Shine Like the Dawn Page 15

  Blast! He forced himself to calm down and soften his tone. “You have your whole life ahead of you. I’m sure you don’t want to tarnish your reputation and hurt your future prospects for marriage by seeing any young man in secret and without a chaperon.”

  She swung around. “You don’t understand! Owen is not any young man. I love him!” With that she grabbed up her skirt and ran toward the house.

  Nate closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. As if the trouble at Clifton was not enough, now he had to deal with a heartbroken, foolish sister who didn’t want to listen to reason.

  Maggie sat at the desk in the Morningside library and added a few more lines to the letter to the insurance company. She glanced across at her grandmother. “Do you think we should say our display cases were used when we bought them?”

  Grandmother shifted on the settee and looked Maggie’s way. “They were only three years old, but yes, we should mention it. We can’t expect the Lord to honor our prayers for a favorable outcome with the insurance company unless we’re honest about our claims.”

  Maggie wasn’t sure if her grandmother’s prayers would make any difference, but her parents had taught her the importance of honesty in all areas of life. She added the information and scanned the letter once more, weighing each word. Their future depended on her presenting their case as clearly as possible.

  To that end, they’d spent the last hour creating a list of all that had been lost in the fire, including the finished hats and supplies in the shop, as well as the furniture and other items in their private rooms.

  Violet flipped a page of the large book she held on her lap and quietly studied the next colorful illustration. She looked up at Grandmother seated next to her. “Do you think we’ll see birds like these at Morningside?”

  Maggie glanced over at the book, and longing rose in her heart. She would so much rather be out on a walk, exploring the gardens and enjoying the flowers and birds, than laboring over this letter, but her grandmother needed her help.

  She turned back to her task and read the letter one more time. Finally, she rose from the desk, crossed the room, and handed the letter to her grandmother. “What do you think of this?”

  Grandmother pushed her spectacles up her nose and read what Maggie had written. When she finished, she looked up. “Very nicely done, my dear.”

  “Thank you.” Maggie sent her grandmother a pleased smile.

  Grandmother handed it back. “I’m sure someone from the company will want to visit the shop and speak to us after. Why don’t you tell them they can reach us here at Morningside Manor?”

  Maggie stilled, and a prickle of unease traveled across her shoulders. “We haven’t settled that with Nate.”

  “I’m sure that was his intention when he invited us last night.”

  “I wouldn’t exactly say he invited us—it was more like a command.” She frowned toward the fireplace, remembering how he’d practically ordered them to spend the night at Morningside.

  Grandmother looked at her over the top of her spectacles. “For goodness’ sake, Maggie, you ought to be grateful. Remember how he ran back into the shop to rescue Violet and retrieve the money you left upstairs? Then he fought the fire side by side with the village men, trying to save our shop. I don’t know too many gentlemen who would risk their own safety or get their hands wet and dirty like that.”

  It was true. Nate had gone out of his way to alert them to the fire and make sure they were safely away before he joined the others to do what he could. Still, Maggie didn’t want to give him too much credit. Their shop had been destroyed, and all they owned was lost. It was too little too late…again.

  She crossed her arms over her chest as though protecting herself from a chill. “I didn’t appreciate him ordering us to come here. We’re not junior seamen on one of his Navy ships, and he is not our commanding officer.”

  “I’m sure he only spoke that way because the hour was late and we were all exhausted.”

  “I doubt that’s true.” Nate had a habit of using his position to influence others and get his way, or at least he had in the past. He did seem different since he’d returned, but she didn’t want to be fooled by an outward display of kindness that covered a proud and demanding heart.

  “Well, I wasn’t offended by what he said or the way he said it,” Grandmother continued. “In fact, quite the opposite. I was glad someone was willing to welcome us into his home, and you should be as well.”

  A sting of guilt pricked Maggie’s conscience as she walked back to the desk. Grandmother could be right, but Maggie didn’t want to concede her point.

