"I'll be ready as soon as I take care of my purchases."
He nodded.
He assumed the mountain of supplies stacked beside her were her goods. He knew that fine chefs were paid top wages in big cities, but it appeared she spent money easily. His ex-wife, Cecile, had been that way. Accustomed to her minister father's pocketbook, she seemed bent upon shopping her husband and his family into the poor house during the first few months of their marriage, until he put a stop to it. But Lancaster seemed to have purchased other items beside hats and scented soaps. She had rain slickers and wide-brimmed hats, sturdy boots and cooking pots. He also spotted candles, a washboard, and two pairs of denim trousers. Lord knew what else lay beneath the mound on the counter, but it appeared she'd made sound use of her funds.
Vivid watched Nate out of the corner of her eye while she finished up with Miss Edna. She could see him evaluating her goods and she couldn't help but notice how grudgingly impressed he appeared. She supposed he'd assumed she'd come here to purchase hats or some other female fripperies.
She wondered how long it would be before he began judging her as a person and not against some antiquated notion of female behavior? She thanked Miss Edna for her help.
Miss Edna replied kindly, "Don't let those men rile you, Dr. Lancaster. Most of them have good hearts. We'll bring then into the nineteenth century, whether they like it or not. Don't you worry."
Vivid smiled, grateful for the support.
"Are you ready to go back or is there something else you need to do while we're here?" Nate asked, coming up to the counter.
"I believe I have everything. Miss Edna will let me know when the other things I've ordered come in."
"Sure will," Edna promised. "Treat her nice, Nate. She's one to keep."
Nate began carrying Vivid's goods out to the wagon.
"So," Nate asked while he was loading the wagon, "still believe it's going to be a hoedown getting folks to accept you?"
"I told you yesterday at the depot, I fully expect opposition, at first. They'll come around."
"Uh-huh," he replied skeptically.
Once they both climbed onto the bench he picked up the reins and said, "This is only the beginning."
As promised, Vernon had dropped off Vivid's crates at the Grayson house. They were there waiting in front of her cabin when she and Nate returned from Miss Edna's.
Nate helped her put everything inside. When they were done, he left without even waiting for a thank you or a goodbye. He got back atop his big wagon and rumbled away.
Vivid began to unpack, then realized she had absolutely no place to put anything. She had no wardrobe to hang her clothes in, no bureau with drawers, not even a shelf for her many books. At the store today, she'd been so intent on ordering her stove and purchasing needed supplies, her lack of furniture hadn't even crossed her mind. Where in the world was she going to put all her possessions?
"Hello, Dr. Lancaster, may I come in?"
Vivid turned to see Magic standing in the doorway. “Why certainly, dear. Is school dismissed already?''
“Yes, on account of the bucket of hornets Becky Carpenter's brother Simon hid beneath old man Phillips's desk."
“Hornets?'' Vivid asked, looking up from one of the crates. "Was anyone stung?"
"Old man Phillips, but not too badly. Becky says Simon's going to be stung too once her pa finds out."
"Do you think Mr. Phillips needs a doctor?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Why in the world did he bring hornets to school?"
"To upset old man Phillips."
Magic looked at all the crates piled up everywhere, her eyes wide with amazement. "Goodness. Is all this stuff yours, Dr. Lancaster?''
Vivid smiled, remembering that Nate had said much the same thing. "Yes, it is. Only I'm afraid there isn't a place for any of it."
There were so many crates and boxes clogging the floor that it was necessary to turn sideways to walk through them.
"Maybe Aunt Gail will let you borrow some of the old furniture in the attic."
"No, Magic. I don't want to impose upon your family any more than I have already. Your aunt is feeding me; that's burden enough."
For the next hour or so, Magic helped Vivid unearth the items Vivid absolutely needed for her practice. She found her microscope, which Magic oohed and ahhed over; bedding; bandages; and her precious bottles of Mr. Lister's carbolic solution.
