Remember Me - Regency Brides 03 (15 page)

"No, I'm not," she said, then sniffed and tried to look down.

North took her chin and brought her face back up. He appeared to study her skin careful y. "Wel , there is the matter of the red nose." He nodded in mock·

seriousness. "Yes, the red nose definitely brings the compliment from beautiful down to merely lovely."

She laughed and slapped his hand away. "You're horrid," she laughingly charged. He laughed and tucked his handkerchief back into his pocket. "Why don't we get a little fresh air while the temperature is stil cool outside?" Helen nodded, eager to take her mind off North's troubling vow. "I'l dart upstairs and get my shawl."

~

North fol owed Helen out of the room and watched her as she disappeared up the staircase. He leaned on the railing, daydreaming about the poignant moment they'd just shared when a stern voice spoke behind him.

"That was quite a display back there," Imogene Baumgartner said crisply. North turned to see her looking every bit an irate guardian, with her lips stretched in a thin line and her blazing eyes narrowed on him with more than a little distrust.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, although he knew she had seen the kiss. But had she heard what they'd said?

"Let's not play games, Hamish." He noticed she'd dropped the "Reverend." Not a good indication. "I saw you kissing her, and as I am Helen's guardian, I have a right to demand what your intentions are toward her."

Wel , that was an easy question. "I love Helen and intend to marry her." That took the wind right out of Imogene's sails. "Oh," she said, sounding quite deflated.

North stepped closer to her, his face set in a sincere, heartfelt expression. "Mrs.

Baumgartner, what you saw in there was me reassuring Helen that my feelings for her are real and my intentions are true. I do intend to court her in a proper fashion before I ask for her hand, but there is no doubt in my mind Helen Nichols wil become my wife."

Imogene just stared at him unblinkingly for a moment with her hand at her throat.

Suddenly tears were pouring from her eyes. "I haven't heard such a romantic speech since Robert proposed to me even though he knew his father would disown him!" she blubbered. "I knew … I just knew you were the right man for our Helen!" She was crying so much that North felt compel ed to reach back into his pocket and bring out his slightly soiled handkerchief again.

He gave it a wary examination, shrugged his shoulders, and handed it over to her.

Imogene never noticed.

Helen, North, and Josie spent most of the morning down by the pier. After a spirited lesson in archery, which Josie was already pretty adept at, thanks to Sam, North sent for the basket of food from his house so they could have their picnic by the water. "This chicken is delicious!" Josie said enthusiastical y as she bit into a chicken leg, not caring that the juice was running down her chin.

Helen had a brief, uneasy moment while she wondered which one of North's chickens they were actual y eating, but it truly was so delicious that she soon forgot to worry about it.

She did chide Josie for her unseemly manners. "Josie, please use your napkin.

You are about to stain that dress, and you know how Mil ie fusses," Helen warned.

Hearing Mil ie's name mentioned did what Helen hoped it would do. Josie immediately wiped her mouth and started being more careful with her food.

North exchanged a smile with her, and though they'd exchanged pleasantries and smal talk, she could tel he very much wanted to ask her more questions about his memory. It was difficult to do so with Josie around, however.

Final y he seemed to think of something he could ask-in Josie's presence. "Oh yes! I meant to tel you I started the letter to my sister last night." Helen took a sip of water and hoped she didn't look as though she were dreading the topic at hand.

"You did? What did you say?" North leaned down on the blanket, propping himself up with his elbow. "I confess I didn't get very far into it. I stil need your help with it."

"Please tel me about your sister!" Josie insisted with interest. Helen knew that the girl missed her own sister dreadful y. "What is she like? Is she younger or older?"

Helen didn't have a clue, so she was powerless to help him. She watched as a glimpse of panic flashed on his face but was quickly masked. "Uh, let's see...."

He stal ed as he threw a pleading look to Helen. "She is younger. Yes, I have a younger sister," he stated as if he were trying to convince himself. ' And ...she's nice! Real y and truly nice."

Josie looked at him with a scowl, clearly not pleased with the lack of details.

