Just Above a Whisper (41 page)

“That would make me late. And besides, she didn’t mind last night.”

“Last night?” Dalton frowned at Conner, then Troy, then Conner again. “You were there last night?”

“Yes.”

“Where was I?”

“Writing letters in the study,” Troy informed him, having lived through these episodes with the brothers for years. It was always amusing.

“I’ve got to go,” Conner said, his voice indicating he meant it.

“Wait a minute.” Dalton stopped him, putting his hands on his shoulders. Conner waited, knowing he had something to say, but Dalton was silent.

“I have to go,” Conner repeated.

“I wanted to give you advice, but it’s been too long since I courted my Susie.”

“I’m not sure this is courtship, Dalton, but thank you for caring.”

Sorry that he had no words, Dalton nodded, not about to let Conner leave before giving him a hug. Conner accepted the embrace gratefully, as he always did, and this time he made it out the door.

“I need to tell you something,” Hillary whispered to her father in the corner of the parlor; the rest of the family was scattered around the house.

“What is it?”

“When I was outside just now, I watched Conner Kingsley walking down the green. He looked very nice.”

“Was he going home?”

Hillary shook her head. “Away from the big house.”

“Was he walking in such a way that he would eventually pass Mrs. Greenlowe’s?”

Hillary nodded this time, looking more than a little pleased. Douglas had to smile at her. She was so certain that this could work, and Douglas hoped it would, but unlike his starry-eyed daughter, he was slightly more practical.

“How can we find out?” Hillary suddenly asked, causing her father to laugh.

“We can’t. It’s none of our business.”

“If Reese is involved, it’s our business.”

Douglas thought she had a point but still had no suggestions.

“What are you two up to in the corner?” Alison asked, spotting them.

The innocent looks they gave her only made her more suspicious and ready to ask more questions, but neither one would offer an iota of information.

“Thank you,” Conner said to Mrs. Greenlowe when she made sure that all food was within his reach. “You’ve prepared a feast, Mrs. Greenlowe.”

“Well, we can’t have you going away hungry. That won’t do!”

Conner was learning in a hurry that the changes in her voice had nothing to do with the conversation or anything happening during tea. It was simply how she was feeling at the moment and the way she expressed herself.

“Here, Reese, try some of this custard. It’s the one you like.”

“My favorite? Thank you.”

“How is bank business?” Mrs. Greenlowe suddenly asked, her opinion about banks having changed some.

“It’s going well,” Conner answered.

“What was that?”

“It’s going well,” Conner repeated, careful to keep his face to her so she could hear him.

“Is Jenness around these days?”

“No. He’s still away,” Conner said tactfully, and at the same time, began to wonder why Reese wasn’t saying anything. Conner passed a plate of bread to Reese and got a thank you from her but noticed that she went back to being quiet. Mrs. Greenlowe noticed about the same time.

“You’re not saying anything, Reese,” that lady proclaimed a bit loudly.

“I’ve nothing to say right now.”

“Well, tell us about your day,” Mrs. Greenlowe pressed.

“I told you when I got home, and Mr. Kingsley sees what I’ve done every time he walks into his house.”

This got Reese frowned at, but she only smiled, having decided not to pretend during this meal. Conner knew who she was, as did Mrs. Greenlowe. Reese was confident enough not to have to be entertaining.

“Well, you certainly had a lot to say to each other last night.” Mrs. Greenlowe’s voice was grumpy as she got to the crux of the matter.

“We were talking about things we’ve each learned about God,” Reese told her, not holding back. “I wasn’t sure if you would be interested in that.”

“Some days I am,” she admitted, “but not today.”

Reese nodded, careful to be respectful.

“My brother is here for a visit,” Conner offered, trying to think of something the landlady might not know.

“Older brother is he?”

“Yes. The oldest in the family.”

“How many are there?”

“Six are living.”

“And your parents?”

“Both dead.”

“And what town do you live in?”

“Linden Heights. It’s not too far from Boston.”

