Chapter 23

Twenty-Three

"Is it just me, or do you also find what Camilla's been able to accomplish of late beyond impressive?" Luella asked as she galloped alongside Owen across the lawn of the country house that she and Camilla had decided was to now be called Moonlight Manor.

It was a question that didn't need much consideration. "It would be difficult not to be impressed with her since we haven't even presented you at the ball yet but everyone in Wheeling seems to be clamoring to spend time in your company," Owen said.

"I must admit all the clamoring is a bit disconcerting, but that Camilla was capable of achieving such success with me, and less than three weeks after she arrived in Wheeling ... well, I don't think anyone would argue the point that she possesses more than her average share of competency."

"She's definitely been competent with taking you in hand, but I don't think anyone would claim she's been all that capable when it comes to the chores Aunt Elma keeps doling out to her."

Luella grinned. "A valid point, but it was hardly Camilla's fault that Esmerelda decided her backside needed a scratch and just happened to rub against the post where Camilla had set her bucket of whitewash." Luella shook her head. "I mean, poor Camilla. There she was, halfway down a line of pickets, completely oblivious that Esmerelda's wiggling was going to send the post wobbling to such an extent that it would knock the bucket of paint over, drenching her with whitewash in the process."

"I'm sorry to have missed that one, although I did see the results of the paint-dousing once I got home and found Camilla out in the stables, dunking her head in the horse trough, which isn't something I ever thought I'd see."

Luella leaned forward as they rode underneath a low-hanging branch. "She took it in stride, though. Didn't even shriek when that paint went raining over her. Simply took the rag I handed her, told me to mark our place in the etiquette book she was making me read out loud while she whitewashed the fence, then told Aunt Elma, Meemaw, and the sewing bee ladies that she'd be back the next day to finish the job. It was quite impressive how she then lifted her chin and strode off like she wasn't dripping paint everywhere, electing to walk all the way back to the country house because she didn't think it would be fair to get paint all over her horse."

"From what Meemaw told me, the sewing ladies were rather impressed that a fancy lady like Camilla didn't descend into a fit of the vapors once the paint went flying, and that she actually did show up the next day to finish the fence, although she'd evidently wrapped her head in a turban to be on the safe side."

"She also brought El Cid with her," Luella added.

"To keep Esmerelda in check?"

"Indeed, and oddly enough, it worked. As long as El Cid was next to Camilla, Esmerelda contented herself with simply lounging beside the cat, never bothering to give her bottom a scratch on any of the pickets Camilla was painting." Luella shook her head. "I kept trying to convince Camilla to let me help her, since whitewashing usually doesn't take but a few hours, but she was having none of that. Told me my job was to get through the etiquette book while she painted, and then, after I finished the book, she took to quizzing me to see if the chapters had sunk in."

"She's been quizzing me too, after I get home from the factory, mostly to see if I've made any improvements with my conversational skills, which is where she's been concentrating her efforts with me lately in her quest to turn me into a sophisticated titan of industry."

Luella snorted. "I'm not surprised she'd focus on your conversational skills, not after you told Nems last Sunday during church that he needed to stop eating ramps past Thursday since he was proffering a smell that was stinking up the entire chapel—a smell I believe you said smelled like Nems had been run over by a carriage and left to rot in the middle of the road for a week."

"It's not like I said anything that everyone else wasn't thinking," Owen grumbled.

"True, but that doesn't matter, since, according to Camilla—who was gracious enough to not give you a dressing-down in front of everyone, but waited until we were in the carriage riding home—the only socially acceptable response to a smelly person is to ignore the stench and simply continue with your conversation as if nothing is amiss."

"She might have rethought that advice if she'd been sitting directly next to Nems."

"No, she wouldn't."

"Well, okay, probably not, but did you know that she made me apologize to Nems after we got home—and she told me to make it a good apology?" Owen blew out a breath. "Nems certainly didn't know what to make of it at first, but once Camilla was satisfied that I'd extended Nems a sincere apology and she went off to the house, Nems took to looking rather dazed before he told me that if I didn't already have my eye on Camilla, he might try his hand at courting her because, in Nems's words, ‘Dem dare woman is as close to an angel as anyone done ever seen.'"

"Ah, so Nems realizes you have your eye on Camilla."

