references to people and events Seth was completely unfamiliar with. But he listened and absorbed what he could. He’d learned long ago that it was always helpful to learn as much as possible about the people around you.
Seth was pleased no one tried to give him special treatment due to his limp. His assistance was accepted as a matter of course, a consideration he didn’t always receive.
Once the tables were properly arranged, cloths were brought out, followed by the meal itself. Everyone pitched in, even the older children—obviously no one here considered setting up the meal to be women’s work.
Once everything was set out, he went to retrieve his cane and found one of the children, a little girl who looked to be four or five, eyeing it curiously.
“I like your stick,” she said when he approached.
“Thank you.” He took it and leaned into it, relieving some of the weight from his aching leg. “I like it, too.”
“Do you use it because you walk funny?”
Seth stilled, unused to being questioned so directly. But there was no judgment in this little girl, only curiosity. So he managed to smile and give her a simple answer. “Yes. It helps me to walk when my leg hurts.”
She nodded, then skipped away to rejoin some of the other children.
Seth turned and stilled as he found Miss Fulton watching him. The idea that she might have overheard his exchange with the child left him feeling uncomfortably exposed.
“I see you’ve made the acquaintance of the judge’s great-granddaughter, Patience.”
He still couldn’t tell if she’d overheard anything. “She seems a bright child,” he said cautiously.
Miss Fulton nodded and then changed the subject with a wave toward the other end of the room. “I thought I’d give you a look at my library.”
“Of course.” He followed her across the room, deciding that she probably hadn’t heard anything after all.
The three bookshelves that held her collection were crammed full, with many of the shelves weighted down with books stacked two deep. And the range of titles included was impressive.
“What do you think?” She studied him earnestly, as if his answer really mattered to her.
He wasn’t used to such regard. He cleared his throat. “You have an impressively eclectic selection. There seems to be a little something for every taste and age level.”
She smiled as if that had been a huge compliment. “Thank you. I try to have something for everyone, but as you probably noticed I’ve run out of room to add anything new. In fact, the last batch Judge Madison sent is stacked on a chair in my bedroom. I’ve had to ask him to stop sending books until I figure out a way to accommodate them.”
Which must be when Judge Madison decided she needed a new space for her books. “Does your library get much use?”
Miss Fulton nodded as she fussily straightened a few volumes. “Absolutely. Several patrons have read every book I own, some more than once. And many have asked to be notified as soon as I acquire new titles.”
The small desk in front of the bookshelves held an open ledger and he idly studied it, curious as to her record-keeping skills.
The page contained row upon row of neatly penned entries containing book title, checkout date, return date and the borrowing patron’s name. The woman was surprisingly well organized for someone who seemed so flighty.
Perhaps there was more to Miss Fulton than he’d initially credited.
Then again, managing a small subscription library and managing the creation of a cohesive design for a major business were two entirely different undertakings on two entirely different scales.
A moment later everyone began taking their seats. It appeared all of them, including the children, sat together along the long row of joined tables, and Seth found himself seated between Miss Fulton and Chance Dawson, the youngest of the four men who’d journeyed here together.
Mitch Parker, who Seth had learned was one of the town’s schoolteachers, stood and gave the blessing over the meal.
When the amens were said, conversation picked up again as the food was passed around the table. Apparently this group believed in keeping things informal.
As he passed the bowl of peas to Miss Fulton, he resumed their conversation about the library. “I see now why you’re anxious to find a new place for your library. We’ll have to decide on a space soon.”
“I’m so glad you agree. Perhaps we can discuss it tomorrow.”
“Of course.”
The judge’s granddaughter said something to her from across the table and their conversation ended. Seth took the opportunity to look around.
The group nearly filled up the restaurant. In addition to the four couples and Miss Fulton, an elderly couple, the Peavys, were there. They were apparently the housekeeper and handyman that lived with the Barrs. And there seemed to be kids everywhere, from infants to adolescents. In addition to Miss Fulton’s sister-in-law, Mrs. Parker, the schoolteacher’s wife, was apparently expecting as well. Seth hadn’t been part of a family or even a community gathering of this sort in a very long time.
How would Jamie feel about being a part of a gathering like this? Of course, the boy no doubt took part in large gatherings for the students at his boarding school.
But did they have the same kind of family feel as this?
Throughout the meal, everyone did their best to make him feel comfortable, going out of their way to include him in conversations, explaining some of the references that were foreign to him, asking him questions that showed interest without being too personal.
But he knew himself to be an outsider here. Except when he looked at Miss Fulton. Strange how just glancing her way seemed to anchor him. Perhaps it was because it was she who had met him when he arrived.
When the meal ended, he helped put the restaurant back to rights, then turned to Abigail. “I should get back to the hotel so I can relieve Miss Mills.”
The staff took turns watching the front desk on Sunday mornings so no one person had to miss services every Sunday. Today it had been the maid’s turn.
“And when would you like me to come by and relieve you?”
Miss Fulton apparently took her role as his partner seriously. “This being Sunday, I can cover things until Mr. Scruggs comes by for the night shift. Why don’t you plan to come by tomorrow morning?”
She nodded. “Perhaps we can also discuss what sort of budget I have for the furnishings and fabrics I’ll need to purchase.”
Her question caught him by surprise, though he thought he did a good job of covering it. He was uncomfortable with the idea of giving her a budget to manage on her own. But now was not the time to mention that. He’d begun to feel the effects of a headache.
“Of course. I can work out some preliminary figures based on what Judge Madison and I
