Violet (Suitors of Seattle Book 7) (3 page)

"That's what I'd do. Mama is right. Yes, she's been slightly overprotective, but I don't think you know the true dangers that are out there. You'll be much safer if you travel with a companion. If Mama can find someone young enough, you'll also have a lot of fun with her. I've heard New York City is a wonderful place but it's so large. Yes, we all grew up in the city, but Seattle and New York are two totally different things."

Violet made a face. "Do you think Mr. Smith is attractive?"

Daisy's eyes widened. "Are you finally noticing men? We thought it would never happen!"

"Oh stop! Last night he just seemed so angry that I didn't find him attractive at all, but today he seemed much nicer and well…more attractive."

Daisy smiled. "You definitely need a traveling companion. Do not let Mama go with you. If she does you'll never have a chance for your relationship to grow."

"What relationship? There's nothing going on between us. I think he's still angry with me for painting that portrait. Nothing could ever happen between us." Violet wasn't even sure she wanted something to happen between. "Besides I'm married to my career. No man would ever allow me to spend as many hours painting as I do."

"Are you sure about that? I think Mr. Smith would understand in a way no one else ever would. He has a love of the arts as well."

Violet considered her sister's words. "You may be right. He's still too old for me though. Why he must be almost thirty."

Daisy laughed. "Maybe you should ask Mama how much older Papa is than she is."

"I sure wish one of my sisters could go with me. I know it can't happen though. I'll tell Mr. Smith to go ahead and start looking for a traveling companion. Mama says she'll have to meet anyone that goes with us. And his little nephew will go as well. I've never met the boy, but he's very cute."

Daisy patted Violet's back. "I think that's the right thing to do. Not only will it make Mama feel better, but it will be better for your reputation."

"I'll write him a letter as soon as everyone is gone then. Thank you for talking to me about it."

*****

The following day was Saturday and the entire Sullivan clan gathered at Fred and Mary's house.  The house was full of all eight daughters, six sons-in-law, and gobs of grandchildren. Even Uncle Max, Aunt Harriet and their children dropped by.  They played croquet in the garden, and Violet spent most of the afternoon sketching her nieces and nephews.

She had spent a lot of time concentrating on landscapes in the past couple of years, and she found after doing the portrait of Jonas and Nathan, that she truly enjoyed working with people's faces. She had forgotten how much she liked doing it. By the end of the day she had filled an entire sketchbook with the faces of those she loved hoping that her next exhibit could be faces instead of landscapes.

She'd been informed after the showing that the painting of Jonas and Nathan had sold, but she hadn't been told who had purchased it. She couldn't help but wonder if Jonas would be angry to know that the painting was out there somewhere and he couldn't get his hands on it.

Once her sketchbook was full, she wandered back through the garden to her own special spot, the spot where her mother had planted violets after her birth. Once she was there she sat down on the stone bench to gather her thoughts. She'd been sitting alone for about twenty minutes when she looked up and saw Rose and Lily headed toward her. She was always surprised to see her sisters together, because they were as different as night and day. Rose was as elegant as Lily was casual. Rose was always dressed in the latest fashion, and Lily usually wore a split skirt or even her husband's trousers.

Her sisters came toward her and sat one on each side of her. Rose took Violet's hand and said, "I hear you're going to New York City. I would give anything to be able to go with you. Well, anything but leaving my husband and children. I so want to shop there. I hear the dressmakers get patterns straight from Paris, and I can think of nothing more fun than spending my days having new dresses made all in the latest styles." Rose's face took on a dreamy look as she talked about her idea of a good day.

Lily made a face. "I don't know why anyone would want to go to a city that big. Seattle is big enough. Where would you fish in a city that size? I mean, I know New York is on the ocean but so is Seattle. I can fish in the ocean right here."  She shook her head.  "Fishing in ponds and lakes is so much more fun anyway."

Violet sighed. "I just want to be able to show my work there. I can't imagine a place on earth that would be more wonderful for an artist. I've heard the architecture is something to be envied. Seattle doesn't have the rich history that New York does. I can't wait to go."

Rose gave Violet a questioning look. "It doesn't make you nervous to go all the way across the country without family?"

