5

Priam Welby paid a boy to watch until all the men of the Madison Bridal School left the grounds. As instructed, the boy hurried back with the news that all three had departed first thing that morning. Priam knew Thane Scott and Wade Ackerman would make their way downtown to work, and as luck would have it Jay Cunningham drove the carriage out, complete with a female passenger. He paid the boy and sent him on his way before climbing into his carriage.

“Take me to the Madison Bridal School,” he instructed the driver.

It was a short distance to the estate, but during the ride Priam used the time to plot and plan how he would handle things if the old ladies got in his way. His charms would be lost on them, and threats would be equally useless. He had visions of the old women picking up brooms and umbrellas to beat him back off their porch. He supposed he would just have to do what he could when the time came.

When they arrived at the school, Priam instructed the driver to wait for him as long as it took. The man gave a curt nod and then fixed his gaze forward. He knew better than to counter any request Priam made.

Walking up the porch steps, Priam glanced around to see if any of the women were about. There wasn’t a sign of anyone. He hoped the old ladies were busy with their bridal classes and the Chinese maid would give him quick entry to see Abrianna. He knocked and picked lint from his suit coat lapel as he waited.

To his pleasant surprise and relief it was Abrianna herself who came to the door. She stepped back and lost the smile on her face. “Mr. Welby. We weren’t expecting you.”

He tipped his hat. “Good morning, Miss Cunningham. I do apologize for such an early visit, but I wondered if I might speak to you. We could sit out here on the porch if you like.”

Abrianna glanced over her shoulder then nodded. Priam opened the screen door to allow her exit. “You look quite lovely today,” he said. The blue and white outfit she wore, along with the way she’d tied her hair back, made her look rather juvenile, but he thought only to put her mind at ease with compliments.

“Thank you. I must say, I really don’t know why you’re here. I know that Kolbein . . . ah, Mr. Booth was to have settled our business arrangement.”

He smiled at her bluntness. “Well, in truth, despite Mr. Booth’s delivery of your canceled contract, I find you are all that I can think about.”

She frowned. “I am sorry for that, Mr. Welby.”

“You’re the first person I think of when I awaken and the last one who comes to mind before I sleep. I dream about you. I ponder ways to win your heart.” He smiled. “All in all, you are never far from my thoughts.”

“That is, I’m sure, most annoying.” She looked down as if to study the toe of her shoe. “It would seem that perhaps you could reflect on Scriptures instead. Or perhaps you should read Mr. William Salter’s Ethical Religion. I am led to understand it has great qualities of interest to the learned reader. Although, I must admit I haven’t read this myself and therefore should probably not seek to suggest it, so perhaps you could just forget my mention.”

He chuckled and took hold of her arm. “Come sit with me.” He pulled her to where there were several chairs positioned close together for easy conversation.

She seemed reluctant, but when he let go of her arm, she squared her shoulders. “For just a few minutes.”

Abrianna took her seat. Welby did likewise and drew off his hat. He noted that she seemed most uncomfortable and thought perhaps there was something he could gain by this. Keeping her off balance seemed the most efficient way of handling Abrianna Cunningham.

“I don’t suppose you realize that you’ve broken my heart.” She looked at him in disbelief but said nothing. “I know that most people think me heartless and all business, but the truth is, I have fallen quite in love with you.”

“Oh dear,” she said in a whisper that sounded quite contrite.

“Indeed. I can scarcely think of business or other affairs without you coming to mind. When you sent Mr. Booth to break our contract, I can tell you quite honestly . . . well, I took to my house and hid myself away, neither eating nor drinking for two days.” The lie sounded natural enough and given her willingness to believe everyone truthful, Priam felt confident she would buy into his story.

She bit her lower lip. He might have laughed at her anxious expression had he been less determined to get her to reconsider the contract. “You see,” he continued, “when you gave me hope that we might have a future together, I was the happiest man alive.”

“But I did not give you hope,” she protested. “I told you I was certain I would not fall in love with you. Now I know quite well why I was so confident of the matter. My heart belongs to another, even though I didn’t realize it at the time.”

He sighed. “Then there is no hope for me?”

“There is always hope for each of God’s children, but not by courting me,” she declared. “You truly must seek another avenue, Mr. Welby, for I am not the means to happiness for you.”

He tried to appear thoughtful. “And I can do nothing to convince you otherwise? You did give me your word that you would give me time to woo you.”

“I am sorry, Mr. Welby, but to do so would be dishonest. Our contract allowed for either of us to dissolve it should anything arise to cause conflict with the contents. I came to realize that my love for Wade Ackerman was one that would lead us to matrimony. I cannot entertain another gentleman who has thoughts of wooing me when I am all but engaged to another.”

“So you aren’t formally engaged?” he asked.

She sighed. “It’s just a matter of making all the announcements. As far as Wade and I are concerned, we are engaged and preparing for marriage.”

