| |
“IT’S RATHER HOT. ARE you sure you won’t take a carriage?”
Faith smiled, grateful for her parents’ indulgence but feeling as if she needed the walk to her uncle’s that morning. A little time to herself in the fresh air to wade through her thoughts would be good before speaking to Thomas again, and then there was the matter of the new client . . .
“Oh, good morning, Thomas. What a lovely surprise.”
Her mother’s soft pink dress waved a little around her ankles as the morning breeze tickled at the hem, and Faith watched her accept a kiss on the cheek from her cousin.
“Kind of you to walk the extra bit to accompany Faith today.”
Her father nodded at Thomas, who echoed the gesture in return. Everyone in the family loved Thomas as if he had been born into it rather than adopted, and it wasn’t only because he was well-mannered and intelligent.
He was one of them in his heart, and they could all sense that belonging, as if he was meant to be with them.
Oh, please, Lord, help Thomas see past his dislike of having the new client be a part of the design process, for whatever reason he might have.
And what was that reason?
Why wouldn’t he explain it to her?
He had to know that if he was impolite to the client, it might cause Uncle Will to lose the job.
No, he wouldn’t be impolite, that wasn’t like him. He could veil his feelings, but if the client was perceptive, he might catch on.
So much to worry about, and maybe it wasn’t necessary.
And please help me to stop worrying so much.
She watched her father rest his hand on the small of her mother’s back, and as her mother leaned towards him, Faith saw the tinge of blue that darkened the skin under her mother’s eyes.
Frowning, she opened her mouth to ask if perhaps her mother hadn’t slept well, but her mother squeezed Thomas’s hand and spoke before she could.
“We’re planning a welcome home party for Ruby when she returns, here on the lawn so we can enjoy the ocean’s view. Although I’m sure Ruby has seen more than enough of the ocean for awhile.”
Why wasn’t her mother sleeping?
Faith couldn’t remember a time when she had so much on her mind, but she didn’t have time to think about it before Thomas took her hand and led her away, saying his goodbyes to her parents as they turned to each other and promptly started to argue.
“I’ll be fine. You know I have plans to organize the women’s knitting group, and the ladies are meeting there today. We have a lot to do before the winter comes."
Her mother’s voice was low but insistent.
Almost a match for her father’s.
Almost.
“Honestly, Josie, I can’t see that far ahead. All I see is that this is hard on you, and you need to rest. Yes, I know you’ll say that sitting and clacking knitting needles together is resting, but it isn’t. Please.”
His last word was almost sad, plaintive like a child’s, and Faith wanted to turn around and run back to them.
But Thomas tugged her along, sliding her hand into the crook of his elbow.
“I assume you’ve had news from Ruby, our long lost cousin, as I received a letter yesterday.”
It was true, Ruby was starting to feel like a distant figure. As much as her Travers cousins had travelled while they were all children, they had never been gone for this long of a stretch.
She sighed.
“She’ll finally be home in a couple of weeks. I can’t imagine being away from home, or my parents, for six months. I don’t know if she’s brave or addled.”
Thomas laughed, his face turned upward a little to catch the breeze as it tossed his dark brown hair about. If it wasn’t for the brisk air, the humidity would already be unspeakable.
“If I’d been raised like a nomad, I’d either end up like her, or completely hating it, never leaving Newport again. So, what’s this about a party?”
Faith’s tentative plan to think a bit to herself before confronting him over today’s new development was lost, and it seemed like her ability to think quickly was as well.
She couldn’t just change the subject and try to get a feel for his attitude before they reached their uncle’s house.
Or could she?
“Just a little get together, as you know my parents don’t like large events. Although Ruby’s parents don’t seem to mind them. Hopefully Uncle Will won’t be too busy with this new client, or if he is, he’ll need a little break to celebrate Ruby’s return.”
As she mentioned the new client, she felt the muscles in Thomas’ arm tense around her hand, and he glanced away, his smile dimming.
“I’m sure he’ll find time, and it will be good for all of us to be together. My mother has been asking about yours lately, and I think she means to come visit in the next day or two.”
Now Faith was distracted from her intended subject, returning to her concern for her mother.
Why was everyone worried about her?
“Do you know why Aunt Sarah is asking after her? Is there something I should know?”
Thomas shrugged, but his eyebrows knit together.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I did overhear my parents talking about her, but only caught a bit of the conversation. Something about how your mother had been ill before, but it had been so long that maybe it wouldn’t be a problem this time.”
This time?
Faith allowed herself to sigh even louder. After all, Thomas was her best friend, and while she had her concerns about how today would go with the client, she knew that if she held her feelings back, he would notice.
And there was no need to create any distance between the two of them, where there never had been before.
