Page 12 of The Tides of Time (Storm Tide #1)

O ver the week after Mikhail’s arrival, the lighthouse didn’t entirely find a new rhythm. Armitage and his grandfather had spent years with only the two of them seeing to each day’s tasks and duties, without needing to speak much, without hardly needing to think. Training a young lightkeeper would have added a bit of upheaval on its own. Having Lili there as well threw something of a wrench in the gears.

Yet, she’d also proven a helpful addition to the household in many ways. Mikhail enjoyed talking with her. To her, more accurately. He knabbled endlessly when sitting at the table with Lili. And she didn’t seem to mind, though she seldom said anything in return. That gave Armitage and his grandfather a chance to discuss how they meant to approach the young man’s education and things needing their attention around the lighthouse.

And they had warm meals throughout the day. That hadn’t happened with any consistency before Lili had arrived. Warm meals. She’d even done the laundry the day before, though they’d not asked her to.

But most surprising of all, she had seemed to chip away at Grandfather’s usually impenetrable armor. Armitage hadn’t heard Grandfather speak of Grandmother in any meaningful way since she had passed. But he had with Lili. Briefly, yes, but with a depth that was new and hopeful.

Armitage didn’t entirely know what to think of her, but he was finding himself increasingly grateful that she was with them. And to his added surprise and confusion, arriving in the galley after a particularly busy morning in the lighthouse tower and seeing her there made his heart bubble a bit. He liked her, but he didn’t know how that had come to be so quickly.

He’d come in search of her specifically so he could share with her a bit of good news before running an errand. He’d not expected to find himself momentarily lost for words. She had the oddest effect on him.

“Grandfather agreed,” Armitage said as he pulled Mrs. Goddard’s basket off a shelf in the galley.

Lili didn’t look as pleased as he’d expected her to be.

“That’s a fine thing, don’t you think?” he pressed.

She shrugged. “I might if I knew what ton grand-père has agreed to.”

He hadn’t included that bit? “I’m usually a logical-minded person.”

“As am I.” She shook her head. “My thoughts roll atop each other since I have come here.”

“Mine’ve been doing a lot of the same since you came here.” He mimicked her shrug, the one that was so much like his mum’s. “Grandfather agreed that us could hire you on. While Mikhail is here, Trinity House sends more coins for expenses. And there’s more work to do. If you’d keep on with the cooking and do other things to keep the household bit of this place running, that’d help we heaps.”

She still looked uncertain. Was it pride arguing against necessity? Was it the trust she didn’t yet have in him? Confusion about the language?

“You had nothing with you when I pulled you from the Channel. I don’t—” He’d told himself to stay wary where Lili Minet was concerned. He was veering from that drastically, but he couldn’t help himself. “You need money to live on, Lili, especially without family or friends here.”

While she did seem to know he was correct, she still didn’t seem excited by the easy solution to her difficulty. “What would I do?”

“Cook, like you have been. Clean the house. Wash laundry. Sweep the walk.” He held his palms up. “Whatever you think needs to be done to keep the house comfortable and functioning.”

Her brow pulled tighter as he spoke. For just a moment, he interpreted that as objecting to the very reasonable list of tasks. But he stopped himself. Her English was so good that he often forgot that it was far from perfect. It was more likely that she didn’t understand all he’d said.

If only Mum were here. She could explain it all in words Lili would understand. And she would make Lili feel welcome and safe enough for the fear in the back of her eyes to fade away.

“ Laver le maison. ” He wasn’t sure that was right, but he hoped it was close enough. “ Laver —” Cusnation, what was the French word for clothing? “ Laver les ... vestes— vestesmentes? ”

“Les vêtements ?” Almost a smile. Almost. “I am to be la femme de ménage ? The servant of the house?”

“Not a servant.” Servant was actually correct, he supposed, but it felt wrong. “A housekeeper.” That was still a servant. Why was there no word that truly fit?

“Would I purchase the food for the house?” she asked.

He nodded. That was a task that took a lot of time, requiring that one of them walk to the village and back a couple of times a week. “You’d save we a great deal of time taking that task to yourself.”

“I do not know what is available,” she said. “Or what the cost is.”

“I’m walking to the village today,” he said. “If you come with me, you can see for yourself what’s available and the price.”

