Chapter 30
Callie was not the least bit surprised to discover that Richard was a meticulous forger. Such a multitalented husband she was acquiring!
After the long, sleepless night and the exuberant dawn victory celebration, she and Richard had dressed and lain down on the pallet together and slept until noon. Luckily they’d fallen asleep facing each other and holding hands, not doing anything that might embarrass their housemates.
When Callie woke and saw Richard, she had an intense desire to roll over and wrap herself around him to find out if she’d dreamed the passion of the previous hours. The same desire was in his eyes, but they controlled themselves, mostly because he’d gotten to his feet before she could pounce on him.
After a lunch of sausage rolls, Josh, Molly, and Trey went out again, and it was time for Callie and Richard to get to work. While she made alterations to the gown she would wear for her wedding, Richard started on his forgery.
He began by reading all the documents written in Matthew’s own hand that Callie possessed. Fortunately she’d sent a box of important papers to Baltimore when the Adamses evacuated so she had a number of examples.
With samples in front of him, Richard started to practice writing in the same style, with particular attention to duplicating Matthew Newell’s signature. Callie asked, “Is it more difficult to copy his handwriting because you’re left-handed?”
“Yes, but I am a very good forger,” he said, amusement in his gray eyes.
“Someday you’ll have to explain how you became so skilled,” she said. “Perhaps when we’re sailing back to England and time lies heavy on our hands.”
“Time will never hang heavy with you,” he said, his gaze reminding her of the earlier hours. “But sadly, I must concentrate on this. How shall we word the codicil?”
Callie thought of the wording of the draft will she’d studied. “It should be short, just a few sentences specifying the disposition of Matthew’s estate ‘in the event my beloved son Henry Newell dies without spouse or issue.’ Except for individual bequests as outlined in his full will and testament, everything to be divided between ‘Mary Adams Newell, known as Molly, and Matthew Adams Newell, known as Trey.’ And I’m to be the sole guardian.”
“That makes sense. The simpler, the better.” With content decided, Richard started work on a draft of the codicil. He’d already located writing paper of the type Matthew used, and the sheets waited for when he was ready to create the final version.
Callie returned to her alterations. Since both their enterprises required good lamplight, they sat on opposite sides of the same table. She sewed on trim, he refined his forgery. Very domestic.
When she needed a break, she set the gown aside and drifted into the kitchen area, where Sarah was making a large batch of biscuits in the simple oven Josh had built for her. Josh could build or improvise just about anything.
The first sheet of biscuits had already come out, so Callie confiscated one, split it, and spread on the apple butter Sarah had made. The biscuit crumbled deliciously in her mouth with the taste of spiced apple setting off the crunchy texture of the crust. “I’m going to miss your cooking!”
“I expect you’ll have a fancy French chef, but he won’t be able to match my biscuits,” Sarah agreed as she formed a double handful of biscuit dough into a ball, then gently patted it into a broad, flat circle. “But I’ll give you the recipe.”
“Mine will never be as good.” Callie swiped another biscuit and lavished apple butter on it. “Now that the battle is over, it’s possible to think about the future again. I’m sure you and Josh have discussed what you want to do next. Will you stay in Baltimore?”
“Yes, we want to start our own businesses,” Sarah said as she finished patting the dough to the right thickness on the floured board. “Josh will do carpentry and build things and I’ll run a cook shop. We’ll set up in a building large enough for both our businesses and we’ll live above. Josh has been looking around for a good location.”
“You have it well worked out.” Callie felt a twinge that these plans had nothing to do with her, but they were going in different directions now. “What about visiting your son and his family?”
“It’s not so far to Philadelphia. We’ll visit him or he and his family can visit us.” Sarah smiled and turned a glass upside down, using it to cut circles of biscuit dough. “Maybe we can lure him down here for good. We’ll see. We have a whole world of possibilities, and we owe it all to you.”
Callie blushed a little and finished the last bite of biscuit. She had benefited even more from her foster family’s friendship. “Henry had quite a lot of money on him. Considering what he stole from you and his brother and sister, I think it should go to the Adams family to support this new phase of your life.”
Sarah stopped cutting out biscuits, her eyes widening. “We figured that we’d be able to manage with what we’ve saved, but that money surely would make it easier for us. But what about your jointure? He stole from you, too.”
“Eventually I’ll get what I’m owed, when Matthew’s will has gone through probate.” Callie grinned. “Between then and now, I’m marrying a man who says he can support me decently.”
“I’m sure he can!” Sarah returned to cutting out biscuits and laying the circles of dough on an iron baking sheet.
“What plans do Molly and Trey have?”
“Molly has been practicing writing ‘Mrs. Peter Carroll, ’ ” Sarah said dryly. “If that doesn’t work out, after she’s finished crying her eyes out there will be other young men. I’ll keep her busy until she marries. You’ve trained her to be a fine seamstress. As for Trey, he’s thinking of reading law.”
“Really? Peter Carroll is really having an influence on your family!”
“He certainly is. Trey says that they discussed the law when their militia unit took breaks from drilling, and he found it very interesting. If he’s serious, we should be able to find someone he can read law with.”
“I imagine that the militia will be discharged to return home soon, so the warehouse manager should be back here in the next few days, but he’s an amiable fellow. Since I’m more or less the owner of this warehouse, you can stay here until you find your new home.”
