Realization struck Hestia. Realization she didn’t want to contemplate. “What? What do you mean, her condition?”
Hestia took all the information and thought about what it meant—to Selene, to their family. No. It couldn’t be. Her beautiful cousin, the cousin who could say the world was her oyster, couldn’t be in a family way. She chastised herself for not seeing the signs. What kind of nurse would she be if she couldn’t diagnose something so obvious? Then again, she hadn’t suspected her own unwed cousin to be in such a predicament.
“Mercy! Are you implying what I think you are, Louisa? That your niece is...is... I won’t say it.” Miss Olive studied Selene as though she were seeing her for the first time. “I might have figured you were a bit plump in the belly for someone your age. Well, living like a floozy, I might have known that might have been the reason for your visit.”
“Aunt Louisa!” Selene blanched. “Why did you choose this moment to tell the world about me? About my position?”
“Because Hestia lives here and Olive drops in all the time. In fact, we may need your help, Olive.”
“Of course.”
“But Hestia—” Selene protested.
“You can trust me.” To demonstrate, Hestia made her way over to her cousin and placed her arm around her shoulders.
“Everyone close to us will know sooner or later.” Aunt Louisa blew out a resigned sigh.
“I’ll say people will know sooner or later.” Miss Olive studied Selene. She withstood the rude scrutiny bravely. Hestia wished she could shake the neighbor for her inconsiderate behavior. “I highly disapprove.”
“I don’t approve of Selene’s former behavior either, Olive,” Aunt Louisa snapped, “but I will not allow you to insult a member of my family right here under my roof. She has learned her lesson, and my niece by marriage in Georgia has agreed to take the baby. Not that she needs another mouth to feed with four of her own, but she has a generous spirit, and my brother has offered to give her a good sum of money to get them started.”
“That’s a comfort.” Miss Olive studied the unwed mother. “Isn’t it, Selene?”
“I—I suppose.”
“I didn’t mean to tell you in such an abrupt manner”—Aunt Louisa’s tone softened—“but since you stop by so often, it’s just as well for you to know now, anyway. But I do hope for the sake of our friendship that you won’t disgrace us by gossiping all over town. Selene has a hard row to hoe ahead of her, and she doesn’t need more problems, even the disapproval of strangers.”
“I might not be as offended if you had trusted me from the start.” Miss Olive huffed. “Exhaustion, indeed. You didn’t have to lie.”
“I didn’t lie. She is exhausted. Wouldn’t you be if you were in her shoes? I’d planned to tell you soon. You have to take my word for it.”
Witnessing the exchange, Hestia didn’t know how to respond. If anyone should have known sooner, Hestia was that person. Why hadn’t her aunt confided in her?
“This is all very sudden.” Miss Olive shook her head.
“I didn’t know until my brother asked me to accept Selene as my charge for the next few months.”
“How could he, knowing you’re bedridden?” Miss Olive placed a hand on her bony hip.
“He knew my condition wasn’t permanent. And pardon me for saying so, Selene, but your father has always possessed a selfish streak.”
“I—I know.” Selene studied dark brown swirls in the varnished Carolina pine floor.
Aunt Louisa let out a tired sigh. “I think we’d better call it a day, Olive. Thank you for the cake. Why don’t you drop in tomorrow morning for a splash of lemonade? We can talk more then.”
Miss Olive nodded with the eagerness of someone invited to a social event sure to be covered in The Hickory Daily Record.
Selene held steady until Miss Olive exited out the back door. “Oh, I feel so terrible! Excuse me.” Selene rushed to the room she shared with Hestia.
“Now look what’s happened. She’s all upset.” Aunt Louisa crossed her arms. “I love Olive dearly, but sometimes she can be judgmental.” She sighed. “I’m glad you’re here, Hestia. Selene did not lead the type of life the Lord wants for a maiden, but there is hope for her future. She needs you now. She looks up to you, you know.”
“Looks up to me?” Hestia chuckled. “That can’t be possible.”
