The Preacher’s Daughter Read online

  Smoothing her dress beneath her, Lorabeth eased back down, her attention focused on Caleb. “Was he…did he say anything to discourage you from wanting me here?”

  “I assured him I had your best interests in mind and that I’ll look after you as a member of my family.”

  Relief washed over her, then pleasure at his reference to treating her as part of the family. A grateful ache blossomed in her chest. “Thank you, Dr. Chaney.”

  “We’ve come to rely on you. Living with us now, you’ll be an even bigger help when the new baby comes.”

  Ellie smiled at her husband and then at Lorabeth.

  Lorabeth flicked her gaze from one child to the next, finally reaching Benjamin. She’d always had the nagging feeling that he didn’t like or approve of her, not because he’d ever been unkind, but because she sensed his reserve where she was concerned. Her joy dimmed a fraction, but she caught herself and offered him a smile.

  Benjamin returned it hesitantly, then seemed to notice Ellie’s glance. He got up to get the pies from the sideboard and set them in front of his sister to cut. Lorabeth’s mouth watered at the dark red cherries and juice visible through the lattice crusts. She watched Ellie slice thick wedges.

  “There’s a horse auction this week,” Flynn said. “Did you know about it, Caleb?”

  “Seems I did hear something. Don’t need any more horses, though.”

  Ellie’s younger brother wore a hopeful expression. Flynn talked a lot about horses.

  “I heard mention that a fella from Arkansas is selling a couple of Missouri Fox Trotters,” Benjamin commented.

  Flynn sat forward. “Ever seen one of ’em?”

  “Never have. Maybe we should go have a look.”

  Benjamin promised they’d attend the auction together.

  Flynn’s pleasure shone in his smile.

  “I saw Martha Wick the other day.” Caleb directed the comment to Benjamin.

  Benjamin glanced up from his pie. “Who?”

  “You went to school with Martha,” Ellie reminded him. “She married that Pratt fellow who farms to the west.”

  “They live with her father-in-law, Milo Pratt,” Caleb said. “Milo’s been laid up with a leg injury.”

  Their discussions fascinated Lorabeth. She studied each family member with keen interest.

  “Lillith and Anna, will you help me set up for croquet?” Caleb asked, pushing his empty plate away. Anna was barely more than a baby and would require his supervision, but Lorabeth had noticed that he always included her. “Nana and Papa will be arriving soon.”

  The two girls jumped up and down with excitement and Ellie helped Anna from her seat.

  Ellie turned to Lorabeth. “You remember Caleb’s parents. They attend the Presbyterian church in Florence with his sister Patricia’s family, but every other Sunday they come to Newton for the afternoon.”

  Lorabeth nodded. She had seen them several times when they’d stopped by the house during the week. “My sister and her family live in Florence, too.”

  “You must take pleasure in their visits,” Ellie said.

  “They don’t visit much,” she answered. She hadn’t seen Ruthann or her brother, Jubal, for over a year.

  Caleb glanced at his sons. “You two young men clear the table, and be mindful of the good china.”

  Nate and David looked at each other before obediently rising to scrape plates. Lorabeth had never before heard their father ask a kitchen chore of them.

  “I can clear the table,” she offered.

  “No,” Ellie replied. “The boys will handle it while you see to your things.” She glanced across the table. “Ben?”

  Benjamin placed his napkin beside his plate and stood. “I’m not sure which room is yours,” he said to Lorabeth.

  Without hesitation she stood. “I’ll show you.”

  He followed her to the foyer and bent to pick up a substantial stack. “Lead the way.”

  She gathered one of the remaining drawstring bags and climbed the stairs ahead of him.

  Ben watched her hand on the banister so he wouldn’t be tempted to study her curvaceous backside swaying beneath the green dress.

  Lily of the valley, that was the delicate scent that floated behind her. Her skirts rustled as she walked, the fabric whispering secrets he couldn’t quite make out. He didn’t pay much attention to women’s apparel, but he knew that it wasn’t a fancy dress she wore. In fact, now that he really noticed, the garment was rather plain, without lace or trim or ornamentation of any kind. She didn’t need any; she was as pretty as a spring day.

