Just Above a Whisper

  “He wouldn’t hurt Reese. I’m sure of it.”

  “Gerald,” his mother said as she tried to stay calm. “We don’t know what your father was thinking. He’s not himself right now.”

  “I heard him,” Gerald confessed. “I know he wants his bank back. He’s the best banker Tucker Mills has ever had. I heard him tell you.”

  Lillie’s eyes closed for a moment. She had not known about this.

  “Listen to me, Gerald. Your father is a good banker, but all of us must understand our place. The bank doesn’t belong to him. It never did. And he could have gone on as bank manager if he hadn’t panicked and run away.”

  “But they were trying to take it! Don’t you understand?”

  “No, Gerald, they weren’t!” Lillie said just as sharply. “Everything was fine until your father made that dreadful decision to keep Reese Thackery’s papers. If he had just let that go, he would still be bank manager.”

  Gerald stared at her. “How do you know this?”

  “Because I’ve had several conversations with Mr. Thaden, and they found nothing amiss. They were not trying to take the bank, just rectify this situation with Reese and make sure all else was in order. Your father overreacted.”

  Gerald sat down slowly. He had been so certain that Conner Kingsley and his partner had been in the wrong. He was ready to forgive Reese for working for them because she’d clearly been duped like everyone else. And here all along it was his father. He had been on the lookout, watching for his father, ready to help in any way he could, and his father was the problem.

  Looking at his mother’s sober face, he saw what a young fool he had been. It wasn’t any wonder that Reese didn’t want anything to do with him.

  “Gerald,” his mother called to him. “When things settle down, we’re going to sell the house and move to Boston.”

  “Sell the house? What about Father? We can’t leave him behind.”

  “He won’t be here, Gerald. I’m not sure where he’ll end up, but he won’t be free to walk the streets for some time.”

  “He went off the edge, didn’t he?” Gerald made himself face the hard truth.

  “Yes, he did. I don’t think he’ll be like that forever, but until he calms down about the bank, he can’t be out.”

  Gerald put his face in his hands, looking younger than ever. She was not a demonstrative person, but Lillie would have given much to hug him right then.

  “Can you sell the house without Father?”

  “Yes, it’s my house, a gift from my parents when we moved here.”

  Gerald nodded. “Let’s move.” His voice sounded broken and crushed. “As soon as we can.”

  Lillie almost broke down then, and Gerald saw this. Not until he came close, sitting on the floor at her feet and putting his head in her lap—something he hadn’t done in years—did she let the tears flow.

  A lot of color drained from Troy’s face when he returned to Tucker Mills on Monday afternoon and heard Conner’s account of Friday evening. The older man sat in stunned silence, shaken and alarmed that both Conner and Reese had been in danger.

  “If Mrs. Greenlowe heard correctly, he was after all three of us,” Conner concluded.

  “Do you remember the night you came to my room, Conner, and mentioned this possibility?”

  Conner nodded.

  “I hadn’t dismissed the suggestion, but neither did I know what to do about it. I thought it easily could have been Gerald in the barn and half-expected Jenness to fade away. I felt sorry for his wife and son that they would not know what became of him.”

  Conner didn’t comment. The whole episode kept playing through in his mind. He was weary of thinking about it, but the whole sordid scene wouldn’t go away.

  “Where is Reese?” Troy asked.

  “I’m not sure. Probably the kitchen or buttery. Listen for humming.”

  Troy left the study to look for her. He found her just across the hall in the kitchen, putting food together for their tea and just about to leave.

  “Troy,” Reese smiled with pleasure. “Welcome back.”

  Troy didn’t speak but went right to her. With hands on her shoulders, he looked her in the eye.

  “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  Reese gave him a small smile and then grinned in pleasant surprise when Troy hugged her. Reese hugged him right back, suddenly very glad that he’d come home.

  The cold of October did not stop the courtship of a certain couple as they walked on the green each day after dinner. Not a person in town could miss them, both tall and Conner broad as well. With unabashed delight, folks all up and down the green would stop and stare as they passed by, everyone agreeing they made the perfect couple.

  Conner had already come to this understanding, but he didn’t want to assume where Reese’s feelings were concerned, so he was still moving slowly, gaining more information every day.

  “I realized something just yesterday after you left,” Conner mentioned on their fourth walk.

  “What’s that?” Reese asked.

  “I don’t know how old you are.”

  “I’m 23. How old are you?”

  “Twenty-seven. When will you be 24?”

  “I just turned 23.”

  “A few months ago?”

  “No, last week.”

  Conner looked down at her. “Did you celebrate with Mrs. Greenlowe?”

  “No.”

  “Did you celebrate with anyone? Did anyone know?”

  “I’ve never celebrated my birthday. I guess I just didn’t think to mention it.”

  It was happening again. A fierce desire to love and protect her overwhelmed him. At the same time, Conner was thinking who he could ask about this. Both Alison Muldoon and Mrs. Greenlowe came to mind. It would be so simple to have a party and give Reese a long-needed, albeit late, celebration.

