The Sugar Queen Page 14

  Agitated, I left the ducks to their hopeless search for bugs in the ice and walked back toward the main street. Before I knew it, I found myself in the yard of the schoolhouse. Just to check on Miss Cooper and the children, I told myself as I trudged through the snow to the front steps. I pulled out my pocket watch to check the time. Just after two. They would let out for recess in a few minutes. I peered through the windows. Miss Cooper was at her desk with four of the children. The rest were leaned over their lessons.

  Perhaps sensing my presence, she raised her head and spotted me. Embarrassed to be caught, I raised a hand in a wave. She smiled and nodded. That smile. I swear my heart grew larger in my chest.

  Chapter 17

  Quinn

  * * *

  The days rolled by one after the other as we settled into a happy routine. After breakfast, the children, Lord Barnes, and I hustled into the sleigh and Harley took us all into town. Lord Barnes went off to his office while the children and I went inside the warm classroom. The school day flew by for me. I hoped it did for my students. They all seemed content enough and were so well behaved I worried something might be wrong with them. Did the mountain air deprive them of oxygen and make them submissive? When I asked Lord Barnes about this theory, he laughed and said it was my superior discipline skills at work. Like a silly schoolgirl, I basked in the glow of his compliment all day.

  In the afternoons, Harley came for all of us and we made our way home, stimulated from the cold, fresh air and hungry for tea. Lizzie and Merry always had refreshments ready for us when we returned. Then, the children could do as they pleased for the hour or so before supper. I took the opportunity to write letters home or to read in the library during this time. Lord Barnes often did the same, sitting at his large desk in the corner, the sound of his pen dipping in and out of his inkwell a comforting sound as I wrote from the smaller desk.

  Lord Barnes insisted I eat supper in the dining room with him and the children.

  When I asked Lizzie if this was appropriate, she gave me a strange smile and patted me on the shoulder. “Dear, Lord Barnes makes his own rules. If he asked you to sit with the family, then it’s perfectly fine. I suspect he’s happy for the company.”

  I was also happy for the company. I’d never met a man as interesting or as curious about such a variety of subjects. Throughout supper, he entertained the children and me with his stories of his travels. He’d been all over Europe and even to the tip of Africa. “Nowhere felt like home,” he said one night. “Until I came here.”

  After supper, I would get the children ready for bed, supervising baths and checking to make sure Flynn had washed behind his ears. When they were ready, I would read to them as I had that first night, all snuggled together in the girls’ room.

  By the end of the week, I was tired but happy as I closed the flue on the stove in my classroom. The Barnes flock was playing in the snow in the last light of the November afternoon. I’d just pinned my hat to my head when Harley appeared.

  “Harley, you didn’t have to come for me. I’m on my way out,” I said.

  “It’s not that, Miss Cooper.” He took off his newsboy cap and held it in both hands with his gaze directed at the floor. “I had a question for you. About night school.”

  “Of course.” I stuck the last pin in my hat and reached for my coat.

  “I’ve never had any school. Other than knowing how to write my name and a few other words, I can’t read any English.”

  “Not having opportunities is nothing to be ashamed of. There’s only shame in not taking them when they’re presented to you.”

  He nodded. “I suppose. I’m worried I’m too stupid to learn.”

  “I’m a very good teacher,” I said. “And you’re a bright young man. Lord Barnes wouldn’t trust you with his beloved estate if that weren’t true.”

  Harley flashed a sheepish smile and rubbed a wayward curl back into place. “I’ll be bringing Miss Merry with me.”

  “I’m glad.” Merry’s assessment that Harley didn’t know she was alive might not be true, given the way his cheeks bloomed red.

  He gestured toward the door. “After you, Miss Cooper.”

  I locked the schoolhouse door and joined the children in the sleigh.

  We were all quiet as we headed down Main Street toward Lord Barnes’s office. Even the Barnes children were tired after a long week of school. The Johnson girls were already at work in their father’s shop and waved to us as we drove by. I spotted Isak sweeping the floor of the tailor shop. His father was bent over his work, sewing something by hand. We passed by the apothecary and the Higgins Brothers Butcher. A few men in the barbershop were playing checkers while Mr. Carter gave a man a shave.

