our mythical men. Read a book, talk to one of the storytellers. They’ll tell you all you’d want to know about him.” Niall pushed him in the back, helping to propel him onto the boardwalk.
Gabriel paused outside the bar, the cool air a balm to his throbbing jaw and eye. “There’s no need for me to ruin everyone’s night. I’ll make it home fine.” He waved at them as he crossed the street to catch a passing streetcar. As he boarded it, he ignored the stares of curious passengers and settled into one of the rear seats for the short ride up the hill. He closed his eyes for a few moments as he fought dizziness from the lurching movement of the streetcar.
After disembarking, he stopped in at the boardinghouse, picked up a letter from Richard and decided to go to the Egans’ house early. He attempted to ignore the insistent ache in his right eye, but, as the throbbing steadily increased on the short walk to their house, he hoped Amelia would know what to do to help ease the pain.
“Coming!” Amelia called out after he knocked. He heard a patter of footsteps at the door and little Nicholas answered.
“Hello, Nicholas,” Gabriel said. Nicholas shrieked, turning to flee toward his mother.
Gabriel touched his eye. “Amelia,” he said as he glanced in her direction. “I’m sorry I scared your boy.”
She glanced up from comforting Nicholas to study Gabriel with wide hazel eyes. “Oh my,” she said, biting her lower lip. “I hope the other man looks worse.” Wisps of honey-colored hair framed her face, her bun always loose after a day of chasing Nicholas. Wet splotches marred her ivory-colored apron and covered the front of her buttercream-toned wool dress.
Gabriel laughed. “I doubt it. He caught me off guard and knocked me down before I knew what had happened.” He patted his eye, grimacing at the light touch.
“Sit, Gabriel,” Amelia said as she pushed him toward the living room. Gabriel collapsed into the partially stuffed chair. “Nicholas, stop it. Gabriel’s been in a fight and must be tended to.”
“Where’s everyone else?” Gabriel asked on a groan as he laid his head back against the chair, closing his eyes for a moment.
“They had a meeting at the union hall, then went by the pub with the hopes of meeting you there,” Amelia said.
“Well, we didn’t go to the local tonight. The men I work with wanted to go to Daly’s Place, and it was crazy.” Gabriel sighed as Amelia placed a cool, wet cloth to the right side of his face.
“I wish I had ice,” she murmured.
“This will help.”
“What’d’ye do to earn a facer?” Nicholas asked, as he climbed Gabriel’s leg like a tree branch, excited energy running off him. His russet-colored hair formed a riotous halo of curls around his head, and his dark brown eyes watched Gabriel with intense curiosity.
“I’m not sure. One moment I was talking about politics, next I was on the floor.”
“People take their politics seriously around here,” Amelia said.
“I’m learning that,” Gabriel muttered. “God, this hurts almost as bad as when Clarissa bashed my head open.”
“She did what?” Amelia asked with a hint of a laugh in her voice.
Gabriel opened his good eye to watch her. “You may find that funny, and I guess it is now, but that’s how we met,” Gabriel said with a broad smile as he closed his eye again. “I was on a ladder, and she stumbled into it and me. Felled me like a pine tree…”
“Timber!” Nicholas called out gaily in his youthful voice.
“And when I came to, my head was bashed open, and this small, magnificent woman was there,” he said. “How could I not love her?”
Amelia laughed, unable to hide her mirth. “You are a wonder, Gabriel. Most men would want their woman to have some grace.”
“Her clumsiness is almost graceful.”
“Have you heard any more from her?”
At this, Gabriel frowned. “Very little of consequence. Ramblings about the weather or school, but nothing
Gabriel paused outside the bar, the cool air a balm to his throbbing jaw and eye. “There’s no need for me to ruin everyone’s night. I’ll make it home fine.” He waved at them as he crossed the street to catch a passing streetcar. As he boarded it, he ignored the stares of curious passengers and settled into one of the rear seats for the short ride up the hill. He closed his eyes for a few moments as he fought dizziness from the lurching movement of the streetcar.
After disembarking, he stopped in at the boardinghouse, picked up a letter from Richard and decided to go to the Egans’ house early. He attempted to ignore the insistent ache in his right eye, but, as the throbbing steadily increased on the short walk to their house, he hoped Amelia would know what to do to help ease the pain.
“Coming!” Amelia called out after he knocked. He heard a patter of footsteps at the door and little Nicholas answered.
“Hello, Nicholas,” Gabriel said. Nicholas shrieked, turning to flee toward his mother.
Gabriel touched his eye. “Amelia,” he said as he glanced in her direction. “I’m sorry I scared your boy.”
She glanced up from comforting Nicholas to study Gabriel with wide hazel eyes. “Oh my,” she said, biting her lower lip. “I hope the other man looks worse.” Wisps of honey-colored hair framed her face, her bun always loose after a day of chasing Nicholas. Wet splotches marred her ivory-colored apron and covered the front of her buttercream-toned wool dress.
Gabriel laughed. “I doubt it. He caught me off guard and knocked me down before I knew what had happened.” He patted his eye, grimacing at the light touch.
“Sit, Gabriel,” Amelia said as she pushed him toward the living room. Gabriel collapsed into the partially stuffed chair. “Nicholas, stop it. Gabriel’s been in a fight and must be tended to.”
“Where’s everyone else?” Gabriel asked on a groan as he laid his head back against the chair, closing his eyes for a moment.
“They had a meeting at the union hall, then went by the pub with the hopes of meeting you there,” Amelia said.
“Well, we didn’t go to the local tonight. The men I work with wanted to go to Daly’s Place, and it was crazy.” Gabriel sighed as Amelia placed a cool, wet cloth to the right side of his face.
“I wish I had ice,” she murmured.
“This will help.”
“What’d’ye do to earn a facer?” Nicholas asked, as he climbed Gabriel’s leg like a tree branch, excited energy running off him. His russet-colored hair formed a riotous halo of curls around his head, and his dark brown eyes watched Gabriel with intense curiosity.
“I’m not sure. One moment I was talking about politics, next I was on the floor.”
“People take their politics seriously around here,” Amelia said.
“I’m learning that,” Gabriel muttered. “God, this hurts almost as bad as when Clarissa bashed my head open.”
“She did what?” Amelia asked with a hint of a laugh in her voice.
Gabriel opened his good eye to watch her. “You may find that funny, and I guess it is now, but that’s how we met,” Gabriel said with a broad smile as he closed his eye again. “I was on a ladder, and she stumbled into it and me. Felled me like a pine tree…”
“Timber!” Nicholas called out gaily in his youthful voice.
“And when I came to, my head was bashed open, and this small, magnificent woman was there,” he said. “How could I not love her?”
Amelia laughed, unable to hide her mirth. “You are a wonder, Gabriel. Most men would want their woman to have some grace.”
“Her clumsiness is almost graceful.”
“Have you heard any more from her?”
At this, Gabriel frowned. “Very little of consequence. Ramblings about the weather or school, but nothing
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