“I’ve been to Boston, and I’ve heard of Linden Heights but haven’t been there.”

“It’s quite a bit larger than Tucker Mills.”

“Which do you like best?”

“I like both,” Conner said honestly, even knowing he was leaning toward his present location.

“And do you bank in Linden Heights?”

“Yes. We own four banks, three of which are in Linden Heights, and I manage one of those with my business partner.”

“Why don’t you just stay here?”

“Well,” Conner worked to be tactful, “until we talk to Mr. Jenness, it’s hard to say exactly what the plans will be.”

“How tall are you?” The subject changed quickly.

“Six feet, six inches.”

“Reese is tall.”

“Yes,” Conner couldn’t hold his smile. He glanced at Reese, who was looking fondly at Mrs. Greenlowe, and appreciated her all the more. The temptation would have been to hush the older woman or make excuses for her, but Reese sat still, respectfully attentive to the conversation going on around her, not opting to interrupt in any way.

And the meal progressed in just that manner. Conner conversed until his throat threatened to give out and stayed until he felt it was the proper time to leave. If Mrs. Greenlowe had hoped to hear the two of them talk, she was to be disappointed. When Reese walked Conner to the road, she confirmed his thoughts on that matter.

“Thank you for coming and putting up with that.”

“I don’t feel that I put up with anything.”

“She’s protective of me and has a hard time not knowing what we say to each other,” Reese said, now willing to offer an explanation. “If I spend too much time out here, I’ll be in trouble for not having said all of this to you indoors.”

Conner smiled. “I’ll let you go then. We don’t want you in trouble.”

Reese smiled, still surprised at how wrong she was about him. Conner smiled back, wanting to touch her arm or make some gesture to show that he cared, but he quelled the desire.

Putting his hat on his head, he said, “I’ll plan on tomorrow night.”

“I’ll be in the garden,” Reese said in reply, watching again as he walked into the evening dusk.

Eighteen

Reese had done as Conner asked. She had not used the back door for work of any kind, not even going out to sweep that porch or tend the flowers that had grown at the rear of the house. The back entrance was the door she preferred for several tasks, but she didn’t feel inconvenienced.

The side doors, the one that led from the kitchen and the one that exited to the yard from the buttery work area, had become the doors she used when needing to be outside. She emptied water out these doors, shook out brooms, rags, and rugs, and today she even ate her dinner on the bench that sat against that side of the house.

It was getting cold in Tucker Mills, October nearly on them, but today Reese was hot, and after making a sandwich for herself, took it outside with a large mug of tea. Reese loved the smell of fall. The leaves were changing and the crispness of the air was intoxicating. She prayed for a long time, thanking God for the wonder of the seasons and for the good job He’d given her.

Conner came to mind as she began to eat, but she didn’t pray about him, asking God only to help her be wise and not take her feelings to a place where they would sit alone. She thought about what she knew about Conner Kingsley and even Dalton, and realized she’d learned much by cleaning their house.

There was no pretense in them. The men she saw at the meetinghouse and at the bank were the same men she saw in the privacy of their home. Reese felt this said a lot for their character and was pleased to know them.

In the midst of these thoughts, the prickly feeling came on her again, and not just a feeling this time but sound to go with it. Reese studied the barn. Someone was out there. She heard another noise, like a door opening, and stood to go that way. She was only about halfway across the yard when all grew quiet. Staying very still, she studied the buildings but saw nothing.

Much as she wanted to tell herself her imagination was overactive, she knew it wasn’t true. Someone had been in the barn. Debating whether to go for Conner and Troy right then, Reese realized that whoever it was was probably long gone.

Not wanting to sit outside any longer, Reese went back indoors, locking the door behind her. She knew what she had to do: She had to tell Conner. Just as soon as she did that, however, the doors to that side of the house would be barred to her as well.

“All alone?” Maddie asked when she stepped into the store.

Doyle smiled hugely at the sight of his niece and came around the counter to hug her.