"Wel , what else? What does she like to do for hobbies or entertainment?"

North thought again and suddenly smiled. "She likes to knit! She is knitting me a sweater and plans to send it to me as soon as she finishes it."

"Oh," Josie responded with lackluster. Abruptly she brightened and asked another question, "Does she like puppies?" Helen knew exactly where this line of questioning' was heading. Josie's friend Sarah bad received a puppy for her birthday, and now Josie wanted one, too.

Imogene was scared to death of anything with four legs, except maybe a horse.

"Uh..." North hedged. "I suppose so." When Josie turned her head to grab another plum from the basket, North mouthed
''Help me!” to
Helen. What was she supposed to do? She didn't know the woman, either!

' Josie!' Helen exclaimed quickly, as she saw the younger girl's mouth open, ready to ask another question. "Didn't you want to go fishing today? I believe Joseph said he would take you out in the pirogue."

Those were the magic words. Josie loved nothing better than to paddle down the bayou in the smal boat where she might get to see an al igator or snake. "He did?" she gushed as she jumped up, throwing crumbs al over them.

''I'm going to go pull on some britches!"

Helen knew she should say something about dressing like a boy, but she decided to let it be. Being able to talk to North alone was more important than what the little girl wore. "Just don't let your mother see you dressed that way."

"I'l sneak out the back way," she yel ed over her shoulder as she raced to the house.

"I hate to disil usion you, but it's not going to be easy to turn her into a lady. I wouldn't be surprised if she deliberately sought to marry an Indian or even a more common man to avoid any sort of etiquette altogether," North commented as they watched Josie disappear from sight. He sat up and began to put the uneaten food back into the large wicker basket.

Helen sighed and reluctantly agreed. "She's already threatened it, but I just keep hoping something wil change her mind."

North chuckled. "Like what? Holding out for a miracle, are we?"

Helen shook her head and with a secret smile answered, "No, just a man."

North raised his brows in question, and she explained, "All it wil take, once she’s a little older, is for a young man to total y captivate her. She'l strive to do everything she can, including remembering al the proper behaviors that I have taught her, just to show him she's worthy of his attentions."

North just stared at her as if he’d never heard of such a thing. "Is that what you did? When you wanted to attract the nobleman you've spoken of?"

Oh, dear! She hadn't meant for the conversation to take this turn. "I've always wanted to better myself," she replied truthful y. Christina was forever teasing about how Helen loved to know about the aristocracy-how they dressed and the way they conducted themselves and spoke.

It was ironic that for al those years she'd wished to marry a nobleman so she could live in the society she so admired, and she now wished North would remain a simple country preacher so they could continue to live their lives uncomplicated by titles and riches.

A disturbed look fel across North's face as he looked back down at the basket and started moving things around. "You wil not be 'bettering yourself if we marry," he said gruffly. "I do not want to be the person you settle for because you have no one else."

Helen couldn't help but notice how ironic his words were, considering who he real y was. "Oh, North." She whispered his name softly as she stal ed him by putting her hand atop his. "Every day that I am in your presence, I feel like a better person. You are the kindest, most thoughtful, gentlest man I have ever known. You make me laugh, you listen to me, and I can feel you truly care for me, as much as I do you. That is more important than riches or what place you hold in society."

A wide smile stretched across North's handsome face as he peered at her with teasing, narrowed eyes. "You've never told me you care for me. I could see it sometimes when you would look at me, but I like hearing you speak it."

She knew she was blushing, but inside she also felt another pang of shame. The more serious their relationship became, the worse it would hurt when he got his memory back. "Why don't we finish your letter?" she quickly asked, trying to change the subject.

North shook his head at her as if letting her know he knew what she was about.

' All right, we'l leave that discussion for another day," he conceded, but she knew he would not be put off for long.

They worked on the letter and final y were able to construct one to North's liking.

Thankful y, he didn't seemed to mind, either, when Helen offered to mail the letter herself. She'd hold on to it for a while before writing another one tel ing Miss Campbel that her brother was missing at sea.

