Because of Rebecca(44)

“Higgins. Just plain Higgins, Miss Charlotte.”

“Higgins,” she repeated and turned to hurry across the foyer to the stairs.

Jared turned around and found Mary standing in the doorway of the dining room with her hands on her hips, staring at him. “What is it, Mary?”

His housekeeper wiped her eyes with her handkerchief and shook her head. “You look right at home with the boy in your arms. That’s all, Mr. Hollingsworth. It does my heart good to see this day. And I hope there’ll be a day when this house is full of little ones.”

He grinned. “Whoa now, Mary. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Rebecca and I only married. Give us a little time to settle into married life. We have Lucas to raise for now and in time we might…”

“What happened with Charisse won’t necessarily happen with Rebecca, sir. Even when Mrs. Paxton delivered it didn’t happen. We have to trust that things happen when they do for a reason. Trials come and they make us stronger, preparing us for what comes next.”

Jared nodded. “The nursery needs cleaning today in preparation for Lucas. Rebecca and I will help do whatever you need. Just let us know.”

Mary nodded. “I’ll get on it as soon as I finish with the breakfast dishes. I’ve already been preparing for tonight’s meal. Will there be any additional guests?”

“I expect Rory to return.”

Mary smiled. “Thank you for coming to peace with him, sir. It was a pleasant surprise to find he’s matured while he’s been away.”

Matured. Jared rolled that word around in his head and tried to think of Rory in that manner, but it didn’t rightly fit. He was still having difficulty seeing his cousin as anything but a troublemaker.

“Will there be anyone else?” Mary prodded.

“Possibly Doctor Gordon and Rebecca’s aunt, Miss Davis. You’ve met her before.”

“Yes. I remember her. If you decide on others, please let me know and I will add another course to my menu. If you’ll excuse me now, I have work to tend to in the kitchen.”

When she was gone Jared looked at Lucas and the baby was chewing on his fingers. He pulled his hand from his mouth and Lucas gave a toothy grin.

“D-d-d-da,” he gurgled and blew slobber.

“Da-da-da. Let’s go find ma-ma-ma,” he told him walking toward the foyer again. They had reached the stairs when Rebecca appeared at the top. She lifted the hem of her skirt and descended quickly to join them. Lucas saw her and clapped his hands.

“Ma-ma-ma,” he squealed.

“How is my precious boy?” She cooed, touching his face and kissing him on the cheek. She stepped back and looked at Jared. “I couldn’t believe it when Charlotte found me upstairs. Please say Delaney didn’t see him.”

“I wish I could, but he did. However, the man paid little attention to him. He was more concerned with leaving than with Lucas being here.”

“That’s good then.” She nodded.

“Plus Charlotte did call me his papa.” Jared wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they walked upstairs. “Let me show you the nursery.”

Rebecca smiled. “How close is it to your room?”

“It’s next door to our room and there is a hidden door that connects the rooms so you can check on him any hour of the night.”

“And where will Charlotte sleep?” she asked as they reached the top step.

“If you prefer her to be near Lucas, we can set up a bed in the nursery for now. Otherwise, there is a room on the main floor next to Mary’s for her.”

“Downstairs is fine. That will give us more privacy right now.” Rebecca walked ahead of him and called to her maid, “Charlotte?”

The girl appeared in the hallway with her arms full of soiled sheets. “Yes, ma’am?”

“When you finish tidying up in here, Mr. Hollingsworth will show you to your new quarters downstairs.”

“Yes ma’am.” The girl turned to go back inside.

“And Charlotte,” Rebecca said. “Did my aunt happen to mention whether she was going to come live at Oak Hill?”

“No, ma’am. She didn’t. Though she said to tell you she and Doctor Gordon would be by this afternoon after they attend Mass.”

“Thank you, Charlotte.” Rebecca turned back to Jared, frowning.

“Maybe we can convince her then,” Jared suggested. Lucas patted his face.

“Perhaps.”





Chapter Twenty-Five

Josephine walked to the corner where she always met Ancil before going to Mass. He was late, or was she early? It was hard to tell. The hotel suite had felt so alone since Charlotte and Lucas left earlier to go to Oak Hill.

Rebecca had married Mr. Hollingsworth without even letting her know. But then, why should her niece have consulted her? Rebecca was a grown woman and could do as she pleased. Still, Josephine would have liked to have been included in this decision.

“Why are you frowning, my dear?” Ancil asked joining her at the corner. He carried his doctor’s bag.

“I was thinking about Rebecca. She married so quickly. Shouldn’t she have consulted me?”

Ancil smiled. “One rarely consults family members when they elope, my dear.”

She sighed. “I suppose you are right. It isn’t like I oppose her choice in a husband. And I voiced my approval before she made her sudden trip to Memphis, so perhaps she thought she already had my blessing.”

“See there. You are fretting over nothing. Come, let’s walk to St. Anna’s.” He offered his arm and she took it.

“I see you carry your bag. Have you been to see a patient already this morning?”

He nodded. “Only a routine visit on an elderly couple. I try to check in on them every week or so. They have no children.”

Josephine sighed again. “I hope we are blessed with children, Ancil. You don’t think I’m too old to conceive do you?”

He stopped walking and looked at her, a grin forming at his mouth. “You simply amaze me, Josephine Davis. Where is the rigid, too tightly laced-up woman I was called to examine when we first met? She is gone and like the caterpillar that sheds its cocoon. You’ve turned into an amazing butterfly that I have the good fortune to spend the rest of my life with. I never thought I’d marry and now to hear you say you want us to have a child…I can’t even begin to express my happiness.”

“Oh, hush.” She swatted his arm.

“And to answer your question about whether you can have a child or not we’ll have to wait until we’re married to find out.”

Josephine blushed and he added hastily. “Medically speaking, you’ve had one child so there shouldn’t be a reason you couldn’t have another, but if it doesn’t happen within time I know a specialist we could see.”

Her blush faded and she gave him a shy smile. “So you don’t think I’m too old?”

“No. I’ve seen women older than you conceive and deliver. Of course they had been birthing babies for years, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen for you.”

Josephine slipped her arm around his, and they began walking again. “I’d like to try.”

“When should we speak to Father Bohannon about the wedding? Rebecca’s home now and we’ve told them of our plans.”

“I’d like to have the wedding as soon as possible, Ancil. There is no need for me to move all the way out to Oak Hill only to move back to town. I don’t want to stay at the hotel alone for long either. Would you be opposed to having a small ceremony three weeks from this coming Saturday if Father Bohannon is agreeable? That should be sufficient for the reading of the banns.”

The grin quirked at the corner of his mouth again. “I think three weeks from this Saturday is fine. Are you certain you’ll be ready by then?”

“Y-yes.” Josephine frowned. “I already have my dress picked out.”

“What is it?” he asked.

She pointed down the street at two men walking in their direction. “Isn’t that Mr. Hollingsworth with that gambler?”

Ancil turned and looked at the two men. “That isn’t Jared.”

“It looks like him.”

“Yes it does, but Jared has a cousin that could be his identical twin if you didn’t know the difference.”

“You don’t say. What is this cousin’s name?”

“Rory Hollingsworth. He’s a free-spirit, but I didn’t realize he was back in town. I think the last time I saw him was when his mother passed away. Once her will was read and he received his inheritance he left, bidding Jackson and Jared good-bye. I wonder what brings him back now.”

“Interesting. You know, that man he’s with looks vaguely familiar for some reason.”