The Baby Barter and the Marriage Bargain by Patty Smith Hall

Author:Patty Smith Hall
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2022-01-07T20:24:34+00:00

Chapter Two

Edward prayed he’d misunderstood Lily. “What do you mean, ‘you caused’?”

“It seems the fire was my fault.” Lily pointed to the wall near the back door where the most damage appeared to be. “I was working late, trying to make a few extra hats. I had set a lantern on this workbench.”

She didn’t seem the irresponsible type. “Surely you didn’t leave a lantern burning when you went to bed. You’d have noticed the light.”

“No.” She jerked her head to stare at him. “Of course not! I took the lantern with me.”

She pointed to a small stack of charred kindling near the stove. It was considerably smaller than the amount he’d cut and placed there before her arrival. Normal circumstances wouldn’t have caused her to use so much kindling.

“Right before I went upstairs, I swept up the trimmings from around the workbench. Bits of ribbon and feathers. Things like that. I swept them into a pile near the door, intending to dispose of it this morning. Then I checked the stove. Some embers must have blown out and landed among the trash. It must have smoldered and caught when it got near the kindling. I don’t know how else it could have started. I’m so sorry.” Another cough stopped her from speaking. “I’ll pay for the damages.”

Edward stirred the kindling with the toe of his boot and studied the scorched wood and the wall in the corner of the room between the stove and the door.

“It’s possible a gust of wind blew under the door and carried the embers back to the kindling.” He turned to Lily, who was coughing again. “No one was hurt. That’s the most important thing.”

“Please forgive me. I never meant to start the fire.” She covered her mouth again to cough.

“You took in a lot of smoke. Have you been to see the doc?”

“No. I’m fine. There’s too much work to do to stop for a minor cough.”

He knew how much smoke had been in her rooms. The stairwell had acted like a chimney and drawn the smoke upward. No doubt a draft around the windows had pulled the dangerous fumes under the door at the top of the landing.

“I’m taking you to see Doc Willis.” He headed for the front of the shop. “Where’s your coat?”

When she didn’t follow, he turned and waited.

“You are not taking me—” a cough interrupted her words “—anywhere.”

He raised his eyebrows. Would she be so stubborn as to refuse medical treatment? “Then I’ll have to ask Doc Willis to come here.” He opened the door and stepped onto the sidewalk. “We need to get this place ready for you to open your business. The sooner you get that cough taken care of, the sooner that will happen.”

“Wait, please.” She coughed again. “If it will set your mind at ease so we can get to work on the repairs, I’ll go.” She shrugged her arms into the sleeves of her coat and turned up the collar.

The January wind whipped around him, and he rubbed his arms against the cold.

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