“I’m sure with everyone looking out for her, your mother will be fine. Besides, our parents always talk about putting their worries into God’s hands, and you’ve always done that before, right?”
I never had worries like this before, she wanted to say, but of course, he already knew this. She wondered if he realized how much his recent behavior was bothering her.
Perhaps she was overreacting, and his stubbornness the other day was a momentary reaction to change. He had never been one to look forward to anything in their lives shifting in the smallest degree, probably because nothing much had.
“I hope Aunt Catherine has lemonade for us again. It’s bound to be boiling hot by noon, again.”
Even splashing in the ocean, which was warm and salty now, wasn’t the cooling experience it had been in the spring or would be later in the fall.
Thomas hummed in agreement as they walked up to the side door near the garden at their aunt and uncle’s house, where a flourish of white roses filled the air with a subtle, lemony fragrance.
Aunt Catherine herself was in the midst of the garden, a wide straw hat with a dusky pink ribbon holding it tight in a bow under her chin. She waved just as the flowers did as the wind kicked up, then eased off.
Faith couldn’t help but smile at the pretty picture her aunt made. She was always so happy that it was clear where Ruby had inherited her joy for life. Not that Uncle Will wasn’t happy as well, but there was something about Aunt Catherine that radiated joy.
She supposed it was love; for her family, for God, for the gift of life.
I’m so self-centered today, she considered, closing her eyes. I’m sorry for thinking only of myself and my feelings, Lord, she prayed silently. Please let my mother be well, and Thomas content.
“Have you had any new books delivered, Thomas?”
Evie greeted them in the hall as they stepped into the house, her eyes as wide as her voice was eager. Once Ruby was home, Evie’s quiet days filled with reading would be over, and they’d find her hiding in a corner with her books rather than walking around the house, inevitably walking into walls and door frames as she stared at the pages.
It wasn’t as if Ruby didn’t like reading, but she’d much rather live adventures than read about them, she always said.
Faith wondered how her cousin would adjust to their generally calm life here in Newport.
She let her fingers fall from Thomas’ elbow as he leaned forward to speak quietly with Evie, who was considerably shorter than he was, and as she waited for them to finish their conversation, she picked up voices from Uncle Will’s study.
One, of course, was her uncle’s, but the other sounded familiar as well.
Strange. Maybe someone else who helped at the shelter had stopped by. So many Newport residents helped in one way or another, and Faith had seen them at First Steps all the time.
She smiled at Evie, but her cousin's attention was entirely on Thomas, who didn’t have to fake his own interest in books to please her.
“Father has someone new in his study. I’m sure he explained to me who he is, but I admit I wasn’t paying very close attention.”
When she waved the book she was, inevitably, holding in her hand, Faith laughed, reaching out to tuck a stray red-gold strand of hair from Evie’s cheek behind her ear.
“You’ll help us plan your sister’s party, won’t you?”
Evie frowned a little, then exaggerated the gesture, which only made Faith laugh more, and Thomas joined in.
“I’m not sure what’s going on out here, but I’d like for the two of you to come along so I can introduce you. Evie, perhaps the three of you can eat together at midday and visit more then.”
Uncle Will wasn’t dismissive of his daughter, Faith knew, just earnest about getting to work. Evie nodded and didn’t seem to mind.
“It’ll be too hot to eat, but maybe we can have some ice cream. We can have peach melba, like in The House of Mirth. Actually, did they have it, or did they decide on coupe Jacque? Do either of you know what coupe Jacque is?”
Thomas pressed a kiss to Evie’s forehead, and their cousin smiled sheepishly.
“I’m sorry, but I won’t apologize for being excited about books.”
“Or ice cream,” Thomas added with a firm nod. “No reason to be sorry about either.”
With a final smile, Evie turned away and lifted her book in front of her, her steps slowing just a bit as she flipped it open.
“She’ll have to marry a writer, or a publisher, don’t you think?” Faith said, teasingly.
Thomas shook his head as they approached Uncle Will’s study.
“No. She’ll probably end up as one or both of those, and she’ll only marry someone who won’t feel threatened by her intelligence.”
Faith slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow again, as if they were embarking on another long walk together, and rested her head on his shoulder. He stopped walking and tilted his own head over to lean gently on hers, and they stood quietly together for a moment.
She was sure he understood her appreciation for his attitude towards Evie, which was not very common among either men or women, but encouraged within their family.
The new voice that rose from the wall that separated them from the study as they neared the open door sounded so familiar to Faith, and she scrunched her nose as she struggled to place it.
Just as they took their first glance at the visitor, she recalled who the voice belonged to, and sure enough, it was the mysterious, dark stranger from the shelter yesterday.