Whirlwind (24 page)

“Thank you. I’ll fetch them at once.” Millicent straightened her shoulders and passed by him, muttering, “I’m not saying another word all day.”

Old Mrs. Whitsley stuffed her name in the bowl for the drawing and tapped him on the chest with her cane. “You got yourself a handful, don’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He smiled. “I do.”

“That’s the good kind of trouble. You’ve got the other kind a-comin’.” Mrs. Whitsley tilted her head toward a woman storming toward him. “You’d best tell Widow O’Toole that you don’t have spirits. Otherwise, she’ll climb up on the counter and start haranguing your customers about the evils of alcohol.”

“I don’t sell distilled beverages.”

“Mr. Clark!” The woman hadn’t even made it five feet past the door before she bellowed his name. She stormed up and thrust a bottle at him. “What is the meaning of this?”

He glanced down. “Ma’am, this product is for halitosis. I take the welfare of my patrons seriously and provide for dental health with Sheffield toothpaste, as well.”

“He’s got Mum deodorant on the shelf.” Mrs. Whitsley’s eyes narrowed as she glowered at Mrs. O’Toole. “Maybe you ought to get some of that for the stink you’re raisin’. Cowboys can go buy a lot more beer for the money than a bottle of mouthwash. They do it, too, so stop your hollering here because the men who’re drinkin’ are at the saloon, not in the mercantile.”

Mr. and Mrs. Smith came in with a woman everyone called Grandma. All three of them lined up to put a slip in the bowl for the boy’s bicycle. “I’ve got nine children,” Mr. Smith explained. “They’d ride the wheels off that thing!”

Grandma stuffed her bit of paper into the bowl. “You folks have done a jim-dandy job on the store. Good quality work shirts for the men.”

As they wandered off, Millicent whispered, “Daniel. A word with you, please.” Daniel looked down at her. She’d remembered to speak with him confidentially. Excellent. Millicent went up on tiptoe, and as he started to lean down, he caught himself staring at her lips and planning to kiss her. He jolted upright.
What am I thinking? Not here. Not now. Not at all. Not ever. Not unless everything changes.

“With nine children, it’s no wonder his shirt is worn and faded. We have those shirts your cousin stocked.”

It took a moment for her statement to sink in. Daniel winced. Orville’s stock of ready-made clothing left him disgusted. “I’m going to burn them with the trash.”

“The fabric in them is decent; the workmanship was the problem. Do you mind if I offer them to the Smiths?”

“Not at all. Do what you feel God leads you to do.”

She breezed away, and Daniel took a long, steadying breath. Temptation hadn’t ever looked or smelled so sweet.
Lord, grant me strength, or give me freedom to make her mine.

The bell jangled all morning. Millicent buzzed around, mentioning selling points of various products and helping locate items.

A young couple with a tiny baby came in with Hope Stauffer. Following on her heels was a big man holding Emmy-Lou. Hope looked around. “Yoo-hoo! Millie, where are you?”

Millicent nearly flew around the corner. “Hope!”

“I brung my kin. Millie and Dan’l, this is my husband, Jakob. This here’s my sis, Annie, and her boy, Johnny. Phineas here’s the most bestest farmhand in the world, and you already know Emmy-Lou.”

“It’s such a pleasure to meet you.” Millicent reached for the baby. “May I?”

“Ja.” Annie passed Johnny over to her.

Millicent glows when she’s around children. Women long for babies, and because I married in haste instead of waiting for God’s blessing, I may have robbed her of that dream.

“Arthur is a year and a half, Annie.” Millicent snuggled the baby. “Our sons will grow up together.”

Jakob looked past Daniel. “Do you mind putting a song on the Gramophone? We’d just be enjoying it—it’s not something I could buy.”

“Music would be pleasant. We have several records.”

Daniel joined Jakob and Phineas at the Gramophone. Phineas said in a low tone, “I wish to give Annie a courting gift. What do you recommend?”

“Jewelry is always a fine choice. The sentimental value grows more dear over the years.” He glanced at the clock. “You know, we’re having a drawing in five minutes. There’s a bicycle as one prize, and a gold bracelet for the other. You could put your name in and hope for the bracelet before spending your money.”

A minute before noon, Tim and Sydney Creighton brought Arthur over. Folks thronged to see him, and he grew scared. “Anny! Dadda!”

“Have you already met him, Annie?” Pastor Bradle asked.

“I was Arthur’s nanny before I became his mama.” Millicent handed Johnny back to Annie and claimed Arthur. He clung to her.

“It’s time for the drawings, isn’t it?” someone over by the shoes called out.

