Orphan Train Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 4 Page 10

  He offered her a half shrug and a lopsided grin, as though he were uncomfortable with her weak praise. It heartened Cassie to see his reaction. It seemed obvious to her that he had not taken on the boys in an attempt to curry favor with someone. Unlike the socialites of New York. Including her. Cassie was ashamed of her early attitude and was very conscious of others’ motivations. Despite his off-putting demeanor, Cassie was determined to try to think better of Mr. Ainsworth. She offered him a brilliant smile but then had to fight not to laugh when suspicion crossed his face.

  “Are you going to help us with our riding lessons again today, Miss Cassie? We waited, hoping you would come.”

  “Mr. Charles didn’t think you would and said we ought to go ahead without you, but we knew you would be here.”

  Cassie’s feelings of appreciation for Mr. Charles slipped slightly when she heard these words, but she forced herself to remain polite even though she could no longer look at him.

  She squeezed Walter’s hand. “I’m glad you had confidence in me, dear boy. Of course, I’m here for your riding lesson. We had such fun yesterday, I couldn’t bear to miss out today. Thank you for waiting for me. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you.”

  As she was talking, they began to walk toward the barn.

  “Why did you look sad when you were waiting for us, Miss Cassie?”

  Cassie was surprised by Tony’s question. The children had rarely expressed any notice of the feelings of the adults around them.

  “I thought I had missed you. It seemed so quiet when I rode into the yard, so I was sad that I wasn’t going to get to see you today. Then you came running out to greet me and I was happy again.”

  “I wish we could see you every day for always.” This from Walter, and Cassie had to blink to keep the tears from her eyes.

  “I know, but we’ll always be friends. Once you know how to write really well you could write letters to me, and I will be happy to stay in touch with you.”

  The boys didn’t look convinced. “But that won’t be the same as seeing you.”

  “No, but it’s better than nothing,” she answered as briskly as she could manage. “Let’s not think about it now. I’m going to stay around for a little while longer. Let’s make the most of the time we have.”

  Walter still lacked a little enthusiasm, but the three boys ran ahead of her to get the horses ready for their lesson.

  Charles came up beside her. Cassie was uncomfortable around him but tried not to show it. She offered him a tentative smile.

  “They’re such sweet boys,” she began before she had to clear her throat because of the wobble in her voice. “They sure have become captivated with what you’re doing for them here. I’m glad to see how quickly they’re adapting. They’re going to have a great life here with you.”

