A Western Romance: Nathaniel Yancey: Taking the High Road (Book 6) (Taking the High Road series) by Fenris Morris

Author:Fenris, Morris [Fenris, Morris]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Western Romance Publications House
Published: 2015-03-18T16:00:00+00:00

V

Routine was good. Routine was safe. Routine was comfortable.

“Oh, hang routine!” grumbled Nathaniel after a couple weeks or so.

Odd. He had never known such restlessness of spirit during his school years, or while attending seminary. Then, being certain of a day’s schedule, able to plan any event in advance, setting up what came next or later, appealed to him. Now, it didn’t.

Now, busy with writing sermons, or occasionally visiting a parishioner who had fallen ill or victim to accident, accepting an invitation to someone’s home for the midday meal, he found himself wishing only to push everything of routine aside.

The mid-June weather was breathtakingly beautiful, with clear blue skies and a strong breeze. He wanted to race with the littlers to the town’s nearby open field and fly a kite, as he remembered doing in boyhood days with his older brothers.

One afternoon, those blue skies turned dark and treacherous, as a storm rolled in. With rain pounding upon the rooftop and slashing against the windows, he wanted to join the littlers at the kitchen table with their paint pots and brushes, creating extravagant pictures for someone to ooh and ah over.

A touring troop of actors arrived, invited by the Virginia City Mayor to perform several musicals at The Grand Hotel and Opera House. He wanted to throw caution to the wind and ask Caroline if she would accompany him for an evening of stardust and sin.

But, of course, he couldn’t. Especially the last. The Little Chapel would never live down such a slight to its reputation, that their very own clergyman might actually enter such a den of iniquity. Nor would he.

Even bypassing that, though, was the young lady herself. Keeping company with Luke Dundall—damn and blast his banker’s hide!—on a regular basis, their future together seemed a sure thing. And when Mr. Dundall showed up at his study door to ask for her hand in marriage, as might be expected soon, Nathaniel would have to simply grit his teeth and give consent.

Several weeks of sharing the parsonage space had accustomed Carrie to his moods. Considering the bedlam that often rioted from one floor to the next, thanks to three rowdy children and an equally rowdy cat, he seemed surprisingly even-tempered and easy-going. Tolerant, accepting, content. Until recently.

Recently, he seemed itchy and restive. Unsettled, almost.

And she wanted to find out why.

Shut into his study one mid-morning, he answered her knock immediately and, serene as usual, ushered her inside. She closed the door behind her as he resumed his seat behind that rampart of a desk.

“Am I interrupting anything?”

“Nope. Just tryin’ to put t’gether some thoughts for Sunday’s sermon. You musta got used t’ that kinda stuff, with your paw.”

She settled into the upholstered chair, spreading her lightweight summer skirts around her and crossing her ankles as a lady should. “I visited his grave on Monday,” she commented.

“Didja? I’m sorry, Carrie, that you went alone. That must not’ve been easy. You shoulda said somethin’ to me, so I could go with you and pay my respects.

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