“Indeed. We’ll draw for the boy’s bicycle first.” Daniel scanned the room. “Emmy-Lou, why don’t we have you pull out the name?”

She drew a slip of paper, and Daniel silently read the name. Puzzled, he showed it to Millicent.

“This name must have accidentally been put in the wrong bowl.”

“Who is it?” Mr. Smith craned his neck to see.

Millicent handed the slip back to Daniel who said, “Mrs. O’Toole.”

“Well, glory be!” Mrs. O’Toole let out a whoop. “How do you like that?”

“What,” Lena Patterson asked, “are you going to do with a boy’s bicycle?”

“Why, I’m going to ride it, of course. They said we could put our slip in whichever bowl we wanted, and that’s just what I did. I won fair and square!”

“Silly old woman,” Mrs. Whitsley huffed. “Give it to someone who will enjoy it.”

“I’m going to enjoy it. Nobody’s going to tell me different.”

“Nobody’s going to tell her anything at all,” someone grumbled.

Millicent announced in a slightly too-loud voice, “And now the drawing for a golden bracelet. Our Arthur will draw the name.” Millicent took Buddy from Arthur’s hand. “While he’s doing that, Phineas, you’re by the window. Could you please untie the bracelet and bring it here?”

Daniel took the little slip from his son’s hand. “The winner of the bracelet is Mrs. Whitsley.”

“Aha!” Mrs. O’Toole smirked. “The shoe’s on the other foot now. Why don’t you give it to someone who will enjoy it?”

“Any woman would enjoy it,” Annie said.

Mrs. Whitsley got a twinkle in her eye. “Since a woman got the boy’s gift, I’ll give the girl’s gift to a man. Phineas, the bracelet is yours to do with as you’d like.”

Eyes huge, he asked, “Are you sure?”

“Just as sure as I am ornery!”

Everyone laughed.

Phineas shouldered his way across the store. “What I’d like most is to offer this bracelet to the lady I wish to court.” He got down on one knee. “Annie, I would be honored if you would accept this.”

Daniel watched as Millicent’s eyes went misty and her smile was tremulous
. Never once did I do anything in the least bit romantic for her.
A woman deserved little gestures and tender words that made her feel cherished. Theirs wasn’t a marriage in the physical sense, but it still could be in the emotional sense. He thought of how Millicent treasured the silver bracelet those little girls gave her—he could have taken that cue and realized tokens of affection spoke to her heart. Like a savvy businessman, he’d told Phineas jewelry made a wonderful courting gift. The results of the gift and his declaration were unmistakable. Joy lit Annie’s face.

Patrons filled his store and the cash box couldn’t hold much more—but the signs of success meant nothing now. Not when the realization rocked him:
I did it again. I got so involved in business that I didn’t put my wife’s needs first.

“What a wonderful day!” Millicent sat across the dinner table from Tim and Sydney Creighton. They had been so supportive of Daniel and Millie as they’d prepared for their grand opening, and Millie was grateful when she had heard Mrs. Orion invite them to join the group for dinner.

“Isabelle, you sold several yards of fabric today. Did you take any orders?”

“Mrs. Whitsley chose some lawn. I’ll be making her a few things.” Isabelle didn’t specify what, but since lawn was such fine cotton, no one used it for anything but small clothes. She pushed her meat around on the plate. “Mr. Toomel asked if I could alter a suit for him. He’ll bring it in next week so I can determine whether it will be worth his while to invest in the work.”

“A good suit is always worth it.” Daniel barely grazed Millicent’s hand. “Might I have the butter?”

“Of course.” She passed it to him. “I didn’t meet Mr. Toomel, did I?”

“He’s a farmer.” Mercy Orion lowered her tone. “He ducked out of the store when the Richardsons came in. Their eldest daughter, Linette, is wearing her heart on her sleeve for him.”

“For him and any other bachelor for miles around.” Tim and Sydney’s housekeeper, Velma, chuckled. “I oughtn’t laugh, and I don’t mean to be cruel. Linette’s a nice gal. Problem is, she’s not got a single nibble, and the two sisters just behind her both have weddings planned.”

“It doesn’t help that her parents cut off her hair when she had the fever.” Sydney sighed.

Tim grinned at his wife. “I fell for you when your hair was short.”

Velma laughed so hard, she snorted. “You hacked it off. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you did it on purpose to keep other men away.”

Sydney’s lips twitched. “Millicent and Daniel, you may as well learn my shameful secret now. I masqueraded as a boy when I came to Texas. Tim thought I was a boy when he took a knife to my hair.”

