A New Beginning (11 page)

Elizabeth’s cheeks immediately began to burn. She hadn’t expected to be the subject of a staff discussion. The door was too far away—she couldn’t slip out unnoticed.

“I have told them,” Miss Hampton said. “Our deepest sympathies, Miss Caldwell. That must have been a terrible thing to experience.”

Elizabeth nodded her thanks.

Mr. Brody clasped his hands behind his back. “It’s crucial that every young lady working here in the hotel—and living in the town—be on the lookout for these two men. If they were brazen enough to attempt such a thing on Miss Caldwell in broad daylight, who knows what other tactics they might employ. I’ve just spent some time teaching Miss Caldwell how to shoot a gun. I carry a firearm on my person at all times except when I’m doing manual labor. Tom also carries a weapon, and Miss Hampton has one as well. If anyone else would like to be trained, please speak with me, and I’ll see to it. There’s simply no reason why a lady should be at the mercy of any ruffian who crosses her path.”

Harriet, Abigail, and Jeanette each nodded, their eyes huge.

“Miss Caldwell, will you come with me? The rest of you, please continue with whatever you were doing.” Mr. Brody waited until the room had cleared out, and then he turned to Elizabeth. “I owe you an apology.”

Elizabeth’s brow furrowed. “An apology? I don’t understand, sir.”

“When I saw the conditions of your home this morning, I felt thoroughly ashamed of myself. As your employer, I have a responsibility to you, and yet, I never gave your situation a second thought. I just assumed you had what you needed. But your roof is in poor repair, and I imagine you’ve been counting on your wages for basic supplies. If I’d realized that, I would have advanced your pay. I should have been more attentive, but I intend to make up for it now. Tom has prepared the buggy, and we’re going shopping.”

“Shopping, sir?” Elizabeth couldn’t decide which part of his speech had surprised her more.

“You can hardly carry your groceries home on the back of a horse. Or do you have some special skills I know nothing about? That wouldn’t startle me, actually. You reveal new sides to yourself every day.”

Elizabeth didn’t feel as though she had other sides—she felt bland and boring and very plain. If he chose to find her interesting, though, she wouldn’t make a fuss about it. “It’s true that I do need to purchase some groceries. Thank you for your help.”

“It’s not entirely selfless of me—I promised I’d check on the food order, and this way, I can keep my promise while accompanied by a very charming companion. Let’s go.”

Tom was waiting for them outside next to the buggy, and he gave Elizabeth a hand up. Mr. Brody seemed perfectly at ease driving his own rig rather than having Tom do it for him, and they were off. The store wasn’t far from the hotel, and it almost seemed silly to drive such a short way, but there would be packages to carry, so Elizabeth supposed it was a wise choice.

She made her selections quickly while Mr. Brody spoke with Mr. Appleby, the merchant behind the counter. She chose out all the special ingredients her mother would need to make the cake, and then concentrated on the staples—flour, sugar, coffee, tea. A sudden thought overtook her, and she ducked between two shelves and pulled out her pay envelope. She had no idea how much money she had to spend. Her eyes widened when she saw that she’d been given three dollars more than she expected. Bless Mr. Brody for his generosity.

“Miss Caldwell?”

She stuck her head out from between the shelves. “Yes?”

Mr. Brody walked toward her, a curious look on his face. “Were you hiding?”

“No, sir.” She glanced around frantically. “I was inspecting these harnesses,” she said, pointing at the nearest object.

Mr. Brody raised an eyebrow. “I see. Would you mind coming over here a moment? We need to choose a gun for you.”

She had nearly forgotten all about that. “Are you sure I need one? It seems like such an expense, and the men will have moved on by now, won’t they?”

“And who are we to say that you won’t have problems with someone else in future? Consider it a good investment on my part. I don’t want to be replacing my employees once every season, do I?”

“No, I suppose not.” She followed him over to a counter in the back of the general store, where Mr. Appleby was more than happy to show them what he had in stock. Mr. Brody looked everything over and then held a Colt toward Elizabeth.

“Put this in your hand, and let’s see if it’s a good match.”

She took the weapon as instructed, but she wasn’t sure if it was a good match or not. She wasn’t used to holding a gun, so it would feel awkward to her regardless.

