The Secret Bliss of Calliope Ipswich (5 page)

But Shay Ipswich was not one to be put off easily
, and taking his hand, she said, “Oh, come on and linger awhile, Mr. Gates. You’re almost finished with the lamp lightin’ anyway.”

Calliope was certain that there wasn’t a person who walked the earth that would be able to refuse the sweet urgings of little Shay.
Therefore, Calliope was not surprised when Rowdy Gates did indeed follow Shay’s lead to the porch.

“Mr. Gates explained to me that
someone
has to light the lamps, Mama,” Shay explained as she reined in Rowdy to standing on the top porch step. “But it’s even better that all that goin’ up and down the ladder helps keep his bad leg limber. I guess he hurt it awhile back somehow, but it’s gettin’ better now, and I think that’s a good reason for lightin’ the lamps, don’t you?”

“I certainly do
. Good evenin’, Mr. Gates,” Kizzy greeted.

Rowdy touched the brim of his hat and nodded, responding, “Good evenin’, Mrs. Ipsw
ich.” He looked to Evangeline, adding, “Miss Evangeline.”

Lawson stood from his seat next to Calliope and offered Rowdy his hand.
“Rowdy,” he said as the two men struck hands.

Rowdy Gates looked to Calliope then, touched the brim of his hat
, and said, “Miss Calliope.”

Calliope smiled and nodded in return.
She was glad Shay had
convinced
the man to join them on the porch. As a general rule, Rowdy Gates wasn’t the most social man in Meadowlark Lake—even for the fact that he was so very handsome and personable.

Rowdy Gates wore his facial hair heavier than most men in town
and was tall, broad-shouldered, and brawny—in truth, a somewhat intimidating presence. Calliope knew this was why most people in town didn’t seek out his company. Oh, he was an unusually attractive man—there was no denying that—even if his striking features were somewhat concealed by the length of his dark hair and heavy beard. But anyone who took a moment to look beyond the conscious or subconscious attempt to conceal his face, almost as if he were hiding from the world, would’ve known at once that hidden beneath the rough exterior was a man of profound good looks.

“I hope you don’t mind that we allowed Shay to pose her curiosities to you directly, Rowdy,” Lawson said.

“Oh, of course not,” Rowdy assured him.
“I’m always happy to answer the questions of a pretty little filly like this one here.” He looked to Shay and winked.

Calliope almost giggled out loud when Shay blushed cherry red with delight.

“So lightin’ the lamps helps the stiffness in your leg?” Kizzy inquired.

“Yes,
ma’am,” Rowdy assured her. “I’ll admit it was a might awkward and painful at first. But it seems like that little ladder done the trick. And the pain isn’t nothin’ like it was before either. I guess I just had to work the cricks out of it.”

“Oh!
So you just have a stiff leg, Mr. Gates,” Shay said then as sudden realization hit her. “You’re not missin’ half a foot like Warren Ackerman says!”

“For pity’s sake, Shay Ipswich!” Kizzy scolded.

But Rowdy Gates just laughed. “Is that what Warren Ackerman thinks was causin’ my limp?”

“Yes, sir,” Shay ventured, glancing at her mother apologetically.

“Well, I’ll tell you what. You just let Warren think that I was missin’ half a foot,” Rowdy began. “Then maybe when my limp is gone for good, he’ll get to thinkin’ I grew the missin’ half back. What do you say?”

Shay giggle
d and nodded, still looking to her mother for reassurance. Kizzy smiled and winked, and Shay was relieved.

“I hear you hired the new
Chesterfield boy out at the mill,” Lawson ventured.

Rowdy nodded.
“Yep. Today was his first day,” he explained. “I think it’s a little more laborious a job than he’s used to, but once he builds up a bit more muscle, he’ll do just fine.” He paused a moment and then continued, “Between you and me and the fence post, I’m glad a new family has moved into town. Maybe now the absence of the one that had to leave last fall won’t hover over all of us so heavy anymore.”

“You mean the Mulhollands,” Calliope blurted.
She blushed when Rowdy looked at her, knowing she’d entirely thwarted his graciousness at attempting to leave the actual Mulholland family name out of things.

