Skirting Tradition Page 16

  After what seemed to Sarah like an eternity of Amelia’s sighs of discomfort and faltering steps, they finally approached the carriage. When Sam came hurrying forward, his eyes wide with concern, Amelia dismissed him with a flick of her hand.

  “She’s fine, Sam,” Sarah assured him. “We’re going home now.”

  The men lifted Amelia into the carriage, and after the most solicitous farewells and promises of future attendance on her, finally allowed Sam to drive away.

  As soon as they had turned the corner, Amelia bounced upright on the seat and exclaimed, “Oh, Sarah, wasn’t that just perfect?”

  “No!”

  “Take us to the store,” Amelia ordered Sam. “If we hurry, we’ll just have time to buy some stockings before meeting Hayden.”

  “You can’t be serious!”

  “Of course I am. If we don’t meet Hayden, there will be questions asked that we definitely do not want to answer.”

  “But those young men will find out—”

  “Don’t be silly. They’re going to class—and dreaming of me. Perfect! Just perfect!”

  ***

  Sarah didn’t say a word at lunch, but there was no need to. Amelia chattered away nonstop about how wonderful the store was and how she and Sarah had enjoyed every single department and could hardly force themselves away from the accessories counter. She described bolt after bolt of fabric they hadn’t seen and in her best Southern belle tone implored Mr. Hayden to advise her about different dress styles she was considering for the fabrics.

  When they returned home, they found Miss Victoria seated in a wicker rocker on the verandah, a book in her lap. Amelia bounced up the front steps while Sarah dragged behind, a difference that Miss Victoria commented on. “Are you well, Sarah?” she asked. “You look quite pale.”

  “Oh, she’s fine,” Amelia answered for Sarah. “Just exhausted from roaming the aisles of Hayden’s fabulous store. Isn’t that right, Sarah?”

  When Sarah said nothing, Amelia babbled on, “We saw the most gorgeous fabrics, and I have so many ideas for new dresses. Where’s Mother? I just must talk to her.”

  “In the drawing room, writing letters.”

  “Oh good!” Amelia started toward the door but turned back. “Come with me, Sarah. This corset is just killing me; I want you to loosen it.”

  “No,” Miss Victoria countermanded. “You can unloosen your own corset. I see Lavinia, Sarah’s friend, at the gate.”

  Amelia sighed. “Well, all right,” she called back as she stalked toward the front door, “but Sarah, do remember what a grand time we had at the store.”

  Miss Victoria rose and called out to Lavinia. “How nice to see you, dear. I’m glad you were able to come on such short notice.”

  “Oh, I would have most likely been reading anyway, Mrs. Hodges.” Lavinia ducked her head and scurried up the walk. “Mother says I never get my head out of a book.”

  “A wonderful place to have your head, if you ask me. Don’t you agree, Sarah?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I’d rather be reading than anything.”

  “You and Lavinia are going to make an impressive team. I am eager to hear your report. I’m sure all the ladies are.”

  Lavinia’s head quivered in a nervous spasm. “I could just die at the thought of giving a speech to the literary society. Sarah will have to present our paper. I could never do it!”

  “Don’t worry about that now,” Miss Victoria counseled as she led the way into the main hall. “Sarah, you take Lavinia into the library, and the two of you get to work. I’ll call you for tea about four.”

  ***

  When Sarah and Lavinia emerged from the library several hours later to join the ladies for tea, all of Sarah’s concerns about Amelia had disappeared. Sarah had been lifted on the wings of Wordsworth’s poetry and thrilled to find a kindred spirit in Lavinia, who had given her the key to a new world, a place Sarah had immediately recognized as her home.

  Even the sight of Mrs. Atkins’ glare as she accepted a cup of tea from Miss Victoria and settled in one of the velvet chairs could not return her to her former misery. As Amelia chattered on about coveted fashions and Mrs. Atkins inserted her inevitable acidic remarks, Sarah continued to float on the lyrics she had been studying.

  “Lavinia, tell us about your plans for the literary presentation.” Miss Victoria attempted to turn the conversation away from fashion and to include her young guest.

  “Sarah and I plan to present William Wordsworth’s poetry,” Lavinia responded, “focusing on his unique ability to find God through nature.”