  Grandmother watched Maggie with a concerned look. “You should be careful, my dear. We’re in a difficult position, without a home or income for a time. If Nathaniel is willing to allow us to stay at Morningside, we should do all we can to express our gratitude and remain in his good graces.”

  “What about Mrs. Harcourt? I’m not sure she’ll be too pleased by an extended stay, especially when we have no idea how long it will take to rebuild our shop.”

  “Well, she might not like it, but Nathaniel has invited us and we are his guests. Besides, I don’t know anyone else who has the room and desire to take us in.”

  Maggie glanced toward the window. Surely there must be someone else who would open their home to them. Should she contact Reverend Samuelson and ask for his help?

  How could they continue to stay in the same house with the woman who might be responsible for the deaths of her parents and sister?

  What did Nate know about the accident? The more time she spent with him, the more torn she felt. Was he only offering his friendship to keep her off balance and squelch her suspicions? Or was he a true friend who wanted to make up for the painful way his family had treated them in the past?

  What if Nate learned she suspected Helen Harcourt was involved in a plot to murder her father? Would he side with his stepmother to protect his family from the scandal, or would he stand with Maggie and allow the truth to be told?

  Nate strode into the library. “Ah, here you are.”

  Maggie swallowed hard. How long had Nate been outside the library door? Had he heard her remarks to her grandmother?

  He looked her way, his expression warm and open, as though he had nothing to hide. “I’m sorry to leave you on your own all morning. The meeting at Clifton took longer than I expected.”

  “You mustn’t worry about us.” Grandmother looked up at him with a smile. “We’re fine. We’ve just been composing our letter to the insurance company.” She motioned toward the desk where Maggie sat. “Perhaps you could read it and give us your opinion?”

  “Of course. I’d be glad to.” He crossed toward Maggie.

  She hesitated a moment, then held out the letter. Would he approve of what she’d written? She looked away and silently scolded herself for caring.

  He scanned the first page, then quickly read the second. “This is well written.” He looked up and met Maggie’s gaze, appreciation in his eyes.

  Maggie straightened. “Thank you.”

  “But I think it’s important to add that the fire started in Neatherton’s shop and then spread to yours. You want to absolve yourself of as much responsibility as possible. You don’t want the company to claim you were careless or at fault for the damages and deny your claim.”

  Maggie pulled in a sharp breath. “Could they do that?”

  “I have heard of some instances where that was the case.” He glanced down at the letter again. “You’ll also want to list the value of the property you lost.”

  Of course he was right. Why hadn’t she thought of that? It wasn’t enough to simply list the contents of the shop. They had to assign value to each item if they wanted to receive a fair settlement for their claim.

  “And you should also include the amount of income you’re losing by not being able to conduct your business.”

  “Yes, I suppose Maggie and I could come up with a weekly average without too much t
rouble.”

  “I’m not sure if your policy covers lost income,” Nate continued, “but sending that information along might speed up processing the claim.”

  Grandmother clicked her tongue. “Well, it’s a good thing we showed you our letter. It looks like we have some more work to do before we post it.”

  Nate glanced at Maggie, a hint of expectation in his eyes. Was he hoping she would praise him for his suggestions? She couldn’t quite bring herself to do that.

  But what if they hadn’t shown him the letter? Would the insurance company have been happy to give them a smaller settlement?

  “Thank you, Nathaniel. We’re grateful for your help with our claim and for allowing us to stay at Morningside.” Grandmother rose and crossed to stand beside Maggie.

  Nate sent a surprised glance at Maggie, then nodded to Grandmother. “I’m pleased you’ve decided to stay.”

  “It’s very kind of you to allow it.” Grandmother paused, giving Maggie a meaningful look. “Isn’t it, Maggie?”

  “Yes, very kind.” But Maggie couldn’t look Nate in the eye when she spoke.

