Rainy Day Dreams: 2 (24 page)

I
don’t understand why he would tell me one thing and Princess Angeline another.”

Louisa’s brow knit together as she stacked sweet cakes on a platter for transport to the blockhouse late the next afternoon. For once little Inez was not underfoot, begging Kathryn to play dolls with her. She’d been invited to spend the day with the Morelands learning to sew.

“Maybe he didn’t want to worry you.” Evie handed a square of linen across the table for Louisa to cover the cakes. “After all, you are expecting a baby.”

“So?” A cross look stole over Louisa’s face. “I’m not an invalid to be fussed over. And I’m not a leper to be avoided, either.”

“Of course you aren’t.” Kathryn carried an empty crate from the storage room and set it on a chair to be loaded with sandwiches. “I’m sure he’s only avoiding you because he doesn’t want to upset you.”

“I don’t mean Will,” she said. “I’m talking about Jason Gates.”

Kathryn halted her work to peer at Louisa. “Jason avoids you?”

“Yes, he does. Whenever I enter the room, he makes an excuse to leave.” A petulant frown settled on her face. “It’s as though I’ve done something to offend him
and
Will, though I can’t imagine what.”

And Kathryn thought she was the only one he disliked. Although
lately Jason didn’t seem to be as quick to avoid her as he once had. Probably because she had ceased speaking to him—about painting, or about anything else. Still, he had returned to the restaurant for breakfast, and even awarded her the occasional quick smile when she loaded his plate with an extra portion of the fried potatoes and onions for which he’d expressed a preference.

“Have you mentioned it to David?” Evie asked.

“Oh, him.” Louisa dismissed her husband with a wave. “He’s so obsessed with finishing the blockhouse he doesn’t think about anything else. When I mentioned it, he got that annoying solicitous look on his face and patted my hand and told me I’m imagining things. As though being in the family way has addled my brains.”

Evie picked up the tray of sweet cakes and grinned at her friend. “I can’t imagine David ever doubting your intelligence, dear.”

“Wait and see,” snapped Louisa. “When it’s your turn Noah will treat you like you’ve lost every bit of good sense the Lord gave you.”

Evie went still. Kathryn glanced at her, noting the sudden whiteness of her face.

Louisa’s eyes widened as she realized what she’d said. She grabbed Evie’s hand. “I’m sorry. That was thoughtless of me. Forgive me.”

“It’s okay.” A brave smile flashed across her lips. “Really. Being a mother would be one of the greatest blessings of my life, but since I can’t have babies of my own, I’ll enjoy yours.”

She whirled and hurried into the storage room, but not before Kathryn spied the glisten of moisture in her eyes.

Louisa slapped a hand across her mouth. “David’s right,” she whispered. “My brains
are
addled.”

Kathryn gave her a sympathetic grimace when a distant voice drifted through the open window. “Ship in the bay!”

Louisa perked upright. “That must be the
Leonesa
.” She projected her voice toward the storage room. “Evie, did you hear that?”

“I did.” Evie returned to the room, her arms full of cooled bread loaves. She smiled with forced brightness. “I have an idea. As soon
as we get these crates filled let’s go down to meet the ship. I haven’t seen Captain Johnson in months.”

Good. After yesterday’s disastrous errand, Kathryn had vowed never to venture anywhere near the waterfront alone. But in the company of her well-respected friends, she would be safe from further incidents. And she did so want to speak with the captain of the
Leonesa.
Maybe he carried Papa’s answer to her letter, hopefully in the form of additional funds and notice of his arrangements for her return to San Francisco.

She reached for a loaf and began to slice.

“I’m sorry, ma’am.” Captain Johnson smoothed his hair and replaced his hat, which he had removed when introduced to Kathryn. “If there’s a letter it’ll be in the mailbag, but no one contacted me about booking passage.”

They stood on the dock at the end of the pier where the
Leonesa,
sails lowered, had been moored. The crew worked to secure the ropes while the captain came ashore to greet the harbormaster, a man named James Garvey, whom she had not seen since he met the
Fair Lady
the evening she arrived.

Kathryn bit down on her lip and tried to keep her disappointment from showing. Perhaps it was not reasonable to expect an answer so soon. Captain Baker probably only had a few days to deliver her letter to Papa before the
Leonesa
set sail. Still, he had promised to see to it immediately.

Evie placed a sympathetic hand on her arm. “Miles Coffinger is the postmaster, but since he’s back East checking into a business venture, Letitia’s handling his duties. She’s very fast in sorting the mail. We’ll drop by on the way home and ask her to bring over the letter as soon as she can.”

