Lily (Suitors of Seattle) (2 page)

She hurried into the room where Rose and Harriett were sitting watching their two babies
and handed Harriett the piece of paper.  Harriett looked at it.  “There’s only one name on here, Lily.”  Harriett didn’t look pleased.

Lily shrugged.  “He’s the only man I would even consider marrying.”
  She knew her tone was belligerent, but she didn’t care.  She wasn’t about to marry someone she didn’t love just because her aunt required more names on the list. 

“But I’ve seen you with men surrounding you everywhere you go.”  Harriett read the name again.  “Was he even one of them?” 
She looked at Lily skeptically, obviously knowing Lily was interested in a man who had no interest in her. 

“No.  I want you to see if he’s interested in me.”
  Lily didn’t care that Daniel hadn’t been one of the men who always followed her around.  She wanted Daniel and no other.  He had stopped following Rose around when her parents said no more suitors until she was eighteen as well.  He was respectful that way.

Harriett groaned.  “Not again.  Why can’t you girls choose from the men who want to marry you instead of choosing men who don’t seem to care one way or the other?”

Lily folded her arms over her chest.  “You promised to investigate the men I’m interested in.  I’m interested in him and only him.”  Was Aunt Harriett going to make this difficult for her?  She hoped not, because she really didn’t feel like fighting with the older woman, but she would if she had to.

“I’ll let Higgins know.”  Harriett sighed.  “You girls sure are good at making things difficult.”

Lily picked up her nephew from the floor.  “Well, Fred?  Do you think he loves me?”  Fred gurgled happily, and she laughed, burying her face in his throat.  “I sure hope you’re right.”  Fred was the only child of Rose and her husband, Dr. Shawn, and Lily loved the little rascal.  She’d never thought a lot about children or becoming a mother, but little Fred sure made her think about those things. 

She sat down on the floor between the two babies, noting that Harriett was holding her older child, Simon. 

Rose smiled over at Lily.  “Who’d you put on the list?  Daniel?”  Rose had guessed at her feelings for Daniel not long after she’d married Dr. Shawn.

Lily nodded, almost defiantly.  “He’s the only man I’d even consider marrying!”

“I know.  You’ve had feelings for him for a long time.”  Rose smiled encouragingly.  “He’s a nice man.”

“He is!”  Lily’s face lit up at her sister’s praise of him.  “And he’s smart and has a good job, and he’s loyal and…”  She laughed and shook her head, realizing what an idiot she sounded like.

Harriett sighed again, setting the paper aside.  “I hope your sisters aren’t as difficult to match as the two of you!”

Lily and Rose looked at each other, both of them laughing.  “You haven’t begun to match
make the Sullivans yet, Aunt Harriett!”  Rose smiled encouragingly, but made it clear they were not the most difficult of the bunch.

*****

Daniel ran his hands over his face, tired after his long day at work.  He enjoyed working for Fred Sullivan.  He was a good boss, but he hoped he’d still be a good boss when he started courting his daughter.  Lily’s birthday was just a week away, and he planned to ask for her father’s permission to court her just as soon as he could muster up the courage.  Even if he lost his job over it, which he was sure he wouldn’t, Lily would be worth it. 

He was always startled to think back and realize he’d once thought he loved Rose.
  He had no idea what he’d been thinking when he’d tried to court her.  Rose was so…perfect and flighty.  She was better now that she’d married, of course, but he definitely preferred Lily.  With Lily you never knew what was going to be said or done.  She was going to surprise you somehow.  He smiled as he thought about her.

She’d been a tall gangly red head, with long braids, but in the past year, she’d slowed down some, not running everywhere, and start
ed to wear dresses more instead of pants.  She wore her hair up now, instead of dangling down her back in braids.  Her smile made his heart beat faster.  She’d gone from a sweet young girl to a beautiful lady, and he hoped she’d let him be her beau. Everywhere she went she was surrounded by boys, though, just as Rose had been.  He could always see by her face that she wished they’d leave her alone.