“Mmm hmm,” he confirmed, however.

“I did receive a telegram from Ben Mulholland just last week,” Lawson mentioned. “Seems he’s settled in all right up in Denver, and I guess you know that he was able to sell the mill to…well, to somebody. He said you’d agreed to stay on as the mill foreman for the new owner.”

“Mr. Mulholland sold the mill?
To somebody? Who?” Evangeline interjected.

But Lawson Ipswich shrugged.
“He didn’t mention to whom he’d sold it.”

“And what do you mean you received a telegram from poor Ben Mulholland?
You never said a word to me,” Kizzy said. “Is he well? And what about Sam and poor Prudence?”

Lawson exchanged amused glances with Rowdy as Rowdy said, “Hmm.
Looks like you’ve got some questions to answer yourself, Judge.” Looking down to Shay once more, he tweaked her chin again and said, “I guess I better get back to lightin’ the lamps, just in case your daddy has to run off down the road for the sake of too many questions to answer, hmmm?”

Shay blushed again under Rowdy’s kind gaze and agreed, “I guess so, Mr. Gates.”

“You all have a nice evenin’ now,” Rowdy said, touching the brim of his hat and looking to each family member in turn.

“Good night, Mr. Gates!” Shay called as Rowdy descended the steps and headed back out toward the street.
“And I’ll just keep lettin’ Warren Ackerman think whatever he thinks about your foot.”

Rowdy tossed a wave to Shay over his shoulder.

“Now you tell me right now about this telegram from poor Ben Mulholland, Lawson Ipswich,” Kizzy flirtatiously demanded. “You know how worried we’ve all been about him after…well, after everything that went on.”

But Lawson shrugged.
“There isn’t much more to tell. He’s settled in comfortably in Denver. Seems he has a sister and brother-in-law that took him in. Prudence is in the asylum—a very necessary, albeit sad, circumstance. Sam has found work, actually at the asylum as well. Still, considering everything, Ben sounded fairly hopeful…in good spirits.”

“It’s all so sad,” Evangeline sighed.
“Still, I can’t believe Prudence tried to…well, she tried to—”

“She tried to kill our sister Amoretta!” Shay exclaimed with anger.
“I don’t feel sorry at all that she’s in the asylum, whatever that is. As long as she can’t try to hurt anybody else, especially Amoretta and Uncle Brake.”

Evangeline smiled and gathered Shay into a loving embrace of comfort and security.
“Well, let’s go back to talking about how beautiful the evening is, shall we? I like that much better. And look at you, Shay Ipswich! You found out something that nobody else in town has ever known, and that’s why Rowdy Gates limps…or used to limp anyway. That’s something very interesting, isn’t it?”

“It is!” Shay said, brightening.
“And silly old Warren Ackerman thought Mr. Gates was missin’ part of a foot. Pfft! Silly ol’ Warren.”

Calliope smiled as she listened to Evangeline redirecting Shay’s thoughts from the terror of Prudence Mulholland’s insanity and back to the lovely night at hand.
She watched Rowdy Gates stride from one lamp to the next, ascending the short ladder he carried to light a lamp and then descending and moving onto the next. His limp was nearly gone altogether. And she was glad to know he wasn’t missing half a foot, though she simultaneously wondered how he had injured his leg in the first place.

Suddenly, an idea leapt into Calliope’s head, filling her with such instant excitement that she hopped up from her seat in the swing and announced, “I have the most
wonderful
idea!”

Kizzy giggled.
“Uh oh! I know that expression. Looks like your big sister is about to pull us all into some sort of adventure of some kind or the other.”

“Oh
, I love Calliope’s adventures!” Shay cheered. “What is it, Calliope? Tell us! Oh, do hurry and tell us!”

Calliope’s bosom was so filled with excitement she could hardly catch her breath.
She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of actually attempting the idea before. But for some reason, the notion had only just struck her as conceivable.

