Читать книгу Second Chance Bride - Jane Perrine Myers - Страница 12

“Good morning, Miss Cunningham!” Elizabeth shouted, and waved when her father stopped his surrey in front of the schoolhouse Sunday morning, a clear, slightly chilly day. Annie waved back as she walked toward them.

“Good morning,” John said with a slight bow as he got out to help her into the backseat next to Elizabeth.

A perfectly normal action for a gentleman, Annie told herself. No reason to feel awkward when he was only steadying her to get in the surrey. On the one hand, she still fought the urge to pull away from him when he reached for her. On the other, she could not stop admiring him. She wanted to believe he wasn’t like the men who’d taken advantage of her for years, many of whom were leaders in Weaver City, men of high standing. Was John different?

Forcing herself to relax, Annie said, “Good morning to you both. What a lovely morning. Such lovely sunshine.” She settled on the soft leather seat and ran her hand across the smooth, cool surface, watching John’s back as he clicked the reins. Although looking like a pillar of the community in his black suit and hat, Annie remembered the man she’d met on the meadow, the one who rode so hard and so fast, she thought no one in the county could beat him. Here now, he acted somber and upright. But she knew what he was like on his horse early in the morning. She’d wanted to laugh with that man, entranced by the joy that emanated from him, by the excitement that lit up his eyes.

It was his eyes that gave him away. When they were chilly and grayish, he was Mr. John Matthew Sullivan, banker and father. When they were blue and sparkled with laughter, he was John, a man who seemed to love life.

“It’s nice today, Miss Cunningham, but it will get cold shortly. November is not a warm month here. Oh, have you seen the lazy S?” Elizabeth pointed to a gate on the south side of the road. “That’s the Hanson Ranch. You’ve met Miss Hanson, haven’t you?”

Annie nodded as she looked at the sign. How odd. The readers she’d studied showed the letter S standing straight up, but on the sign over the gate, the S lay on its side. Perhaps that was the way an S was made in Texas. Yes, that must be the reason. Did all states have slightly different alphabets? She’d have to practice the Texas S on its side this evening.

“That’s why Mr. Hanson wants my father to marry his daughter.”

Annie’s head jerked up, and she looked at John’s back. His shoulders became rigid. “Because Mr. Hanson owns the lazy S?” she asked.

“Yes, because their land and our land are so close that it could be just one big ranch,” Elizabeth explained.

“I believe you have said enough about private matters, Elizabeth.” His voice held a chilly note.

“But, Father, this isn’t private. Everyone in Trail’s End knows.”

“Elizabeth Celeste Sullivan, please do not say anymore.”

“Yes, Father. I’m sorry.” She sat silently on the seat next to Annie, dejected.

“Why don’t you tell me about the church, Elizabeth?” That seemed like a safe topic.

The little girl brightened. “Our minister, Reverend Thompson, rides the circuit, so he’s in Trail’s End only one Sunday a month. He’s here today. The elders lead the service on the other Sundays. My father’s an elder,” she said proudly. She filled the few minutes it took to get into town with information about the church service and all the members but did not mention Miss Hanson again.

As they approached the small white building, Annie realized she’d correctly identified the church on her first evening in town. Once inside, she noticed five rows of pews on each side with a stove in the middle. A small table with a wooden cross graced the front of the building. Thirty people sat in the church, including her students and their families. They nodded at the Sullivans and Annie when they entered. She didn’t recognize a family with three large boys but guessed that they must be the Bryans.

Elizabeth guided Annie to a pew in the front of the sanctuary and then stepped aside so Annie could precede her. John sat on the other side of his daughter. Shortly after their arrival, Amanda and a stout gray-haired man Annie guessed to be her father entered and sat across the aisle.

“Look, there’s the sheriff,” Elizabeth whispered when the door closed and a thin, dark man slipped into the back pew just as the minister came to the podium in the front.

“Because we have no organist, I will lead the singing this morning. Let us open the hymnal to number fifty-two.”

John handed her an open hymnal. There was no music on the page, only words in very small letters. She attempted to read them but the congregation had finished the song—struggling with the pitch and timing—long before Annie could make out the first two or three words.

“Wasn’t that terrible?” Elizabeth whispered. “We really do need an organist.”

They certainly did. No one had been exactly sure what the tune was. Only Amanda’s clear voice sounding above the stumbling efforts of the congregation brought a hint of the melody to the hymn.

When the service was over, Annie rehearsed in her head what she should say as she waited to meet the minister. When she finally reached him, he took her hand and smiled at her with warmth, as if she really were Miss Matilda Cunningham and a member of his flock.

“You must be the new schoolteacher. How happy I am to see you this morning. I’ve heard about your accident on your way here. I trust you have recovered?”

“Yes, Reverend Thompson. Thank you.”

“I know the children are delighted with you. Martha Norton tells me you sing beautifully although I didn’t hear you this morning.”

“How nice of Martha.” As he continued to watch her, Annie added, “I’m not familiar with most of the hymns, Reverend. When I learn them, I promise I’ll sing.”

“Our new teacher tells me she plays the organ,” John said from behind her.

“Miss Cunningham, we are in desperate need of an organist.”

What excuse could she give? “I play the organ only a little, but with my arm…” Annie held it out. Although it had healed some, she still protected it.

“Oh, but if you would just try for us, Miss Cunningham.”

The pleading in his gentle eyes stirred her guilt. “I’d be happy to try, but I don’t read music. If someone could sing a tune for me, I might be able to play it.”

“Miss Hanson knows all the hymns we use. Perhaps she’d teach you some. The organ’s just over there. Why don’t you sit down and see if you can play it? I don’t know when we last had a musician here.”

Annie soon found herself on the hard wooden bench, running her fingers over the cool keys. The intricate carving on the high wooden music holder reminded her of her mother’s tiny organ which Annie had played until the sheriff of Weaver City seized it to pay her father’s gambling debts.

She spent a moment or two trying to remember the songs she knew. Obviously few of the ones she’d played in her previous life would be acceptable, so she attempted to remember “Amazing Grace.” The notes came out a little screechy, and her pumping was uneven mostly due to the pain in her leg and the stiff pedals. But the sound improved the second time.

“Let me sing a hymn for you to try,” Amanda suggested. In a pleasant voice, she sang “I Need Thee Every Hour” while Annie pressed the keys and pumped the pedals, attempting to follow along.

“That sounds wonderful,” John said. “But we must go. Lucia expects us home for dinner shortly.”

Annie looked at her watch, surprised to see it was nearly one o’clock. Time always passed quickly when she sat at the organ. She suddenly realized she was exhausted, and both her arm and legs hurt from the exertion.

“Reverend Thompson, I’ll practice and hope to be able to play by the next time you come through.”

“Thank you, Miss Cunningham. I will look forward to hearing you again.”

“Amanda, I hope you and your father will join us at lunch,” John said as Annie ran her fingers over the cool ivory of the keys once more. How lovely to play again, even on this ancient instrument.

“Of course we will, John.” Farley Hanson pounded John on the back. “This time we’re lucky to have the lovely new schoolteacher dine with us.”

“Oh? I didn’t realize I was to join you.” Annie looked from one man to the other.

“We’d really like to have you. I should have mentioned it earlier.” John inclined his head slightly and smiled. “I hope you can join us.”

“Please come, Miss Cunningham. I want to show you my room and all my dolls and books.”

“Yes, we’d love to have you.” Amanda gave her the smile that Annie was sure no one refused. “We can work on some more hymns on the piano in John’s parlor.”