He looked toward Fred Sullivan’s door and wondered if now was a good time to talk to him.  Yes, it was still two weeks before Lily turned eighteen, but surely the competition for her would be fierce.  What man wouldn’t want a woman as sweet and beautiful as she was?  Who would be willing to spend an entire Saturday afternoon fishing?  He sighed.  In his mind, Lily Sullivan was
right.  Rose may have been perfect, but she wouldn’t have made him happy.  Lily would make any man happy.

Fred came out of his office and walked over to Daniel.  Now was his chance.  “Have you balanced your drawer?” Fred asked.  Daniel was one of three tellers in the bank Fred Sullivan owned and managed.

“Yes, sir.  It’s all done.”  The other two tellers had left early because they rarely had a lot of people there late on Thursday afternoons.  Fridays were their busy days and they’d all have to work late on Friday.

Fred glanced down at Daniel and smiled.  “Good job.  Let’s go home.  Tomorrow will be a madhouse as usual.”
  Daniel had worked for Fred since graduating four years previously, and he couldn’t think of something he’d rather do.

Daniel nodded,
stood up and followed Fred to the safe with the money from his drawer.  They locked it up carefully, and Fred locked the door.  “Would it be okay if I talked to you about something, sir?” Daniel asked, his face red and his hands clammy.  He needed to just spit it out and get it over with.

Fred looked over at him.  He was a tall thin man, and Daniel was one of the few men he knew who matched him in height.  “What can I do for you?”
  Daniel knew he’d been the man’s favorite employee since he started working there.

Daniel cleared his throat looking down at his feet.  “Well, I was wondering if I might have your permission to court Lily.”  He said the words quickly, hoping against hope his boss would agree to his proposal.

Fred smiled and nodded.  “I think that would be just fine.  Make sure you ask her yourself, though, because she’ll be eighteen in just a couple of weeks, and she’s probably talking to her aunt about which men she wants investigated right now.”

“Investigated?”  Daniel was confused and shook his head.

“My sister-in-law, Harriett Farmer, insists on investigating the men that each of the girls wishes to be courted by.  She wants to make sure none of the girls are hurt by a man.  So before the girls turn eighteen, they need to give a list of men they’re interested in to Harriett to be investigated.  She picks the best of the three, and then the girl gets to pick from those three.”

Daniel’s heart sank.  Could he survive the kind of competition he knew would come from trying to c
ourt Lily?  “I’ll talk to her, sir.”  As soon as he could get up the courage to approach her.  He’d had no problem talking to Rose about his feelings, because they hadn’t been real, he realized now.  He’d thought he was in love with her, so he’d been cocky and chased after her.  His feelings for Lily were so strong, he was afraid one unkind word from her would break his heart.  It was a good thing Lily wasn’t given to unkind words.

He turned toward his home and saw a familiar man standing in front of him.  Wasn’t that the man Harriett Farmer had brought along as her butler when she’d arrived in town as a mail order bride?  What was his name again?  Hillman?  Hickman?  He knew it started with an “H”.

The man held out a letter.  “This is for you.” 

Daniel stared down at the letter in his hand.  “For me?”
 

“Yes, s
ir.”

“I’m sorry, I know I’ve seen you, but I don’t remember your name.”  He didn’t need his name, but he knew it would bother him until he did finally recall what it was.

“John Higgins.”

“That’s it!  I knew it started with an ‘H’.”  Daniel stared down at the letter in his hand, not recognizing the handwriting.  “Does the letter need an immediate reply?”

“It would be preferred if you don’t mind.”  Higgins watched him as he opened the letter and read through it silently.

Daniel stared down at the words on the page, hoping against hope, they meant what he wanted them to mean.  “Mr.
Olafsen, I would appreciate it if you would join me at my home for tea on Sunday at two.  I have some important personal business I would like to discuss with you.”

He looked up and met Higgins’ eyes.  “I’ll be there.  Thank you.”