  He reached toward the desk and pulled open one of the side drawers. “It might carry some weight if you wrote the letter on Harcourt stationery. And you’ll want to make a copy to keep for your own records.” He took out an envelope and several sheets of ivory paper with the gold Harcourt crest at the top.

  He held them out to Maggie. “You may list my name as the person to contact, if you’d like.”

  She stiffened. Was he hoping to somehow control the outcome of the insurance claim, or was he simply trying to be helpful? Either way, she didn’t want that kind of help. “Thank you, but I’d prefer to speak with them directly.” He studied her face. Her cheeks warmed, and she had the distinct impression he could read her troubled thoughts.

  He stepped back. “As you wish.”

  “Nate,” Violet called from her spot on the settee, “do you ever see birds like these at Morningside?” She pointed to the open book on her lap.

  “Let me see.” He joined her on the settee, and they talked for several minutes about the birds he’d spotted on his walks.

  Maggie focused on revising and copying the letter on the Harcourt stationery. With some help from her grandmother, she assigned values to their lost property and came up with a figure for their lost income.

  Grandmother read the final copy and showed it to Nate. He nodded his approval. “I’ll ring Jackson and ask him to take care of this for you.” Nate pressed the bell to summon his butler, then turned to Maggie. “It’s a lovely afternoon. I was thinking about taking a ride. Would you like to join me?”

  Maggie blinked, surprised by his invitation. The thought of escaping the house and enjoying a ride in the fresh country air was almost too much to resist. “I haven’t ridden for years.” Four to be exact, but she didn’t want to make that painfully clear.

  “Then perhaps it’s time you climbed back in the saddle.” A hint of challenge lit Nate’s eyes.

  Maggie’s heart tugged her to accept, but she shook her head. “I don’t have any riding clothes.”

  “That outfit is fine. There’s no need to change.”

  Grandmother took his arm and lowered her voice. “I think what Maggie is reluctant to say is that we brought no other clothing with us, and if she soils that dress, she’ll have to stay wrapped up in a blanket in our room until it’s washed and dried.”

  Heat surged through Maggie. Oh, what a lovely picture.

  “Of course.” Nate’s face flushed. “I didn’t think of that.” He rubbed his chin and turned to Maggie. “You and Clara are about the same height and…size.” He quickly shifted his gaze away. “I’m sure she has some clothes you could borrow until you have an opportunity to see the dressmaker.”

  “Oh, we’ve no need of a dressmaker.” Grandmother chuckled. “We sew all our own clothes.”

  Maggie did most of the sewing since Grandmother’s fingers had stiffened with arthritis, but her grandmother still did some and advised her each step of the way. “Yes, we’re quite capable of sewing new dresses. We just need some fabric and a few supplies.”

  “I can help make a new dress.” Violet looked up with an eager smile. “Maggie has been teaching me to sew. I’ve already made an apron and a blanket for my doll.”

  Nate grinned. “That’s excellent.” He shifted his gaze to Maggie. “I’ll speak to Mrs. Burnell and see what we have on hand, and if that’s not satisfactory, I’ll arrange for you to take a trip into the village.”

  “Thank you.” But her feeling of gratitude was quickly overshadowed by an uncomfortable realization. Morningside was at least four miles from Heatherton. It would take her well over an hour to walk there if the need arose, but it would be difficult for Violet and impossible for Grandmother. They were completely dependent on Nate or one of his staff if they wanted to return to the village. It was almost as if he held them captive at Morningside. Maggie bristled at that thought.

  Nate looked her way with that open, hopeful expression. “So…would you like to join me for that ride?” Some unnamed emotion flickered in his eyes. Was it vulnerability, or was he seeking to hide something from her?

  Perhaps if she agreed to go she could discover what was behind that look. She glanced at her grandmother.

  “Violet and I will be fine. Go and enjoy the ride.”

  “All right.” Maggie nodded to Nate. “I’ll come along.”

