Molly Noble Bull (8 page)

“As soon as we can arrange it.”

Jeth took a sip of coffee, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Honor stilled a shudder. How many times had she seen Lucas wipe his mouth in just that way?

“I want you to drive into town with me in the morning so you can meet your new student. And don’t worry about your duties here at the boardinghouse. I’ll tell Mama that you’re meeting Miss Jordan tomorrow and will be teaching her once a week.”

“What time do you plan to leave?” she asked.

“Is right after breakfast too soon?”

“After breakfast will be fine.”

When Jeth left to drive Timmy home, Honor cleared the table and washed the dishes, but her thoughts focused on her future tutoring student. Honor tried to imagine what
Miss Lucy Jordan might be like, and all sorts of pictures played in her mind.

Jeth had explained the importance of a first meeting. Honor wanted to look her best and would stay up late and alter another of his mother’s dresses.

In the big dining room that evening, the long table was filled with people. The supper guests included Mrs. Clark and her sister, Mrs. Davis, Elmer, a Mr. Lott, Dr. Harris, and, of course, Jeth. The scent of a beef roast and spicy baked potatoes wafted around them.

Honor planned not to look at Jeth. She would simply do her job and go back to the kitchen, she told herself.

The table was covered with bowls and platters of food, but there was space for one more something directly in front of Jeth’s plate. Holding a heavy bowl of green beans in both hands, she intended to place it on the table and walk away. But standing behind Jeth, she realized there wasn’t enough room between him and Dr. Harris to squeeze a bowl through. Somebody needed to move out of her way.

Gathering her courage, she cleared her throat. “Would one of you gentlemen please move so I can put this bowl on the table?”

Both men turned and smiled.

Jeth moved way over—as if he expected her to put a washtub on the table. “Is this far enough?”

Everybody looked at Honor and laughed.

Her cheeks burned. “Yes, that should do it.”

Jeth rose from his chair. “That looks heavy. Let me help you.”

Honor shook her head, glowering at him. “No, thank you, Preacher. I can do this all by myself.”

She stepped forward on shaky legs. The bowl tipped slightly. Beans spilled to the very edge. Jeth reached out and steadied the bowl.

“Thank you,” she said stiffly.

“You’re welcome.”

Knowing that all eyes were on her, Honor was flooded with embarrassment. She set the bowl near Jeth’s plate and stepped back.

“Please, everyone,” she said. “I’m sorry for causing a stir and interrupting your supper. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to get back to the kitchen.”

Honor hurried to the door before she caused another disaster. She’d almost reached it when she heard a chair move, then footsteps. Jeth was right behind her.

She raced into the kitchen. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mrs. Peters standing at the stove, stirring a pot of something. Honor headed for the mess room, thinking nobody would bother her there.

“Miss McCall,” Jeth said from behind her. “I’m so sorry. I’ve hurt you again. I was joking. We all joke with one another here at the boardinghouse. But you’re new and didn’t know. Can you ever forgive me?”

Honor turned and glared at him, with tears in her eyes. “It doesn’t matter. Forget about it. I’m just a maid here anyway.”

“Children!” Mrs. Peters clapped her hands. “What are you two fussing about?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” Honor said. “This is all my fault. I’m making a mess of everything.” She glanced toward the
hall leading to the stairway. “If you will both excuse me, I need to go to my room now. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Jeth followed her to the stairway. Before she reached the first step, he took her arm gently and held it.

“Go on up if you like, Miss McCall. You deserve a recess. And I think you’re doing a fine job here at the boardinghouse. I know you’ll do well as my assistant over at the church, too.”

Honor forced a quick smile. “Thank you, Reverend.” Then she dashed up the stairs, and didn’t look back.

The next morning, Honor sat beside Jeth in the wagon. The last thing she wanted was to ride into town with him, but she was obligated to fulfill her agreement to tutor members of his church. And how else would she get to town on such a chilly day?

The brown plaid dress that she’d altered hugged her slender form, and she wondered if Jeth noticed that she’d taken special care with her hair and clothes to appear neat and well-groomed. Now, if only she could stop shivering.

Snow fell softly around them and the thin material of Honor’s dress did little to protect her from the cold.

Jeth pulled a woolen blanket from a box under the bench of the wagon. “Here. Wrap this around you. And if this isn’t enough, I have another blanket or two I can give you.”

“One will be fine. Thank you very much.”

“I’m buying you a winter coat as soon as we get to town.”

“You will not!” Honor grimaced. “I won’t hear of it. When I can afford a coat, I’ll buy one—and not until then.”

