Threads of Love Read Free

She was surprised she hadn’t been frightened by him but then he had been sitting down in the wagon before she had actually taken notice of him.
Well
, she determined,
I’ll not be afraid of anyone, and that includes this giant of a man
.
    A loud voice roused her from her thoughts. “Phiney, Phiney, are you sleeping up there?” Delphinia looked down in horror at Mr. Wilshire standing beside the wagon.
    “You weren’t speaking to me, were you, Mr. Wilshire?” she inquired.
    “Of course I was,” he stated, wondering who else she thought he might be talking to. “I was asking if you’d be wanting to choose some cloth to make a few dresses and britches for the children. They have a good selection here…better than the general store back home. Besides, we’ll probably not go into Council Grove going back.”
    She stared at him, dumbfounded. “No, wait. What was it you were calling me?”
    “Well, your name of course. I was trying to get your attention. Seemed like you were off daydreaming.”
    “I mean, what name did you call me?” she persisted.
    “Phiney. I called you Phiney. Why?” he questioned.
    “Mr. Wilshire,” she said with as much decorum as she could muster, “my name is
Delphinia
. Delphinia Elizabeth Hughes—not Phiney, not Delphie, and not Della. Why would you ever call me such a name?” she asked in disgust.
    He looked up at her and grinned. “Seems a mite formal to me. And you feel free to call me Jonathan if you like. I been meaning to tell you that anyhow. Mr. Wilshire…well, that’s kind of formal, too. Besides, I always think people are addressing my pa when they call me that.”
    A frown was etched on Delphinia’s face as she looked down at him, her brown eyes flashing fire. “Mr. Wilshire, I do not think my name is too formal. My mother took great care in choosing my name, and I am very proud of it.”
    Jonathan’s eyes sparkled with humor as he watched her trying to restrain her temper. If he was any judge, she would soon be stomping her foot to make a point of this whole issue. He knew he should let it drop, but for some reason he was enjoying the display of emotion she was exhibiting for him.
    “I’m mighty pleased you’re proud of your name, Phiney. I’ve always thought it was nice if folks liked their names,” he said with a benevolent grin. With that, he moved on toward the general store, while calling over his shoulder, “Better hop on down if we’re gonna get some yard goods picked out.”
    It took all her forbearance not to scream after him, “Don’t call me Phiney,” but before she could give it further thought, he had disappeared into the store.
    She was fairly bristling as she climbed down from the wagon, her bonnet askew and with tendrils of blond hair poking out in every direction. Jonathan stood behind some shelves of dry goods and, with wry amusement, watched her dramatic entry. He did not wish to continue upsetting her, but she really was quite a picture to behold, her cheeks turned rosy and skirt gathered up in her fists. Realizing she was looking for him, he stepped out from behind the shelves.
    “Glad you decided to come in and have a look around.” He grinned. Ignoring his barb, she made her way to the table of yard goods.
    “You realize, of course, Mr. Wilshire, that I have no idea what anyone in your home may need. I don’t even know who lives there,” she proclaimed, wanting to be sure he realized she was not a willing participant in the future that her father had planned.
    “Guess you’ve got a point,” he commented, leaning against the table and causing it to almost topple with his weight. “There’s surely no time for going into that now, so just pick some material you like for boys and girls and maybe some for new curtains. Oh, and Granny might like something for a new dress, too.”
    Her mouth had formed a large oval by the time he had finished his remarks, but before she could even exclaim, he added, “And don’t forget to get