offered tersely and shifted Ethan from one arm to the other.
Olivia, quite tactfully, ended the awkward silence that enveloped the room by addressing her customer. “If you stop back on Monday, I’ll have your cape finished by then,” she promised.
“I will, and I’ll send Dorothea your best when I write back to her,” the woman replied before taking her leave.
“I didn’t expect you back until much later,” Olivia noted, ignoring Jackson and the boys.
Ellie cleared the lump in her throat. “Actually, I didn’t come back to stay. I just stopped by to talk to Cousin Mark.”
Olivia furrowed her brow and crossed her arms. “Now? It’s well past noon, and he has several important customers with him. Whatever it is, you’ll have to tell me, then I suggest you be on your way. By the time you get back to the island, there’ll be little time to get much work done before you have to head back here again.”
Jackson took a step closer to Ellie and placed his hand at her back in unspoken, but welcome, support.
The tingles that skipped up and down her spine were quite unsettling, and Ellie stepped ever so slightly away from him. “I . . . I won’t be coming back, Olivia. Mr. Smith offered me the opportunity—”
“Well, it isn’t proper for you to stay there as his housekeeper,” her cousin’s wife insisted as her cheeks began to pink. “I would hope Mr. Smith would recognize that it would be entirely improper, especially since the scandal—”
“It’s entirely proper for me to stay on the island with Mr. Smith and his sons now, because Reverend Shore just married us,” Ellie blurted.
Olivia paled and looked from Ellie to Jackson and back to Ellie again. “Married? The two of you? Married?”
“Less than half an hour ago,” Ellie said and held out her left hand so the woman could see her ring. “I know it’s sudden, and it may take some getting used to, but it’s what we both wanted,” she continued, dropping her hand back to her side before the fact that the ring was made of wood registered with her cousin’s wife. “I was hoping you’d be happy for me, and I want Cousin Mark to be happy, too.”
Olivia batted her lashes and shook her head. “Married? You’re really married? To . . . to him?”
When Ellie nodded, Olivia stared up at Jackson. “You actually had the gall to marry my husband’s cousin?” she squeaked, as if choosing Ellie for his wife was not only absurd, but unthinkable.
“I have the marriage certificate right here, if you’d care to see it,” he offered.
“That won’t be necessary, will it, Olivia?” Ellie said. “While I get my things, please tell Cousin Mark that Jackson and I would like to speak to him.” She turned to her husband. “I won’t be long,” she promised and smiled at the boys before she disappeared behind the curtain to get to her room at the back of the shop.
To Ellie’s frustration, Olivia followed right on her heels. “How could you do such a thing?” Olivia hissed when they reached the small room and Ellie started to pack her few possessions into her travel bag.
“How could I what?”
“How could you marry that man? You scarcely know him, and I daresay you have no idea of the scandal surrounding the last woman he married—scandal you now have added to Mark’s good name, since he has the bad fortune to be related to you, and to my name, as well! How am I supposed to explain your marriage to my customers?” she charged. With her breast heaving, she pointed her finger at Ellie as if she were a naughty child. “I told Mark you’d bring nothing but heartache to our home, just like you did to Philip’s!”
Stung, Ellie dismissed any concern for her cousin Mark or his brother, Philip, and got down on all fours to search under the cot for one of her slippers. “You don’t have to explain anything,” she insisted, unwilling to entertain any gossip about the man she had just married. “I really don’t know why you’re so
Olivia, quite tactfully, ended the awkward silence that enveloped the room by addressing her customer. “If you stop back on Monday, I’ll have your cape finished by then,” she promised.
“I will, and I’ll send Dorothea your best when I write back to her,” the woman replied before taking her leave.
“I didn’t expect you back until much later,” Olivia noted, ignoring Jackson and the boys.
Ellie cleared the lump in her throat. “Actually, I didn’t come back to stay. I just stopped by to talk to Cousin Mark.”
Olivia furrowed her brow and crossed her arms. “Now? It’s well past noon, and he has several important customers with him. Whatever it is, you’ll have to tell me, then I suggest you be on your way. By the time you get back to the island, there’ll be little time to get much work done before you have to head back here again.”
Jackson took a step closer to Ellie and placed his hand at her back in unspoken, but welcome, support.
The tingles that skipped up and down her spine were quite unsettling, and Ellie stepped ever so slightly away from him. “I . . . I won’t be coming back, Olivia. Mr. Smith offered me the opportunity—”
“Well, it isn’t proper for you to stay there as his housekeeper,” her cousin’s wife insisted as her cheeks began to pink. “I would hope Mr. Smith would recognize that it would be entirely improper, especially since the scandal—”
“It’s entirely proper for me to stay on the island with Mr. Smith and his sons now, because Reverend Shore just married us,” Ellie blurted.
Olivia paled and looked from Ellie to Jackson and back to Ellie again. “Married? The two of you? Married?”
“Less than half an hour ago,” Ellie said and held out her left hand so the woman could see her ring. “I know it’s sudden, and it may take some getting used to, but it’s what we both wanted,” she continued, dropping her hand back to her side before the fact that the ring was made of wood registered with her cousin’s wife. “I was hoping you’d be happy for me, and I want Cousin Mark to be happy, too.”
Olivia batted her lashes and shook her head. “Married? You’re really married? To . . . to him?”
When Ellie nodded, Olivia stared up at Jackson. “You actually had the gall to marry my husband’s cousin?” she squeaked, as if choosing Ellie for his wife was not only absurd, but unthinkable.
“I have the marriage certificate right here, if you’d care to see it,” he offered.
“That won’t be necessary, will it, Olivia?” Ellie said. “While I get my things, please tell Cousin Mark that Jackson and I would like to speak to him.” She turned to her husband. “I won’t be long,” she promised and smiled at the boys before she disappeared behind the curtain to get to her room at the back of the shop.
To Ellie’s frustration, Olivia followed right on her heels. “How could you do such a thing?” Olivia hissed when they reached the small room and Ellie started to pack her few possessions into her travel bag.
“How could I what?”
“How could you marry that man? You scarcely know him, and I daresay you have no idea of the scandal surrounding the last woman he married—scandal you now have added to Mark’s good name, since he has the bad fortune to be related to you, and to my name, as well! How am I supposed to explain your marriage to my customers?” she charged. With her breast heaving, she pointed her finger at Ellie as if she were a naughty child. “I told Mark you’d bring nothing but heartache to our home, just like you did to Philip’s!”
Stung, Ellie dismissed any concern for her cousin Mark or his brother, Philip, and got down on all fours to search under the cot for one of her slippers. “You don’t have to explain anything,” she insisted, unwilling to entertain any gossip about the man she had just married. “I really don’t know why you’re so
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