Rose (Suitors of Seattle) (13 page)

She knelt on the small sofa beside him, turning into him completely and wrapping both arms around him.  He responded in kind, turning toward her, so they were locked in a passionate embrace when a knock sounded at the door.  “Excuse me,” the young maid said, blushing.  “Dinner’s ready.”

Rose blushed but pulled away, getting to her feet.  “Are you hungry?” she asked.

He nodded, following her from the room.  “I had an emergency and ended up working through my lunch hour, so I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

Rose wound her hand through his arm and walked beside him to the table, taking the seat she’d used the night before.  “The cook made pork chops and mashed potatoes this evening.  I hope that’s okay.”  She realized she didn’t even know his favorite foods and decided then she was going to learn everything she could about him as quickly as possible.

“Sounds wonderful!  Of course, I’d eat just about anything right this second.”  He pulled her chair out for her and she sat down, unfolding her napkin on her lap.

During the meal, there was none of the awkward silence they’d had the previous nights, and she was glad to see he was so willing to work with her.  After dinner, she waited for him to say he had paperwork, but when he didn’t she asked, “What are your plans for the evening?”

His eyes stared into hers as he said, “That all depends on you.”

She looked at him, startled.  “Why does it depend on me?”  She had no idea what he could be talking about.

His hand stroked down her arm, caressing her through the light cotton fabric of her sleeve.  “Well, if you’re willing to forgive and forget, I’d love to spend the evening upstairs with you.  If not, I’ll do some paperwork.”

Her heart beat faster as she realized what he was suggesting.  She blushed, but caught his hand and pulled him toward the stairs.  There was no reason to play coy when she knew she was planning on making love with him that night.  What matter did it make if they started a little earlier than she’d thought?  She’d get to spend that much more time with him, and to her, that was a fine way to spend her evening.

During the next couple of months, Rose did everything she could to try to get Shawn to fall in love with her.  She waited for him at the door when he came home at night, and always gave him her complete attention when he was around.  In turn, Shawn was a kind and considerate husband, often bringing her roses and jewelry.  He bestowed her with gifts, but not the one she most wanted:  a declaration of love.

One evening as they walked through the park together, they happened upon an old suitor of Rose’s.  A man she’d put on her “list” for Harriett to investigate.  She smiled as soon as she saw him, because it had been a while.

“Daniel!” she exclaimed, holding her hand out to shake his.

Da
niel, a tall blond man with blue eyes, took her hand and brought it to his lips. “It’s so good to see you, Rose.”

“It’s good to see you, too.”  She nodded to Shawn.  “Have you met my husband?  Shawn, this is Da
niel Olafsen.  Daniel?  My husband, Dr. Shawn Henry.”

Da
niel met Shawn’s eyes.  “So you’re the one that stole her away from me?”  He held his hand out to shake.  “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Shawn nodded slowly.  “It’s nice to meet you as well.”  He eyed the other man, obviously sizing him up.  “How long have you known Rose?”
  And why was the man kissing his wife’s hand as if he had every right in the world to do so?

“Since she started school.  I was a year ahead of her.” 
Daniel was dressed in a business suit, obviously having just finished his day at work.

“What do you do?” Shawn asked.

“I’m a banker.  I work with Rose’s father.”  He looked at Rose again with a slight smile.  “I was just waiting for her to turn eighteen so I could ask her to marry me, and then I found out she was being courted by someone already.”  He sighed heavily.

Rose laughed softly.  “I’m sure you’re long over me,
Daniel.  How’s Sally doing?”  Sally was Daniel’s younger sister and had been a year behind Rose in school.  She and Rose had never been close, but it was a good way to change the subject, and she could sense Shawn was uncomfortable. 

“Oh, she’s fine.  Thinking about getting married in November and not finishing school.”  By the look on Daniel’s face, Rose could tell he understood why she’d changed the subject and was more than a little amused by it.

