While Love Stirs (33 page)

“That’s your answer?”

“I’m afraid so.” She shrugged. “I’m new at being a mother, after all.”

“I hope you improve before Ellie needs this talk.”

Hannah gave her an impish grin. “By then, you can give it to her.”

Every few seconds, Joel looked up the staircase, expecting Charlotte to make an appearance. He tugged at the crisp white collar and the black bow tie at his neck, which felt as if it were cutting off his air.

Then he saw her and his heart raced. Like an angel, she descended the stairs in a halo of ivory and gold. Her reddish-brown curls were pinned up, leaving the creamy skin of her neck exposed.

He stepped forward and held out his hand to help her down the last few steps. “You take my breath away.”

Pink tinged her cheeks and a smile bloomed on her face. “That’s kind of you to say.”

“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”

“Thank you.”

A commotion at the top of the stairs drew their attention.

Mrs. Phillips shook Nurse Pierce’s hold from her arm. “I said I’ll do it myself and I will.”

“Excuse me.” Joel winked at Charlotte and jogged up the stairs. He offered Aunt Sam his arm. “May I have the honor?”

“You’re incorrigible.” She slipped her right hand in the crook of his arm, palming her cane with her left.

They began their slow descent. “Actually, my motives are selfish. If you fall, then I’d need to stay here and take care of you. That would keep me from escorting that stunning lady down there to the play.”

“She is quite lovely tonight.”

“Isn’t she always?”

“Dr. Brooks, I do believe you’re smitten.”

“Did you know this would happen when you set us to planning the ball together?”

“I certainly hoped that would be the case.” She smiled up at him. “Feelings can only simmer so long before they boil over.”

When they reached the bottom step, she released his arm and greeted Hannah and Lincoln.

Nurse Pierce rolled the wheelchair into the room.

“I am not using that.” Aunt Sam gave the floor a firm knock with her cane. “I will be perfectly fine with this.”

“Doctor, please reason with her.”

Joel looked from the nurse to the older woman. “We’ll keep a close eye on her.”

“But remember, I’ll not have you coddling me.” She wagged her finger at Joel. “Henry will escort me to the motorcar, so you escort Charlotte. I wouldn’t want her to stumble in that lovely gown.”

“Nor would I.” He offered Charlotte his arm. “Shall we?”

Wendy, Peter Pan, and Tinker Bell stood calmly in the hallway outside the dressing room ready to take the stage, but Tessa felt as if someone were churning butter inside her stomach.

The captain pushed past her, shouting something about not being able to find his hook. When the stage manager called out, “Places, everyone,” a hush fell over the cast. Each actor scurried to his or her place.

The curtains rose and the play began. From her place in the wings, Tessa sucked in her breath. She peeked out and saw the theater filled with patrons. What if she forgot her lines?

Her turn was coming up. She waited for her cue, took a deep breath, and made her entrance. Beneath the glare of the electric lights, excitement replaced her nerves.

She’d done it. She was on the stage!

39

“You were brilliant!” Charlotte wrapped her arms around Tessa and drew her close. They’d waited in the lobby for almost half an hour for her to change and come join them, and now that Tessa was with them, Charlotte felt as if she’d burst with joy on her sister’s behalf. “How did it feel to be up there in front of all those people?”

“It was amazing.” Tessa clasped her hands beneath her chin. “And I get to do it again tomorrow and then the next two weeks after this. I feel as if I’ve fallen into a dream.”

Hannah captured Tessa’s hands. “I’m so proud of you.”

Aunt Sam, Lincoln, and Joel all offered their congratulations, and the group headed to Hannah and Lincoln’s house. Earlier in the day, Hannah had asked Mrs. Umdahl to prepare homemade ice cream for a celebration in Tessa’s honor. Since Aunt Sam wasn’t fully recovered, Henry had taken her home, then returned for Tessa, Joel, and Charlotte.

When they arrived at Hannah’s, Mrs. Umdahl had the table spread with condiments and toppings for the ice cream. As soon as she had her cup in hand, Charlotte slathered her ice cream with caramel syrup and topped it with chopped pecans while Joel buried his in strawberry preserves. Tessa filled her cup to overflowing as she chatted on and on about the other actors and all of the behind-the-scenes occurrences.

