Reverend Perry nodded. “How very curious, although her diligence in this matter must obviously have something to do with her telling me she’s decided it was time to make amends for some grievance she didn’t elaborate on.” He gestured to the ladder. “After hearing that, I offered to fetch her a cup of tea. Imagine my surprise when I returned, and instead of finding her sitting on a pew, she’d helped herself to that ladder and ... she’s been up there ever since.” He leaned closer. “I suggested she return to the ground, but her only response to that suggestion was a sniff. Maybe you’ll have more success at getting her off the ladder.”
Tilting her head, Gertrude considered Mrs. Davenport for a long moment, having no idea how to go about the feat of getting Mrs. Davenport off the ladder, especially when it was becoming clear the lady was in one of her determined moods. Taking a single step forward, Gertrude froze when Mrs. Davenport suddenly stretched to reach the very top of the shepherd’s head she was polishing, the stretching sending the ladder tilting to the right.
Before Gertrude could call out a warning, Mrs. Davenport hurtled through the air, right as Harrison raced past her as the ladder began to fall.
Anumphsounded a second later when Harrison caught her in a way that seemed all but impossible. Staggering under Mrs. Davenport’s weight, he lurched out of the way as the ladder crashed to the ground, splintering into pieces.
Gathering Mrs. Davenport against him, he turned toward Gertrude, sending her a wide-eyed look that clearly suggested he was as surprised as anyone that he’d actually been able to catch Mrs. Davenport before she’d hit the ground. Walking over to join Gertrude and Reverend Perry, who seemed to be whispering a prayer of thanksgiving, Harrison lowered Mrs. Davenport to her feet, then took her hand in his, placing a kiss on it.
“Honestly, Mrs. Davenport,” he began when Mrs. Davenport simply stared back at him with unblinking eyes. “You just took a good ten years off my life. What say you and I agree you’ll leave feats such as attending to stained-glass windows to the people who actually know how to go about it?”
Mrs. Davenport managed a nod in response before she raised a trembling hand and pushed aside a strand of black hair that was escaping its pins. “Excellent advice, my dear Harrison, although allow me to say that there aren’t many gentlemen who’d have been up for the task of saving me from what might have been a very nasty death.” She shook her head. “I’ve always heard people say they see their entire life pass before them when hurtling toward death, and I can now attest to the fact that that is nothing less than the truth, and...” She stopped talking as her gaze settled on Gertrude. “Goodness, Gertrude, you’ve been released from jail. But what are you doing here, and ... you must loathe the very sight of me after what I’ve put you through.”
Even though she’d been beyond put out with Mrs. Davenport of late, Gertrude simply didn’t have it in her to continue holding ill thoughts for a lady she cared about more than she’d admitted. Taking a step forward, she pulled Mrs. Davenport’s hands into her own and smiled. “I’m here because I’m worried about you, and no, I could never loathe you. I certainly don’t want to ever spend time in jail again, but because Mrs. Sinclair has dropped all charges against me, I can now hope that unpleasantness is firmly behind me.”
“There’s still the matter of the missing items from the Manhattan Beach Hotel,” Agent McParland called from somewhere in the back of the church.
Gertrude turned, but before she could respond to that, Temperance stalked into view, marching her way to join Agent McParland, who was standing in the middle of the aisle.
“Do be quiet, Agent McParland,” Temperance said, stopping by the man’s side. She pointed to a pew, then when he didn’t move, took him by the arm and towed him rather forcefully into that pew before she turned back to Gertrude and gave a cheery wave. “Not to worry. I’ll keep Agent McParland well in hand while you settle matters between you and Mrs. Davenport. And it’s so lovely to discover you looking so well, Mrs. Davenport. I was certain we were going to discover something dreadful had happened to you, although that tumble you took was dreadful, but thank goodness Harrison was here to save the day.” With that, she plopped down on the pew next to Agent McParland, where she began whispering furiously to him behind her hand.
“Goodness, but what has happened to Miss Flowerdew, and ... do not say that is a Pinkerton detective with her, the one who I believe was hired a few months back to assist Asher Rutherford when he ran into some trouble,” Mrs. Davenport said in a voice that was no louder than a whisper.
Gertrude pulled her attention away from where Temperance was now arguing with Agent McParland and found that while she’d been distracted, Harrison had taken Mrs. Davenport’s arm and was helping her into a pew.
“Temperance has apparently decided to come out of her wallflower shell,” Harrison explained, taking a seat right next to Mrs. Davenport and pulling her hand into his. “As for Agent McParland, there’s no need for us to delve into what he’s doing here quite yet. You’re still looking a little peaked, a direct result of that nasty plunge you took from the ladder. Because I’ve some experience with ladies who’ve landed in all sorts of nerve-wracking adventures, I know just the remedy to set you to rights again.” He smiled a charming smile. “Stories are the best ways to recover one’s composure, and luckily for you, I’ve been told I have a flair for storytelling, especially those concerning pirates.”