“I think the Lord wants you to have a coat today, Miss McCall, and so do I.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“Yes, we certainly will.”

By the time they reached the general store, the snow had stopped. The roofs of the houses were dusted with a layer of white. Icicles hung like silver ornaments from the eaves of the houses and the other buildings along the main street.

The town was bigger than Falling Rock, and there was a quality of warmth and friendliness shining in the faces of everyone who Honor saw. Could part of the reason be that she hadn’t seen a single saloon?

Lucas had once complained that Hearten was bone-dry. At the time, Honor hadn’t known what that meant. Then Aunt Harriet explained that alcohol wasn’t sold in Hearten. That fact gave Honor a sense of security and reassurance.

She’d considered staying in the wagon while Jeth went into Baker’s Grocery and Mercantile. But thoughts of a warm building and a roof over her head prompted her to follow him inside.

The store was divided into sections by display tables covered with a variety of items. Glass canisters filled with licorice and hard, brightly colored candies were placed beside boxes of bullets and hunting rifles. Shoes and ladies’ hats were near a grocery counter, and shelves of food lined the back wall. A stairway led to the second
floor, where Jeth had said the store-owner and his family lived.

Another counter stood in one corner of the big room. A sign above it read United States Post Office in big black letters.

Jeth ambled to a part of the store where coats and capes of various colors and sizes hung on wooden wall-pegs. He picked up a brown coat with a dark brown fur collar. “This looks about your size, Miss McCall. Why don’t you try it on?”

A thrill shot through her. The coat was lovely.

Pressing her lips together, she shook her head. “I told you. I’m not buying a coat until—”

“Let me pay for it. You can reimburse me out of your salary. Employees do things like that around here all the time.”

She opened her mouth to refuse, then closed it. The coldest winter months were ahead.

“Try it on,” he urged.

She studied him for a moment. “All right.”

Honor slipped her arms into the coat, buttoned it, and felt truly warm for the first time since she’d left the rooming house.

“Thank you, Reverend.” His thoughtfulness overwhelmed her. “I’ve never owned a coat I liked better than this one. But remember, I will pay you back.”

“Of course.”

Honor wasn’t accustomed to receiving gifts and kindnesses from anyone except her aunt, and she wanted to escape before she started to weep. Turning, she headed for the entry door.

The street in front of the general store was wet and filled with slush. She stood on the wide front porch until Jeth came out. Then she helped him load the items he’d bought into the back of the wagon, and together, they covered everything with a piece of canvas.

“I’ll need to wait for the mail,” he said. “Mr. Baker is sorting it now. As soon as it’s ready, we can go.”

“All right.”

Jeth stepped back onto the porch, but Honor lingered by the wagon for a closer look at the town of Hearten. She glanced down the main street. A rider appeared in the distance.

A drop of freezing water, coming from the roof, dampened the top of Honor’s head. Gazing up, she saw that the icicles were melting, and stepped under the covered walkway. Jeth still waited there—in his usual stance, hands behind his back and legs apart.

“Thank you again for the coat, Reverend.”

“You are most welcome.”

Honor turned back toward the road. A sandy-haired boy in a gray jacket rode up on a big, red horse. He looked to be about nine or ten years old.

The boy stuck out his chin, as if he had important things to do. Evidently, the child didn’t see Honor and Jeth standing in front of the store, because he never glanced in their direction.

Honor noticed Jeth studying the boy and especially the animal. When the child went inside, Jeth turned to her. “Ever seen that sorrel horse before?”

“No, I can’t say that I have.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Why?”

He shrugged. “Just wondered.”

Jeth stepped from the porch and walked over to the hitching post where the red horse was tied. He squinted at the animal’s markings and rubbed his hand across the brand, which read Lazy S. Honor wondered what he found so interesting.

She walked to the edge of the porch to view the horse from a different angle. The red gelding did look familiar. Had she seen the horse after all? If so, she couldn’t remember where.

The store-owner came out with a handful of letters and nodded to Honor. “Ma’am.” He gazed out toward Jeth. “Here’s your mail, Reverend.”

“Thank you, Mr. Baker,” Jeth called back. “Would you please just give it to Miss McCall there? She works for my mother at the boardinghouse now.”

“Of course.” He handed the stack of letters to Honor. “Here you go, miss. And good day to ya.”

“Good day to you, too, sir,” Honor said.

Jeth continued to inspect the red horse, while Honor descended the wooden steps and climbed into the wagon. Surreptitiously, she inspected the mail, hoping she wouldn’t find a letter from Lucas. When she didn’t, she let out a deep sigh. He hadn’t found her, not yet.