  “Find God in nature?” Mrs. Atkins snorted. “I should think the Bible would be a preferable place to look for Him.”

  Sarah leapt into the conversation to save Lavinia. “I’ll discuss ‘Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey’—if I can ever understand it, that is.”

  “Is that a poem?” Mrs. Atkins demanded. “What a peculiar title!”

  “Oh yes, ma’am.” Lavinia seemed oblivious to Mrs. Atkins’ critical tone. “It’s the definitive statement, I think, of Wordsworth’s conviction that even though our relationship to nature changes as we progress from childhood to adulthood, still it is nature that is the benevolent spirit that leads us to God.”

  “The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse, the guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul of all my moral being,” Sarah quoted. “Isn’t that beautiful?”

  “But what does it mean?” Amelia asked.

  “Nothing,” Mrs. Atkins answered. “Just so many pretty words strung together. Don’t bother yourself about such things, Amelia.”

  “I can’t agree,” Lavinia insisted, forgetting her natural timidity in the face of criticism of her beloved poetry. “Just take the phrases one by one.”

  “Or just the key words,” Sarah suggested. “The anchor, the nurse, the guide, the guardian …” The intensity of Sarah’s tone increased with every word.

  “And the soul of all my moral being,” Lavinia sang out the last phrase as she clasped her hands and raised them toward the ceiling. “Beautiful, breathtaking words.”

  “But they’re more than beautiful words,” Sarah insisted. “They give us a new vision—”

  “Really, Victoria! Is this necessary?” Mrs. Atkins turned on her elder daughter. “In my day, young ladies were not exposed to such things.”

  “Things are changing, Mother. Young ladies are discovering that they have brains and are capable of much more than previous generations ever imagined.”

  “More’s the pity! And it certainly doesn’t bode well for future generations.”

  Sarah averted her eyes from the contempt she found in Mrs. Atkins’ expression and glanced out a front window. Her heart missed a beat, she gasped, and all thoughts of poetry flew from her mind. Walter was approaching the front steps!

  Seconds later, she heard the quick rap of the knocker. Sarah popped out of her chair. “I’ll answer it!”

  “Oh, so now you’re a maid again.” Mrs. Atkins smirked. “What happened to the great female scholar?”

  “Frances or Sam will answer the door,” Miss Victoria said. “Sit down, Sarah, and drink your tea. Lavinia, may I pour you another cup?”

  Sarah strained to hear the conversation in the hall over Lavinia’s answer, but to no avail. In the end, it mattered little. Sam appeared at the drawing room door and announced that a Mr. Walter Logan desired to pay a call on Miss Amelia.

  “Who is Walter Logan?” Mrs. Atkins demanded as Amelia turned ashen. “We don’t know any Logans.”

  “Walter is my younger brother,” Lavinia answered. “Why is he here?”

  “You’ve made a mistake, Sam,” Mrs. Atkins decreed. “Mr. Logan is no doubt seeking his sister. Miss Amelia has no such acquaintance.”

  “No, ma’am. He ask for Miz Amelia.”

  “Quite impossible, Sam. Really, Victoria, why do you allow your servants to dispute their superiors?”

  Miss Victoria looked from Amelia’s blood
less face to Sarah’s anxious eyes, then calmly rose and ordered, “Show the gentleman in, Sam.”

  When Walter entered, his eyes went directly to Amelia, his face lit up with an eager smile, and he failed to see his sister.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Logan.” Miss Victoria advanced and extended her hand. “Welcome. I’m Victoria Hodges.”

  Walter barely acknowledged Miss Victoria’s existence as he shook her hand. His eyes remained fixed on Amelia.

  “You have come, no doubt, to escort your sister home,” Miss Victoria suggested.

  “Sister?” Walter finally turned his attention to Miss Victoria.

  “Your sister Lavinia?” Miss Victoria motioned toward the young lady.

  “Oh! No. What I mean is ...”

  “Is Mother ill?” Lavinia rose in alarm.

  “No. No, well, not that I know of. I’ve just come from the college. I didn’t even know you were here.”

  Mrs. Atkins scowled. “Then precisely why have you come?” she demanded.

  “To call on Miss Atkins.”

