A Love All Her Own (8 page)

“Don’t you move, Abigail,” Mrs. Wellington said. “There’s no need for all that getting down and getting back up into the back and getting settled. You stay right where you are.”

“But I don’t mind—”

“I know you don’t, dear.” She was at the buggy, and Marcus was helping her into the backseat. “But I do.”

Marcus looked at Abigail and smiled. “Stay put. She can be real stubborn when she wants to be.”

His mother chuckled. “Yes, I can be. I’ve found I’ve had to be a time or two in my life from living with you and your father.”

Marcus took his seat beside Abigail and grinned. “Now she’s saying that Papa and I are hard to live with.”

“I did not say that, Marcus Wellington!”

They bickered back and forth all the way to church, but Abigail knew them well enough to know it was all done in fun and with love. She relaxed and let them entertain her all the way there.

❧

That evening, Abigail and Mrs. Wellington caught up Marcus and his father on the ideas the ladies were working on.

“We now have fifty families willing to house people who are in need,” Mrs. Wellington said. “I’ve put our name on the list, too, Martin.”

“I figured you would, dear,” Mr. Wellington said.

“Well, since Marcus moved out and we can’t convince Abigail to come stay with us, I wouldn’t feel right if I hadn’t.”

Marcus laughed and turned to Abigail. “I knew she’d use us as an excuse. But don’t you let it bother you any.”

“No dear, don’t. You both are saving me a ton of money this way,” Mr. Wellington assured Abigail. “Lydia would be having me add a room to the house if she didn’t have one or two free ones, wouldn’t you, dear?”

Abigail had a feeling he was right, and she was even more assured when his wife agreed with him.

“Yes, I probably would have. Still, this won’t be the answer forever. We have also decided to form a committee to go to the town leaders and also the reservation superintendent, as Abigail told me you suggested, Marcus. Surely, either the city or the United States government can help come up with a permanent solution.”

“Yes, I agree they should. But these things take time, dear.”

“I guess it’s a good thing we are trying to begin the process, then,” Mrs. Wellington said.

Mr. Wellington nodded in her direction. “It is, my dear. I am certain that you ladies will make these leaders sit up and take notice that something needs to be done.”

❧

By the end of the evening, Marcus was convinced that the Abigail he’d come to care a great deal about was not the same
Abigail whom his agent had reported on. Oh, she might
be the same person physically, but otherwise, she was nothing like the woman described in the letters he’d received.

He’d just received a letter that day from her father, wondering if she seemed lonely and how she was doing and if she was adjusting to life in Hot Springs. Marcus felt he could honestly report that she seemed to be doing quite well. Over the last few weeks, he’d accompanied her to several dinners she’d been invited to, she’d insisted that she could go shopping with some of the lady friends she’d made, and he had let his agents make sure they were safe. He didn’t want her to feel smothered. But as he came to care more for her, her safety was as important to him as it was to her father.

“Thank you for attending these meetings with Mother. It seems to mean a lot to her to have you with her.”

“Oh, she’d do fine by herself. She feels quite strongly about doing something to help the sick who come here to get better. I’m sure my mother would do the same. Since I’m not a permanent resident, I don’t feel I have much to say, but I’m glad to go and give your mother any support I can.”

Her words had Marcus’s heart beating hard against his chest. He didn’t like the idea of her leaving. Was she planning on going back home soon? He couldn’t bring himself to ask outright. “Have you given any thought to making Hot Springs your home?” Only as he waited for her answer did he realize how much it meant to him.

She leaned her head to one side and looked at him. “Not really. But I’m not in any hurry to leave.” She shrugged. “I do like it here a lot. Maybe it is something I should give some thought to.”

Marcus allowed himself to relax. She wasn’t going anywhere for now. He had some time. . .to what? Convince himself that he didn’t care about her—or convince her to stay?