  He caught himself and worked determinedly to arrest those unacceptable thoughts.

  She stopped in the hallway and gestured to a room, indicating where he should take her things.

  He stepped into the square interior. He’d seen all of the bedrooms at one time or another, knew there were one or two extras at this end of the hall, but he hadn’t been upstairs much since she’d been staying here during the week.

  A wide window overlooked the side lawn and gauzy white curtains were draped to each side, revealing the branches of a cedar tree. A cushioned rocking chair sat beside the window. He wouldn’t have guessed she used this room if he’d gone looking on his own. There were no personal items in sight.

  The metal bed frame was plain, and a red-and-blue quilt neatly covered the mattress. He pictured her sleeping here, and discomfort scratched at his self-possession. He wished Ellie hadn’t assigned this task to him.

  He set the stack of crates on the floor.

  She moved farther into the room and placed the bag she’d carried on the bed.

  “I’ll get the rest.” He had the remainder of her belongings carried up in two more trips.

  He set each individual crate down on the floor so she wouldn’t have to lift them from a stack. It appeared the contents were mostly clothing. He averted his gaze and spotted what looked like a sewing box.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “Can I help with anything else?”

  “It’s only clothes I need to hang or put in the drawers.”

  To distract himself from thoughts of her clothing, he glanced at the papered walls. “You should have a picture or two.”

  She drew her brows into two slashes of concern. “I realized when I was packing that I don’t own much.”

  He hadn’t meant to point that out. He’d been making conversation to distract himself.

  “My father is opposed to storing up treasure on earth where moth and rust can corrupt,” she said.

  He didn’t know what to say to that. “Didn’t mean any offense.”

  “None taken.” She glanced at the bare walls. “Ellie said they’d never used this room.”

  “I have a few framed pictures at the house that Ellie left behind,” he said, sorry to be the one to chase the cheer from her voice. “I could bring one for you.”

  “That’s so thoughtful!”

  Her smile would have lit a dark night, and it almost embarrassed him because he hadn’t done anything extraordinary to earn her delight.

  “You bought their old house, didn’t you?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Don’t stay there often, though. My office and examining rooms are out at my other place. Horses, too, of course. And I almost always have a few ailing animals to look after.”

  “So you have two homes?”

  “Ellie nags me about it every week,” he replied with a nod. “I keep the house in town in case I need to stay over.” He glanced around. “I’m glad you’re here for Ellie.”

  She gave him a half smile. “I’m glad to be here, too. There’s so much more I can accomplish now.”

  He’d never noticed before that her eyes were a rich caramel color. Expectancy made them sparkle. Her statements intrigued him. “What do you want to accomplish?”

  She folded her hands over her heart as though searching for a way to explain. His attention followed her hands and rested on her breasts beneath her dress a mome
nt too long before he tore it away. Never in the last couple of years had he given her as much consideration as he had in the past hour, and noticing her this way made him uncomfortable.

  “I want to meet people and learn all I can.” The yearning in her voice surprised him. “I want to read every book in the public library and walk through all of the shops in town. I’d like to take a walk at night. Maybe even go somewhere on the train.”

  Her aspirations didn’t sound very high to Ben, but her desire to do ordinary things told him quite a bit. She’d been living under her father’s guidelines, and now she apparently had an agenda of her own. Maybe she hadn’t appreciated a parent who cared about her.

  A frown creased her features and her gaze fell to the top of the bureau as though she was thinking.

  Ben couldn’t stop himself from asking, “What’s the matter?”

  She glanced up. “Oh. Nothing, really. I was just thinking I still wouldn’t have much time for all of that.”

  “Ellie gave you two mornings off each week,” he reminded her.

  She nodded. “Yes.” Her smile seemed a trifle forced. “She did.”

  “You can go to the library and visit the shops on those days, can’t you?”