“Wonderful!”  Rose meant that sincerely.  Sally had always been jealous of Rose for her multitude of suitors.  She didn’t ask who Sally was being courted by, because she was certain it was one of her former suitors, and she didn’t want to make Shawn uncomfortable.  “Well, it was nice seeing you again.”  She put her hand on Shawn’s arm, squeezing it tightly. 

“It was.  I hope it happens again soon.” 
Daniel smiled down at Rose as if he half-expected her to run off with him instead of going home with her husband.

“Goodbye, Daniel.”  Rose
slowly began walking away from him, pulling Shawn along with her. 

Shawn looked back over his shoulder to see Daniel watching them with a lost expression on his face.  “Would you have married him if you hadn’t met me?”
  Suddenly the subject truly mattered to Shawn.  She’d been courted by a multitude of men, but had he just met the one she’d have married?

Rose shrugged.  “I probably would have, but I never loved him.” 

Shawn looked down at her.  “You would have married someone you didn’t love?” he asked with surprise.  Did she even realize how that sounded after the way she’d chastised him for marrying someone he didn’t love?

“Oh, I thought I loved him and a dozen or so other boys.  I didn’t know what love was until I met you.”  She didn’t wait for a reply
, knowing it would just hurt her feelings when he didn’t respond.  “Oh look!  There’s Lily!” She rushed over to talk to her sister.  She been shocked at how much she missed all of her sisters, but Lily in particular. 

Shawn was pulled along as she hurried to see Lily.  He watched as Rose threw her arms around her sister.  “Lily, I’ve missed you!”
 

Lily looked at her strangely.  “You just saw me two days ago at church.”

Rose shook her head.  “It’s not the same as sharing a room with you and talking into the wee hours of the morning.”  She’d never guessed how much she would miss the female companionship of her sisters.

Lily made a face.  “I never talked into the wee hours of the morning.  That was always you while I was trying to sleep.”

Rose laughed softly.  “I guess it was.”  She looked at her sister and saw sadness along the sides of her eyes.  What could be wrong with Lily?  She was always happily bounding around everywhere in her boys’ clothes.  Today she wore a dress that she looked distinctly uncomfortable in.  “Why don’t you come to my house and have lunch with me tomorrow?”  Whatever was wrong with Lily, she wanted to help her sister.

Lily looked surprised, but nodded.  “I’d like that.”  She made a face.  “School stars again next week, so if I want to do anything fun, now’s the time.”

Rose knew that Lily had never really minded school but had always felt out of place there, because she wanted to be outside at recess instead of staying in and talking with the other girls.  “Come over around noon, and we’ll have a nice long chat.”  She couldn’t wait to sit and talk with Lily, instead of just passing her by chance.  She needed some sister time.

“I’ll see you then.”  Lily walked away in the direction Rose had just come from. 

Rose couldn’t help but wonder why Lily was alone in the park.  “I wonder what she’s up to.”  She made a face as she watched Lily walk away.

Shawn looked over his shoulder at Lily.  “What makes you think she’s up to something?”

Rose shrugged.  “Usually she only comes to the park with someone, and then she’s wearing boys’ clothes not girls’.  There’s something wrong.  I can feel it.”

Shawn looked over his shoulder at Lily again before shrugging.  “I want you to tell me more about Daniel.”

Rose looked at him in surprise.  “There’s really not much to tell.  He’s a nice boy.  He made me laugh.”  She shrugged.

Shawn watched her carefully as she said the words, obviously worried there was more to Rose’s relationship with her former beau than she was telling.  “That’s all there was and you’d have married him?  That doesn’t make sense.”

Rose shook her head.  “He was the best of the choices I had at that time.”  She rested her head on his shoulder.  “I’d rather be married to you any day.” 

As they walked back toward the house, Shawn couldn’t help but wonder if he was just the best choice she had.  Would she eventually meet someone else that she’d rather be married to?  And if she did, how would that make him feel?   He experienced a pang at the thought, wondering if maybe his feelings for her were stronger than he’d realized.

