Page 39 of His Unforgettable Bride
But she had the feeling that’s exactly what would happen.
Juliet raised her chin to heaven. “Please help me, God, and don’t take Everly away.”
As usual, no answers arrived, only the splat of a raindrop on her upturned forehead.
Twelve
Select the kind of business that suits
your natural inclinations and temperament.
Had he ever constructed anything with a hammer and nails? Gray strongly suspected the answer was no—not a birdhouse, not a cradle, and certainly not a tearoom.
Similarly to how Juliet had struggled in her dining room lesson the previous evening, Gray only identified a handful of the equipment poking from a splintered toolbox near his feet. He bent and retrieved a hammer with a wooden handle and a tarnished head. “To be clear, does your nephew make a living as a carpenter or only dabble in the profession?”
“According to his letter, he picked up the trade out of necessity during his time mining for gold in Barkerville.” Tabitha crossed the dusty carriage house, brushing her hands together as if dirty.
Learning a craftout of necessitywas far different from earning a living as a carpenter. A novice could easily forget the tricks and tools of the trade, could he not?
The rolled-up blue etiquette manual poked out of Livy’s overcoat pocket as she paced the length of the room waving her hands. “Here’s where we would like one wall to divide the front room from a kitchen at the back.”
Late-morning raindrops snaked down the windowpanes and tapped on the roof. The building was vast for an in-town property, approximately twenty-five feet wide and perhaps fifty feet deep. Apparently, the sisters’ father had collected buggies and carriages and constructed the enormous building to store his vehicles.
Cleared out and primarily empty except for the building materials that the local lumber mill had delivered, the space would likely be relatively simple to finish…if a person knew how to accomplish such a task.
He had hoped the sight of the tools and lumber would bring back all his knowledge about using them. But it had not. “Before gold mining, how did your nephew make a living?”
“I suppose you could call him a businessman.” Livy retied her bonnet’s blue silk ribbon underneath her chin into a bow. “He attended university in Paris, then briefly came to Everly before moving north to find his fortune. Alas, he discovered misfortune instead.”
Gray tightened the grip on the tool’s handle. Would he rest easier if he knew the crime he may have committed, or never rest again? The law often ignored a gentleman’s unruly behavior, but not this time it appeared. Was he a thoroughly dishonorable man?
Merciful heavens, he hoped not. “You are referring to his incarceration, I assume.”
Livy sighed. “It is a dreary topic, is it not?”
Tabitha nodded. “But Gray deserves to know all the missing bits and pieces we might provide. Our father was a nobleman, inherited a sizeable estate, and generously shared his wealth with his family. Upon Father’s passing, our dear brother inherited everything.”
“But Tabitha bought this house from him,” Livy interjected, as open as always. “She has wealth since her husband’s death.”
He had wondered about the sisters’ ability to own a large home, fund the carriage house conversion, and operate a business. The ladies’ ambition impressed him, and he was ready to ignite his determination as well.
Tabitha pursed her lips, her expression severe. “However, I fear Alex has squandered his portion and made several mistakes, especially over the last year. I wish we could tell you the specific nature of his crime, but he hasn’t told us. Perhaps he’s ashamed.”
Ashamed of what? Murder or some other dreadful mayhem? The thought was enough to drive him mad. “One way to determine if I am a Sherwood is to travel to Barkerville and speak with a jailor and others. Either they recognize me or not.”
“I suppose,” Tabitha said. “But Barkerville is a long distance from here, and this time of year, the mountain roads may already be too difficult to traverse.”
“Of course.” He had already decided that he could not leave now anyway, that he needed to stay and help the sisters with their project.
Livy’s eyes turned soft with compassion. “We realize it must be overwhelming and frustrating to lose your memories, Gray.”
“Honestly, it is.” He ran his hand through his hair, his head notably lighter without the bandages. His trip to the dock in the forenoon had proved a waste of time. He had hoped to discover which ships had recently arrived, perhaps view the passengers’ logs and learn the steamers’ origins.
A good plan, except the record keeper failed to report to work today. Therefore, Gray would have to venture to the harbor again soon and, hopefully, leave with a better result.
A noise at the door drew everyone’s attention.
Juliet bustled inside, her cheeks pink, and her clothing flattened to her body. A howl of wind accompanied her. “I’m back.”