“But—” Her eyes darted to the basket. “I am meant to save you trouble, yet you are making this journey instead of remaining here to do your work.”

“After today, I won’t need to.”

“You are teaching me now to save you time later?”

He nodded and motioned her out of the galley.

But she didn’t go. “I need you to answer a question for me.”

“Of course.”

Lili motioned to the Shorrock stove. “What is that? When I am standing near it, there is warmth. Is it for keeping the kitchen warm?”

He’d not expected that. “It does keep the galley warm, but it’s a stove. For cooking.”

Her brow pulled sharply. “There is a fire inside of it?”

She’d said her home didn’t have a stove, but he hadn’t realized she’d never even seen one. How was that possible? Stoves weren’t exclusive to cities or people of wealth. To not know what it was or its purpose ...

“Is that not dangerous?” She eyed it warily. “Keeping a fire inside a box?”

“No more dangerous than in the fireplace.”

“I hope you will forgive me for saying so, Armitage Pierce, but that I do not believe.” She took a deep breath, then set her shoulders. “We had best make our walk to the village. I have a lot to learn.”

He couldn’t argue with that, though he very much wished to ask her a great many questions, many he likely hadn’t even thought of yet.

He walked with her to the entryway and took the basket he always brought along on market day from the nail it hung on. He carried both baskets as they walked down the path away from the lighthouse.

“I didn’t put the book back in the basket,” Lili said.

“The book?”

“ Tales from the Southern Coast . The one I found in the basket. Ought I to have brought it back to the village?”

He’d forgotten all about it. “If anyone asks, us’ll promise to bring it the next time.”

“ I will promise,” she said firmly. “You are not meant to have to make the return trip.”

Lili Minet was stubborn as anything, but he found he rather liked the fire in her. When he’d decided to no longer see that as a clear threat, he couldn’t say. She reached for his basket, and he gave it to her. She would be using it more than he, after all.

She seemed almost at ease with him as they walked down the road toward the village. Almost.

“Your grand-père has not spoken of his wife since the night Mikhail arrived.”

“Him almost never speaks of Grandmother.” Armitage flipped his collar up against the stiff breeze. “I think it hurts he too much. At least, I think him thinks it will.”

“Speaking of my brother that same night helped me,” she said. “There was sadness, but I remembered happiness with him. That is important.”

“I’ve tried with Grandfather. Him isn’t vulnerable with people, not even his grandson.” Armitage wished that were different. He’d seen how lonely Grandfather was. And Armitage missed Grandmother too. And he missed his parents, but Grandfather wouldn’t talk about them either.

“Being vulnerable can be frightening,” Lili said. “But it is often the only way to slip free of what is hurting us.”

“Grandfather doesn’t do anything him doesn’t wish to do.”

She watched him a moment as they continued to walk. “Will you tell me about your grandmother?”

“Are you attempting to help me ‘slip free’ of what you believe is hurting me?”

She was not distracted. “Are you in need of an escape?”

“I thought us were talking about Grandfather.” He’d not expected scrutiny on a walk to the village, especially after he’d arranged for her to have employment and an income to live on.

“Your grand-père has been very kind to me,” she said. “He has helped me to feel less lost. I would like to return the favor.”

“Him cannot be tugged to shore, I’m afraid. If Grandfather means to remain adrift, him’ll do just that.”

“You underestimate me, Armitage Pierce. Others have done so and discovered they were wrong.”

Armitage didn’t doubt she meant to try. “Grandfather’s walls are impenetrable. You’ll end disappointed.”

Though she didn’t say anything more, there was no mistaking her confidence on the matter. Poor Lili’s efforts would prove fruitless. And poor Grandfather would no doubt be hounded in the process.

As they reached the edge of Loftstone Village, some of her confidence ebbed, replaced by what appeared to be suspicion. She was unwaveringly aware of every movement, every person. She’d insisted on helping rescue a reclusive old man from his own grief, no matter the slim likelihood of success, then had immediately begun eyeing strangers as if any one of them might jump out and attack her. She could be very confusing at times.

Mr. Burgess was outside the grocer’s when they arrived, standing beside the cart of produce. He greeted them both with sincere friendliness.

“Us is four at the Lighthouse,” Armitage said. “That’ll mean nearly twice the usual list.”