Daniel walked home with a dreamy smile on his face, ignoring the cold December wind.  It had to be that Lily was interested in him.  What else could it be?  He couldn’t wait to ask her if he could court her.

*****

Daniel took the seat he was offered in a small parlor in Max Farmer’s home. It was one of the wealthiest homes in the city, but no better than he’d been raised in.  His own home was far smaller, and he only had one servant, but he had no real financial problems.  He just didn’t have the kind of wealth it took to build a home like this.

Once he was seated, he turned to Mrs. Farmer and smiled.  “I was pleased to receive your invitation,” he said.
  He hoped she’d get right to the point and tell him why he was there.

Harriett nodded.  “I’m glad you accepted.”  She poured out three cups of tea, because Higgins was seated on the sofa beside Mrs. Farmer.  “Would you care for sugar or milk?”

He shook his head.  He honestly didn’t care for tea, so he didn’t much care how it was prepared.  He was more of a coffee drinker himself.  He accepted the cup and took a cookie from the plate offered to him.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve asked you here,” Harriett began.  “
You know that I’m the aunt of the eight Sullivan girls?”

“Yes, m
a’am.”

“Well, Lily is almost eighteen, and I’ve asked her for a list of men she would be willing to have court her.  It was my job to investigate each man and see who I felt would suit her best.”  Her eyes peered at him over her tea cup.  “You were on that list, but she said you aren’t one of the boys who swarms around her constantly, so I’d like to know if Lily is even a woman you would consider courting.”

Daniel swallowed hard, suddenly nervous now that he was put on the spot this way.  “I knew that none of the girls were allowed to court until they were eighteen, so I’ve kept my distance.  On Thursday, just before Mr. Higgins gave me the letter, I asked her father if I could court her.  I would like nothing more than to court Lily.”

Harriett looked relieved.  “You were going to ask to court her anyway?”
  She seemed surprised by his answer.

“Yes, of course!”

“You were once one of Rose’s beaux.  Are you over Rose?”

Daniel laughed.  “I thought I was in love with Rose, but my feelings for her were nothing compared to how I feel for Lily.  I have no feelings for Rose at all,
except a fondness that will always remain, because she was my friend.”
 
When he was honest with himself, he knew that he’d been attracted to Rose because of her beauty and her careful ladylike manner.  What he loved about Lily was she was beautiful without trying, and she didn’t feel like she had to put on a show wherever she went.  She was Lily and if you didn’t like it, you could find someone else.

Harriett nodded, obviously pleased with his answer.  “Sounds good.  I’ll let her know.”

Daniel shook his head.  “I’d like to let her know if you don’t mind.  I don’t want to feel like we have an arranged marriage or anything.  I want her to know that we’re courting because I love her.”  He hoped her aunt would agree, because it would just seem odd to him otherwise.

Harriett smiled.  “Give her parents a note from me
, then?”

“Of course.”  While he waited for her to write the note, he happily finished the cookie that he’d only taken one bite of earlier.  “Would her parents protest if I went there today and didn’t wait the week?”

Harriett handed him the letter and limped back to her spot on the couch before answering.  “I really don’t think they’ll mind.  Not if Fred has given you permission already.”

Daniel jumped up with a smile.  “Thank you, Mrs. Farmer!”
  He couldn’t believe this meeting had been so easy. 

Harriett watched him go with a laugh on her face, her eyes meeting Higgins.  “I was afraid he was going to be just like Shawn was at first.  He really cares for her, though.”

Higgins nodded with a slight grin.  “He obviously cares for her a great deal.”

As he walked home, Daniel decided to detour to a local florist shop.  He knew lilies weren’t in season, of course, but perhaps they’d have a few?  He didn’t care what he had to pay for them.  His Lily needed her signature flower when he asked to court her, didn’t she?

It was just past six that evening when Daniel stood outside the front door of the Sullivan’s house.  He nervously straightened his tie and clutched the flowers a bit too tightly in his hand.  He cleared his throat once and reached up to knock on the door.