“Well
, Shay is old enough now, I think,” Calliope began. “And I have been thinking of this for so long, but for some reason I couldn’t just…well, I couldn’t just pull it together in my mind. Not until this very moment, when Shay mentioned Warren Ackerman and… and…”

“And what?” Evangeline urged impatiently.
“For pity’s sake, Calliope! What has your eyes so lit up? I swear you look like you’re going to take to flight any moment.”

“Oh, Daddy!” Calliope exclaimed, looking to her father.
“Can’t you just envision it? Can’t you?” Quickly she looked to Kizzy and said, “We’ve got enough young children in town now, I think, with the Chesterfields having moved in and such. Don’t you think, Kizzy? And wouldn’t Shay be perfect?” Squealing with delight, she raced to Evangeline, taking her hands and pulling her from her seat on the porch swing. “I know you can envision it with me, Evie! A white cake, adorned with yellow roses, perhaps. I’m sure Mrs. Montrose would allow us some roses from her rose garden when they bloom.”

Evangeline’s eyes lit up then as understanding washed over her.
“Bow ties, little top hats, the most beautiful little dresses…with lace, of course!”

“And Shay adorned in the most beautiful dress
,” Calliope giggled. “Can’t you just see it?

“I can!” Evangeline chirped.
“It will be beautiful, Calliope. Oh, and everyone will love it. The whole town is bound to turn out!”

“The whole town is bound to turn out for what?” Shay asked.
She looked to her father for an answer, but Lawson Ipswich merely shrugged, as perplexed as his young daughter about what the other Ipswich women were going on about.

Jumping up from her own seat, Kizzy squealed with delight as well.
“Oh, Calliope, it’s a wonderful idea! I’ve always dreamt of seein’ one.”

“Of seeing one what?” Lawson asked.

“A Tom Thumb wedding!” all three adult women exclaimed with exuberance.

“A Tom Thumb
wedding?” Lawson repeated. “In Meadowlark Lake?”

“Yes, Daddy
,” Calliope chirped. “Oh, it will be so wonderful—and with Shay as the bride! She’ll make a beautiful bride.”

“And we can have edibles afterw
ard, and cake,” Evangeline added.

“And we can all help with the bridesmaids
’ dresses,” Kizzy suggested. “And we’ll have official invitations, and everyone in town can be involved.”

But Shay’s pretty brow puckered.
“Me? A bride? Like a weddin’?
My
weddin’? I can’t get married! I’m not even six years old yet!”

Lawson smiled and gathered his youngest daughter into his arms.
“Oh, sweetie, it’s not a real wedding. You won’t really be getting married. It’s…it’s like a play, like an acting play when people pretend, only all the actors are children. Do you see?”

Shay shrugged.
She looked to Calliope, asking, “Will it be fun to do, Calliope?”

Calliope smiled
, her heart continuing to swell with delirious anticipation. “Oh yes, darling, it will! You’ll get to be dressed up in the most beautiful dress we can make for you, with a lovely headpiece and veil and a beautiful bouquet. Everyone will dress up and come to see the pretend wedding, and then we’ll have food and cake and dancing. Oh, it will be a dream come true, Shay!”

Shay sighed with determination.
“Well, if you say it will be fun, Calliope, then I’m sure it will be.”

“So you’ll be the bride in our Tom Thumb
wedding?” Evangeline asked.

“Yes,” Shay answered, smiling
, “especially if I get cake when it’s over.”

Kizzy, Evangeline
, and Calliope all squealed with simultaneous gladness.

Throwing her arms around her father and Shay, Calliope hugged them both tight and said, “I have always, always wanted to put on a Tom Thumb
wedding. Oh, thank you, Shay!”

“This will be so much fun
,” Evangeline said, clapping her hands together with glee. “We’ll need Amoretta to choose a date that she and Brake can attend as well. And she’ll want to help, as much as she can from Langtree.”

“There will be plenty of sewin’ to be done,” Kizzy offered.
“And the invitations—Amoretta’s script is so lovely!”

“Let’s you and I amble down the road a bit, shall we, darling?” Calliope heard her father ask Shay.

“Yes, let’s, Daddy,” Shay agreed.
“You know how they get when there’s plannin’ to do. I’d rather walk along and just watch the lamplights flicker, if you don’t mind.”