California Romance (55 page)

He continued to wonder during the superlative dinner in the well-appointed dining room. Gaslight flickered on crystal and china. It gleamed on silver cutlery and tablecloths as starched and spotless as the pinafore-style aprons the waitresses wore. Josh rejoiced in the young women’s usual efficient service. His mother could have no complaint about it, even though she looked askance at their fellow diners.

The captain took center stage. Josh had heard some of his stories before but enjoyed the talkative hotel proprietor’s confession that gold mining wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. “One day, I washed thirty-four buckets of dirt in the forenoon and made sixty-two and one-half cents. In the afternoon, I bought a sack of flour, a half pound of pork, and a dollar’s worth of soap. It cost eight dollars.”

Mother eyed him suspiciously, but Edward’s eyes sparkled. Unless Josh was badly mistaken, his brother was having the time of his life.

When the last bite of the Lady Baltimore cake had vanished, the captain shoved his chair back from the table. “I imagine I’ll see you in church tomorrow, especially Pastor Josh.” He laughed heartily.

Josh held his breath, but Edward nodded. So did Mother.

“Good. Thank you for having supper with me.” The captain pulled out Mother’s chair. When she rose, he nodded and strolled out of the dining room.

Josh felt at a loss as to what to do next. “Would you like to see my parsonage?” he finally asked.

“Not tonight. I’m going to my room.” His mother swept out, long skirts trailing behind her.

Thud
. Josh’s hopes fell to his toes. He turned to face Edward. “Is she ever going to forgive me?”

An unreadable expression came into his twin’s eyes, an expression that left Josh uneasy without knowing why. “She’s here, isn’t she?”

Yet a question hammered in Josh’s brain:
True—but what does it mean?

After a sleepless night spent reviewing the sermon he’d planned, Josh gave it up at dawn. “Sorry, Lord. With Mother and Edward in the congregation, I simply can’t preach about the Lost Son.” He buried his head in his hands. “What shall I do?”

Silence followed. Peace came, first as a trickle, then like a river. It brought the feeling all would be well. Josh grabbed writing tools and began making notes.

A few hours later, he stepped behind the pulpit of Christ the Way, opened his Bible, and announced, “Our text today is from John 14.” Pages rustled as the congregation found the place. Josh’s heart thundered when he said, “Jesus told His disciples in verse 1, ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ In verse 27, He said, ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’”

He paused and closed the Bible. “Instead of preaching a regular sermon this morning, I’m going to tell you the story of a remarkable man.” He heard a snort from behind him.
Please, God, don’t let Luther Talbot make a scene
. Josh straightened. He wouldn’t give the chairman a chance.

“Horatio Spafford and his wife lived in Chicago. They had four daughters, who ranged from eighteen months in age to twelve years. In the winter of 1873, the family joyously looked forward to a trip to Europe. The time for the trip grew close, but business difficulties forced Spafford to remain at home. Unwilling to deprive his family of the trip, he kissed them good-bye, bade them Godspeed, and promised to join them as soon as possible.

“Anna Spafford and the girls boarded a French steamer and began their journey. Tragedy struck off the coast of Newfoundland. The ship collided with an English sailing vessel, which ripped a huge hole in the
Ville de Havre’s
hull. It plunged to the bottom of the ocean within twenty minutes.

“Just before the ship sank, Anna gathered her girls and prayed. The icy North Atlantic swept over them. It took the three oldest girls, then snatched the baby from her mother’s arms. Alone and near death, Anna was rescued by those in a lifeboat. Ten anxious days passed before the survivors landed in Wales. Anna wired her husband:

S
AVED ALONE
.

“Heartbroken, Horatio boarded the next available ship to England and was reunited with Anna. They returned to Chicago.”

Josh paused and looked from face to face. “How many times does our faith weaken when we face adversity? Who among us could face such a loss and remain steadfast? My mother and brother are here today. I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost either of them or my father. Yet the Spaffords trusted God and kept the faith. Horatio later returned to where the
Ville de Havre
went down. A hymn came out of his pain.”

Not a sound could be heard in the entire church. Josh saw tears trembling on his mother’s eyelashes. Edward sat as if turned to stone.
Thank You, Lord
.

Josh looked at Ellie. Her glowing eyes reflected her love for the God who had delivered her and Tim from a life of sadness. “I’ve asked Miss Sterling to sing ‘It Is Well with My Soul,’ the song wrenched from Horatio Spafford’s heart by tragedy.”

Ellie slowly stepped forward. Abby struck a single note on the organ and stopped playing. Ellie clasped her hands against her pale yellow gown and began to sing:

The glorious voice soared with triumph, needing no accompaniment:

Josh looked at Edward. Clearly astonished, his brother straightened in his seat and fixed his gaze on Ellie. So did Mother. The song continued. Josh saw his brother whisper to their mother. A satisfied smile appeared, but she never took her attention from Ellie.

Ellie had never sung so magnificently. Josh had never loved her more. Why then, did foreboding fill him? Another quick glance at his mother increased his apprehension. Whenever she looked like a pussycat who’d plundered the cream pitcher, it meant trouble. The unpleasant suspicion that his mother and Edward were neck-deep in some nefarious scheme perched on Josh’s shoulder and clawed into him.

If not, why were they here?

J
osh barely got the final
amen
out before his mother and Edward left their seats and rushed up the aisle to Ellie. Letitia laid her gloved hand on the girl’s arm and beamed. Josh hadn’t seen her so fluttery since the mayor of San Francisco presented her with what Edward called a “do-gooder” award for work with various city charities.

“My
dear,”
she gushed, “what a
marvelous
voice! And that song…” She dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief and turned to Matt and his family. “You must be the Sterlings. Surely you are proud of this young lady.” Her treble voice rang through the church.

