Cory laughed. She looked to see if Beth was offended. She laughed with her. “Your mother seems happy enough.”
“Douglas is like pie dough.” Beth wiped up some pie crust crumbs. “He needs to be molded into a finished product. Someday he’ll do great deeds. I’m sure of it. He just needs a little help achieving them.”
“And you want to be the one to help him do it,” Cory deduced. “So how do we convince Douglas he loves you?”
“He’s above such base emotions. He thinks love is a mathematical equation. One plus one equals two.” She held her thumb and index finger an inch apart. “All I’m asking for is a little romance.”
“I don’t think it’s too much to ask for a man to declare his love before he marries you.” Cory was still waiting for Tyler to say the words that would erase all the doubts about their future.
“That’s why I said no. I love him now. What if he doesn’t learn to love me after we’re married? What if it’s all one sided?” Beth shook her head. “I wonder who he’ll court next?”
“Would you take him back if he courted you?”
“I had my chance.”
“You can’t give up so easily. Tyler said Southern girls make a man propose until they do it right.”
“I doubt if Douglas will try again.”
“Weren’t you flirting with Tyler to make Douglas notice you?”
She reddened. “It didn’t work.”
“How do you know? Have you talked to Douglas?”
Beth looked around at the dirty kitchen. “I’ve been busy.”
“Well if you’re going to act like an old maid, you’ll end up one. Go out, talk to people, and make Douglas notice you.”
Beth looked at her dull work dress and dirty apron. “Maybe you’re right. The dance starts soon, and I made a new dress. Why can’t I have fun like everyone else?” She removed her apron. “Have you told him you’re not interested?”
“I’ll go find him.” She pointed at Beth. “You better be ready to mend any cracks I put in his pride when I turn him down.” She finished off a small slice of pie left in a tin and headed outside. She prayed Douglas took her rejection graciously.
She crossed Church Street and looked around the square. The beer wagon had a new crowd around it. Where was Douglas?
“You looking for me?” Tyler cleaned raspberry pie from his face with his kerchief. “I didn’t win the pie eating contest, but my lips are all sweetened up for the kiss you owe me.”
She ignored his comment as she searched the crowd. “Have you seen Douglas?”
Tyler made a sour face. “What do you want him for?”
“I want him to propose.” She saw Douglas near a tree on the corner of Mill Street. “There he is!” She dashed past Tyler. “Wish me luck.”
****
If Cory had a plan, it disappeared the minute she saw Douglas looking so vulnerable. Maybe it was the sunburn on his high forehead or the way he kept spinning his mangled hat around with his fingertips. She didn’t like hurting others, but it was cruel to lead Douglas on with no hope of loving him. A quick severance was better than letting plans unravel over time.
“I haven’t seen you all day.” Cory tapped Douglas on the shoulder with her closed fan. “Where have you been?”
“I saw you with your family and Mr. Montgomery and hesitated to intrude.”
I love him, and I don’t love you. That might be too abrupt. Cory sat on a bench under one of the shade trees planted on the edge of the square. “You were honest and forthright about your plans for the future, and I wish to talk about mine.”
Douglas sat next to her and took her hand. It was sweaty. Cory opened her fan and waved it with her free hand.
“Then you’re not angry with me?” He lowered his voice. “About the kiss?”
Cory tried not to groan and moved her fan to block her face. “You were quite forward, Mr. Raymond.”
“You make me bold.” He knelt on one knee in front of her. “I will not jeopardize your reputation by hesitating to make my intentions clear. Miss Beecher, will you marry me?”
Cory had meant to gently coax his attention toward Beth, but a harsher voice would be necessary. She glanced around and saw only a few people nearby who might witness the scene she would create. She took a deep breath and launched her attack. “Is that it?” She snatched her hand from his.
Douglas fell back. “What do you mean? I asked you to marry me?”
“Without a declaration of love?” She stood. “Get up! You didn’t even say I was pretty. When other men have proposed to me, they at least compliment me. You didn’t even do that.” She fanned herself with quick, agitated strokes.
Douglas looked stunned. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, don’t apologize!” she snapped. Douglas cowered as if she’d struck him. He looked so scared that Cory had to fight the urge to soften her words. She closed her fan and smacked it against her palm. “It’s too late. Why no self-respecting woman would say yes to such a proposal. A woman expects flowers, flattery, and a declaration of love from the man she marries. In fact, I don’t think you love me at all. I believe you’re still in love with someone else.”
Douglas shook his head. “No, that isn’t true.”
Cory raised her voice not only in volume but to an annoyingly high pitch. “Don’t lie to me, Mr. Raymond. I won’t be trifled with. I saw how you looked at Beth Davis when we were having supper the other night,” Cory accused. “You couldn’t take your eyes off of her. You still have feelings for her, don’t you?”
“I have the highest regard for Miss Davis but…”
“Don’t say another word.” Cory emphasized the words with a slap of her closed fan on his shoulder. “I could never take second place in a man’s heart.”
“But she turned me down when I proposed.”
