By Way of the Rose (23 page)

“You are most welcome Princess.” John bowed to her.

“Royalty indeed!” Tess laughed and rolled her eyes as she left the room.

“She's a funny sort isn't she, John, with that accent and all?”

“She keeps me in stitches. She loves to pick on people but when they pick back, she gets offended. We all have great fun with her temper.” John sat across the table from Sarah. “I guess that's the Irish in her, a real fiery woman, she is.”

Sarah giggled and placed the linen napkin embroidered with ETC on her lap. “What's that stand for?”

“Emerald Clyde Tyson. The fella who owns all this. He's a good sort too.”

“I'm glad to see that you have happy people around you.” In fact, she didn't think Tess was truly happy, she got an odd feeling from her but she chalked it up to her own jealousy. “That's what we all should do, surround ourselves with happy and friendly people.” Sarah tasted her soup. “There was none of this kind of ‘play picking’ at home. It was always so grim and serious. Just pure grumpiness.”

“We have no grumps around here. We're all just like playful children, I suppose.”

“Everyone?”

“Just wait till you meet the others. You'll see what I mean.”

“I can't wait!” Sarah smiled as she took a drink and dabbed at her lips with the corner of her finely embroidered napkin.

Early the next morning, John, anxious to show Sarah all the wonders of Rochester, knocked on her door. “Rise and shine,” he called out. “The day can't start without you, sunshine!”

Sarah stretched before sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes. She looked around, still a bit shocked by being here. Then quickly got up and put on her robe.

“What time is it?” She peeped through the door.

“Almost eight. The sun is over the trees already, lazy bones! Come on, get ready. There's so much I want to show you... so much we have to do.”

“What are we going to do?”

“First of all, we're going shopping. We have to get you some big city clothes to wear.”

“But, John, I have no money.”

“Come on. I'm buying!”

“I can't let you do that. I'll be getting a job soon and can buy my own clothes.”

“First you need decent clothes to get that job, don't ya know? Come on!”

“Just give me a minute.” Sarah got up and dressed in a hurry.

They went on an all-day shopping spree. Buying dresses, shoes, gloves, hats and under things. “You're going to be the best dressed girl around!” he told her.

“With all these new clothes, I know I will be! I hope I can afford to pay you back.”

“They're gifts.” He paused as they passed by a shop window. “Look at that.”

“What is it?”

“That, right there.” John pointed to a gold locket in the window.

“It's very pretty.” Sarah walked on.

“Wait, come on... let's go inside and see how it looks on you.”

“No, John! I mean it. No more! I'll already have to work half my life to pay this back.”

“It can't hurt to try it on. Besides, I told you, these are gifts. You don't have to pay me back.”

“Try it on... Just try it on... That's what you said about the last two shops we went in and we walked out with more boxes. I'm not going in there and I'm not trying on that necklace and that's final!”

“You don't want to see how it looks?”

“John, you're just feeding my bad side. Of course I want fine things, but you're taking it too far!”

“Have you ever seen a princess without some kind of fine jewelry? Doesn't my Princess deserve the best of everything?”

“Well, I already have the best standing right here beside me.” She placed her hand on his shoulder. “I don't need a lot of things to make me feel special when I have you!” John's look became deep as his eyes transfixed on her. He reached out and caressed her face. Sarah had seen this look before from Shane, but surely she was misreading it now. Perhaps imagining something in his gaze that wasn't there. All she would ever be was his little Princess. “Do you want me to have that necklace that bad?” she said with an awkward laugh. “I do love being spoiled, but this is more than enough. It's almost shameful!”

“I— I want to get you these things for you. I want to see the necklace on you. Will you give me what I want?”

“Not today. Not until I get a job so I can pay you back for some of this falderal.”

“Like I said, these are gifts. I've missed a lot and now I'm making up for it. At least I'm trying to if you'll let me.”

“You never missed sending us gifts and money. But that isn't what I wanted. I wanted you.”

John wrapped his arm around Sarah. “You have me.” He kissed her on the forehead. “You will have me forever and always. But you can have that locket too.” He grinned down at her.

