Chapter Twenty-One

They entered through the door on the left porch. It opened into a family parlor with a large brick fireplace on the left wall and the kitchen and pantry to the rear. A stool was in the middle of the room with a wicker sewing basket nearby. Cole took her position on the stool, and Jem circled until she found where she had left off pinning the hem.

Cory led Tyler into the main foyer. A staircase was centered in the middle with hallways on both sides leading to the dining room and back of the house. The cherry banisters ended in opposite spirals. Color rectangles shimmered against the wall from the sunlight streaming in around the main door. It was fancier than the foyer of Glen Knolls, but Hiram had wanted to improve on the original. Another doorway opened on the opposite side into a formal parlor with a piano and sofas arranged for entertaining. Two rooms were off the parlor. Cory entered the one on the left.

A large oak desk was situated to one side with a matching oak chair. A black leather book for recording births and deaths was on top of a ledger for her father’s accounts. An ink well and several pens were beside it. Clean and neat. To the side was a wooden case with sliding glass doors on top of a chest of drawers. Inside were medicines and supplies. Cory searched for needles and bandages.

“What happened, Cory?” Maureen stood in the doorway. Her mother had the same ginger tresses as Cole and blue eyes. Her figure was fuller after bearing six children, but her face showed few signs of aging. “Are you all right, sir?”

“His name is Tyler Montgomery, and he was in a fight,” Jules announced from behind her mother.

“It looks like he lost,” Jess added from behind Jules. “But he said he won.”

Maureen turned. “Go find something useful to do.” She turned back to Cory. “Your father is taking care of one of the Herbruck boys. He broke his arm.”

“He only needs a few stitches.” Cory shrugged. “I can handle it.”

“Well, if you need anything, your sisters are within earshot.” She quietly closed the door.

Tyler sat down on a bench along the wall and examined his wound. “She trusts me to be alone with you?”

“Earshot means the other side of the door,” she explained. “Get undressed.”

His head jerked up. “What?”

Cory shook her head. “From the waist up.”

He chuckled. “You’re no fun at all.”

Cory heard giggling on the other side of the door and quickly opened it. Jess and Cass stumbled inside.

“I’m going to need some water.” She shoved a pitcher at Cass. “And you can ask mother for one of Papa’s old shirts.”

Jess stared at Tyler’s bare chest. “Do you think it will fit?”

Sterling Beecher was tall and thin. Cory had to agree with her sister’s assessment, but he couldn’t walk around half naked. She took Tyler’s bloody shirt. “Go rinse this out and hang it on the line. He won’t have to wear Papa’s shirt for long.”

Cory laid out several odd shaped needles and strung them with thread.

Tyler examined a needle. “Don’t you have any smaller ones?”

“Haven’t you ever had stitches before?” Cass poured water from the pitcher into a basin on the table.

Tyler returned the needle. “No, and I don’t look forward to becoming a pincushion for your sister.”

“Papa stitched me up lots of times.” Cass showed him a scar on her forehead near the hairline. “See.”

Tyler swallowed. “Did it hurt?”

Jess returned and sat down in her father’s chair. “Did I miss anything?”

“She hasn’t stuck him, yet,” Cass said.

“You two are the most morbid creatures I know.” Cory removed Tyler’s bandage.

Cass pointed. “Look at all the blood.”

“Who cares about that? I want to hear him scream.”

“Why would I scream?” Tyler turned to Cory. “How much does this hurt?”

“You want us to hold him down?” Jess asked.

“Didn’t I ask you to find a shirt?”

“Mama is looking.” Jess stood. “He looks like a fighter. Are you sure we shouldn’t tie him down? Ethan showed me how to tie knots on the Irish Rose.”

Cory snarled. “I want you to leave and close the door behind you.”

“We want to help,” they said in unison.

Cory pointed at the door, and they shuffled out.

Tyler nodded toward the door. “How loud should I scream?”

“Raise your left arm and brace it with your other hand behind your head so I can reach the wound.”

Tyler did as he was instructed. “I’m ready.” He nodded toward the door.

Cory swiped the blood from the wound and pinched the torn edges together. She stabbed through the two pieces of flesh with the needle.

Tyler yelped.

“Hold still!” She pulled the needle all the way through and knotted the ends.

“That wasn’t funny!” he gasped.

Cory wanted to be gentle but knew it was better to join the wound as quickly as possible. “Only two more.”

Tyler’s fingers tightened on his left arm, and he clenched his teeth.

She finished the final stitch and knotted it. “See, that wasn’t so bad.”