“Proposed?” she gasped. “If you asked Beth to marry you the way you proposed to me, it’s no wonder she turned you down.” Cory lifted her chin. “No woman accepts a proposal of marriage with such callous calculation.” She softened her voice. “You should tell Beth how you truly feel about her and demonstrate your affection with words and deeds if you want her to accept a second proposal.”
Douglas looked confused. “Mr. Montgomery said something about Southern women not accepting the first time, but I thought Northern women were more practical.”
“A woman has pride,” she explained. “Not the same pride as a man. She has no career or is equal in education as a man, but she takes pride in little tasks. It could be the way she embroiders or the flaky crust on her pie. A woman cherishes these accomplishments. They make her life of hard work and drudgery bearable. Beth is an excellent cook, but did anyone compliment her on her pie crust but her father? Did you know she cut nearly all the pies for the contest on the square? She could easily handle the cooking and cleaning for a dozen men.”
Cory paused to make sure he comprehended the implication of her last words. “Those are skills overlooked by most. Skills a husband should cherish. A romantic like Beth longs for words of affection and kindness, and she expects them from a man who proposes marriage.”
“But to propose to the same woman twice doesn’t seem to increase the probability of acceptance,” Douglas said. “It’s illogical mathematically. The answer is either right or wrong. It doesn’t change the outcome by doing the problem over and over again.”
“But Beth isn’t a mathematical problem.” How could one man be so obtuse? “She’s a woman. She admitted she admires Jane Austen. She wants romance. Even Mr. Darcy had to ask Elizabeth to marry him a second time. I’m sure if you asked Beth, after a proper declaration of love, she would be tempted to accept your proposal.”
“I don’t think I could ask her again,” Douglas said. “What about my pride?”
“Mr. Darcy swallowed his pride,” Cory reminded him. “Any humbling on your part would be replaced by the proud announcement of your impending marriage.”
Douglas thought on her words. Cory w
as growing impatient. What did she have to do to convince the man to court Beth?
“You said a woman wouldn’t accept the first time. Is that why you turned me down?”
Good Lord. She was caught by her own words. She had given him hope instead of making it clear she had no interest in him. “I said no because I’m in love with another,” she confessed honestly.
Douglas was shocked by her words. “Who?”
“Why, the man I’ve spent the entire day with, Tyler Montgomery.” She raised her fan to mask her face. “I know we haven’t known each other for long, but he has all the qualities I admire.”
“But he spent the entire evening paying attention to Beth,” Douglas recalled.
Cory lowered her voice to a whisper. “She was flirting with him to make you jealous.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Because she still has feelings for you.”
Douglas looked surprised. “I guess I should go and propose to Beth.”
“You can’t do that!” Cory shouted.
He cringed under her outburst. “Why not?”
Cory rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you heard anything I’ve said about romance? You need to court her. Win her affection. Show how much you care. But first, you should ask permission to escort her to the dance.”
“But wouldn’t that be wasting time? I know the solution to the problem. I should act immediately.”
“A woman doesn’t like to be rushed.”
“But I wish to be married before fall term begins,” he said. “I don’t want to waste any more time.”
He was complaining about wasting time. Cory tried a new tactic. “But a dance accelerates your schedule,” she reasoned. “It’s the perfect opportunity to begin anew and show her how you feel, and it’s a public declaration of your intentions.” She put it in terms he would understand. “Dancing with Beth is equal to three Sunday visits.”
“Three visits,” he repeated. “Do you think she’ll go to the dance with me?”
“All you have to do is ask,” she prodded.
Douglas thought for what seemed like an eternity. “I’ll do it.”
Cory sighed when Douglas headed for the church. “Now he’s your problem, Beth.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cory crossed the square a safe distance from Douglas. She spied Beth coming out of the church in a pale pink ball gown and realized the dance would begin soon. Douglas wasted no time approaching Beth. She watched as they talked. He dropped his hat and picked it up. Beth nodded at his endless monologue. When he stopped talking, Beth smiled at him in the way women have smiled at men since Eve.
Cory looked for Tyler. Where was he? He hadn’t requested permission to escort her to the dance, and now she wished she had paid more attention to her own love life. She headed for the family wagon to retrieve her dress. She met Jem and Cole carrying their dress boxes.
Cole glanced at the Town Hall and paced back and forth. “Do you want us to wait for you?”
It was Cole’s first dance. Cory sympathized with her impatience. “Go ahead. I’ll be along in a minute.” Cory found her dress box jammed under one of the bench seats in the family wagon. She leaned over to retrieve it.
“Do you need some help?”
The box came loose suddenly, and Cory stumbled backwards. Edward jumped up on the wagon wheel hub to steady her. “Careful, Miss Beecher.”
She regained her composure. “Thank you, Mr. Vandal.”
“May I?” He offered his hand to help her down.
She jumped with the box in her hands. “Have you seen Tyler?”
“Yes.” He smiled. “I must compliment you, Miss Beecher.”
He was happy about something. “Why?”
“I have tried for years to humble Tyler Montgomery, and your small, delicate hand has accomplished what my fist could not.”
Cory shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Women never admit the power they have over a man. Men certainly don’t want to admit it. But take my wife, Regina. She’s a delicate creature whose vulnerability makes me strive to protect her and solve all her problems.”