  This idea was still running through Conner’s head when they arrived back at the house. And he probably would have acted on it immediately, but a coach had parked in front of the house. Conner wasn’t certain, but he thought it looked like one of his brother’s coaches. He held the front door for Reese to go inside and found Troy waiting for him, a letter in hand.

  “Any more word from Conner?” Douglas asked of Troy when he stopped in to the bank. Conner had been gone for almost a week.

  “Nothing since he left, but I haven’t checked for mail today.”

  “Might that mean that Jamie is doing better?” Douglas asked.

  “I’m hoping that’s what it means.”

  “I wrote to him but just mailed the letter, so he wouldn’t have it yet,” Douglas mentioned.

  “It’s hard not to know,” Troy confessed. “If Mr. Leffler was comfortable handling things, I would probably head to Linden Heights myself.”

  Douglas nodded in agreement. This was the moment when trust was tested. This was when a man found out who he really was and whether he truly believed the words that were so easy to quote concerning faith and trusting in God.

  “I’ll keep praying for all of you,” Douglas said finally and rose to leave.

  Troy stood to see him off, his handshake warm and word of thanks completely heartfelt.

  Linden Heights

  “Are you going to wake up and talk to me?”

  “Uncle Conner?” Jamie smiled a little, eyes still closed.

  “How did you know?”

  “I know that whisper.”

  “Whisper? Couldn’t you hear me shouting?”

  Jamie’s smile widened, and when her too-thin hand moved on the coverlet, Conner reached for it.

  The little girl held his hand in return and fell back to sleep. Conner waited a moment longer to let go of her hand, but he didn’t move from her side. It looked as though she was out of the woods, but this had been a close one. Conner wanted to be near her as long as he could.

  Tucker Mills

  “Could I be in love?” Reese asked of Alison. She still wanted to get some things do
ne at the big house this afternoon but could not make herself concentrate.

  Alison looked at her guest and told herself not to laugh. She had never seen Reese like this. Reese was levelheaded and hardworking. But since Conner left she’d been slightly distracted, and this was the third time she’d come over in the middle of the day.

  Alison believed that everyone needed a break, but Reese usually didn’t take one. Able to work through the day, she barely stopped to eat.

  “What do you think?” Alison asked, knowing she was skirting the issue a bit.

  “I think he could do better than me,” Reese surprised Alison by saying.

  “What do you mean?” Alison asked, wishing she’d gone a different direction with her questions.

  Reese was forming an answer when Martin and Peter shot in the door. Alison had not been expecting them just then, and the noise made Jeffrey cry. In just a matter of seconds, everyone but Douglas was in the kitchen, and before Alison could object, Reese said that she’d talk to her later and slipped through the parlor.

  Reese wasn’t at all upset about not finishing her conversation with Alison. Indeed she barely noticed. What was on her mind was the fact that she had just realized that Conner Kingsley could do better than Reese Thackery for a wife.

  Oh, Reese knew that no one would care for him as much as she did. That wasn’t possible, but what did she have to offer? Not a thing. She wasn’t even very old in her beliefs and probably could never challenge him the way a more mature believer could.

  Reese gave her head a shake. Snap out of it. What’s the matter with you? For all you know he’ll never be back in Tucker Mills. And while you’re taking all this time thinking about yourself, you could be praying for his niece.

  Reese all but slammed in through the front door, completely disgusted with herself. Conner needed her prayers right now, not her plans to snag him for a husband or her self-pity when she knew a romance wasn’t going to work.

  “Conner!” Reese suddenly exclaimed. She’d stormed her way to the kitchen to get back to work and found him there.

  “I wondered where you were,” he said, smiling at the sight of her and working to control the urge to touch her.

  “I just stepped over to see Alison. I’ll get right back to work.”

  Not having a clue what he had missed, Conner watched Reese pick up the broom.

  “I feel the need to tell you that I slacked off a bit while you were gone.” She said this with her back to Conner, as he watched her sweep like a madwoman. “I’ll make it up though. I don’t know what came over me,” Reese finished, flustered around him for the first time in a long time.

  Clearly Reese was upset about something. He thought she would be as glad to see him as he was her, but when he stepped forward to ask that, she was using the broom to get at a place in the corner and suddenly jabbed it backward.

  Reese, completely unconscious of what she’d done, noticed only that Conner had slipped from the room without saying a word. Reese came to a complete halt as she heard the front door open and close. Whatever dreams she’d been harboring about a life with Conner Kingsley had clearly been in her mind alone.

  “Where’s Dooner?” Conner asked of the child that opened the door to him. That little boy had never seen Conner so solemn. He politely stood back, bringing the door with him, and pointed to his father’s study.

  Conner stopped short of barging in and impatiently knocked. He was told to enter, and still working to breathe, he slipped inside.

  “Conner, welcome back.”

  Conner could only nod.

  “What’s the matter?”

  Conner held a hand up, taking some big gulps of air.

  “Is it Jamie? Is she all right?”

  Conner nodded and stood, his hand against the wall. Dooner stopped asking questions and waited.

  “I tried to talk to Reese,” he managed, quieter and more strained than Douglas had ever heard him.

  “All right.”

  “She hit me with the broom.”