He released the grip on his left arm but didn’t move. Tyler looked pale.

Cory felt his forehead. “Are you all right?”

“I didn’t think anything could be worse than being shot,” he gasped. “I was wrong. I would never hurt you this way.”

She turned away. “I’ll remember that when I’m giving birth to our children.”

“What?”

Cory froze as she realized what she had implied. “I didn’t mean we…” she stuttered an explanation. “You said you were not a marrying man.”

“I never said that.” Tyler struggled to breathe normally. “I said no woman would ever marry me.”

“It’s the same thing.”

“No, it’s not.”

Cory realized he was right. But did he mean he would marry a woman who overlooked his background? Beth might overlook it, but her parents were moralists. She doubted they would approve the marriage. But would a doctor and a canal brat approve of Tyler? By the end of their visit, she’d know. She cleaned the needles and put them away in the medical cabinet. She picked up a bottle and gasped.

“What’s wrong?”

She showed him the bottle as tears welled in her eyes. “I forgot the morphine.”

Tyler gagged. “That would be the pain killer?”

“I’m so sorry. My sisters distracted me.”

He walked toward her on unsteady legs. “Don’t worry about it.”

She opened the bottle and applied some morphine to a cloth. “This should help dull the pain.” She rested her left hand against his shoulder and placed the damp cloth against the stitches.

He shuddered. “That’s much better.” His hand rested on her back.

“I keep burning the biscuits.” She straightened and found herself in his embrace.

Tyler raised an eyebrow. “Biscuits?”

“I never burned the biscuits before you arrived,” she confessed. “I can’t seem to do anything right when you’re around. What’s wrong with me?”

Tyler pulled her close against his chest. He brushed a stray curl away from her face. “We were interrupted on the boat, but I think you owe me a kiss.”

“It sometimes helps to ease the pain,” she admitted, feeling guilty for her mistake. Cory’s eyes widened as he lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. His touch ignited a spark that lit up her body like a glowing ember. Her fingertips gripped his shoulder. She felt her knees go weak, and her body yielded to his control. She craved to learn all the secrets two people could share and wondered if she could wait. Her body was impatient, and her heart was in turmoil from denying the truth. She loved him. She gasped for air as he pulled away. Only his arms kept her from collapsing.

“I think you owe me two.” She nodded in agreement, but a knock at the door tore them apart.

Cory grabbed a roll of bandages as Cole entered with a shirt. She had changed from Jem’s ball gown to a plain cotton dress. “Mama wants to know if you’ll be staying for supper.” She stared at Tyler.

He held out his arms so Cory could wrap the bandage around his chest over the stitches.

“Close your mouth,” Cory reminded Cole.

****

The dining room table was large enough to seat ten. Tyler sat to the right of Maureen and next to Cory. Jess and Cole served. They carried the bowls from the kitchen and handed them to Maureen, who passed them around the table. “I’ll be glad to return to Grandpa’s boat after all the work we’ve had to do around here,” Cole said.

“Me, too,” Jess agreed.

“How much jam did you put up?” Cory asked.

“I haven’t counted all the jars, but I’m sure we’ll have extra to sell,” Maureen said.

“I hear Papa!” Jules ran to the window. They could hear the sound of a horse and buggy on the gravel.

“Do you mind waiting?” Maureen opened the door. “Leave the buggy hitched,” she called out before turning back to Cory. “You do want a ride, don’t you?”

“It’s better than walking.”

Sterling Beecher entered with his medical bag and hat in hand. He had dark brown hair with a touch of gray at the temples. He was tall with an intelligent face etched with laugh lines.

Maureen greeted him with a kiss, and his daughters greeted him with hugs and kisses.

“Cory.” He kissed her. “What brings you home?”

Maureen looked toward Tyler. Sterling greeted the young man.

“Tyler Montgomery.” He stood and waited for everyone to be seated before sitting down. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, sir.”

“Is that my shirt?”

“Medical problem.” Maureen passed the dishes. “Cory took care of it. How is the Herbruck boy?”

“Nasty break,” Sterling replied. “The ulna and radius jammed together, and I had to separate and rotate them to set the arm.”

“Did Arthur scream?” Jess asked.

“It was Harry, and you’d scream, too,” he answered. “It was very painful.”

“I like Harry. It’s Art who is always making fun of me in school.”

“Maybe he likes you,” Cole said. “Boys that age act stupid when they like a girl.”

“Well, I don’t like him, and he knows it.”

“Is he the boy you hit?” Tyler asked.

