The Unexpected Bride Page 3

  Elthia braced a hand firmly on the seat beside her. All right, so this position would be a bit more isolated than she’d thought. All the better for proving she could make it on her own.

  She studied the house more closely as they approached. Two storied and multi-gabled, it had slate-blue shutters and was fronted by a roomy, wraparound porch, the steps of which were flagged by flowering bushes. A far cry from the elegant, colonnaded home with manicured lawns she’d grown up in.

  A buggy, hitched and ready to go, stood tied to the rail near the front porch. As Mr. Tanner pulled the wagon to a halt, the front door opened and a sturdily built, gray-haired woman stepped out. This must be the neighbor he’d mentioned earlier. Probably the same woman who did the cleaning and cooking for them.

  Elthia paused as she caught sight of two children watching from just inside the doorway. Both the overall-clad urchins were boys. She’d understood the Tanners had only the two girls. Did these two belong to this neighbor woman?

  “Mr. Tanner, I see she made it.” The woman’s words drew Elthia’s attention away from the children.

  “Yes, she did. Mrs. Johnston, I’d like you to meet Miss Elthia Sinclare.” Mr. Tanner jumped nimbly down and moved around to help Elthia alight.

  “Welcome to Foxberry, Miss Sinclare.”

  “Thank you. I’m looking forward to my stay here.” Her remark, no more than a polite pleasantry, drew a startled look from Mrs. Johnston and a frown from Mr. Tanner.

  Before she could discern why, the older woman turned to her employer. “I’ll be heading back to my place now. If you can keep them young’uns on their pallets for one more day, they’d be the better for it. But I don’t envy you the doing of it.”

  Mrs. Johnston moved to her buggy as she spoke, but the two barefoot boys stayed where they were. It seemed they weren’t with her after all.

  Mr. Tanner hurried to help his departing visitor climb up into her buggy. “I’m sorry if they gave you a hard time.”

  Mrs. Johnston’s weathered face softened as she reached for the reins. “Don’t let it worry you none. I remember what it was like to have a house full of young’uns at home. I’d rather see them up to mischief than ailing. I set a pot of stew to simmering on the stove. That ought to take care of tonight’s supper. Didn’t want Miss Sinclare to worry herself with that sort of thing her first day here.” She sent a smile Elthia’s way, obviously expecting some sort of thank-you.

  Elthia blinked. Did Mrs. Johnston think she’d been hired to cook? She looked to Mr. Tanner, expecting him to set her straight, but he met her gaze with a raised brow.

  “That was very thoughtful of you, Mrs. Johnston,” he said. “Miss Sinclare was just telling me how tired she was from her long journey. And your delicious stew is welcome anytime.”

  Mrs. Johnston looked from one to the other, obviously puzzled by the exchange. “Yes, well, think nothing of it.”

  Then she turned back to Elthia. “I’ll leave you to settle in and meet your new family. Too bad this sickness had to hit just before your arrival. The young’uns won’t be at their best, but I reckon it can’t be helped. I guess you’re about to prove to Mr. Tanner just how good a helpmeet you’re going to be.” With that, Mrs. Johnston flicked the reins and headed on her way.

  Helpmeet?

  Elthia frowned over Mrs. Johnston’s strange choice of words.

  She watched as Mr. Tanner hefted the largest of her trunks up to his shoulder, and was impressed in spite of herself. The man was more powerful than he looked.

  “Uncle Caleb, Josie’s fretting again. You need to do something.”

  The belligerent-sounding statement came from the bigger of the two brown-haired boys on the porch. Elthia judged him to be about thirteen. And apparently he was a nephew, not Mr. Tanner’s son.

  “Is Zoe with her?” Mr. Tanner asked, setting the trunk down on the porch for a moment.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Then she’ll be all right for a little while. Now, I’d like you two to meet someone. Peter, this is Miss Sinclare.”

  “Miss Sinclare.” The boy’s voice sounded polite but not especially welcoming, and his expression remained guarded.

  Assuming he was worried about his ailing playmates, Elthia smiled warmly. “Hello, Peter. I’m very glad to meet you.”

  “And this lad here is Alex.”