Mrs. Davenport reached up and patted Harrison’s cheek. “I do love a good pirate tale, but I’m afraid I have no idea why you’d offer to help me regain my composure with a story. I’m certain you’re aware by now that I treated myself to possessions that didn’t belong to me on board yourCornelia, abusing the hospitality you extended me in the process. Why, I’m surprised you didn’t simply allow me to drop to the ground instead of catching me. At my age, such a fall would have been almost guaranteed to do me in, but ... you saved me, and at great personal risk. That ladder could have cracked you right over the head, rendering you senseless.”
Harrison completely ignored all of that as his eyes crinkled at the corners. “Since the idea of pirates seems to have sent your thoughts dwelling on matters I was hoping to distract you from, allow me to return to my comment about Temperance abandoning her shell.” His lips curved. “Did I mention I believe she’s done so because of that unexpected encounter with Mr. Gilbert Cavendish at the Manhattan Beach Hotel? From what little Gilbert told me, he and Temperance were fast friends growing up and even spent holidays together because their parents were fast friends as well.”
Mrs. Davenport blinked, her eyes turning suspiciously bright again. She drew in a deep breath, and then squared her shoulders and smiled somewhat wobbily. “You’re a kind man, Harrison Sinclair, which is incredibly rare in a gentleman as attractive as you. And because I’m not yet ready to discuss what I need to discuss, that being my horrible behavior of late and, well, forever, I’ll join you in a discussion of Mr. Gilbert Cavendish. Although—” she tilted her head—“isn’t he rumored to be in line for a title of the aristocratic sort, and isn’t he the gentleman Miss Clementine Flowerdew began making eyes at while we were sailing back to the city on theCornelia?”
“I thought Clementine only had eyes for me,” Harrison said before he released an exaggerated sigh. “Just goes to show how one can never believe all of those rumors swirling about town.”
Mrs. Davenport, who was beginning to regain some of the color in her cheeks, grinned. “Don’t let your guard down, my boy. Clementine Flowerdew is the type of lady to pursue more than one option when it comes to what she wants for her future. She’s probably making a list right this very moment, comparing your attributes with those of Mr. Cavendish.”
As Harrison and Mrs. Davenport launched into a discussion about the peculiar natures of women and how Harrison didn’t believe he understood the intricacies of dealing with feminine intrigues, Gertrude found herself completely mesmerized by the man. Here he was, doing his very best to distract a woman who’d caused more than her fair share of trouble as of late, and he was actually achieving success with that distraction.
There was no longer any denying her fascination with the gentleman, especially because it was next to impossible tonotbe fascinated with a man capable of catching a woman in mid-air. That he’d done so with barely a grimace only added to the impressiveness of the gesture and gave additional credence to the idea that he was certainly an extraordinary gentleman. Granted, he was still far above the reach of an ordinary lady like herself, but it wasn’t a crime to dream, and in all honesty, Harrison Sinclair had been spending more than his fair share of time in her dreams of late.
He’d been born with a face that caused ladies to swoon, but he was in possession of something much more significant than a handsome face—a caring and compassionate heart.
He was kind, gentle, and sympathetic, and was perfectly willing to show empathy toward a woman who’d stolen from him, instead of judging her and demanding explanations about why she’d done what she’d done.
It was as if he instinctively understood the needs of those around him, even though he made the claim time and again that he was incapable of comprehending the feminine mind.
As she continued to watch him, Gertrude realized that while she’d admitted to falling slightly in love with Harrison Sinclair, the reality was it might be more than slightly. And even knowing there was relatively little hope he’d ever return that love, she could not, or would not, regret falling in love with him because...
“And while I enjoy delving into the mysteries of the feminine mind,” Mrs. Davenport said, rising to her feet and pulling Gertrude directly back to the situation at hand, “I believe it’s time I explain myself to the one person I’ve abused most assiduously over the past few years.” She turned to Gertrude, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “I know I have no right to ask you to hear me out, my dear, but I’m hoping that by telling you a little about my past, it might allow you some insight regarding why I’ve subjected you to so many unusual schemes throughout the years.”
When Harrison got to his feet and moved out of the pew to make room for her, Gertrude didn’t hesitate to take his place. Joining Mrs. Davenport, she sat on the hard pew, waiting for the older woman to get settled before she raised an expectant brow her way.
Mrs. Davenport smoothed out the folds of her skirt. “I’m not certain where I should begin.”
Gertrude nodded to the stained-glass window. “Why don’t you explain what significance that window holds for you, or why you’d bother cleaning it when you and I both know domestic tasks have never appealed to you.”
Looking at the window for a long moment, Mrs. Davenport’s lips thinned. “My husband purchased that window for the church to honor the birth of our daughter. He was very particular about how it was to be cleaned, once going so far as to reprimand me when he noticed smudges on it, making the ridiculous claim those smudges were due to negligence on my part. When he then suggested I take over the care of the window, I refused, and I’ve not lifted a finger until today to so much as brush a speck of dust away from the glass.”
