Concealing Grace (The Grace Series Book 1) (32 page)

The Saturday before Christmas, Jessica woke up inspired. As she stood by the window, staring out at the inch or so of newly fallen snow, she knew exactly what she was going to do.

Perhaps her inspiration came from the latest stories she heard from Ruth and Martha about the spook. Three of the tales they relayed in the last week involved rescues of men after they had already been lynched. In each case, the spook was able to bring the victims back from the brink of death by breathing into their mouths. This brave, mysterious man was simply amazing!

Or perhaps her inspiration was related to the upcoming holiday. She spent the last week getting ready. Herlin was kind enough to drive her to town so she could go shopping. She had something for all of the servants and children. Of course, what she was getting ready to do would be an additional present—one that was much needed and well deserved. She also had gifts for Emily, Stephanie, her father and Trent. For Reverend Nash she purchased yarn. She was making him a scarf.

Or perhaps the reason she awakened so determined was simply because she felt good. For the first time in days the morning sickness that had been so prevalent, wasn’t with her. The doctor, who was summoned the day of her discovery, assured her it would eventually go away. He also said she was in good health and should have no difficulties with the pregnancy. Today, especially, she was full of energy.

As she padded across her bedroom to take care of her morning toilette, she spied the gift Jon brought for her the day before lying on top of her dresser. It was a necklace with a tear-shaped diamond pendant. Truly it was a beautiful piece and from the size of the diamond, quite expensive. The pendant, however, wasn’t his only recent gift. Every day he had something new for her—flowers, chocolates, books, winter gloves. These gifts reminded her of the things he gave her while he courted her. But, his first gift since learning of her condition, like the diamond pendant, was something else of extreme value. He gave it to her shortly after the doctor left that day.

She’d been playing the piano when he walked into the parlor with the long, thin, velvet box. Without a word he handed it to her. She opened it to find the loveliest emerald necklace she ever saw, and there were earrings to match. She said to him, “You can buy me whatever you want. I still hate you.”

His expression had been devoid of emotion. He simply turned around and walked away.

The rest of his daily offerings were delivered to her by Ruth, but each of them had a small card included with it. Written in Jon’s bold, sharp hand, they all said the same thing: ‘I love you,’ and they were signed with just his initial, ‘J’.

After she was finished getting ready, Jessica ate her breakfast quickly. She wrapped herself in her old cloak, donned the warm gloves Jon gave her, and threw a thick scarf about her neck. Within minutes she was out in the stables, where she found both Herlin and Wally busily working.

She greeted them warmly, and said, “Wally, will you hook up the wagon for me? I have some things I need to do today. Herlin, can you tell me where I might find a hammer?”

For a long, silent moment, both of them just looked at her. Finally, Wally said, “Right away, Miss Jessica.”

“What ya gonna do wit a hamma?” Herlin asked.

“Beat the captain,” she said merrily.

Herlin’s jaw dropped and Jessica almost giggled.

“I’m just teasing, Herlin. I can’t tell you what I’m doing, because I don’t want you to get into trouble. If you will just bring me a hammer, and I think I will need a saw, too, I will be on my way. Neither you, nor Wally, nor Ditter, or anyone else is allowed to follow me, or to pay attention to where I’m going.”

Concern welled on Herlin’s face. “Miss Jessica, please don’t do somethin’ ya shouldn’t be doin’.”

Jessica patted his shoulder. “Just bring me the tools, Herlin and don’t worry. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

Two hours later, standing on the side of the wagon, holding a board in place, Jessica began pounding nails into the center of it. With two nails in, the board could hold itself, so she shimmied down to the wagon gate and quickly nailed that end. Back to the other side she went to nail the opposite end.

She was alone by the servants’ cabins. Everyone was up at the manor house or in the stables, including the children. Because it was Saturday she wasn’t holding school, and she knew no one would return to their homes until later in the afternoon. It was the perfect time, and she was quite pleased with her progress thus far. Of course, pounding nails was the easy part. What had stretched her strength to its limits had been hauling board after board up and over the sides of the wagon. As she’d instructed, no one had come to see what she was up to, at least not that she noticed.

She’d decided to work on Ditter and Ruth’s cabin first, for no other reason than they had the youngest child. She’d begun with the side wall because it didn’t have any windows and the boards were a perfect cut. The front and back walls would be more difficult because she would need to cut the planks to fit around the door and chimney. Starting at the bottom, she’d worked her way up and had almost completed the first side. For the top remaining three boards, she’d driven the wagon up close so she could stand in the back of it in order to reach.

Even though the weather was brisk, she wasn’t cold. If anything, she was sweating. Earlier, she took off her hat, her gloves and her scarf. Her cloak followed not long thereafter. The only parts of her feeling the winter temperatures were her feet which had become numb. It didn’t help that the damp snow soaked through the bindings in her leather boots. Her thick, cotton stockings were wet, too. Each time she stopped to lift a board she made a conscious effort to wiggle her toes to keep the circulation going.

She was in the process of nailing the final nail in the second to last board, when she heard a rapidly approaching horse. She didn’t have to look to know who it was. Cursing silently, she held the nail and poised the hammer. When she struck, however, the hammer slipped and landed on her thumb.

She spun, squealing from the pain at the same moment her husband sprang off Webster. In the distance, she could see Herlin, Wally and Ditter, running across the field.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jon roared.

Still shaking her hand from the stinging in her thumb, she retorted, “What does it look like? I’m repairing the cabins.”

In one easy leap, Jon bounded up into the back of the wagon and descended upon her. He grabbed her cloak from the wagon floor, wrapped it around her shoulders, secured the front button at her throat, and then caught her up and deposited her on the ground. Before she could take a step he was out of the wagon. He scooped her up, one arm under her shoulders and the other under her knees.

