Free The Romancing of Evangeline Ipswich by Marcia Lynn McClure

answered. “Well, she’s got gypsy ancestry and knows their ways,” she explained. “And she is different a bit from what we’re all used to—not quite eccentric exactly, just…herself.”
    “How so?” Hutch asked.
    Evangeline shrugged. “Well, she doesn’t ever wear her hair up the way that is considered proper.” She smiled, adding, “But Daddy prefers it down.”
    “I bet he does,” Hutch chuckled.
    “And Evangeline says she rarely wears shoes or slippers when she’s in the house,” Jennie continued.
    “And every dress, skirt, blouse, and scarf she wears seems so light and flowing—colorful too,” Evangeline added. She shrugged. “It’s rather hard to explain. One has to meet Kizzy to understand her unique beauty of face and spirit.”
    “And you say she’s going to have a baby?” he asked.
    Again Evangeline smiled. “Yes, she is. Close to Thanksgiving.”
    Hutch’s laughter drew her mind from its reveries.
    “What’s so amusing?” Jennie asked her brother.
    Evangeline couldn’t help but smile at Hutch, for the very brightness of his handsome smile was enough to make the sun envious.
    “I just can’t imagine those little Ipswich girls grown up and getting married,” he explained. He exhaled a sigh, shook his head once more, and added, “Makes me feel near to ancient .” He leaned over and kissed Jennie on the cheek. “But I guess my own little sister is married and having a baby, so it stands to reason everyone else has grown up too.”
    Hutch offered the stack of photographs to Evangeline. Yet as she reached out to accept them, Jennie asked, “Oh, can’t I look at them just a bit longer, Evie? I’m just enchanted by seeing everyone again.”
    Evangeline smiled. “Of course, Jen,” she said.
    Hutch gently deposited the photographs on Jennie’s lap, kissed her forehead, and stood up from the bed.
    “I better be getting back to the livery,” he said. He snapped his fingers as if just having remembered something. “Oh, Evangeline,” he began, taking an envelope from his back pocket, “Calvin said there was a letter for you at the postal office when he stopped by this morning. I told him I’d hand it off to you.”
    “Thank you,” Evangeline said, accepting the envelope he offered. Evangeline smiled. “It’s Daddy’s hand on the addressing. News from home!”
    “Oh, good!” Jennie said. “Why don’t you read it to me later…after I’ve rested a bit.”
    Evangeline frowned as she looked at Jennie then. Her friend looked paler than she had a moment before—and suddenly very fatigued.
    “Are you feeling all right, Jennie?” Hutch asked, having obviously noticed the quick change in his sister’s demeanor and appearance as well.
    “Just tired,” Jennie said. She picked up the photographs that had been lying on her lap, offering them to Evangeline with trembling hands. “I just need a little rest, that’s all.”
    “Of course,” Evangeline said—though anxiety began to rise in her.
    “You have a good day, Hutch,” Jennie mumbled as she closed her eyes. “I’ll see you for supper.”
    “All right, sweetheart,” Hutch said, also frowning. “You rest now.”
    Hutch looked to Evangeline, nodding toward the bedroom door in gesturing she should follow him out of the room.
    Once they were both in the kitchen, he asked in a whisper, “I didn’t like the looks of that, did you?”
    Evangeline shook her head. “No, indeed not!”
    “Do you think I should fetch Calvin home?” he asked.
    Evangeline nodded, swallowing the lump of uneasiness that was forming in her throat. “Hutch…I think you should fetch Doctor Swayze too. Just to be safe.”
    “I think you’re right,” Hutch mumbled as he headed for the door.
    Jones instantly hopped up on all three legs to greet his master. But Hutch said, “You stay put, Jones. I’ll be right back.”
    Hutch grabbed his hat from the hat rack and, with a final nod of reassurance to Evangeline, left the house.
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