Cory frowned. “Women don’t want a man to solve their problems.”
“But you seemed so distressed over them.”
“We enjoy our emotions too much to have them dismissed with a solution.” Cory smiled as she thought of Douglas and his logic. “All we want from a man is an understanding ear and comforting arms. We’re not afraid of the hurt. We’re afraid you don’t care we’re hurting.”
Edward frowned. “Do you think Regina sent Tess away?”
“It probably hurt to see Adam with Tess,” Cory said. “Taking her back won’t solve the problem. But your return could. You’ve been gone a long time.”
“I didn’t mean to abandon her, but I didn’t know how to deal with the grief. He was my son, too.”
“Don’t let it tear you apart.” She paused. “Permanently.”
“Well, Tyler looks like you’ve torn him apart.”
Cory was baffled. “Me? I’ve done nothing.”
“Come, Miss Beecher. The man is a train wreck. I’ve never seen him so despondent. I’m confident you’re right. He doesn’t love Regina. He has never been this broken.”
Cory narrowed her eyes. “And you blame me?”
“He kept babbling about losing you to Douglas.”
Cory digested this piece of news and laughed.
“You think marrying another man is funny?” He gloated. “I almost pity Tyler.”
His cruel side was showing. “I’m not marrying Douglas. I turned him down so he could propose to Beth. Tyler must have misunderstood.”
He frowned. “I suppose you’ll have to set him straight.”
“I would never hurt someone on purpose or lie about them.”
“Do you think I lied about Tyler?”
“I meant Noah. You printed those fliers claiming he was your runaway slave.”
“I only wanted to find him to find Tess,” Edward defended.
“Your men beat him.”
“He needed some persuasion.”
“That’s barbaric.”
“Northerners don’t understand the need for slavery.”
“Maintaining your wealth at the expense of others’ freedom and happiness is wrong,” she said. “You must not be a good businessman if your fortune depends on the return of one woman and a little baby.”
“It’s not about money,” he said. “It’s about respect. She needs to be taught her place.”
Tyler had warned her Edward would teach Tess a lesson and use it as an example to other slaves. Cory saw the hardness in his face and feared Tyler had been right about Edward all along. He could be cruel without conscience and had no regrets about hurting others whether it was Tyler by revealing his mother was the town whore or by whipping Tess for running away. She wanted to get away from him. “Do you know where I can find Tyler?”
Edward sneered. “He’s drowning his sorrows at the beer wagon.”
Cory heard the sound of musicians tuning their instruments through the open church doors as she headed to the square. Jess, Cass, and Jules played with a puppy on the blanket her family had occupied earlier. Adelaide watched them from her seat on the church bench. “The ladies are changing at the Town Hall.”
Cory headed toward the beer wagon.
“Where are you going?” Adelaide asked.
She turned. “Tyler is at the beer wagon. He thinks I’m marrying Douglas.”
“Douglas proposed?”
Cory was impatient to talk with Tyler. “Yes.”
“You’re marrying Douglas?”
“Who’s Douglas?” Jess asked.
“I thought you liked Tyler,” Cass said.
“I like Tyler,” Jules said.
“I am not marrying Douglas.” Cory announced to squelch all the remarks.
“Thank goodness,” Adelaide said. “I didn’t think you’d ever realize
he was all wrong for you.”
“I wanted Douglas to propose so I could turn him down, but Tyler misunderstood. Now I don’t have an escort to the dance.”
Jess jumped up. “I’ll fetch him!”
“We’ll all go!” Cass grabbed Jules hand.
“Sometimes it’s good to have little sisters,” Adelaide said.
“It’ll give me a chance to change into my gown.” She turned to Jess. “Ask him to meet me outside the Town Hall.”
“Are you going to yell at him?”
“I’m going to yell at you if he doesn’t show.” Cory watched her sisters run across the square followed by the puppy. She carried her dress box to the Town Hall.
The sandstone building faced the church on the opposite end of the town square. The double doors opened to a small foyer and the main room beyond. A narrow staircase led to the second floor where the offices were located.
Most of ladies were dressed and putting on the final touches to their hair or accessories when Cory joined them. She searched for her sisters and saw Beth helping them in a corner of the room. Her pink gown had a full ruffle across the bodice and was gathered in several tiers for the skirt.
“Beth, your dress is lovely.” Cory put her box down on the floor next to her sisters’ boxes and began untying the string.
“I want to look my best.” She giggled. “Mr. Raymond is escorting me.”
“That’s wonderful!” Cory silenced any questions from Jem with a slight shake of her head. She had confided her hopes for a match with Douglas to her sister only last Sunday in church.
Beth stared at her reflection in a full length mirror someone had placed in the center of the room. “I wish my hair had some curl like yours. I can’t do anything with it.”
“There are some lovely ways to wear straight hair.” Cory turned to Jem. “How should Beth wear her hair?”
Jem studied her face. “I think it needs to be up and draw attention to her eyes. You have lovely eyes, Beth.”
“Let’s pull it back and braid the length in loops near the back,” Cory suggested. “We can pull some strands to frame her face.”
Impending Love and War Page 21