where to find her.”
Adam sat in the chair Suzy had vacated and reached for the tin. “So you’ve talked to her mother?”
Jane turned to start some coffee. “She told me Suzy started throwing tantrums when her sister was born. Any little scolding can set her off. The baby, of course, is never in trouble for anything.”
“I was afraid she was being punished for what sounded to me like accidents.”
Jane sat down across the table from him. She shouldn’t be doing this. She had work to do. But she was so tired a cup of coffee might help her get through the rest of the day. “The jelly was spread on the curtain with a knife. The egg was broken against the wall, and the dress she tore was her sister’s.
“But I wondered, too, the first time. She was a little vague on what she had actually done and what her mother’s reaction had been. There wasn’t a mark on her, though, except a scrape on her shoulder from going through the window.”
“I guess I’m starting to imagine things, after interviewing families for the orphans. I just don’t like to think of any child being mistreated.”
Jane got up to gather the cups for the coffee. “There’s only so much we can do, Adam. We can’t interfere with the parents.”
“What are you saying?”
Jane couldn’t turn to look at him. She watched the pot instead. “Not. all children are treated well by their parents. I let the ones who aren’t come forcookies, too, or stay the night while their parents cool off. That’s all I can do.”
“Tell me who they are.” He rose and moved to stand beside her. She could feel his warmth, smell his clean masculine scent.
Jane shook her head. “If they ask for an orphan, I’ll tell you. But otherwise, the children wouldn’t want you to know.”
He was quiet—thoughtful, she supposed-while she waited for the coffee to brew. She was torn between wishing he’d return to the table and wanting to lean against him.
His fingers skimmed the side of her face, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I think you’re overdoing this housecleaning project.”
She reached a shaking hand up to her tingling cheek. “How can a house be too clean?” Her voice held the slightest quiver.
“What difference does it make how clean the house is if you work yourself to death?”
She grabbed up the coffeepot and brushed past him to the table. Don’t turn your concern on me. I’m not prepared to handle it. She forced a laugh.
“That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?”
“You look more exhausted every day. Having curtains with no dust isn’t worth that.”
Jane took a sip of coffee, trying to decide how much to tell him. “I have to work hard all day in order to sleep at night,” she said finally.
“You’re still grieving for your grandmother.”
“Yes.” That was part of it, of course, but financial worries were a larger part. And dreams about
Adam himself. But she couldn’t tell him that.
“I could give you something to help you sleep,” he offered.
“No,” she said. “I think this is something I need to work out myself.”
She took a sip of coffee and changed the subject. “I have another boarder. A young man named Ferris Wood looking for business opportunities. You’ll meet him at dinner.”
“I suppose I should let you get back to work,” Adam said.
Jane passed him the tin of cookies and said with a smile, “Don’t scatter crumbs like Suzy did.”
Chapter Seven
A dam had taken to walking to the post office every day. So much time had passed without a word from Doreena that he was surprised when a letter was actually waiting. He hurried home to read it, feeling an odd sort of dread as well as anticipation. After he had gone through it twice, he tossed it on his desk and paced across the room.
It was the kind of letter he had expected her to write when he first arrived. It was filled with descriptions of all the functions she had attended, all the friends she had seen here or there.
Adam sat in the chair Suzy had vacated and reached for the tin. “So you’ve talked to her mother?”
Jane turned to start some coffee. “She told me Suzy started throwing tantrums when her sister was born. Any little scolding can set her off. The baby, of course, is never in trouble for anything.”
“I was afraid she was being punished for what sounded to me like accidents.”
Jane sat down across the table from him. She shouldn’t be doing this. She had work to do. But she was so tired a cup of coffee might help her get through the rest of the day. “The jelly was spread on the curtain with a knife. The egg was broken against the wall, and the dress she tore was her sister’s.
“But I wondered, too, the first time. She was a little vague on what she had actually done and what her mother’s reaction had been. There wasn’t a mark on her, though, except a scrape on her shoulder from going through the window.”
“I guess I’m starting to imagine things, after interviewing families for the orphans. I just don’t like to think of any child being mistreated.”
Jane got up to gather the cups for the coffee. “There’s only so much we can do, Adam. We can’t interfere with the parents.”
“What are you saying?”
Jane couldn’t turn to look at him. She watched the pot instead. “Not. all children are treated well by their parents. I let the ones who aren’t come forcookies, too, or stay the night while their parents cool off. That’s all I can do.”
“Tell me who they are.” He rose and moved to stand beside her. She could feel his warmth, smell his clean masculine scent.
Jane shook her head. “If they ask for an orphan, I’ll tell you. But otherwise, the children wouldn’t want you to know.”
He was quiet—thoughtful, she supposed-while she waited for the coffee to brew. She was torn between wishing he’d return to the table and wanting to lean against him.
His fingers skimmed the side of her face, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I think you’re overdoing this housecleaning project.”
She reached a shaking hand up to her tingling cheek. “How can a house be too clean?” Her voice held the slightest quiver.
“What difference does it make how clean the house is if you work yourself to death?”
She grabbed up the coffeepot and brushed past him to the table. Don’t turn your concern on me. I’m not prepared to handle it. She forced a laugh.
“That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?”
“You look more exhausted every day. Having curtains with no dust isn’t worth that.”
Jane took a sip of coffee, trying to decide how much to tell him. “I have to work hard all day in order to sleep at night,” she said finally.
“You’re still grieving for your grandmother.”
“Yes.” That was part of it, of course, but financial worries were a larger part. And dreams about
Adam himself. But she couldn’t tell him that.
“I could give you something to help you sleep,” he offered.
“No,” she said. “I think this is something I need to work out myself.”
She took a sip of coffee and changed the subject. “I have another boarder. A young man named Ferris Wood looking for business opportunities. You’ll meet him at dinner.”
“I suppose I should let you get back to work,” Adam said.
Jane passed him the tin of cookies and said with a smile, “Don’t scatter crumbs like Suzy did.”
Chapter Seven
A dam had taken to walking to the post office every day. So much time had passed without a word from Doreena that he was surprised when a letter was actually waiting. He hurried home to read it, feeling an odd sort of dread as well as anticipation. After he had gone through it twice, he tossed it on his desk and paced across the room.
It was the kind of letter he had expected her to write when he first arrived. It was filled with descriptions of all the functions she had attended, all the friends she had seen here or there.
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