Honor glanced down at her new coat, brushing away a speck of moisture from the front of it. Thanks to Jeth, she felt warm now. That was something to be glad about.

Jeth still stood beside the red horse.

“Well, are you coming or not?” she asked.

“I have something else to do before we leave,” he said without looking at her. “I hope you don’t mind waiting a few minutes longer. If you get too cold, go back inside the store. I’ll look for you there.”

“No, I don’t mind waiting. I’m warm enough right here.”

“Thanks.” Jeth turned sharply, walked across the muddy street and entered Sheriff Green’s office.

What business did Jeth have with the sheriff? Honor felt her forehead wrinkle. Was he about to turn her in for stealing from the church in Falling Rock? Honor bit her lower lip, holding onto the hope that his business with the sheriff had nothing to do with her.

H
onor had hoped Jeth would tell her about his business with the sheriff, but when he returned, he simply climbed in the wagon and clicked the reins.

She lifted her chin. “Reverend Peters.” Determination filled her. “I can’t help but wonder why you went over to Sheriff Green’s office. Did it have anything to do with me, or the boy on the red horse?”

“Sorry, Miss McCall, I’m not at liberty to discuss this with anyone right now. But it has nothing to do with you.”

Honor nodded. “I see.”

But she didn’t. What was Jeth hiding?

Without another word, Jeth trotted the horses down a different road than the one that led to the boardinghouse.

“Are we going to Miss Jordan’s now?” she asked.

“Yes. As I mentioned, I want the two of you to become acquainted before you start teaching her how to read.”

Honor paused before speaking. “What is she like?”

Briefly, Jeth looked away from the reins and over at Honor. Then he peered down the road again.

“To some,” he said, “it might seem strange that a well-bred lady like Miss Lucy Jordan never learned to read. But after her well-to-do father died, Miss Lucy spent most of her growing-up years on a remote farm with her invalid mother. By the time she was three, her mother was totally blind. A maid cooked their meals and cared for them. The maid, Maria, didn’t know how to read or write, but she taught Miss Jordan to sew and do other handiwork.

“Miss Lucy was barely eighteen when her late father’s money ran out, and Maria died the same year. She’s been her mother’s only cook and caretaker ever since then, and makes her living as a seamstress.”

She noticed Jeth studying her again. Did he expect her to make a comment? Yes, she had thoughts regarding Miss Lucy Jordan, but she felt she should keep them to herself.

Honor knew about problems in life and appreciated all Jeth had to say about Lucy. She regretted that the woman had difficulties, but an unflattering image of Miss Jordan formed in Honor’s mind long before the wagon stopped in front of a quaint, little house with dormer windows and green shutters.

She pictured Miss Lucy as an old maid of thirty or more with wrinkles and straight, greasy hair. As she and Jeth came up the walk, a young woman stepped out onto the porch of the cottage. Honor’s image of her prospective pupil disintegrated.

Miss Jordan had short, golden curls and violet-blue eyes. A perky smile lit her pixielike face. Honor started to
like her at once—until she noticed the look in Jeth’s eyes when he gazed at Lucy. Plainly, he was fond of the young woman.

Lucy Jordan was petite, slim and ladylike in her pale blue, wool dress and matching slippers. Compared to her, Honor felt like an awkward giant.

Taking a step forward, Honor suddenly felt her feet slide out from under her on the icy front porch. She reached out to save herself, but there was nothing solid to grip for support. Two strong arms grabbed Honor from behind and held her.

“Easy there, Miss McCall,” Jeth said. “It’s slippery out here.”

“I guess I found that out, didn’t I.” Honor glanced back at Jeth. While her face flamed, she forced a smile. “And thank you. So much.”

“Please,” Lucy said. “Come in out of the cold. Both of you. It’s safer inside.”

Lucy led the way into a cozy parlor decorated in white and shades of blue. “I have hot tea and cookies.”

“Nothing for me,” Honor said, “but thank you for offering.”

Lucy smiled at Jeth over her shoulder. “And you, Reverend? Would you care for something?”

“Frankly, I’d love tea and cookies.”

Miss Jordan and Jeth shared the blue velvet settee, and they were soon deep in conversation. Honor sat in an overstuffed, blue and white striped chair, surveying the formal dining room beyond an arched doorway, trying to avoid witnessing the tender and admiring ex
pression in Jeth’s blue eyes when he looked at the engaging Miss Jordan.