The man nodded his understanding, though he was clearly studying Lili.

“Her’s being kind enough to lend a hand while visiting,” Armitage said. “But what’s available here i’n’t likely to match what her is used to in France, and her English sometimes falls short.”

Another absent-minded nod with narrowed gaze.

Armitage pulled Mr. Burgess a bit to the side. “Lili’s bashful but also very sweet. My mum and hers were great friends, and if Mum were here, her’d want Lili to feel welcomed and safe.”

That brought an immediate softness to the man’s expression. “Your mum was a lovely person.”

“Yes, her was.” Everyone on Loftstone remembered Mum that way, but few allowed themselves to recall how isolated she’d felt when she’d first arrived in the village and how the village itself had made her feel that way.

“I’ll make certain her gets what’s needed for the lighthouse and isn’t made to feel unhappy,” Mr. Burgess said.

“I’m obliged to you.” Armitage offered a firm handshake. “I truly am.”

His personalized plea and expression of deep appreciation would, he hoped, smooth Lili’s way a little. He told himself he was merely making certain she could do her work with efficiency. But it was a bit more than that. Grandfather’s reminder of Mum’s struggles hadn’t left Armitage’s mind. He didn’t want Lili to struggle the way Mum had.

Armitage returned to where Lili still stood gripping the lighthouse basket tightly. “I believe us has Mr. Burgess on our side. Him’ll help you sort groceries and such.”

“ Par moi-même ?”

Much to his surprise, he pieced that together with minimal effort. She would, in fact, be gabbing with the grocer on her own, but he’d be very nearby. “I’ll be at the next shop over.”

“I will do my best with the English, but it is a confusing language.” She squared her shoulders, gave a single nod, then walked over to Mr. Burgess. In English even more heavily accented with French than usual, she asked, “What do ... the men from the ... euh ... lighthouse usually purchase from you?”

Did her accent thicken when she was nervous, or was she continuing the approach she’d suggested before: using language difficulties as an excuse for not knowing the answer to questions they might ask about her connection to the Pierces?

The shop directly beside the grocer’s sold books, parchment, ink, and the like. Armitage had a very particular errand there.

Mr. Vaughn smiled as he stepped inside. Armitage kept near the open door so he could hear if Lili called out to him.

“Have you any books on cooking and such?” Armitage asked.

“I think I do.”

Mr. Vaughn’s organizational method was odd. Books sat in stacks and piles with no discernible method to the madness. Still, Armitage had seen him time and again find precisely what he was looking for with minimal effort.

“Is the book for your use or one of your new arrivals’?” Mr. Vaughn asked as he pulled a volume from the middle of the stack.

“Lili expressed a wish to learn to make dishes that aren’t French.”

Mr. Vaughn looked over at him. “Does her read English?”

“Her does,” he said.

Mr. Vaughn held a book out to him. “I think I’ve one other on the topic if thissen won’t do.”

Cooking: Or, Practical and Economical Training for Those Who Are to be Servants, Wives, or Mothers. It was likely exactly the type of book Lili needed. But Armitage was trying to help her feel like she wasn’t merely a servant. Except, what was she? He certainly didn’t want to give her the impression that he felt she ought to consider the two remaining categories in the title.

He thumbed through a few of the pages. It was very basic, but that might be for the best. Seeing as she’d not ever seen a stove before, the more basic the instructions, the better, he would guess. And though she read English, complicated English might be frustrating. “How much for the book, Mr. Vaughn?”

“Sixpence.”

It was a reasonable amount, though Armitage didn’t have much left over, having spent a good amount of his pocket money on Lili’s dress. He paid for the book.

“Anything else I can find for you?” Mr. Vaughn asked.

“Not until I’m next paid,” Armitage answered. “Though I selfishly hope you don’t sell your most interesting titles before then; otherwise, I’ll have nothing to buy when I’ve money again.”

“I can always send a telegram to London if there’s something you want that I don’t have,” Mr. Vaughn reminded him.

“You’ll have me spending all my money without thought.”

Mr. Vaughn laughed. “Good business sense, that is.”

Armitage held up the cooking book. “Thank you again.”

“Thank you ,” Mr. Vaughn replied.