“Oh, it is. She admires you very much. I wish you were staying with us longer. She’s a handful, even for this old hen.”
Not knowing what else to do, Hestia thought it best for her to see Selene. She wanted time to sort out her own shock and emotions, but at the moment, thinking of Selene seemed to be more important. Maybe she could smooth over her cousin’s feelings. With a careful motion, she opened the bedroom and tiptoed inside. Selene lay on her bed on top of the covers despite the chill in the room, which had been shut off from the rest of the house all day. “Selene?”
“Twenty-three skidoo, kiddo. I don’t want to talk.” She turned away from Hestia.
“I’m sorry Miss Olive embarrassed you.” Hestia shut the door behind her and drew closer to Selene.
“I said, twenty-three skidoo. Even a rube should know that means to dry up and skedaddle.”
“This is the room I share with you, so you can’t force me to leave.” Hestia tried a bit of humor. Selene rewarded her with a glare. “Sorry about that. Besides, I’m going back home soon, so you won’t have to put up with me much longer.”
“That’s just it. You never needed to know.”
“Or did I?” Hestia made her way to the bed and sat at Selene’s feet. “I know we’re nothing alike, but that doesn’t mean we can’t love and support each other.”
She sat up. “Oh, fine. The cat’s out of the bag now and so I guess we have to talk sometime. And just so you know, I don’t blame you for being mad about no one telling you. If it makes you feel better, nobody told me you’d be here and I wasn’t ready to share my news.” The look she sent Hestia was pleading. “I—I thought it wouldn’t be so bad being here with Aunt Louisa, but now that I’ve been here a few days, I’m not so sure I can take living alone with her until spring.”
“I don’t see that you have much choice.”
“Or maybe I do have a choice.” Selene leaned toward her and took both of her hands. “What would happen if you stayed until spring, cousin dear?”
What would happen indeed? The thought left Hestia in turmoil. On the one hand, more time would give her a chance to know Booth better. On the other, she missed her friends in Haw River. She didn’t want to be a coward and not return to face Luther. He had wronged her, not the other way around. She had no reason not to hold her head up and face everyone. Then again, Booth lived in Maiden and had no reason to leave. Once she left Maiden, she’d likely never see him again.
“You know something?” Selene continued, obviously sensing her hesitation, “I didn’t want to come here, but there was no one else. Except you. At first I thought Father would send me to your house, but then Uncle Milton said you were suffering from a broken engagement and you would be going away yourself. I had no idea he meant you’d be visiting Maiden.”
“Seems as though we could both use a friend.”
“I don’t want you to feel sorry for me or to judge me.”
“I won’t. I wish things had been different for you.”
“Me, too. I really hate this place—and how Aunt Louisa keeps me shut in like I’ve got typhoid. I’m in a family way, but it’s not contagious. Is it?”
Hestia laughed in spite of herself. “Knowing Aunt Louisa, she’s liable to say it’s contagious because you caught it at a hooch party. But I understand how you feel. I get to go to church and socialize outside the house some, but even I’m closed in compared to my life in Haw River. I had a wonderful group of friends there I’d known for years and was invited to many more events than I am here.”
“Like what? I can’t imagine anything fun like hooch parties or shimmy dancing goin
g on in Haw River.”
“If such things do go on, I’m not invited,” Hestia admitted. “But I do know about lots of fun things. We had picnics, holiday celebrations, church suppers, talent shows, dinners, and games at each others’ houses. Things like that.”
“Oh, we have all that, too, only most of our celebrations are more sophisticated than yours, I’d guess.”
Selene didn’t have many brags, so Hestia didn’t protest. “I imagine there’s plenty to do right here in Maiden.”
“I just wish I could get out of the house.” Selene looked outdoors, to the world beyond, with longing. “The people around here must really be closed-minded if all they can do is gossip and wonder about me.”
“I wouldn’t say that. This may be a small town, but the people here care about each other.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it. So far, they haven’t proved it by me.”