  The cloud cover was close and gray. By the time we pulled up in front of Lord Barnes’s office, large, fat flakes fell from the sky.

  He must have been waiting for us because the moment we stopped, he came out the side door of the building looking dashing in his black coat and fedora. “Hello, family,” he said.

  The children all called out to him as he climbed in next to me.

  “Miss Cooper, how was your day?”

  “Quite fine, thank you. And yours?”

  “Better now.” Lord Barnes winked at me as he tucked the blankets around my lap. “What more could a man ask for than this?”

  I brushed a snowflake from my cheek, unsure what he meant.

  He leaned close and whispered in my ear. “A sleigh ride home next to the prettiest woman in town.”

  “Lord Barnes!” I whispered back, pretending to be horrified by his boldness.

  “All I do is speak the truth, Miss Cooper.”

  Flustered, I turned away to watch the flakes of snow dance in the frosty air and smiled to myself. If he only knew how my heart raced in his presence or how I longed for a kiss. What was happening to me?

  When I woke the next morning, the sky was a vibrant blue. Two new feet of snow sparkled like tiny crystals under the sun. Hearing the voices of children, I washed and dressed quickly and went to round them up for breakfast. Flynn and Cymbeline were already up and gone outside to play, Josephine informed me when I entered the girls’ bedroom. “On Saturdays, the staff has the day off, which means we take care of the animals and our own meals.” She sat sideways on the window seat behind Fiona. They wore plain gray dresses with drop waists. Josephine used a soft-bristled brush to comb out tangles in her little sister’s hair. A white bow lay in wait.

  “You’re both such big girls to get yourselves dressed and ready for the day,” I said.

  “Jojo helps me,” Fiona said, then winced as a particularly stubborn tangle met the brush.

  “Sorry, pet,” Josephine said. “You must have been wild in your sleep last night.”

  Fiona grinned. “Miss Quinn, one time I fell out of the bed.”

  “She was lucky not to break something.” The knot out, Josephine tied the bow around Fiona’s curls.

  “Papa said I bounce,” Fiona said.

  Josephine popped from the window seat and smoothed her skirts. “We’re ready now.”

  “Would you like to meet our pigs?” Fiona asked.

  “You have pigs?” I lifted Fiona off the window seat and gave her a kiss on top of her head before setting her on her feet.

  “Baby ones.” Fiona’s voice wobbled. “They’ll get killed after they’re fat.”

  “Fiona likes bacon but doesn’t care to think where it comes from.” Josephine gave her sister an indulgent smile.

  “I understand completely,” I said.

  “They have curly tails,” Fiona said. “And pink noses that make funny sniffing noises.”

  Fiona kept hold of my hand as we went down the stairs to the main floor. Ironically, the scent of bacon greeted us the moment we stepped into the dining room. Lord Barnes and Theo were already seated at the table. The elder Barnes read from a newspaper and Theo from a book. They both looked up and said good morning. Jasper stood watch.

  �
��I let the other two eat and go out,” Lord Barnes said. “I hoped just this once we could skip the prayer.”

  “It’s your conscience.” I winked at Josephine.

  “I’ll say my prayer silently,” Josephine said. “Fiona, you should do the same.”

  “Yes, Jojo.” Fiona kept hold of my hand as we contemplated what to choose for breakfast.

  I added a blob of eggs to Fiona’s plate in addition to the two pieces of bacon she asked for. Once we were seated, Lord Barnes set aside his Denver Post.

  “Any news from the world?” I asked.

  “Not anything worth repeating,” Lord Barnes said. “Would you like it? The news is a week old by the time I get it, but at least I can keep somewhat abreast of the world’s events.”

  I declined his offer, saying I might read it later if I had a quiet moment.

  “And what do we plan to do with our day?” he asked the girls.

  “We’re showing Miss Quinn our pigs,” Fiona said.