*****

Rose puttered around the house the following morning, waiting to have lunch with Lily.  It was still too hot for any major cooking early in the day, so she had the cook fix some simple sandwiches for her and her sister.  They weren’t quite ready when Lily arrived, so Rose pulled her off to the small parlor.

“You haven’t been here before, have you?” Rose asked Lily in surprise.  Why hadn’t she invited her family over before?  She wondered briefly if Shawn could handle the chaos of her seven sisters under one roof, and decided it may be best to put off having them all over for another month or two.

Lily shook her head, looking around her.  “This is nice.  I like the pillows.”  The pillows were some that Rose had embroidered when they were both first learning how. 

Rose grinned.  “They brighten up the room, don’t they?”  She took a seat on the sofa and Lily took the chair.  “What have you been doing the last couple of months?  You looked sad yesterday.”

Lily shrugged
, looking down at her hands.  “All the usual stuff.  I’ve been working at the battered women’s shelter on Mondays and Fridays like always.”

“What do you think of Annie?” Rose asked.  She’d work her way back to whatever was wrong with Lily during lunch.

“She’s different than the others.  It’s almost as if she resents the house for being there.”

Rose nodded.  “I felt the same way.  She doesn’t want to be away from her husband no matter what he does to her.”
  She shook her head sadly.  “I hope she gets over it, though.”

“Do you think she’ll go back to him?”

Rose shuddered.  “I hope not.  The bruises on her when she first got to the home were terrible.  She can’t go back to a man who treats her that way.”

“Do you think you could ever love a man who treated you that way?”

Rose shook her head.  “I really don’t.  The more I work there, the more I realize just how lucky I am in my marriage.”  Her husband may not love her, but he respected her and treated her well.

Lily nodded.  “I’m glad Aunt Harriett is so careful about checking out potential husbands for us.”

“For us?  Are you thinking of marrying?”  Was that why Lily had been sad?

Lily flushed and looked away.  A maid came in the room then to let them know lunch was ready and saved Lily from answering.  What was going on with her sister, Rose wondered.

When they were seated at the table, Rose looked at Lily.  “What was that blush about?  Is there a man you’re interested in?”  Rose loved the idea of Lily finally finding the perfect man for her.  She’d never really been interested in boys, at least not in the same way that Rose was.  She was more likely to go fishing with one than flirt.

Lily sighed.  “There is one I’m interested in, but he doesn’t know I’m alive.”

Rose’s eyes widened.  “Has he seen you in your pants?”  Rose was convinced that no man would ever take Lily seriously until she started dressing and acting like a lady.

Lily nodded.  “More times than I could possibly count.”

“That may be the problem.  He thinks of you as a boy and not as a lady.”  She eyed her sister’s hair pulled back into its usual braids.  “If you started putting your hair up and wearing pretty dresses, he’d notice you.  You’re such a pretty girl.”

Lily shook her head.  “I’m not nearly as pretty as you are.  Besides, he loves you, not me.”

Rose made a face.  So Lily was interested in one of her former suitors?  “Well, no one is going to let a man even court you until you turn eighteen.  You have time to make him see you differently.”  And she was aching to help her sister change into a lady any man would love.

Lily sighed.  “But I’ll always just be second best.”

“That’s not true, Lily.  You know, all those boys that courted me? Not one of them even knew me.  I think they all just wanted to marry me because I was Papa’s daughter and acted like a lady.  I’m married now.  If one of them really did love me, he’s just going to have to get over it.  I’m very much in love with my husband.”

Lily studied her older sister for a moment.  “Would you teach me?”

Rose looked at Lily, confusion in her eyes. “Teach you what?”  Was Lily asking her what she hoped she was asking?

“How to act like a lady?  I mean, Mama taught us all, but I never really paid attention.  Now the others would make fun of me if they saw me trying to change and be more ladylike.  I don’t want that.”  She looked down at her plate, obviously embarrassed to even have to ask.