Garters.htm (39 page)

"Sure enough," Yohan stated with a nod. "Don't you worry about a thing, Esme-girl. If these city-shoed starched collars start looking antsy, I'll just take up my fiddle and have them cutting the rug in a shake."

Hugging each other and giggling, the twins quickly made their own plans. "When Pa plays them the fiddle, we can teach them how to clogg."

"Clogg?" Esme somehow couldn't imagine two northern gentlemen in fine suits stomping their heels against the floorboards.

"Sure!" Agrippa said. "And we can take them up on the mountain and show them how to pick lupin."

Adelaide nodded enthusiastically. "Maybe Agrippa and I can take them swimming down to the river," she suggested.

"
No
!" Sophrona and Esme spoke with immediate harmony.

"That kind of thing shocks folks here," Esme told her sisters. "You'd probably give these city men apoplexy!"

Sophrona nodded gravely. "It's very important," she told the twins, "to behave within the proper limits of genteel society."

"Well, that's not going to be a whole lot of fun," Adelaide protested. "These fellers ain't gonna feel welcome, they're gonna feel downright bored."

Tut-tutting lightly, Sophrona disagreed. "Ladylike behavior is never boring. Gentlemen find it fascinating."

As if her words had suddenly become flesh, a light tap was heard on the front doorframe.

"I'll get it," Mrs. Rhy said, easily pulling herself up from the chair and hurrying into the front hall.

"Well, come on in," they heard her call in welcome. "I do swear marriage must be agreeing with you. You are looking mighty fine."

"Why, thank you, ma'am." Armon Hightower's voice could be heard from the hallway.

Both twins paled and then flushed as they glanced hastily at Sophrona. Her eyes lighted with anticipation.

Armon followed Mrs. Rhy into the dining room. His smile was broad, his face relaxed, and his expression content.

"Afternoon, Mrs. Rhy," he said deferentially to Esme. "Mr. Crabb, Miss Adelaide, Miss Agrippa."

The young man's proper manners made him strangely unfamiliar and conversely unthreatening to the inhabitants of the room.

"Well, good Lord!" Yo exclaimed. "Miz Rhy's got the right of it. You look downright gratified, and talking that way, too. Marriage must agree with you."

"The right woman can change a man's whole outlook on life," Armon said easily. Then, as if suddenly realizing the unintended censure of his words, he gave an apologetic nod to the twins. "Although for certain I've been a fortunate man in all my
friendships
."

The twins appeared more confused than embarrassed, and Sophrona, sensing their disorientation, hastily stepped into the breach. "I didn't expect you to come down from the mountain to get me," Sophrona declared with pleased surprise.

The formerly arrogant young man actually blushed. "Ah, Phronie honey," he said. "I was calculating how much longer we'd have to be parted if'fen I was to let you walk home by yourself."

The pretty young redhead tittered shyly. "I do declare, Mr. Hightower," she said. "You have words that could charm the birds out of the trees."

The twins sat staring at their former sweetheart in disbelief. They couldn't have been more surprised if he'd suddenly grown a second nose right in the middle of his forehead.

"Well, I do believe that I'll go on and take my leave," Sophrona said to Esme. "I'm sure you'll do fine on your own."

"You
must
come back," Adelaide said. "We haven't learned even half of what we need to know."

"I swear," Agrippa added, "if you'll come back and give us another chance, I'll listen to every word you say."

Sophrona looked at the girls curiously and then exchanged a puzzled glance with Esme.

"Well, of course," she said. "If you want another lesson, I can come back tomorrow." She turned politely to her husband. "That is, of course, if it suits you, Mr. High-tower."

Armon's expression was that of a faithful puppy. "I could walk you here and back home," he said with unreasonable delight.

When the two had taken their leave, Esme turned questioningly to her sisters.

"What made you change your mind?" she asked. "I thought you were all ready just to be yourselves and let Cleavis be embarrassed if he must."

To the twins, the answer was obvious.

"Did you see Armon?" Agrippa asked.

"If being a lady can get a carousing man like him pulled up on a short leash," Adelaide stated, "give me ladyhood and give it to me quick!"

"Oh, he's wonderful!" Adelaide sighed blissfully as she leaned precariously out the front window.

"Yes, he's perfect!" Agrippa agreed, joining her sister to stare at the two gentlemen who were exploring the trout ponds with Cleavis.

Leaving at dawn for the train station at Russellville, Cleav had hardly had a moment to speak to the family. And after only perfunctory introductions all three men had eagerly headed out to examine the Rhy experiments in pisciculture.

"And the spectacles just add that special something," Adelaide declared dramatically.

"Spectacles?" Agrippa turned to stare at her sister. "I'm not talking about the four-eyed one," she said. "It's the handsome feller I've got my eye on."

Adelaide looked back at her sister, incredulity written across her face. "The one with the spectacles
is
the handsome one!"

Her sister laughed. "Adelaide, I'm thinking you might be needing spectacles yourself."

