“I’m not sure what else you’d expect from a man who’s going to be a father next year. Everyone’s decorating the tree in the parlor,” Luke said, helping her with her coat.
“Oh, lovely. Charles has been so busy we haven’t been able to go looking for ours yet.” Maude hung up her hat and turned as though to go to the parlor when she paused and looked at him instead. “Mary asked me to tell you what your assignment is for the Christmas Fair.”
“What?” Luke took a step back. “Why doIhave an assignment?”
“Because you had so many great suggestions for the men’s events. You’ll be working closely with Judith, but Mary is quite concerned that the two of you get right on it. We need Mr. Hawkins at the newspaper to get the word out. Mr. Teague has agreed to accept sign-ups for the different events at the dry goods store.” Maude didn’t wait for Luke to say anything but hurried toward the parlor.
He wanted to follow and tell her he wouldn’t do it. Luke had his own plans with Judith Breckinridge and serving on a planning committee that was likely to put them at odds with each other wasn’t one of them.
As he took a step toward the parlor, he thought again of Gypsy. He was a man used to identifying problems and fixing them. He understood how to handle a mistreated horse, but not a complicated and caustic woman. Especially a beautiful one. Was this a way for him to get closer to her?
He shoved his hands in his pockets and headed back to his office instead.
* * *
“You’re quiet tonight,”Marshall said to Judith at dinner that evening.
“Are you not well?” Doris glanced up from ladling stew for Florence. “Youhavebeen looking a little peakèd since the meeting today.”
“I’m just tired,” Judith said.
It wasn’t quite a lie. Shewastired, but it was because she kept having dreams about Luke Hamblin, and now she’d have to work with him until the event was over. And that on top of the two families now sitting together at church and alternating having Sunday dinners together at each other’s homes.
“Judith will be working with Luke to coordinate the Christmas Fair,” Doris told Marshall.
“We’re going to have a Christmas Fair?” Lydia asked, clapping her hands to her chest, her expression turning dreamy.
“Yes,” Judith said, unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice, “because bringing culture to Lilac Citymustinclude men doing rope tricks and shooting their guns.”
“You mustn’t forget the cowboy poetry.” Marshall chuckled.
“Don’t you start too,” Judith said with a scowl.
“I had a talk with Mrs. Teague the other day,” Doris said. “It seems Hank Knox was misbehaving in her Sunday school class, and she wondered if it might be best if he stayed home.”
“And what words of wisdom did you have for her, my love?” Marshall asked.
“That he needs chances to practice paying attention and demonstrating he has good manners.” She shook her head. “The boy has a good heart, but except for his grandmother he doesn’t have good examples in his home. The only place he can learn civilized behavior—” Doris glanced at Judith. “—is at school and at church.”
“The rowdy cowhands of Lilac City are not schoolboys,” Judith said, “if that’s what you’re trying to imply.”
“No, they’re not.” Doris gave one of her soft smiles. “But just like Hank, they only know what they’ve been taught.Wehave an opportunity to show them there’s a bigger world out there than what they’ve seen so far.”
“How did I not realize I was marrying such a wise woman?” Marshall leaned over and kissed his wife.
Judith’s brother had certainly not learned such loving behavior in their childhood home. Even so, she had to blink at the sudden emotion flooding through her. Watching her brother and Doris and also Charles and Maude with their unabashed affection was startling. Polite society didnotapprove of such demonstrations.
It made Judith reflect upon her interactions with Teddy. They’d been completely devoid of anything that might smack of true feelings. She considered different married couples back home and couldn’t think of any who treated their spouses like this, not even her friends who had recently wed. Were any of them in love with each other? Until she’d come here, Judith had never considered love to be important in a marriage. Now she wondered.
“What do you have in mind for the schedule?” Doris asked, her cheeks still flushed.
Judith refused to fall victim to envy, as tempting as it was. The Lancaster sisters had suffered enough at the hands of their uncle and were entitled to their happiness. It made her wonder if Edgar had managed to find out something.
“Judith?” Marshall asked, watching her. “Doris asked you a question.”
“I’m sorry.” Judith shook her head. “I was wondering if you’d heard from Edgar.”
Doris stilled, and her face paled. She still wasn’t completely comfortable talking about Marshall’s cousin who’d been coerced by her uncle to bring her to him. Marshall covered her hand with his.