  She could feel tears forming in her eyes and was quick to blink them away. She didn’t figure the grumpy man would appreciate her softer side.

  ~~~

  Charles watched as she nervously licked her lips and blinked back the tears that had formed on her eyelashes. He wondered if she was trying to gain his sympathy. It was a tactic he had seen girls try before, but he had no interest in hard-hearted women who were into manipulation. He knew what girls like her were like, and he wanted none of it.

  But he knew the boys were fond of her, so he would tolerate her presence for as long as she stayed in town in order to provide them with a sense of continuity. Even though he wasn’t inclined to like her, he had to admit she had handled the youngsters’ concerns quite well. Even though he expected the New York socialite to be a flighty little thing, he grudgingly admitted that he could learn a thing or two from her about dealing with the boys.

  “Was this your family’s land, Mr. Ainsworth? Have you lived here all your life?”

  He never appreciated anyone asking him questions about his past. “No,” he answered her simply, trying to keep the anger out of his voice as he said it. He must not have been completely successful, he realized, when she turned her startled gaze up to meet his eyes.

  “I apologize, Mr. Ainsworth, if my questions were impertinent, I was merely curious. But my mother has, on occasion, informed me that curiosity is vulgar. It would seem she was correct.” She offered him a tight smile that he did not return. He did not want to be friends with her. She deftly changed the subject. “What will we be teaching the children today?”

  Once again, the afternoon passed quickly. Charles was surprised by how much he enjoyed teaching the boys. They were so receptive and eager. And he had to admit that Miss Morley was of great assistance. Now all the youngsters needed was practice, to reinforce what they had learned.

  “Will you come back very soon, Miss Cassie, and go for a ride with us?” Ross asked.

  “Yes, please come.” Walter added his plea.

  “Mr. Charles said he would show us more of his spread once we knew how to ride. You would probably like to see it too, wouldn’t you?” Tony asked. His shy smile revealed how much he hoped the young woman would join them.

  Charles couldn’t resist the boys’ wishes. He added his invitation to theirs. “It would probably be good if you came too, Miss Morley. I think they need one more day of practice, and then we can plan for a longer ride. It would make it easier for me to lead the way if I knew you were bringing up the rear, keeping an eye on the boys’ riding progress. Then I would only need one hand to come along to watch for any dangers.”

  He shouldn’t have added that last bit, as he was met with four pairs of rounded eyes. “What kind of dangers?” Cassie asked for all of them while obviously trying not to look too scared.

  “There are any number of things we need to be concerned about. I won’t go into too much detail at the moment. You needn’t worry. My men and I will keep you safe.”

  He could tell she didn’t appreciate not being told what she wanted to know. He found her good looking whatever she was doing, but when she was irritated and trying to hide that fact, he found it particularly endearing. It was unlikely she would appreciate his thoughts. He ignored the pull of attraction. She was too pretty and soft for the life he was living here. It didn’t matter if he thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, she was not for him, and it would be well for him to remember that.

  Charles watched as Walter grabbed Miss Morley’s hand. “You’ll still come, though, right, Miss Cassie? Mr. Charles said you don’t need to be scared.”

  He watched as she blinked at the boy and then smiled widely at him. Crouching down beside him, she looked the boy in the eyes. “Of course, we needn’t be afraid. I am quite certain Mr. Ainsworth is capable of keeping us safe. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

  Charles was pretty sure she had to force herself to look at him. “You are planning for the day after tomorrow, right? That works well for me as I have a few things I ought to take care of in the meantime. What time would you like me to arrive for our ride, Mr. Ainsworth?” Her tone was polite and cool. The perfect voice for a New York socialite, he thought in derision, ignoring the pull in his belly at the sound of it.

  “If you could come at eleven, that will leave us enough daylight to go for a nice long ride and you would still have time to make it back to town before dusk. Perhaps we could even eat our lunch at the back of the property by the river.”

  She nodded briskly and turned back to the boys. “Then I will see you all at eleven o’clock, day after tomorrow. Make sure you don’t leave without me.”

  The three boys clamored to hug her goodbye while insisting they would never leave her behind. Charles gritted his teeth, ignoring his jealousy over their attachment to the young woman. He had always thought children were good judges of character, but now he wasn’t so sure. He wouldn’t trust this woman farther than he could throw her, but the children would give their lives for her, he was sure. He was glad she would soon be returning to New York. Since the boys loved her, he couldn’t deny her access to them, but he didn’t want her around any
longer than necessary. He would ask her tomorrow which train she planned to take.

  Charles almost smiled as he watched Walter, Ross, and Anton talking over each other and Cassie gamely trying to keep track of what each of them was saying while they walked toward her horse. They came to stand with him as she rode away. Walter’s hand made its way into his grasp. Charles was still a little uncomfortable with such displays but didn’t want to hurt his feelings so allowed it for a moment. His heart went out to the little boy. Charles knew he was going to love being a father.

  “Why do you s’pose Miss Cassie doesn’t want to stay here with us, Mr. Charles? Maybe you could adopt her, too.” Ross’ six-year-old logic left a little to be desired, Charles thought as he wondered how to answer him. Thankfully Ross’ big brother stepped in.

  “Don’t be stupid, Ross. She still has her parents, so she can’t be adopted.”

  “But I don’t want her to go away.” Ross’ voice trembled, and Charles’ heart clenched in sympathy.

  “What do you like about Miss Cassie, Ross?” Charles asked. “Maybe there are some ladies around here you could be friends with.”

  The boy shook his head. “It wouldn’t be the same, Mr. Charles. Miss Cassie knew us before. It’s different, you know.”

  Charles didn’t know, but he couldn’t argue with the boy.

  “I like that she always listens,” Walter piped up.

  “And remembers,” Ross added. Charles’ confusion must have been evident because Ross elaborated. “Grownups often pretend to listen to what you say but don’t remember what you told them. Miss Cassie always listens and remembers.”

  “And then she asks you about it, like to check on you,” Anton chimed in. “Like if you had a loose tooth or had been planning to play a game, she would ask you how did it go.”

  Charles was surprised by their words. “I can see why you would appreciate qualities like that.”

  Walter summed up how all the boys felt. “The other ladies that were at the orphanage, and especially the ones who came on the train with us, are nice, but Miss Cassie is the best.”

  “I’m sure she would appreciate knowing you feel that way,” was all Charles could say before he changed the subject. “Now, who would like some dinner? I don’t know about you three, but I sure did work up an appetite today.”

  “Me!” “Me!” “I do, too.” They were easily distracted, and the evening drifted to a comfortable close.

  Chapter Seven