“But not today, my darling brother. Let's go home now.” Sarah smiled back at him.

“As you wish. You can wear one of your new dresses to dinner this evening. Won't the eyes be popping then!”

“Where are we going?”

“It's just dinner at the boarding house, but they always make it a special occasion on Friday evenings. I can't wait to show you off. Everyone will be there.”

“Can't we just take our dinner in the room again tonight? I think I'd be too nervous to eat around all those strange people.”

“And miss this opportunity to wear one of those beautiful dresses? There's nothing to be nervous about. Everyone wants to meet you and they're all just as good as gold!”

“I suppose I have to meet them sooner or later.”

“That's my brave Princess! You'll be so glad when you do, they're all good people and I mean the best of the best.”

“Well now you have me looking forward to it, if you're sure there's none of those Tennessee Eastland type snobs here.”

“Nah, we don't put up with goodie-goodies.”

Sarah wasn't sure about how she should fix her hair. She'd never worn it in any style. She'd always just pinned it back from her face. But dressing up required something more, she knew that. She fussed with her hair trying to get it balled up like the maid's. She thought Tess's style looked just beautiful, but try as she might, she could not get her hair to fall in those lovely ringlets. She was disappointed with it but decided it looked better than her usual pinned-back style, this would have to do. She put on layer after layer of under things. The pantalets first, then first petticoat, then Tess laced up the corset, then more petticoats, then the bustle before topping all this with the lovely wine colored frock. She blushed as she thought about the woman in the shop showing her how to arrange them all in the right order. She looked in the mirror as the first dinner bell rang throughout the house. Right or wrong, this was it. Her time was up. She went down the stairs and stepped into the parlor full of people, but her eyes rested on John. He sat in front of the fireplace dressed in his dinner suit. Sarah noticed how dashing he was as he stood up looking at her. Then she sensed it again, the feeling she got from that strange man she'd seen in town and felt so drawn to. He was back, his eyes calling out to her, she could feel her cheeks flush and quickly looked away.
Oh Sarah, you stupid girl, What's wrong with you? This is John!
she scolded herself back into reality.

“My, my... you're a vision,” John exclaimed.

“My hair isn't right,” Sarah stuttered. “You look mighty handsome in that suit. I've never seen you in a suit before. You look so different.”

“Yeah, we both look fine, don't we? I have something for you.” He pulled the locket from his pocket and put it around her neck. “Now, let's go show off,” John said as dinner was announced.

“You shouldn't have!” she gasped as she opened the golden, oval shaped, treasure. There he had placed a small photograph of himself.

“There, now you'll have me with you always.” He held his arm out to her. Sarah wrapped her arm around his and in this moment she felt that his was the only arm she'd ever want to hold to. It felt so natural, so safe and warm. She wished this man was anyone but John as he led her to the dining room.

Everyone was seated around a long table. Tall silver candelabras were placed in a line down its middle with candles flickering in each one. Beautiful bowls of roses, babies’ breath and ferns were sitting in decorative sprays between each candelabra. The white tablecloth was scalloped with beautiful designs woven along its edges. China plates and crystal glasses gleamed in the candlelight. Sarah felt every eye in the room following her as she and John walked the entire length of the table and sat very close to the end. There were three other women at the table. The rest were men.

She looked at the women's hair. Theirs was nothing like hers or Tess's. Their hair was neatly swept up with tight pretty ringlets strategically placed on their heads. They were beautiful. The most captivating was a young negro woman about her age. Her almond shaped eyes followed Sarah. Suddenly, Sarah wanted to run from the room. She wasn't dressed right, she knew it! John had let her come to dinner looking like a fool! She felt every eye looking at every little wisp of flyaway hair that she had purposely pulled out of the bun to create the glamorous style of Tess, the maid! The most horrible fact to Sarah was that hers didn't even look as nice as Tess's.

