A Worthy Suitor

by Jennifer AlLee

  The next morning, when Gwen and Matilda came down for breakfast, Matilda was done up in a lovely white day dress with layers of lace, an heirloom choker of pearls circling her neck. Matilda had told Gwen she was more than happy to assist in misdirecting Charles. Looking at her now, Gwen knew that any man would be crazy not to want her on his arm. Gwen, on the other hand, was wearing a plain cotton frock, slightly faded from its original dark blue after many washings, but perfect for a morning of nature observations.

  Charles and their parents were already seated when the sisters entered the room. Charles stood as they approached.

  “Good morning, Gwen. Miss Matilda.”

  “Good morning, Charles,” Matilda answered.

  Gwen simply nodded, then moved to the sideboard to fill her plate. “I hope the food hasn’t grown cold while you were waiting for us.”

  “Heavens no.” Mother waved her hand carelessly. “Cook only just set it out.”

  Father cleared his throat. “Yes, but let’s say grace so we can eat before it does.”

  Matilda reached the table first, standing behind the chair to Charles’s right. He pulled it out for her to sit, and as he did so, Gwen quickly seated herself in the chair to his left. She answered Father’s frown with a sweet smile, then bowed her head and clasped her hands, as did the others.

  Father began to pray. “Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.” The rest of the table joined in on the final word together.

  Mother picked up a silver toast rack and took a piece. “What do you young people have planned for today?”

  Gwen pointed to her bodice. “As you can probably tell from my attire, I’m taking a nature walk this morning.”

  Mother set the rack down in front of Charles, but instead of reaching for it, he looked at Gwen with confusion.

  “What, pray tell, is a nature walk?”

  After much talk with Matilda the night before, Gwen had decided the best idea was to be as truthful as possible. She smiled warmly as she took a piece of buttered toast and smeared it with strawberry jam. “Well, I walk through nature and make observations. When I come across something new, I note it in my field journal.”

  “Your field journal.”

  Gwen had to bite down on the inside of her lower lip to keep from laughing. The poor man was having a hard time keeping up. “Yes. It’s a leather-bound book in which I make notations of what I find. I also draw sketches.”

  “You should see them.” Matilda piped up. “Gwen really is quite a talented artist. She puts that Audubon fellow to shame.”

  An honest rush of embarrassment forced Gwen to look down at her plate. “That’s sweet of you to say, Tilda. But Mr. Audubon is a genius. I can only aspire to be a fraction as good as he.”

  “You’re far too modest, dear.” Mother shook her head as she cut into a plump sausage link. “I’ve seen your work, and Matilda is right.”

  For a moment, Gwen was stunned into speechlessness. She’d talked to her mother on occasion about her field studies, but Gwen had never believed she was paying attention. To know that her mother actually admired what she did was a revelation.

  Apparently, it was a revelation that did nothing to impress the men at the table.

  “Gwen’s always enjoyed doodling in those books of hers.” Father gulped his coffee, then went to work cutting the ham steak on his plate. “But I expect it’s a passing fancy.”

  Charles nodded. “I should hope so, sir.”

  Gwen turned her head slowly in his direction. “Excuse me?”

  Charles had the good grace to look slightly embarrassed. “I just meant to say you’ll have more important things to spend your time on when you have a house of your own to care for. Especially when the children come.”

  “The children?” The humble warmth in Gwen’s cheeks became an indignant fire. “That is an awfully presumptuous statement to make, Mr. Drexler.”

  “Calm down, Gwendolyn.” Father leaned over and patted her hand in a dismissive manner. “Of course you’re going to marry and have children. All women do. Charles didn’t mean to imply anything else, did you, son?”

  “No, sir.” Charles snatched up his water goblet, sending some of it sloshing over the side. The faux pas only added to his discomfort, and he mumbled something that Gwen couldn’t make out.

  Gwen almost felt sorry for the man. Not quite, but almost. She leaned forward just enough to look past Charles and over at her sister. Matilda caught her eye and nodded slightly.