  Mrs. Atkins sat ramrod straight, eyes blazing, as Amelia shrank back into the cushions. “That’s absurd. You can’t possibly know my daughter. You do not know me. How could you know my daughter?”

  “I had the pleasure of meeting her this morning.”

  “Where?”

  “At the store.” Amelia came to life, bounced to her feet, and raced across the room. “We met at the store,” she repeated. “Didn’t we?”

  Walter froze for a second before blurting out, “Yes! And what a fortunate accident it was.”

  “Sarah and I were passing the men’s department—”

  “Why were you anywhere near the men’s department?” Mrs. Atkins demanded, then turned to Miss Victoria. “Is the men’s department on the same floor as the women’s? Surely not! I should have thought better of Hayden than that.”

  “We were lost,” Amelia explained. “Weren’t we, Sarah?”

  Sarah’s opened her mouth to protest, but Walter intercepted her. “Dreadfully lost.” He approached Mrs. Atkins. “She had lost her bearings entirely, ma’am, and was headed into an unsavory part of the store.”

  “But Mr. Logan rescued me and escorted me to women’s accessories.”

  “And we shall be forever grateful, I am sure,” Miss Victoria, obviously suppressing a smile, gravely declared. “Heaven forbid that innocent Amelia should enter the unsavory part of the store.”

  “Victoria! I insist you tell me at once.” Mrs. Atkins slapped the pillow beside her. “What does Hayden have in his store that is unsavory?”

  “Delivery!” Walter blurted out. “Yes, delivery. That area is full of rough fellows. Miss Amelia might have heard some unsavory language there.”

  “Horrors!” Miss Victoria exclaimed as she cast a cynical look at Amelia. “How can we ever thank you, Mr. Logan, for protecting Amelia’s innocence?”

  Having entirely missed the light sarcasm of Miss Victoria’s tone, Walter answered quite seriously, “I would be honored if you would allow me to call on Miss Atkins.”

  “Impossible!” Mrs. Atkins pronounced. “My daughter is practically engaged to the finest young man in Galveston. She wouldn’t think of entertaining you.”

  “Mother, please, do remember that Mr. Logan rescued me just this morning. Perhaps ...”

  Walter added, “If you would allow me to put my qualifications before you, I assure you—”

  “Do you not understand English?” Mrs. Atkins demanded. “I said ‘practically engaged.’”

  “Oh my, it’s so late!” Lavinia exclaimed as she jumped up. “I must be going. Yes, that’s it ... I must be going.” She gave her brother a hard look. “We—both of us—must be going.”

  “Actually, I’m in no rush—” Walter began.

  “You haven’t a moment to spare, I assure you.” Miss Victoria openly grinned at him. “Lavinia, I’m so glad you came and am delighted to hear that you and Sarah have made progress on your presentation. Sarah, why don’t you show your guest to the door? And take her brother with you. Not surprisingly, Sam seems to have disappeared. Who can blame him?”

  “Yes, ma’am!” Sarah leapt from her chair. “This way, please.” She began to herd Lavinia and Walter toward the hall as if neither had ever seen it before.

  When they reached the door, she hissed at Walter, “Don’t come back here! You’re going to get Amelia into trouble.” Then she turned to Lavinia. “Oh dear, Lavinia, I do want you to return. The afternoon was so perfect. I love our plans, and oh please, don’t be angry.”

  Lavinia took Sarah’s hands in hers and whispered, “I know my baby brother very well, Sarah. No doubt this fiasco is his fault. It has nothing to do with our literary pursuits. I’ll write you a note later.”

  “Amazing impertinence,” Mrs. Atkins declared as Sarah returned to the drawing room. “Whatever persuaded him that the mere courtesy of directing Amelia to Ladies Accessories gave him the right to call on her?”

  “Amazing,” Miss Victoria murmured as she searched Sarah’s face.

  “Come along, Amelia,” Mrs. Atkins commanded. “We need to rest before dressing for dinner. I trust we’re having a proper meal, Victoria?”

  “Quite proper, Mother.”

  “I said, come along, Amelia,” Mrs. Atkins called to the lingering Amelia from the doorway. “This whole incident has been just too frightful.”

  Amelia followed her mother out the door, but she cast one last pleading look at Sarah.