Charlotte slipped the caramel-laden spoon between her lips and
let the flavors mingle on her tongue. She closed her eyes. Ah. The perfect way to end a perfect day.

The celebration lasted late into the night. Charlotte laughed so hard at some of Tessa’s stories her cheeks hurt. Through it all, Joel fit perfectly into the family. So much so that it seemed as if he’d always been there.

More and more, she hoped he always would.

“I rather fancy the idea of never growing up.” Tessa stood and began to gather the empty dishes.

Lincoln draped his arm around Hannah and pulled her close. “But if you don’t grow up, you’ll never find true love.”

Tessa giggled. “Why would I want to fall in love if some man’s going to make me into something I’m not and tell me what to do? I have you two for that already.”

“You think I tell Hannah what to do?” Lincoln squeezed his wife’s shoulder. “Tessa, I think you’ve got things all wrong. If a man loves you, he won’t try to make you into something you’re not.”

“George sure turned Charlotte into a stranger.”

The room grew silent. Charlotte pressed her backbone against her chair and prayed Joel hadn’t been listening. If they were to have a future, he needed to know about George, but discussing it right now when things were going so well made her cringe.

“That’s no longer a subject we need to discuss.” Hannah glared at Tessa, then sent an apologetic look toward Charlotte. “And I believe it’s time to call this a night.”

After a round of goodbyes at the door, Joel and Charlotte followed Tessa to the waiting motorcar. The drive home was short and awkward. When they reached the house, Charlotte sent Tessa off to bed so she could speak with Joel. To her great relief, Tessa did as she was told.

Charlotte suggested they sit down on the swing on the south side of the porch. The swing squeaked as it began to move to and fro. A light from inside cast gray shadows on the tiled floor and gave enough illumination for her to see Joel’s face. He took her hand in
his. The gesture, so simple and yet so sweet, almost brought tears to her eyes. What a wonderful evening it had been—the stuff dreams were made of—right until Tessa had to blurt out George’s name.

Before she lost her courage, she took a deep breath and found her voice. “I’m sure you want to know about the fellow Tessa brought up—”

“George?”

Charlotte nodded.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No, you need to know. If you’d had a sweetheart who’d influenced you, I’d want to know.” She swallowed and plunged in, trying to explain how she’d let this young man dictate her decisions and actions. She left out the kiss he’d stolen but told Joel everything else. “I vowed I’d never let another man try to make me into someone I’m not.”

Beside her, Joel’s chest rose and fell in labored breaths. When she glanced at him, his jaw was set firmly.

She looked down at her shoes. “I’m sorry that I didn’t say anything earlier.”

“You”—he kissed the back of her hand—“have nothing to be sorry about. Now, if this George fellow was around, I might have a word or two—or twenty—I’d like to give him.” He stood and pulled Charlotte up to face him. “Please listen to me. I’ve seen men like George in my practice. Men who thought they were tougher or stronger because a woman did their bidding. But that’s not a real man, Charlotte. A real man isn’t threatened because the woman he loves is smart or beautiful or talented. He wants her to be all God made her to be.”

“I was foolish and lovesick. I wanted him to like me, so I let him control me.”

“Charlotte.” He tipped her chin up to look into her face. “I’ve seen the courage it takes to stand up to a man like that, and I’ve seen how you have no trouble standing up for what you believe in today. If you’re passionate about something, I don’t think anything
will stop you. I know you want people to like you, but I don’t think that controls you anymore. It sure didn’t when you first met me.” He chuckled, but then a tear slipped from her eye and he thumbed it away. “Hey, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s not that.” She wiped a salty tear from her lip. “Thinking about that time with George reminds me of losing my parents. After they died, I needed someone. Sometimes I missed them so much I ached, and the more time I spent alone, the worse it was. I hated being alone.”

“You’re not alone anymore.” He trailed his fingers down her bare arm, sending a tremor through her. “You have me.”

His hands settled on her waist and he drew her close. They locked gazes as she brushed her hand along his cheek. She didn’t resist when he pressed his lips to hers, nor did she protest when he deepened the kiss. How could she? Nearly every inch of her heart was becoming his.

