Whirlwind (30 page)

“Are you?”

She gave him an exasperated look. “Of course I am! The colors and pattern are exceptional. Any woman would be proud to have such a fine piece in her home. And the quality will make it last forever. You’re a man—”

“Glad you noticed.”

She huffed and continued. “You know it would be a sound investment for a family man to purchase that carpet for his home. He’d not have to replace it over and over again as he would a cheaper piece. I know most of our neighbors are living on a very tight budget, but there are others who could easily afford a quality Turkish carpet. Once you display it, it’ll sell and someone else will see it lying in a parlor and ask you to order one for them, too.”

The countless knots she’d tied in the life preserver now made sense. When Millicent was rattled, she couldn’t help herself. She had to move around and talk. Only this time, instead of praying, “O Lord, O Lord, O Lord,” repeatedly, she was talking to Daniel. Just like that prayer, she kept repeating herself. Daniel snagged her as she passed by.

“Millicent, calm down.”

Worry darkened the green-gray of her eyes. “I am calm. I’m thinking quite clearly. You have to agree that I’ve made several very important points. Once you give it a moment’s consideration, you’ll realize that those points hold merit.”

“Let me sum them up.” He was sure she didn’t realize she was clasping his hands like lifelines. “The carpet is a work of art. It’s expensive and of laudable quality. A man might consider it as an investment; a woman would appreciate the warmth and beauty it would lend her home.”

She nodded and waited expectantly. When he didn’t continue, she leaned a little closer and said in the barest whisper, “You forgot about the money—the finances and that you could sell a few more once it’s known you can procure such an elegant piece.”

“The money doesn’t concern me, Millicent.”

She tipped her head back and let out a long-suffering sigh. “Daniel, I know you believe God will supply our needs according to His riches, and He’s been more than faithful. But we have to be good stewards. I don’t want to say things like that to you. Bossy women who try to direct their husbands in spiritual matters aren’t heeding biblical principles. I won’t say anything more. Please, though, will you give it consideration?”

He nodded, and she almost wilted in relief.

A few seconds of complete silence stretched between them. Daniel rubbed his thumb back and forth over the pulse at her wrist. “Millicent, I’ve thought about it. I’ve decided what I must do.”

“You have a big heart, Daniel. I want you to know I appreciated the gesture.”

“Dear, I sold a very lucrative business to come here.” She smiled. “Of course you did. And this mercantile is already promising to become a business you’ll be proud to pass down to Arthur someday.”

His wife didn’t have the slightest notion of how wealthy they were. Keeping hold of one of her hands and pressing the fingers of his other hand to her lips, he continued to look into her eyes. “Dear, we have funds that more than cover all of the expenses, and I’ll always endeavor to be a good and faithful servant to our Lord and Savior.”

“Dan?” Smith’s voice came through the door.

“I’ll be right out.”

Color flamed Millicent’s cheeks. “I’ve kept you here when he needs to go. I’ll hurry on down and get the shirts for him. Daniel? Did you pick up on how Tim had the Smith women over to help butcher all night long? He did that so he could give them meat in payment of the services. With a big family like that, Mr. Smith undoubtedly needed the food. Do you mind if I give him some of the material that got a little dusty? I’m sure they’d put it to good use.”

“Yes, that would be nice. We’ll even tell him it’s in thanks for helping with a little project I have underway.” He opened the door. The carpet now stretched across the parlor with the settee and wingback chair positioned precisely where they’d been.

Isabelle exited the other bedchamber. “I put Arthur down for his nap.”

“Thank you.” Millicent followed her sister’s gaze and let out a gasp. Grabbing his hand, she started to fret again. “Daniel, they didn’t understand. Don’t worry. I’ll—”

“They did understand.” He smiled at her. “You did say it was a special day, Millie. In the years to come, we’ll look at that rug and know it began our first full week with the mercantile Now come on downstairs.”

Millie held the banister and Daniel’s arm, as well, to descend the stairs. She took a deep breath.

Daniel stopped and reached to brace her waist with his other hand. “Are you all right?”

He’s scared of me fainting or falling.
She straightened to her full height. “I’m perfectly fine, Daniel Clark; but I’ve come to the conclusion that you are a rascal. I’m going to have to be on my guard around you, aren’t I?”

A slow grin tugged at his mouth.

“Don’t you give me that rakish look. It’s going to have me worrying that you’re plotting and planning something more.”