They were just gathering their picnic supplies when a pebble suddenly dropped in Helen's lap, startling them both. "Where did that come from?" Helen exclaimed as she began to look about.

Sam Youngblood stepped out from behind a tree, and he didn't seem happy as he took in the scene before him. Helen quickly sat back, snatching her hand away from North and receiving a frown from him by doing so.

Excel ent.
Now both men were unhappy with her.

She was about to ask Sam what he was doing skulking about when he tossed another pebble into her lap. "Sam, is there a reason for you throwing rocks at Helen? I have to tel you, in our culture, it is not considered polite," North told him, as he stood, then reached down to give Helen a hand up.

Once again Sam eyed their briefly clasped hands with suspicion. "It is my observation that your people consider many things impolite," he countered. North murmured, "So we're back to the 'your people' issue, are we?" Helen wondered what that meant as she looked back and forth at the two men. At first she thought North was a little angry at Sam's presence, but now both men seemed to be just bantering with one another as if they enjoyed it.

How much time did these two spend together?
Helen wondered, perplexed.

"In our Choctaw culture, throwing pebbles at a woman's feet means you are declaring your intention to marry her," Sam explained as he looked over to Helen and smiled.

Helen had to a knowledge that Sam was actual y quite a handsome man, with his dark, golden skin and his straight, black hair that fel to his shoulders. He was quite muscular, too, she easily observed since his attire was minimal, at best. All her life she'd been around men who wore several layers including a shirt vest and sometimes two coats. The American Indians certainly liked to keep things simpler ...and cooler, it would seem.

' And just what is the woman supposed to do? Throw them back If she doesn't want you?" North asked. He seemed more curious than offended by the fact that Sam was stil pursuing her. Didn't be care?

Sam shrugged his shoulders to North's question. "If she agrees to engage herself to the man, she looks at him and acknowledges his presence. If not, she simply ignores him and walks away." He pointed at Helen and smiled. "Since she is looking at me, I'l assume we wil soon be wed."

Helen gasped, just a little embarrassed at being caught staring. "I didn't know the rules!" she cried defensively as she threw up her arms. ' It doesn’t count if I'm not aware of such a custom!"

"Why not?" Sam asked.

Helen gasped and for a moment was unable to speak from being so flabbergasted by the whole thing.

It got worse when North started laughing.

"What is so funny?" she demanded, exasperated.

"You have to admit that throwing rocks at a woman as a way to propose marriage is exceedingly amusing."

"No more than some of the sil y customs of your people. I've heard you organize a whole party of people and dogs just to hunt down a poor little fox. And then you don't eat it!" Sam expressed, clearly disgusted by the waste.

North's laughter turned to interest. "Speaking of hunting animals and such -- You know, I've thought about the al igator you kil ed, and I was wondering exactly how you went about doing it."

"Well, I-"

"Pardon me, but could we please get back to the subject at hand?" Helen asked loudly, feeling a little left out. Wasn't she usual y the center of both their attentions? What was happening here?

Both men looked at her blankly. It was North who replied, "I'm sorry, Helen. What were we talking about?"

She glared at both men. "It doesn't matter. Please continue with your manly talk of hunting and kil ing. I'l just gather the picnic supplies and be out of your way!"

She let out a dramatic sigh as she whirled around and began to stack the soiled plates, not caring that she was close to cracking them from the force she was using.

As she moved on to the silverware, she realized she no longer heard them talking. Helen wanted so desperately to turn and find out what they were doing, but she was determined to ignore them.

She couldn't believe it when she felt another pebble hitting her back. She whirled around to fuss at Sam and demand he stop doing that, when she saw it wasn't the Indian at al but North who was standing there, tossing a pebble back and forth in his hands and smiling at her. Astonished, she couldn't hold back the giggle that bubbled from her throat.

North grinned as he slowly tossed his last pebble at her feet. Helen looked to see if Sam was stil around but noticed he had already disappeared, leaving them alone.