“Stop it! Put me down!” Jessica screeched. She pummeled him with her fists, hitting him on the shoulder, in the head, in the face.

Jon didn’t even flinch. He just kept moving purposefully back toward the manor house. Apparently, he intended to carry her the entire way! Jessica yelled at him again, but it did no good. She hit him again, too, landing a hard punch high on his cheekbone by his eye. It was the first knock that seemed to have any effect.

His grip didn’t loosen and his stride didn’t falter, but he turned his head to the side and barked, “Stop hitting me, Jessica!”

“No! I won’t!” But she did. Not because he told her to, but because that last blow hurt her knuckles. Wiggling profusely, she screamed, “Put me down!”

“No. I’m taking you to the house where it’s warm.”

“I’m not cold!” she shouted.

“I can’t believe you took your coat off! You will freeze out here. I can’t believe you’re not taking better care!”

“I got hot. What does it matter? I’m not cold! Put me down!” Jon wasn’t wearing gloves, a hat or a coat either. He must have raced out of the house as soon as he figured out where she was. He never went anywhere improperly attired.

Herlin and Wally ran right past them. Apparently they were going to retrieve the wagon and Webster. Ditter caught up to them and changed direction. He was just a few feet behind them, jogging every couple steps to keep up with Jon’s purposeful strides. Anxiously, he said, “Miss Jessica, you’ll catch your death!”

Jessica’s struggles were not in vain. She could feel Jon’s arm under her knees slipping. Writhing, and twisting, she frantically kicked her legs, determined to keep him from regaining control. He pulled hard at her skirt, as if by tightening it around her, he might be able to restrain her. In the chaos, it occurred to her there was one target on him that just might give her some success. It took several attempts, but when the heel of her boot connected sharply with his knee, the results of her efforts were exactly what she wanted them to be.

“God damn it!” he wailed. At the same instant, his arm under her knees dropped.

On her feet again, Jessica shoved him away. As he staggered backwards, he emitted another whispery cry, and then he bent forward to clutch his bad leg.

He was still holding his leg when he raised his head and said, “Jessica, don’t. Don’t do this.”

“You can’t stop me. Maybe you have today, but there will be days when you’re not here. I will fix every one of those cabins!”

Jon straightened to his full height and said sternly, “No, you will not!”

“Oh yes, I will!”

“What if you get sick out here in the cold? What then?”

“I won’t!”

In the next instant, the anger in him disappeared. His words became almost pleading. “Jessica, you’re going to have a child. You need to be resting. You need to be taking care of yourself.”

“Just because I’m with child doesn’t mean I’m an invalid, you ignorant man!” she scoffed.

Lowering his voice even more, he said, “Please. If something happens to you, I couldn’t bear it.”

“Will you allow the men to repair their homes with the lumber I purchased?” Jessica demanded.

“No,” he said quietly.

“Fine!” she spat. “I shall live in the empty cabin. I’ll stay there until you agree to repair them. I’ll stay out there in the cold, and maybe I will just catch my death, and then how will you feel? And it will be all your fault! Bear that!”

He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

“I am going to pack my things,” Jessica stated emphatically. She spun around and started toward the manor house in a wide, resolute stride.

She could hear his boots crunch in the frozen grass behind her, but she didn’t realize he was so close until he grabbed her hand.

“Let go!” she screeched, yanking hard to free herself, but she couldn’t. His grip was too tight.

“Come with me. I want to show you something,” he said.

Ignoring her protests, he dragged her along back toward the cabins. He limped heavily, but moved quickly, retracing the path he forged through the light layer of snow. They didn’t get very far before Jessica hollered, “Owe!”

He stopped abruptly and looked at her.

“You’re squeezing my thumb!” she hissed. “I hit it with the hammer.”

His grip on her hand loosened and a brief, lopsided grin drew up the corner of his lip. But then he turned around and continued to pull her along.

“You think it’s funny? You’re horrid. You’re the scum of the earth! I hate you!” Jessica shrieked.

He paid no heed to her insults and she continued to hurl them at him until they were standing in front of Ditter’s cabin. Ditter, looking extremely distressed, was still right behind them.

“Ditter, would you show Mrs. Kinsley the inside of your house?” Jon said.

“Yes, sir, Captain, sir.” Ditter shuffled around them to open the door.

“Take a look inside, Jessica,” Jon said. He drew her ahead of him, put his hands on her shoulders and gently shoved.

Inside the small shack, Jessica’s jaw fell open. The room was small, but it was quite cozy. Even though the fire in the fireplace was out, it was still warm inside. But what really struck Jessica were the walls. They were thick, plastered and painted. The ceiling too was fully covered with new, painted lumber. There wasn’t one hole visible. Not one. There wasn’t any evidence of leaks either.

Jessica spun around to look for her husband. He hadn’t come inside with her. And he wasn’t waiting outside for her either. She could see him walking away, toward the manor house. To Ditter she said, “I don’t understand. Who did this?”

He shrugged. “The cabins were fixed before we came here.”

“Are they all this way on the inside?”

Ditter nodded.

All of a sudden Ditter’s head was bobbing around uncontrollably. Jessica’s own head felt very funny. It was the same dizzy feeling she experienced periodically throughout the morning, but this time it was worse. A strange, green wall seemed to be closing in on her peripheral vision. She had to grab for the back of a small wooden chair to steady herself.

At the same time Ditter’s big hand caught her arm. “Miss Jessica!” he cried.

Jessica had to close her eyes and shake her head to get her focus. “I’m fine, Ditter,” she said. Then she went after her husband.

Even though he was limping, Jon had covered a considerable distance. Jessica had to run to catch up to him. Ditter, as before, was right behind her the whole way.