  She’d never voiced her dreams before, and after revealing an aching piece of her heart to a near stranger, Lorabeth experienced a twinge of embarrassment. Benjamin didn’t look particularly surprised or judgmental, in fact, his ice-blue eyes showed a flattering measure of interest.

  She nodded, bent to pick up one of the bags and placed it on the foot of the bed. “Yes, of course.”

  She’d had her fill of holding back and living up to expectations. She was curious about the opposite sex, fascinated by the relationship her employers shared and eager to spread her wings and experience life to its fullest.

  He could never know how glad she was to experience a taste of the life she’d missed out on. For the first time she felt as though she could actually take a deep breath. The air smelled cleaner. The sun shone brighter. Even this room looked bigger than it had when she’d left it late Friday evening.

  Life was ripe with possibilities. She wanted to pick and taste every last one of them.

  Benjamin took several steps toward the door. “This shouldn’t take you long. You can join us for croquet when you’re finished.”

  His suggestion caught Lorabeth by surprise. Of course she’d heard them talk about playing, but she hadn’t imagined…“I’d be welcome, do you suppose?”

  A line formed between his sandy-colored eyebrows, but his expression quickly smoothed into a teasing smile. “Of course you’re welcome. In fact, the girls will plead for you to be on their team since Ellie will be sitting out. The first game is always boys against girls. Not sure why. See you in a few minutes.”

  He left, closing the door and leaving her alone in the room.

  Lorabeth turned in a wide circle, reveling in the buoyant sense of freedom. She still had just as much work to do, in less time actually, but for some reason just the fact that she was here for good made the weight of it all seem so much lighter.

  The sound of childish voices reached her, and she hurried to slide open the window. The cedar tree blocked much of her view of the yard, but through lower branches she could make out the girls’ colorful dresses. Caleb was helping them do something in the grass.

  The sound of a team and buggy at the front of the house arrested her attention. She couldn’t see the front from her room, but it wasn’t long until the girls squealed and greeted the newcomers. Lorabeth recognized Caleb’s parents, but she’d never seen the other couple.

  Eager to discover what the family was doing, she quickly unpacked only the things she would need this evening, leaving the rest for later. After taking a few minutes to check her hair and dress in the mirror, she hurried down the stairs.

  No one remained in the house. She replaced the crocheted tablecloth Ellie kept on the mahogany dining table, then dried and put away the pans that had been left on the drain board.

  Making her way out the back door, she paused on the shaded porch to familiarize herself with those gathered on the lawn. Her attention was so focused, Ellie’s voice from behind startled her.

  “Did you get settled?”

  Lorabeth turned and found her employer and Caleb’s mother seated in two of the comfortable wicker chairs. Ellie had her feet resting on one of the footstools from the parlor. In the shade behind her chair, David’s cat, Buddy Lee, lay with all four paws tucked neatly beneath him. He spared Lorabeth a blink before closing his eyes.

  “Yes,” Lorabeth answered with a nod.

  “You remember Caleb’s mother,” Ellie said.

  “Yes, of course. Pleasure to see you, ma’am.”

  “And you, dear. I hear we’ll be seeing more of you from now on.” The handsome woman wore her faded red hair in an elegant upsweep.

  Lorabeth smiled. “I hope so.”

  Ellie rested a hand on her rounded belly and sighed.

  “Can I get you anything?” Lorabeth asked.

  She shook her head. “This baby is either a dancer or a runner like Ben.”

  “Benjamin’s a runner?”

  “A fast one,” Ellie replied. “Wins all the local competitions. He won footraces at the university, too.”

  “I’ll remember not to try to beat him to the dinner table.”

  Ellie laughed, then called, “Patricia! Denzil, come meet Lorabeth.”

  The couple strolled arm-in-arm across the lawn and stood in the grass below the porch rail.

  “This is Lorabeth,” Ellie told them. “For the last couple of years she’s helped with the children during the week, but now she’s moving in with us.” To Lorabeth, she explained, “Patricia is Caleb’s sister, and this is her husband, Denzil. Their daughter, Lucy, is out there by Flynn.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Lorabeth said. “The girls have told me you play the piano when you’re all together at Mrs. Chaney’s home.”