  Alex proved friendlier than his companion, giving Elthia a winning grin.

  “Hello, Miss Sinclare. Welcome to Foxberry.”

  “Thank you, Alex. I’m sure I’m going to like it—Oh!” Elthia drew back as she caught sight of two beady eyes and a furry muzzle peeking over Alex’s shoulder.

  Alex grinned again. “Sorry, ma’am. But there’s no call to be scared. It’s just Rip.” He reached behind him, pulling forward a squirrel for Elthia’s inspection. “See. You can pet him if you like. Rip won’t hurt you, promise.”

  Before Elthia could say anything, Poppy poked his head out of the basket and began barking furiously. Rip skittered up Alex’s arm, around to his back, and then down his leg. In a matter of seconds, he’d shot off the porch and disappeared into the safety of a tall oak beside the house.

  Worried she’d upset the boy by frightening off his pet, Elthia hurried to apologize. “Oh, Alex, I’m so sorry. I—”

  “That’s okay. I’m trying to get Rip to go back to the wild anyway, now that his foot’s better.” All the while the boy spoke, his gaze remained riveted to the basket in her arms and more specifically to its occupant.

  Elthia lifted Poppy so the child could get a better look. “Do you like dogs?”

  Alex nodded, an expression of awe on his face. “Yes, ma’am. But I’ve never seen one like that before. Can I pet him?”

  “Of course. In fact, he could use some exercise. Would you mind playing with him out here for a bit while I get settled in?”

  “No ma’am! I mean, I’d be glad to.” The boy accepted the wiggling ball of fur, grinning with delight as Poppy got to know him better by licking his face.

  Mr. Tanner shot Elthia a grimace, then turned back to the boys. “I’ll need your help unloading Miss Sinclare’s things from the buggy. Miss Sinclare, if you don’t mind holding the door?”

  Elthia moved past him and opened the screened door, holding it to let him pass through.

  Following him inside, she looked around, eager to discover what her temporary new home looked like. She found herself in a roomy entry that was warmly furnished with plain but well-crafted wooden pieces. The faint scent of linseed oil was almost masked by the tempting aroma of the simmering stew Mrs. Johnston had mentioned. The kitchen must be through one of the doors there on her right.

  Still looking around, she caught the toe of her shoe on the braided rug that covered the plain wooden floor at the foot of the stairway. Grabbing the spindle-railed banister to keep from falling, she was grateful that Mr. Tanner was already climbing the stairs and had missed this additional evidence of her clumsiness.

  “We set up an infirmary downstairs,” he said, nodding back toward an open door to her left. “I’ll take you in and introduce you to the kids after you’ve had time to freshen up.”

  The stairway led to a U-shaped landing with six doors opening on to it, three on each side.

  “Those doors there,” he said, nodding to the left, “are the master bedroom, a nursery that is used for storage, and the entrance to the attic stairs. The three on this side are the smaller bedrooms.”

  He moved toward the first of the smaller bedrooms, indicating she was to open the door. Setting her trunk just inside the room, he rolled his shoulders as he stood. “Just make yourself at home, and I’ll bring up the rest of your things.”

  Pausing inside the doorway, he turned back to her. “You do understand that you need to see to your things yourself. There’ll be no maid along later to help you unpack.”

  Did he really think her so helpless? She flashed him a smile through gritted teeth. “Don’t worry, Mr. Tanner, I am perfectly
capable of taking care of myself.”

  After he’d gone, she looked around. Her dressing room at home was larger than this, but she decided she liked the cozy feel of it. She set her parasol down on one of the two small beds, admiring the colorful, intricately pieced quilts that served as bedspreads.

  A stout wooden chest guarded the space between the beds. She smiled when she saw the slingshot and rock collection scattered across the top. Mr. Tanner’s nephews must have used this room until recently.

  She removed her hat and crossed to the mirrored dresser to check her hair. A vase of flowers, yellow roses like those on the bushes by the porch, sat proudly on a starched lace doily. She inhaled the scent, warmed by the feeling that someone had gone to this extra effort to make her feel welcome.

