A Touch of Autumn(52)

Lily Ann, who was boarding at the school this weekend while her parents were out of town, piped up. “He and Miss Wilson had to go to Magnolia Junction. They’ll be here later.”

Shock ran through Livvy. Charles and Hannah Wilson? She had never pictured or even imagined those two together. Nausea rose up in her stomach and she fought back tears. Stop it, Olivia. Just stop it. You’ve always known that Charles only wanted friendship from you. But Hannah Wilson? She’d never seen any indication of interest. But what did she know about men anyway? Maybe their interest didn’t always show.

“Are you all right, Miss Livvy?” Margaret, with a rare note of concern for someone else, frowned and pulled at Livvy’s sleeve.

Olivia smiled and took a deep breath. “Yes. I must have had a moment of getting overheated. But I’ll be fine now.”

Helen strolled by on her husband’s arm and stopped. “Did the girls tell you where Charles and Hannah are?”

“Yes, they did,” Livvy murmured.

“Good. He specifically told us to let you know.”

Well. The very idea. Now he was rubbing it in. She sighed as Helen walked away. That thought wasn’t fair. Charles had always shared everything with Livvy. How was he to know it would hit her heart like salt on a wound?

How could she have been so wrong? All the signs from Charles she’d thought she was reading had been nothing but her hopeful imagination. Like a schoolgirl. She mustn’t let him know. He’d hurt for her and she would be humiliated. She had to let him think she was all right with it. But how?

She turned and saw Rudy talking with a group of young men. Rudy. She hated to get his hopes up and then dash them. Maybe she wouldn’t dash them. Perhaps Carrie Ann was right. After all, every woman wanted a home and family. And maybe she could learn to love Rudy. Then Charles and his precious Hannah would never know they’d crushed her tonight.

Trembling, she stepped toward Rudy.

* * *

Charles couldn’t help but grin as he half glanced toward the excited young woman who stood beside him on the depot platform. She’d said that she and Dr. Monroe were good friends, but he was beginning to wonder if they might be more. Or at least on Hannah’s part. Her pretty brown eyes sparkled and the tip of her tongue darted out to moisten pink lips. Most of all, her cheeks were rosy, and not merely from the chill in the air, if he knew anything about girls.

He grinned. After all, it was rosy cheeks that had first indicated to him that he might have a chance with Livvy. That perhaps she saw him as more than the best friend she’d spent time with for the past six years. He pulled out his pocket watch and looked at it again for the sixth or seventh time. The consarned train was late. He’d thought to have his charges back to the festival by now and be drinking a cup of cider with Livvy. Then later, after the square dancing, the closing waltz.

Patrick and Helen had agreed to ride back to the school with the children and other volunteers so Charles could take Livvy home in the school’s buggy. After all, her parents would need theirs and four was too much company for what he had in mind.

He reached into his pocket once more and this time his hand cupped a small box. Tempted to draw it out and gaze at the ring again, he resisted the temptation and turned to Hannah. He caught her in the act of craning her neck to look down the track. Just as a kid would do. He held back the laugh that threatened to surface and just then a whistle blew from down the track.

Within a few minutes the train rounded the bend and by the time the tall, broad-shouldered doctor stepped down, Hannah stood straight, prim and proper.

Charles’s suspicions were confirmed when the man’s eyes lit up the moment his gaze rested on Hannah.

Stepping forward, Charles introduced himself and shook hands.

“Oh, yes, Waverly. Dr. Quincy has told me a lot about you.”

“Yes, he’s spoken a lot about you, as well. He’s very impressed with your work at the school in Kansas City. But basically you’re here to observe Lily Ann, I understand.”

They retrieved the man’s luggage from the baggage car and Charles led the way to the buggy, where he deposited the luggage in the backseat.

On the way back to the Bineses’ barn, Dr. Monroe and Hannah laughed and talked about incidents they’d shared and friends they had in common while Hannah had attended classes at the school where he spent his senior year.

“Remember the toboggan race?” Giggles pealed from Hannah’s throat.

“Do I?” A booming laugh followed the giggles. “If you want to call it that. Half the toboggans and sleds never made it off the top of the hill.”

“That’s because Frank Calvin sabotaged all the runners.”