since she first laid eyes on him, or so she says.”
Caleb shook his head. “Interesting. Little Rose is in love!”
“I’d be happy for her,” Jonas said, “if things were different with Quinn.”
“Maybe this is exactly what he needs—if he reciprocates her love, that is.” Caleb moved toward the door.
Jonas stood and followed him. “I hope so.” He slapped Caleb’s back. “Thanks for all the help, brother. Give my regards to Julia.”
Nighttime seemed the worst for Quinn. That’s when he’d start his thrashing and moaning, and Rose had to try to keep him still so as not to injure his stitches.
“I have to get to the livery,” Quinn cried. “They took my keys. Let me up!”
Rose pushed him back down gently. “You aren’t going anywhere until you’re well.”
She struggled with him almost the whole night through. By the time the first streaks of sunlight had began to creep into the room, Rose was exhausted. She couldn’t keep her head up any longer, but there wasn’t a place in the room for her lie down. She looked at Quinn, finally sleeping peacefully in his bed. She edged herself onto the bed, curled up beside him, and fell asleep.
Sometime during her sleep, Quinn’s arm went around her waist and he pulled her close.
“Rose!” her mother’s sharp voice tore through her sleep like lightning through the sky. Rose sat up so fast she felt dizzy.
“I don’t believe this!” Lavinia said. “If anyone outside of the family had witnessed this…well, you’d be married by nightfall.”
“It would be all right with me,” Rose said.
“Get down off that bed and come with me.”
“But I have to care for him. He has no one—”
“Jonas will have to hire someone. You are leaving, now .”
Rose turned to look at Quinn one more time, but he'd slept peacefully through it all. She turned back to her mother, and followed her out of the room, and into the sitting room.
“Wait here,” her mother ordered.
Rose couldn’t remember ever seeing her mother this angry. She didn't know why; she'd done nothing wrong.
A few minutes later Lavinia appeared with Jonas and Ivy. “Everyone sit down,” she said.
“I don’t want Rose caring for Quinn Iverson another minute. I found her lying in bed with him. He had his arm around her. Do you realize what trouble a scene like that could cause?”
Jonas and Ivy sat there with stunned expressions, looking back and forth between Lavinia and Rose.
“I’m sure Jonas can afford to hire a nurse for Quinn, am I right, Jonas?”
Jonas’s mouth opened and closed as if he were trying to think of what to say. “Yes, sure, but…” he said at last.
“But what?” Lavinia asked.
Ivy tried to explain. “Rose is in love with him, and we thought if she nursed him, maybe she could reach him. We’ve all been unsuccessful getting through to him, but Rose? She actually has a chance at reaching him, I know she does.”
“At the price of her reputation? Ivy, what were you thinking?” Lavinia asked.
Ivy shrugged.
“Rose is seventeen years-old! And you leave her to tend a man who is twenty-five and presently a drunk and womanizer?” Lavinia shook her head.
“I wish I'd seen Rose’s note sooner. She left it on the table, but the window was open, and must've blown it onto the floor, and I didn’t spot it until this morning. I thought for sure you were in labor, and I rushed over to find…this?” She pointed her hand at Rose.
“On top of everything else, I have to find a place to live. The new minister is planning on moving in as soon as possible, and we'll no longer have a home.” Lavinia paced the room.
“Caleb still has the house on Eden Road. I’m sure he’d let you and the girls live there,” Jonas said.
“That would be perfect. I’ll stop by and see him today. When Ivy goes into labor, send someone for me, and I’ll stay as long as you need me.”
“Thank you, Mother,” Ivy said.
“Rose,” Lavinia said, “you’re
Caleb shook his head. “Interesting. Little Rose is in love!”
“I’d be happy for her,” Jonas said, “if things were different with Quinn.”
“Maybe this is exactly what he needs—if he reciprocates her love, that is.” Caleb moved toward the door.
Jonas stood and followed him. “I hope so.” He slapped Caleb’s back. “Thanks for all the help, brother. Give my regards to Julia.”
Nighttime seemed the worst for Quinn. That’s when he’d start his thrashing and moaning, and Rose had to try to keep him still so as not to injure his stitches.
“I have to get to the livery,” Quinn cried. “They took my keys. Let me up!”
Rose pushed him back down gently. “You aren’t going anywhere until you’re well.”
She struggled with him almost the whole night through. By the time the first streaks of sunlight had began to creep into the room, Rose was exhausted. She couldn’t keep her head up any longer, but there wasn’t a place in the room for her lie down. She looked at Quinn, finally sleeping peacefully in his bed. She edged herself onto the bed, curled up beside him, and fell asleep.
Sometime during her sleep, Quinn’s arm went around her waist and he pulled her close.
“Rose!” her mother’s sharp voice tore through her sleep like lightning through the sky. Rose sat up so fast she felt dizzy.
“I don’t believe this!” Lavinia said. “If anyone outside of the family had witnessed this…well, you’d be married by nightfall.”
“It would be all right with me,” Rose said.
“Get down off that bed and come with me.”
“But I have to care for him. He has no one—”
“Jonas will have to hire someone. You are leaving, now .”
Rose turned to look at Quinn one more time, but he'd slept peacefully through it all. She turned back to her mother, and followed her out of the room, and into the sitting room.
“Wait here,” her mother ordered.
Rose couldn’t remember ever seeing her mother this angry. She didn't know why; she'd done nothing wrong.
A few minutes later Lavinia appeared with Jonas and Ivy. “Everyone sit down,” she said.
“I don’t want Rose caring for Quinn Iverson another minute. I found her lying in bed with him. He had his arm around her. Do you realize what trouble a scene like that could cause?”
Jonas and Ivy sat there with stunned expressions, looking back and forth between Lavinia and Rose.
“I’m sure Jonas can afford to hire a nurse for Quinn, am I right, Jonas?”
Jonas’s mouth opened and closed as if he were trying to think of what to say. “Yes, sure, but…” he said at last.
“But what?” Lavinia asked.
Ivy tried to explain. “Rose is in love with him, and we thought if she nursed him, maybe she could reach him. We’ve all been unsuccessful getting through to him, but Rose? She actually has a chance at reaching him, I know she does.”
“At the price of her reputation? Ivy, what were you thinking?” Lavinia asked.
Ivy shrugged.
“Rose is seventeen years-old! And you leave her to tend a man who is twenty-five and presently a drunk and womanizer?” Lavinia shook her head.
“I wish I'd seen Rose’s note sooner. She left it on the table, but the window was open, and must've blown it onto the floor, and I didn’t spot it until this morning. I thought for sure you were in labor, and I rushed over to find…this?” She pointed her hand at Rose.
“On top of everything else, I have to find a place to live. The new minister is planning on moving in as soon as possible, and we'll no longer have a home.” Lavinia paced the room.
“Caleb still has the house on Eden Road. I’m sure he’d let you and the girls live there,” Jonas said.
“That would be perfect. I’ll stop by and see him today. When Ivy goes into labor, send someone for me, and I’ll stay as long as you need me.”
“Thank you, Mother,” Ivy said.
“Rose,” Lavinia said, “you’re
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