South of Stavewood (Stavewood Saga Book 2) (30 page)

Chapter Sixty-Four

     
B
ernadette looked at her reflection in the mirror. She tried splashing some cool water on her face and combed her hair listlessly. She just didn’t have any energy to get moving. Eventually she was dressed and she took the train to the Mill station.

      “I’m going to have you work in here today.” Lillian Sullivan directed the girl into a tiny office and laid out the day’s work.

      “I thought I was doing the payroll.” Bernadette looked at the books, puzzled.

      “I need you to work on these today.”

      Bernadette worked on the figures, but they seemed pointless and she decided that during her lunch hour she would find Mark and ask him why they had moved her out of the main accounting office.

     “Mark’s not in today,” one of the men informed her.

      She hurried along the road to Stavewood in an attempt to find him at home. As she reached the yard he was at the stable working on one of the horses.

      “Hi!” She walked up to him and smiled.

      He stood up to face her, his expression dark and angry.

      “What happened to you? Your face is a mess,” she gasped.

      He set down the horse’s foot and walked the mare around the yard then led her back into the stall.

      Mark turned to the young woman and stood facing her.

      “I had a fight with Samuel Evens.” He looked her straight in the eye.

      “Sam? Why would you be fighting with Sam? You and Sam have been best friends since we were kids.” She looked at him puzzled.

      “Yes, we have,” he scowled. “I was fighting with him over you, Bernadette.”

      “Me?” She frowned. “Why would you be fighting over me?”

      “I saw you kissing him in town yesterday.” He did not back away, but glared at her frankly.

      “Oh.” she swallowed hard.

      “Do you care to tell me why you would be kissing Sam Evens in the middle of the street?” he glowered.

      “W-well,” she stuttered. “I was just being friendly. He told me I looked pretty in my new dress the other day and I was just thanking him. He got angry, too,” she sighed.

      “He got angry because you kissed him?” His face began to turn a bright red.

      “Yes,” she sighed. “I was just thanking him for being sweet and then he was just impossible. You were too busy to notice me and I thought I’d say thank you to him since he did notice.”

      “Bernadette,” he spoke softly. “I want you to leave now. I don’t want to see you again.” He turned his back to her and walked towards the house.

      “What?” she called after him. “Now you’re angry too?”

      She watched him walk into the house and she stood in the yard and furrowed her brow. After a few minutes he came back out of the house and saddled up the mare without looking at her at all, and rode out.

      Bernadette pouted and walked back to the mill. Now both Mark
and
Sam were mad at her.

“At least Jude cares about me,” she said to herself as she headed back to the tiny office.

      Mark stood on the porch of the Evens’ house and took a deep breath before tapping the knocker. Catherine Evens opened the door wearing a crisp white apron and furrowed her brow.

      “Good morning Mrs. Evens. Is Sam at home?” He met her eyes briefly and then looked down at the floorboards.

      Catherine nodded and opened the door wide to let him into the house. “He’s out back,” she pointed towards the back door.

      Mark nodded and looked around the room. The last time he had been inside of the Evens’ house Mr. Evens had taken a bullet and had nearly died. He looked up the staircase, remembering the man sitting up pale and injured in bed. He remembered that Mrs. Evens had brought him a goblet of grape juice and she had been very kind to him.

      He looked at her in embarrassment and let himself out the back door. He found Sam in the back shed shaving long curls of wood from a plank of lumber. Certainly Elgerson lumber, he thought. The whole shed and the house too was probably made out of Elgerson lumber. He took a deep breath and tapped on the doorway.

      Samuel Evens looked up and nodded. “Mark.”

      “Sam.” Mark leaned against the doorway. Sam’s face was red and he had a black eye.

      “I’m sorry, Sam,” he said right out. “I was wrong. I talked to Bernadette and you were telling the truth. I’m done with her and I wanted to tell you that I was wrong.”

      Sam fiddled with the tool in his hand and wished he had something to say to his friend. “It’s alright, Mark.” He frowned. “We’ve been friends a long time. I’m ready to forget about it.”

      Mark offered his hand to his friend and Sam shook it solemnly, pulling his companion to him into an embrace. The two young men hugged awkwardly.

      “I’ll see you around.” Mark turned to leave.

      “Alright.” Samuel Evens returned to his carpentry.

      Mark Elgerson stood in front of the Evens’ house and looked up and down the street. The family lived on the edge of Billington on a pretty street lined in shady trees with little wooden fences. He rode along the road and looked up at the houses. Every building was made from Elgerson lumber. All the porches and even the shops that were built from brick had lumber framing. Elgerson lumber.

      His name was important, he thought. His name was bigger than he was. Beating a good friend in the road over a girl should have been beneath him. Sam wanted to let it go, but Mark knew that the both of them would always remember. He might not remember Bernadette Shofield in time, but he’d always remember what he had done to his friend.

      He kicked up the mare and headed towards home.

Chapter Sixty-Five

    
 
L
ittle Phillip squealed with delight as Mark lowered him into the water. Warm sunlight sparkled on a shallow stone bowl in the creek, where the water pooled just deep enough to cover the toddler’s legs.

      The big brother had rolled his trousers up to his knees and he dipped the baby’s feet into the warm pool. He wasn’t sure which one of them was appreciating the refreshing water more.

      The toddler announced his enjoyment loudly, but, after mucking out the big barns, Mark’s feet ached terribly. He didn’t mind having to do the work, or that his paycheck went to pay Sam so that he could take several days off work until his face healed. He believed he deserved all this, and more.

      “He sure loves the water,” Rebecca remarked as she slid off her slippers and dipped her toes into the creek. She was glad to be spending time alone with both boys. Mark had grown into a man so quickly. Seeing him with the child she thought he was nearly old enough to start a family of his own.

