Teddy looked down at his horse’s black and white mane but this time, the animal remained silent.
***
“Amanda, you have a caller.” Ellen Hampton tapped on Amanda’s door. “You don’t have to see him if you don’t want to.”
Amanda opened the door of her spartan room and peered at the other woman. Ellen had been very kind to her since her arrival, not that the others hadn’t been kind. Ellen just seemed friendlier.
“You do have the prettiest things,” Ellen said, looking down at the young woman’s powder blue dress.
“Thank you,” Amanda smiled. “Who, who did you say is calling?”
Ellen grinned, seeing the fear in the girl’s eyes. “It’s just Teddy. Teddy Lewis.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” Amanda gasped, then covered her mouth. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“You’re just glad it isn’t Cookie,” Ellen laughed. “I can’t say as I blame you.”
Amanda smiled, walking to the small cupboard to retrieve her gloves. “I think I’d like to see Teddy,” she said. “Could you let him know I’ll be right down?”
“I will,” Ellen grinned. “I can arrange for you two to sit in the parlor of Mother Hampton’s quarters if you’d like.”
Amanda looked up, feeling the nerves building in her stomach. “I’ll let you know.”
Minutes later, Amanda walked down the steps of the Hampton House, smiling when she saw Teddy standing at the bottom, a bouquet of wildflowers in his hands.
“Miss Antonia,” the young man drawled, pulling his new hat from his head.
Amanda smiled, wondering for a moment just how old Teddy Lewis was. His face was youthful, but his eyes seemed so old, and the dark light behind them seemed to tug at her heart.
“Good afternoon,” Amanda greeted, accepting the flowers from Teddy’s rough hands.
“I hope you don’t mind. I came callin’,” Teddy shuffled his freshly polished boots. “I thought perhaps we could go for a walk.”
“That would be lovely,” Amanda agreed, surprising herself. She hadn’t stepped outside the Hampton house since she had seen him last.
“Let me take those,” Ellen hurried to Amanda taking the bundle of wildflowers. “I’ll put these in a vase for your room.”
Teddy offered Amanda his arm, leading her toward the front door.
“Theodore Lewis, what are you doing here?” Olive bustled into the dining room, looking between Teddy and Amanda. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough harm?”
“It’s all right, Mrs. Hampton,” Amanda smiled. “Mr. Lewis offered to take me for a walk.”
Olive flicked her dark eyes to the young man. “Well, no shenanigans,” she grumbled, wagging a finger in Teddy’s direction.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Teddy agreed, picking up the pace before Olive could interfere. “I’ll be the perfect gentleman. I just thought Miss Amanda, I mean Miss Antonia might like to see the rest of the town.”
Olive placed her hands on her hips and scowled, but Amanda seemed content to go with the young man. “Be back for supper,” she ordered. “I don’t suppose anything major can happen, walking through Needful.”
Amanda stepped out into the bright sun of the day and sighed as the fresh hot air wafted around her, like satin caressing her skin.
“It’s very warm,” she commented.
“It’s finally starting to cool off a bit,” Teddy corrected. “Not that it ain’t warm.”
“It gets very warm in Virginia as well,” Amanda’s words were polite. “What do people do around here for fun?”
Teddy paused, looking up and down the dusty street. A couple of cowboys ambled out of town, their horses moving at a sedate pace, an old miner trudged toward the general store, a broken pickaxe in his hand, and a skinny dog slunk down a dark alley.
“I don’t rightly know,” Teddy admitted. “There’s them that goes to the saloon, and on Sunday the town all turns out to church. We’ve even had a few picnics and socials after weddings.” Teddy ducked his head, feeling his ears flush as he thought of possibly marrying the pretty woman on his arm.
“What about dances or tea parties?” Amanda asked as Teddy stepped out once more. “Wouldn’t the men like a good dance?”
“I reckon they would, but who would they dance with? I reckon men outnumber women here three to one. Why you ladies would be danced plumb off your feet.”
“I see your point.” Amanda worried the lace kerchief in her hand as they continued down the boardwalk. “It’s a shame, though. I always enjoyed the parties my family had. They were lively, with good music, dancing, and fancy food.”
Teddy stopped, this time turning to look into Amanda’s face. “Why’d you come to Needful if you had all that back home?”
Amanda dropped her eyes again. “I don’t like to speak ill of people,” she hedged.
“You can tell me,” Teddy urged, placing his finger under her chin and lifting her eyes to his. “I’m your friend.”
Amanda tried to smile as all the events of the past few months came rushing back.
“My father died about eight months ago,” she said, tears pooling behind her eyes. “He was a hard man, but honest and fair in his dealings. He had a good business in shipping before the unpleasantness between the states, but during that time, his earnings shot straight up.” Amanda didn’t like talking about the vulgarities of money, but she needed Teddy to understand why she had come to Needful.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Teddy said, his voice full of compassion. “Both my folks was lost in the war.”
Amanda reached out, squeezing Teddy’s hand in sympathy. “Mother, well, Mother didn’t seem to know what to do when father passed. She became quite odd, and soon an old friend of my father was sitting at supper with us nearly every night. They, they married two months ago.” Amanda’s face burned with horror at the social faux pas. “It was rather scandalous.”
“Why?” Teddy asked. “Don’t