"What's this for?" Magic asked as Vivid checked each of the bottles to make certain none had been cracked or damaged during her long journey. “I use it to keep wounds, and dressings, and my instruments clean."
"You can't just use water?"
"I could, but this makes everything extra clean."
Vivid set the bottles against a wall and when she looked back Magic was gone. Perplexed, Vivid called the girl, thinking she might have gone into one of the back rooms for a moment, but no one answered. She pondered the abrupt disappearance for a moment, then, shrugging, went back to her inventory.
Around mid-afternoon, Vivid heard a wagon pulling up outside and she stepped onto the porch. Atop the wagon sat Eli, Abigail, and Magic, and behind them in the bed were large pieces of dark wood furniture.
Vivid stepped down to meet them. "Majestic Grayson, I thought I told you not to bother your family about my needs."
Magic bowed her head and said, "I'm sorry, Dr. Lancaster, I forgot."
Vivid didn't believe her for a minute, and by the looks on the faces of Abigail and Eli, she guessed they didn't, either.
It took a while to get everything unloaded and when they were done, Vivid's small bedroom sported a bed, vanity, bureau, and wardrobe. The matching writing table wouldn't fit, so Vivid had Eli set it in the front room.
Soon after, Abigail went back to the house, while Magic and Eli remained to help Vivid unpack. Vivid discovered Eli to be intelligent, witty, and very much a flirt. She was glad Magic was there to keep him in line, but not even the young girl's presence could stop him from flashing his flirtatious smile her way. By the time Abigail came back to announce that the afternoon meal was ready, most of their tasks had been completed. Magic had managed to fit a good portion of Vivid's clothing into the drawers and the wardrobe, while Eli and Vivid had nailed up the slat shelves. Her many books were now well displayed, and the instruments and supplies in the surgery were all in place and ready for use.
"You got these two lazybones to really work, didn't you, Viveca?" Abigail said, impressed. "It looks like a home now, doesn't it, Eli?"
"I must say, it doesn't look like Doc's place anymore," Eli confessed, smiling at Vivid. "Who did these paintings?'' he asked, indicating the framed sketches and watercolors they'd hung on the walls.
Vivid smiled. "My sister Jessica."
"She's very talented," Abigail replied.
"Pa paints sometimes," Magic added.
Vivid found that surprising.
"Not as much as he did before the war," Abigail noted with a bit of sadness in her tone. Then she turned to her son and asked, "Are you going to eat lunch with us?"
He shook his head no. "It's Nate's house, Mother. He and I would only argue."
Abigail shook her head, “Eli, the two of you need to settle this."
"You need two people to settle a disagreement. When's he willing to listen, I'm willing to talk," Eli replied.
Eli then looked over at Vivid. "I'm going up to Kalamazoo for a few days. Do you need me to purchase anything for you?"
"No, Eli, thank you."
"Mother?"
"Yes, bring back to brains—one for you and one for your cousin. Come, Magic, let's set the table."
The Grayson women exited, leaving Vivid and Eli alone. "I should be going, Dr. Lancaster," he said, heading to the door.
"Please call me Viveca."
He smiled. "Whatever you say, Viveca. When I return, will you have dinner with me?"
"I can't."
"He said no, didn't he?"
Vivid nodded.
"I knew he would. My cousin may be stubborn but he's not dumb." Seeing the confused look on Vivid's face, he continued, "When the time comes, he's not going to want competition, especially from me."
"Competition? For what?"
"You, my dear doctor."
Vivid stared at him a moment, then began to laugh. “For me? You can't be serious. He'd rather boil me in oil."
"I'm not jesting, Viveca. You're a very beautiful and spirited woman. If I may be frank, I find you very attractive. ''
Vivid could feel her embarrassment spreading on her face.
"And if I find you attractive, Nate will, too, believe me. He and I are more alike than we care to admit, present politics aside, of course."
Vivid shook her head. "Eli, you've been in the sun too long. Your cousin and I spit like cats every time we come near each other. He's opinionated, arrogant, and too accustomed to having his own way, and this I've learned in less than twenty-four hours."