"Of course I have my eye on Camilla since I promised I'd keep her safe. It would be impossible to do that if I wasn't keeping an eye on her."

"You know that's not why you're always watching her, or why you make it a point to come home early from work every day so you'll have enough time to get all spiffy-looking before quadrille practice, which you know you look forward to because it gives you an opportunity to get Camilla in your arms."

Since Owen certainly couldn't argue with that, nor did he feel like getting into a conversation with his sister that centered around his inability to be anything but fascinated with a matchmaker who intrigued him more than any woman he'd ever met, he settled for sending Luella a smile before he kneed George into a run.

It wasn't really a surprise when Luella caught up with him a moment later.

"Nems wouldn't really try his hand at courting Camilla," Luella called to him, because of course she'd want to continue their conversation even while riding their horses at breakneck speed. "He's actually a bit sweet on Bernadette, but don't tell him I told you that because he'll just go complaining to Camilla during what Nems calls his ‘gettin' down to turnin' into a proper gent time.'"

Owen slowed George to a trot. "Nems has dedicated special time to spend with Camilla?"

"He, as well as the rest of the men who've been tasked with guarding her, keep showing up one by one while she's doing all those chores for Aunt Elma." Luella smiled. "Apparently, they decided that after Camilla made you apologize to Nems, they might also need to be trained up in the etiquette department since none of them ever considered things like proper manners before. They've been seeking out Camilla's counsel, and she's been giving it to them, although I think they were feeling guilty about interrupting her chores because all of them started trying to help her." Luella shook her head. "Camilla flatly refused their assistance, saying something about that would cause her to lose some kind of chal lenge she's evidently in with Meemaw and Aunt Elma. That's why you can normally find one of the boys lounging beside Camilla and asking her etiquette questions as she goes about whitewashing fences, hanging Aunt Elma's laundry out to dry, or washing down Beulah's front porch."

"I'm going to have to ask the boys what kind of questions they're asking her."

Luella grinned. "I know none of them will be asking her anything about how frequently a man should bathe after Andy told her he was right proud of himself for taking a plunge in the stream every two weeks, especially when most of his friends only fully submerged themselves once a month."

"Should I assume everyone's bathing more frequently now?"

"There's been a run on tubs at the local hardware store."

Owen laughed. "I'm sure there are a lot of people smelling better these days, not that I'll ever remark on that to anyone except you since Camilla has more than hammered it into me that I shouldn't ever comment on people and smells."

"You're not the only one she likes to reiterate points with, Owen," Luella said, leaning forward to avoid getting smacked in the face by another low-hanging limb. "She's been adamant regarding what I can and can't say to Stanley after what I told him at our first quadrille lesson, when he had the audacity to seek me out and, instead of apologizing, told me how fine I was looking before he asked Charles to switch partners with him, that he was a sorry excuse for a gentleman. I then added that if he didn't want his nose broken again, he'd stay out of my way."

"Since Stanley continues watching you throughout every quadrille lesson, and I did see him say something to you a few days ago when everyone was taking a dancing break, I'm thinking he's determined to change your mind about you wanting him to stay away."

"Stanley can watch me all he wants, but even though he finally mustered up a halfhearted apology a few days ago, saying something about he was sorry we'd suffered a misunderstanding and that he really wanted us to become good friends again, he then demanded I apologize for breaking his nose, which really isn't how I think apologizing is supposed to work."

"Did you apologize?"

"Since I knew I'd suffer a lecture from Camilla if I didn't, yes, but in all honesty, I don't feel sorry for breaking his nose at all, something I've been feeling guilty about. That's why I sought out an audience with Reverend William Braun after church services this past Sunday."

Owen reined to a stop, waited for Luella to do the same, then caught his sister's eye. "What did Reverend Braun say about all that?"

"He told me that because I'm only human, my response toward Stanley was understandable since Stanley had treated me cruelly, and that I probably didn't feel guilty for breaking Stanley's nose because Stanley hadn't lent me the impression he's all that sorry for hurting me. However, Reverend Braun did suggest I truly consider forgiving Stanley whether he was sincere or not because holding on to animosity isn't how one should go about living their life."

Owen frowned. "Does Reverend Braun think you should resume your friendship with Stanley?"