“I think this one will do,” Mr. Brody said. “And now there’s the matter of an account for Miss Caldwell.”

“An account? But I was just going to pay for my goods with the cash from my wages,” Elizabeth protested, gesturing toward her pile of chosen items.

Mr. Brody turned to her with sharp eyes. “Miss Caldwell, do you mean to tell me that your wages will cover everything? You’ve just arrived in town, you’re setting up housekeeping, who knows how far you traveled to get here, and you feel that your wages will take care of every need you currently have?”

“Well, no.” Elizabeth glanced down at the floor. Rose would soon need dresses, and she wanted to knit her mother a new shawl, and . . .

“Allow me to set up an account for you here at the store. Get what you must have to settle in, and pay it off in increments. I will guarantee the account.”

As good as this sounded, she was still undecided. “Are you sure? I’ve always believed in paying as you go and not incurring debt.”

“I believe that’s a fine idea, and you’re smart for feeling that way. But I also believe that it’s important to meet your needs. And lest you feel that I’m playing favorites or being inappropriate in any way, I plan to set up an account for every employee of the hotel as well.” He fixed her with that curious look again. “Are we agreed?”

She nodded once. “We are agreed.”

“Then please, take a look around. Are there any other goods you need today?”

Elizabeth took a deep breath and added a few more things to her pile, including the wool she would need for her mother’s shawl. She would get the fabric for Rose’s dresses another day, when she felt she had more time to choose without being watched. It was better than Christmas, even if Mr. Brody did make a very unlikely Santa Claus. She did the math in her head—she had spent less than her wages, which made her happy, and she could still use the account in future if she needed to.

“Mr. Appleby, do you have any milk, or know of someone who sells it?” she asked the man behind the counter.

“If I hear right, you’re just out of town on this same road, right, Miss Caldwell?”

“That’s right.”

“There’s a farmer out there by the name of Smith. He has a few cows, and he sells the milk for a fairly reasonable rate. He brings some in here ’bout daily—in fact, I’m expecting him soon. Would you like me to ask him to pay you a visit? He’s a very polite fellow—shouldn’t be a bother.”

What a relief. “I’d appreciate that a great deal, Mr. Appleby. Thank you.”

“Not a problem at all.”

Another difficulty solved. If one more thing went right this day, Elizabeth felt sure her heart would burst.

* * *

Adam pressed his lips together, trying to contain his amusement. Miss Caldwell reminded him of a little girl brought into a candy store and told to choose whatever she liked. He could tell that she was trying to make her selections carefully, and he approved. The rich remained rich through frugal living.

“I believe I see the makings for a cake in that pile,” he said, eyeing her purchases with interest. He loved cake.

“My mother has a wonderful recipe, and I told her we should celebrate our good fortune,” Miss Caldwell replied.

“Will you save me a slice?”

She smiled. “Of course.”

Adam waited until her back was turned, then asked Mr. Appleby to put an extra bag of flour and pound of butter in with her order. It would be a little surprise when she got home—hopefully, a welcome one.

Everything was loaded into the buggy, and Adam flicked the reins. It wasn’t far to her house, but he was reluctant for the day to end. He allowed Cleophas to walk, not even shaking the reins more than what was necessary to keep them moving.

“You grew up in New York, Miss Caldwell?”

“I did. My father was a banker, and we had a lovely home.” Her tone became nostalgic. “I remember curling up next to the fireplace in the evenings to do my schoolwork. He’d sit in his leather chair and smoke his cigar, and it was all very comfortable.”

He could almost see her as a young girl at her father’s knee. The vision was very appealing. “And then what happened? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to—perhaps I’m being nosy. I do have that way.”

“No, it’s all right.” She seemed to gather her thoughts. “My father died of a heart complaint when I was thirteen. I miss him terribly.”

“And it’s just been you and your mother ever since?”

“Hmm.” She made a noncommittal humming sound, which Adam found odd. “I have brothers and sisters who are all older than me. They’d moved away by that point.” Then she turned to him with a bright smile. “Mr. Brody, thank you so much for today. Your kindness has been more than I ever could have expected or imagined.”

“It’s been my pleasure entirely.” More than he could have expected as well.

“What about you, Mr. Brody? How did you come to live in Topeka?”