Eight

As Abigail got ready to meet Mrs. Wellington for lunch on Friday, she was looking forward to spending time with the woman she’d come to think of as family. While she did miss her parents and Natalie, she had no desire to go back to Eureka Springs. She’d started a new life here, and she was beginning to like herself again. She had a feeling that if she returned to Eureka Springs, she’d revert to the old Abigail: selfish and self-absorbed. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—let that happen.

She watched in the mirror as Bea put her hair up. “I still can’t do that half as well as you do, Bea.”

“It just takes practice is all. And it is easier to put up someone else’s hair because you can see the back much better.”

“Well, I might make myself look presentable, but I always feel I look much better when you do it.” And she did. But somehow it didn’t matter quite as much as it had at one time. In Eureka Springs, her appearance seemed to take up way too much of her time. Now she usually forgot what she looked like as soon as she was ready to leave the room.

Bea helped her on with her dress, a purple print with a sheer overskirt that draped to the back.

“You look lovely. Are you meeting someone special?” Bea asked.

“I’m meeting Mrs. Wellington for lunch here. She reminds me so much of my mother it’s almost like having her here. I do miss my parents. I wish they would come for a visit.” It suddenly came to Abigail that while she wanted them to visit here, she still had no desire to return to Eureka Springs.

“She seems a very nice lady,” Bea said. She’d met her once when she’d accompanied Abigail to the drugstore. “I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful lunch.”

“I’m sure we will.” Abigail picked up her reticule and an envelope and turned to Bea with a smile. She handed her the envelope. “This is your pay for last week. Thank you again for helping me, Bea. I really do appreciate it.”

“You are welcome. I’m grateful that you hired me. I’ll pick up your dresses from the hotel laundry and bring them up before I leave.”

“I’ll see you later, then.” Abigail headed downstairs to meet Mrs. Wellington, who would be arriving at any moment.

She recognized all of the agents whom Marcus had assigned to her now. . .at least she thought she did, but she’d been instructed not to speak to them unless she needed them. So she just glanced over and nodded an impersonal good day to the one currently on duty and then went to the front desk to check her mail. She had one letter from her mother, which she put in her bag to read later. She kept hoping she would hear from Nate and Meagan and Natalie, but she really didn’t think she would. Before she could begin to dwell on the past again, she reminded herself that she’d asked for their forgiveness and that was what was important.

She turned to watch for Mrs. Wellington and found her entering on her son’s arm. Abigail crossed the lobby and greeted her with a hug. “I am so glad you could make it today. I’ve been wanting to take you to lunch for weeks now.”

“I’ve been looking forward to it, my dear.”

“And I feel a bit left out,” Marcus said. But Abigail could tell he was teasing from his tone.

“Oh dear. I’m sorry. You can join us if you’d like, Marcus,” Abigail said with a smile.

He chuckled and shook his head. “No, thank you. I do have a meeting to go to. But thank you for the invitation. It makes me feel better. I’ll be back to pick you up in a couple of hours, Mother.”

“Your father said he can pick me up if you can’t come back, dear. Just let him know.”

“I’ll be here, Mother,” Marcus said, bending to kiss her on the cheek. “You and Abigail have a good lunch.”

He waved good-bye to them, and Abigail led Mrs. Wellington to the hotel dining room where they were shown to a table looking out onto Central Avenue.

“Marcus has been telling me how good the food is here,” Mrs. Wellington said as she looked over the menu.

“It’s all excellent. I believe I’ll have a salad and macaroni and cheese.”

“That sounds quite good to me, too.”

The waiter took their order, and the next hour and a half passed much too quickly as they enjoyed their lunch and conversation. Mrs. Wellington always entertained Abigail with stories of when she and Mr. Wellington and her parents were younger. It gave Abigail more insight into her family. By the time they finished their dessert of lemon pudding, Abigail felt she knew a side of her parents that she’d never been able to see.

When they left the dining room, they headed to the lobby to wait for Marcus to pick his mother up.

“Abigail! Abigail Connors!”

Abigail’s heart sank when she recognized the voice calling out to her. She turned to find Jillian Burton, one of her best friends from Eureka Springs, standing at the hotel desk, evidently checking in.

