Threads of Change (20 page)

Samuel never took his eyes away from hers as he continued to speak. “That is certainly fine. The captain’s wife liked a garden and I think she hoped you would tend to it in her absence. She did not move on with her husband.”

“No?” Liz remarked, wondering why not.

“She went back east. I guess the moving about never really suited her.”

“Of course, that garden she bequeathed is an unexpected treasure. I hope to thank her one day if I ever have the opportunity,” Liz stated as she pulled back her hand.

“Not much chance of that, ma’am. Unless you write her a letter, I suppose.”

T
homas stepped inside the building that would be the mercantile, then he quickly made his way out again. He had brought a wagonload of gold that belonged to his employer, Lucas Mailly, and while searching for a place to hide it, he scanned the area in search of a bank without finding one. Just a jail building at the end of the street, and that would not work at all! He finally decided that he could lift a section of the floorboards under the stairs in the mercantile and place the gold there for safekeeping until Lucas’s arrival. He could bunk upstairs to keep an eye on it without anyone knowing.

Thomas strolled down the boarded sidewalk a few yards and surveyed the area, hoping he might spot Liz and the others. When he heard them around to the left, he walked toward their voices. What he saw produced a bitter shot of acid at the back of his throat. Who was that holding Liz’s hand, smiling at her? What he disliked even more: Liz smiled back at him, seemingly in some sort of a trance.

Thomas’s boots thudded heavy on the boards and kept beat with his pulse as he advanced toward them. This feeling in his gut was new to him. He’d never been a man induced to sudden anger; but there could be no mistaking it. Anger was indeed what he felt.

“Thomas, there you are.” Liz turned to include him. “This is Mr. Samuel Smith.”

Samuel looked at Thomas, who stared steadily back at him.

“Mr. Bromont. Nice to meet you! I was just discussing the vegetable garden left behind by the captain and his wife. Your lovely wife seems quite enthused about taking it over.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Smith,” Liz corrected him, far too quickly for Thomas’s liking. “I’m Elizabeth Bromont and this is Thomas Bratcher. He works for my grandfather, Lucas Mailly.”

Thomas moved his glare from Samuel to Liz, and he raised an eyebrow.

Liz appeared uncomfortable under his gaze, so Thomas tried to temper it as she continued the introductions. “This is my sister Megan, and my cousins, Abby and Emma Wilkes.”

Tex and the others stood close by, watching the exchange. “Well, Mrs. Bromont, maybe you could direct us and we’ll get these wagons unloaded for you,” Samuel offered. “Just tell us where you want things, what you might need first, and we’ll be happy to help you get settled.”

“Thomas,” Tex spoke up. Thomas wondered if he’d sensed the tension. “Let’s get your wagon unloaded first. Jackson! Colt!” he called out, and the four of them walked to the wagon holding Lucas’s gold.

Thomas went to work but watched over his shoulder the entire time as they secured the gold beneath the floorboards under the stairs; keeping an eye out for two treasures: the gold, as well as his future wife.

Anna soon appeared with glasses of cool water and sandwiches piled high with meat. Thomas took two of each and went out in search of Liz.

“How about we squat at the shade tree over there,” he suggested when he found her. “You must be as hungry as I am.”

Thomas knew Liz never liked leaving things hanging, but this was fast even for her. She went straight to the point before they’d even headed toward the pecan tree, while Thomas still held her lunch.

“Thomas, I don’t know what upset you, but you need to be pleasant to our new friends.”

Thomas stood with one foot on the step above him and his back against the porch post of the mercantile.

“What upset me was Mr. Smith’s hand-holding and your introduction. Is that all I am, a worker for your grandfather, Liz?”

Thomas held his sandwich without taking a bite and looked at Liz as she sat on the steps in front of the mercantile.

“I guess I’ll just eat my lunch right here,” he snapped.

When he looked up at her, her countenance had softened considerably.

“Thomas, I’m sorry. I was caught off guard, and I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

He knew he should allow her to smooth it over with one simple apology, but he didn’t feel ready to let it go, and he pressed her for more. “Why didn’t you tell him that we are to be married?”

“Well, I haven’t had time to tell anyone yet,” Liz answered quietly. “Not even my own sister!”

“What does that have to do with it?” He kept his voice low, and yanked out a bite of the sandwich before him.

Liz lowered to the step and sat beside him.

“We need to speak to my grandfather,” she firmly stated. “There are rules to be followed in a circumstance like ours.”

Liz took a breath and looked away for a moment, to calm her emotions, he supposed.

Before she spoke again, she heaved a deep breath and let it out in an exasperated sigh. “Thomas, so much has happened today. Please don’t be angry with me. Give me a little time to adjust to the whole idea of marriage again.”

“I don’t know what there is to warm up to!” Thomas took another bite and looked away to the group at the wagons. “You didn’t even say I was a family friend,” he added. “Just an employee of your grandfather’s.” Calming some, he decided to take a different approach. “Liz, you have to be careful here. This is not Lecompte and we don’t know who we can trust yet. Who is Samuel, anyway?”

