Hearts Aglow (19 page)
“It most likely wouldn’t help anything if I did.”
Her expression changed from concern to frustration. “You never talk about your family. You know everything about mine, and I know very little about yours. Don’t you trust me to be discreet?”
He considered her question. Perhaps now was the time to tell her the truth. “It’s not a matter of trust,” he began. “I suppose there are things about my family of which I feel guarded – though not because of any flaw of yours.”
Deborah moved a bit closer. “Christopher, we all have our secrets. I’m sorry if I made you feel bad for yours.”
Smiling, he reached out to touch her cheek. “I appreciate your understanding. In time . . . well . . . I want you to know.”
“Doc! Doc! Come quick.”
“That sounds like . . . ” Deborah jumped back just as G.W. limped into the room.
“It’s Lizzie. She’s having pain, and Ma says it may be time for the babies.”
“Goodness, she was just fine when I left to come here.”
G.W. looked at Deborah. “It started just after you left. She thought at first she’d just turned wrong, but the pain continued.”
Christopher grabbed his bag and motioned Deborah to the door. “Come on.”
They raced to the wagon, with G.W. doing his best to keep up with them. Climbing into the wagon seat, Deborah moved to the far side to give her brother room as Christopher took his place in back. G.W. managed to take up the reins and release the brake very nearly at the same moment.
He quickly turned the wagon and headed the team down the road, ignoring the greetings of folks who walked along the way. Christopher took hold of the back of the seat, and Deborah glanced over her shoulder at him. She looked worried. Knowing the truth about medicine was that way. She would have to learn to conceal her fears, or her patients would suffer. If G.W. hadn’t been there, he would have said as much, but the poor man was already a wreck.
The ride to the Vandermark place took less than half the time it would normally have taken. Despite the conditions of the road and other folks using the same path, G.W. managed to keep them moving. When they pulled up to the front of the house, he reined back the horses hard.
“Easy, G.W,” Deborah said, climbing down from the wagon. “Don’t take it out on the team.”
Christopher followed suit with G.W. beating him to the porch by inches. “She’s right, G.W. Don’t give in to worry just yet.”
G.W.’s piercing blue eyes fixed Christopher with a hard stare. “You will take care of her.” It was more a statement than a question.
Giving the poor father-to-be a brief slap on the back, Christopher smiled. “Absolutely.”
Rob had just finished loading the last of the logs onto the train car when he noticed Zed Perkins in the camp. Handing the mule team over to one of the other men, Rob went to where Uncle Arjan stood talking to the mill owner.
“Howdy,” Rob said, joining them. “Good to see you, Mr. Perkins.”
“You may not think so when you hear what I’ve come to say. I was just telling Arjan that my situation has changed, and I felt it important we discuss the particulars.”
Rob looked to his uncle. “In what respect?”
Mr. Perkins looked uncomfortable. “Well, the fact is I’ve been having a little difficulty with the banks. The money promised for the final steps of my expansion has been refused.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Would you like to sit and have a cup of coffee?” Uncle Arjan asked.
“Sittin’ in the shade would be good,” Perkins replied. He took off his straw hat and wiped his forehead with the back of his shirt sleeve. “Mighty warm today.”
“That it is.” Arjan led the way to where they’d had lunch earlier. The few campstools made a decent place to rest.
“I know this comes as a surprise to you,” Mr. Perkins continued, repositioning his hat. “It came as an even bigger surprise to me. I went to Houston, thinking I was securing the revenue needed for my mill, and instead, I found myself facing a bunch of two-timers.”
“How will this affect your plans?”
Tucking his hands deep in his coat pockets, Mr. Perkins looked even more distressed. “Well, the thing is, the situation has forced me to take on some investors.”
“Investors?” Rob questioned.
“Partners, actually. Look, I wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t have to. I want you to understand that up front. If there had been another way to manage things, I would have.”
“Zed, what’s the problem here? We have no say over whether you take on partners.”
Rob could tell the answer wasn’t going to be good. Mr. Perkins was nervous about the situation. He wouldn’t have taken all the trouble to come clear out here if the matter weren’t critical.
“I . . . well . . . ” Perkins fell silent, then drew a deep breath. “The fact is, I was approached by someone who had been here before – last year. Mr. Albright.”
Rob wasn’t sure he’d heard him correctly. “Stuart Albright? The fella that was supposed to marry Lizzie?”
“That’s right. He came to me with his father-in-law while I was in Houston. I don’t know how he knew about my troubles, but he did. They came to my hotel and presented their proposition.”
Arjan looked to Rob and then back to Zed Perkins. “Which was what, if I may ask?”
“They would provide the capital I needed for the final stage of my expansion.”
“No chance Albright was doing it out of the goodness of his heart. What do they get in return?” Rob asked.
Perkins looked at the ground. “I had to make them partners.”
“Partners?” Arjan questioned. “You mentioned that before. Are you saying they now own half the sawmill?”
“Only until I can pay back the loan. We agreed it would be a short-term scenario.” Mr. Perkins seemed desperate to ease their minds. “I had no other choice. Without the expansion, I can’t hope to produce the promised lumber. I’m sorry if this is going to cause problems between us, but I’m hoping you’ll understand.”
Arjan put his hand on Mr. Perkins’ shoulder. “You did what you thought was best. I’m sure it will all work out.”
“That’s my prayer,” the older man said. “I never wanted to compromise our business dealings, however. That’s why I came to you today.”
