Loving Helen by Michele Paige Holmes Page A

added a rail to the porch; she’d worked a miracle with her needle and thread, covering the tiny beds with quilts and the tables with cloths. He could hardly wait for Beth to see their creation.
    With the last piece in place, he backed up, turning his head at the same moment Miss Helen did.
    “Oh!” she exclaimed at their faces so close, noses nearly touching.
    Samuel laughed, then grabbed her elbow to steady her as she reeled back. “If we’d been racing to see who finished first, we’d have to declare it a tie.”
    “Are we finished, then?” she asked, blushing prettily as she extracted her arm and stepped back, putting more distance between them.
    He almost wished she wouldn’t, then mentally scolded himself for the thought. Miss Helen was much younger than her sister, and he had no business thinking of her as other than a friend. Something he would do well to remember if he did not wish to scare her off.
    Though Miss Helen’s shyness around him had improved, particularly during the hours they’d worked on the dollhouse, a part of her was still very reserved — cautious . She’d admitted to not fearing him, and he believed her, yet she continued to hold back, as if she was afraid of his becoming too familiar. Once, not so many weeks ago, he would have thought Miss Helen had plenty of time ahead of her to get used to him, particularly if he married Grace and Miss Helen became his sister-in-law.
    But now … Samuel attempted to push the growing realizations to the back of his mind. Now, it did not seem likely that Grace would choose him over Nicholas. Not surprising. What was unexpected were his feelings — or lack thereof — on the matter. Samuel cared about Grace. He still believed that they might be happy together. But it was her sister he’d found occupying his thoughts of late. Worse than Grace’s potential rejection, it appeared that Miss Helen would not be his guest much longer. Just yesterday, Christopher had returned with news of their inheritance. And while it boded well for the Thatcher family, Samuel could not bring himself to feel very happy about it. Beth would be devastated when Miss Helen left, and he would miss her company as well.
    It is because of Beth that I am so upset about her leaving. Since becoming a parent, his thoughts always had to be first and foremost, for Beth’s welfare. She will be sad when Miss Helen leaves, and so I will be sad with her.
    “I think we have completed everything. I declare the dollhouse finished,” Samuel said, feeling more than a twinge of regret. The cold December evenings had passed pleasantly in Miss Helen’s company, during a time he might otherwise have felt desolate. In addition to missing Elizabeth more at this festive time of year, he’d lost Grace’s companionship as well. She hadn’t come to see him at the fence for quite some time, not since the day he’d seen her on the road with Nicholas.
    Samuel stepped back beside Miss Helen, and together they admired their work.
    “I think I should like to live there,” she said quietly.
    There was a wistfulness in her tone that caught him off-guard. He was unsure how to respond and finally came up with, “It is a splendid house.” He wondered if Helen had dreams and aspirations for her future. Did she aspire to marry someone like Lord Sutherland? Had her time spent with her grandfather roused a desire for a fine home and a titled husband?
    “Splendid,” she said. “Excepting the fact that the inhabitants shall have to climb up the outside wall to reach the attic nursery.”
    “Bah.” Samuel chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. “A petty detail. And a good way to add some adventure to one’s day. Beth will not be bothered by it.”
    Miss Helen’s lips twitched. “I would not be so certain if I were you.” She reached in, adjusting the furniture in the kitchen once more. “Beth is very intelligent and is quite specific in her opinions.”
    “Well, she shall have to request another