Just Above a Whisper (47 page)

“Is she all right?”

“I don’t know. I think I finally figured out what wears her down.”

The doctor brought the candle closer and checked on her color. He also touched the skin of her face and her wrist.

“Worn out,” was the doctor’s prognosis before both men went back to the kitchen.

“Thank you, Mrs. Greenlowe,” Conner said. “Please tell Reese not to come in the morning if she’s not up to it.”

“I’ll tell her, but you know what’s going to happen. She’ll come out of that bed like she’s never worked a day in her life!”

The men had to smile at her. She just had that effect.

“Go on with you!” Mrs. Greenlowe said as she came to her feet. “Wait a minute.” She changed her mind. “I’ve got some baked goods to send with you. Just bring my baskets back sometime.”

They watched as she nearly filled two baskets, but she had more words for Conner when she handed them out.

“I gave the doc more. You’ve got Reese to cook and bake for you.”

The men thanked her, keeping as sober as they could manage when both wanted to laugh out loud.

Had they known it, they could have laughed. As soon as they left, Mrs. Greenlowe did some chuckling of her own. Just thinking about Conner Kingsley falling for her Reese made her want to dance and sing.

It didn’t even take until noon on Saturday for every house and business on the green to know about Mr. Jenness’ actions. The Jenness house was not on the green, but Lillie heard nonetheless. And what was worse, Gerald heard as well. He had come home and confronted his mother, who had already spoken to the sheriff the night before, and she had no choice but to confirm the report.

“Why is he in jail? I don’t understand.” Gerald sounded as distraught as he looked.

“He went to Mrs. Greenlowe’s looking for Reese, and Mrs. Greenlowe ended up hurt. He then went to the big house and threatened Conner Kingsley with a knife.”

“He wouldn’t hurt Reese. I’m sure of it.”

“Gerald,” his mother said as she tried to stay calm. “We don’t know what your father was thinking. He’s not himself right now.”

“I heard him,” Gerald confessed. “I know he wants his bank back. He’s the best banker Tucker Mills has ever had. I heard him tell you.”

Lillie’s eyes closed for a moment. She had not known about this.

“Listen to me, Gerald. Your father is a good banker, but all of us must understand our place. The bank doesn’t belong to him. It never did. And he could have gone on as bank manager if he hadn’t panicked and run away.”

“But they were trying to take it! Don’t you understand?”

“No, Gerald, they weren’t!” Lillie said just as sharply. “Everything was fine until your father made that dreadful decision to keep Reese Thackery’s papers. If he had just let that go, he would still be bank manager.”

Gerald stared at her. “How do you know this?”

“Because I’ve had several conversations with Mr. Thaden, and they found nothing amiss. They were not trying to take the bank, just rectify this situation with Reese and make sure all else was in order. Your father overreacted.”

Gerald sat down slowly. He had been so certain that Conner Kingsley and his partner had been in the wrong. He was ready to forgive Reese for working for them because she’d clearly been duped like everyone else. And here all along it was his father. He had been on the lookout, watching for his father, ready to help in any way he could, and his father was the problem.

Looking at his mother’s sober face, he saw what a young fool he had been. It wasn’t any wonder that Reese didn’t want anything to do with him.

“Gerald,” his mother called to him. “When things settle down, we’re going to sell the house and move to Boston.”

“Sell the house? What about Father? We can’t leave him behind.”

“He won’t be here, Gerald. I’m not sure where he’ll end up, but he won’t be free to walk the streets for some time.”

“He went off the edge, didn’t he?” Gerald made himself face the hard truth.

“Yes, he did. I don’t think he’ll be like that forever, but until he calms down about the bank, he can’t be out.”

Gerald put his face in his hands, looking younger than ever. She was not a demonstrative person, but Lillie would have given much to hug him right then.

“Can you sell the house without Father?”

“Yes, it’s my house, a gift from my parents when we moved here.”

Gerald nodded. “Let’s move.” His voice sounded broken and crushed. “As soon as we can.”

Lillie almost broke down then, and Gerald saw this. Not until he came close, sitting on the floor at her feet and putting his head in her lap—something he hadn’t done in years—did she let the tears flow.

A lot of color drained from Troy’s face when he returned to Tucker Mills on Monday afternoon and heard Conner’s account of Friday evening. The older man sat in stunned silence, shaken and alarmed that both Conner and Reese had been in danger.

“If Mrs. Greenlowe heard correctly, he was after all three of us,” Conner concluded.

“Do you remember the night you came to my room, Conner, and mentioned this possibility?”

Conner nodded.

“I hadn’t dismissed the suggestion, but neither did I know what to do about it. I thought it easily could have been Gerald in the barn and half-expected Jenness to fade away. I felt sorry for his wife and son that they would not know what became of him.”

Conner didn’t comment. The whole episode kept playing through in his mind. He was weary of thinking about it, but the whole sordid scene wouldn’t go away.

“Where is Reese?” Troy asked.

“I’m not sure. Probably the kitchen or buttery. Listen for humming.”

Troy left the study to look for her. He found her just across the hall in the kitchen, putting food together for their tea and just about to leave.

“Troy,” Reese smiled with pleasure. “Welcome back.”

Troy didn’t speak but went right to her. With hands on her shoulders, he looked her in the eye.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Reese gave him a small smile and then grinned in pleasant surprise when Troy hugged her. Reese hugged him right back, suddenly very glad that he’d come home.

The cold of October did not stop the courtship of a certain couple as they walked on the green each day after dinner. Not a person in town could miss them, both tall and Conner broad as well. With unabashed delight, folks all up and down the green would stop and stare as they passed by, everyone agreeing they made the perfect couple.

Conner had already come to this understanding, but he didn’t want to assume where Reese’s feelings were concerned, so he was still moving slowly, gaining more information every day.

“I realized something just yesterday after you left,” Conner mentioned on their fourth walk.

“What’s that?” Reese asked.

“I don’t know how old you are.”

“I’m 23. How old are you?”

“Twenty-seven. When will you be 24?”

“I just turned 23.”

“A few months ago?”

“No, last week.”

Conner looked down at her. “Did you celebrate with Mrs. Greenlowe?”

“No.”

“Did you celebrate with anyone? Did anyone know?”

“I’ve never celebrated my birthday. I guess I just didn’t think to mention it.”

It was happening again. A fierce desire to love and protect her overwhelmed him. At the same time, Conner was thinking who he could ask about this. Both Alison Muldoon and Mrs. Greenlowe came to mind. It would be so simple to have a party and give Reese a long-needed, albeit late, celebration.

This idea was still running through Conner’s head when they arrived back at the house. And he probably would have acted on it immediately, but a coach had parked in front of the house. Conner wasn’t certain, but he thought it looked like one of his brother’s coaches. He held the front door for Reese to go inside and found Troy waiting for him, a letter in hand.

“Any more word from Conner?” Douglas asked of Troy when he stopped in to the bank. Conner had been gone for almost a week.

“Nothing since he left, but I haven’t checked for mail today.”

“Might that mean that Jamie is doing better?” Douglas asked.

“I’m hoping that’s what it means.”

“I wrote to him but just mailed the letter, so he wouldn’t have it yet,” Douglas mentioned.

“It’s hard not to know,” Troy confessed. “If Mr. Leffler was comfortable handling things, I would probably head to Linden Heights myself.”

Douglas nodded in agreement. This was the moment when trust was tested. This was when a man found out who he really was and whether he truly believed the words that were so easy to quote concerning faith and trusting in God.

“I’ll keep praying for all of you,” Douglas said finally and rose to leave.

Troy stood to see him off, his handshake warm and word of thanks completely heartfelt.