“Before winter, I hope! This place would be like living in an ice house.”
Callie was about to return to her alterations when the hanging bell clanged by the door that entered the loft. Josh had rigged a rope that ran from the street door to the top of the stairs so visitors could make their presence known. “I’ll go down and see who it is.”
“I’ll go with you.” Richard rose and stretched. “I need a break.”
“In case I need to be defended in the stairwell?” Callie said with a smile. Not that she minded having him with her.
“Remember that a victory celebration is going on out there, which means some men will be drinking way too heavily,” he said seriously. “If a couple of drunks have noticed that three beautiful women live up here, it is indeed possible that you might need protection in your own stairwell.”
Sarah stuck her head out of the kitchen. “Three beautiful women? Thank you, Lord George!”
Her tone was laughing, but his was serious when he crossed to Sarah and kissed her cheek. “You are beautiful, Sarah. I hope Josh tells you that regularly.”
Under her dark skin, Sarah blushed. “He does!”
As Callie and Richard headed down the steps, she said, “You’d best be careful, Richard. You’re turning into a really nice man.”
“Heaven forbid!” he said with mock horror. “I’ll make a point of practicing my bad temper.” He smiled down at her. “But that won’t happen until memories of this morning fade. It could be quite a while.”
This time it was Callie who blushed.
She opened the door to the street to find a young militiaman. He asked, “Are you Mrs. Newell?” When she nodded, he continued, “Peter Carroll sent me with a message. The British Army troops withdrew in the middle of the night without attacking the American fortifications, and they’re being loaded onto Royal Navy ships to sail away. He wanted to assure Miss Molly Adams that he’s well and will call on her as soon as he is released from duty.”
“Wonderful news! Thank you,” Callie said warmly. “Can I offer you refreshments?”
“Thank you, ma’am, but I live nearby and I have to show my mother that I’m safe and sound,” he said with a grin. He tipped his hat and went on his way.
Richard closed the door. “Your feeling this morning was right. It’s really over. Shall we visit the local churches tomorrow and see how quickly one can marry us? I’m reasonably confident we can find a vicar or minister who won’t insist on reading the banns.” He smiled wickedly. “I don’t want to wait any longer than absolutely necessary.”
“I couldn’t agree more!” The light was better in the stairwell now, since Josh had installed a tall window above.
Richard was watching her, his gaze intent and his fingers ink stained. “There are other reasons for coming down with you apart from protection.” He caught her hand and pulled her into his arms. “The opportunity to steal a kiss, for example.”
She moved eagerly into his embrace, pressing her body full length against his. “Can you steal a kiss when it’s given freely?”
“A philosophical point I shall ponder at some later time,” he said huskily before his mouth closed over hers.
She hadn’t known a simple kiss could be so intoxicating. Of course, this one wasn’t simple. Their tongues touched, they breathed each other’s air. His skilled hand kneaded her backside, pulling her more closely against him.
She was delighted to feel solid proof of his arousal. She slid her hand between them and squeezed. He caught his breath and she found herself with her back pressed to the wall and his hand moving up her thigh. Then between her legs . . .
She moaned as he lifted her and wrapped a leg around his hips. So swift a joining. So sudden and shattering a culmination. Their bodies clashed in ecstasy and once again she lost all sense of who and where she was as she spiraled into pure sensation with him. Better together than apart . . .
Awareness returned when Richard exhaled roughly and gently returned her feet to the ground, panting, “I really intended not to do this again until we’re properly married and have a real bed!”
She gave a choke of laughter. “I now understand why marriage has such enduring popularity. How long does this honeymoon phase last?”
“Given that we aren’t even married yet, I think we have much time to look forward to. Years.” He kissed her ear. “Decades.”
They stayed in each other’s arms as they recovered. With release came a startling new thought. “Since I wasn’t interested in marrying again, it hadn’t occurred to me that I might have children of my own,” Callie whispered. “How would you feel about that?”
He lifted his head from hers and was quiet for so long that she became worried. “Richard? It might not happen. It didn’t in my first marriage. If you hate the idea, there are things that can be done to prevent babies.” Though it might already be too late for precautions.
He hugged her reassuringly. “I don’t hate the idea. Even more than you, though, I never thought that I might have children. But . . . I like the idea. Having children with you.” His eyes narrowed. “In fact, I like this idea very much. Only we would raise them better than we were raised.”
“I would hope so!” she exclaimed. “We’re intelligent people. We can work out how to be better parents than ours were.”
“That’s a low standard,” he said with a breath of humor. “Let’s aim to be as good as Josh and Sarah. I doubt we’ll achieve that, but it’s a good goal to aim for.” He slung an arm around her shoulders and they started up the stairs. “Tomorrow we work on the details of getting married. A church, a vicar, and a jewelry shop to buy a ring.”
“To buy two rings,” she said firmly. “Why should women be the only ones marked as taken?”
He laughed. “That’s a fair point. Two rings, then.”
“How will we get back to England? Do you think Hawkins will come for us?”
“Yes, if he can. He’s an honorable fellow. After the news that Baltimore has held out against the British reaches St. Michaels, he’ll surely sail up here. His ship repairs should be done by now.” Richard shrugged. “And if for some reason he can’t return for us, we’ll find another way home.”
Home to England with her best friend beside her. How did she get so lucky?