Hyacinth (Suitors of Seattle) Page 7

  Hyacinth just shook her head at him. "Thank you for planning the menu, Mrs. O'Reilly." She really was grateful that the older woman had stepped into help and hadn't left everything up to her.

  The older woman beamed at her. "It was just snack foods. It was no trouble."

  He showed her his office, where he worked when the library was closed. One shelf held copies of the eight books he'd written. She traced her fingers over his name on the spine. "I can't wait until I can see my own name on the spine of a book. Do you think it'll ever happen?" She didn't want to get her hopes up, but she couldn't imagine never having a book published. She knew it would break her heart.

  Lawrence walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. When she turned, he stroked her cheek gently. "I think you, Miss Sullivan, can do anything you set your mind to." He leaned over and gently brushed her lips with his. He knew that even if no publisher would accept her, he would find some way to make it happen for her, at least once.

  She sighed, leaning into him. Every time he kissed her, she liked it a little more. "Thank you."

  "For what?"

  "For being so supportive of me when I'm covered in self-doubt. I really appreciate it!" She needed his strength sometimes, in ways she'd never realized. She'd always been alone in her writing, but it had never occurred to her that she needed support. She found she did. Maybe her lack of self-confidence in her writing had been because she'd never shared it with anyone.

  He stroked his hand up and down her spine. "I truly think you're an amazing young lady. I can't wait until you'll let me read a few words of your book."

  Hyacinth blushed, shaking her head adamantly. "Not yet. Soon. When I'm finished." She hoped she could follow through with that promise. She knew she needed to, but how could she let him read the words she'd labored so hard over. If he thought they were no good, would she be able to write again?

  A knock at the door had them jerking apart and going to the door. Rose and Shawn were waiting for them. Hyacinth was more intimidated by her eldest sister than anyone she knew. She didn't know why, but she craved Rose's approval. "So glad you could both come. You remember Lawrence?" she asked politely.

  Rose nodded, smiling at Lawrence. "You have a beautiful home. I tried to talk Shawn into buying it when it went up for sale last year, but he said he wasn't about to go through all the work of buying a new home when he had a perfectly acceptable one already." Rose looked at her husband, tapping her foot as if she were still annoyed with him over it.

  Hyacinth blinked a few times. She knew that Shawn was good for Rose, because he did deny her. Her sister had many suitors before Dr. Shawn, but he was the first to not worship at her sister's feet. "I think it's a beautiful home," she said, not knowing how else to respond.

  Shawn put his arm around Rose. "I was thinking of the work that would be involved for you if we had to move."

  Rose sighed. "The servants would have done the work. I would have merely supervised."

  "Then I was thinking of the work for the servants."

  The couple walked into the house, still talking softly with each other. They were obviously in love, but they certainly didn't agree on everything. Hyacinth was pleased to see that a couple in love didn't have to agree on everything, because she knew that she and Lawrence would never be able to see eye to eye in everything. Especially on Tuesdays.

  Lily and Daniel were the next to arrive. Lily looked tired but pretty in the split skirt she wore. Hyacinth would have loved to feel free to wear the kind of clothing her sister wore, but she knew that she would feel like she was making a spectacle of herself. Lily had a newborn baby, and twins that were still toddlers. There was no wonder that she looked tired. She didn't have a full-time nurse the way Rose did, either.

  Amaryllis and Alex were the last to arrive. Alex looked like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world. "Nice house," he said, his voice grudging.

  Amaryllis rolled her eyes as she hugged Hyacinth. "Alex is terribly jealous of Lawrence, even though I was never in love with Lawrence. He was always just a friend, you know."

  Hyacinth held her sister close and whispered back, "So you don't mind that we're courting?" She waited for her sister's response, knowing she would stop seeing him immediately if it bothered Amaryllis, even though it would break her heart.

  "I think it's wonderful. Lawrence deserves to be happy."