Liz looked to the group laughing at something Mr. Smith had said.

“He knew the fort’s captain and his wife. I assumed he was a friend. He was also with Anna Parker when we arrived.”

“Until we know for sure, let’s be on the safe side,” Thomas warned. “What do we have left to do?”

“We’re ready for the stock to be brought in and placed on the shelves. The building is in good shape. It just needs some sweeping out. I wish I had some glass windows to be placed in the front, like we had back home. But until we can get it, can we put two doors in the front? It will be nice to see out when the store is open.”

“I think I can manage it. I will get Jackson to help.”

“If you will have your personal belongings brought upstairs, I will get your things put up, and the room cleaned and arranged for you,” Liz offered.

“That’ll be fine.”

His heart felt twisted somehow, sore inside his chest. He began wishing he hadn’t spoken to Liz that way.

“Thomas, I didn’t even ask if you wanted the room upstairs in the mercantile.”

“I thought that would be a good idea. And I guess you want your things at the little house with the garden?” he teased.

“Yes, please,” she said as she smiled.

A return to peaceful terms felt mighty good to him just then, and Thomas took her hand.

“Liz, I’m sorry I was mad. I just don’t like sharing you now that I don’t have to.” He kissed the back of her hand and swallowed the last bite of his sandwich. Downing the water after he stood up, he tipped his hat to Liz and walked back toward the wagons for his tools.

Megan had been watching Liz and Thomas during lunch and didn’t disturb them, but she wasted no time in approaching Liz once Thomas had headed off toward the men.

As she walked toward Liz, she passed Thomas and said, “Oh, Thomas, did Liz—”

“Yes, Megan, she said yes and we are to be married as soon as possible.”

Liz almost swallowed her own tongue. Thomas never stopped walking as they passed each other, and Megan turned and watched his exit with her jaw hanging open and her green eyes wide as saucers.

Well, I guess he solved the problem of my finding time to tell my sister the news
.

“Liz? Is everything all right?”

“I’m fine. Thomas and I just … well … we’re … Oh, I don’t know what we are. Confused, maybe.” Shaking her head, Liz made a conscious choice to move the focus to the chores at hand. “Megan, what do you think? It’s not the comforts of home, but it could be worse.”

“Liz!” Megan exclaimed. “Tell me what you and Thomas were talking so seriously about. He was acting strange over there with Mr. Smith when we first arrived and now while we were eating it looked like the two of you were having a very intense conversation. Did you really agree to marry him?”

“We discussed it. But I’m tired, and it’s been a long day. My emotions have been up and down. Thomas was upset with me. He said we need to be more careful in this new place.”

“Lizzie!”

Megan’s expression told Liz she had no intention of allowing deflection.

“Well,” she hesitated. “Thomas wants to marry me.”

Megan looked confounded for a moment, and she looked off after Thomas for a moment before she sighed and offered her hand to pull Liz up from the wooden step where she’d parked. “See, I told you if you showed a little interest, he would tell you how he felt. Everyone could see it but you.”

Megan stopped and stared at her for a moment. “But you sure don’t seem very excited.”

“This morning when we were riding in the wagon, it just happened,” she told her. “We discussed how deeply I loved Caleb, and Thomas said that he knew and it was fine. He is going into business with Grandpa Lucas and … and he said that he has loved me since he first came to the Riverton Mill all those years ago, Megan.” Liz paused with disbelief as she went over it again. She had never thought about marriage for any other reason than love, and she hadn’t had time to fall in love yet. “Megan, he has waited all these years for me.”

Megan gave her sister a hug and told her the truth. “Thomas is a good man and he loves you more than you know. Give him a chance, Liz. I don’t think you’ll be sorry. It will be good, you wait and see.”

Liz listened to her younger sister and wanted her to be right. She would try, really try.

“I’m going upstairs to get Thomas moved in,” Liz said. “Can you sweet talk any of those men into getting the rest of our things to the house?”

Megan grinned. “Oh, I think I can manage that.”

Liz continued on with her mental checklist of getting settled, pushing Thomas from her thoughts for the time being.

“Megan, the house looked fairly clean, but we need some wood chopped. And while you’re at it, see if you can find out how to get the water, too.”

Megan chuckled again at her sister. “You’re always giving orders, Elizabeth Bromont.”

“And you’re so good at seeing that they’re followed. Now go and flutter your eyelashes at someone, will you? It’s going to be cold enough for a fire in our new home tonight.”

“Tex said at lunch that we should make a habit of carrying our guns, too,” Megan said as they strolled down the street toward the wagons.

“Does he think we don’t just because he can’t see them?” Liz teased.

“Maybe,” Megan said. “I like him … he … well, he’s very fatherly, don’t you think so?”

“I can see that.”

“Liz, I don’t remember our father.”

Liz stopped and looked at her younger sister, stunned at the abrupt admission.

“He was a good man. He loved us a lot. He called you his wildflower. You were a feisty little thing then, too.”