  “And the rest of the barn,” Josephine said. “We have chickens and Buttercream.”

  “What’s a Buttercream?” I asked.

  “Our cow,” Fiona said.

  “Because she makes us butter and cream,” Josephine said, sounding like a weary old woman.

  “Cymbeline named her,” Lord Barnes said. “She’s rather fond of both.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” I said as I slathered butter on the sourdough bread Lizzie had made so expertly. “I’m not sure there’s anything better than butter.”

  Fiona giggled.

  “You’ll need to borrow a pair of my rubber boots,” Lord Barnes said, “if you’re going out to the barn. Yours won’t do. I’ll accompany you. I wouldn’t want you to slip and hit your head again.”

  I laughed and let my eyes twinkle back at him. “Lord Barnes, I’m perfectly capable of walking out to the barn without supervision.”

  “Yes, but where’s the fun in that?” he asked.

  Aware that we’d been lost in each other gazes, I looked away. Josephine and Fiona both beamed at me.

  “This is going to be a great day,” Josephine said as she let out a happy sigh. “All of us together.”

  “Like if you were our mama, Miss Quinn,” Fiona said.

  I flushed from head to toe. Was my crush on Lord Barnes this obvious that even a three-year-old could see it? Or did they want a mother so badly they’d projected that role onto me?

  I stole a glance at the object of my affection. He grinned at me, then winked.

  I gulped and looked down at my plate, overcome with sudden emotion. Could it be possible that Lord Barnes saw a future between us that involved more than employer and nanny? If so, was that what I wanted?

  Of course it is, you ninny. Pretending otherwise is ridiculous. Who wouldn’t want Alexander Barnes and his brood of sweet angels?

  After breakfast Lord Barnes convinced me to pull on a pair of long, unattractive farmer boots as well as a manly jacket made of coarse canvas material. Lined with flannel and stuffed with down feathers, I was too warm standing in the foyer. They placed a gray knit cap on my head. I was about to pull on my gloves when Lizzie appeared with a pair made from a gray cashmere yarn.

  “I made them for you,” Lizzie said. “These are your Colorado gloves. They’ll keep you warm on your rides to and from school and if you want to go out for a walk with Lord Barnes. For example.”

  “Thank you, Lizzie.” I smiled, admiring the perfect stitches. “How did you find time for this?”

  “I like to keep my hands busy,” she said.

  Lord Barnes had taken another jacket from the closet and was now putting it on over his brown coat and trousers.

  Fiona jumped up and down, clapping her gloved hands. “Hurry, Papa and Miss Quinn. I want to find Cymbeline.”

  Josephine and Fiona wore matching thick red coats, white hats, and scarves.

  “You two are pretty as a postcard,” I said.

  They smiled. “You are too,” Josephine said.

  “What’s a postcard?” Fiona asked.

  “I’ll explain later,” Josephine said.

  “Ah yes, one last thing.” Lord Barnes reached up to the top shelf of the closet and pulled down a scarf. “You’ll want this too, Miss Cooper.”

  I reached for it, but he ignored me, wrapping it around my neck. His mouth turned upward in a slight smile as he looked down at me. “Now you’re ready.”

  I had to tear my gaze from his beautiful eyes for fear I might fall into them and never escape their green pools. “Thank you,” I said. “And now we must go out before I roast.”

  I squinted into the bright light. My eyes watered from the shock of the cold. Still, the fresh air invigorated me. A new layer of dry snow made the world quiet and without scars. The air crackled with energy. I had an urge to flop down and make an angel as I had as a child.

  Josephine smiled up at me. “Do you see it? How perfect it is after new snow?”

  “Yes, very much so.”

  Fiona had hold of Lord Barnes’s hand. “Come see our swing, Miss Quinn.”

  Josephine linked her arm in mine as we walked in the fallen snow, following behind Lord Barnes and Fiona. I bunched my skirt into one hand. Despite the awkwardness of my overly large boots and cumbersome dress, we moved easily through the powdery snow until we reached a large oak. A primitive wooden swing hung from a thick branch.

