AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Edward gave her a dubious look and grunted, but he didn’t say anymore. However, when the young woman came running down the steps to greet him, Edward did glance Rowan’s way before he gave the other woman a brief hug then set her away. Garret had joined them with the older woman by that point, and he helped Rowan down from the seat as the wind blew hard, whipping her blanket away from her for a moment.
“Oh, you poor thing, you’re skin and bones!” the older woman said in a shocked voice. “Come in, come in. We’ll get you set up by the fire with something to eat. Come, come.”
Edward gave the older woman an amused smile and said, “Mrs. Tibbs, I’d like you to meet Rowan Larsen.”
Flapping her hand at Edward, Mrs. Tibbs gently held Rowan’s elbow as she led her up the stairs. “Introductions can wait. I can’t believe you made her sit in that wagon in her condition. For shame. Even foolish young bucks like you should know better than dragging this poor girl out onto the road so soon after her accident.”
“Oh, no they didn’t do anything wrong,” Rowan quickly said, ignoring the narrow-eyed look the raven-haired girl was now giving her from behind Garret’s back.
Following the chatty woman through the big Inn, they were led to a cozy, feminine room. She was assuming Mrs. Tibbs had decorated it in shades of cream and cobalt blue, with pictures of dried flowers and delicate needlepoint samplers on the walls. Above the fireplace hung a portrait of an unfamiliar but handsome young man with flaming red hair dressed in a military uniform of some type.
“Over here, dear,” Mrs. Tibbs clucked as she led Rowan over to a high-backed chair by a roaring fireplace. “Let’s get you warmed up.”
The inn itself was beautiful, with high ceilings, white painted walls, and large exposed beams overhead. It was also obvious the Tibbs family had money because the furnishings and artwork were finer than anything Rowan had ever seen before. Also, Mrs. Tibbs wore a large sparkling pin made of what had to be rubies and pearls and a matching ring on her finger.
A cup of hot tea was thrust into Rowan’s hands by a smiling maid before Mrs. Tibbs took the seat across from Rowan, her wrinkled face wreathed in a bright smile as she said in a light British accent, “Drink your tea, dear. It’s a special brew my mother taught me for healing aches and pains.”
Unsure of what to say, Rowan obediently sipped at her honeyed tea. A strange but not unpleasant herbal taste soothed her cool lips.
“Nancy?” Mrs. Tibbs said to the young woman who stood far too close to Garret for Rowan’s comfort. “Go fetch your Pa and let him know Garret and Edward are here.”
The girl cut her gaze to Rowan, then back to her mother. “Garret and Edward can come with me, so I can show them the work we’ve done on the expansion while they were gone.”
Mrs. Tibbs frowned and shook her head, her jowly cheeks wobbling slightly. “No need for that. Just go fetch your father. Besides, I’m sure they w
ant to spend time with their fiancée.”
Nancy paled slightly, and Rowan felt bad for the girl as she watched the heartbreak in her eyes. “Oh…I see. Um—congratulations. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go find my father.”
Nancy left quickly after that, the awkward silence of her parting broken when Garret and Edward moved to stand in front of the wide, carved marble hearth.
“I’m sorry about that,” Mrs. Tibbs sighed then said in a low voice, “Nancy has had a crush on Garret and Edward for a long time. I’ve told her a million times they aren’t the men for her, but I might as well try to stop a spring storm as control a young girl’s heart.”
“We never encouraged her,” Garret said to Rowan as he warmed his hands on the fire. “Or treated her as anything other than a little sister.”
Feeling incredibly uncomfortable, Rowan asked, “Is there somewhere I can freshen up, please?”
“Of course.” Mrs. Tibbs quickly rose and motioned to Rowan. “Follow me, dear. Gentlemen, I trust you can entertain yourselves while we’re gone?”
They both looked like they wanted to follow, but Edward nodded as the women stood. “Do you still keep the good whisky hidden behind the flour sacks?”
A man’s heavily British accented voice came from the doorway. “Keep your hands off my whiskey, you thieving vermin.”
He was a large man with red and white streaked hair and deep wrinkles on his forehead. His easy smile made her automatically smile in return, and he brushed his hands off on the clean white apron around his waist. Catching sight of Garret and Edward, he let out a hearty roar. “My boys, I hear we have reason to celebrate!”
Once again, Rowan felt a pang of guilt at their ruse, but everyone seemed happy at the news so she didn’t speak up. Well, everyone except Nancy. She had not returned with her father and Rowan would bet the younger woman was having a good cry somewhere. Part of her wanted to go tell Nancy that it wasn’t real, that the men weren’t really engaged, but another—much stronger—part of her was becoming possessive of her men and did not like the idea of Nancy flirting with them.
Dr. Tibbs gave Garret and Edward slaps on the back as Mrs. Tibbs whispered in Rowan’s ear, “We best get going before he notices you or we’ll be stuck here for at least an hour. God love my husband, but that man can talk until the cows come home and the chickens go to roost.”
Mrs. Tibbs led them down a long hallway to a large bathroom with four empty tubs full of steaming water. The room was done in exquisite blue and white tiles, resembling something Rowan had seen in a book once about ancient Roman baths. White towels were piled near the doorway, along with fluffy white robes and what looked like a basket of soaps and hair tonics. Rowan had used public baths before, but one like this had never been in her budget.
“Gosh,” Rowan said in a soft voice, “this is amazing.”
“And good for you,” Mrs. Tibbs said with her ever-present smile. “These pipes go directly down to the mineral springs that run beneath the Inn. They’re said to have great medicinal properties. I believe it, because my husband suffers from wounds he received while in the military and a hot bath is the only thing that can soothe him. Come, let us get you out of that dress and into one of the tubs.”
Rowan appreciated the other woman’s help, because her body was growing stiff again, but she didn’t want any more of the tonic that put her to sleep, even if it did take away the pain.
Mrs. Tibbs prattling about the mineral springs came to an abrupt halt when she caught sight of Rowan’s back. “Forgive me for prying, but Garret told me that you were injured in a wagon accident. The bruise on your back is in the shape of a boot. A man’s foot. Those marks around your neck look like someone choked you. Child, are you in trouble? Do you need help?”