Eli grinned. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you."
Vivid waked to the porch with him.
"I'll see you when I return from Kalamazoo," he said. With a polite inclination of his head, he was gone.
Vivid didn't spend much time mulling over Eli's startling revelation. She knew how Nate Grayson felt about her, and she had no doubt Eli was wrong in his assumption.
Chapter 6
After dinner that evening, Vivid helped Abigail with the dishes, then crossed the grassy field back to her cabin. Once inside she looked around her new home proudly. The furniture had improved the overall look of the small place, as had the addition of Jess's paintings. Vivid thought about her sisters as she bent over a full crate she'd been saving to unpack last. She searched through the special odds and ends and unearthed the small square item she'd been after. She drew back the protective flannel cloth and stared into the smiling eyes of her sisters positioned on either side of her in the small pewter-framed portrait. Vivid had been eight years old when her mother had the portrait commissioned. Alicea, the eldest, had been twelve, and Jessica, ten. They were all dressed in their Sunday best, and to this day Vivid remembered how hard it had been for her to stand still for the initial sketch rendering. Alicea had tried to appear solemn, while Jess, who'd always looked the most like Mama, posed as regally as a queen. Between them stood Vivid, smiling. This portrait had been one of the many on Vivid's nightstand at home and now she set it on the dresser in her small room. As she went back to unpack her other keepsakes and mementos, she vowed to write to Alicea in Boston and Jess in Liberia as soon as she could. She and her sisters were very close and although they'd nicknamed her La Brat Trabrasera when they were younger, and sometimes even now addressed their letters to that moniker, she missed their loving teasing very much.
Nate turned the wagon into the tree-lined drive leading to the back of the Grayson house. He could see light glowing through Lancaster's screened front door. On any other night, he'd go straight to the barn after coming home so late, but tonight he wanted to stop and see her first.
As he'd expected, word about the morning brawl in her front yard had already spread through the Grove. Everywhere he'd gone today, men stopped him to ask if she was really as beautiful as reported. He'd tried to avoid answering, saying each man would have to form his own opinion, but they refused to be put off. He finally had to admit that, yes, her dark beauty was unrivaled. He didn't tell them she was also opinionated, arrogant, and far too accustomed to having her way; he figured they'd find out soon enough on their own. He did inform them of her staunch refusal to be courted, but they simply laughed and accused Nate of trying to keep her for himself.
Nate stopped the wagon, walked to her door, and knocked.
Vivid set aside her broom and wiped her dusty hands on the apron tied at her waist as she went to the door. Her actions slowed when she saw Nate Grayson standing on the porch against the night.
"May I come in?" he asked.
Vivid pushed the door open. “Of course, Mr. Grayson."
He eased by her and stepped inside.
Vivid closed the door. He appeared pleasantly surprised by the furnished interior and spent a few moments glancing around. He walked over to view some of Jess's watercolors hanging on the beams above the small desk and asked, "Is this you?"
Vivid went to stand at his side. "Yes, that is me, at nine summers. My sister Jess is the artist."
"Your sister painted this?"
"Yes."
Nate took down the picture and looked at the smiling young Lancaster clad in a pair of patched knickers, standing atop a crate. She held in her small hand an upright billiard stick. She stood like a child posed with a fishing pole. Her sister had caught the playfulness and humor in Lancaster's dark eyes. Viveca Lancaster had been beautiful even as a child. “Your sister is quite talented," he said, handing the painting back.
"Yes, she is. She painted this while studying in Spain. She's married and lives in Liberia now. I miss her dearly."
Vivid hung the picture back in its spot. “Magic says you paint also?"
"Yes, but I haven't in many years. You spoke of having two sisters. Is the other one in California with your parents?"
"No, Alicea lives in Boston. She's the eldest."
His response to her inquiry about his painting was so abrupt, she sensed it was not a subject open to discussion.
He stood looking at the books on her shelf when he said, "The Quilt Ladies want you to come to tea tomorrow. Two o'clock, at their place." He took down a volume and leafed through the pages.