If the mailbag included a letter at all, which Kathryn doubted. Surely Papa would have hand-delivered a notice to the
Leonesa
when he read of her precarious situation here. She smiled her thanks, and then directed a question at Captain Johnson.

“Do you have room for me on the return voyage?”

Without hesitation he nodded. “Though you might have to share the cabin with a few barrels of pickled salmon if we run out of storage room.”

“At least they won’t wake me with snoring,” she joked, and then cleared her throat. “How much is the passage?”

“Forty dollars.”

With an effort, she kept her expression impassive. The price was nearly twice what Papa had paid for her ticket on the
Fair Lady.
Of course she had shared that cabin with Helen, but a forty-dollar passage would take every remaining cent she had in her possession.

“Fine,” she managed in an even tone.

“We’ll hoist anchor with the tide Friday morning.” The man turned toward the harbormaster and the two wandered away, talking of barrels and cargo and the like.

“Must you leave so soon?” Louisa placed an arm around her shoulders and hugged. “We enjoy your company so much.”

“Yes, we do.” Evie nodded agreement. “I don’t know how I’ll manage after you’re gone.”

Moved by their unstinting expressions of friendship, she smiled at both ladies. “The blockhouse is almost finished, and then you’ll have your husbands back. You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

“Not true. We’ll miss you terribly.” Evie tilted her head to the side, her expression kind. “We do understand. The threat of an attack is hard on everyone, but Seattle is our home. If I hadn’t made a commitment to this town and the people here, I’d book my passage along with you.”

“Me too.” Louisa squeezed her shoulders once more before
releasing her. “Oh, look. There are Reverend Blaine and Roberta, back from California. Yoo-hoo, Roberta!”

A couple stood amid a group of passengers on board the
Leonesa,
waiting for the captain to approve the lowering of the gangway so they could disembark. They waved back.

“Oh, I wish you were staying until Sunday,” Evie told Kathryn. “Church meetings are as much fun as our Thursday afternoon teas.”

“Well, almost.” Louisa grinned, and then with a final wave toward the minister and his wife, turned away. “I’d better get up the hill. It’s nearly time for the Morelands to bring Inez home.”

Kathryn fell into step between her friends. She would miss these ladies, and though she was astonished to realize it, she would miss Seattle too. The people here had worked hard to carve their lives out of the forest, and she had grown to respect their determination to persevere. An image of Jason arose in her mind’s eye, and she was more than a little astonished to realize she would miss him too.

Letitia entered the café the next morning while calling out in a singsong voice. “Kathryn, there’s something in the post for you.”

Kathryn straightened from her task of scraping the last of the gravy from a stack of dirty plates into the bucket of pig slops. Her mood, which had taken a disturbing downward spiral as breakfast drew to an end with no sign of Jason, brightened at the news. Papa
had
written after all.

She exchanged a smile with Helen, who was seated nearby sipping her tea and waiting to accompany her back to the Faulkner House. Letitia wove between the tables, waving an envelope above her head.

“And guess what arrived on board the
Leonesa
?” She made her
announcement to the room, clearly delighted to have news to bestow. “A piano.”

Creases appeared on Evie’s forehead. “Who on earth bought a piano?”

“Madame Garritson. Apparently she’s finally going to do something with that empty front room.” She delivered the letter into Kathryn’s hands as though bestowing a jewel.

Though interesting, the arrival of a piano for the Faulkner House paled as she inspected the envelope. Her name stretched luxuriously across the front in Papa’s familiar script above the address of
Faulkner House, Seattle in Washington Territory.
The back side bore his trademark maroon wax seal with an ornate
B
indentation. She took it from the woman’s hands and suffered a momentary pang of disappointment. The envelope was light, and very thin. Too thin to contain anything more than a sheet of paper. No money, then. A letter of credit, perhaps?

Three sets of eyes watched while she sank into the nearest chair and broke the seal. Inside was a single sheet of Papa’s expensive stationery with a monogrammed
B
that matched the one in the wax seal.

Dear Daughter,

The omission of her name warned of the tone of the letter. Papa addressed her as
daughter
when he sought to remind her of her subordinate position in his household, usually prefacing a reprimand. Apprehension stabbed at her. Had he somehow discovered her shameful secret?

Your mother and I are delighted to hear of your safe arrival and good health. I have long known that exposure to sea air promotes a strong constitution.

I imagine the revelation of the nature of your duties came as a surprise. Let me assure you, Cousin Mary Ann did not misrepresent the position in her correspondence to me. I held back
certain details because I knew you would balk at performing tasks that you consider beneath you. Let me remind you that my first position—