His smile grew. “I am.”

“Two can play at that game, you know.” She pulled her arm free and scurried down the last few steps. His chuckle followed her.

Just before Smith left with the work shirts and fabric, he remembered needing a few nails. Millicent spied Orville’s decoy and pushed it into Daniel’s arms. “Daniel, I’ll help Mr. Smith with the nails. You promised your cousin that you’d take over his favorite hunting decoy.”

“Thanks for reminding me, dear. I’ll take care of that in a moment.” Without so much as drawing another breath, he gently returned it. “You know how important this is to Orville. Will you please hold it for me in the meantime? Smith, why don’t you tell me about the hunting hereabouts while we get those nails.”

Millicent didn’t look down. She watched and started plotting as her husband went to the nail bin. Yes, two could play, and he was a worthy adversary. Without missing a beat, he’d not just sidestepped the duck—he’d gotten the upper hand. But not for long.
This is war.

During the following lull, Daniel solemnly took the duck. “I am a man of my word.”

“Yes, you are.” Millicent felt a twinge of guilt. “It’s one of your many fine qualities.”

“Thank you.” He left the store. How did he manage to hold the decoy with such dignity? Millicent watched through the window as he strode down the street with the mallard balanced in his hands as if he were one of the three kings, delivering a priceless gift. Indeed, he was as noble as a king. He’d agreed to one arrangement when Frank was alive; he had every reason and right to have simply taken his son and left her and Isabelle to go back to England.
But he didn’t.

The bell chimed. “Annie! How may I help you?”

“I need some thread.” Annie fumbled in her apron pocket.

“Brown. Black, too.”

“We’re having a sale. If you buy three spools, you get a fourth for free.”

Annie chewed on her lower lip. “White, then. And . . . blue. Dark blue.” She followed Millicent over to the Clark Mile End Thread case. Once there, Annie changed her mind about the colors of thread several times. Finally, she whispered, “Oh, you must forgive me. My mind’s not right these days. I know he respects me, but holding hands—it just does not say as much as I feel. I just wish Phineas would kiss me.”

“I know how you feel! It’s so frustrating, isn’t it?” Millicent blurted out the words, then pressed her fingers to her lips. Her face went hot.
How could I have divulged something so revealing—even betraying?
Patting Annie’s arm, she stammered, “It’s hard for us. Women aren’t allowed to express their innermost feelings. We carry our affections within our hearts, yet we cannot so much as hint at them. Ladies are taught that men must always take the first step, so we live in hope and fear.”

“Yes!” Annie grabbed her hand. “That is exactly how I feel!”

“When the time is right, things have a way of working out. I promise you, the love in Phineas’s eyes is strong.”

“I do see the love in his eyes,” Annie admitted.

“Will there be anything else?” Millicent headed toward the counter.

“No, thank you. That is all.”

“Let me get a lemon drop for Emmy-Lou.” Millicent opened the jar. When she turned back, Annie looked pale. “Is anything wrong?”

Annie gave her an odd look and slipped two cents onto the counter.

Millicent stepped close and murmured, “I’ll hold what you said in confidence, Annie.”

She flickered a smile, tucked the thread and lemon drop into her apron pocket, and left.

As she left, Millicent turned and closed her eyes against the sting of tears. No matter how deeply she felt for Daniel, was she going to spend the rest of her life alone and untouched?

Isabelle called her over. “Could you please help me measure this sleeve? Mr. Toomel’s shoulders are wide, so I need to let out a little more on the jacket.”

Millicent shook off her dark feelings and went to assist her.

“I’m so glad to see you and Daniel having fun. The playfulness you shared just a while ago was precious.” Isabelle’s smile was bittersweet. “A wife should cast a little levity into her husband’s days.”

Millicent looked at the tears in her sister’s eyes and heard the courage behind her words. “I don’t want to offend you, Isabelle.”

“No, no. You won’t do that in the least. I wish I would have been more playful with Frank. I worried and fretted so much, but he cheered me with the lighthearted little things he did. I’ve worried that my state would dampen the spirits of your home, and I won’t have it. Frank wouldn’t want it.”

Millicent took the tape measure from her sister and enveloped her in an embrace. “He knew how contented you were. Your marriage was full and rich. Don’t ever doubt that you were a good wife. Frank often boasted that he had the best wife God ever created.”