“Jillian?”

“Why, it is you!” Rebecca Dobson said. Suddenly, Abigail found herself surrounded by half the group of people she’d spent most of her adult life with. There was Reginald Fitzgerald, Edward Mitchell, and Robert Ackerman. Abigail’s heart seemed to stop beating, and for a moment, she thought she was trapped in her worst nightmare. But when Marcus came in to pick up his mother just then, she realized the nightmare was all too real.

❧

Marcus’s heart stopped when he entered the hotel to find his mother and Abigail surrounded by people he’d never seen before. His agent was on his way to the group, but Marcus didn’t wait for him as he strode into the middle and asked, “Abigail, do you know these people?”

The look in her eyes told him more than he was sure she wanted him to know. She knew them, but he wasn’t sure she wanted to admit it.

“Of course she knows us!” a woman with curly red hair said rather indignantly. “We’re her best friends!”

The color in Abigail’s face seemed to drain, and for a moment, Marcus thought she was going to faint.

“It that right, Abigail?”

“I—yes, I know them.” She turned in the circle and began to introduce them by name. Then she turned to Marcus and his mother. “Everyone, this is Mrs. Wellington and her son, Marcus. They are family friends.”

All her friends from Eureka Springs smiled and were polite, but Marcus had a feeling they were sizing him up and wondering about the way he broke into their circle. Abigail hadn’t introduced him as owning the Wellington Agency or explained that he was in charge of her safety, so he followed her lead and accepted that she considered him a family friend now.

“Please come sit with us while we wait for our rooms to be ready and our luggage to get here,” Jillian said.

“I do need to get home, dear,” Mrs. Wellington said. “You have a nice time visiting with your friends. Thank you so much for lunch.”

“Oh, do you have to leave?” Abigail asked.

Marcus had a feeling that she didn’t want to be left alone with these people, but his mother didn’t seem to pick up on it. “I do. But I hope to get to know your friends while they are here.”

Abigail turned to the group from home and smiled. “I’ll be right back. I want to walk Mrs. Wellington out.”

“Your friends seem quite nice, dear. Perhaps I can have them all to dinner one night?”

“That’s sweet of you, but don’t worry about it. I’m sure they have all kinds of plans,” Abigail said as she walked with them to the door.

“I’ll be back after I take Mother home, Abigail.”

“You can stay here, dear. I can take a hack home.”

“I’ll get one for you, Mother.” He turned back to Abigail. “I’ll be right back.”

Abigail nodded, but he couldn’t tell if she wanted him to come back or stay away. It didn’t much matter. He’d be back. He wasn’t sure about those friends of hers. Not at all. It was a good thing Ross was on the job.

❧

Abigail pasted a smile on her face and went back to her friends. For some reason, it had never crossed her mind that they would show up in Hot Springs. They must have found out where she was and come to see how she was doing after her broken engagement. Now that she thought about it, it was a wonder they had taken until the middle of September to find her.

“It is so good to see you! You could have let us know where you were!” Jillian said when Abigail got back to the group.

“You didn’t come just to see how I am?” Abigail knew these people. She’d never known them to take a trip to Hot Springs or anywhere else for that matter. Their lives were pretty wrapped up in the Eureka Springs social life, just as hers had been.

“Of course not. We didn’t know you were here,” Reginald said. “We’ve been hearing how much more advanced Hot Springs is and about the bathhouses here, the opera, the races.”

“Eureka Springs has been pretty boring of late. . .especially with you gone,” Robert said. He sounded just a little too smooth for Abigail.

“We wanted a change of scenery,” Edward said.

“How are you doing, though?” Rebecca asked, letting Abigail know that she was most likely right about the reason for their visit.

“Very well.” Abigail chose not to mention her broken engagement or Nate and Meagan’s marriage. “Papa had some business he wanted me to attend to for him, and I’ve found that I like Hot Springs quite well.”

“But you aren’t going to stay here, are you?” Jillian asked. “You are coming home, aren’t you?”

“I’m staying here awhile longer.”

