Chapter Twenty-One

A week later, Lucy held her daughter in her arms by the fireplace where the fire warmed them both. Brian went over to her and set two cups on the table in front of the couch before he sat next to her. She snuggled up to him and kissed his cheek.

Smiling, he brought his arm around her shoulders. “What was that for?”

“I just felt like it. You’re kissable, you know.”

“Am I?” He chuckled and stroked her cheek.

“Yes, you are.” She kissed him again.

Stretching out his arm, he brought his hand to Charlotte’s face and gently touched it. “She’s awake.”

Lucy looked at their daughter whose gaze followed Brian’s fingers as they left her face. “She sees, Brian. There’s no doubt in my mind about it.”

He smiled. “I’m glad. She’ll have an advantage over me.”

“You have advantages over the rest of us. You pick up on things the rest of us miss. Like smells. I had no idea where that stench was coming from, but you found that dead mouse and got rid of it.”

Laughing, he shook his head. “That’s called being the man of the house. I couldn’t have my wife do it.”

“But you knew where it was. I wouldn’t have found it so easily.”

“Alright. I got amazing abilities to find dead rodents.”

Giggling, she nudged him in the side. “You’re silly. You have more abilities than that.”

He turned his head toward the door before she heard someone knocking on it.

“See? Now how did you know someone was there?”

“I heard someone step onto the porch. Didn’t you hear it?”

“I didn’t notice it.”

“I’ll see who it is.”

As he stood and went to the door, she turned her attention back to her daughter and kissed her forehead. “You’re adorable, sweetie.”

Charlotte yawned and stretched, loosening the blanket around her. When she tried to settle back into the blanket, she let out a whimper.

“I know, I know,” Lucy said. “You’re not swaddled anymore.”

Lucy set her on the couch and spread out the blanket so she could work on getting her daughter wrapped tightly again. While she finished, Brian opened the door, and she noted the familiar voices. She glanced up and saw Eliza and John enter the house, followed by Addy and Frank. Addy carried a gift in her hands, and Lucy couldn’t help but wonder just how many gifts one little girl could possibly have before she turned one.

“I hope it’s a good time to visit,” Addy said.

“It is,” Brian replied as he went over to the stove. “I have some hot chocolate in the pot. Does anyone want some?”

“Oh, that sounds perfect on a chilly day,” Frank said. “We won’t stay long. We were visiting Eliza and John and were curious about the little one.”

“Yes,” Addy said as she took off her coat and hung it by the door. “We won’t stay long.”

“Go on and have a seat by the fire,” Brian replied as he took the cups off the shelf. “I’ll bring everyone something to drink in a moment.”

Addy took her gift over to Lucy while the others took off their coats. She sat next to Lucy and smiled. “I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to get something for her.”

“I don’t mind.” Lucy picked up her swaddled daughter. “Would you like to hold her?”

Addy set the gift down. “I’d love it, Lucy. It’s been awhile since I got to hold my grandchild. They grow up so fast.”

Lucy settled Charlotte in her arms and turned to the gift. “Any hints?”

“Something that isn’t practical but might hold sentimental value in the years to come.”

Intrigued, Lucy opened the gift while Eliza, John, and Frank helped Brian bring the pot and cups over to the table. As they sat down, she pulled out a silver cup with Charlotte’s name and birthday etched into it.

“I suspect it’s not something you’ll let her play with,” Addy mused, smiling at the baby.

“Not until she’s an adult,” Lucy said, liking the gift. Looking at Brian, she told him what it was.

“We’ll get you a similar gift for your other children as well, of course,” Addy replied.

“Oh, well there you’ve gone and spoiled the surprise,” Frank playfully told Addy.

Chuckling, Lucy set the cup back into the box. “Thank you. It’s lovely.”

“Yes, it really is,” Eliza agreed after she set her cup down. “Addy has such great taste.” With a teasing grin, she added, “Except when it comes to blankets. Why, Charlotte looks like a little doll in that sunny blanket.”

Lucy turned down the corner of it to show them the other side which was of the night sky.

Addy laughed. “This little girl is cuddled up with the stars and moon. That’s how she sleeps.”

“Who said anything about sleeping?” Eliza asked. “I just think she looks nice with yellow. Besides, she’s not really asleep. She’s just resting her eyes.”

Frank drank some hot chocolate and shook his head. “I don’t envy you, Brian. You’re going to be surrounded by women. It’ll be constant chatter all day long over things like blankets and what someone’s doing.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” Addy asked him. “We have a daughter.”

“I speak from experience,” Frank replied.

“Oh, you!” Eliza waved her hand at him. “Behave.”

“I don’t mind,” Brian said with a smile. “It’s better than the silence that used to be in this place.”

John signed, There’s nothing worse than the silence.

Eliza patted John on the knee. “Exactly. Women turn a house into a home. If it weren’t for us, you men would be lost.”

“Amen,” Addy said. “Just this morning, Frank couldn’t find his hat. It was up to me to find it.”

“Now, I’m telling you, Addy, that hat wasn’t there on the closet shelf when I looked,” Frank replied.

“Oh? And I suppose it jumped up on there when you weren’t looking?” she asked.