Sitting at a table in the mill’s break room where he ate lunch with his coworkers, Booth remembered he’d been promised a slice of apple pie later that afternoon. At first it had been obvious Selene wanted him to enjoy the pie, but when she set her eyes on Artie, all that changed. Had Booth been a womanizer, he’d have been insulted and competed with Artie for Selene’s attentions whether or not he cared about her. Instead, he felt happy for Artie. His friend needed female companionship, and Selene, with her bubbling personality, might just be the woman to draw him out of his shell.
Still, Selene’s flightiness left him feeling uneasy. First she seemed to like him but then Artie. What would happen when the next man came along? Would she set her sights on him, too? If Artie were tossed aside, Booth wondered if he would ever recover. He said a silent prayer for Artie and Selene. And one for beautiful Hestia, for good measure.
“Hey, aren’t you listening?” Eric poked him in the ribs. “It’s your turn to say grace. My stew’s getting cold.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Bowing his head, Booth complied with a quiet and reverent prayer. Afterward the four men dug in to their food and chatted.
“Say, fellows, I thought we were supposed to get up a basketball game after work since it’s sunny.” Eric nudged Booth. “You’ve got plenty to live down after that last game.”
“Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry. I’ll have to beg off today. Maybe Saturday afternoon, unless it’s too cold.”
“There goes any chance of us winning.” Dan’s compliment heartened Booth. “But Miss Louisa must be feeling better if she’s baking. I reckon it would be wrong to disappoint her.”
“I think Miss Louisa’s feeling better every day, but she’s not the one baking.” Booth pictured a little blond rolling pie dough. “Selene is.”
“Selene?” Eric shifted in his seat.
“Yes, her other niece. I told you she’s there, too.” A pleasing image of Hestia floated into Booth’s mind. “And just in case you get any ideas, I think she’s got her eye on Artie here.” His tone told of a jest, but he really did want to keep the field clear for Artie.
“Aw, shucks.” Artie almost blushed. “You’re making me out to be quite a ladies’ man, but that’s hardly so.”
“Don’t kid yourself.” Dan pointed his empty fork at Artie. “You could have your pick of any number of ladies.”
“This is a bold one. He’ll have his hands full if he chooses this one.” Booth meant what he said even though he kept his banter light.
“You can say that again.” Eric tapped his plate once with his fork.
Booth twisted his lips. “What do you mean? Do you know Selene? I don’t see how, since Miss Louisa keeps her hidden away like she’s Rapunzel or something.”
“‘Or something’ is right, according to Aunt Olive.” Eric rolled his eyes at his friend. “Don’t you ever talk to Aunt Olive? She lives so close to you, and she’s at Miss Louisa’s all the time.”
“I know. They’ve been best friends for decades. But she doesn’t talk to me especially. So I’m not in on what you mean.” Booth set down his fork. “Spill the beans.”
“Well, I’m not really supposed to say anything. She was actually talking to my sister, warning her not to take the same path, and I overheard. You know how Aunt Olive likes to lecture. Anyway, when she realized I’d overheard, she said to keep quiet.” Eric concentrated on stirring his coffee. “So I really should.”
“Not if it’s something important. This could affect Artie,” Booth objected.
“I don’t know….”
“You might as well tell us.” Dan stopped eating and primed himself to listen. “You’ve already said too much.”
“No, I haven’t.” Eric stirred the coffee to the point it appeared to be a creamy tornado. “If I had, then you’d be able to guess.”
Booth was starting to worry. “Miss Louisa said she’s visiting to recover from exhaustion.”
“Oh, I’m sure she’s tired. If she’d gone home to sleep earlier a few months ago, she wouldn’t be so tired now.” Eric didn’t look at them but tapped his spoon on the side of his cup. “And she wouldn’t be here in Maiden.”
“So she was a party girl,” Artie scoffed. “You can look at her and tell that. She’s from New York. I’ll bet almost every girl up there is like that. Besides, I like blond hair.”
“Then you have a wild side we haven’t ever seen.” Dan wore a half-smile and shook his head.