Lili looked utterly relieved when she saw Armitage step out of the shop. Made a fellow feel like a hero, until he remembered that she’d treated him like a threat until very recently.

“I suspect Mr. Burgess is frustrated with me,” Lili said. “I could not prevent French from tiptoeing over my English.”

They began walking again. Mrs. Goddard’s basket needed to be returned.

“What was the shop you visited?” Lili asked.

“Book shop.”

She nodded as if that made perfect sense.

They didn’t have to knock at Mrs. Goddard’s door. The woman herself rushed out and met them two doors down, her pince-nez chain bouncing about as always. “How fare you, Armitage? Are you eating and sleeping as you should?”

“I am.”

Mrs. Goddard motioned to Mrs. Dixon watching from the window of the house they’d stopped in front of. Before Armitage could so much as say, “Us’ll be on our way,” Mrs. Dixon and Mrs. Willis, both of whom, along with Mrs. Goddard, had appointed themselves his substitute mothers, rushed outside and surrounded him as they so often did. He was inundated with questions about his health, his work, and—with looks ranging from intrigue to suspicion—his visitors.

“ C’est dommage qu’elles soient si timides ,” Lili said a touch too innocently.

Armitage suspected that if he knew what she’d said, he would be struggling to keep his amusement hidden. Odd that a woman he’d never seen so much as smile could leave him so tempted to laugh.

“Lili, this is Mrs. Dixon.” He motioned to the shortest of the women. Mrs. Dixon was so short, in fact, that it often caused people to stare.

Lili didn’t. She dipped a curtsy. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“How are you enjoying England?” Mrs. Goddard asked, watching Lili very closely through the spectacles perched on her nose.

Lili thought for just a moment. “ L’Angleterre est ... beautiful.”

They seemed very pleased, which was the best response. If they thought Lili was a burden to Armitage, they would grow protective. If they believed Lili thought herself above her company, they would grow suspicious. If they thought Lili a poor fit for the island, they would consider her an outsider to be wary of.

Armitage returned Mrs. Goddard’s basket, thanking her for the thoughtfulness of her offering and assuring her the biscuits she’d hidden in there for him had been thoroughly enjoyed. Lili added a sweet, broken expression of gratitude as well.

They were soon on their way back through the village, heading for the lighthouse once more, and Armitage traded the book he carried for the now-heavy basket in Lili’s arms.

“ Qu’est-ce que c’est ?” She looked down at the book as they walked.

“It has recipes and cooking instructions.” He’d been so certain that purchasing it for her was the right thing, but he was unexpectedly unsure now that he’d given it to her. “You said you wanted a book like this, and I don’t have one at the lighthouse.”

“You purchased this?” Lili stopped quite suddenly, requiring him to do the same. He looked over at her and saw not gratitude in her expression but concern. “Armitage, you said you are brum. You mustn’t spend your money on things for me.” Her brows pulled sharply. “Why does that make you smile?”

“You remembered the word brum .” Why that pleased him so much, he wasn’t sure.

Her head tipped sassily to one side. “I do listen to you, Armitage Pierce. And I remember things.”

“As do I. For example, I remember perfectly well that you wished to learn to cook more things and wished for a book to teach you those things.” He tapped the top of the book she held. “Accept it with grace, Lili, because I won’t take it back.”

“You can subtract the cost of it from what I am to be paid,” she said.

He shook his head. “Us’ll benefit from what you learn. I’ll consider it money well spent.”

Lili tucked the book up against herself, hugging it to her. “I worry about the other book.”

“What other book?” He motioned for her to keep walking, and she did.

“The one that was in the basket. I do not know who put it there.”

“And that worries you?” It seemed an odd thing to weigh on a person’s mind. “If them wants it back, them’ll ask. Everyone knows everything on Loftstone Island. I assure you, whoever tucked it there knows where it is.”

She didn’t look reassured.

“Us’ll not have any difficulties over it, I swear to you. And this book about cooking will be helpful to you. Well worth the purchase.”

She took a tense breath. “I will do my best as the lighthouse’s femme de la ménage. I do not wish for you to regret allowing me to remain.”

He didn’t regret it. He wasn’t certain what lay ahead, and he knew there were things she still hadn’t told him, but he didn’t regret Lili Minet being at the lighthouse.