He put his hand to his heart. “You have no idea how this grieves me. It pierces my heart as if you’d plunged in a knife.”

“Mr. Welby, you have made this matter much more than it ever was or will be,” Abrianna began. “I was honest with you from the start, and anything I said or did to otherwise convince you of the possibility that I would fall in love with you is simply a misunderstanding on your part.”

Welby worked hard to keep his ire in check. The fact that she told the truth didn’t bother him. The fact that she was unwilling to yield to his will was infuriating.

“Perhaps you should speak to Mr. Ackerman about this.” Welby fixed her with a most intent but pleading gaze. “Would he truly wish for you to go into the sanctity of marriage having had no other man to consider? What if you are the one mistaken in your feelings? Did that not ever occur? What if what you both are experiencing is just a fleeting summer emotion brought on by the devastation of the city and the urgency of time? You’ve long been friends. That much is true. But friendship and love are two entirely different matters.”

Her brows came together, giving her a rather worried appearance. Welby felt confident he’d gained a tiny bit of ground and pushed on.

“And if that is the case, then not only are you doing your friendship a disservice, but you are denying yourself a chance at happiness with me, as well.”

“My friendship with Wade has always been very important to me,” she murmured almost as if he wasn’t there. “Everyone has told me that friendship is an important foundation for marriage. So even though your counsel is otherwise, I believe that I am better acquainted with the honesty of my friends and family.”

“But of course they will tell you that,” he said, shaking his head and giving a little tsking sound. “They are telling you what they believe is best for you. And perhaps they are concerned that . . . well, given your closeness to Mr. Ackerman, other men might believe you have compromised your virtue. Perhaps they are pushing you to marry Mr. Ackerman because they are worried that no other man might have you. However, for me, none of that is important. I love you, Abrianna. If you’ve made mistakes in the past, I will not hold them against you. I simply plead for you to give me a chance to court you.”

“Mr. Welby!”

He’d gone too far. He could see it in her eyes. That tiny spark of fire suggested anger. He stood and put on his hat. “Please know that if I’ve overstepped my bounds in what I said, I apologize. I didn’t mean to allow the conversation to take an indiscreet turn. I will, instead, take my leave.” He paused a moment and gave her his saddest look of longing. At least he hoped that’s how it played out.

“I shall always regret you. I don’t even know how to find the will to go on if you are unwilling to change your mind. I will, however, wait to do anything rash for one week. If after that time you are still of a mind to forget me, then I shall seek the necessary means to put you from my mind.”

Abrianna shot up at this. “Grief, Mr. Welby, you are worse at making me feel guilty than Aunt Miriam, and she’s quite accomplished. You mustn’t allow yourself to think such dire thoughts. I would advise you to get spiritual counsel. I realize our little church is currently without a pastor, but there are the elders and of course other churches with strong men of God.”

“Oh, there you are, Abrianna,” Flora Ledbetter called out but came up short as she spied Mr. Welby. “Excuse me. I didn’t know you had company.”

“It’s quite all right.” Abrianna looked at him and then to Flora. “Miss Ledbetter, this is Mr. Priam Welby.” She turned back to Welby. “This is Miss Ledbetter. She is a new student to the school. Perhaps you might get to know her better when you attend the monthly receptions. Although my aunts will have her behind the refreshment tables for some months to come, you might actually be able to strike up a conversation across the punch bowl.”

“Miss Ledbetter, I’m charmed to meet you.” Priam gave a little bow. “However, I don’t believe I will be attending any more receptions.” He tried his best to sound utterly hopeless and defeated. “I bid you both . . . good-bye.” He paused for measure and added, “I mean good day.”

Abrianna wasn’t at all sure if Mr. Welby was serious in his thoughts of ending it all, at least that was the implication she’d assumed. He didn’t come right out and say he would kill himself over her, but he did speak of delaying rash action.

“Is he a friend of yours?” Flora asked.

“Goodness, no. He was to have courted me, but that was prior to my realizing that I was in love with Wade.” She watched Welby’s carriage leave the grounds and go slowly down the street. Turning away, she shook her head. “What a perfectly complicated man.”

“He has rather large ears,” Flora said.

Abrianna looked at her as if finally finding a kindred soul. “Exactly my observation. I’ve said that on many occasions, and while I would not refuse a gentleman merely because of the size of his ears, they are a terrible distraction. That along with his dark eyes. They seem to be set apart rather far.”

Flora nodded. “I agree. He dresses nicely, however.”

“Oh yes. Mr. Welby is a most fashionable gentleman.” Abrianna tried to forget the scene that had just played out. Surely he wouldn’t go so far as to end his life over her. Perhaps she should consult her aunts on the matter.

