Where Wildflowers Bloom: A Novel (28 page)

Mr. Jenner beamed. “You’ll have your merchandise within the next two weeks. As soon as I return to Jefferson City, I’ll see to the loading personally.”

A smile twitched her lips as she watched him stride out the door, shoulders back, head high.

“Guess a small order’s better’n none,” Mr. Grisbee said. His knife flicked wood shavings over Bodie’s coat. “Be good to see this place packed with goods again.”

“I agree.” Faith leaned against a counter to take weight off her ankle. Her eyes roamed over the store, making note of the changes she’d wrought since Grandpa put her in charge. Placing new cookware on top of one of the stoves had helped sell both cookware and a stove. Hoes, shovels, and rakes sold well in spite of being relegated to a back wall.

She was most proud of the ladies’ area she’d established near the front door. Fabric, laces, buttons, and thread were all arranged by color, making it easy for women to find what they needed. What had started as a burden had become a joy.

“You look pleased with yourself,” Rosemary said, joining Faith at the counter.

“It felt wonderful to order those firearms. Curt spent hours and hours helping me with the finances. I can’t wait to thank him.”

“You may have to do it soon. Last night he mentioned that he was considering a return to St. Louis.”

Faith stared at Rosemary. “Then you’d be alone here.”

“Without you or Curt, I’d have no reason to stay either.”

“I’m so sorry. I wish it could be otherwise, but ever since witnessing that fight all I’ve been able to think about is getting Grandpa away.”

“Not marriage to Royal?”

She flushed. “Well, that too.”

“Faith, you can’t marry him for someone else’s sake. You have to listen to your heart.”

“I can’t hear my heart anymore. I’ve tried.”

Rosemary hugged her shoulders. “I’ll help you listen.”

Shortly after noon, Royal entered the mercantile and strode directly to Faith. “The buggy’s outside. Are you ready?”

She noticed sawdust particles clinging to his shirt. The fragrance of fresh-cut oak hovered in the air. “The bank’s at the next corner. We don’t need the buggy.”

“I don’t want you to tax your ankle, sweetling.”

She smiled at the pet name. Meeting with the banker would be one more step toward Oregon.

“I got a long dinner break,” he said as they walked to the hitching rail. “Hated to ask after being gone for over two weeks, but Mr. Allen seemed glad to cooperate.” He tucked his hand under her elbow. “He wished us well.”

“Tell him thank you.”

“I did.” With his hands at her waist, Royal lifted her into the buggy.

Faith knew they could have walked during the same amount of time it took to ride to the corner, cross the intersection, and tie the horse to the rail outside the bank, but she appreciated his concern.

The bank president stood when Royal escorted Faith past the teller cages and stopped in front of his desk.

“Miss Lindberg.” Mr. Paulson looked at Royal, his eyebrows raised.

“This is my fiancé, Royal Baxter,” she said in response to his implied question.

The banker’s eyebrows lifted higher as he surveyed Royal’s work-stained clothing. He sat, resting his hands on his round belly. “This is quite a surprise. So tell me, what can I do for you today?”

Faith took a chair in front of his desk, extending her right leg to relieve a jab of pain in her ankle. “I’ve reconsidered Mr. Allen’s offer. Could you talk to him and draw up sale documents for the mercantile?” Her stomach did a little flip. “Once we’re married, Royal and I plan to leave Noble Springs and emigrate to Oregon.” The flutter in her stomach rose to her throat. She coughed.

Standing behind her, Royal rested his hands on Faith’s shoulders. “We’d like to proceed without delay. When do you think you’ll have an answer for us?”

Mr. Paulson’s eyes narrowed. “Until Miss Lindberg is your legal wife, any matters regarding the mercantile are none of your concern.” He turned to Faith. “If Gilbert Allen agrees, I’ll have papers drawn up for your grandfather’s signature.”

Royal’s grip on her shoulders tightened. “Faith is managing the store. Shouldn’t she sign?”

“Young man, ownership of the business is in Judge Lindberg’s name. There can be no sale without his signature.”

Faith quailed at the thought of presenting her grandfather with sale documents on the heels of announcing her engagement. Perhaps having to wait for Mr. Allen’s reply was for the best. She gathered her composure and stood. “Thank you, Mr. Paulson. I appreciate your assistance.”

“I’ll contact you soon.” He eyed Royal. “Mr. Baxter. Congratulations on your engagement to this fine girl.” His emphasis on the final two words carried more warning than blessing.

U
nable to sleep, Faith went to the open window in her bedroom and stared out into the humid darkness. Lightning bugs blinked under the chokecherries that grew wild behind the springhouse.

She’d have to talk to Grandpa about Mr. Allen’s offer tomorrow. Heaven help her if one of his friends heard the news and told him first.

Heaven help her. Rosemary had told her to listen to her heart.

