Trepidation filled Rose’s chest as she approached the chicken coop where Lillie Ann and Charlie stood in the dappled shade of the walnut tree feeding table scraps to the chickens. Revealing her matchmaking plans to the youngsters could be dangerous. A slip of the tongue by either of them might unravel Rose’s scheme before it ever took shape. On the other hand, making allies of the children could also prove invaluable. Fast friends since they were toddlers, Lillie Ann and Charlie continually traveled between their two farms. Not only could the kids help nudge their older siblings toward romance, they could also provide a liaison between Violet and Jamie. After sleepless hours last night considering the wisdom of taking the two into her confidence, Rose had finally decided that the benefits of doing so outweighed the risks.
Drawing in a fortifying breath, she approached the children. “Lillie Ann. Charlie. I need to talk to you.”
The two glanced up at Rose in unison then turned guilty, wide-eyed expressions toward each other.
“It was her idea.” Charlie pointed his finger at Lillie Ann.
Lillie Ann dropped the bucket with a plunk, her mouth gaping. Scowling, she pressed her fists against her waist and glared at Charlie. “Charlie, you’re such a loudmouth! And that’s not fair! You said we should do it, too.”
Almost afraid to ask what mischief the youngsters had gotten up to, Rose put a hand on each child’s shoulder. “What did you do?”
Charlie shoved his hands in his pockets and clamped his mouth shut.
Lillie Ann looked down at her dust-covered bare toes then glanced toward the chicken coop. “We found some duck eggs down by the pond.” She looked back up at Rose, a plea for understanding on her freckled face. “I was afraid the mama duck had left them and I wanted some baby ducks, so we brought the eggs and put them under Henrietta since she’s already sitting on her own eggs. She pecked me for it, too, but I got it done.” She held out her arm to display several visible red spots. Her sandy brows pinched in worry. “You’re not going to tell Violet or Pa, are you?”
Relief rolled through Rose. As transgressions go, this latest one by the pair seemed benign. Stifling a giggle, she schooled her face into a stern expression. “I’ll not tell Violet or Pa about the duck eggs if you and Charlie will agree to help me with something, but you have to promise to keep it a secret between us.”
Both children’s heads bobbed in eager agreement.
Rose glanced around to make sure Violet was nowhere in earshot. “Ty and I would like to get married, but I don’t want Violet to have to dance in the hog trough.”
“Like Olive did last week?” The grim expression on Lillie Ann’s face warmed Rose’s heart, glad that her little sister appeared to have also found the custom distasteful.
Rose nodded. “That’s right. We need to find Violet a husband, so she can get married before I do. Ty and I have decided that Violet and Jamie would make a perfect match, and we need your help to convince them of it.”
Charlie shrugged and cocked his head full of dark curls that reminded Rose of his eldest brother. “That’s easy. I’ll just tell Jamie that Violet would like to court him, so he should ask her.”
At the boy’s direct approach, alarm flashed through Rose and she envisioned her matchmaking plans slipping away like water through her fingers. “No! You mustn’t do anything of the sort!”
At her shrill tone, Charlie reared back and his dark brows shot up to his tumble of dusky curls.
Charlie’s blurted suggestion confirmed Rose’s worst fears about sharing her plans with the two youngsters and she began to rue her decision. But, as Violet would say, the Rubicon had been crossed. She must forge onward.
Fighting for calm, Rose lowered her voice and put a hand on Charlie’s shoulder. Frightening the youngsters would not engender their help. “That’s just it, Charlie. Violet doesn’t particularly want to court Jamie. Not yet, anyway. Saying anything that direct would just scare Jamie off and make Violet spitting mad.” Somehow Rose must make her young confidants understand the delicate nature of their mission and the importance of finesse in carrying it out. “We need to think of ways to get them to spend time together.”
Lillie Ann nodded, understanding blooming on her face. “So they will start liking each other like you and Ty like each other.”
Rose nodded and turned to Charlie. “Have you heard Jamie say anything particularly nice about Violet?”
Charlie shrugged and his forehead scrunched in thought. “Maybe that she’s a good teacher.”
Though far from the romantic sentiment Rose had hoped for, at least it was positive.
“Last week at church, Violet said that Jamie had a nice singing voice,” Lillie Ann offered.
“Good. That’s good.” Hope sprung in Rose at the children’s willingness to help. “Since they both like to read, I thought maybe we could encourage them to discuss books they both like. What do you think?”