  “Charles, I was wondering if you might like to accompany me into town today.” Matilda laid her hand so gently on Charles’s arm that she barely wrinkled the fabric of his summer suit.

  Father looked at Matilda with a raised eyebrow. “What business do you have in town, little one?”

  “For days I’ve been thinking of the sundaes at Wren’s Ice Cream Parlor, and today I woke up knowing that I simply cannot wait any longer.” Matilda smiled in a way that couldn’t help but melt her father’s heart. “May I, Father? Please?”

  Mr. Banks tried to maintain his gruff look, but failed. “I suppose there’s no harm, as long as your sister and Charles accompany you.”

  Gwen barely avoided choking on a piece of toast. Going to town with them was not part of the plan. If she couldn’t get her father to agree, everything would be ruined. “Father, I have my heart set on spending my morning in the woods.”

  He chuckled as if amused by her foolishness. “The woods will be there tomorrow.”

  Charles nodded. “Besides, with your foot the way it is, you shouldn’t be walking through there alone.”

  Gwen was about to shoot off a strong retort when she heard her father’s slow, deep intake of breath. Mr. Banks might doubt his daughter’s ability to land a beau on her own, but he had never coddled her when it came to her physical disability. Nor did he take kindly to people who thought Gwen less than capable because of it. Without knowing it, Charles had said the very thing that would ensure she’d be allowed to do just what she wanted.

  “One thing you will learn, my boy, is that Gwen can take care of herself. She may have a limp, but she is one of the strongest people I know.” This time, when Father patted her hand, she felt warmth and sincerity. “Enjoy your trek through the woods, my dear. Charles, please escort Matilda into town and enjoy the ice cream. It really is a treat.”

  “Thank you, Father.” The sisters almost spoke in unison, bringing some much needed levity to the table.

  Gwen risked a look in Charles’s direction. With his pursed lips and furrowed brow, he had the appearance of someone who’d been sucking on a lemon. Let him wear his disapproval upon his face. Nothing was about to dampen Gwen’s spirits.

  She was now free to go on the hunt for one of Mother Nature’s more elusive and rare creatures: The Archer of Tuxedo Park.

  * * *

  Albert was quickly doubting the wisdom of leaving his cryptic note on the tree. It was gone, so someone had found it, but who? He would be mortified if a random stranger had happened upon it and decided to walk through the woods to discover who called himself “The Archer of Tuxedo Park.” But it would be even worse if Gwen had found it and chosen not to show up.

  How long had he been standing out there? It seemed like hours since he’d arrived at what he was coming to think of as “their tree.” Albert pulled the watch from his pocket and flicked the cover open.

  He’d been waiting for all of thirty minutes.

  She might have already come and, finding him not there, left. It was the one thing worse than having her not show up at all, because then she would think he was playing a joke on her. What had seemed like a clever idea yesterday was quickly beginning to feel like a recipe for disaster. “You’ve had some bad ideas in your day, Taylor,” he muttered to himself, “but this one is right up there with the worst of them.”

  A laugh sounded from the trees and a moment later, Gwen stepped into view, her leather-bou
nd journal tucked safely under her arm. “Is that a new archery strategy? Talking yourself into hitting a bull’s-eye?”

  He laughed, hoping to high heaven that she hadn’t heard what he’d said. “Whatever works to make the shot. And how about you? Is this stealth natural or does it come from much practice?”

  “Oh, it took me many, many hours of practice to develop what little stealth I have.” She pointed down to her foot. “As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m clumsy by nature.”

  “I hadn’t noticed that at all.”

  Gwen put a hand on her hip and looked at him askance. “Come now. You couldn’t possibly have missed my limp.”

  “Of course I noticed the limp, but that’s not the same as being clumsy.”

  She looked as if she was weighing her words before she spoke. “You’ll have to forgive me, Albert. I’m not used to anyone speaking so openly about my physical impairment.”