The argument exploded as Esme stepped into the room, amazed at her sisters' unusual bickering. "What are you two doing in here?'' she asked.

"This is the best view of the ponds," Agrippa answered, as if that explained everything.

"The ponds?" Esme put her hands sternly on her hips. "Neither of you has ever shown so much as a gnat's life of interest in the ponds. It's those two young gentlemen you're interested in, and I just won't have it."

"What do you mean, 'you won't have it'?" Agrippa questioned belligerently.

"You've been telling us to forget about Armon," Adelaide reminded her. "That gent with the glasses is the first lick of interest I've had in a man in weeks!"

"For mercy's sakes, Adelaide," Agrippa implored her sister. "I tell you the one to set your cap for is the blond."

Adelaide shook her head. "He just looks like another washed-out farmer," she told her sister. "The other fellow's got dignity."

"Dignity?" Both Agrippa and Esme found that word strange on Adelaide's lips.

"Well, it doesn't matter," Esme stated sharply. "I won't have either of you throwing yourself at these gentlemen."

"Whyever not?" Agrippa protested. "They ain't married?"

"No, they aren't," Esme admitted. "But when they do marry, they'll for sure be wanting ladies for wives," she said.

Both young women raised chins in defiance.

"I'll have you know," Agrippa said, "that Adelaide and I have been living and breathing every word that Sophrona's been telling us."

"We can act just as ladylike as any of 'em," her sister proclaimed with confidence.

"Acting like isn't
being
," Esme answered sharply. "Folks can't just change the way they are, no matter how much they want to."

"Whyever would we want to change?" Adelaide asked. "You've been telling us ever since I can remember that we was just as good as anybody else. That we've got to hold our heads up high and know that nobody can make us less in our own eyes but ourselves."

"That's right," Agrippa piped in. "You're always saying that it ain't the outside things that makes a person worthy or unworthy. It's what's in the heart and mind."

The twins gazed at their sister curiously.

Esme stood staring at the two women she had loved, and worried about, and felt responsible for since her mother's death. She had taught them to believe in themselves. Should she let her own failings tarnish their hopes?

"I'm just a little nervous," Esme hedged awkwardly. "You just be careful around them city men. I don't want either of you being talked out to a deserted barn."

Both girls giggled mischievously.

"Not unless we're doing the talking," Agrippa said. "And Pa's waiting in the barn with a shotgun!"

"We learned a wealth of knowledge from your dreadful circumstances," Adelaide added.

Esme's mouth dropped open in stunned shock, and the twins grabbed her in a three-way sister hug. Their joy and happy chatter soothed her frayed nerves and nurtured her tender feelings.

"If I don't get down there and see to those dad-gummed fish,'' she told the two,"we'll have to feed those gentlemen salt pork and poke salad!"

Esme tried desperately to get everything perfect, but the afternoon went by quickly. And perfect was not easy.

The mushrooms she'd picked the night before had gotten damp and turned a very unappetizing black. And the mussels had a peculiar odor that Esme found somewhat worrisome. The yeast rolls stubbornly refused to rise, so Esme was forced to mix up baking soda biscuits. And she could hardly glance at the "chamber pot" chafing dish without losing her own appetite.

By the time Esme finally was certain that perhaps she would have something to serve, the gentlemen had already returned to the house to dress for dinner.

Rushing upstairs, she prayed that she'd have time to whip her tired, flour-coated, sweat-stained body into shape before anyone saw her.

With all the angels in heaven watching out for her, Esme made it unnoticed to her room and hastily slipped through the door.

Before she had a moment to offer thanks for her reprieve, two strong arms came around her and Cleavis pulled her tightly into his arms.

"Cleav!" She startled at the unexpected embrace.

"You feel so good," he told her, pressing his body closely against hers. "I've been dreaming of holding you in my arms all afternoon."

Esme raised her head with surprise. "You certainly haven't." She pulled away from him and hurried to the washstand. Gazing dismally at her reflection in the mirror, she hastily poured water into the bowl and began stripping down to her chemise.

"What do you mean I haven't been dreaming of holding you?'' Cleav asked her.

Esme found a towel and turned to give her husband a tolerant grin. "You've been hoping those men would come to Vader all summer. I venture to say you haven't had a thought of anything else in a week."

Raising an eyebrow, Cleav looked at her skeptically. "I beg to differ, dear wife," he said. "I
have
been excited about finally having someone with whom to discuss trout breeding,"
he admitted. "But it's you Hillbaby, who've had nothing on your mind but this visit since the moment I told you about it."

"Well, it's very important," Esme said. She was scrubbing her face and neck now, removing every vestige of her long day in front of a hot stove.

"Important?" Cleav's expression was openly curious. "
Pleasant
is a correct word, I'd think," he said. "Even
interesting
, but
important
? This visit is not
important
."

"Well, it's not important in that sense," Esme agreed. "But it's important to you, so I want to make a good impression."