catch a wink of sleep tonight.
Chapter Fifteen
From a window, Will watched Emily saunter up the walkway. He turned to escape when his mother entered the parlor.
“And where do you think you are going?” She blocked his exit.
“Anywhere, but here.”
“It would be impolite for you to leave with your guest arriving.”
“I don’t recall inviting her.”
Will overheard voices in the hallway. Tillie escorted Emily to the parlor.
“Welcome, Miss Courtland. Will and I were just talking about you.”
“I hope it was all good.” Emily flashed him an innocent smile and batted her eyelids.
“Have a seat, Emily. I’ll find Tillie and have her bring some refreshments for you two.” Madeline eased out of the room.
Will sat opposite her but hoped he could have left as his mother had. For a brief moment, he was relieved when Tillie served tea and molasses cookies. If it hadn’t been improper, he would have asked the servant to join them.
After being served, Emily took a sip of the tea and gazed candidly at Will. “I had hoped to spend more time with you while you’re still home on furlough. The last few times you were home, your visits were so brief.” She placed a gloved hand on his arm.
Will glanced down. He needed to be honest but didn’t wish to hurt her feelings. He removed her hand. “Emily, I—”
“Is there something wrong, Will? Is your wound still plaguing you?” Concern shown in her eyes.
“I’m recovering just fine. It’s just that…” He hesitated. “My feelings for you are not as strong as yours are for me.”
“It’s that Yankee woman you’ve brought home with you—you’re in love with her.”
Will glared at Emily. “She’s not a Yankee.”
“Well, whatever she is—” Emily sat down the cup and waved her hand. “I can tell you have feelings for her.”
He couldn’t deny her accusation. “I’m sorry, Emily,” was all he managed to say.
Her eyes flashed. “But why? What can a woman like that offer you?”
Before he could utter a word, she shook her head. “Oh, no, I’m not that naïve. I do realize what that type of woman can give a man.”
“Mrs. O’Connell is not that type of woman. She’s had a hard set of circumstances. We’re friends.”
“Friends?” Emily’s mouth gaped. “I do not understand you at all, Will Montgomery.”
“I never intended to hurt you.”
She pulled out an embroidered hanky and sniffed daintily. “Well, you have. I’ll be taking my leave now.”
He escorted her to the door and watched her depart through the iron gate. Although Will felt a bit guilty for the way he’d handled things, Emily’s departure brought relief, until his mother appeared and joined him in the parlor.
“Where has Emily gone?”
“She had to leave.” Will didn’t want to explain any more than that to his mother.
“I declare, William. It must have been something you said. I’ve watched your actions with Miss Courtland over the past weeks. How dare you treat that poor young woman like that!”
“I’m sorry, Mother. I don’t have any interest in Emily, and it’s cruel to keep her hopes up.” He glared at his mother.
Her eyelids narrowed to slits. “Nonsense. She’s the perfect match for you.”
“Perfect! In whose eyes, may I ask.”
“Why, anyone’s.”
“I’m the one who would have to marry her. It should be my decision alone.” Will dropped onto the settee.
“You’ve upset Miss Courtland,” Madeline sputtered, “and her parents will be outraged by your behavior as well. I demand you apologize.”
“I will not.” He caught her gaze and held it. Madeline huffed and left the room.
****
Aside from the debacle with Emily, Will savored the months spent recovering at home with Amanda and Jenny. The days preparing for Christmas were a comfort to him.
Mrs. O’Connell proved to be a total distraction. Away from the camp wearing the refined clothes Jenny had loaned her, he couldn’t imagine the
Chapter Fifteen
From a window, Will watched Emily saunter up the walkway. He turned to escape when his mother entered the parlor.
“And where do you think you are going?” She blocked his exit.
“Anywhere, but here.”
“It would be impolite for you to leave with your guest arriving.”
“I don’t recall inviting her.”
Will overheard voices in the hallway. Tillie escorted Emily to the parlor.
“Welcome, Miss Courtland. Will and I were just talking about you.”
“I hope it was all good.” Emily flashed him an innocent smile and batted her eyelids.
“Have a seat, Emily. I’ll find Tillie and have her bring some refreshments for you two.” Madeline eased out of the room.
Will sat opposite her but hoped he could have left as his mother had. For a brief moment, he was relieved when Tillie served tea and molasses cookies. If it hadn’t been improper, he would have asked the servant to join them.
After being served, Emily took a sip of the tea and gazed candidly at Will. “I had hoped to spend more time with you while you’re still home on furlough. The last few times you were home, your visits were so brief.” She placed a gloved hand on his arm.
Will glanced down. He needed to be honest but didn’t wish to hurt her feelings. He removed her hand. “Emily, I—”
“Is there something wrong, Will? Is your wound still plaguing you?” Concern shown in her eyes.
“I’m recovering just fine. It’s just that…” He hesitated. “My feelings for you are not as strong as yours are for me.”
“It’s that Yankee woman you’ve brought home with you—you’re in love with her.”
Will glared at Emily. “She’s not a Yankee.”
“Well, whatever she is—” Emily sat down the cup and waved her hand. “I can tell you have feelings for her.”
He couldn’t deny her accusation. “I’m sorry, Emily,” was all he managed to say.
Her eyes flashed. “But why? What can a woman like that offer you?”
Before he could utter a word, she shook her head. “Oh, no, I’m not that naïve. I do realize what that type of woman can give a man.”
“Mrs. O’Connell is not that type of woman. She’s had a hard set of circumstances. We’re friends.”
“Friends?” Emily’s mouth gaped. “I do not understand you at all, Will Montgomery.”
“I never intended to hurt you.”
She pulled out an embroidered hanky and sniffed daintily. “Well, you have. I’ll be taking my leave now.”
He escorted her to the door and watched her depart through the iron gate. Although Will felt a bit guilty for the way he’d handled things, Emily’s departure brought relief, until his mother appeared and joined him in the parlor.
“Where has Emily gone?”
“She had to leave.” Will didn’t want to explain any more than that to his mother.
“I declare, William. It must have been something you said. I’ve watched your actions with Miss Courtland over the past weeks. How dare you treat that poor young woman like that!”
“I’m sorry, Mother. I don’t have any interest in Emily, and it’s cruel to keep her hopes up.” He glared at his mother.
Her eyelids narrowed to slits. “Nonsense. She’s the perfect match for you.”
“Perfect! In whose eyes, may I ask.”
“Why, anyone’s.”
“I’m the one who would have to marry her. It should be my decision alone.” Will dropped onto the settee.
“You’ve upset Miss Courtland,” Madeline sputtered, “and her parents will be outraged by your behavior as well. I demand you apologize.”
“I will not.” He caught her gaze and held it. Madeline huffed and left the room.
****
Aside from the debacle with Emily, Will savored the months spent recovering at home with Amanda and Jenny. The days preparing for Christmas were a comfort to him.
Mrs. O’Connell proved to be a total distraction. Away from the camp wearing the refined clothes Jenny had loaned her, he couldn’t imagine the
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