  Hyacinth let out the breath she hadn't even realized she was holding. "Thank you." She led everyone to the room where the party would be, and Rose smiled happily when she saw the pillows on the floor.

  "Oh, this is going to be fun," Rose exclaimed. She had always loved parties and when people tried to make one unique, she got excited about it.

  "I hope so," Hyacinth was suddenly worried now that everyone was there. What if they didn't enjoy her games?

  Each couple found a set of pillows and sank to the floor. Shawn leaned against the wall with his ankles crossed in front of him, Rose settled in the crook of his arm, her head on his shoulder. Daniel sat down with Lily beside him, resting against him, her legs curled at her side. Amaryllis just plopped down on Alex's lap.

  "I have a couple of games planned for us, if you want to play them," Hyacinth said. "Or we could have refreshments and play charades." She didn't want to tell everyone what they had to do, but she really wanted to try out the new game she'd come up with. She hoped they'd agree to at least try it.

  Lily seemed to sense Hyacinth's worry over whether they would enjoy what she had planned. "What did you want to do, Hy? I want to hear it."

  Hyacinth smiled nervously, not used to being the center of attention. She reached out for Lawrence's hand to give her a little more confidence. "I thought we could play a game as couples. Lawrence and I would be the administrators of the game, and all of you would play it. I'd ask questions, and Lawrence and I would vote on which answer was the best."

  Rose frowned. "What kinds of questions?"

  Hyacinth retrieved her notebook from one of the low tables where she'd placed it earlier. "Here's a trial question to see if you'd like it. 'Gentlemen, if you had to compare your wife to an animal, what animal would you choose?'" She looked up at her sisters and their husbands, wondering how they'd react to the question.

  Shawn let out a bark of laughter. "A cat. I've never seen an animal more vain than a cat constantly grooming itself."

  Rose glared at Shawn, but the others all laughed, recognizing his words as true.

  Daniel smiled. "I'll go next. I think a cheetah. They run majestically. I've seen photos. I've never seen anyone run more beautifully than my wife." He kissed Lily on the cheek, letting her know without words that he found her to be the most beautiful woman in the world.

  Lily turned to Daniel, a smile on her face. "I haven't run in a long time."

  "You're so graceful, though. It's a truly beautiful sight that I'll never forget."

  Lily kissed his lips right there in front of everyone. "And this is why I have the best husband in the world."

  Alex sighed. "She's going to kill me for my answer, but I would say an elephant. They're supposed to be very intelligent, and from what I've heard they never forget anything."

  Amaryllis smiled. "I was going to get angry until you explained. Now I'm not mad."

  Hyacinth turned to Lawrence and whispered, "Whose answer did you like best?"

  He thought it over for a moment. "Well, I liked Shawn's because he pegged Rose beautifully, but I think the best answer was probably Daniel's." He hoped she'd agree, because he didn't know what she planned for a tie-breaker.

  Hyacinth nodded. "I agree." She turned back to the others. "If we were to score that, the point for the best answer would go to Daniel on that one."

  Shawn nodded. "I can see that. His answer was really good." He shrugged. "I think mine was the funniest, though. Are there points for that?"

  Alex shrugged. "I think all three answers were very honest."

  Rose made a face. "Do the women get a chance to get r
evenge...err...give answers as well?"

  All of them laughed as Hyacinth nodded. "There'd be one question for the men, and then next for the women. You'd be working in teams with your spouse." She bit her lip. "Do you want to play?"

  When everyone had agreed, Hyacinth proceeded to read the next question. "If you were to have to write a book about your husband, what would you title it?"

  The night was filled with fun and laughter. The snacks were devoured in between rounds of the game, and they almost missed ringing in the new year they were having so much fun with the answers.

  Alex and Amaryllis won the game, which wasn't much of a surprise to anyone, because they were the most intellectual in the room. They just had better answers for most questions. There was only one point where there was a tie, and the couple that wasn't voted for, Shawn and Rose, got to be the tie breakers.

