Faith gazed at him. “Yes.”
David removed his watch from its pocket and snapped open the lid. “Only a half hour off schedule. We made very good time.” He placed his papers in the satchel on the floor beside his feet, then looked up and caught Faith still staring at him. “You get used to it.”
“What?”
“Traveling by train. If you spend any length of time in Reese’s company, you get used to the trains. I always catch up on my paperwork. The ride is so monotonous.”
“I apologize for my dull company,” Faith said in a small, tight voice.
“Oh, no, Mrs. Collins, I didn’t mean to imply you were a dull companion. Far from it. I only meant the journey. Any journey in a public coach is tedious when one is accustomed to traveling in a private car. There isn’t anything to do in a public coach except read, sleep, or do needlework. And I didn’t bring my mending.” He smiled at her and Faith noticed, for the first time, his resemblance to Reese.
Faith laughed in spite of herself. “Surely, you don’t do your own mending.”
David pretended to be affronted. “I’ll have you know, I’m very handy with a needle and thread.”
Faith cocked her head to one side, her gray eyes sparkling with mirth. “Then you should fit right in.” As soon as the train stopped, she picked up her cloak and, bunching her skirts in one hand, stepped into the crowded aisle.
David followed close behind.
“Did you leave your buggy at the livery?” David asked as they stepped from the train to the busy platform.
“No.” Faith shook her head.
“I’ll hire a hack.”
“It isn’t very far to my house. We could walk,” Faith suggested.
David pointed up to the gray, overcast sky. “Looks like more rain. Do you want to chance it?”
Faith shivered. “No.”
“I’ll hire a hack.”
Less than twenty minutes later, the hired buggy pulled up beside the dilapidated picket fence surrounding Collins House.
Faith watched as the curtain in the window of the front parlor moved back into place. The door of the house flew open, and a small, red-haired woman hurried down the porch steps, carefully avoiding the loos
e boards.
David Alexander helped Faith out of the buggy and onto the ground.
“Aunt Tempy!” Faith cried as the bundle of energy ran up and embraced her.
“Faith, oh, Faith.” Temperance Hamilton hugged her niece as if she had spent years away from home instead of one night. “I missed you so much.”
Faith smiled. “I haven’t been away that long, Aunt Tempy.”
“Well, it seemed like forever. You know I can’t tolerate Virt, Agnes, and Hannah for long on my own. Their empty-headed chatter drives me crazy. I’m sure I don’t know why the good Lord didn’t see fit to give them brains instead of looks… Oh, pardon me for running on like that.” Tempy turned to study Faith’s companion. “I’ll have you thinking I’m no smarter than the others. And that would be a shame. You must be Mr. Jordan. We got your telegram last night. Bert Winthrop made a special trip out after midnight just to deliver it. And it’s a good thing, too. I was beginning to worry about Faith being gone so long.”
“Aunt Tempy,” Faith interrupted, “you’re chattering.”
“Good Lord!” Tempy looked mortified at the idea. “Where are my manners? Do come in, Mr. Jordan.”
“Actually…” David began as Tempy took her niece by the elbow and ushered her toward the house.
“Aunt Tempy, this isn’t Mr. Jordan. This is Mr. David Alexander, Mr. Jordan’s attorney.” Faith stopped on the porch to perform the introductions. “Mr. David Alexander, meet my aunt, Temperance Hamilton.”
“You’re David Alexander? But we thought…” Tempy began.