The long rectangular dining table and heavy oak chairs looked tasteful and expensive. White lace curtains added charm. Honor barely heard what was said in the parlor.

“Is this agreeable with you, Miss McCall?” Jeth asked.

Honor’s cheeks heated again because she hadn’t been paying attention. “Agreeable? With what?”

“We were discussing when you would start the lessons.”

“Oh, well. Whatever you both decide is fine with me.”

“Thank you, Miss McCall,” Jeth continued, “for being so cooperative.”

Would Jeth be driving Miss Jordan to the boardinghouse for the lessons? The trip would give him plenty of chances to spend time with the young seamstress—if he wanted to, of course.

“Miss Jordan can’t leave her mother alone for long,” Jeth explained. “So I’ll drive you here to the cottage on Monday, Miss McCall. If the weather is bad, I’ll also pick you up afterward. Miss Jordan has been kind enough to allow us to have all our future lessons here on Mondays, as well. It’s quiet at the cottage and more private than it would be at the rooming house. If later you have other students, they will like it here, too, I’m sure. Is this arrangement all right with you?”

“Of course.” Honor nodded. “It wouldn’t be right to leave Miss Jordan’s poor mother alone.”

In the wagon on the drive back to the boardinghouse, Honor caught Jeth looking at her before he turned off the main road.

“I would gladly pay a penny for your thoughts,” he said.

“You would be wasting your money.” Honor tried to smile. “I have no thoughts. My mind is a blank.”

What a lie. She’d been thinking about Jeth and Miss Lucy since she’d left the Jordan home, recalling how cozy they had looked together in the parlor.

“Maybe I was thinking about the boardinghouse,” she said. “It looks very impressive even at this distance.”

“Yes, it does.”

The big, white, two-story house with its red-tile roof and reddish-brown shutters was imposing and picturesque, surrounded by trees, on gently rolling grounds covered by a thin layer of snow. Snow-capped mountains rose behind the house, and hills framed the structure on both sides. Beyond the barn, Honor saw cow pens, outbuildings and fields. A glassy lake directly across the road from the main entrance reminded her of a reflecting pool. A wooden gate guarded the private road that led to a circular drive in front of the house.

Jeth got out to open the gate. Honor waited, shivering in the wagon. After he’d driven through and closed the gate, they wheeled slowly down the driveway.

When they stopped in front of the house, Jeth helped her from the wagon.

“The house is awe-inspiring,” she said, noting the heavy brass knockers on the double doors made of oak. “Was it always a boardinghouse?”

“No, it wasn’t. The house was built for a British lord and his family, but they didn’t live in it long. When the
family moved back to England, my grandfather bought the house and the land around it for a reasonable price.”

“What an interesting heritage.”

“Yes.” He smiled. “We think so, too.”

In the foyer, Jeth pulled a gift-wrapped package from under the maple desk and handed it to Honor. “Here, this is for you.”

“But why?” Honor gazed at the pink bow on top. “It’s not my birthday, and Christmas is over a month away.”

“This is something you need.” He smiled. “Please, go ahead and open it.”

Honor took the package and tore back the paper. After the coat, she couldn’t imagine why Jeth was giving her another gift. She unfolded the white tissue paper in the box and saw a black Bible with a gold cross on the front.

“Oh, it’s lovely.”

Honor had wanted a Bible to use for the reading lessons and she had hoped to borrow one. But she had never expected one of her own.

“I want to thank you for giving me this beautiful Bible, Reverend, but I can’t accept it—unless I can reimburse you for the cost.”

“I agreed to let you pay me back for the coat because you insisted. But the Bible is an extra copy I’ve had for a long time. I promised the man who gave it to me that I would give it to a person who needed it. That’s you, Miss McCall.”

She searched for a reasonable protest but couldn’t think of one. Honor glanced toward the pine stairway. This would be an excellent time to exit the room before the tears of joy came.

That night, Honor took her Bible and sat in the chair by her bed. Pulling the oil lamp closer, she flipped to the first page. An inscription jumped out at her. Honor’s forehead wrinkled. Had Jeth written this?

Honor gazed down at the page and noticed the same wide, free-flowing script she had found in the songbook back in Falling Rock—the one that held the dedication to somebody’s late wife. Carefully, Honor read what was handwritten in the Bible.
To Miss Honor Rose McCall. Seek and you will find.

Jeth! Clearly, he had written both inscriptions. Did he also know what she had done at the church in Falling Rock?