Tim gawked. Ellie blinked. Sarah’s eyes twinkled. The corners of Matt’s mouth twitched as he said, “And you must be Mrs. Stanhope and Edward.” He held out his hand. “I’m glad you came.”

Josh wished he could say the same. It might be unjust, but he couldn’t rid himself of the feeling mischief was brewing.

“Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, will you and your family be our guests for lunch at the Yosemite Hotel?” Edward laughed and corrected himself. “Dinner, that is.”

“Thank you,” Matthew said. “Sarah, Tim, Ellie, and I will be happy to accept. Our younger children can go home with my sister and her husband.”

Edward gave them his most charming smile. “I’m sure Josh will be joining us.”

You can bet on it, brother. I’m not letting you and Mother out of my sight until you’re back on the train to San Francisco
. Josh left the platform and came to the group. “Of course. Let’s step outside. Folks will want to meet you.” He maneuvered them down the aisle and into the yard. His heart warmed to the way the congregation flocked around his family. But when Amy Talbot, wearing a fluffy lilac gown and a here-I-go-a-hunting look approached Edward, Josh wanted to howl with mirth.

Wide-eyed and innocent, she peered up into Edward’s face, then clapped her small hands. “I declare, you really are alike as two peas in a pod.” Amy giggled. “What a blessing to have two such handsome men in church today!” She batted her eyelashes. “You know, Mr. Stanhope, we’re all simply crazy about your brother. If you plan to stay for a few days, Father and I would love to entertain you. I’m Amy Talbot, and my father is chairman of the church board.”

If looks could kill
, Josh judged,
Amy would be dead at Mother’s small feet
. She started to reply, but was drowned out by Tim’s hoarse laugh. Josh saw Ellie elbow him, and Tim changed it to a fit of coughing; Josh’s sentiments exactly.

Edward, suave as usual, shook his head. “I’m afraid we’ll have to turn down your invitation, Miss Talbot. We’ll be returning to San Francisco as soon as we finish our business here.”

Business? What business? Josh’s premonition of storm clouds lurking just beyond the closest hill increased with Edward’s almost imperceptible nod to his mother.

The crowd began to disperse. Amy and her father, who had unbent long enough to be introduced to the Stanhopes, lingered, obviously in hopes of being included in the dinner invitation. They didn’t leave until Tim broadly hinted, “If we don’t mosey along to the hotel, we may not be able to all sit together.”

Luther cast him a withering look. “Come, Amy.” He started off. Amy flounced after him, but turned and called back, “Don’t forget! If you decide to stay longer, my invitation still holds,” then tripped after her rigid father.

“Whew! Is this what preachers have to put up with?” Edward asked. “Glad I didn’t become one. What do you think, Miss Sterling? Is everyone here really crazy about my brother?” He offered his arm.

Ellie sent Josh a pleading glance before placing her fingertips on Edward’s arm. “Not everyone. But Tim is right. We’d best be on our way.”

“Mother?” Josh held out his arm, seething inside. What audacity! He lowered his voice. “Why are you and Edward here?”

Her cat-in-the-cream expression returned. “For your own good, Joshua.” She refused to elaborate on the walk to the hotel.

Dinner seemed endless in spite of the banter that flowed around Josh. Ellie and Sarah said little; Tim, nothing at all. Edward and Mother dominated the conversation, extolling the wonders of San Francisco but always coming back to Ellie’s singing. One by one, the other diners left. When only the Sterlings and Stanhopes remained, Mother turned to Matt and delivered a verbal blow. “Edward and I had a reason for coming to Madera other than seeing Joshua.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “We want permission to kidnap your daughter.”

Josh’s first thought left him shaking.
Matt was right. I should have gotten a ring on Ellie’s finger before she met Edward
. The next moment, the full impact of the plot struck him. It took all of Josh’s control to keep from raging at his mother. He set his teeth in his lower lip and tasted blood, the only way to hold back words that once spoken, would haunt him forever.

Sarah gasped. Ellie sat as if frozen. Tim uttered a smothered protest, flung his napkin to the table, and leaped to his feet.

Matt straightened in his chair. His eyes turned midnight blue. “I beg your pardon?” Icicles dripped from his voice.

Edward stepped into the breach. “I’m sorry Mother was so blunt.” He sounded sincere, but from long experience, Josh knew better.

“We don’t really want to kidnap her.” Edward leaned forward, and his eyes gleamed. “We want to take Miss Sterling to San Francisco and give her the finest musical training available. Josh told us how well the Sierra Songbird sings. Hearing her this morning in church confirms his opinion. Think of the good your daughter can do. We have the ability to help her become the toast of San Francisco and make a fortune. This is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to touch lives with her God-given talent—”

“She’s already doing that!” Tim interrupted, hands clenched in a fighting stance. “You think folks here come to church just to hear Preacher Josh?” His voice rose. “They don’t. They also come to hear Ellie sing. You may be our preacher’s mother and brother, but you’ve got some nerve showing up and trying to take Ellie away from us!”

“Sit down, Tim,” Matt ordered. His eyes flashed fire. “I should apologize for my son, but I won’t. He said exactly what I’m thinking. Unless I’m sadly mistaken, Josh feels the same way.”

All eyes turned toward Josh. He started to speak, then caught sight of Ellie’s face. She hadn’t moved since Mother had fired the opening salvo in what surely would be a relentless war to get her own way…and the Sierra Songbird. A quick look at Mother’s tightly buttoned mouth showed how long and hard that battle would be.

Josh jerked his attention back to Ellie. Every trace of color had left her cheeks. Her lips trembled. Her eyes looked enormous. He started to agree with Tim and Matt, but something in Ellie’s face stopped him: a wistful expression that showed Edward’s plea had kindled a spark.
Tread lightly
.