A Lasting Impression

waiting to see Mrs. Acklen.”
    “So are we, in fact.” Mrs. Bunting’s tone held a trace of anticipation. “At least, we’re hoping to be able to say hello to her. If she’s not too busy, that is.”
    Sutton smiled. “I’m certain Mrs. Acklen will welcome the opportunity to see you again, Mrs. Bunting. She appreciated you sharing your cherry cobbler recipe with her. Cordina made a pan of it last week.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Don’t tell Mrs. Acklen, but her William and Claude both licked their plates clean when she wasn’t looking.”
    Chrissinda Bunting beamed. “Boys will be boys, Mr. Monroe.”
    “Yes, ma’am, they will be.” And at age eleven and nine respectively, William and Claude were definitely putting that commonly used phrase to the test. Eager to cast off the things of childhood, William seemed bent on mischief and drafted his little brother into the fray at every turn. Their younger sister, Pauline, was often the brunt of their antics. But Pauline was proving to be her mother’s daughter and could hold her own quite well.
    “Reverend and Mrs. Bunting!” Adelicia entered the front hall, hands extended in a gracious welcome. “What a pleasure to see you again. And how kind of you to accompany Miss Laurent to Belmont.”
    With Adelicia engaging the Buntings in conversation, Sutton seized the opportunity to do the same with Miss Laurent. Despite her not getting the job, he still had a few questions he wanted to ask, mainly to satisfy his own curiosity.
    She stood off to the side, quiet and tentative-looking, which was understandable. Questions at the ready, he approached. She seemed hesitant to look at him, and he wondered if she was intentionally avoiding his gaze. He opened his mouth to say something just as she looked up. Her red-rimmed eyes were wary and watchful—like those of a doe caught in a rifle’s sights.
    Keeping his reaction in check, Sutton quickly gathered that Adelicia had been none too gentle in refusing Miss Laurent the position. Adelicia Acklen . . . He was grateful for the opportunities the woman had given him, but sometimes her straightforward manner came across harsher than he thought she was aware.
    All the questions he’d planned to ask Claire Laurent evaporated. Save one. “Pardon my candor, Miss Laurent, but . . . I hope you’re not feeling unwell?” He kept his voice low, not wishing to draw the others’ attention and embarrass her further.
    Her smile was unconvincing. “No, Mr. Monroe. I’m fine. Thank you.” She glanced in Adelicia’s direction, and her hand went to her midsection.
    An unconscious gesture, Sutton felt sure. But telling, all the same. He tried to think of something to say that would be an encouragement to her but that wouldn’t come across as condescending.
    “May I pose a question to you, Mr. Monroe?”
    Caught off guard by her request, he nodded. “Of course, Miss Laurent.”
    “What is your opinion of my interview with Mrs. Acklen?”
    Her question, innocent enough on the surface, was actually anything but. She was telling him that she knew—or strongly suspected—he’d eavesdropped on their conversation. As a lawyer, he appreciated her sly tactic. Likewise, he hoped she would appreciate his equally direct rejoinder. “The answer to your insinuated question, Miss Laurent . . . is yes. I happened to overhear—”
    “ Happened to overhear?”
    Despite her pallor and the evidence of tears, Sutton sensed a steely determination in the young woman. Either that or desperation. But for the moment—if he was correctly interpreting the stubborn tilt of her chin—her frustrations were aimed at him. “As you are now aware, Miss Laurent, I am an employee of Mrs. Acklen. In light of that, and considering the circumstances under which you and I met, I’m certain you can appreciate why I deemed it imperative to intentionally listen to your exchange.”
    She opened her delicate little mouth to respond.
    “And”—he inclined his head to mimic hers—“in answer to your stated question . . .”
    She frowned, and looked so much like a little girl that if not for the intensity of her expression and the outcome of her interview, he might have been tempted to smile.
    “I thought you presented yourself to Mrs. Acklen with great decorum. Especially under the circumstances.” Although, he still doubted whether she would have told Adelicia the truth about where she’d stayed last night had she not suspected he was