  Just before midnight, they counted down the seconds, and at midnight all wished each other Happy New Year. The married couples kissed one another, and Hyacinth looked at Lawrence, wondering if he'd dare to kiss her with her family watching. When he took her hand and pulled her to him, kissing her gently, she was surprised, but happy. She wrapped her arms around him and just rested against him.

  After a moment she saw everyone watching them. "Is there another marriage to announce soon?" Rose asked. She was the one who would always be blunt and not worry as much about embarrassing one of her sisters. She knew proper etiquette, and made certain she observed it most of the time, but not with her family.

  Hyacinth blushed and shook her head. "We're just getting to know each other." She didn't meet Lawrence's eyes as she said the words, obviously embarrassed.

  "A little too well if you ask me," Alex said, obviously still put out with Lawrence, even though it had to be clear that the other man was no longer interested in his wife in any way.

  As the others were leaving, Shawn asked Hyacinth if she'd like to ride home with them instead of Lawrence having to leave to go out in the cold again. She really enjoyed having Lawrence see her home, but as it was so late at night, she decided to accept their offer. Shawn escorted Rose out to the buggy while she said goodnight to Lawrence.

  "We're not such terrible party hosts after all," she said to him in amazement. She'd truly expected the party to be terrible, even with all the work she'd put into it.

  "I certainly couldn't have done it without you, but you're right. It was a success, and neither of us spent the whole night just watching the others have fun." He kissed her cheek quickly. "Thank you for helping me this evening."

  She smiled. "Oh, it was great fun. Thank you for inviting me."

  Hyacinth hurried out the door to the buggy where Rose and Shawn were waiting. "Thanks for the ride," she said as she got tucked under the lap robe. She rubbed her arms, shivering slightly at the cold.

  Shawn smiled. "I couldn't very well leave my favorite sister-in-law, could I?"

  "And I'm your favorite because I'm the one with you right now, right?" Their uncle, Max, had always been the same way. He'd call each niece his favorite as long as none of the others were listening.

  "There is that," he said with a grin.

  Hyacinth fell asleep that evening with a smile on her face. She was really beginning to believe that Lawrence was the right man for her. If only she could find a way to avoid him on Tuesdays.

  Chapter Six

  Find a gift for your woman that you think she will enjoy a great deal. If you put great thought into the gift, it will mean a lot more to her. Not every woman is interested in jewelry or chocolate (although most are.) Find something that she will like or better yet, make something for her. Women love handmade gifts instead of store bought. They find them a great deal more special. William Livingston, Advice Column to Lonely Men published in The Seattle Times, January fifth, 1897.

  When Lawrence read the article in The Seattle Times on Tuesday morning, he was immediately stricken. He didn't know how to make anything for a woman. What could he possibly do for Hyacinth that would be good enough?

  After much thought and wandering around the mercantile, he decided to give her a special gift he'd ordered for himself. After all, he could always just order another.

  He climbed up onto his buggy seat and put the package he'd received just that morning onto the seat beside him. She'd be home with her mother, and he'd take it over, and she would then love him forever, right? After all, what woman didn't want to receive such a special gift from the man who was courting her?

  Lawrence drove through the busy streets of downtown Seattle toward the Sullivan home, knowing Hyacinth would be home on a Tuesday morning. He debated about inviting her to eat lunch with him, but he knew she liked to spend the days with her mother on Tuesdays, and he seemed to interfere most weeks. Instead, when he knocked on the door, and she answered, he said, "Do you have a few minutes free? I bought you a gift, and I want you to see it."

  Hyacinth felt her heart rate speed up in her chest. He bought her a gift? Was it a ring? What would she say if it was? She knew she was rapidly falling in love with him, but she was afraid of how strange he became every Tuesday. He reminded her of Robert Lewis Stevenson's book, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Of course, Lawrence was never as bad as Mr. Hyde...he was just strange.

  She sucked in a breath. It was Tuesday. He was probably going to give her a live rat or something.

