Simple Secrets (The Harmony Series 1) by Nancy Mehl Page B

For the niece of my friend.” The candlemaker’s eyes flushed with tears. “I’ll put them in a bag for you.”
    “Thank you very much. I’ll treasure them.”
    Levi had just pulled some paper from a stack on a table and was wrapping the candles and the holder when the door swung open behind us. A tall, grim-faced man dressed in dark clothes, a white shirt, and a large black hat stepped inside the store. Behind him trailed a young woman also dressed in black. Her long dress dusted the floor, and even though it was spring she wore full sleeves. Her head was covered with a stiff bonnet, not the light prayer covering I’d seen on other women in town. She kept her eyes downcast as if she were carefully watching her black laced-up shoes. Her attire was almost too morose for a funeral, yet the overall spirit emanating from the pair made that destination a definite possibility.
    “Hello, Gabriel,” Levi said. “Have you brought me some new candleholders?”
    The man stepped in front of Sam and me as if we weren’t even in the room. He put a large box on the counter in front of the store owner. “No other reason I’d be here, Levi.” His voice was sharp and raspy.
    The store owner looked down into the box and carefully lifted out several metal holders. They were actually quite stunning. Intricately formed and freestanding, curved pieces of wrought iron formed the legs that held them up. Other pieces of metal had been twisted into designs that ended up creating a place to hold a candle.
    “Why, they’re beautiful,” I said. “You made these?”
    The man swung his gaze around and fastened his angry eyes on me. Even through his black beard I could see his lips locked in a sneer. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember addressing you,” he spat out.
    “Now Gabriel, you mind your manners,” Levi said evenly. “This is Gracie Temple. Benjamin’s niece.”
    The man’s eyes traveled up and down my body. “Doesn’t look like anyone Benjamin Temple would cotton to. He wouldn’t have approved of anyone this worldly.” His eyes flashed with anger. “Would have been mighty ashamed to call something like this family.”
    I could feel my blood start to boil. “Now you look here...” Sam put his hand on my shoulder, and I caught myself before I said something I would probably regret. I stood there stoically, determined not to start an argument with this man. It was obvious it wouldn’t do any good.
    Assuming I wasn’t going to rise to his bait, Gabriel turned back to Levi and resumed his transaction. I couldn’t help but glance over at the girl who stood by the front entrance. So this was Sarah Ketterling. Although she’d kept her head lowered throughout her father’s rude behavior, she looked up long enough to find me staring at her. Her lovely dark eyes were full of pain and embarrassment. Her light complexion turned even paler and she turned quickly toward the door.
    “I’m going to wait outside, Papa,” she said in a soft voice. She slipped quietly out of the store. Gabriel didn’t appear to hear her.
    “Wait here,” I whispered to Sam. I crept to the old screen door and opened it slowly. Then I stepped out onto the wooden sidewalk where Sarah stood with her back toward me, her thin body leaning against a light pole.
    “Sarah,” I said as gently as I could so as not to scare her. “I wanted to tell you how beautiful I think your stationery is. I bought some of it this morning. You’re very talented.”
    The girl swung around, her eyes wide. She glanced nervously toward the entrance of the candle shop. She reminded me of a frightened fawn with large brown eyes and long dark lashes. The hair under her bonnet was almost black, sharply framing her delicate features.
    “Th–thank you,” she said in a voice so low I could barely hear her. “It–it’s wood-block print. I love to do it.”
    “It’s wonderful,” I said with a smile. “I’m an artist, too, although a lot of what I do is on the computer.