LITMIR.BIZ

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hair neatly confined behind her head gazed at Rina and James, light blue eyes assessing. Even in the blue-flowered cotton gown and with an apron tied around her waist, Catherine Wallin looked elegant to Rina.

      Her old traveling companion came forward with a smile. “Miss Fosgrave, isn’t it?”

      Rina returned her smile. “Yes, thank you. How kind of you to remember me, Mrs. Wallin. I can only hope we find that we suit each other.”

      Catherine frowned as if she wasn’t sure of Rina’s meaning. She glanced around Rina for the door, where James stood. He crossed to Rina’s side.

      “You know how I am, Catherine,” he said. “I have on occasion exaggerated to make a point. Can you blame Miss Fosgrave if she wanted to make sure I was telling the truth before committing to being our teacher? She graciously agreed to come here for her interview so you wouldn’t have to travel all the way into town.”

      He was coloring the facts, even now. Her list of requirements had not been given all that graciously.

      “Oh, I see,” Catherine said, but by the look on her face, Rina thought she saw more than James intended. “That was very considerate of you, Miss Fosgrave. We can talk more after dinner.”

      James took a step back. “Good. I’ll just go see to the horses.” With an encouraging nod to Rina, he left.

      The room seemed somehow darker once the door closed behind him. She shook herself. She was here to teach, not to hang on every word from a certain gentleman’s mouth. Particularly when the words coming out of that gentleman’s mouth were nonsense more often than not.

      “Thank you for inviting me to dine with you,” she said to Catherine.

      Catherine’s smile returned. “Of course! You’ll find this table is always open. Let me introduce you to everyone. My husband and most of his brothers are expected any moment, but the others are here. You’ve already met Beth.”

      Rina nodded to the girl, who was now setting pink-and-white patterned dishes on the table. “Yes, and I understand I shall have the pleasure of instructing her.” She could imagine the older girl helping beside her, teaching the little ones their letters.

      “Indeed.” Catherine led her over to the other woman, a tall lady, her eyes were a vibrant shade of green in a face shaped like Beth’s.

      “This is Mrs. Wallin, Beth’s mother,” Catherine explained.

      “So glad you could join us, Miss Fosgrave,” the elder Mrs. Wallin said with a ready smile. “If there’s anything you need, just let me know.”

      Something pounded on the boardwalk then, and the door opened to admit the rest of the Wallin men. They were all dressed in rough trousers and cotton shirts open at the neck and rolled up at the sleeves to reveal flannel beneath. Rina recognized the largest as Drew, Catherine’s husband, and he confirmed the fact by crossing to their sides and kissing Catherine on the cheek.

      The more slender brother, who was as tall as him with hair the color of James’s, was introduced as Simon, and the younger one with red-gold hair and green eyes as John. The youngest yet, who must have been Levi, poked his curly-haired head from the back room and ordered John to help him serve. The rest started moving toward the table.

      She knew she should join them, but she suddenly felt alone, uncertain. They were so eager, so helpful. Would they still want her to teach if they knew about how she’d been raised, by whom she’d been raised?

      James was the last through the door. His brothers hailed him, and his mother called his name in greeting. He offered them a smile before crossing to her side and holding out his arm.

      “May I have the honor of escorting you to the table, Miss Fosgrave?”

      This time it was easy to place her hand on his arm, to lean on that strength. “The honor is all mine, Mr. Wallin.”

      He led her to the table, then pulled out one of the benches to allow her to sit. She didn’t realize until he moved away that everyone in his family was staring at him, Beth with mouth open wide.

      James went to hold out the chair at the foot of the table for his mother. “Manners?” he suggested to his brothers with an arched look.

      “Well, la-di-da, as Miss Maddie would say,” Levi retorted, carrying a steaming cast-iron tureen to the table. “What are we, the queen of France?”

      Rina’s face felt hot, but Mrs. Wallin pointed a finger at her youngest son. “There is nothing wrong with treating others with respect, Levi Aloysius Wallin.”

      Catherine turned to her brother-in-law. “Aloysius?”

      Now Levi was coloring. “Pa said it was from the old country.”

      Rina could not bear to see the boy teased. “It’s a fine name,” she said. “Far better than being called Alexandrina Eugenia. I have had to live with that most of my life.”

      He shook his head. “You surely have me beat, ma’am.”

      “Welcome to Wallin Landing, Alexandrina Eugenia Fosgrave,” Mrs. Wallin said.

      “Rina, please, Mrs. Wallin,” Rina said. “A recent change.” She couldn’t help glancing at James, who was, of course, grinning.

      The rest of them sat then, and Drew said the blessing from the head of the table. Head bowed, Rina listened to his deep voice thank God for what they were about to receive. She was thankful, as well. They’d arrived safely, and the family seemed kind and considerate. But she had yet to see if the school was as James had described it. She could only pray she had been right to trust him.

      * * *

      James munched on one of his brother’s famous biscuits slathered in honey butter and watched Rina pick at her food from across the table. At first, each laugh had made her flinch, and she’d glanced around as if waiting for someone to order them to cease their nonsense.

      Of course his older brother Simon had been nearly as bad. He kept narrowing his light green eyes at her as if something about her simply didn’t add up. That was Simon—analyzing every situation and spotting the problems just as James spotted the potential. James would never admit it to his strong-willed brother, but he admired Simon’s ability to get things done, to stay on track. Still he wasn’t about to let Simon pick on Rina.

      He couldn’t help remembering what Maddie had said, that someone had hurt her. Part of him wanted to hold her close, shelter her from whatever had sapped her joy. The other part wanted to tease her unmercifully until she smiled again.

      He must have restrained himself sufficiently, for his family noticed.

      “Are you feeling sick?” Beth asked as he helped her clear the table. Catherine and Ma had taken Rina aside, most likely to talk about their hopes for the school.

      “Never felt better,” James said, carrying the empty tureen to the washtub in the back room. He peered over his shoulder through the opening by the hearth in time to see Rina frown. Didn’t she like what they were saying? Was she even now thinking about leaving? He’d worked too hard to coax her into coming!

      “No, there’s something wrong,” John said, following them with a stack of cups. “Otherwise he would have answered your question with a joke.”

      James shook his head. “Not everything has to be a joke.”

      Beth clutched her chest. “What! Where is the James Wallin we know and love?”

      “He perished under the weight of Miss Fosgrave’s trunk,” James answered, and his sister and brother laughed.

      He was smiling as he returned to the front room. He liked making people laugh. Something about the light in their eyes raised his own spirits. For a moment, he felt worthwhile, like he could do something his more talented brothers couldn’t.

      Why couldn’t he make Rina laugh?

      He’d seen hints of it, a twitch

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