      She watched the young man as he waded across the creek and set the child down on the quilt. Rebecca could see that his face still bore the dark bruise of his fight. She wished there was something she could say, some word of advice she could offer him. She walked to them and sat down, drying the toddler’s feet.

      “I remember that time you made that bath for me up in the cabin,” she began.

      The young man chuckled and sat back on the blanket.

      “Mark, I don’t think I ever thanked you for saving my life.”

      He looked at her seriously.

      “My life changed for the better that day,” she sighed. “I’m sorry for what happened with you and Sam and Bernadette. I’m not your mother, but I know you and I am a woman. I just wanted you to know that you can talk to me. I’ll help you if I can.”

      “Thanks. I don’t know if talking would have made much of a difference.” He watched the water tumbling along the creek.

      “You and Emma, you’re different,” he continued. “You both look after your men. You look after each other. You all look after me. Emma said much the same thing to me this morning. I need a woman like you two.” He chuckled.

      “You’re young yet. Take your time, it will happen.”

      Little Phillip climbed onto the young man’s lap and patted his cheek.

      “Mama.” Louisa skipped along the path to the quilt. “Can I get my feet wet too?”

      “Take off your shoes and come here.” Mark gathered up Phillip in one arm and took the girl’s hand and walked out into the water.

      Rebecca stood up, picked up her skirt and followed him into the creek. She reached down into the pool and scooped up the cool water and splashed it onto the children and the young man.

      All three shrieked loudly and Louisa splashed her mother back. “Get her,” Mark egged the girl on and showed the toddler how to kick up water at his mother. Phillip giggled violently and soon Rebecca was completely drenched and the family stood soaking wet and laughing in the creek.

      Timothy stood on the edge of the woodland and watched his family playing in the water. He was worried about his son, but the sound of his deep laughter amid the high pitched squeals of the children and Rebecca lightened his concern and he strolled back towards the house slowly.

Chapter Sixty-Six

   
 
L
avina Freid looked up at the big sign on the front of the Elgerson Mill and followed the arrow that indicated the location of the office. Things had changed so much since the day she had arrived as a picture bride in Billington and married Benjamin Fried.

      She found Timothy Elgerson easily and he directed her inside and closed the heavy door behind them.

      Waiting a moment for her ears to adjust from the noise of the saw, she looked around the room. It was comfortable and masculine. Ledgers and leather files filled the shelves against the walls and pictures of his family covered the desk. She looked at photos of just him and his wife, and others with their young man and new baby.

      “What brings you out today?” Timothy sat down in the chair beside her, and not behind his desk. Intuition told him that her visit did not have anything to do with business.

      “I wanted to tell you personally, before the paper came out this afternoon, that Benjamin passed away yesterday morning.”

      “My deepest condolences, Lavina. Ben was a good man.” Timothy took her hand warmly and looked into her kind eyes.

      Lavina Freid was a petite woman, like his wife. Her hair was dark, although she was nearly sixty years old, and was pulled back neatly. He knew that she was good with horses and had discussed his stock with her several times in the past. Visions of Ben flashed through his mind. He was a tall man, like himself. Ben was quick witted and warmhearted, always with a smile and a sincere twinkle in his eye. He had a talent for an impression and a way with a good story. Tim had always admired him for his wonderful sense of humor.

      “I wanted to tell you, Tim. When I came here as a mail order bride not everyone was very receptive to me. Benjamin told me that you were the only one to congratulate him. At the time we did not know about Rebecca being a mail order bride as well. When we found that out it was even more important.

      “We were very happy together. He was a fine man and I was very fortunate that he posted his ad and won that bet that paid for my passage here. Your support was so important to Ben and me.”

      “I always liked him,” Timothy smiled warmly. “I know he was happy. It was on his face every time I saw him, since the day you arrived.”

      Lavina rose to her feet and hesitated, looking around the room.

      “I was just about to head home for lunch,” Timothy offered. “Please join me. Rebecca and Emma would love to see you.” Timothy thought about her returning home alone. They had married late in life and neither had any other family that he knew of. He knew they had kept to themselves with all the talk about her being a picture bride.

      “If you don’t think I would be imposing,” she smiled in appreciation.

      “Not at all.”

      Timothy checked in with Roland and walked the widow to her carriage, helped her inside and then pulled the contrivance onto the narrow road towards his estate.

      “Oh, Lavina, I am so sorry to hear about Ben.” Rebecca hugged the older woman warmly.

      “Oh, honey,” Lavina choked back a tear. “He was so fond of you and your family.”

      Rebecca thought back to the day she had found out that the woman was a picture bride as well and sighed deeply.

      Emma placed her hand on the woman’s arm. The Freids had been the first people she had met in Billington, the day she had arrived. They were kind and gracious, offering a ride to Stavewood when no other coach was available.

      “You look so lovely dear,” Lavina looked up to Emma and smiled. “Being married to Mr. Vancouver must agree with you. We saw you that day, you know, carrying a beer across the lawn for him. Ben said it then. He said, ‘There’s another pair falling in love at Stavewood.’ You know the night we were first here, that night that Timothy had his big landowner’s party, was the night Ben said he loved me the first time, right here in your rose garden. Oh, it was a lovely evening and Rebecca looked so beautiful.

      “You too, Mr. Vancouver,” she smiled to Roland. “You are walking all tall and handsome again. It’s all the love here.” She sighed pensively.

      Rebecca took Timothy’s arm as he waved to Lavina Freid pulling out in her carriage. He looked down to the beautiful face of his wife and touched her cheek.

      “I love you,” she whispered.