<< Go Back

Peyton's Promise

By Susan G. Mathis

Order Now!

Chapter 1

Summer 1902
Calumet Island
Thousand Islands, NY

“La, la, la, la …” Peyton Quinn started to hum, balanced her basket on her hip, and gave a little twirl, entranced by the beauty of her surroundings. Would she really get to work in the largest and finest privately owned ballroom in all of New York State?
Goodness! Even Watertown’s renowned Woodruff Hotel couldn’t rival the paneled mahogany wainscoting and ceiling and rich green walls. The four huge, rounded alcoves with their massive windows. To her left, the enormous fireplace. The floor-to-ceiling gilded mirrors scattered around the room. How luxurious for an island summer home.
“As I live and breathe, could it be the fair young lassie who stole my heart while I was still in breeches? Where be your buttercream braids and toothless grin?”
Peyton almost dropped her heavy basket of treasured upholstery tools—the tailor’s chalk, rubber mallet, scissors, stapler, and so much more she’d worked so hard to obtain. She spun around searching for the owner of the familiar voice. High atop a ladder that had to be ten feet tall, a man chuckled, backlit by the morning sun shining through the window. She couldn’t identify his face or make out his features, but she knew that voice, that endearing tease in his deep Irish lilt.
“Paddy? What in heaven’s name are you doing here?” Setting the basket at her feet, she moved closer toward her long-lost chum.
She’d not seen him in nearly three years, ever since he’d taken a carpenter’s apprenticeship in Ogdensburg, New York, fifty miles north. A year later, she’d traveled twenty miles south to Watertown for her upholstery apprenticeship with Mr. and Mrs. O’Cleary. She’d heard tales of Paddy’s success as a finish carpenter, working for the famous architect, J.B. Reid. Yet she’d not been informed of his return nor that he’d be working on Calumet Island in the castle with her.
“What are you doing here, Miss Peyton Quinn?” Paddy descended the ladder and stood mere feet from her.
She wobbled back on her heels and gasped. He was much taller and handsomer than she remembered, and his shoulders had broadened. His short, well-trimmed beard appeared soft to the touch, not wiry like her father’s. When did that scrappy lad become a man?
“Peyton Pie? Aye, did you lose your tongue, my fair lass?”
He stepped closer and scooped her free hand into his, planting a kiss on it and holding it until she replied.
“I … I am bewildered at your presence, is all. No one told me you’d be here.”
Peyton’s heart raced and she swallowed hard, blinking back her surprise—and her ire at the memory of their last curt words, words that cut to the very depth of her heart. She withdrew her hand.
“Are you vexed, oh dearest of my childhood friends? I hope not, for I believe we will be working toward the same goal of preparing this fine castle for the grand affair in just two months.” He winked, sending her nerves soaring like he always did. “And it is Patrick Taylor, if you please. Paddy was a skinny, silly Irish lad who finally grew into this strapping man you now see.”
When he thumped his chest, chin high and smile wide, she giggled in spite of her ire, relaxing under his easy way she so well remembered. “Patrick, it is. Or is it Mr. Taylor, since you’re the Calumet Castle carpenter?”
“Patrick, please. We’ve too much history to plod through formalities.” He shrugged, waving toward three empty chairs perched against the wall. “Shall we? Just for a moment?”
She peeked back toward the doorway through which she came. She’d been sent to the ballroom to await the mistress of the castle and to assess the work required on those very chairs. Sitting on them should be fine … for a moment.
Peyton sashayed toward them and took a seat on the faded, lime-green velvet padding. Against the elegant, forest-green walls, the color clashed hideously. No wonder the missus bid her come and reupholster them.
“I’m sorry for the loss of Aunt Bess, Peyton. Truly.”
Patrick’s deep, silvery eyes shone with sympathy. He’d always been a kind-hearted boy. Though more oft than not teasing, joking, and jesting, he’d never embarrassed or wounded her with his words. Until the day he left her in tears.
“Thank you. I returned home when Auntie passed on, to be with Papa and help manage the household. But then Mrs. Emery summoned me to recover these chairs for the grand ball, and Papa insisted he’d be fine.”
He patted the seat, turning up his nose in a boyish scowl. “Good thing. Such a ghastly color these are.”
“Indeed.” Peyton gazed at her friend and then to the door again. Seeing no one, she continued. “Apparently, the missus is a very modern woman, wanting to reupholster many of the dated furnishings in the castle. Seems she’s taken a fancy to the Art Nouveau style that’s so popular in France and with aristocrats and the upper class around the globe. I have to agree, for the Art Nouveau patterns—the birds, the flowers, the bright and vibrant colors of nature—are quite appealing.”
“Ah, she found her tongue.”
Patrick leaned in closer, but Peyton scooted onto the next chair. She had to create enough distance to catch her breath.
Just then, footsteps hurried through the doorway. She quickly stood and smoothed her skirt. Scurrying to retrieve her basket, she met the missus halfway. Peyton curtsied, lifted her basket to her hip, and dipped her chin.