  Had Conner been in any shape to laugh, Douglas’ face would have provided the material. Conner shook his head and tried again.

  “I was behind her. The end of the broom poked me.”

  When Douglas’ shoulders began to shake, Conner knew he’d been understood, but it didn’t make it any easier. The huge man rolled his eyes and lowered himself into a chair.

  “You’re a big help,” he managed, and Douglas laughed out loud.

  “I’m sorry, Conner, but I didn’t know what to think.”

  “That’s the problem.” He was still breathing heavily. “I’m sure Reese is in the same state.”

  “Just explain,” Douglas began and then stopped when Conner looked at him.

  “Please go see her,” Conner requested, his face looking miserable. “Find a way to make her understand.”

  “That you wanted to talk to her, but it had to wait a few minutes?”

  Conner nodded, weary from the days at home, weary from the train travel, and weary that he and Reese had not been able to pick right up where they’d left off.

  Douglas read much of this in his face and wanted nothing more than to help.

  “Stay here,” the pastor said. “I’ll tell Alison where I’ll be, and I’ll come back to you as soon as I’m done.”

  Conner thanked him and thought if he could get any more comfortable in the chair, he might fall asleep.

  “Hello, Douglas,” Reese greeted when she answered the door. “Conner isn’t here right now. He left and didn’t say where he was going.”

  “That’s why I’m here,” Douglas stepped inside, planning to keep this short. Indeed, not wanting to give a wrong impression, Douglas did not even shut the door behind him. “He came to see me,” Douglas began delicately. “He planned on talking to you when he got home, and then words just failed him.”

  Reese frowned a little and then she understood.

  “He’s sent you to tell me that he’s given me the wrong impression, hasn’t he?”

  “No. He has things he wants to say, but just for a few moments earlier, he couldn’t find the words.”

  Reese nodded, working to understand.

  “I didn’t give him much of a chance, either,” Reese recalled. “I hope he’s not upset with me.”

  “Not at all, but he might just need to take a little time to say what he’s thinking. He was so flustered over not having the words that he asked me to speak to you.”

  Reese smiled at her pastor.

  “That was kind of you, Douglas. I know you have better things to do.”

  “For you and Conner, anything.”

  Thankful that it went so smoothly, Douglas was gone just seconds later, and Reese made herself keep working. It was, however, halfhearted; she didn’t want to make too much noise and miss the sound of the front door opening.

  Twenty-One

  Reese thought she’d done a good job listening, but it wasn’t so. She walked into the study about 30 minutes after Douglas’ visit to find Conner at the desk.

  “I didn’t hear you,” Reese said, feeling a little embarrassed.

  “I didn’t want to disturb you,” Conner began, standing to go around the desk toward her. “I shouldn’t have taken you by surprise in the kitchen.”

  “That wasn’t your fault.”

  “Well, we’ll debate that another time. Right now, I have something for you. If you want it.”

  Reese looked surprised by this, and although she was suddenly tempted to start talking, she kept still. As she watched, Conner went to the chair in the corner and picked up a long brown winter coat.

  “My niece went through some growth changes this last year,” Conner began, the coat over his arm. “She’s almost as tall as you are, but in just one year she filled out and can’t wear this coat. She wanted you to have it.”

  “How does she know about me?”

  “Dalton.”

  A silent “oh” formed on Reese’s mouth, but no sound was made. Con
ner held the coat up, and all Reese could do was stare at it. She’d never seen anything like it: The cut and tailoring were perfect. And it had buttons!

  “Do you want to try it on?” Conner asked, watching her over the top.

  “I’ve never seen a coat like this,” she whispered. “It’s beautiful.”

  “It’s also yours.”

  “Will your niece want it back?”

  “No. It’s not going to fit her again.”

  Conner held it in such a way that Reese was able to put her arms into it. He turned her to him and adjusted the collar at her throat. Reese looked up at him.

  “Thank you.”

  “That’s what my niece said. She was excited for you to have it.”

  Conner kept a gentle hold of the collar, and Reese still looked up at him.

  “I wasn’t able to say this before, but being gone for more than two weeks let me do a lot of thinking.”

  Reese nodded.

  “I want you to know that I’ll never play games with your heart, and that our walks and talks on the green are the highlight of my day.”

  Reese smiled and looked down, suddenly shy.

  “I’ve missed them,” she said quietly. “Every day, I’ve missed them.”

  The urge to slip his arms around her almost got the best of him. He was rescued by the sound of the front door.

  “That’ll be Troy.”

  “Speaking of Troy,” Reese suddenly mentioned, “I think they’ve all plotted against us.”

  “If you mean Troy and Dalton both, you couldn’t be more right.”

  Reese could not stop looking at him.

  “I didn’t know you would be here,” Conner confessed in the silence that followed. “I came to Tucker Mills to help a woman whose papers were controlled by the bank. No one said anything about her brown eyes or her beautiful red hair. And no one mentioned that she could run a household without a backward glance or that her nose was round like a child’s and so adorable that I’ve had to fight kissing it almost from the first moment we met.”

  Reese bit her lip, but the smile peeked through. Troy chose that moment to come to the study door.