  The fair-haired woman offered her a kind smile. “I’ve heard all about you, too.”

  Anna bounded up the stairs as fast as her short little legs allowed. “Nana! Nana! It’th time for the girlth to beat the boyth. Weddy to pway?”

  Mrs. Chaney lifted the child onto her lap and kissed her pink cheek. “Nana’s going to sit here and visit with your mama today, darling.”

  “You’re not gonna pway?”

  “Not today. Next time.”

  Anna scooted from her lap and ran to take Lorabeth’s hand. “You’re gonna help uth win, right, Mith Lorrie?”

  Lorabeth glanced from Anna’s hopeful expression to the yard where the family was gathered. “I’ve never played croquet before, Anna. You’ll have to teach me.”

  Anna’s eyes widened big as saucers, and she turned to her mother. “Mama! I’m gonna teach Mith Lorrie!”

  Ellie laughed at her daughter’s delighted expression.

  Anna grasped Lorabeth’s hand and led her down the stairs where they followed Patricia and Denzil into the side yard. “We’re the black-and-blue team!”

  “Goodness! Is the game dangerous?”

  “Only if you stand too close to another player who’s swinging his mallet,” Benjamin replied, walking forward with a crooked grin. “Or you hit your own foot, of course.”

  “That’s where the black-and-blue part comes in?” she asked.

  Lorabeth liked the sound of his laughter, though she wasn’t entirely comfortable that it was at her expense. He explained, “The girls will be hitting the black and blue balls, the boys the red and yellow.”

  She took note of the curved wires protruding from the ground in two diamond shapes with double wires and stakes at each end.

  “Do you know the point of the game?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “But I want to learn.”

  “Okay, well, there’s a pattern here,” he told her. “The object is to get your ball through all the wickets in this double-diamond pattern. You wa
nt to try to hit the other team’s balls. If you do, you get an extra turn, and you get to hit their ball in the wrong direction.”

  “You get an extra strike for scoring a wicket or hitting the turning stake, too,” Flynn added. “Watch out for Ben, ’cause he likes to send another person’s ball flying.”

  “It sounds rather complicated,” Lorabeth said, voicing her concern.

  “Nah, it’s easy,” Flynn replied.

  “You’ll get the hang of it as we go,” Benjamin assured her.

  “I’m apposed to be teaching Mith Lorrie,” Anna admonished her adopted siblings.

  “So you are,” Dr. Chaney agreed, setting a coin on the bent knuckle of his thumb. “Heads or tails?” he asked Anna.

  “Heads!” she answered immediately.

  With a flick of his thumb, Dr. Chaney sent the nickel soaring into the air and caught it. He slapped it onto the back of his hand with an impressive flourish, then raised his hand away. “Heads it is.”

  “Hurray! We getta go firtht!”

  Listening to garbled instruction from a three-year-old made learning a challenge, but every so often, Caleb or Benjamin would explain Anna’s meaning or supply a rule the toddler wasn’t aware of.

  Lorabeth’s heart pounded as she prepared to take her first swing. She felt everyone’s attention, but was most concerned over Benjamin’s. She glanced up and found him watching.

  “You should have let her practice!” Ellie called from the porch.

  Benjamin waved away her comment and pointed to the black wooden ball in the short-cropped grass. “Go ahead,” he told Lorabeth. “You want the ball to land over here.”

  Lorabeth swung her mallet and sent the ball in the wrong direction. She covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, my.”

  “That’s okay,” Caleb called. “It’s just takes a little practice.”

  She discovered she wasn’t the only one with a wild swing. The balls the girls struck rarely landed where they were intended. She caught Benjamin subtly rolling Anna’s blue ball closer to a wicket with the toe of his brown polished boot, and when he looked up to discover her watching him, he shrugged sheepishly.

  He strolled closer. “We’d never get the game over this afternoon if we didn’t make a little magic happen,” he said in a low conspiratory tone.