  “We all have challenges. Some are physical, some not as apparent to the eye, but they’re still there.” Albert shrugged, hoping to make her feel more at ease. “I choose my friends based on their personality and character, not on whether or not they can win at a foot race.”

  A deep laugh burst from Gwen and she put her hand flat against her stomach. “Oh, dear, I’m certainly glad to hear that. Elsewise, you and I would have to part ways right now.”

  “That would be a terrible shame.” He grinned, totally besotted by the charming woman in front of him. When he realized that perhaps he was looking at her a bit too intently, he searched for something else to say. “How would I ever learn about the woodland creatures of Tuxedo Park without you as my guide?”

  Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Indeed. I should tell you, I’m not an expert by any means, but I do consider myself quite well versed in the local flora and fauna.”

  “How long have you been studying it?”

  She thought for a moment, then opened the journal and ran her finger down the first page. “This journal dates back five years, to when father bought the cottage.”

  Albert withheld his opinion that anything as grand as the homes lived in by the residents of the community couldn’t possibly be considered cottages. It wasn’t Gwen’s fault that the gentry tried to make themselves feel better about their opulence by downplaying it.

  “What sparked your interest in studying nature?”

  Gwen shook her head, almost as if she herself were surprised by her choice of hobby. “I know, it isn’t what one expects of a lady. But the first year we vacationed here, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was working my way through all the books in the library when I came across Mary Treat’s Home Studies in Nature. She said that, for the lover of birds, insects and plants, even the smallest area around a home could provide enough knowledge for a lifetime.” She stopped, suddenly looking embarrassed, and shrugged. “Something about that made sense to me. I’ve been studying ever since.”

  “I think it’s wonderful.” Albert leaned his bow and his quiver of arrows against their tree. “Madam, I am your humble student. Where shall we start?”

  As if on cue, the trill of a bird sounded overhead. Gwen pointed to the branches of a tree beside him. “We can start with this beautiful fellow.”

  He looked up to see a flash of bright yellow as the bird hopped across the branch. “Are you sure ‘fellow’ is the right term? Something that pretty must be a female.”

  She shook her head. “Oh no. In nature, the more beautiful and brightly colored animals are almost always male. Let me show you.”

  Gwen began flipping through the pages of her book and Albert drew closer as if to look over her shoulder. But as the gentle breeze brushed a strand of her hair across his cheek, and he caught the scent of lemon verbena, all he could think about was that he never expected to be standing with this remarkable woman in this beautiful, peaceful setting.

  Chapter 6

  “Which do you think? The red or the green?”

  Gwen fell back on her sister’s bed, landing on a pile of discarded dresses. “What difference does it make, Tilda? Whichever one you pick will be gorgeous, and you can wear the other to the next party.”

  “It makes a huge difference.” Matilda scowled into the full-length mirror as she held the red dress up beneath her chin. “This is the first party at the Kane house, and I want to make a good impression.”

  “Sister, you can’t help but make a good impression.”

  The compliment softened Matilda’s features a bit. “Thank you.” She returned the red dress to the bed and picked up the green satin. “I think this is the right choice. It’s lovely, but not as bold as the red. I don’t want to seem impertinent.”

  Gwen laughed. “As if you ever could. I think that’s an excellent choice.”

  “Very good. We’ve taken care of me. Now, what about you?”

  “Me?” Gwen sat up quickly. “Since I plan to spend the evening in my room with a novel, I believe my choice will be a nightdress.”

  Matilda frowned and shook her finger at Gwen. “Oh, no. You’re not going to hide away here all night. You’re going to that party with me.”

  “Tilda, you know how I feel about parties. They’re a waste of time. And they’re embarrassing.”

  “You don’t have to dance if you don’t want to. And is it a waste of time spending time with your adoring baby sister?” Matilda batted her eyes coyly and pouted.

  With a groan, Gwen tossed a silk-covered pillow at her. “You are shameless.”

  Matilda laughed. “And you’re just grumpy because you’re caught betwixt two men.”