“If you thought she was a boy, you need glasses.” Daniel finished buttering his bread. “I have several pairs of spectacles and an eye chart.”

“Talking about medical things . . .” Velma waggled her knife at them. “This isn’t gossip—it’s dire warning. Doc Wicky here in town’s a quack.”

Tim nodded. “Town is bound by contract to keep him another ten weeks. Anyone needing help either hops the train or sends for Velma.”

“The Lord blessed Velma with the ability to tend to the sick.” Sydney turned rosy. “When my time comes, more loving hands couldn’t catch our baby.”

“I’ve seen examples of the babies Velma delivers. Yours is certain to be a very beautiful one.” Millicent felt Daniel’s light touch on her arm. Taking his cue, she handed him the honey. He liked butter and jam on scones, but butter and honey on rolls.

“Thank you, dear.”

Dear.
Daniel had taken to calling her that. His voice dropped ever so slightly when he said it, too—as if there were true affection behind the sobriquet. It left her feeling oddly pleased. Millicent managed to tell him he was welcome, then asked what Arthur looked like when he was born.

“Arthur was bald and wrinkled when he was born. Come to think of it, all he needed was a monocle to resemble the physician who delivered him.”

Isabelle started to giggle. “A monocle. Baby.” Suddenly her giggles dissolved into tears. Huge sobs soon wracked her.

Daniel scooted Isabelle’s chair from the table and lifted her as Mrs. Orion took Arthur from Millicent. Millicent raced up to the room they shared and swept back the bedcovers just before Daniel eased Isabelle down. Velma hustled in and divested Isabelle of one of her half boots.

Rolling to her side, Isabelle pulled the other pillow to her chest. She hugged it as shudders wracked her. Broken words spilled from her lips, but the gist of it wrenched Millicent’s heart. Isabelle wouldn’t ever have babies with Frank.

“Is there something we can give her?” Daniel asked Velma.

“Time.” Isabelle’s second half boot thumped onto the floor. “I don’t hold with numbing grief with powders or laudanum. All it does is delay the pain. Time and tenderness are what she needs.”

Daniel reached over and curled his big hand around Millicent’s. A sense of warmth and comfort wrapped about her as he drew her closer. Resting his other hand on Isabelle’s shoulder, he bowed his head. “Lord, we lift our sister Isabelle up to you. You know the grief that has her in its grip. Though we thank you that she and Frank will be reunited for eternity, we know you understand mourning. Just as Jesus Christ wept at Lazarus’s death, Isabelle’s heart cries out now. Grant her rest and restoration, we pray. Amen.”

Tears streamed down Millicent’s cheeks. Unabashedly wiping them away, she tried to speak, but the words didn’t come out. She hoped Daniel could read her lips as she mouthed
Thank you.

Daniel took his leave, and it took seemingly ages to peel Isabelle out of the layers of clothes. Velma gave the strings on the corset an impatient yank. “Idiotic contraptions. At least she’s not wearing a bustle and those stingy narrow hoops a rooster couldn’t hop through.”

Isabelle’s crying changed from body-shaking sobs to choppy tears of exhaustion. Once she was in her pale pink flannel gown, she hugged the pillow once again.

Velma pulled out the last of Isabelle’s hairpins. “Time and tenderness . . . and tears. Remember that.” She left the room, and after drawing up the covers Millicent followed.

Daniel waited in the hallway. “Go ahead and retire now, too. You’ve been taking care of everything and everybody but yourself.”

“Right up until the end, it was a wonderful day, wasn’t it?” She didn’t want this to spoil the fresh start he was making.“Your store—”

“Isn’t worth anything at all if my family’s not well. Go on to bed, Millie.”

Mrs. Orion cleared her throat. “I don’t mean to intrude, but I do have that empty room. If you’d like it for the night, you’d both be close by if you’re needed.”

Millicent stiffened and felt tension sing through Daniel. They’d agreed to a marriage of convenience, but that was a very private arrangement. No one ought ever know . . .

“Thank you for that kind offer, but my wife is where she belongs, Mrs. Orion.” His fingers lightly trailed down Millicent’s cheek. “Sweet dreams, dear.” With that, he left.

As she lay in bed, Millicent couldn’t sleep. Her thoughts drifted to Tim Creighton, who positively doted on Sydney. Hope and Jakob Stauffer couldn’t take their eyes off one another. Unashamed of showing the world his feelings, Phineas had declared his intentions for Annie. Isabelle and Frank had adored each other. But witnessing Isabelle’s ravaging grief proved that deep love exacted a great price. Was it worth the cost in the end?