  “Look up,” Josephine said.

  I did so. A square wooden structure perched in the branches above. Snow covered its flat roof, and a rope ladder dangled from an open doorway.

  “Papa built it,” Fiona said.

  “Really?” I looked over at him.

  He chuckled as he took a tobacco pipe from his jacket pocket. “Don’t look shocked, Miss Cooper. I’m not only a useless lord.”

  “Would you like to swing?” Josephine asked.

  “Oh no. I’m too big,” I said.

  “Nonsense,” Lord Barnes said as he lit his pipe with a match. “This swing holds me.”

  Before I could protest, Josephine dragged me over to the swing. Someone must have used it already this morning, because the wood had been cleared of snow and ice. However, the seat hung about six inches over the snow. I’d have to keep my legs straight if I were to move at all. “How will I pump my legs?” I asked.

  “Papa will push you,” Fiona said.

  “It’s the only way in the snow.” Josephine tilted her head, as if this were a most serious matter.

  I sat gingerly and stretched my legs out into a straight position. Holding tightly to the handles, I waited as Lord Barnes, with his pipe in one corner of his mouth, walked around to the back of the swing. The scent of the pipe tobacco came with him.

  His first push on the small of my back was no more than a nudge. I could feel the gentleness of his hands even through my layer of clothing. The second, however, was more powerful, lifting me high into the air. Skirts flying around me I swooped up and back, each time flying higher. I laughed like a child. Fiona squealed with delight, obviously thrilled that I was having such fun. Josephine’s expression, on the other hand, was one of longing. Did she miss her mother? Had Lord Barnes pushed her on the swing like this?

  “All right, that’s quite enough swinging for one day,” I said.

  Lord Barnes wrapped his arms around my waist to stop me. For a split second he held me tightly against his broad chest. I drew in a sharp breath and smelled his shaving cream mixed with tobacco smoke. His physical nearness evoked something carnal. A stirring of my blood. Heat and desire and the wish that I could know all of him. I longed to be swept into his arms and taken to his bed. Never in my life had I imagined such things.

  He loosened his grip. I tried to jump gracefully from the swing. Instead, I fell into the snow face-first. Sputtering, I shook the snow from my head and face. Fiona bounded toward me, laughing. She launched herself into my arms and we both fell backward in the snow. We giggled as we tried to untangle from each other and the sno
w. Lord Barnes set his pipe on the abandoned swing and dropped down next to us. With one hand he lifted Fiona to her feet. He offered both his hands and helped me upright.

  Josephine and Fiona were now lying on the snow and fluttering their arms and legs, making angels.

  He kept hold of my hands and looked into my eyes. “Do you know how to make a snow angel?”

  “I know exactly how to make a snow angel,” I said, sassy.

  His gaze shifted downward and seemed to fix on my mouth. “Shall we have a competition?” he asked, low and husky.

  “What’s the prize?” I asked, matching his tone.

  He blinked three times, clearly surprised at my flirtatiousness. “You’re a lady. Which means you get to decide. If it were up to me, I’d ask for a kiss.”

  “A kiss?” I whispered. “In front of the children?”

  “I’d wait until later if you wanted me to.” His eyes glittered under the sunshine as he leaned close to my ear. “I’d wait a lifetime if I knew at the end, I could have a taste of your mouth.”

  I stared at him, mesmerized by his proximity and boldness, and whispered into his ear. “Lord Barnes, I thought you were a gentleman.”

  “You make me lose my head. I’m powerless when I’m near you and unapologetic for my adoration.”

  This, after two weeks? Oh well, I thought to myself. If he refused to be unapologetic, why couldn’t I?

  Without another word, I shuffled through the snow next to the girls. Lord Barnes followed me into the snow and like the children, we moved the snow with our arms and legs into a pattern of an angel.

  “I’m making another one,” Fiona said, shouting as she flung herself backward into the snow next to me.

  I turned my head to look at Lord Barnes and caught him watching me, his eyes startling green in all that white. “I guess you do know how, Miss Cooper. But mine’s still better.”