“Mrs. Madison sent me away,” Flora said, as if Abrianna had asked about her sudden appearance. “She was annoyed with me, I think. I kept telling her about the way we did things in Montana. I don’t think she much cared about that.”

Abrianna motioned the younger woman to sit. “No. She is very fixed in how she believes things should go. You will do better to keep that in mind. I know from personal experience that even information obtained by books and magazines is of little interest to my aunts. They all have their opinions of how certain things should be managed, and that is that. I remember once when Godey’s, no, it was Peterson’s Ladies National Magazine gave a recipe on making mutton pie. It did not meet my aunts’ standards. It had something to do with an inordinate amount of rosemary in the recipe. But from that point on they avoided Peterson’s all together.”

“I hope I didn’t ruin my chances here.” Flora seemed quite contrite, and Abrianna felt sorry for her. “Even my roommate Elizabeth seems to despise my enthusiasm.”

“My aunts may be fixed in their ways, but they are also most generous with their forgiveness when it comes to students. As for Elizabeth, perhaps she just doesn’t appreciate your fire for living. If you like, I will have my aunt move you to share my room. I’d rather like having a roommate like you.”

“Oh, that would be so grand,” Flora said, holding her hands to her breast. “I cannot imagine anything that would make me happier. How can I repay you?”

“I would love to hear something of Montana. Tell me about your life there. I heard you say you grew up on a ranch.”

“Yes,” she replied, nodding with great enthusiasm. “My mother and father owned the ranch, and my older brother Dusty”—she leaned forward as if to share a great secret—“his real name is Zedekiah, but he won’t let anyone use it.”

“How odd. It’s a perfectly good Bible name,” Abrianna countered.

She nodded. “He wouldn’t even go by Zed. Mama told me that when Dusty was six years old, he came home from school with a blackened eye and bruised face. He declared then and there that he would no longer be Zedekiah Ledbetter, but Dusty Ledbetter.”

“That is most peculiar. Where do you suppose he got a name like that?”

“Mama thought it was something he dreamed up after riding herd with Papa. No matter the origin, he refused to answer to anything else.”

“Where is he now?”

“He has the ranch. When Papa died, Dusty was grown and took over the place. Mama was very grieved over losing Papa, and she stayed mostly to herself for a long time. In the meantime, I busied myself by going to school and doing some of the cooking chores. Dusty was gone a lot and I gave it no mind, but then one day he shows up with a bride—Mrs. Lorelei Ledbetter, formerly Miss Lorelei Vandercamp. She was a most tedious woman who resented having to live with her mother-in-law. I suppose she resented me as well, but her worst attitude was directed at Mama.”

“Goodness, that hardly seems right.”

“It was truly a nightmare. Lorelei didn’t like Mama and me. She used to nag Dusty something fierce to send us elsewhere. Why she figured she had the right to throw us out of our own home, I’ll never know. Just meanspirited, I guess.”

“It would appear so,” Abrianna replied, getting caught up in the story. “Do you suppose she was lacking in spiritual qualities? Or perhaps she had suffered an injury as a child and was unable to think clearly?”

“I don’t know what she suffered, but she sure made the rest of us suffer.” Flora shook her head. “Made Mama downright sick. She would take to her bed rather than have to deal with Lorelei. After a while she truly took sick, and the doctor said there was no hope of her recovery. That was when Mama made me pen a letter to Aunt Eloise. She knew Lorelei would be mean to me, and Dusty would never believe it, so she wanted my aunt to raise me. I was just fourteen when mama died.”

“What a tragedy, and one I know well.” Sadness washed over Abrianna. She hadn’t wanted to stir thoughts of her mother, but it was impossible to change the conversation now. “I lost my mother when I was barely first walking. Had these three gracious ladies not cared for her and promised to care for me, I might have been thrown into the streets. Instead, I have lived a most beneficial life.”

“I’ve enjoyed living with Aunt Eloise, but she says I’m much too wild for her. I worry her into states of panic and excessive headaches. I think it’s because she’s old. Once a person grows older than thirty, they seem to lose their ability to enjoy life.” Flora shrugged. “I never gave Mama headaches.”

Abrianna drew a deep breath and dug her nails into the palms of her hands. Pain of the flesh was better than pain of the heart. “I felt you were a kindred spirit when you first arrived. I have always been too wild for my aunts. They would prefer I be demure and quiet, but no matter how I try, it just never seems I can be that way for long. Inevitably, I will see something that needs to be attended and no one else willing to take on the matter, so I jump in to see it through.”

“I am that way, as well,” Flora agreed. “When I saw the upstairs windows at Aunt Eloise’s house were in need of a good cleaning and the servants were much too fearful to climb out onto the roof and tend to the matter, I did so myself. It seemed perfectly logical to me. The windows were dirty, and I wasn’t afraid of heights.”