On Monday morning, a damp and cold wind lashed the trees in front of the boardinghouse. Seated in the wagon, Honor pulled up her coat collar. Today, she would tutor Miss Lucy Jordan in reading for the first time. She was eager to get the chore behind her.

Jeth took longer than usual hitching the leather harness to the team of brown horses. She wished he would hurry. At last, he climbed into the seat beside her.

“Warm enough?” He snapped the reins.

“I’m just fine.”

“I should have gotten out the arched bracing and strung the canvas over the wagon long before now. I’ll need to do that before I drive you into town again. Covered wagons are warmer and would protect you from rain and snow.”

Honor tried to smile. Would Jeth ever stop worrying about her?

“You suggested that I begin my Bible reading with the Gospel of John,” she said. “I thought you’d want to know I plan to do that. But I’ve also been reading in the Old Testament, and I have a couple of questions….” Her words trailed off when she realized that Jeth didn’t appear to be listening.

“I’ll be taking the long way this time.” Jeth looked down the road ahead. “I want to drive by a ranch I know before delivering you to Miss Lucy’s.”

A slicing wind had pulled several soft curls from Honor’s tight bun. The locks tickled her skin, whipping about her face and around the edges of her print bonnet. She pushed back her hair, considering the questions flooding her mind.

To Honor, the God of the Old Testament seemed harsh and nothing like Jesus. Yet at church on Sunday, Jeth had explained that the Bible was one book from Genesis to Revelation.

“The Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever,” Jeth had said. “We cannot expect to completely understand God until we get to heaven and see Him face-to-face. We must accept on faith that everything in the Bible is good, right and completely true, and that the God of the Old Testament is also the God of the New Testament.”

Honor was about to try again to ask her first question, when she remembered the letter from Simon and Annie. She should tell Jeth about it before discussing anything else. Still shivering, she pulled the envelope from the pocket of her new coat and leaned forward in the wooden seat.

“Sure you’re warm enough?” Jeth asked.

Honor nodded, hugging her shoulders.

“Then why are you shaking?”

She shrugged. “Habit, I guess.”

He lifted his head, and laughter boomed from deep within his chest. “If you change your mind, the blankets are still under the seat.” He glanced at Honor, lifting one eyebrow in question. “What’s that paper you’ve got there?”

“This?” Honor held out the envelope so he could see it. “It’s—It’s a letter from the elderly couple who we met on the stagecoach.”

“The Carrs?”

“Yes. They said to thank you for writing them, and they wanted to know how I’m feeling.”

“Well, aren’t you going to read it to me?”

Read it to him? Honor cleared her throat. She’d hoped to avoid this, but couldn’t see a way out now.

When she had finished reading, she waited—holding the letter tightly against her heart. Jeth would probably have questions she wasn’t prepared to answer, though she doubted he would attempt to snatch the letter from her. At last she rested her hands on her lap, trying to relax.

“Who do you think is looking for you?” Jeth asked. “Your uncle?”

“There’s a good chance it’s him, all right.”

“And what did you say his name was?”

“Lucas Scythe.”

“So, what are you planning to do?”

Before she could answer, he looked off toward a red farmhouse. Honor followed his gaze. A big, two-story house stood on a rise, set back from the road. New rooms
appeared to be under construction. Smaller buildings circled the compound, and fresh lumber revealed that the cattle pens and lines of wood fences were also new. Honor glanced at the sign above the main gate: Sharp Ranch.

Jeth pulled the team to a stop in front of the sign.

“Why are we stopping here?” Honor asked.

“I hadn’t been by this way in a while, and wanted to have another look around.” He gazed at a plowed field across the road from the farmhouse. “That was the Sharp boy we saw in town the other day—the one on the sorrel horse.”

“And you went across the street and talked to Sheriff Green. But you didn’t tell me why.”

“I still can’t discuss it. But I hope I can tell you all about it very soon.”

Honor resisted the urge to press the issue now.

“I hate to repeat rumors,” he added, “but the Sharps are said to make liquor in a barn on their property.” Jeth swung his whip above the horses and made clucking sounds. “Apparently, they are selling it to folks, making them drunk with the mixtures.”

He clucked again, and the animals jerked forward. The horses trotted down a road that was little more than a pair of bumpy ruts.

Honor tried to push away her confused thoughts. Instead, she focused on the beauty of the hills and the snowy mountains in the distance.

The road took a sharp turn to the left. A tree loomed close to the muddy road. Its sweeping branches arched above their heads. Suddenly, she noticed that one of the lower branches was obstructing her view.

“Duck!” Jeth shouted, jerking back on the reins.