by Bree Cariad
“We’ll let you get back to dinner,” Alex said, taking a step backward. “Have a good evening.” The two of them walked away before Kathy turned back to her dad and lowered her voice.
“What’s with the town? Everyone talks so strangely. Courting? What is it, the eighteen hundreds?”
His lips quirked, but he shrugged. “In ways it is the same as we believe, honey. It’s just that they put a firmer emphasis on traditional values. And from what I’ve heard, the courting thing works pretty well.”
Rolling her eyes, she grabbed a couple more fries. “Courting. Why don’t they just call it what it is? Dating.”
He leaned in as if to say something when someone else walked up to their table. “Gerry, good to see you out tonight.” Looking up Kathy spotted another man her father’s age with short black hair, wrinkled, deeply tan skin, and the look of a man who had spent most of his life out of doors.
“You too, Kevin. Kathy, this is Kevin Staplefield. He owns a cattle ranch a few miles out of town. Kevin, this is my daughter Kathryn.” Her father had now introduced her twice by her given name, which was strange. Usually he would just introduce her by her nickname. It just added to the oddities of this town.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Kevin said, holding out his hand. She shook it, surprised by the physical strength it held. He might not have squeezed her hand, but his hold was definitely strong. “And before I leave you to your dinner, let me introduce you to my sons, Bryant and Kevin, Jr.” Two men walked up, both of them in old jeans and button-down shirts, with the same deeply tanned skin, though theirs wasn’t wrinkled yet.
The whole evening went on like that. She barely had a chance to take a bite of food before someone else would walk up, talk to her and her father for a moment, introduce their son or sons, all who ended up being in their late twenties, and then wish them a good night and leave. Sure she wanted to meet people, but she meant girls her age, not guys a decade older. Even if a few of them were kind of hot.
While Sunday was a quiet day, filled with making dinner, talking, and laughing, the next week was busy as Carilyn and Kathy finished sanding the upper floor. By the weekend, they were finally able to start buying paint. Her mother let her choose her room colors. The rest of the house was a soft, soothing green. Her bedroom would be a bright peach with a nice bright blue for the bathroom. The man at the hardware store didn’t think it would go together, but Kathy wanted it anyway.
Unfortunately, they weren’t able to start painting as first her mother went to the ladies auxiliary meeting and then her father’s brother and his family came to visit. Kathy didn’t want to be rude, and she would never say it to her dad, but she found Chester, his wife Beth, and his two sons from a previous marriage to be uppity. As Chester’s job was keeping septic systems running, it seemed a bit incongruous. They lived in a tiny two-bedroom home with no land. What did they have to be uppity about?
“Ah, Kathy,” he said in a boorish voice as he walked into the living room where she and her mother sat waiting. “I’m so glad your parents have moved you to Hyacinth. Just the place for you.” Managing a small smile, she gave a nod. Thankfully, he turned to talk to her mother so she didn’t have to try and make conversation.
Beth sat down on the sofa as though she was sitting on a throne and Chester’s sons, Gary and Paige, sat down next to her. At eight and ten, both of them looked bored. Kathy couldn’t blame them. It was exactly how she felt when she’d had to visit their house two weeks before.
They stayed through dinner and after they left, Kathy groaned in relief. Carilyn winked at her in the kitchen. “They are a bit much, aren’t they?” she whispered.
“What’s the deal?” Kathy whispered back. Neither wanted Gerald to hear them. “I mean, he spends his life cleaning out septic tanks.”
Snickering, Carilyn nodded. “You have to admit. He acts like his mother. I don’t know how Gerald turned out so well.” At her words, the man in question walked into the room.
“Because of you, dear,” he answered automatically, opening the fridge. “Every time I acted like what I had been taught was normal, you squashed me.”
Laughing softly, she nodded as she handed the last dish to Kathy to dry. “True. Every time you tried, I usually punched a hole in it.”
Nodding, he turned and winked at Kathy. “Your mother’s mean.”