Too bad Charlotte wasn’t a songwriter. Some mornings deserved a song all their own, and today was such a day. The birds outside seemed to agree. As she entered the dining room, she heard the trill of a lark through the open windows.

Aunt Sam sat at the head of the table with Nurse Pierce beside her. Charlotte spooned a poached egg onto her plate from the chafing dish on the buffet, took a couple of orange wedges, and added a biscuit. As much as she didn’t relish the idea of dining with Nurse Pierce, she recalled her decision to befriend the woman and took the seat across from her. Besides, there was nothing Nurse Pierce could do that would ruin her day.

“Good morning, Aunt Sam, Nurse Pierce.” She turned toward her sister. “Good morning, Tessa.”

Tessa trailed in and started to fill her own plate. “Morning. Why are you so cheery? I went to bed at least an hour before you, and I’m exhausted.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Charlotte broke her biscuit in half, buttered it, and drizzled honey over its surface. “It’s a beautiful morning.”

“Uh-huh.” Tessa eyed her skeptically and slid into the seat beside her. “I think you’re seeing everything through the eyes of loooove.”

“Tessa.” Aunt Sam gave her a reproachful scowl and set her coffee cup down. “Charlotte, I’m about to make your day even better. Today we’re shopping for ball gowns.”

Nurse Pierce frowned. “Mrs. Phillips, I’m not sure you’re up to such a rigorous outing.”

“Nonsense. What is there to it? My driver takes us to the Golden Rule. We take an elevator upstairs, and I watch while my girls try on lovely gowns.” She chuckled. “And you’ll be going with us. Of course, you’ll have to change out of your uniform.”

“I don’t have another dress here that I could wear, Mrs. Phillips.”

Charlotte set down her fork. “We’re about the same size. You can wear one of mine. It will be fun to have you join us.”

“Then it’s settled. We’ll leave in one hour.” Aunt Sam smiled at all three of them. “Dresses for all of you—and that means you too, Nurse Pierce. You can’t go to the ball in your nurse’s uniform.”

“I-I couldn’t accept that.”

Tessa giggled. “Don’t even try to resist. It’s useless. She’s had years of practice at being stubborn, and she always wins.”

Nurse Pierce had clearly never shopped for an evening gown before. In truth, Charlotte had only done so a couple of times since she’d met Aunt Sam. Still, she helped the nurse into the dressing room and explained how the clerk would bring her several dresses to try on.

Retiring to the salon, Charlotte sat back and watched Aunt Sam perform like a fairy godmother, selecting five dresses for the nurse to wear. Nurse Pierce modeled each, and they all agreed the bronze satin with the black shadow lace overlay looked the best with the nurse’s dark hair.

The nurse blinked back tears. “I’ve never had anything so beautiful.”

Charlotte passed her a handkerchief. “When we get back, would you like me to show you a different way you might wear your hair to the ball?”

As if she were self-conscious, Nurse Pierce touched her hair, pulled back into a bun. “I think I can manage on my own. Mrs. Phillips will need my attention when we return.”

“If you change your mind . . .” Charlotte slipped into the dressing room. She adored the first dress she tried on. The deep sapphire silk dress had gathered chiffon sleeves, lots of glimmering beads, heavy raised embroidery, and a short train.

“Dr. Handsome will love that.” Tessa sighed dreamily.

Charlotte sneaked a peek at Nurse Pierce for her reaction and was delighted to see that the nurse still had a smile on her face. Maybe this day was the beginning of a friendship for the two of them.

Before they left, they each selected a gown and added the appropriate matching hair ornaments and shoes. Aunt Sam directed the clerk to have their purchases delivered while they enjoyed a light lunch in the store’s tearoom.

When they returned home, Nurse Pierce assisted Aunt Sam out of the automobile. “Thank you for allowing me to join you all.”

“It was our pleasure.” Charlotte flashed her a warm smile, but the nurse didn’t reciprocate. Tessa rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh.

As they climbed the steps, Charlotte refused to be disheartened. She and Nurse Pierce had made progress today. Given time, surely the situation between them would improve.