"Who are the Quilt Ladies?"
"They do charity work in the area. They also consider themselves the town's moral society."
"And they'd like me over for tea?" Vivid swallowed. "For what purpose?"
"To see if you're up to snuff, I would imagine." He replaced the book.
"Are they an influence here?"
"They think they are."
Vivid didn't have to think long about this decision. If members of the community wanted to meet her, she had no recourse but to go. "Then I suppose I'll be having tea at two. You didn't tell them I play billiards, did you?"
"No," he replied with a small chuckle.
"That's probably best for now."
"Probably," he said. "I doubt they share your love of the game."
Vivid chose to ignore the quip and asked instead if he had been able to find an animal to transport her about town.
"Vernon's going to see about it later in the week; his uncle up in Calvin Center has one for sale."
"Thank you."
Nate wondered if she'd been paid any other unseemly visits. “Any of the men from this morning come back?"
"No. Miss Edna doubts I've seen the last of them, however."
"She's probably right."
"Well, I hope you're both wrong. Doesn't anyone realize that if I wanted a husband, I could have stayed in San Francisco?"
"Did you have a beau back there?"
She shook her head no. Beaus were a sore point with Vivid. "I don't do well with beaus."
"Why not?"
"I simply don't," she said, shrugging. "They disapproved of my billiard playing, or my tendency to say what I believe, or my choice of profession. In some cases all three."
He held her eyes. "You are a mite overpowering," he stated, looking down at her, his arms across his chest. "For some."
"Some—most—it doesn't matter. I have trouble being the docile woman they want me to be."
"So you're planning on going through life without a mate?''
"Medicine is my mate."
He smiled; an amused dark-skinned archangel.
"You find that idea funny?" she asked.
"It isn't the idea, it's you, Lancaster."
"Ah, that's right. You believe every woman needs a man."
"I—"
"Well, so far I have done very well without one," she stated.
"Have you now?" he asked in a skeptical voice, his eyes hol
ding hers.
"Yes, I have," she replied proudly. "I don't need a man dictating what I may or may not do."
"A man shouldn't have to dictate. His woman should want to please him."
Vivid surveyed him a moment, not quite sure if he was teasing her or if he was serious. "And when will the man please the woman?"
“Whenever she asks, and if he does it properly, she should have no complaints."
Vivid blinked. His words made her heart race and she looked away, flustered. "I believe we're discussing different subjects, Mr. Grayson."
"Weren't you speaking of a man pleasing a woman?"
"Yes, but on a more...intellectual level."
"Ah, I thought you were speaking about passion."
Vivid's cheeks flooded with heat. "No."
"I didn't mean to embarrass you, Lancaster."
"I'm not embarrassed, Mr. Grayson. I am a physician, after all. A simple discussion of physical functions will not send me running to the hills."
Nate eyed her. Despite her claim to the contrary, she appeared as ruffled as a schoolgirl. He found this facet of the vivid Dr. Lancaster unexpected and quite interesting. "So no beaus and no desire for a husband."
"No."
Nate didn't believe her at all. Most of the young women he knew were forever angling for a man. And he was certain a woman as beautiful as she would have her pick of bachelors. "So you've never been in love?"
He'd dredged up another sore point. She simply shook her head, unwilling to confide her despair of ever finding a man who'd truly value her enough to share her dreams. "And have you?" she finally asked.
"I thought I was at one time, but I was wrong."
She sensed by the sadness in his tone that Nate Grayson had been hurt very badly in the past and wondered when and by whom. "Do you still believe in love?"
"Despite my own failure, I do. My mother died when I was nine, but I distinctly remember my parents loving each other very much. I'd hoped to share that with someone one day."
"Do you continue to hold that hope?"
"No."
Nate had never discussed such things with a woman before and he felt odd and a bit out of his realm.
"My parents are deeply bound to each other also," she said. “My father likes to say he had as much business courting my mother as a goat had going to school."