  “Whatever do you mean? I’m not caught betwixt anybody.”

  “Oh, come now.” Matilda laid the green dress carefully across the foot of the bed. “There is Charles, the man Father has chosen for you but in whom you have no interest. And there’s Albert, the peasant archer who you can’t stop thinking about, which would make Father livid if he knew.”

  Matilda was entirely too perceptive for her own good. Of course, it wouldn’t take a great sleuth to deduce where Gwen’s heart lay, especially since she’d solicited Matilda’s help over the past week to distract Charles so she could spend time with Albert. No matter how hard she’d tried to tell herself that Albert was only her teacher and her friend, it was no good. She’d fallen for him, hard.

  “For the life of me, I don’t know why Father would think that Charles and I might be a good match.”

  “Oh, I can see it.” Matilda began hanging up dresses to return to the closet, even though one of the maids would be in soon enough to do it. “After all, he’s handsome. Charming. And he has a lovely sense of humor.”

  Sense of humor? “Are we talking about the same man? Charles Drexler? The sourpuss who eats his meals here and goes on and on about business and politics?”

  “You just haven’t spent any time getting to know the real man.”

  Oh no. “Tilda, when I asked for your help keeping him busy, I didn’t mean for it to turn into anything else. Are you starting to have feelings for him?”

  “Feelings? Don’t be silly.” Matilda waved away the words, although the expression on her face implied that Gwen had come closer to hitting the target than she wanted to admit. “I’ve simply had a chance to get to know him better than you have, that’s all. He really is quite an interesting person. And quite a conversationalist.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He loves meeting new people. Everywhere we go, he shows such great interest in my friends. It makes them all feel quite special.”

  Odd. Gwen had never had cause to think that he was interested in anyone beyond himself. Maybe she really hadn’t given him a fair chance. Not that she had any desire to consider him as a beau, but maybe she should consider that he might be a decent person.

  Matilda came back from the closet holding a lovely beaded reticule. “At any rate, I know he’ll be disappointed if you don’t go tonight.”

  Gwen’s heart dropped. “He expects to escort me toni
ght, doesn’t he?”

  “Yes, he does.” Her voice dropped. “And so does Father.”

  Gwen sighed. They were ganging up on her. If she wanted to keep the peace and avoid an uncomfortable family scene, she would attend the party.

  But she didn’t have to like it.

  * * *

  As they walked into the Kane ballroom, it was Matilda who garnered stares of admiration. Charles wasn’t able to look away from Matilda, which irritated Gwen, though she did her best to hide it. True, she didn’t yearn for Charles’s attention, but given that her father still saw them as a match, he could at least feign interest in Gwen.

  The deep green of Matilda’s dress complimented her eyes, and the intricate design of beads encrusting the bodice and sprinkled down the front of the skirt shimmered beneath the lights from the grand chandelier. Walking off to the side with her hand resting gently atop Charles’s arm, Gwen felt almost invisible. Though it was exactly what she wanted, it still seemed to sting somehow.

  “It’s all so beautiful.” Matilda sighed as she looked around the room.

  Charles turned away from Gwen and looked down at Matilda. “May I get you some punch?” He then looked back at Gwen. “For both of you ladies, I mean.”

  Gwen barely smiled. “Yes. Thank you.”

  When Charles walked away, Gwen turned to her sister. “Perhaps we should talk to Father about letting Charles be your escort tonight.”

  Matilda looked appalled. “Gwen, no. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

  Gwen smiled at her sister. “Do what? You’re going to want to dance, and I assume Charles will want to dance. You and I both know I have no desire whatsoever to dance. It makes perfect sense.”

  It seemed to be an offer too good for her sister to pass up. Matilda worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she looked at the couples swirling on the dance floor. “I do love to dance.”

  “Then it’s settled. Father!” Gwen moved to where her father was talking to a group of gentlemen and stood at his elbow, waiting for his attention.

  After a moment he looked down at her and smiled. “Do you need to speak to me, Gwen?”