Jess glanced toward her father and lowered her voice. “How do you know about that?”

“I saw Arthur’s black eye. You are not allowed to fight with any boys,” Sterling warned from the end of the table.

“Sorry,” Tyler whispered to Jess. “I didn’t know it was a secret.”

“Nothing I do remains a secret for long.” Jess turned to her father. “Why can’t I hit him? He’s bigger than me.”

“Because he’s not allowed to fight back.”

“And any fighting includes girls,” Maureen added.

“There are other ways to beat girls,” Cole said.

“Nasty words are equally unacceptable. I hope you’re not plotting anything, Colleen. You wouldn’t want to miss your first dance.”

Cole squirmed in her seat.

Maureen turned to Cory. “You better try on the dress Grandma made you and make sure it fits. Unless you plan to take it with you and make your own alterations.”

“You’re not staying the night?” Sterling asked.

“Adelaide is expecting us.”

“Us?” Sterling looked at Tyler. “Are you staying with Adelaide, too, Mr. Montgomery?”

Tyler tugged the collar on his borrowed shirt. “I’m meeting a client at Miss Adelaide’s tonight.”

Cory saw her parents exchange secretive glances. “Why don’t I try on that dress?”

Jem stood to join her, but Maureen spoke. “I’ll help her.”

Cory hurried up the stairs as her mother followed more leisurely. Cory found the dark green silk gown spread out on the bed she shared with Jules. “It’s beautiful.”

“Grandma was always talented with a needle, but with a sewing machine, she made dresses for you, Jennifer, and Colleen in a few weeks.” She helped her undress and put on the new gown. “So tell me about Mr. Montgomery.”

Cory shrugged. “There’s not much to tell.”

“You light up like a flame every time he looks at you.” Maureen pulled back her hair to hook the ball gown. “Is this a love bite?”

“What?” Cory stared in the mirror at the bruise in the shape of a mouth. Tyler had left a mark. She groaned.

“What have you been up to Courtney Rose?”

Cory began with the knock on Adelaide’s door two nights ago and nearly everything up to the trip on the Irish Rose. She left out the kissing in the barn and in her father’s office.

“He’s afraid no woman would marry him because of his parents. Do you think that’s a good reason not to marry someone?”

“The members of our family have never had easy love lives. Your father’s family didn’t approve of me, and Grandma’s family didn’t approve of Grandpa.”

Cory wanted to confess her fears to her mother. What if Tyler didn’t want to marry her? What if he was flirting with her until some new girl came along? What if he left and never came back? A sigh escaped her lips.

“What’s bothering you?”

“What would you have done if Papa hadn’t married you?”

Maureen seemed startled by her question. “I think I would have eventually married someone else.”

“But you love Papa.”

“We like to believe love is eternal, but it can grow or die. You can build on your initial feelings for each other or look elsewhere for happiness.”

Cory didn’t want to look elsewhere. “He’s taken a job with Sam Morris. What does that mean, Mama?”

“I think you should find out.” She helped her remove the new gown and put on her day dress. “Do you want to take it with you tonight?”

“Can you bring it tomorrow?” Cory gathered up her formal gloves, fan, and some hair ribbons and added them to the box with her dress. “You’ll have more room in the wagon.”

Maureen stroked her hair. “Before your love grows too much, you need to find out where you stand with this young man. If you don’t, your father will.”

Cory agreed. Tyler liked teasing her. He enjoyed kissing her. But did he love her? Was he over any feelings for Reggie, or was she clinging to false hope?

When they went downstairs, her sisters were putting away the dishes. “Where’s Tyler?”

“Papa is talking to him in his office.”

Had her father taken the initiative to question Tyler? And what had he answered?

“Here’s his shirt.” Jem had pressed it. “I don’t think the blood stain is coming out.”

She took the shirt and headed to her father’s office.

Tyler had his borrowed shirt off, and Sterling was replacing the bandage. “I examined his wound,” he said. “The stitches should hold as long as he doesn’t exert himself.”

Cory handed Tyler his shirt and helped him maneuver his left arm into the sleeve. He gathered his vest and jacket from the bench.

“Looks like a gunshot made that hole.” Sterling looked at Tyler. “You’re not in any trouble, are you, young man?”

“No, sir.” Cory helped him with his jacket. “It was an accident.”

“Keep the wound clean.” Sterling looked at Cory. “Are you ready to go?”

“I left Adelaide’s buggy at the livery.” Cory gathered her basket and bonnet and led the way through the house to the back door. She gave everyone a hug. “See you tomorrow.”