The Bachelor's Bride (The Thompsons of Locust Street #1) - Holly Bush Page 0,7

withdrawing from the handshake. Pendergast was staring up at James with much the same intense look as her brother until he raised one dark eyebrow.

“What brings you to our parlor?” he asked as he released Pendergast’s hand.

Pendergast smiled, a genuine one, Elspeth thought. Surprising, as she was certain both men were doing their best not to shake out their hands after being crushed.

“I found Miss Thompson’s bag and came to return it to her. Mrs. Murdoch kindly asked me to stay for coffee and cake,” he replied.

“If you think my aunt asked you out of kindness—”

“Don’t you have a delivery to see to, James? I think I heard a wagon pull into the back. You’d best go and check,” Aunt Murdoch said.

James smiled at his aunt and her dismissal. “Won’t want to keep the beets waiting.”

Elspeth heard the parlor door close and her brother’s shout to Mrs. McClintok’s son, Robert, the all-about boy.

“The beets?” Pendergast said with a glance to her.

“We jar and sell all varieties of vegetables in the newest methods. That is our family business,” she replied. “It is very early in the growing season here, but these beets came by train from farther south.”

“A canning business?” he repeated.

“Yes,” she said. “A canning business.”

“Have you been in business long?”

“A little over three years,” she said. “We sell to our neighbors and small grocers.”

He took a quick glance around the room. “You must be very successful.”

“We’ve really just—” she began.

“It has been lovely chatting with you,” Aunt Murdoch said and rose slowly from the sofa, “but I’m sure you’re a very busy man. We don’t want to keep you from the important work you do for Councilman Schmitt.”

Mr. Pendergast had stood as soon as Aunt Murdoch began to rise. He put his coffee cup down on the tray and picked up his hat.

“Of course, Mrs. Murdoch. Thank you for the cake and for the hospitality.”

“See Mr. Pendergast out,” Aunt Murdoch said to Mrs. McClintok, who happened to open the sliding doors at just the moment she was called for.

“This way, sir,” Mrs. McClintok said.

Chapter 3

“What do you want, Kirsty?” Elspeth said as she rolled over and pulled her quilt over her head. “It is barely light out. Let me sleep!”

Eighteen-year-old Kirsty Thompson bounced as she sat down on the unoccupied side of Elspeth’s bed. “We’ve got to get downstairs soon and start cleaning the beets, but I want to know more about the man who called on you yesterday. He was short but very handsome.”

“He was taller than me, so therefore he’s taller than you. And what difference does it make how tall a man is?”

“Who wants a short husband? I don’t! I want to reach up to a broad set of shoulders,” Kirsty said and held her hands under her chin as if in prayer.

Elspeth rolled over and stared out the window. Alexander Pendergast had broad shoulders and muscled arms. And lovely blue eyes. “Who said anything about a husband?” she whispered.

“You must want to get married, Elspeth.” Kirsty stretched out beside her on top of the covers. “You don’t want to end up like Muireall, do you?”

“What a horrible thing to say.” She turned her head to look over her shoulder at her younger sister.

“Why is it horrible? It’s the truth! She’s twenty-five, going to be twenty-six soon, and she never steps outs with any man, and even when one does show some interest, she’s mean to him.”

Elspeth got out of bed and pulled on a thick wool robe. “Did it not ever occur to you that she’s so busy taking care of this family that she doesn’t have time for herself? And James is the same way. We are lucky to have them with mother and father gone.”

Kirsty sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. “I can’t picture them anymore,” she said quietly. “For years, I would picture them in my head before I went to bed. Both smiling. I think it was at that big table where we sat together back in Tavistown.”

“The table in the great hall,” Elspeth said and leaned against her bedpost. “The fireplace was so big that I could walk inside of it.”

“No one will talk about them anymore either.” Kirsty sat up. “I wish they would. I don’t want to forget them.”

Elspeth walked around the bed, leaned over, and kissed the top of her sister’s head. She sat down beside her and picked up her hand, holding it in hers and lightly scratching Kirsty’s palm. Thoughts of her