Kathleen Y'Barbo (19 page)

Her fingers went to her neck. “The chain is broken, and it seems to be taking an eternity for Mr. Parker to repair it.”

“A pity.” He paused to lift a brow in a teasing manner. “I don’t suppose you have that Remington in your pocket? We could do a little target practice while we wait.”

“Be serious,” she said, though he could not help but notice she had not answered in the negative or the affirmative.

As their laughter died, silence covered them like a comfortable blanket. Kyle trained his gaze over the balcony and settled back with a contented sigh.

“Exactly,” she said.

He rested his head against the wooden back of the old rocker and tried to focus on the eclipse rather than the woman beside him. Unlike any prior experience with the fairer sex, Kyle found that he enjoyed sitting quietly with no expectation of conversation.

Apparently so did she, for a sideways glance in her direction found her watching the stars with what appeared to be a contented expression.

“You still do not know my name.”

“I could find it if I wanted.”

She continued her stargazing. “I know,” came later, softer. Almost as if she had not said anything at all.

It was absurd, really, the way he felt in her presence. In her absence.

How long they sat side by side, faces turned to the sky, Kyle could not say. Though he was sorely tempted to check his watch, he resisted. The evening would end soon enough and then he would be wishing the time could be reclaimed. And though he was an inventor, the sort of mechanism that could remedy the limit of time and society was not in the realm of possibility. At least not yet.

His companion reached to close the gap between them by covering his hand with hers. “Do you ever think people are meant to find each other?” She glanced his way and then back at the moon. “That perhaps God has some special purpose in mind?”

“Yes,” he said as he heard his own thoughts echoed in her statement. “Do you?”

“It seems reasonable.”

“It does.” Kyle waited in the hopes that she would turn this extremely theoretical discussion into a more personal one. That she might declare herself as the woman meant for him by the Lord Himself.

A melodramatic thought, and yet he prayed now that it might happen. Failing that, he prayed for the ability to say those words to her first and for her agreement to them.

But still there was silence. A long yawning quiet that no longer felt good or comfortable.

She sighed, though her attention remained on the lunar event unfolding in the heavens above. “You will not find me again.”

A statement, not a question. An understanding upon which they had both silently agreed even as he had prayed against it. Kyle found no reason to respond.

He did, however, move his hand to place it atop hers. The better to show her that though he would honor her request not to be found as best he could, he would nonetheless keep her safe if the need arose.

The knowledge that he was acting like a lovesick fool hit him square
between the eyes. Carefully, he removed his hand. If she noticed, she did not offer any indication. Instead, this woman with the affinity for foreign languages, for puzzles and astronomy and inventions, continued to stare up at the moon with something akin to a wistful expression on her beautiful face.

The idea that this society scientist could be the one for him just wouldn’t let Kyle go. What the Lord meant him to do about it was another question entirely.

He did not even know her name, leaving him to believe that maybe God just wanted to show him there might be something other than work. That someday, somewhere, love could exist in his life. Love like Lucas had found with Flora.

He let out a long breath and trained his eyes upward into God’s star-filled creation.
Lord, You know You made me hardheaded. If she is the one, I need a sign. And if I am to leave her be and not look back, I need to know that too.

Then it came to him.
Give me her name from her own mouth or send her away.

Slowly she turned to meet his gaze. “I need to tell you something.” She closed her eyes briefly before looking at him again. “My name is Millie.”

Eleven

S
ilence that was once comfortable now yawned painfully between them. Millie watched him rise to disappear inside, his boots echoing on the wooden floors. Then the footsteps stopped abruptly, or so it seemed.

Slowly, they returned.

“It’s out now,” she said. “I would rather be the one to tell you.”

“Millie.” He seemed to be weighing the word before nodding. “Yes, it suits you.”

Her companion came and stood before her now, leaning against the porch post and blocking her view of the eclipse. “Kyle,” he said simply.

Kyle. “I’ve never met a Kyle before.”

“And now you have.” He seemed to be sizing her up. Observing her, not as a man or even a scientist. Rather, as some other sort of puzzle-solver.

A thought occurred. “You are not just an inventor, are you, Kyle?”

Her companion was silent.

“No,” she continued, “you are...what?” She thought a moment. “A detective of some sort? No, a policeman.” Millie shook her head. “No, that cannot be right. You just do not seem like the sort.”

“Really?”

Millie grinned. “I just cannot imagine it. You as a law enforcement officer?” Her grin became a giggle. “No. What about a Pinkerton man? Oh, that would be too much.”

“Too much?” Kyle shook his head. “And why is that?”

“You just do not—”

“Seem like the sort. Yes, I suppose you are correct in that observation. I do not seem like the sort, do I?” Before she could respond, he continued. “And I am also not the sort to keep a lady out until well past her bedtime. So, with that in mind, I believe we have seen more than enough of the lunar eclipse. It is time for me to take you home.”

“And if I do not wish to go?”

“I do not recall asking your opinion on the matter.”