"Only a little. Mama will make sure I have a companion with me, and I'll have Mr. Smith and his nephew Nathan. I'm sure I'll be just fine. Hopefully I can meet some other artists while I'm there. I know it's strange but I've never met anyone with the same vocation I have."  She'd always felt a little lonely as a result, and it was hard to be lonely when you were always surrounded by people.

Lily smiled. "I'm glad you're going and not me. I'd hate it there."

"You just have no sense of adventure, Lily." Rose shook her head at Lily as if she couldn't understand how the two of them could possibly be related.

Violet looked up as she saw Amaryllis, Daisy, and Hyacinth headed toward them. Hyacinth's first book had just come out, and they were all so proud of her. Hyacinth's husband was a writer as well. He and Amaryllis had once courted for a short time, before Alex had come back from school. Amaryllis was the librarian for the Seattle Public Library. Alex hadn't liked her working at first, but he understood that she loved her job.

Hyacinth and Amaryllis were the only women Violet knew who were able to have families as well as careers. She admired them both, although she wasn't sure she could do it herself.

The six sisters sat and talked for over an hour before Mary sent Iris to find them. "So this is where you were!" Iris exclaimed. "Mama's been looking for all of you. You do realize that Jasmine's boys are doing their best to influence your children, right?"  Her eyes were on Lily and Rose.

Lily and Rose exchanged a look before jumping up and hurrying back toward the house. Iris laughed. "They're actually all napping."

Violet laughed. "Everyone is so afraid of Jasmine and her boys. How much influence can three people have in just the short time that they're here? Aren't they leaving Monday?"

Iris nodded. "And they just got here Wednesday. Lee couldn't be away from the ranch for that long. I think they're taking the same train as Daisy, Eli, and the kids."

The sisters that were left in the garden all got to their feet and walked back toward the house.  "Did Mama really send you?" Violet asked.

Iris nodded.  "She did.  She said that we are all together for a change, and she wants to see all of us, not just the ones who want to stay close to the house."  Iris rolled her eyes.  "I've been trying to study for an exam.  I was happy with the quiet."

Violet smiled to herself.  "I really am glad everyone came out for my showing.  I doubt I'll get everyone to go to New York with me."

Amaryllis shook her head.  "You know as well as I do that's not happening.  We all have jobs and families.  We can't just run off to New York on a whim."  She grinned at Violet.  "I'm so happy that you can though."

Violet sighed.  "I know.  It was just nice to have everyone together again.  It doesn't happen nearly often enough."

Amaryllis wrapped her arm around Violet's waist, resting her head on her friend's shoulder.  "No, it really doesn't.  I wish our lives weren't so far apart."  She gave Violet a serious look.  "I don't care how much you love New York, you have to come home to us.  I can't have another sister move away from Seattle." 

Daisy smiled.  "I miss you too, Rilly."

Amaryllis sighed.  "I know you do.  I think that's the only thing that keeps me from missing you more than I already do.  Well, that and your weekly letters to me."

Daisy and Amaryllis had always been close.  Violet envied their relationship.  She and Iris were close, but not in the way their sisters were.  Iris and Violet were too different to be able to be too terribly close. 

When they reached the house, Violet was startled to see Jonas Smith there talking with her mother.  She approached them, unsure what to say.

Jonas turned and gave her a solemn look.  "I've got your New York showing set for two months from today.  Can you have enough paintings ready by then?"  The look on his face told her that she really didn't have a choice in the matter.

Violet thought about the paintings that were stacked along the walls in her room and nodded.  "Yes, I can be ready."

"I'll start interviewing women on Monday then.  I've got an advertisement coming out in tomorrow's paper."  He looked at Mary.  "You'll listen to my judgment in the matter of a traveling companion then?  I don't want to go against your wishes."

Mary nodded.  "I trust you, Mr. Smith.  Knowing that you were the one who oversaw your sister while she courted changes things for me.  I know you'll do the best you can for my Violet."

Violet bit her lip.  "I'd really like to be part of the interview process.  I'll be the one spending the most time with the woman after all."  She wasn't certain either her mother or Mr. Smith would listen to her, but she really wanted to help with the decision making process.

Mr. Smith seemed to consider her words for a moment.  "That's fine.  I'll give you my address.  Come by my house around ten in the morning, and we'll see who we like."  He looked at Mary.  "I trust you find that acceptable?"