  After patting a few stray hairs back in place, she turned toward the window to explore the view, but before she could cross the room, Peter and Alex arrived with the second of her trunks.

  “Oh, thank you, just set it down anywhere.”

  When they’d complied, Alex flashed her an engaging grin. “I put the leash on your dog, ma’am, and tied him to the porch so he won’t run off. What kind is he?”

  “A Yorkshire terrier. He came all the way from England.”

  Alex’s eyes got a bit rounder. “Really? Are all dogs in England so tiny?”

  Elthia laughed. “No. These just happen to be a naturally small breed.”

  She looked up as Mr. Tanner entered with more of her luggage, and added for his benefit, “These dogs are also quite intelligent and loyal animals. Once you gain their trust, they’ll do anything in their power for you.”

  An audible sniff, almost a snort really, was her employer’s inelegant response. “Come on, you two,” he said, waving the boys toward the door. “One more load ought to do it, and then we can leave Miss Sinclare to her unpacking.”

  Twenty minutes later, Elthia left her room, a few tools of the trade in hand. She hesitated a moment, eyeing the closed door to the master bedroom. Perhaps she should introduce herself to the lady of the house.

  Then she decided against it. If Mrs. Tanner was sleeping or not feeling well, she probably wouldn’t welcome the intrusion. No, she’d wait until Mr. Tanner was ready to introduce them.

  Squaring her shoulders, she started down the stairs. It was time she began earning her keep.

  As she reached the ground floor, Elthia could hear voices coming from the room Mr. Tanner had indicated earlier as the temporary infirmary. He laughed just then, a rich, warm sound that sent little tremors of gooseflesh chasing across her arms. Nice to know he was able to relax around the children.

  Shaking herself and pushing her glasses firmly up the bridge of her nose, Elthia smiled and stepped inside the room.

  And stopped dead in her tracks.

  She counted five children scattered across the large room, and the older boy, Peter, wasn’t even present. What was Mr. Tanner thinking, taking on four extra children when he had a sick wife to see to? More importantly, did he expect her, as the new governess, to care for all of them?

  Sensing her presence, Caleb looked up and stood, Josie snuggled securely on his left hip. He’d noticed the way Miss Sinclare interacted with Alex and Peter earlier—it had given him hope that he could make this work despite his earlier misgivings. If she was good with the kids, he could overlook her other faults.

  But, seeing the hint of shock in her expression as she looked around, the welcome on his lips cooled. Had the Tanners already failed to measure up to the exalted standards of Lady Privilege?

  In deference to the children, however, he kept his tone light. “Well, well, Miss Sinclare, ready to join us at last, I see. Come on in and I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

  She flushed at his words and pushed her glasses up on her nose. Did the gesture indicate distress, determination, or something else?

  “Of course.” She offered an apologetic nod. “Sorry if I kept you waiting. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone.”

  He hefted the child in his arms. “This here’s Josie, age five.”

  “Hello, Josie.”

  “I’ve been very sick,” the little girl said solemnly. “I was all covered with red spots.”

  Caleb tweaked her nose. “Just like a ladybug and twice as cute.” Josie gave him a tickled grin and hugged his neck.

  He patted the child’s back and was surprised to see Miss Sinclare’s face soften. Maybe she really was as fond of children as she claimed.

  Zoe moved to his side and held her arms out for Josie. “Come on, sweetie,” she coaxed. “Let me rock you for a while.”

  Caleb nodded as he handed the toddler over. “This is Zoe.”

  The girl bobbed her head in Elthia’s direction with a respectful Hello, ma’am.

  “She’s twelve,” Caleb continued. “And, like Alex and Peter, she’s had the measles before so luckily didn’t get sick this time. Zoe knows her way around the kitchen like a master, and you haven’t lived until you’ve tried some of her buttermilk pie.”

  Miss Sinclare smiled at the girl. “And I’m pleased to meet you, Zoe. I’m afraid I have very few kitchen skills, but I certainly look forward to sampling some of that pie soon.”

  No kitchen skills—so it would be Zoe teaching her rather than vice versa. Hopefully the woman would be a fast learner.

  Zoe offered only a stiff smile in response, then turned toward the rocking chair.