Charlie cocked his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Last week I heard Jamie tell Ma that he wished he had more books by Shakes … Shakes …”
“Shakespeare?” Excitement sparked in Rose’s chest. Violet, too, had a fondness for the English bard’s writings. That common interest could be the vehicle to bring the two together.
“Violet has those Shakespeare books.” Lillie Ann’s face brightened with enthusiasm. “Maybe she could lend them to Jamie.”
As much as Rose would like to join in her little sister’s childish exuberance, pragmatism dampened her zeal. “Violet might lend out other books, but I doubt she’d ever lend her Shakespeare books.”
Lillie Ann shook her head. “But don’t you remember, Rose? Violet said she would lend any of her books to Jamie.”
While Violet had said those words, Rose never assumed the offer included her sister’s prized three-volume collection of Shakespeare’s complete works.
Lillie Ann shrugged. “Wouldn’t hurt to ask her. She did say she would lend Jamie any of her books, and you know how Violet dislikes it when people go back on their word.”
While Rose couldn’t dispute Lillie Ann’s reasoning, she balked at using her sister’s words against her to force Violet to part, even temporarily, with her most valued possessions.
Charlie, who’d stood silent since mentioning his brother’s affinity for Shakespeare, turned a thoughtful face to Rose. “Maybe if Jamie asked Violet to lend him the Shakespeare books, she would be more apt to do it, and it would get them talking.”
The boy’s suggestion struck Rose as pure genius and she couldn’t help giving him a hug, from which he quickly wriggled away. “Wonderful idea, Charlie! Do you think if you mentioned to Jamie about Violet’s complete volumes of Shakespeare and that she might lend them out, he’d ask her?”
Charlie nodded. “I think he would.”
Though thrilled at the kids’ enthusiasm to help in her matchmaking efforts, Rose had scant time to enjoy her victory. The thought of sharing her decision to find Pa a match held far more anxiety. How would her baby sister feel about the notion of a new mother? Since Ma’s death, Pa hadn’t shown any interest in looking for another mate and the subject had simply not come up. But even if they succeeded in sparking a romance between Jamie and Violet, Violet had made it clear that she felt obligated to be a mother figure for Lillie Ann.
Rose licked her drying lips and considered how best to broach the subject. “Lillie Ann.” Rose bent down to look her sister in the eyes. “You know how Violet has taken care of all of us since Ma died?”
Lillie Ann nodded.
“Well.” Rose weighed her words. “Even if we manage to get her and Jamie interested in each other, I’m not sure she would marry him or anyone as long as she feels like she still needs to take care of us.”
Charlie rammed his hands into his pockets and focused on making a circle in the dirt with his big toe. “If Jamie marries Violet and Ty marries you, you could all come and live at our house and Ma could be Lillie Ann’s ma.”
At Charlie’s solution to the problem, which doubtless seemed quite reasonable to him, Rose grappled for a reply that wouldn’t sound both dismissive and unappreciative.
Lillie Ann turned to Charlie. “But then Pa would be lonesome without all of us.” She looked at Rose, her eyes widening with inspiration. “We need to think of some nice lady for Pa to marry.”
Stunned at her sister’s comment, Rose had to suppress a giggle. Reminded of the words of the hymn “God Works in Mysterious Ways, His Wonders to Perform,” she sent a prayer of gratitude heavenward. When her voice returned, she gave her little sister a smile and hug. “Why, that is a wonderful idea, Lillie Ann! Who do you think would be a good match for Pa?”
Lillie Ann scrunched up her face and grasped her chin in deliberation. Over the next several minutes the three considered and discarded, for various reasons, a half-dozen local widows and spinsters.
“What about that new lady at church?” Charlie said.
“Nancy Martin?” Rose hadn’t even thought of the widow who came last fall from Salem, Indiana, to live with her sister and husband who ran the Honeytown General Store. While Nancy Martin had impressed Rose as both comely and pleasant, Rose hadn’t spoken to her beyond a brief introduction and knew little about her except that Nancy was said to be something of a “granny doctor” with an extensive knowledge of herbal medicines.
Lillie Ann gave an approving nod. “I like her. She taught our Sunday school class last Sunday.”
Rose could think of no reason not to consider Nancy Martin as a prospective stepmother. “Good. Then we will begin working on matching Violet and Jamie and Pa and Nancy Martin.” Rose lowered her voice to a whisper and gave both children her sternest look. “But all this has to be kept between the three of us. If Jamie, Violet, Pa, or Mrs. Martin gets so much as a whiff of what we are about, everything will be ruined.”