Mary shook her head slowly.  "As long as you promise not to be in a room with the door closed.  I trust that you have servants who can chaperone you properly?"

Mr. Smith nodded.  "I'm not going to seduce your daughter, Mrs. Sullivan.  We have a purely business arrangement."

Mary gasped at his words.  "I don't appreciate your crudeness, Mr. Smith."

"I don't appreciate you treating me like a seducer of innocents, Mrs. Sullivan."  He looked down at Violet who was doing her best not to laugh.  "I'll see you at ten sharp on Monday morning.  I don't tolerate being kept waiting."

"I'll be there, Mr. Smith.  I assure you, I don't keep people waiting." Violet watched him walk away, her eyes lingering on his strong shoulders through his white shirt.  He'd left his jacket at home.  He obviously didn't spend all his time behind a desk with shoulders that broad. 

Mary looked at Violet.  "I don't like seeing that look on your face when you're watching a man, Violet.  You need to get your emotions under control."

Violet blushed, not realizing her feelings had been all over her face.  "Yes, Mama." 

Chapter Three

After a cheerful goodbye to Jasmine, Daisy, and their families on Monday morning, Violet headed to Mr. Smith's house to participate in the interview process. When she arrived, she heard Nathan crying from inside the house.  A young woman answered the door, looking flustered.

"Is everything all right?" Violet asked.  She looked beyond the young woman to Nathan who was wailing.

The girl shook her head. "We have a lot of days like this. Nathan misses his parents and isn't adjusting well."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe I could talk to him?" Violet was used to children, because she had so many nieces and nephews. She'd never been around a child who had lost his mother.

The young brunette who was obviously the boy's nanny nodded. "I guess that would be all right. Who are you?"  She looked confused but willing to accept any help she could get.

Violet laughed softly. "I guess I should introduce myself. I'm a local artist, and I'm here to see Mr. Smith. I'm about to have a showing at his gallery in New York City."

"Oh, I see.  I'm Hillary.  I'm Nathan's nanny."  She peered at Violet with obvious interest.  "Are you the reason we're about to take a trip to New York?"

"I guess I am.  It's very nice to meet you, Hillary."  Violet looked at the younger girl expectantly, hoping she'd introduce her to the boy.

Nathan threw himself at Hillary.  "I miss my mama!"  His face was filled with tears as he made his very important pronouncement.

Hillary knelt down.  "I know you do.  I have a new person for you to meet.  Won't that be nice?"  She patted Nathan awkwardly as if she wasn't certain quite how to handle him.

Nathan peeked around Hillary at Violet.  "Who're you?"

"I'm an artist.  I'm here to see your uncle."  Violet smiled at the boy.  "It's very nice to meet you, Nathan."  She held her hand out for him to shake, deciding at once he would prefer to be treated as a man.

"I know."

Violet did her best not to giggle.  "Is it nice to meet me, too?" she asked.

"I don't know.  I don't know you yet."  Nathan's voice sounded petulant.  "Why d'you want to see Unca Jonas?" 

"Well, we're going to find someone to go with us on a trip to New York today."  She wondered how the boy would react to hearing her mention his home.

"I want to go!  I'm from New York!"  He wiped a hand across his tear stained face, his voice going from sad to excited all at once.

Violet smiled.  "I know you are.  I think you're going to go.  We just need another grown up to go with us." 

"Why?"

"You know how your nanny does things with you?  Well, I need someone to do things with me in the same way."  She wasn't certain how to explain that her mother was worried about her traveling alone with his uncle without sounding like she didn't trust Mr. Smith.

"You need a nanny?"  Nathan's eyes were wide as he stared up at her.

"Not exactly, but close enough."  She reached down for his hand.  "Do you want to show me where your uncle is?"

Nathan took her hand and nodded.  "He's in his study.  He spends lots of time there.  He's always writing letters."

"Well, he's a busy man."

Nathan nodded solemnly.  "He is.  Just like my papa was."

Violet's heart went out to the boy.  She wanted to tell him that everything would be fine, but how could it ever be fine for him with no parents?  She couldn't imagine losing her parents now at twenty.  How could he possibly do without his at three?  "I'm sure you miss your papa."

