hung over it so long that he must have read it ten times. “Where did you get this?”
“Pearl had it. Apparently it appeared in the New York newspaper, but then you know that.”
“I do not.” Garrett backed away from the advertisement as if it had been dipped in poison. “I sure didn’t put it in the newspaper.” He waved toward the clipping with his index finger. “You’re the one who wrote it. Don’t go trying to put the blame on me. This is your problem. You fix it.”
“That’s why I invited the ladies to supper tonight.”
“That isn’t fixing anything—it’s stoking the fire!”
A chuckle escaped, and Garrett nearly connected on a blow to Roland’s shoulder.
“Whoa!” Roland stepped back, hands up in surrender. “I figured we could clear everything up once and for all. Then the ladies can head back to New York on the next boat out of here.”
That quieted his brother for a few seconds before worry returned. “What if they won’t leave?”
Roland rather hoped that would be the case for at least one of the women, though which one suited his brother best was still in question. Thus the supper.
“I’m sure they’re reasonable. Once you tell them that you did not place the advertisement—”
“You did it!”
“I didn’t. But someone clearly did, someone who knew about my little joke. Did you tell anyone about it?”
Garrett flushed. “I might have mentioned something at the mill.”
That might have explained it except that the advertisement followed his joke word for word. No sawmill worker would be able to recount each word, even if Garrett had. “If neither one of us placed the advertisement, how it got there is a mystery. One I intend to get to the bottom of tonight.”
Garrett sighed, resigned. “Should I ask Mrs. Calloway to watch the children?”
“Sure—no.” The brilliant idea he’d had earlier popped back into his head. “The advertisement doesn’t say anything about children. None of them realizes you have a son and daughter. I’ll introduce Isaac and Sadie. You watch each woman’s reaction. You’ll want a woman who loves children.”
The sudden ache in his heart couldn’t be that he feared who that woman would be. Pearl. As schoolteacher, she would have a natural affinity for children.
“You’re forgetting something.” Garrett was scowling again. “I don’t want to get married.”
* * *
As promised, Roland met them at them at the boardinghouse at precisely six o’clock. Pearl commanded the top porch step beside Amanda, whose raven curls far outshone Fiona’s satin gown. The rival had donned a more tasteful sapphire-blue this evening. In comparison, Louise and Pearl faded into the background. Yet Pearl couldn’t help but notice that Roland’s gaze landed first and longest on her.
“Good evening, ladies.”
He headed for Pearl, but Fiona glided down the wide steps to meet him first, all smiles and chatter. Pearl, Amanda and Louise had to trail behind Roland and the talkative redhead, taking care not to snag a hem on the rough wooden boardwalk.
Pearl lifted her brown gingham skirts a couple inches and placed each sturdy boot in the middle of the board. Unlike the wharves, the boards had been laid lengthwise on occasional crosswise planks. Though sand crested onto the boards in some places, in other areas the long boards drooped above the sand, creating an unsteady platform.
Amanda stepped off the edge and teetered precariously before Pearl reeled her back in.
“This is as unstable as the ship,” Louise commented in that soft voice of hers.
That had to be the most Louise Smythe had said since Pearl met her. The woman did have the sense not to drag a book with her tonight, but she, like Pearl, had not worn her Sunday best. That gave Amanda the advantage, especially if Fiona continued to claim Roland’s attention.
At present, Amanda’s face blazed, either from the late-afternoon heat rising off the sand or from embarrassment. Either way, she needed to regain control before they met Garrett Decker. Louise’s comment had been meant kindly, but lately Amanda took everything in the worst way.
Pearl sighed and wrapped her arm around Amanda’s. “It’s better than walking in the sand. Think how that would get in your shoes.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
Pearl eyed the redhead, who now clung to Roland’s arm and leaned closer by the minute. Her laughter and vivaciousness rubbed Pearl the wrong way. The fact that he looked her way repeatedly poured vinegar into the wound.
“They’re not right for each other,” Amanda whispered as she picked her way along the boardwalk.
“I don’t know who you mean.”
“Fiona and Roland.”
Though seeing Roland and Fiona in close conversation hurt more than it should, Pearl focused on what was more important. “All that matters is what you think of Garrett.”
Amanda trembled. “I’m afraid.”
“That’s natural, but remember that this is only a first meeting. It’s your opportunity to determine if he is the sort of man you might consider marrying.” She squeezed Amanda’s hand to reassure her. “You can always decide not to marry.”
Amanda’s lip quivered. “What will I do then?”
That was the question. This town did not appear to have more than a couple of saloons, the hotel, the store and the boardinghouse in the way of businesses. The first would gladly hire a woman of Amanda’s beauty, but Pearl would starve before she let her friend work in a drinking establishment. The hotel and boardinghouse were better prospects, but Pearl hated to think of lovely Amanda as a maid. That left the store, which would give Amanda ample time with the Decker brothers.
Perhaps too much time. What if Amanda fell for Roland? She had been drawn to him aboard the Milwaukee. No. There must be another solution. Amanda was good with the needle.
Pearl latched onto that. “I’ll ask Mrs. Calloway if she knows of anyone who might need sewing or fancywork.”
Amanda brightened. “I’m sure there would be, unless there’s already a seamstress in town.”
Pearl recalled that only one elderly couple had disembarked here. She’d seen no other women aside from Mrs. Calloway. “I doubt there is.”
Roland led them to a two-story building on the wharves leading to the large sawmill. Pearl expected him to walk in the front door, but he led Fiona up a rickety outside staircase leading to the second story. He waited on the landing at the top for the other three to climb.
“Here we are, ladies. Our humble home.” He flung open the door and motioned all of them inside ahead of him.
Fiona entered first, followed by Louise.