  When they got to the buggy, he picked up a large package from the seat and handed it to her. She looked at it for a moment, wondering what on earth it could be. It was heavy. Much heavier than a ring. She couldn't decide if she was pleased or disappointed by that. "Do you want me to open it here?" she asked. Did she want to be alone with him when she opened it?

  He thought about that for a moment. "Why don't we go inside where your mother can watch you open it?"

  He held the door for her as she carried it inside, and she couldn't help wondering why he didn't just carry it for her. Whatever it was, the gift was heavy! She carried it into the parlor where she and her mother had been talking about her relationship with Lawrence. Her mother was still convinced they'd be getting married any moment. Hyacinth wondered how she'd react when she saw the huge gift.

  Hyacinth sank onto the couch beside her mother looking at the wooden box in her arms. She had no way of prying the lid off, so she put her fingers under one of the slats and pulled. It obviously hadn't been nailed on well, because it came off easily. She tried the same with the other three slats and, in moments, she had the box apart. She peered inside the box for a moment, and her eyes widened in surprise.

  It was a typewriter. She'd wanted one because she knew she'd be able to go faster than writing everything out by hand as soon as she learned the formation of the keys, but she didn't want her mother to see it. She'd be very curious to know why Hyacinth needed a typewriter. What was Lawrence thinking?

  "Well? What is it?" Mary asked, the curiosity etched across her face.

  Hyacinth pulled the typewriter out of the box and stared down at it, trying to keep her face unreadable. "It's a typewriter, Mama." Her mind struggled to come up with a reason Lawrence would have given her a typewriter.

  "Oh, wonderful! That will help you finish your book faster," Mary replied.

  Hyacinth looked at her mother in astonishment. "You know about my book?"

  Mary laughed. "There's not much you girls know that I don't know about. I've known that you wanted to be a writer for a long time. I'd have been pushing you to do more volunteer work if I hadn't know you were writing all day every day."

  "I did wonder about that." Hyacinth frowned. "Why did you never say anything?" It bothered her some to know her mother had known all that time she was working on a book and had never said anything.

  "I thought that you'd tell me when you were ready to, in your own time. I'm happy to see that you've told Lawrence, though. He'll be able to help you more than anyone else will."

  Lawrence smiled at her, his face beaming. "Do you want to try it out? I ha
ve a small book that explains where your fingers are supposed to go and which fingers should be used for each key." He'd never used a typewriter, of course, but he'd seen them in use. A person could type much faster than they could ever write, and it would always be legible.

  Hyacinth nodded, her eyes lighting up with excitement now that she realized what a treasure he'd given her. "I love it. Thank you." She pushed the typewriter onto her mother's lap and moved across the room to the other small sofa where Lawrence sat. She kissed his cheek softly. "It's a very sweet gift." Any other man would have brought her flowers or candy. But Lawrence? Trust him to do something practical.

  "You really like it? I thought about getting you a necklace or some chocolate, but I thought you'd like this better." He searched her face to see if she was truly happy with his gift.

  "Oh, I do. There's nothing more practical for me at this point."

  Lawrence jumped up. "I have the book that teaches you to use it in the buggy. Let me run and get it."

  The two of them spent the afternoon practicing with the typewriter at the dining room table. Mary would wander in from time to time to see them as they played with it, trying to efficiently change the typewriter ribbon and learn where to put their hands. By the time Lawrence left, right before Violet and Iris were due to return home, Hyacinth felt that she'd be able to use it, and she knew she would gain proficiency with time.

  "Please don't tell the others about my writing, Mama," she begged as she watched Lawrence drive away through the front window. She watched him until he was out of sight before finally turning to her mother.

  Mary shook her head. "I've known for several months, and I haven't said a word. You're allowed to have your secrets from your sisters."

  "Thank you." Hyacinth carried the typewriter up to her room, and moved everything off her vanity table. It would be the perfect place for her to write. She couldn't wait to type up everything she'd written so far.