Free A New Beginning by Amelia C. Adams

tired traveler . . . they’d better make a go of this hotel or he would be left with an entire wagonload of expensive bedding as his only legacy.
    * * *
    Adam scooted his bedframe over one inch and then stood back, nodding in satisfaction. That would do nicely. With the small dresser in the corner and the washbasin next to it, he had everything he needed. He’d once dreamed of having a larger bedroom to share with his bride, one with two big windows covered in lace curtains and a large wardrobe in the corner to hold all her dresses—Vivian had many dresses, and it would be his privilege to buy her more. With her passing, that dream had also vanished, and this quiet corner would suit him well.
    “Let me make up your bed,” Caroline said, standing in the doorway with her arms loaded with linens.
    “I can do it.” He took her bundle from her and smiled when he saw the shocked look on her face. “I do know how to make a bed, Aunt Caroline.”
    “I supposed that you would—my sister taught you well. It’s just a nice change.” She leaned against the doorframe and watched with a bemused smile while he flipped out the sheets and tucked them in. “I’m not ready to hire you on as a chambermaid, but you’re doing a respectable job.”
    “I would be a terrible chambermaid. I don’t have the patience for it.” Adam spread the blanket over the top, fluffed the pillow and placed it near the headboard, and stood back. “There. I’m officially on the premises, and we can tell Miss Martin that Tom will be moving back out to his loft.”
    “I’m sure she’ll be very pleased to hear that.” Caroline nodded. “Good night, Adam.”
    “Good night.”
    He waited until he heard the click of his bedroom door before he pulled off his clothes and washed up. After dressing for bed, he pulled out his small wooden box and stared at it. Although he had opened it every night since Vivian’s death, tonight he didn’t feel inclined to do so. Instead, he placed it in his top drawer, climbed under his blanket, and fell fast into a dreamless sleep. It was a little early yet, but he was worn to his very bones.
     
     

Chapter Ten
     
    “The last bed in the last room is now made up,” Elizabeth reported to Miss Hampton that evening. She and the three other girls had been busy all day long, fluffing and plumping mattresses and stretching sheets, making up the beds as fast as Tom and Mr. Brody assembled the frames. The rooms were nearly done—all that remained were the drapes, and while they’d be a nice finishing touch, their absence wouldn’t keep the hotel from opening. Each window bore a light sheer, which would give privacy in the meantime.
    “I’m very glad to hear that.” Miss Hampton untied her apron strings and wadded the fabric into a ball. “It’s certainly been a long day. I don’t even want to think about unpacking the kitchen crates tomorrow, but it’s a nice weight off my shoulders that the rooms are so close to being ready. We’ll be able to open earlier than my nephew hoped.”
    “Oh, that will be nice,” Elizabeth said. It was a testament to how hard she and the others had worked.
    “Let’s all get a good night’s sleep and start fresh tomorrow. Good night, Miss Caldwell. Please take home some of the tea in the pantry to your mother. It’s in a small bag to the right of the stove.”
    “Thank you, Miss Hampton. I believe she’d enjoy that. Good night.”
    Elizabeth walked home with a light heart. She was more tired than she’d ever been in her life, but she felt like she was contributing to something important, and that alone cheered her when she didn’t want to leave her most important thing in the world—Rose.
    It wasn’t even dusk yet, so she felt no hesitancy about going past the small forest along the road.  But when she reached the halfway mark, she heard voices behind her.
    “Well, there she goes, walking along all pert.”
    “You know she won’t even give you the time of day,” said