  When they had gone, Miss Victoria said, “I feel like a walk. You’ve been cooped up all afternoon, Sarah. Why don’t you come with me?”

  ***

  By the time they returned, Sarah had told Miss Victoria about the events of the morning. “I’m sorry,” she apologized again as they approached the gate to the house. “I kept trying to decide what to do. I thought I had time to put things right.”

  “It wasn’t your mess to fix. It was Amelia’s mess. I’m sorry to hear she’s capable of such deceit, but I confess I do understand the pressure Mother can exert. I can’t blame her for feeling trapped. I do blame her for her methods of extracting herself and especially for involving you. I shall talk to her. You can be sure of that!”

  “Perhaps it’s all over now. Believe me, I’ll never go with her to the college again.”

  “That won’t keep her from going or Walter from returning here. I suspect we’re in for more of this. The good news is that you and Lavinia had a profitable afternoon.”

  “Oh yes! She knows so much; I just wish I had her education.”

  “You will have. Give yourself some time. Remember, Lavinia is older than you, and she’s had certain advantages. I think you will be good for her.”

  “I can’t imagine how.”

  “You will be her friend, her kindred spirit, someone with whom she can share her intellectual pursuits. I gathered at the literary society meeting that she is quite passionate about her studies, and it’s a good thing. She will never marry.”

  “But she’s very pretty and from a respected family.”

  “But very shy,” Miss Victoria noted.

  “It’s kind of a strange family, isn’t it? Lavinia is shy; Walter is anything but shy; Robert Lee is—”

  “What? What is Robert Lee like?”

  Sarah blushed.

  CHAPTER 13

  Sarah spent the weekend at the farm, and when she returned to town on Monday, she paused before entering Hodges House. “I live in two different worlds now—no, three, because as long as Mrs. Atkins is here, she changes everything.” She sighed, murmured Mr. Hayden’s favorite remark, “This too shall pass,” and hurried in to help Miss Victoria.

  Much to her surprise, she found her boss on the sunporch scrubbing paint onto a large canvas.

  “Is everything all right?” she asked the scowling Mr. Hayden, who was sitting in one of the chintz-covered chairs, reading the newspaper.

  He folded the paper with a violence it clearly did not
deserve, stood, and patted her on the head. “Let’s just say the weekend was eventful and we missed you.” Kissing Miss Victoria quickly, he left the room.

  “Is he going to work already?” Sarah asked. “It’s not even eight o’clock.”

  “That’s the unfortunate result of having Mother in the house. But I will not be defeated!” Miss Victoria stabbed the brush at the canvas.

  Unsure how to respond, Sarah cracked open several windows. “Perhaps some ventilation will help. The room smells like turpentine.”

  “What you smell is anger and frustration.” Miss Victoria flung the brush down. “Oh, Sarah, what am I to do? Walter Logan showed up at church, sat behind Amelia, and annoyed Mother into a fury by leaning over Amelia to help her find the proper page in the hymnal for the processional hymn.”

  Sarah’s eyebrows shot up. “Why did he do that?”

  “Just playing the gallant, I suppose. Trying to get around Mother’s rules and be close to Amelia. Who knows? Hayden and I were a bit amused, but Mother was not. She fussed at Hayden all afternoon, insisting he talk to Walter. Hayden refused, pointing out that nothing significant had happened and that he could hardly challenge Walter to a duel for turning a few pages in a hymnal.”

  Sarah slapped her hand over her mouth to suppress a giggle. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

  “No, go ahead and laugh. The whole thing’s ridiculous!” Miss Victoria picked up her brush and plunged it into the turpentine, breaking into laughter herself. “Heaven help us! We had a hellish day yesterday because of a hymnal. Can you imagine anything more absurd?”

  “Not really.”

  Miss Victoria took a deep breath. “Well, today is going to be better. It has to be, or someone in this house is going to commit murder. The good news is that Mother is so mad she may not come downstairs all day, so you can study right here without interruption, and I can paint in peace.”

  ***

  That remark proved to be quite inaccurate. Mrs. Atkins appeared for luncheon promptly at noon, expecting a full meal, not the light repast suitable for a tray that Miss Victoria had ordered. She found Miss Victoria painting, sandwich in hand, and Sarah surrounded by a stack of books and papers with her sandwich untouched.