“Invariably,” Carilyn said dryly and he grinned and kissed her on the cheek as he pulled the rest of the pie they had for dessert the day before out of the fridge.
When the day of the picnic came, Kathy was cautiously excited. Finally, she would get to know some other girls. The thing she wasn’t excited about was the dress she would have to wear. It was sure to be ghastly. Not that her mother was a bad seamstress. She wasn’t. But her father had required Sunday clothing for the town ritual and that had been frilly and girlish her entire life.
A knock on her door surprised her. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was already nine. She should probably get up. “Yes?”
Her mom walked in, holding several dresses on hangers and went into her walk-in closet. “Okay, I finished four dresses for you,” she called. “I suggest you wear the blue. It would really set off the red in your hair.” Kathy sat up as she had looked as the dresses went by and none of them looked frilly. As her mother stepped back into her room, Kathy got up.
“No frills?” she asked, heading past Carilyn into the closet.
“Oh, there’s a couple, but they aren’t little girl-ish,” her mother assured her. “Your father has been on board with letting you appear as a young woman, thankfully. Do you like them?”
Like them? Kathy stared at the four dresses and squealed. “Wow! These are great!” They would stack up against anything in the mall and as they were sure to cover her from above her chest to mid-thigh, her dad couldn’t object. The first one she picked up was a two-layer black affair with a form-fitting skirt and bodice with spaghetti straps for the first layer and black lace as the second. The second was a bright red off-the shoulder dress that once again, would set off her figure and had a small poof in the skirt. The third was a deep blue made of soft, light cotton. The skirt would come mid-thigh and would flow as she walked. The bodice had half sleeves and a small plunging neckline. The fourth was a skirt/blouse ensemble with the top being white with yellow polka-dots and the bottom being a tan pencil skirt.
“These are great, Mom! Yay, cute dresses.”
Her mother’s laughter followed her out of the room. Given the occasion, Kathy took time getting ready. She even straightened her hair and put on a small amount of make-up. Gerald was fine with her wearing it as long as she didn’t look like a clown. She had to agree with him on that subject. Too many girls at school went around looking as though they had run into the make-up truck.
The park was packed. There were people everywhere and as she looked around, she spotted some girls her age in dresses and some in street clothing. Her father grabbed the blanket her mother brought and they walked through the throngs of people until they found a bare patch of ground to set the blanket up on. Her parents had turned and spoke to some people they met and Kathy was about to sit down when a voice spoke from behind her.
“You must be Kathy.”
Whipping around, Kathy came face-to-face with a girl about her age with straight orange-red hair and bright green eyes. “Hi.”
“I’m Camille. Call me Cami. Mom and Dad loved big names. Both Xan and I got one. How do you like Hyacinth?” The words spilled out of the girl’s mouth, but her friendly nature made Kathy smile.
“So far it’s good. Since I haven’t had the chance to try school yet, I won’t really know until next fall.”
“You haven’t missed anything,” Cami assured her. “And next year will be different anyway. You’re eighteen, right?”
“Yeah. For a month now. Why does everyone—” Before Kathy could finish asking why being eighteen was such a big deal here, two other girls came up chattering and Cami turned
toward them with a grin.
“Kathy, this is Stephanie Knight and Dora Lexington. We’ve been friends for ages.” Stephanie, a tall, leggy redhead grinned at her showing two large front teeth. Dora, a short, rather rounded girl, smiled quietly, almost as though she was afraid to be noticed.
“Nice to meet you,” Kathy said smiling back.
“Want to go get a hot dog?” Stephanie asked them. “It’ll be easier without the parents about.” All three of them glanced over Kathy’s shoulder where she had the feeling her parents were.
“Sounds fun. Give me a minute.” After telling her parents where she was going, the four of them sauntered away. As soon as her parents were far enough behind them, their easy sauntering stopped and Cami looked at the other two girls expectantly.
“So, what’s the hubbub?” she asked. “You two are way too excited for it to be just the picnic.”