  Violet released a wistful sigh. “I love horses, but I’ve never ridden one.” She looked up at Nate with longing in her blue eyes.

  Maggie laid her hand on Violet’s shoulder. “And you won’t be riding until that cast comes off your leg.”

  Violet’s face fell. Immediately, Maggie regretted squashing her sister’s dream, but it couldn’t be helped.

  “I have an idea.” Nate crossed the room and knelt in front of Violet. “Perhaps you and your grandmother would like to sit on the bench out front and enjoy the sunshine. Then Maggie and I could bring the horses around so you could see them.”

  Violet’s face brightened. “Oh, would you?”

  “I’d be glad to, but first I must go up and change. Enjoy your book, and I’ll send word when it’s time for you to join us.”

  Violet gave a quick nod. “I’ll be ready.”

  Before he could rise, Violet threw her arms around his neck and laid her head on his chest. “Thank you.”

  He slowly lifted his hand and patted her on the back. “You’re welcome,” he said with a catch in his voice. Then he stood and sent Maggie a quick smile before he walked out of the library.

  Maggie watched him go, her heart warmed by his kindness toward Violet. He seemed sincere, and she found herself wanting to believe his words and actions matched what he was truly thinking. But was that wise? Was she simply being swayed by a few kind words? Could she truly trust Nate?

  Nate changed into his riding clothes without waiting for his valet. He didn’t want to give Maggie time to change her mind about joining him on the ride.

  He frowned as he buttoned his jacket, recalling her shuttered expression and brief replies. For some reason, she’d pulled back even further today. Was she still troubled by painful memories from the past, or was it something else?

  He hustled downstairs, and as he crossed toward the library, his stepmother’s voice carried out into the great hall. A jolt of concern made him quicken his steps, but then he stopped and listened by the door.

  “The cottage will be much more suitable and give you the opportunity for some privacy.” Helen’s tone was polite but firm. “Jackson will make the arrangements, and you can move there later this afternoon.”

  Nate stifled a growl and strode into the library. “Helen.”

  Her eyes widened for a split second, but she quickly recovered a neutral expression.

  “What is this about?” He walked to the middle of the room and faced her.

  “I was just explaining that our former housekeeper, Mrs. Pot
ter, recently vacated one of our cottages on the north drive, and I thought it would be more convenient for Mrs. Hayes and her granddaughters to stay there.”

  Maggie was seated with her grandmother and Violet on the settee. She shifted her questioning glance from Helen to Nate.

  Nate pulled in a deep breath, giving himself a moment to calm his voice. “It seems there is a misunderstanding. Mrs. Hayes and her granddaughters will be staying here with us until their shop can be rebuilt.”

  Helen’s forehead creased. “I don’t see why we need to house them here when—”

  “Please step into the hall.” His firm tone made it clear he expected her to comply.

  Helen set her mouth in a tight line, then turned away with a swish of her skirt and strode out the door.

  “Excuse me, ladies.” Nate followed her out, praying for patience.

  Helen stopped a few feet from the library door, but Nate motioned for her to follow him across the hall.

  He waited until she came closer, then lowered his voice. “I don’t want to be unkind, but you must understand our roles have changed.”

  “What do you mean by that?” The challenge in her expression was unmistakable.

  “Your responsibility as mistress of Morningside ended the day my father died. I am the heir, and I will decide who stays in my home.”

  Helen’s eyes sparked. “I have been mistress of Morningside for almost twenty years. You’re not married. You have no wife to take up those duties.”

  Nate steeled himself against her jabbing words. “The fact that I am not married does not mean I am incapable of running this house.”

  “But the fact that you invited those…village people to stay here certainly calls it into question.”

  Fire flashed through Nate. “Daniel Lounsbury spent the last five years of his life at Morningside transforming our rugged, barren property into beautiful, lush gardens. I see no reason we shouldn’t help his family when they’re facing difficult times. He was an honorable man, a respected landscape architect, and one of Father’s most trusted friends.”