Frank shrugged. “Stranger things have happened.”

Addy rolled her eyes.

“You just need to pay better attention to where you put your things,” Eliza said.

Lucy laughed as she watched her friends good-naturedly argue. Parts of it reminded her of how her brother used to tease her. Her smile waned a bit as she recalled the times she and her brother had walked by the lake. It’d been her favorite pastime, and he was the only person she’d shared it with. She wondered how he was doing with Teresa. Turning her attention to Charlotte, she caught the small dimple in her daughter’s left cheek, the same dimple her brother had. It warmed her heart to know a part of her brother passed on to her little girl.

Addy handed Charlotte to Eliza who took the girl in her arms and cooed at her. Lucy grinned, noting the joy on Eliza’s face. After everything Eliza had been through, Lucy thought it was fitting that Eliza got to hold her grandchild. And this would be the first of other grandchildren Eliza would get to hold.

Picking up her cup of hot chocolate, she took a sip and sighed. Looking back at Charlotte who gurgled in contentment as her grandmother continued to coo at her while the others talked, she couldn’t help but think maybe, one day, her brother and parents might get a chance to see Charlotte as well.

***

Meredith adjusted her brown wig and turned the collar of her coat up as the stage coach neared the small South Dakota town. What a horrific ordeal the journey had been! She was glad to finally be here. Sneaking away and buying her train ticket to Sioux Falls and then arranging for the stage coach had not been easy, but she did it.

She scanned the flat landscape with the businesses lining the streets up ahead. So this was where Mark dropped Lucy off. She had to admit the choice was a smart one. If she was going to quietly get rid of someone, she’d pick a place like this as well. It was far removed from a real civilization. Not that she came from a flourishing town either, but at least it’d been better than this dump. But this dump would be her home soon enough. Knowing Lucy, Lucy probably loved it here since it was quiet and peaceful—two things Lucy seemed to crave above all else. So Meredith had to play the part.

Taking a deep breath, she sat back in her seat and wiggled her gloved fingers in anticipation. Finally. A new beginning. Finally, she could be perfect and loved by all.

The stage coach pulled onto the main street in town where snow still scattered the ground in places where the sun hadn’t melted it yet. She hoped the driver had the good sense to stop in a place where she wouldn’t have to step over a pile of slush. Such incompetent foolery would cost him a tip if he did.

When he came to a stop in front of the general store, she opened the door and was relieved to see he did have some common sense after all. She picked up her purse and dug out the necessary coin to tip him with. He came around to her door and widened it.

“I hope you’ll enjoy your stay here, ma’am,” he said as he offered his hand to help her down.

Accepting his hand, she stepped down from the coach and smiled her most charming smile at him. “Thank you.”

As he gathered her carpetbag and placed it on the boardwalk in front of the store, she brought her collar up higher and lowered her hat. If Lucy was still here, they might recognize her face, and that wouldn’t work. She needed time to hide and learn what happened to her sister. Hopefully, she could do this before her brother arrived. It sounded like he had to tie up a loose end at a trial first. Maybe that would delay him a good week or two. By then, she should be settled into her new home.

The man turned back to Meredith so she handed him the coin. He tipped his hat. “Have a good visit with your grandma.”

“I will.”

She stepped back from the stage coach and watched as he hopped back on and drove off. Picking up her bag, she tried to figure out what she should do first. She caught sight of a boarding house. Perhaps she could work out a temporary arrangement. She wouldn’t need to stay there for long.

Proceeding forward, she walked down the boardwalk, not paying much attention to the group of people who collected around the district. At the moment, she wasn’t in the mood to put on a pleasant façade with anyone. She was tired from travel and needed something decent to eat. As she walked, she forced a polite greeting to whomever she passed and forced a yawn to show them all how tired she was.

Once she reached the boarding house, she knocked on the door and cleared her throat. A stout, older woman opened the door, so Meredith smiled and raised her voice an octave. “Hello, ma’am. May I speak with the woman who owns this boarding house?”

“You’re talking to her.” The woman moved aside so Meredith could come in. “My name is Molly Richie.”

As Molly shut the door, Meredith set her carpetbag down and turned to her. “I’m Cara Templeton. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Molly smiled and ushered her forward. “Would you like a seat?”

“Actually, I’m exhausted from a long trip. I was wondering if you have a room I might rent for a short time. A couple of days is all I need.”

“You’re in luck. I’m between boarders right now for one of my rooms. I’ll still ask for a deposit which I’ll refund you when you leave.”

“How much?”

“I think $5 ought to do it. The $3 of that will be for the deposit. The fee includes food.”

Meredith nodded and pulled out the necessary funds before she handed them to her. “That sounds fine, Mrs. Richie.”

“Now, breakfast is at eight, lunch is at noon, and supper is at five. I also mandate that everyone bathe Saturday evening to get ready for the Lord’s Day. I have a schedule upstairs on when those baths will be. You’ll be in room 2, so you’ll go at 6:30.”

“That sounds fine.”

“Good.” Molly motioned for the staircase. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your room.”

Retrieving her carpetbag, Meredith followed.