Abrianna felt the sorrow lift at the idea of Flora’s deeds. “I can definitely agree with your thinking. It would seem that older people are less capable of understanding our motives. They are always complicating matters with detailed planning. I would rather plunge straight ahead and get the thing done.”

“We are kindred spirits, you and I,” Flora agreed. “It is a shame we didn’t know each other sooner in life. Perhaps we might have helped each other.”

Abrianna nodded. She’d often wished for a friend who thought just as she did. She’d expressed that on one occasion to Wade, and he had merely laughed and said everyone was thankful that there weren’t two of her, otherwise the worries would be twice as many.

“Do you think you would want to return to Montana one day?”

A frown crossed Flora’s thoughtful expression. “No. I don’t think so. Montana isn’t big enough for Lorelei and me. I still hold her a grudge for what she did to Mama. I blame her for Mama getting sick and dying. After all, it was hard on her when Papa died, and had Lorelei been a friend, Mama might have gotten through it. Instead, Lorelei was cruel and manipulating. If I ever go back to Montana, it’ll be to punch Lorelei in the nose.”

Abrianna thought on that for a moment. “I can definitely understand why you would feel that way. I have felt that way myself.” She lifted her gaze to Flora. “Not regarding your sister-in-law, you understand. But there are folks here in Seattle who have given me cause to think that way. Although it’s not the fault of Seattle. I wouldn’t want to besmirch the good name of this city. I have quite enjoyed growing up here. There are a great many good people here, and I hope you come to enjoy Seattle as I have. I find there is always some diversion and someone in need of help.”

“Do you have opportunity to help very many people?”

“As many as I am able. Before the fire I ran a food house for the poor and friendless. Of course, I did not do this on my own. Wade and Thane were a part of that, as well as my dear friend Militine. They were very generous to donate much time in that noble task. There were about fifty men who came each day to eat there. They were mostly sailors and old loggers who could no longer work. Some were layabouts, but most were honorable, and layabouts can be just as hungry as those who attempt to work.” She sighed but hurried on to explain.

“The fire destroyed our building, but right now there are services available for all the homeless. However, I heard that the shelters and food kitchens are soon to be dissolved, and my friends will once again need me. That has been uppermost on my mind, and I believe I shall have to buy land and build a place of my own if I’m to see those poor souls cared for.”

Flora gave a gasp. “I am completely in awe of your accomplishments. What a marvelous way to extend the love of God to your fellowman in need. Pardon me for asking, but however did you talk your aunts into letting you do this? They seem most strict.”

Abrianna glanced heavenward and smiled. “I found in life that the best way to get my way was to move forward without seeking permission. I suppose that was wrong of me, however, as I said before, I am a woman who likes to get things done. I was already sneaking around, giving out food to this one and that. I think having an organized structure with Wade gave my aunts the assurance that I would be safer and better watched. And, as I mentioned, Thane and Militine were also there. They’re married now.”

“I met Militine,” Flora admitted. “She is quite a beauty. I envy her that dark hair. My blond hair seems much less dramatic, and I do so long for the dramatic in my life.”

“It is funny how we all wish our hair were something other than what the Good Lord gave us.” Abrianna pondered for only a moment whether hair color might be one of those things that the Devil had interfered with. The Bible said God had numbered the hairs on her head, but had He also colored them, or were mischievous spirits at work on those matters?

“The food house sounds wonderful. Do you suppose I might help you?”

Flora’s question brought Abrianna back to focus. “Well, as soon as I can figure out how to revive it. I was to get help for another place by means of Mr. Welby, but that is no longer possible. I have just come into an inheritance, so my thoughts are to speak with a property broker and purchase a place of my own.”

“How positively daring! Such modern thinking. I’m all for that.”

Her enthusiasm gave Abrianna reason to believe that the idea must be right. “I will see what I can come up with and keep you apprised. However, we should probably say nothing to the others.”

“Oh, but this will be exciting. We will plot and plan it all as our great conspiracy.” Flora clapped her hands. “I wish I had grown up with a sister like you. What fun we would have had. No doubt we could have sent Miss Lorelei Vandercamp packing before the nuptials were read.”

Abrianna laughed. The young woman made her spirits much lighter. “No doubt. Oh look. There’s my father and your aunt.” Abrianna looked at Flora with an impish grin. “Perhaps there is a wee bit we might conspire with there, as well.”

Flora looked off to the approaching carriage, then turned with a knowing look and a nod. “I do believe you might be right. I think I’m beginning to enjoy being forced to attend bridal training. At least so long as I don’t get married off. I really see no need to tie myself to yet another person who will just boss me around.”

“The trick”—Abrianna lowered her voice so that no one could overhear—“is to prove yourself very unskilled and slow to learn. That way, you needn’t worry about having to present yourself to potential suitors.”

Flora nodded in a most serious manner. “You shall be my most trusted advisor, and I your most ardent pupil.”