Never mind her heart. How long had it been since she’d listened to the Lord?

Faith dropped to her knees beside her bed, something she hadn’t done since she was a small girl. “Father, I’ve been busy chasing my own ideas of what’s best. If Royal is part of your plan for me, please show me. Open or close the door on our marriage.” She covered her face with her hands and heard nothing but crickets chirping in the silence. With a ragged sigh, she added, “Please.”

The following morning, she awoke with one thought in mind—persuade Grandpa to agree to her plans. Faith slipped into her light blue calico gown and combed her thick hair, pinning it back into a coil. Before she rolled her stockings on, she studied her ankle. No swelling. Maybe today she’d go for a walk with Rosemary during the noon hour.

Across the hall, she heard Sophia whimper and Amy’s soothing voice in response. After a moment, Sophia quieted. Faith knew Amy was nursing her before going downstairs to cook breakfast.

If she hurried, she could brew Grandpa’s coffee and talk to him before Amy finished with Sophia. She dashed into the kitchen, poked up the fire, and poured beans into the coffee mill. Water heated while she turned the handle of the mill, grinding the beans into fine fragments. As she poured the boiling water over the coffee, the fragrance drifted over her head and filled the room.

Grandpa’s cane thumped in the doorway. “You’re up early.” His moustache prickled when he kissed her cheek.

“I wanted to talk to you.”

He drew a chair away from the worktable. “I’m listening.”

Faith gulped. She sat facing him, her hands clasped in her lap. “Royal has arranged for a team and wagon to take us to Oregon as soon as we’re married.”

An alarmed look crossed Grandpa’s face. “And when will that be again?”

“We’ve decided on August 21, here in our parlor.” She didn’t mention she’d already told him the date several times.

“That’s just a month from today.” His knuckles whitened as he gripped the top of his cane. “What about the mercantile?”

She leaned forward and placed a hand over his. The pounding of her heart threatened to choke her. “Mr. Allen, the cooper, has offered to buy the business. I hope to bring the sale documents home Monday.”

Grandpa’s head dropped forward until it rested on his clenched hands. “I never thought it would come to this. I hoped you and young Saxon . . .”

“He’s not interested in me. I think he fancies Amy.”

“You’ve got your life all planned, and mine as well.”

“This is our only way out of Noble Springs. We need to go somewhere where we can begin anew.”

“I want to see you happy. If Baxter is the means, so be it. We’ll go to Oregon—but don’t expect me to sell this house too. It can sit here and rot away before I turn it over to another owner.”

The sadness in his eyes tore at her. Mute, she watched him through a shimmer of tears.

He rose to his feet as though every joint in his body ached. “You can’t run away, Faith. I hope you find that out before it’s too late.” He leaned heavily on his cane as he left the kitchen.

Faith threw her hands over her face and wept. What had she done?

“You’ve been quiet all morning,” Rosemary said. “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

Faith took a deep breath. “Today I told Grandpa about going to Oregon and Mr. Allen wanting to buy the store.” She shot an agonized look at her friend. “I thought if I took care of all the details, he’d see the wisdom of the move. Instead, he was heartbroken. Oh, he didn’t say so, but I could see it in his eyes.” Tears trickled down her cheeks. “He said he wants me to be happy.” She choked. “That’s what I want for him! I’d never have—”

Rosemary gathered her into a hug and waited until she stopped sobbing. “Give him time. Older folks can be set in their ways.”

“D’you really think he’ll change his mind?” Faith sniffled.

“Once he sees how happy you and Royal are together, he’ll come around.”

Faith nodded. She would be happy with Royal. Of course she would.

Rosemary glanced at the clock. “It’s almost noon. Shall we walk to the park by the depot? We can sit in the bandstand and eat our dinner.”

“I’d like that. My ankle should be good for two blocks.”

Carrying their dinner pails, they covered the distance to the train station, Bodie frisking behind them. Two horses harnessed to buggies were tied to the hitching rail in front of the hotel. Otherwise, the town simmered silently in the midday heat.

When they reached the shade of the bandstand, Faith noticed a woman dressed in black strolling away from the depot. She walked the distance of the train platform, then turned and walked back. After she’d repeated the action several times, Faith looked at Rosemary.

“There’s no train scheduled to leave today, is there?”

“No. One stopped around eleven. The next one through won’t be until tomorrow.”

Faith set her dinner pail down, snapping the lid closed to keep Bodie from stealing her food. “That poor woman’s going to perish out in that sun. Perhaps she’d like to sit with us for a bit.”

“It won’t hurt to ask.”

They crossed the street at the same time the woman turned toward them. Rosemary’s eyes widened. “Cassie Haddon? What are you doing here?”

Faith stared as she recognized the young woman. Cassie and her mother had stayed with Rosemary during the time the tracks were being repaired after the train derailed.