He reached for her, and she allowed him to pull her to her feet. With a nod toward the door, Kyle moved in that direction and she followed. Apparently their moon watching was finished for tonight, as was his willingness to answer her questions.

He lit the personal lantern he had stowed in his coat. “Walk carefully, keeping to the light.”

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she moved at his pace until they reached the door and, a moment later, the front porch. While he went to the flying device, Millie returned the key to its hiding place.

She found him jotting notes in his book. As she neared him, he snapped the book closed and returned it and the pen to its place inside his coat.

“According to my calculations, we should have thirty-two minutes of flying time before the fuel reaches critical level.”

“Should?” she could not resist asking.

He grinned. “It is far too late for you to pretend you are unsure of my abilities to captain this vessel.”

Millie matched his smile. “And it is far too late for you to pretend surprise that I would make the attempt.”

With a dip of his head he came up grinning. Oh, but that smile did things to her heart. Things a woman set to wed another should never allow.

“Fair enough.” He slipped into place and then gestured for her to join him.

Instead of assuming the correct position, however, Millie moved forward to meet him eye to eye. Or, rather, owing to his superior height, eye to chest.

Her gaze met his as she kept a respectable distance between them. “I must marry him,” she said plainly. “There is no other option. It’s important to me that you understand this.”

If her words stunned him, he didn’t show it. “There is always another option.”

“I will concede that point.” She paused and looked away, deciding what else could be said. “But never a choice so clear as the one I am making.”

His finger lifted her chin as he once again captured her gaze. “And what choice are you making?”

When she did not respond, he filled the silence for her. “Do you love him?”

Millie said the truest thing she could manage. “Someday I will.”

He let his hand fall away and she felt its absence acutely. “I suppose that is how you society girls have to look at things.”

“I would not limit this sort of outlook to any social station,” she countered, her feelings now feeling sorely trampled upon.

“Fair enough.” Kyle paused. “I will admit I barely know you, Millie, but what I have seen does not tell me you are the type to barter yourself off for any cause.” And then he shrugged. “I suppose I was wrong.”

That did it. The comment was beyond the pale, even if it did have more truth in it than she wanted to admit.

She jabbed his chest with her finger. “You know nothing of this, so do not attempt to form a conclusion without all of the facts. There are always variables out of a person’s control no matter the situation.”

“And facts—or in this case, people—presenting themselves at the most inopportune times?”

She could not argue, exactly. Irritation caused her to toss the question back at him. “If facts are missing, please enlighten me so that I can arrive at a better informed conclusion.”

“You are not ready to be married.” Kyle placed his hand atop hers and slanted her a look. “If you were, you would never have gone flying with me tonight. And you would certainly never have asked me to take you away on a flying trip of greater length.”

“That is not true. I...” She took a step backward and let out a long breath. Slowly she looked up to meet his gaze. “All right, I am not marrying for love, but it is not at all what you are thinking. I have been
praying for a way to leave Memphis, so when the opportunity to wed was presented...”

“You took it.”

She nodded. “At the time it seemed like an answer to prayer.”

“So you have said.” Kyle tethered the balloon and stepped out of the restraints to envelope her in an embrace. “Millie,” he said softly, “are you certain this is the only way? With your intelligence and creativity, would you not prefer to apply to colleges or perhaps accept a teaching assignment? There is no shame in hard work.”

“You do not understand.” She stepped out of his arms and moved toward a growing puddle of moonlight. Glancing up at the sky, she could see the lunar eclipse was on the decrease.

Kyle came to stand beside her, his face tilted toward the sky. “Explain it to me then.”

“My father would not allow either of those things to happen. So I must—”

“Gain your independence?” When she nodded, he continued. “You are marrying this man so you can be free of your father?”

“There are worse reasons,” she said as she shrugged deeper into the warm winter coat.

“Yes, that is true.” He turned to face her. “Why did you bring me here?”

She gave him a confused look. “To watch the eclipse.”

“No,” he said as he shook his head. “What I mean is, if you were reluctant to share your name with me, why share the location of your family’s farm?”

Why indeed? It was a stupid risk and yet she had taken it.

“Because I trust you. You seem very nice and...”

“And?”

“I don’t know.” She nodded to the flying device. “Can we leave now?”

“When is the wedding?”

“The twenty-fourth,” she said slowly. A shadow crossed his face. “Please do not look at me like that, Kyle. Yes, I am getting married next Thursday. Now, can we please leave?”

He leaned in close, and she inched toward him. The chill of the night was what she wished to blame. Unfortunately, she could not.

“And yet you are here with me,” he said gently as his hand went back to her jawline. “Alone.”

Oh, but those dark eyes. That smile. Millie swallowed hard and forced her attention away from the pull of attraction.

“Yes, I am,” she said with what she hoped was a steady tone. “I am here with you alone.” She paused to regulate her heartbeat and voice. “Watching a lunar eclipse in the most reasonable place to see it without the lights of Memphis interfering. Two scientists observing a natural event, nothing more.”

His gaze pulled her toward him. “All right, if you say so. But I have a question, Millie, before we go.”

“What might that be?”