“We appreciate your openness, Zed,” Arjan told the man. “I always like it best when folks deal honestly with me. We’ll let the family know what’s going on. I can’t imagine that we have anything to worry about. Seems to me that Albright fellow was all about making a dollar. If he’s that way, then your benefit will be ours, I’m sure. We’ll keep providing all the logs you need. Just let us know if anything changes.”
Rob heard the hesitation in his uncle’s voice, but he waited until Zed excused himself and headed back to town before asking about it.
“You’re lookin’ a mite concerned. Do you think there will be trouble?”
Arjan shrugged. “I’m not sure. Seems strange that Albright would even concern himself with this part of the country. Maybe he was intrigued by Perkins’s situation, but it just smells a bit sour to me.”
Rob nodded. “I agree. G.W. ain’t gonna like hearin’ about this. Not one little bit.”
“No, I’m sure he won’t, but we have to tell him nevertheless.” The train whistle blew and Arjan jumped up. “Come on. Let’s hitch a ride.”
Rob thought about Mr. Perkins’s announcement all the way back to the house. Perkins knew there had been bad blood between the Vandermarks and Mr. Albright. Seemed to lack consideration for his friends and neighbors that he would partner with the man, but Zed Perkins was obviously concerned for his own business.
They were back to the house before they knew it. The train slowed but didn’t stop. “You boys take care,” Jack said as Arjan and Rob jumped off. Jack gave the whistle two brief toots and was out of sight.
“Look there,” Rob said, pointing. “It’s G.W. What’s he doin’ just sittin’ around?” As the men drew closer, Rob could see his brother’s pale face and strained expression. He looked almost ill.
“Son, you all right?” Uncle Arjan asked.
G.W. looked up in surprise. “It’s Lizzie.”
Rob shook his head. “Is she sick?”
“It’s the babies. Doc and Deborah are workin’ with Ma to deliver ’em.”
“Kind of early, ain’t it?” Rob regretted the question the minute it was out of his mouth.
“It’s normal for twins to come early,” their uncle interjected. “I’m sure everything will be just fine. You need not fret. This is an occasion for celebration.”
“I know,” G.W. replied. “I’m tryin’ to remember that. It’s just that I . . . well, I can’t help worryin’. She’s my whole world.”
A baby’s cry could be heard coming from the house. Arjan grinned and slapped G.W. on the back. “That world of yours is about to get a whole lot bigger.”
G.W. jumped to his feet, but Arjan took hold of his arm. “Remember, there are two of them to be delivered. We might as well sit here and wait.”
Reluctantly, G.W. retook his chair while Rob pulled up two seats so they could join him. “I don’t know what I’ll do if something goes wrong,” Rob heard his brother murmur.
“Then let me help you get your mind off matters for a few minutes,” their uncle began. “You’re no doubt wonderin’ why we came home early.”
G.W. nodded. “I guess so. I suppose I was thinkin’ you knew about Lizzie, but of course you didn’t.” He rubbed at his leg and began to rock.
“We had a visitor at the camp. Zed Perkins rode all the way out on horseback to come talk to us.”
Rob could see that this only slightly interested his older brother. “The news wasn’t good,” Rob interjected. “Fact is, it’s givin’ us a bit to consider.”
G.W. held his brother’s gaze for a moment, then turned to Uncle Arjan. “What’s he talkin’ about?”
“Seems Perkins had trouble securing the money he needed for the last of his expansion. Apparently he can’t hope to fulfill the promises he’s made without it, so he felt he had to take on some partners.”
“Partners?” G.W. shrugged. “I don’t suppose that should be so bad.”
“You ain’t heard who he took on,” Rob said. He caught a look of reproof from his uncle just as a second baby began to cry.
“There, you see. It all sounds as though things are well,” Arjan announced. “They’ll be comin’ for you soon, so I might as well get the rest of this tale told.”
“Rob seems worried about who Mr. Perkins took on,” G.W. said, glancing anxiously toward the door.
“Seems Stuart Albright and his father-in-law are the new partners,” their uncle said matter-of-factly. “Perkins thought we’d need to know right away. He doesn’t expect it to change anything, but he knew we’d had some problems with the man.”
G.W. frowned. “I’ll say. What’s Albright doing in Perkinsville, anyway?”
“He weren’t here,” Rob threw out. “Mr. Perkins said he was approached in Houston after the bank turned him down. He said he didn’t know how they came by the knowledge that he needed help, but he felt he had to take it.”
“Knowing Albright,” G.W. commented, “he most likely arranged the matter. I wouldn’t put it past him to do it, just out of spite. He knows we work with Perkins – probably wants to play boss man. Well, it ain’t gonna work. He doesn’t know how things are done down here. Albright won’t have any say over Vandermark Logging. Ain’t nothing he can do to change that.”
Mother appeared at the porch door with a grin nearly as wide as her face. “G.W., come meet your children.”
“Lizzie?” he asked, getting to his feet.
She nodded. “Doing just fine. So are your son and daughter.”
“A boy and a girl?” Rob asked. “Now, how’s that for fair and even?” He laughed and followed his brother toward the door.
J
ULY 1886
The middle of the month arrived with no break in the heat. The twins were now clearly thriving, and in less than a week, they would be a month old and visitors would come to call on their presentation day. Deborah knew once that happened, the place would be pandemonium. She was thankful for the additions to the house, for the office was now slightly separated from the main living areas. It helped to keep the noise level at a minimum when she and G.W. were working together – although that happened less and less often.