“Millie?” Isabelle pulled away very slowly. “I don’t want to interfere in your marriage, but you need to reconsider something. Don’t you think you ought to be sleeping in the other room?”

Drawing in a noisy breath, Millicent shook her head. “It’s not like that.”

“A husband deserves the . . . comfort only his wife can give. Babies, too, if God blesses them.”

That longing she’d felt came back again. “No, it’s complicated, Isabelle. Daniel told me Arthur is more than enough for him. Just before we took our vows, we agreed this would be an in-name-only arrangement. He even said we’d not discuss the matter again. He’s been so very honorable and good to us. How can you suggest I go back on my word? I won’t.”

“Maybe you misunderstood him. Maybe he’s changed his mind.”

Could he have? Millicent quelled the hope that sprouted in her heart. “Nonsense.”

“He’s acting like a man who’s courting.”

“It’s all for the sake of appearances. Isabelle, he feels it’s his fault that his wife died. She fell down the stairs when she was with child. You see how he is already about the stairs—I understand why he’s so careful. A man can’t admit he’s terrified of something, but deep in my heart, I know Daniel is afraid the nightmare will repeat itself. He’s making sure it won’t happen again.”

“You’re fond of him.”

“Yes.” Millicent wished she hadn’t answered quite so quickly and emphatically. “But you’re fond of him, too. He’ll be back any moment. Let’s concentrate on the sleeve here.” When her big sister gave her a we’ll-talk-about-this-more look, Millicent flashed her a cheeky grin. “I’ll take your advice to heart, though. Being playful is a grand idea. In that vein, I think we should give him a housewarming gift.”

“Have you asked him what he’d like?”

“Of course not! Then it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

Shaking her head, Isabelle warned, “Daniel isn’t the kind of man who likes surprises.”

“It’s our duty to teach him. How will Arthur ever learn to graciously accept presents if his father doesn’t provide an example? I’m going over to see Clicky. He’ll help me place an order and arrange for delivery.”

“You’d be wiser to concentrate on preparing the roast Tim Creighton brought in that pail.”

“Let’s go put it in the oven right now.”

An hour later, Millicent was well on the way to instituting her next grand plan. She’d be everything Daniel needed in a wife. The fact that Isabelle wasn’t offended by their lightheartedness put her at ease. If anything, Daniel would be her partner as Frank had been her sister’s. They’d have fun and cheer up Isabelle all at the same time.

“Daniel?” she called down the stairs. “I wanted to take Arthur for a stroll. It’s such a nice day. Do you think if I hold the banister with one hand and hold his hand with the other, maybe he could bump down the stairs on his little bottom? We’d be very careful.”

“It’s no bother for me to fetch him.”

“Not at this very moment, it’s not. But with Thursdays and Saturdays being the busiest days, I thought we could teach him how now. That way, when you’re serving the customers, we’ll have a safe alternative.”

Halfway down the stairs, Arthur gleefully shouted, “Dadda!

Me bump bump!”

“Yes, you are. There’s Daddy’s brave, big boy.”

“Bee boy!”

Daniel reached up, wrapped his big hands around his son, and pulled him off the stairs. When Arthur began to object, Daniel lifted him high and jostled him. “The big boy is high! Look, son. You’re up high!”

“Wheeee!”

As he set Arthur down, Millicent murmured to him, “I’m more proud of you than of Arthur. He was learning something new; you were banishing ghosts.”

“Don’t think my memories are that easily erased, Millicent. Some things, a man never forgets. He just learns to control them the best he can and live with them.”

His words pounded in her mind as her boots measured the length of the boardwalk. Arthur held her hand and ambled alongside her, babbling happily. Suddenly, all of Daniel’s schedules and lists made sense. If he could write everything down, he could control it—only she’d been blind to how important those lists really were to him. She hadn’t looked past what they were and seen why they were so necessary. Daniel used them as a tool so he could be a good head of their home—and he succeeded at it. All these days, she’d tried to bring spontaneity into Daniel’s life when what he needed most was what he’d asked of her from the very start—someone to mind his son and adhere to his schedules. Isabelle had been right—Daniel wouldn’t appreciate the gift she’d arranged for, and it couldn’t be returned. Millicent tried to convince herself that he might actually surprise her and appreciate it a little, but from here on out, she wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Lord, help me be a good wife and mother. I need your guidance. Grant me wisdom so I can be the woman Daniel needs me to be.