“Well, then. We must make it our goal to convince you to come back to Eureka Springs with us,” Robert said. “But while we’re here, I’m sure you can tell us the best places to go and all about the nightlife.”

Nightlife and socializing. That was what they had on their minds. It was almost all she’d thought about at one time, too. But not now. Still, they were here, and they wouldn’t leave her alone now that they knew where she was, too.

“There is a nice opera house here. I’m not sure what is playing now, but the desk clerk will know.”

“Oh, I’ll go check,” Rebecca said.

“The hotel dining room is excellent, but there are other restaurants in town. Marcus will be able to tell you other places of interest when he returns.”

“Marcus? The family friend?” Robert asked. He almost sounded jealous, but he certainly had no right to. Abigail had never given him any encouragement.

“Yes.”

“My—he is quite handsome. Is he the reason you came here?” Jillian asked.

Abigail wanted to tell her it was none of her business, but instead she answered honestly, “No. But it is very nice to have family friends here.”

Rebecca returned to tell them that there was a minstrel show playing at the opera house that evening, just as Marcus came striding through the hotel doors.

“You’ll join us, won’t you?” Jillian asked Abigail as Marcus walked up to the group.

“I don’t know.” Abigail hesitated. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or worried at the realization that Marcus wasn’t going to let her go anywhere, even with people she knew, without accompanying her. After all—he didn’t know them.

“What don’t you know?”

“Everyone wants to go to the minstrel show at the opera house this evening,” Abigail explained to Marcus. Might as well invite him. Otherwise, everyone would wonder why he was with her. “Would you like to go with us?”

He looked into her eyes and said, “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”

Abigail’s heart turned over, and for a moment, she forgot that he was just going along with her so that they didn’t know he was really there just to protect her.
That
thought gave her heart a little twist in pain, and she was glad she didn’t have to say anything as the group made plans to meet up in the lobby at seven.

❧

As Abigail waited for Marcus to pick her up, she couldn’t remember when she’d been so nervous. On the one hand, she wanted him with her. If her friends thought she’d been moping around since her breakup with Nate, having Marcus as an escort should help put an end to that! On the other, she was afraid that her greatest fear would come true—that with her friends here, he would find out what kind of woman she used to be back home in Eureka Springs.

“Dear Lord, please don’t let that happen. I don’t want him to see me as I was but only as I am now.” The knock at her door interrupted her whispered prayer, and she hurried to answer it.

Marcus stood looking quite handsome in his black suit and tucked white shirt with pearl studs and white cravat. She was glad she’d worn her favorite pink evening dress with white lace trim and a lace overskirt that draped to the side and cascaded midway down the skirt.

“You look very nice. Are you ready to meet your friends?”

“Thank you. I’m not sure about meeting my friends. I suppose I have no choice, though.”

“You weren’t expecting them, then?” Marcus crooked an arm for her to take, and they headed down the staircase.

“No! Of course not. I haven’t corresponded with them since I left.”

“Hmm.”

“Yes. My thoughts exactly.”

When Marcus chuckled, so did she, and by the time they reached the lobby, she was feeling a little better about the evening. Marcus wasn’t the only one looking after her. The Lord had heard her prayer, and she would trust that things would go well.

They all had dinner in the hotel dining room together before going to the opera house, and her friends seemed to be on very good behavior. They had been known to get a little rowdy in the past, but perhaps the genteel atmosphere helped to subdue them. Abigail certainly hoped so.

Oddly enough, no one brought up Nate or his marriage to Meagan. Perhaps her friends cared more for her feelings than she’d given them credit for. More than likely, it was because they weren’t sure they should in front of Marcus. Either way, Abigail still wasn’t at all sure how she felt about them being in Hot Springs.

Marcus proved what a gracious person he was by talking to them all, asking about their trip, and generally showing an interest in them. No one suspected that he was a private investigator and was very good at putting people at ease. By the time they left for the opera house, Abigail could tell that they all liked him. Well, all except for Robert, who still seemed a bit jealous to Abigail.