“Welcome to Calumet Castle.” Mrs. Emery’s smile was kind, but then she wrinkled her nose and shook her head. Soft, feathered lines around her eyes revealed a much-lived life. “Mr. Emery may call it the ‘Stone House,’ but I cannot speak of it as such. It is a castle, don’t you think?”
The woman, likely in her fifties, reminded her of a well-endowed snowman. Working for her promised to be amenable as her gentle demeanor and cultured voice portended a friendly relationship.
“Absolutely, and a fine castle it is.” Peyton surveyed the ballroom, and although she’d not yet seen the rest of the residence, she imagined the layout like the castles of old that one might view in the finest parts of Europe.
“This furniture simply must have a makeover before the Grand Ball. I haven’t time to order new, but I did procure bolts of fabric with which to do your magic. I’ve been told you’re quite accomplished and that you upholstered an extensive number of furnishings at the Woodruff. I see you’ve brought your tools of the trade.”
Peyton’s face warmed at Mrs. Emery’s kind words. “Yes, missus. I am here to serve and will do my best.”
“Good. Then let’s get started.” Mrs. Emery waved her arm toward the chairs she and Paddy—uh, Patrick—had just sat on. He tossed Peyton a wink and returned to his work.
“There are twenty-three of these that need recovering and more scattered around the castle that we’ll use for the ball. Once you’re done with the chairs, I have scads of other furnishings that need updating. You’ve been informed this is a summer-long position?”
“I have, and Mrs. Milton also said I’d be staying in the castle?”
The missus waved a hand as if to dismiss such trivialities. “Yes, yes. She’ll arrange all that. Now come with me, and I shall show you some of the other work you’ll be tackling.”
When Mrs. Emery turned back toward the entrance door, Peyton followed. Before crossing its threshold, she slowed her steps, motioning to her basket. “Excuse, please, missus. May I leave this here while you conduct your tour? This is ever so heavy.”
Mrs. Emery consented. “Of course. And I’ll have the staff bring down the sewing machine from upstairs and place it in one of the alcoves so you can do your work more efficiently here.”
Peyton set the basket near the wall. “Thank you, missus.”
After passing through a hallway, they entered an octagonal room. “We use this room for reading and quiet family evenings.” Mrs. Emery’s chin tweaked toward the shelves of books, then she surveyed the fireplace. “We have six fireplaces on this floor, including this one and the one in the ballroom. As I’m sure you know, it can get quite chilly on any given summer’s eve here on the island.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ve lived in Clayton all my life.” Should she be offering the missus such personal information? She bit her lip.
“I hear the winters are dreadful.” Mrs. Emery tilted her head as if waiting for more. “Or was that mere gossip intended to scare me away?”
Peyton wet her lips with her tongue. “Up to ten feet of snow can fall each winter. But it’s beautiful, nonetheless.”
Mrs. Emery shivered. “I married Mr. Emery last winter in London, and it was very cold and snowy, but nothing like that.”
“It’s the Arctic winds that pick up the moisture from the lake and river and plop it down here. Several days each winter, we can’t get out of our house.”
What a chatterbox, and to the likes of the missus. What was wrong with her? Nerves. Her mouth always went to jabbering when she got nervous. She bit her tongue this time.
Mrs. Emery surveyed her for a moment. A twinkle in her eyes and a slight smile told Peyton that the missus wasn’t vexed. “Yes, well. This settee needs refurbishing, as do several pieces in the great hall, the dining room, and the two other drawing rooms.”
The missus led them into an enormous central hall. To her left, a wide staircase led to a landing where a balcony overlooked the great hall. Behind it, a large pink-and-violet stained-glass window sent rays of sunshine dancing on the floor, walls, and furniture.
“Magnificent.” Peyton whispered. Realizing she’d said it aloud, her cheeks warmed. “Sorry, missus.”
“Exactly. And that’s precisely why I want pinks and purples to grace this area. The fabric I’ve chosen will make this large room come alive.” Mrs. Emery took a few more steps and pointed to the colossal fireplace. “The material has a cream background, just like the inside of this fireplace.”
Across the high-ceilinged hallway, they came to the dining room. “The servant’s wing is just beyond the butler’s pantry. Mrs. Milton will show you around that area.” She waved a hand toward the open pantry door before turning to the table. “Since these dining chairs weren’t properly covered before closing up the castle last year, mice and other vermin have made a mess of them.” She twitched her nose and put a finger to her chin. “Let’s make these your first job and the ballroom chairs after.”
Peyton counted eight around the dining table and four more encircling a round table in an alcove at the end of the room. “Of course, missus.”
Mrs. Emery snapped her chin and quickly turned back from whence they came. Returning to the great hall, she stopped. “There are four more dining chairs here, and those two settees need recovering. I suppose they should all be done at the same time.” She clicked her tongue and sighed. “Well, now, that should keep you quite busy.” She pointed to two closed doors near the main entrance. “Once you’ve completed that, there are less urgent upholstering jobs I have in mind for the two drawing rooms.”