Booth didn’t care about Artie’s wild side. Defending Hestia’s cousin interested him more. “She won’t have that blond hair for long. Miss Louisa’s forbidden her to dye it again. And she loves to wear lots of face paint. I’ve seen her with it.”
“Is that so?” Eric took a swig of coffee.
“What does it look like?” Artie leaned in.
Booth shrugged. “She looked pretty. I think she looks better without it, but I doubt she thinks so.”
“If she’s the way you describe, I can see why Aunt Olive was fussing at my sister.” Eric leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. “Now that I think about it, I might just go home and lecture her myself.”
“I think I finally get it.” Booth felt foolish for being so slow. “Selene’s parents sent her here to get her away from a group of flappers that want to have parties every night. Maybe they want her to settle down and study. But she doesn’t seem like the bookworm type to me.”
“I don’t think she is, either,” Artie agreed.
“I’m sure they want to get her away from her friends in New York, if they’re as wild as you seem to think they are.” Eric swirled the coffee in his cup. “I hate to break it to you, but to hear Aunt Olive tell it, it’s worse than that. Much worse.”
Booth wanted to get to the bottom of the secret right away. The men huddled as much as they could around a table. Booth made sure to speak in a conspiratorial volume. “How do you mean, worse?”
“I told you, I’m not supposed to tell.”
“Then I’ll guess. It’s that important.” Since Eric’s love of spreading news rivaled his aunt’s, Booth had no doubt they’d soon know the secret. “Okay, first guess. Her father wants to get her away from a certain beau.”
“You could say that, but I’d think in this case the beau wants nothing to do with her.” Eric looked from side to side and then back at them. “How would you say she looks? Like she’s gained a little weight?”
Booth froze, and he felt Artie tense, as well. “I—I haven’t seen her in quite some time. Not since she was a girl, and Artie’s never met her before now. So I really can’t say if she’s gained any weight recently.” Still, he pictured Selene and recalled noticing that she wasn’t as thin as a stylish flapper preferred.
“And does she feel sick every morning?” Eric’s mouth turned down in a sad line.
“Sick? I remember my sister feeling sick when she was…” Dan’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t be saying Miss Louisa’s niece is in a family way. Not as nice as her people are.”
Booth’s gut tightened. “Yes, especially Hestia.”
“We know you like
Hestia,” Artie managed to quip.
Ignoring Artie, Booth set his gaze on Eric. “Is this true about Selene?” Booth felt rage pulse through his veins. “Is that what you’re telling us?” In his passion, his voice had risen more than was prudent. A couple of girls from the typing pool stared then looked away and giggled.
Eric nodded but kept his voice low. “I wish I weren’t, but Aunt Olive seems to think it’s true. She might be the biggest gossip in town, but she does try not to spread falsehoods.”
Booth thought about Selene. From all appearances, before arriving in Maiden she had lived a fast life in New York. Hestia had mentioned that Selene had been reared in wealth but her mother had died long ago. He had also gotten the impression that Selene’s father was preoccupied with business and spoiled Selene with money while giving his affections to mistresses. If Hestia spoke with accuracy, and he had no reason to believe she didn’t, then it wouldn’t be impossible for Selene to be in a family way.
Poor Miss Louisa! She had such a superb reputation, and now this? To be asked to take in a wayward niece, and when she was mending from illness at that. No wonder she sent for Hestia.
He felt shattered. Selene, the glamorous girl he had admired for so long, who flirted with him so boldly, was in a family way? Before marriage? Even worse, everyone in town seemed to know about the scandal. And thanks to his insistence that Eric share with them at the table, Dan and Artie knew, too.
Remorse filled him. “Listen, fellows, please don’t say anything about this to anybody else.”
Eric chuckled. “You were the one who forced me to make you guess until you figured it out for yourself.”
“I know, and I’m sorry about that. I’m a dunce. But you’re talking about my friends here, people I’ve known for years, and I think that gives me the right not to be kept in the dark. I’m not just an outsider looking for news to spread around town.”
Love Finds You in Maiden, North Carolina Page 9