"Not at all. He said that even if I were to forgive Stanley, that it's really my decision whether I want to spend time with him, no matter if Stanley wants to resume our friendship or not." Luella gave her horse a pat. "Reverend Braun believes that there are times we need to accept the consequences of our bad behavior, and in this case, Stanley needs to understand that because he hurt me, that it's solely my decision whether to salvage an old friendship or just deem him a past acquaintance and leave it at that."

"So you don't want to renew your friendship?"

"Perhaps in time I may consider it, but Stanley didn't hesitate to abandon me. And while I understand that Ada Mae encouraged him to do that, done so to get back at Mother because of her refusal to entertain a match between you and Sally—and allow me to say I thought it was very well done of you to apologize to Sally for that nasty business after Camilla told you what Mother had done—it was still Stanley's decision in the end to turn his back on our friendship. After speaking with Reverend Braun, I've come to realize that forgiveness is expected, but it's perfectly acceptable to decide who I want to include in my life and who I don't."

"I've noticed you're spending time with Martha Wellington and Clarice Colleens even though they conspired together to embarrass you at McGovern Pond."

"I decided I want those ladies to remain in my life, as they gave me sincere apologies. Martha even cried and told me what an idiot she'd been for setting her sights on Stanley after she learned I was no longer in the picture. Since we were all very good friends at one time, until everyone got swept up into the we-should-be-mean-to-Luella nonsense, I decided to let bygones be bygones." Luella smiled. "Camilla claims she's often seen similar circumstances happen within the Four Hundred and believes it's due to what she calls a group mentality—that people convince themselves their unkind behavior is acceptable because everyone else is doing it. And while that doesn't excuse Martha and Clarice's poor behavior toward me, they've been going out of their way to make amends, and, well, it would be churlish of me to not rekindle those past friendships. Besides, not that I would have admitted this after I found myself ostracized from everyone, but I missed mingling with friends."

A sigh escaped Owen as he kneed George into motion because . . . Camilla had been right all along in that he'd not really known his sister much at all, or at least not the young lady she'd become.

He'd been so focused on the unpleasant disposition she'd displayed from almost the moment their parents left for Paris that he'd never taken the time to contemplate what was behind all that unpleasantness. Camilla hadn't hesitated to point that out to him as they'd traveled from New York to Wheeling, and then had been pointing out all sorts of things about Luella ever since she'd become acquainted with his sister, such as Luella's interest in interior decorating, horticulture, and most surprising of all—fashion.

Luella had evidently never been opposed to fashion, merely opposed to bows and lace, and after having Camilla encourage her to embrace her own sense of style, she'd taken everyone in the family aback when she'd begun looking as if she'd stepped out of a fashion magazine on any given day, something that even Aunt Elma had noticed and, oddly enough, seemed to approve of.

"Why in the world is Meemaw dashing across her front lawn with her rifle in hand?" Luella asked, snapping Owen out of his musings as he glanced around, his gaze settling on Meemaw, who was indeed rushing across the lawn with her rifle.

"Something's wrong," he said before he kneed George into a gallop and took off toward Meemaw.

"Camilla's chasing a bear that's after Gladys. She's heading up the hill into the woods," Meemaw shouted when she caught sight of him.

A second later, Owen had George racing up the hill, urging him faster once they crested it and he saw Camilla standing in a clearing, aiming one of Meemaw's rifles at a bear that was in the process of advancing on Gladys, who was backed up against a tree.

Cleo and Calamity were circling the bear but keeping their distance, as El Cid slunk around the tree, coming to stand in front of Gladys, where the cat immediately took to arching its back and hissing.

"I don't want to shoot you, Teddy, but you're not leaving me many options here," Camilla yelled right as the bear reared up on its hind legs and let out a roar.

A blast resounded a second later, sending a flock of birds zooming out of the tree Gladys was under as Camilla stumbled backward, apparently from the recoil, right before she lost her balance and fell to the ground.

His heart missed a beat when the bear abandoned its interest in Gladys, dropped to all fours, and charged Camilla's way.

His Colt Dragoon was in his hand a second later. He aimed for a spot a foot in front of the bear and pulled the trigger, dirt flying in front of the bear as the blast echoed around the clearing. A roar was the bear's only response before it did an about-face and bounded off into the tree line.

A blink of an eye later, Owen was swinging from George and breaking into a run, reaching Camilla as she pushed herself to her feet. She took one look at him, then took him by complete surprise when she launched herself straight into his arms.