“Rosemary.” Cassie’s mouth spread in a tremulous smile. “You were in my thoughts when we got off the train this morning. I didn’t dare hope I’d see you.”

Rosemary clasped Cassie’s hands. “It’s providential Faith and I came to the park today.” She waved in the direction of the bandstand. “We noticed you walking in the sun, and wondered if you’d like to share our shade.”

The woman glanced over her shoulder at the hotel, then nodded. “I’ll sit where I can watch the door.”

Once they were settled on the benches that circled the interior walls, Cassie untied her bonnet strings and removed her simple black bonnet, trimmed with ivory rosettes. Faith noticed she had touches of lavender lace at her throat and wrists, so apparently her period of full mourning had passed.

Rosemary leaned forward, facing Cassie. “You said ‘we’ got off the train. You’re not here alone, then?”

Cassie’s fair skin flushed. “My mother is in the hotel . . . with her new husband. That’s his buggy tied out front. I preferred to remain outdoors rather than sit in the reception area with traveling salesmen.” She wound her handkerchief around her fingers.

Studying the somewhat dilapidated buggy that Cassie had indicated, Faith couldn’t stop the question that rose to her lips. “Is her husband from Noble Springs?”

“Yes. He has a large farm south of town. He’s taking us there today.”

Faith and Rosemary exchanged glances. This time Rosemary asked the question. “You live in St. Louis. How did your mother meet a man from Noble Springs?”

Cassie’s flush deepened. “They were introduced by mutual friends when Mr. Bingham visited the city. Mother wanted to go someplace where we could start over, so she married him.”

At the name Bingham, Faith straightened. She’d encountered that name on one of the
20327
pages when she and Curt pored over the ledgers. If he was the same man, his farm was far from large. In fact, it was small and neglected.

Cassie turned to Rosemary, shaking her head. “After the war, we had nothing left. Papa was dead, our farm in ruins. Papa’s brother in St. Louis took us in.” Her tone pleaded for understanding. “I should have told you this when we stayed with you in May, but it’s important to Mother to keep up appearances—as she often reminds me.”

Faith cleared her throat. “You said she married a Mr. Bingham. Do you mean Elmer Bingham?” she asked in a tentative voice, hoping she was wrong.

“Yes, Elmer’s his Christian name.”

The door of the hotel opened and Cassie’s mother stepped into the sunlight, her bright hair unmistakable.

Cassie sprang to her feet. “As soon as I can, I’ll come to town for a visit.” She kissed Rosemary’s cheek and pressed Faith’s hand. “Thank you for being here.” She dashed toward the hotel, tying her bonnet on as she ran.

A lump the size of a stone lodged in Faith’s throat as she watched Elmer Bingham help the two women into his buggy. Poor Cassie. What a shame her mother had chosen a hasty marriage as a means to improve their lives.

At the end of the day, Faith leaned back against the buggy seat, spent, while Royal drove her home.

“You’re quiet,” he said.

“I was thinking about Grandpa. This morning I told him about Mr. Allen’s offer, and our intention to leave for Oregon soon after our wedding.”

He slowed the horse. “What did he say?”

“He said he wants me to be happy.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?” He grinned at her. “Opens the door, you might say.”

She flinched at his choice of words. Grandpa’s demeanor had resembled more a locked gate than an open door. “He’s sacrificing his desires for me. I don’t know if I can live with that.”

Royal stopped the buggy in front of the Lindbergs’ house, but turned to face her instead of helping her down. “He’s had his turn. It’s your life now. If he doesn’t want to go, let him stay behind.”

“You don’t understand. He can’t manage on his own anymore.”

“We can leave him in Fulton before setting out for Oregon.”

Horrified, Faith stared at him. “I’d never do that.”

The hardness in his eyes softened. He stroked the side of her face, then leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “You’re exhausted. The store, the wedding, our plans to leave—it’s too much for you. I hope you sleep well tonight.”

She rested her forehead against his shoulder, grateful for his caring words. He was right about one thing. She
was
exhausted.

When he swung her to the ground, he kissed the tip of her nose and said, “I’ll be here before nine to take you to church tomorrow.”

“We always ride to church with Rosemary and her brother.”

“Not anymore you don’t, sweetling. When I talked to the preacher about marrying us, he made it clear he expected to see us together in a pew from now on.”

Faith smiled, grateful to Reverend French. Having Royal beside her every Sunday would be a good foundation for beginning their life together. In the meantime, she’d explain to Curt and Rosemary about Royal’s invitation when they arrived tomorrow. She prayed they’d understand.

She leaned on his arm as he escorted her to the porch. Would Grandpa still be as upset as he’d been when she left that morning? She hesitated a moment before going inside.

Amy opened the door before Faith put her hand on the latch. At the sight of her tear-streaked face, a wave of alarm rolled through Faith. Panicked, she pushed into the entryway. “Has something happened to Grandpa?”