Page 7 of An Uncertain Road

There was no mistaking the relief on Jensen’s face at her response, and it irked her. She was certain now that he was more disapproving than concerned. “What difference does it make to you whether or not I drive, anyway?”

Her question was poorly timed. Before he had a moment to respond, a commotion by the house distracted them. Flora didn’t know the young couple who were being surrounded by guests, but she could assume by the joyous exclamations filling the garden that they were the beloved Fred and Beth. Jensen immediately went to join them, leaving Flora to mull over the motive for his questions without the possibility of getting any answers.

* * *

Jensen let out a slow breath. At least he didn’t have to come up with an answer that wouldn’t make Mrs. Montfort more defensive. Thank goodness for Fred’s excellent timing. As he headed back toward the house to greet the young couple, Flora marched toward the path that snaked through Mrs. Harrison’s flower garden. Had he upset her that much, or did she not have any interest in meeting the new arrivals?

Focusing on Fred and Beth, Jensen finally made his way through the crowd to greet them.

Fred grinned, as friendly and cheerful as ever, and reached out to give Jensen a warm hug. “There he is, my big brother.”

Jensen mumbled a greeting, but the words shattered the joy he’d felt moments ago. He wasn’t Fred’s brother. A statement like that would make people think Jensen was trying to fill that role in Fred’s life when he had no right to. It should have been Gregory getting a hug from Fred and greeting his bride.

But Fred’s enthusiasm was impossible to argue with. Jensen summoned the best smile he could, returned the hug, then moved on to welcome Beth with polite small talk. Anything to turn the conversation from straying toward Gregory. “How was your trip? You made good time despite the delay, it seems.”

Beth exhibited a calm warmth that was the perfect foil for Fred’s exuberance. “The train had to make a brief repair. I love to travel, so I didn’t mind one bit. It allowed us time to see the most charming little town in rural West Virginia. The mountain view more than made up for the lost time.”

His heart swelling, Jensen couldn’t help smiling at how perfect this woman was for Fred. They were very near what he’d consider too sweet, though, when their eyes met and they both melted into silly grins. Jensen hated to give up time visiting with the young man he’d hardly seen these last few years, but maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible if Fred and Beth decided to take their delayed honeymoon this summer as they’d talked about. There would be benefits to them taking a trip now, even if it cut their time at home short. Namely, that their saccharine expressions wouldn’t make him ill.

As more extended family stepped up to greet the newcomers, Jensen found himself scanning the flower garden for Mrs. Montfort. He didn’t see her, meaning she’d either returned to the party, or she’d found Mrs. Harrison’s special bench tucked in the one spot with plants tall enough to provide privacy. The only question was why Jensen felt the urge to go find out if she was there.

Mrs. Harrison clapped to get the guests’ attention and announced the refreshments were ready, causing people to flock toward a row of tables laden with a variety of light foods fit for a warm evening outdoors—cakes, cookies, tiny sandwiches, fruit, lemonade, and tea. Jensen had his eye on the ices, though he hoped Mrs. Harrison had provided flavors besides her favorite of cucumber.

Musicians seated in simple wooden chairs near the house provided gentle background music as the guests milled around talking and eating. Perhaps he could slip out before the dancing started. He was the furthest thing from an eligible bachelor, with no fortune or family name to draw husband-seeking ladies and their mamas to pursue him. Spending hours dancing with women who were only biding their time until a wealthier man noticed them was never his idea of fun.

Instead, he ate while watching many of the younger guests take up positions to play lawn tennis and croquet, then he went in search of Mr. Harrison. Talking business would be preferable to watching others enjoy frivolous amusements from the sidelines.

What he ended up finding was Mr. Harrison, Fred, and Owen. The three men stood in the middle of a small circular terrace built into the garden path, surrounded by hedges and deep in animated conversation. Before he could decide whether to walk away or join them, Fred caught sight of him and waved Jensen over.

As he approached, Mr. Harrison spoke in the firm voice he used in the Harrison Goods board room. “It’s an opportunity I can’t pass up, Owen. I’m not asking your permission to speak to your sister. I’m simply asking your opinion of whether or not she would be interested in the idea.”

Fred moved toward his father to let Jensen into the circle. “Jensen, we’re discussing an idea Aggie and I devised before she came out to the party.”

Glancing around the group, Jensen read a variety of emotions on the men’s faces. Whatever this plan was, it was already causing friction. As the youngest in the family, Fred had been rather spoiled, giving him the ability to talk his family into nearly any scheme as an adult. What was it now, and how did it involve Mrs. Montfort?

Unlike the other two, Fred beamed with excitement. “I’ve come up with the perfect wedding trip to surprise Beth with. Neither of us enjoys playing tourist. Following a guide around crowded attractions is hardly our idea of fun.”

No doubt, whatever Fred had devised would be the exact opposite of a calm, reserved honeymoon walking through historical sites and touring gardens. “So what is it?” Jensen asked.

A familiar mischievous look crossed Fred’s face, forming a knot in Jensen’s stomach. There was more going on here than a simple trip. Fred held up a finger to Jensen. “Let me find out one thing first.” He turned to Owen again. “Do you think your sister will be willing to at least consider it?”

Owen fidgeted with the buttons on his loose jacket. “Most likely, she would. But that doesn’t mean this is the best time to bring it up to her. I’d hoped she could spend some time settling back into life in America. She’s been through so much.”

A cleared throat stopped the cryptic discussion. The men turned to find Flora standing behind them with her arms crossed and eyes blazing. “And what’s being planned for me here?”

Mr. Harrison and Owen had the decency to look humbled. Fred, however, jumped forward and drew her into the group. “Ah, you must be Mrs. Montfort. Aggie told me all about you. No plans are being made for you. We were explaining to your brother our intention to ask if you might be interested in helping with my idea for a surprise wedding trip for Beth. I’ll need both you and Jensen to pull it off.”

At the inclusion of his name, the knot in Jensen’s stomach turned into a rock, weighing on him and making his response gruffer than he intended. “Just tell us your idea, Fred.”

The light in Fred’s eyes dimmed, bringing guilt to churn up Jensen’s stomach around the rock. He’d never been able to blame anyone in the Harrison family for doting on Fred. The younger man’s infectious optimism made even Jensen want to keep him happy. Especially after Fred’s actual brother had been taken from him at only fifteen, leaving Jensen to fill the gap, no matter how unworthy he was to do so.

Jensen softened his tone, trying to let a more pleasant expression warm his words. “We need to know what you want before either of us can decide if we’re interested.”

Fred clasped his hands together, almost bouncing as he spoke. “As I was saying, Beth and I aren’t traditional tourists. We both crave a bit of adventure before we settle down into family life. So I thought we could arrange to field a team in the Glidden Tour. Aggie told me Ronald Dorman is putting a team together, and with our new shop nearly ready to open, I see no reason why Harrison Goods shouldn’t also run it. Beth and I could ride along, as many people do in reliability tours.”

Jensen had to force back another harsh retort. Even for Fred, this was asking too much. And Mr. Harrison seemed to be considering this nonsense, even supporting it. Would he really encourage another son to risk his life in a car race?

But Fred wasn’t done. “Now, I know you’re not keen on racing, Jensen. But that’s where your help would be invaluable. Because of your history with racing and your concern for safety, you’re the perfect person to ride along as our mechanic. And the moment Aggie told me Owen’s sister raced cars, I knew we had the best team right here ready to go. Jensen, Mrs. Montfort, what do you think about being our driver and mechanic in the Glidden Tour?”