Stephanie and Dora looked at one another for a moment and Stephanie turned back to them with an expression that said she clearly had big news. “The first courting’s been announced.”
“Who!” Cami gasped, grabbing both Kathy and Stephanie and dragging them behind a couple trees. Dora followed along after them. “Who and who?” she said again. Kathy was beginning to wonder if this whole courting thing would ever make sense. What was the big deal with dating anyway?
Then it occurred to her. Maybe that was why being eighteen was such a big deal here. Did they not let their girls date until eighteen? Wow. Kathy was glad her parents had allowed her to date at sixteen… though admittedly she had only been on a few dates and they had felt awkward and she had been thrilled when they ended. Quite a few guys had asked her out in her old high school but once they found out they had to meet her father first before she could accept, they went the other way.
“Marjorie Hamstead,” Dora said, nodding her head quickly.
“Oh, wow,” Cami said as though her throat was closing up, her eyes practically bugging out of her head. “Who?”
“James Farthing,” Stephanie giggled, laughing aloud as Cami looked relieved. “What were you afraid of? That Damian Lonstan would ask her?”
Pouting, Cami shook her head. “No, he would never ask to court her. No, I was more nervous that you would say Xan would.”
Her two friends’ heads swung around and they stared at her in shock. “Is Xan courting this year?” Dora asked in a whisper, hope clearly written all over her face.
“Well, I wasn’t supposed to hear anything,” Cami admitted. “In fact, I was walking past Dad’s study last night and overheard the two of them talking. I was able to hear enough to know that Xan has his eye on someone, but before I could find out whom, Mom caught me.” Grimacing, she reached back and rubbed her rear end. “Dad walloped me pretty good. And then Xan did. I’ve definitely learned my lesson. No standing and listening at a door.”
“Ouch,” Stephanie snickered. “I don’t know how you stand it.”
“Okay,” Kathy broke in, unable to grasp the whole thing and deciding it would be easier to ask. “Why is everyone so excited about dating? You act like it’s a big event.”
Three pairs of eyes turned and stared at her in confusion. “It’s not dating and well, of course it’s a big event,” Stephanie said slowly. “Finding out who your future—”
“Stephanie!” a deep voice bellowed.
“Drat. I knew at some point Dad would call. I’m in a bit of trouble and wasn’t supposed to go out of sight. See you later!” Stephanie called, running away with Dora trailing behind her.
“We’d better go, too,” Cami said with a sigh. “No doubt my parents and Xan are looking for me.” Looking straight at Kathy, she grinned. “What are you doing this week?”
“Painting,” Kathy admitted, thinking of her sanded walls.
“Hmm. Think you could take a break to go check out volunteer opportunities with me? There aren’t a lot and it’s so boring. Having someone to go around with might make it more fun. Plus, I can fill you in on the town and Marjorie,” she said, nodding as if this was big information.
Interested, Kathy nodded. “I’ll ask.” After getting a hotdog, Cami trotted off in one direction and Kathy headed back to her family. Her father was gone but her mother was sitting on the blanket enjoying the sun.
“Have fun?” she asked as Kathy sat down next to her.
“Think so. I met three girls. But I don’t get the big deal about dating here. It’s like…” She paused and shrugged. “They make such a big deal of it.”
A small frown crossed her mother’s face drawing her attention. “When we get home, ask your father about it. There are differences between dating and courting, especially in Hyacinth.” There was a pause and she shrugged. “It’s my largest reservation about moving here to be honest.”
As Carilyn stood up, Kathy knew the conversation was over and that her mother wouldn’t reveal anymore. But now Kathy really wanted to know. What was courting and what made it so special?
When her father returned from wherever he had been, it was with more men from town and Kathy found herself being introduced to them, not one whose name she remembered. All-in-all, it was an enjoyable if frustrating day. At least she now knew three girls. Hopefully by the time school started she would know even more.