He should have expected the question—after all, he’d asked about her. He put his feelings of awkwardness away. “I, too, was born in New York, although not right in the city. We had a farm on the outskirts, a nice, sprawling place with horses that we hooked to sleds in the winter and went on rides across the snow-covered hills. Last year, I experienced a series of losses, and after a short time of feeling very sorry for myself, I decided I’d like a fresh start, and I came out west. I stopped off here, saw the mansion, and began having wild ideas for its transformation. You know the rest.”

“A series of losses? Or perhaps now
I’m
being too curious.”

Adam adjusted his grip on the reins, trying to buy himself some time. “My mother passed away, and then my father, and then my fiancée, all within eleven months.” He paused, wishing he could say more, wanting to open up and share those thoughts and feelings with Miss Caldwell. But they were just now getting acquainted—he could hardly tell her his life story when they had met such a short time ago. “My mother from general poor health, my father from grief, and my fiancée from pneumonia,” he added, not trusting himself to say more than that.

“I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Brody,” she said, turning to him with sympathy in those incredible eyes. “It must have been awful for you.”

He nodded. “It’s been very difficult. But now, with the hotel, I have a new beginning, a fresh start. Thank God for Aunt Caroline being there for me through it all.”

“She’s a very kind woman.”

Adam turned a little in his seat and looked at Miss Caldwell. “She is. I’m glad you can see that—with her sometimes brusque exterior, it can be difficult to tell what she’s thinking or feeling. Some find it difficult to get to know her.”

Miss Caldwell looked thoughtful. “I think Miss Hampton has that brusque exterior to protect the very warm heart underneath. She’s been especially concerned about my mother, and I appreciate that attention.”

Shame flooded Adam. “My aunt has been more attentive than I’ve been. But that will change, Miss Caldwell. Tomorrow, I’ll bring Tom over, and we’ll fix the roof.”

Miss Caldwell seemed uneasy. “I believe the landowner will be taking care of it. We’re only renting, you see.”

“Oh. Well, I hope he does take care of it soon. One good rainstorm, and you’ll be soaked. If you change your mind, please just let me know.” He prayed she’d do just that—he badly wanted to do it. It seemed that the more he helped her, the more he
wanted
to help her.

She flashed him a smile. “I will.”

Far too soon, they reached Miss Caldwell’s house. She alighted from the buggy before Adam even had a chance to climb down and help her. “Please, Miss Caldwell, hold up a moment. Let me get the heavier boxes.”

“It’s all right,” she said, her arms straining under the load. “My mother may be contagious, and I’d hate for you to come in and catch whatever she has.”

Adam tilted his head. “Aren’t you afraid that you’ll catch it?”

“No. I’m sure that if I were going to become ill, I would have done it already.” She disappeared into the cabin. Adam glanced around. At least there was firewood stacked up against the side of the house, but that roof was a worry to be sure. Well, if she wouldn’t let him inside the house, he could at least set her boxes near the door, and he did.

“Thank you so much for today,” Miss Caldwell said after she’d taken everything inside.

“I’m not leaving quite yet,” Adam told her. “Show me that you remember how to load your gun.”

“Oh, that’s right. I’d nearly forgotten.” She showed him what she remembered, and he nodded in satisfaction.

“You are to keep a loaded gun near at hand at all times,” he reminded her. “Colonel Gordon assured me that he would keep a close eye on this road and this property, but that doesn’t mean you can relax.”

She nodded. “I understand.”

Adam stepped backward, knowing he should return to the hotel, and yet there was something that made him stay. “Miss Caldwell, despite the circumstances that brought it about, today has been one of the most pleasant I’ve spent in a long time. I wonder if you’d come out with me for a Sunday afternoon picnic tomorrow. I’ll ask Mrs. Dempsey to make us up one of her delicious baskets, and we’ll take a break from all the hubbub of the hotel before we open on Monday. What do you say?”

Her cheeks pinked prettily. “I think I’d like that, Mr. Brody.”

“Then I’ll be here at eleven o’clock tomorrow morning. Good day, Miss Caldwell, and please give my best to your mother.” He tipped his hat, then climbed back into the buggy and drove away, wondering what it was about this quiet, reserved young woman that had his heart beating wildly against his ribcage.