  C assie was less than comfortable sitting in the saloon eating her supper. If her parents could see her, they would lock her up and throw away the key, she thought with reluctant amusement. They were going to be less than pleased with her for going on this trip in the first place, even if they never found out what her accommodations were like.

  She tried not to draw any attention to herself and ate as quickly as possible. It was still early, so the bar wasn’t crowded, but Cassie was well aware that the men of the town were unused to having a proper woman in their presence while they were drinking. But she had been far too hungry after leaving her mount at the smithy and couldn’t wait to eat until morning. She would have no strength for her ride tomorrow if she skipped supper tonight.

  It was one more reason why she needed to make up her mind to buy a ticket back to New York. She knew Kate and Melanie, two of the other women who had accompanied the orphans on the train, were planning to stay in town and had already arranged for a place to live. Katie had only shared her room in the hotel that first night. She and Mel had quickly found a more permanent accommodation. Perhaps she could see if they had a little bit of room for her to stay with them for a couple more days. She just couldn’t tear herself away from the children. She doubted it was going to get any easier as the time went on, but she just had to be sure all the children from the train were looked after. Maybe she would buy the ticket once Mr. McDonald had finished placing them all. She knew she wouldn’t be able to have a clear conscience until that was looked after.

  As soon as she finished her last bite, she signalled to the bartender and hurried up the stairs to her room. She was sure to get indigestion from how quickly she had eaten, but she couldn’t be comfortable with all the attention focused on her.

  Once she got to her room, she contemplated her plans for the next day. She resolved to visit Mr. McDonald again to see if he had made any progress. She would speak with Kate and Melanie as well, to see if they would mind her staying with them. Cassie would happily pay them what the hotel was charging her. She knew they were both needing to take on work as soon as possible, so they must not have very much money. And it was only fair that she contribute. She would just be glad to be away from the saloon.

  She managed to drift off to sleep despite the rising volume from the men in the bar. All the riding and fresh air were certainly making for deep sleep, she thought vaguely as her exhaustion finally swallowed her. She thought of nothing else until the sun streaming through her window woke her early the next morning. She was glad to see that she had managed to be up at an early enough hour this time. She could not spend another night above the saloon!

  After quickly dressing and gathering together her few things, she made her way downstairs. The saloon was empty except for the ever present bartender. Cassie wondered if the poor man ever slept. He offered to make her breakfast, for which she was grateful. Before the large clock struck the hour she was on her way.

  Deciding first to speak with Mr. McDonald just in case the man was going to leave his office that day, Cassie headed toward the train station, as his office was next door.

  “Miss Morley, what a pleasure to see you this morning.” The fat man’s friendly greeting was surprising.

  Cassie smiled. “Thank you, Mr. McDonald. How are you on this fine day?”

  “I am well, my dear, I am well.” His exuberance was making her nervous for a reason she couldn’t quite define. “You will be happy to hear that I have now found a place for all but two of the orphans you brought with you. And I am fairly certain that the last ones should be placed before the week is out. I just have to make one more visit to confirm with someone who had expressed an interest previously.”

  “That is wonderful news. Are you confident the children will be happy where you’ve placed them, sir?”

  Cassie winced when she saw how the man reacted to her question and quickly tried to disarm him. “I apologize, sir, I have no intention of questioning your abilities. I just find that I am so worried about the poor children. You know how it is, don’t you?” It wasn’t hard to make tears gather in her eyes. She truly was worried for them, especially with their fates being left in the incompetent hands of this uncaring lout.

  Her words had the desired effect. No longer looking mulish, Mr. McDonald patted her awkwardly on her shoulder. “Of course I understand. Don’t get yourself in a taking, young lady. I have every confidence that I am finding good homes for each and every one of those orphans. Anywhere out here is going to be a far cry better than where they come from, wouldn’t you agree, Miss Morley?”

  No, I do not agree, she thought with fierce anger that she made every effort to hide. What she said out loud was far different. “I am certain they are all happy to be getting settled into families once again. Would you be so kind as to give me the direction of the children that have now found a good home? I wouldn’t want to leave town without saying goodbye.”

  “Of course, of course.” He was back to being jovial, no doubt relieved that she wasn’t going to give in to a fit of the vapors and glad to have a reason to send her off.

  Within moments she had the paper with all the names clutched in her hand and she was on her way from his office heading away from the train station toward the small house Kate and Melanie were renting.

  “Cassie! What a pleasure to see you! What has been keeping you so busy that we haven’t laid eyes on you in the last couple of days?” Kate’s welcome was warm but censorious.

  “You look as though you have settled in alre
ady. It has only been a couple days, but I’m sorry if you were expecting me earlier. I have been junketing about the area checking on the children. I don’t trust that Mr. McDonald was particularly interested in the welfare of the children when he made the arrangements. I could not leave here with a clear conscience if I did not see with my own eyes that the children were content with their new homes.”

  Kate nodded in sympathy. “Oh, you poor thing. You haven’t managed this experience very well, have you? Of course, I understand. That’s one more reason I’m glad that I’ll be staying here. I will be able to lend a hand if any of the boys find themselves in need of a little assistance.” Kate smiled warmly and turned the subject. “Please say you can stay for a little visit. I have just put the kettle on. Say you’ll have a cup of tea with me.”

  “That would be lovely, thank you. I just left Mr. McDonald and could use a cup of tea to put a better taste in my mouth.”

  The two young women shared a chuckle. Cassie glanced around the small but comfortable space.

  “This is a lovely home you have, Kate. I can see that you’re already happy here.”

  “Yes. Having a fresh start is wonderful. I’m sure there will be a few things that I will miss from the city, but I never would have been able to have a home like this there. It was all I could manage to afford a small room in an ugly tenement.”

  Cassie, being from far different circumstances, became a little uncomfortable, but happy for her friend. She turned the subject. “Is Melanie home?”

  “No, she is out considering her options. Since I have already been promised the position of schoolteacher, she is looking about to see what her employment prospects are. She is highly skilled with a needle, so she is thinking she might be able to be a seamstress. There is already a tailor in town, so she has gone to speak with him. Perhaps he can refer her to some clients, or she could assist him.”

  “I do hope it works out for her,” Cassie answered as she nodded her thanks for the piping hot cup of tea Katie placed before her.