"Yes, ma'am. I do. But I miss my mama more." He looked at Violet with a smile. "It sure would help if my uncle got married."

Violet looked at the boy in surprise.  "Is your uncle courting someone?" It hadn't even occurred to her that the nice looking Mr. Smith might have a woman he was interested in, and now that it had, she realized she hated the idea.  She hoped he wasn't. She knew she didn't have a chance with him, but he was very handsome.

"I don't think so." Nathan stopped in front of the door and pointed. "He's in there."

Violet knocked softly. She wasn't sure if Jonas already had someone he was interviewing, or if he was waiting for her to start the first interview. She was a few minutes early so she hoped she was in time.

Jonas heard the knock on his door, and he took a deep breath. He wasn't certain if it was Violet, or if it was his first interview. He found himself hoping for some private time with Violet, but he immediately rejected the idea. They needed to be able to work well together, and she was much too young for him. "Come in."

Violet walked into the room and looked around to see if any of the interviewees had arrived yet.  When she saw that she was alone with Jonas, she left the door slightly open so they wouldn't be completely alone, just as her mother had taught her.  She sat in one of the chairs opposite his desk and smiled.  "Good morning, Mr. Smith."

Jonas nodded at the young lady seated in front of him, struck immediately by how very pretty she was.  He didn't want to like her, but after her apology on Saturday morning, he found himself at least a little drawn to her.  "Good morning."  He put down the paper he'd been reading.  "I have two women coming for interviews today.  The first is a Miss Henrietta March.  The second is Miss Edna Blue.  Do you know either of them?"  He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.  He hoped she'd know enough about at least one of the women to help him with the decision making process.

"No, I don't. There are so many new people in Seattle every year there's no way I could ever learn them all."

Jonas leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "I guess I'm adding to the general confusion of the Seattle population."

Violet smiled. "I guess you are, but you're definitely welcome here. I was so happy to see that there would be an art gallery here in town. I never thought I'd see the day."

"I'm very happy to be the one to bring it here.  My sister, Emily Grace, and brother-in-law, Albert, planned to move to Seattle, and I came ahead of them.  I wanted to get an idea of what it was like before they moved here.  I had just enough time to buy the gallery when I received word of their deaths.  I jumped on a train and immediately went to my nephew.  We'd agreed before he was ever born that I would raise him if anything ever happened to them."  He wasn't certain why he was telling her about the death of his sister and brother-in-law, but he felt compelled to share the information with her.

"I'm so sorry. How did they die?"  Violet couldn't imagine losing people she loved.  Death had never touched her or her family.  Well, her grandparents had died, but she'd never really known them, so it hadn't seemed real to her.

"They went out to a play one night, and someone killed them so he could steal her jewels."  His voice was raw with emotion as he spoke.

"That's terrible! Poor Nathan. I can't imagine what he must be going through."  Violet hated that the sweet little boy had lost his parents.

"He has nightmares a lot. I feel really badly for him."  He shook his head.  He hated that one act of cruelty had changed so many lives forever.

"If there's any way I can help him adjust to life in Seattle, just let me know.  He seems like such a sweet boy."

"Oh, he is.  Thank you.  We don't know many people here yet."  He was surprised she was such a compassionate person.  They'd started out on the wrong foot with the portrait she painted. He knew he needed to reassess and see what she was really like.  "My plan is for the three of us plus whomever we hire and Nathan's nanny to travel by train to New York City leaving in about a week."

"Oh that soon?  I thought it would take longer to get everything ready."  She loved the idea of leaving so quickly, though.  She wouldn't have time to get nervous about leaving her family.

"Do you not have enough paintings ready? We'll have a few weeks while we're getting ready for the show, so you'll have time to paint once we get there.  We'll all stay at Emily Grace's house. I'll sell the house while we're there."  He wasn't looking forward to the task of sorting through all her personal belongings and deciding what to keep and what to donate.  The very idea of getting rid of some of her belongings made him feel weak with sadness.

"You won't mind if I paint in her house? I have sketches to work from.  I think I want the next showing to be all faces.  Maybe call it 'Faces of Seattle.'  I promise, I have permission from everyone this time." She looked down for a moment in embarrassment.