Peyton curtsied. “Yes, missus. Thank you for putting your confidence in me. I shall do my best to make you proud.”
Mrs. Emery turned to the butler standing by the front entrance. “Duvall, would you make Mrs. Milton aware that I’m finished with Miss Quinn?”
“Of course, missus.” The large, balding, imposing man bowed, hurried toward the dining room, and vanished from sight.
Before ascending the stairs, Mrs. Emery addressed Peyton. “I shall turn you over to Mrs. Milton now. Wait in the ballroom. Good day, miss.”
Peyton curtsied. “Thank you, missus.”
~ ~ ~
Patrick chewed on the inside of his cheek as he concentrated on the intricate touchup work he’d accomplished so well before Peyton appeared like a ghost from his past. She’d haunted his dreams for nearly three years, and now she was here. Some of those dreams were sweet—of walking along the shore of the St. Lawrence arm in arm with the girl he’d loved ever since he was knee-high to a Daddy Longlegs.
As childhood best friends, they’d shared everything together. Their favorite fishing and swimming hole in a little cattail-sheltered inlet of French Bay just blocks from their homes. Studying in the same one-room schoolhouse, albeit he was a year ahead of her, and she was much smarter than he. Secrets and tears and laughs—oh, so many laughs. He’d quoted the Irish saying to her time and again, “A best friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have.” Indeed, he was a lucky young lad.
He loved to make her laugh, to hear that captivating little snicker. Not quite a laugh. Not quite a giggle. A fanciful pixie sound he called a liggle. Oh, how he loved—and missed—that sound!
Really, he couldn’t ever remember not loving her, not dreaming of growing old with the flaxen-haired lass with her haunting green eyes and soft, sweet lips. He’d kissed those lips once. His body quivered at the innocence of that childish moment.
While he fished on one hot summer’s day, Peyton had fallen asleep in the sunshine, beads of moisture wetting her brow, yet her placid features didn’t flinch in the heat. He’d probably been about eleven years old and just couldn’t help himself. Studying her angelic face, he’d bent down and touched his lips to hers. Barely. She didn’t even stir, but that stolen kiss became a golden badge of courage to him. He’d never told her—or anyone—about it. But it rarely left the recesses of his memories for long. And he’d never kissed anyone since.
But then, there were those troubling dreams. Dreams of what might have been. He’d been a selfish clod the day he’d left for his apprenticeship. A foolish schoolboy eejit who’d botched that whole special moment when he’d meant to tell her how much he cared but instead blurted out some curt words and found himself on tenterhooks with her. As he said goodbye, the vitriol in her retort knocked the wind out of his bagpipes and had torn the song from his heart for nearly three years now.
Yet now, here she was—a chance at redemption. A jolly, grand opportunity to correct the wrong.
He could do it. He had to do it! But how?
Her eyes and the way she’d scooted a chair beyond when he’d leaned close to her told him she still stung. Why hadn’t three long years healed those wounds?
Footsteps yanked him from his thoughts. “Peyton. Hello again. How’d it go with the missus? Isn’t she crackin’?”
Peyton concurred, stopping to retrieve her upholstery basket. “Mrs. Emery is ever so nice, and it looks as though I have a shipload of work to do here.”
When she scanned the room, he descended the ladder and headed her way. “Are you missing something? Can I help?”
Peyton shook her head. Her golden curls, puffed and waved into one of those fancy pompadours the maids prattled on about, tilted forward over her soft forehead. Somehow, it drew him to notice the s-curve of her lovely silhouette. When his gaze swept back up to her eyes, those green gems had narrowed.
Peyton rolled her eyes and blew out a breath. “The missus said she’d have the sewing machine brought down and placed in one of the alcoves so I can work here.”
He waved his arm toward the far-left alcove, then led her to it. “She must mean here. The two center alcoves have staircases and doorways—one up to the billiard and recreation room, one down to the terrace and out onto the balcony.”
Peyton set her basket down. “With these huge windows, this is a perfect place to work. And how large it is!”
Patrick couldn’t believe his luck. She’d be right here in the same room as he. “A full eighteen feet ’round, these towers are. This is truly a grand place.”
“Yes, it is, but the missus has a full schedule set for me, and I mustn’t be distracted. Do you understand?” Peyton’s brow furrowed, and her eyes narrowed, just as they had when she’d scolded his childhood mischief. But he was no longer a child. He was a man.
“I, too, have much work to do, miss. Every nail hole must be hidden. Every mar or imperfection must be made flawless. This ballroom shall be immaculate for the guests. Yet we will have time to catch up, shan’t we?”
Peyton took a deep breath. “I suppose we will. But for now, I need to know how to proceed.”
“Shall I inquire for you?”
“No. The missus said Mrs. Milton would meet me here.”
“There you are!” The housekeeper waddled through the doorway, dish towel thrown over her shoulder. She swiped her brow with the back of her sleeve, abruptly stopping in the middle of the ballroom. “Come here, girl, and stop fraternizing with the help.”
 

Order Now!

<< Go Back