  Caleb studied the girl, feeling a niggle of worry. He’d thought, given time, Zoe’s somber demeanor would lighten. But it’d been two months now, and she remained unnaturally solemn. Could Miss Sinclare make a difference with her?

  He kept his voice light as he moved on. “Over there by the window is Alex. You met him earlier. As you no doubt noticed, Alex has a way with animals that’s downright amazing. Hasn’t met one yet he couldn’t have eating out of his hand in a matter of minutes. He’s a big help with the livestock. Alex knows quite a bit about caring for horses and can milk the cows.”

  Alex grinned self-consciously. “Hello again, Miss Sinclare.”

  “Hello, Alex. Thank you for your help with my bags.”

  Caleb moved on again, this time indicating two boys sitting up on makeshift pallets.

  “These two characters are Keith and Kevin. They’re a double dose of six-year-old energy and curiosity. And they do everything together, even down to shedding their baby teeth.”

  “Theeeee,” the boys confirmed, drawing their lips back to display identical gaps in their smiles.

  To his surprise, Miss Sinclare stooped to speak to them at eye level. “That’s amazing. I’ll have to really work on finding a way to tell you apart.”

  “Wha’cha holding?” Kevin asked, eyeing the books in her hand.

  “These?” She held out the books as if only just remembering she carried them.

  Both boys nodded.

  “Just a couple of books. My father gave me these when I was a little girl. This first one has stories about knights and dragons and castles. And it has pictures too. Would you like to come over to the sofa and let me read some of it to you?”

  The twins nodded, scrambling up to lead her to the sofa.

  “Me too!” Josie slid from Zoe’s lap. “I love stories.”

  “All right—Josie is it? What about the rest of you? Would you like to hear a story with us?”

  And, easy as that, Caleb found himself on the outside looking in as the kids clambered around Miss Sinclare and her books.

  Elthia spent the rest of the afternoon tending to the three fretful, attention-seeking patients. The three older children managed to spend time in the room as well. She held children, read to them, rocked them, fetched glasses of water, even sang to them. And, somewhere along the way, lost her heart to them.

  Mr. Tanner drifted in and out, checking up on her she suspected, but he never tarried. She did wonder why there was no sign of his invalid wife but assumed she was resting in her room.

  Thinking about Mrs.
Tanner and trying to picture what she must be like, Elthia found herself studying Josie. There was something about the girl that set her apart from the other Tanners. Where most of them had caramel-colored eyes and sandy or light brown hair, Josie’s thick black hair and wide, slightly tilted green eyes gave her an almost gypsy-like appearance.

  Had she gotten those looks from her mother? If so, Mr. Tanner was blessed with a wife of rare beauty. Not a plain-Jane frump like herself.

  Not that it made a bit of difference to her.

  On the heels of that thought, Mr. Tanner escorted Dr. Adams into the room. As soon as the introductions were complete, she left the doctor to his work and slipped outside for a welcome breath of fresh air.

  Leaning on the porch rail, she inhaled the sweet scent of the blossoms from the nearby rosebushes. It was late afternoon, and the sun already hung low on the horizon. A moment later, Alex appeared from around the corner of the house, Poppy at his heels.

  The boy slid to a stop when he spied her. “I hope you don’t mind, ma’am,” he said with an urchin-like smile. “I gave your dog some water and some scraps to eat.”

  Elthia returned his smile. “No, of course I don’t mind. In fact, I’m grateful. And his name’s Poppy, by the way.”

  “Poppy.” The child rolled the name across his tongue, then smiled. “It suits him.”

  Moving to sit on the steps, Elthia smiled back. “I do believe Poppy’s taken a shine to you.”

  Alex beamed. “I’m glad you brought him with you. Momma liked cats, so we never had a dog before.”

  Elthia wrinkled her forehead over his words as she watched him race with Poppy back the way he’d come.

  Trying to reason away her growing unease, Elthia decided she would have a talk with Mr. Tanner as soon as the doctor left. She would find out just how long the four boys would be here and also have him introduce her to Mrs. Tanner. Talking to the lady of the house would help set her mind at ease and give her a better sense of what the expectations were for her stay here.