He eyed her for a moment, wondering if she was really the person he was seeing today or the spoiled brat who had refused to admit her wrongdoing on Thursday evening.  He really liked the girl who was in front of him, but the other had been intolerable.  Could she really have been so naive that she hadn't understood she was doing something wrong?

A knock on the door stopped him from responding.  His butler, Langsley, poked his head in.  "There's a Miss March to see you, sir."

"Thank you, Langsley.  Please, show her in."

A woman who looked to be in her mid-forties with spectacles perched at the end of her pointy nose walked into the room, looking down at the two of them.  She took the seat beside Violet. 

Jonas smiled.  "You must be Henrietta March."

"Yes, sir.  You may call me Miss March."  Her voice was deep, and she seemed angry with the world.

"All right, Miss March.  Why do you want to be a lady's traveling companion?"

Miss March seemed to think about the question for a moment.  "Truthfully, I'd rather not be, but I'm determined to have a chance to see New York City.  It's my dream."  She folded her hands tightly in her lap, her ankles crossed primly in front of her.

Jonas blinked.  Did she really just tell him she didn't want to work for him, and only wanted a free trip?  "I see.  Why do you feel like you're qualified to be a lady's companion?"

"I'm a forty-six year old virgin.  If I don't know the rules of propriety no one does.  In fact, I'll have you know that I've never even been kissed.  I will be good at keeping any
funny business
from going on under my nose."  Miss March's hair was pulled back into a severe bun at the nape of her neck.  She looked as if she'd never smiled in her life. 

Violet shuddered at the thought of traveling across the country with this woman.  She knew she would want to hide after ten minutes of her dour presence.  "Do you enjoy children, Miss March?  We'll have a four year old boy traveling with us."  She said a silent prayer that her instincts were correct and the woman would hate the thought of being on a train for two weeks with a child.

Miss March looked at Jonas sharply.  "A child?  You didn't put that in the advertisement!"

"Nathan wouldn't be under your care, Miss March.  Your entire task would be making certain Miss Sullivan was watched over and kept from doing anything improper."  Jonas couldn't believe the woman's reaction to Nathan.  Didn't all women love children?

Miss March stood up abruptly.  "I'm not willing to take that risk, Mr. Smith.  Good day."  She turned and left the room as quickly as she'd come.

Violet waited a moment before bursting into laughter.  "She was a ray of sunshine, wasn't she?"  She'd had a schoolteacher like Miss March for a year, and she had no desire to ever spend time with someone like that again.

Jonas simply stared at the door Miss March had closed behind her.  "That was the strangest interview I have ever conducted."  He looked at Violet.  "How can you laugh?  That woman was sour!"

His words made Violet laugh even harder.  "I'm so glad she doesn't like children!"

Jonas's lips twitched.  "I am too!  I don't think I could have been on a train for twelve days with that woman."

Violet shook her head.  "I know I couldn't.  I sure hope the other woman is better than her.  What was her name again?"

He looked down at the paper on his desk in front of him.  "Edna Blue.  She doesn't sound horrible.  Maybe she'll be nice."  He shrugged, catching her eye again.  Violet's eyes were still twinkling as if she was stifling laughter.  "She certainly couldn't be worse than that one."

She nodded and giggled more.  "I hope this one will work out, because trust me, neither of us want my mother going."

He tilted his head to one side and studied her.  "Why not?"

"Oh, she's just crazy about propriety.  She would be watching to make certain we never spoke in a tone she couldn't hear.  She'd play matchmaker with us, trying to get us to marry.  She's relentless."  She made a face, hating the idea of her mother trying to force them together.

He looked at her for a moment.  "And would her playing matchmaker with us be so horrible?"

Violet blushed.  Did he think she was saying he wasn't good enough for her?  Or that she thought he wanted to marry her?  "Well, no, but I don't think either of us want to be forced to marry the other."

"No, that's true."  He leaned back again.  "You surprise me, Violet Sullivan."

It was the first time he'd used her given name, and she liked the sound of it on his lips.  "Oh?  Why is that?"

"You seemed so unreasonable to me the night we met, and now I'm sitting here realizing that you're someone I could come to like a great deal.  Not at all the woman I thought you were."