As Gerald gathered up the quilt before they left, a shadow loomed behind her and Kathy turned around to find Alexander Covington, Sr. standing nearby. “How did you enjoy the picnic?” he asked in his deep baritone voice.
“It was good. I met some nice people.”
He smiled. “Good. Has anyone given you the event list we have for summer for our teenager girls yet?”
Slowly she shook her head. Feeling discombobulated around someone consistently was not normal for her. He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket and handed it over. “There are plenty of activities to keep you busy, though your exact activities will have to be sanctioned by… your father.” His pause at the end was confusing, but she gave him as much of a smile as she could and was glad when he turned his intense blue eyes on her father.
“Gerald, do you have a moment?”
Carilyn took the blanket from her husband and the two men walked away. “What’s that expression on your face?” she asked, watching Kathy.
“I… he’s intense.”
Cocking her head slightly, Carilyn nodded. “Yes, he is. Gerry says he’s a very nice man. But I agree with you, when they were giving out dominance, he stood in line at least ten times.”
Giggling, Kathy helped gather the rest of their items and they took them to their car. It was another ten minutes before her father appeared and he had an extremely pleased expression on his face.
Once home, they all went to their rooms to change clothes. Kathy was happy to be back in shorts and a camisole top. Dresses like her mother made her were fun, but she still preferred shorts or pants.
“Dad!” she called as she came back downstairs. Turning from where he had been moving some of the furniture to the middle of the room, he waited. “Getting ready for painting?” she asked, distracted.
“Yes, we need to get the downstairs painted today and tomorrow. Next weekend we’re going to have some important dinner guests.” There was such satisfaction in his voice that she was for a moment nonplussed. Then she remembered what she wanted to ask him.
“What’s the deal with courting?”
Several expressions went across his face in quick succession, so fast that Kathy couldn’t name any of them. As her mother walked into the room, she looked from Kathy to her husband and nodded. “She needs to know, Gerald.”
Straightening up, he nodded. “Kathryn, come into my study so we can talk.”
That was confusing. And a bit unnerving. The study was reserved for serious talks and discipline. She was sure a spanking wasn’t in the cards today, or at least not unless she became too mouthy which sometimes happened during their serious talks. Now that she thought about it, maybe that was why he always had them in his study.
“Go on,” he said firmly and she slowly turned and walked to the small room behind the stairs.
Plopping down on the sofa in the corner, she hoped whatever he had to say wouldn’t be too bad, but then why else would it be in here? The fact he did not make her wait was actually even more nerve-wracking as he followed her into the room, her mother with him. Oh, that was even scarier. They were going to talk to her together? The last time that had happened had been when she was twelve and had been given ‘the talk’ when she started growing up. The embarrassment caused by that talk had lasted for months. Thankfully the results from the spanking she received for yelling at them when she got too uncomfortable hadn’t stuck around that long.
Carilyn sat next to her while he brought his desk chair around to sit down in front of her. Geez, was someone dying?
“Kathryn,” he said and the fact he used her given name just added weight to whatever he was about to say. “Hyacinth is different. You know that much.” He paused and she nodded to let him know she was listening. “It’s based on values we cherish. There are several different religions and belief systems here, but what draws us all together is family.
“Family in Hyacinth is the most important unit.” As he spoke, Carilyn took Kathy’s hand in her own. “Families must be based on trust, love, and the readiness for such a commitment. Now, out in the rest of our world, people can date here, there, everywhere. They may date someone for a decade and still not want to actually make that commitment to marriage. Others are so terrified of it that if they actually get married, they are divorced within months or years.
“Marriages here are based on something a lot more traditional. A couple hundred years ago when a girl reached a certain age, she had a coming-out party, an announcement that she was ready for marriage. In Hyacinth, a girl’s eighteenth birthday is that time. She’s considered mature enough to take on the mantle of wife and to take care of a house. For the men, that age is much higher, for he must prove to the community as a whole and to the girl’s father that he can provide a good home for her.