not feeling well right now. Maybe later he’ll be up for a visit.”

Adaline’s face fell
into concern. “Do we need to send for the doctor?”

“No, I think all he needs is rest. We must have worn him out yesterday. He’s barely said two words to me all day. Slept the morning away, he did.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope he’ll be all right.”

“I’m sure he will. Come see him after work,” she reached into her apron pocket and pulled out some coins. “Here, I’ve been so busy this morning I don’t have lunch ready yet. Go across the street and buy yourself something nice to eat.”

Adaline glanced down the stairs. “I can wait until tonight.”

“Nonsense, take this and buy yourself some lunch. And tell Mr. Brody
his lunch will be an hour late.”

Adaline turned, her heart filled with disappointment at not seeing Lorcan. But getting his rest was more important. She took the coins Mrs. Brody offered, hugged her, and went downstairs. Mrs. Brody watched her go with a face full of worry. She wiped away a lone tear, and turned to go inside.