Mortified, Sarah noticed the fixed stare of a red-haired man sitting across the table from them. His face boasted a large crooked nose and full puckered lips. His gleaming white teeth were a little bucked yet everything came together to fit his impish personality handsomely. She tried to ignore him by looking around at other things. She hoped beyond hope that he would look somewhere else, but alas, his bright hazel eyes were still fixed on her no matter what she did. She started to feel even more inept.

John took his seat beside Sarah. He began to introduce her to everyone. She just wanted to crawl under the table and disappear. She didn't care who any of them were! “This is my sister, Sarah. Sarah, these are all my friends... ” He went around the vast table calling their names— names that she would most likely forget as soon as she'd heard them. But as he called out the red haired man's name, she knew it would be burned into her mind from then on as he was still staring at her. “There is Amos Douglas Mahaffey, but we all call him Doug.” The man winked at her before she looked on to the next person.

“There is Tad.” John pointed toward the beautiful negro woman.
That's Tad?
Sarah felt the blood drain from her face as Tad smiled, but Sarah didn't smile back. She didn't know why, but she couldn't bring herself to smile at this girl who had taken her place for so many years. She didn't appreciate her and wanted her to know it. Sarah looked at her coldly.

After this grueling task was done, Sarah breathed a deep sigh of relief. The hard part was over. She'd met everyone. She'd smiled. She'd been proper... as proper as she could be with such a hair-do. Then the soup was brought out.

Dinner was a lively and festive occasion. The dining room was full of laughter and talking. Sarah was quiet through it all. She was wishing she wasn't so awkward, so obviously plain and simpleminded about this life... about style and about how to be a lady. Tad was so poised and witty. She knew exactly what to do and she knew how to make the others laugh as well. Sarah tried to copy the others and do what they did, but she felt every move she made was a bumbling mistake and clearly seen by everyone.

Especially this Doug fellow. How could he miss her blunders? He never took his blasted eyes off her! Maybe it was his stare that caused most of her ungraceful actions. He made her nervous and Tad made her angry. When the last course had ended, Sarah quietly thanked God that it was all over. She didn't think she'd be able to come back here again to face all these strange people. This had been a lesson in pure out-and-out torture!

As the men stood John whispered to Sarah. “I'm going to the parlor for a little while. Why don't you go with Mrs. Jenkins, Tad and Miss. Ruby? They are dying to get to know you better.”

“I don't feel much like it tonight. Maybe some other time.”

“Did something upset your stomach?”

“No, it's all the fuss and bustle of today. I just want to be quiet for a while.”

“If you don't go with them, they'll think you don't like them.”

“I don't even know them. How could I not like them already?” Sarah said, even though she knew she'd already formed her opinion of Tad.

“Well, do whatever you feel like, Sweetie. I'll be up after a little while.”

“I'll see you in the morning then. I'm going straight to bed when I go up.”

“Sweet dreams.” John smiled at her as he stood from the table.

The ladies were waiting in the foyer for Sarah. As she stepped from the room they surrounded her and all began talking at once.

“I'm Mrs. Jenkins,” said the tall slender one with the fat lips and olive complexion.

“I'm Miss. Ruby,” said the one with the round face and chubby red cheeks.

“I'm Tad,” said the one Sarah already knew she hated.

Each one of them was a vision of style and etiquette. Perfect hair, perfect manners, perfect smiles, perfectly dressed and wonderful personalities. Could she ever measure up?

“It's so wonderful having another woman in the place!” Miss Ruby said. “Now there's four of us. We're gaining on the men folk!”

“Yes, indeed, we're infiltrating now!” Mrs. Jenkins smiled. “Come on up to my room, dear. We play cards every night after dinner.”

“I'd like to, but... ” Before Sarah could excuse herself Miss Ruby pulled her closer to her.

“I don't want to hear any ‘buts’ from you. I know you felt out of place tonight. I know you want to run and hide. But I'm not going to let you do that. Neither is Tad nor Miss Jenkins.”

“You have no need to feel badly, my dear. We're all friends here.” Miss. Ruby smiled warmly.

“It was bad enough that I knew I hadn't gotten my hair and clothing right, but all through dinner that Mr. Mahaffey stared at me and made it even worse. I just wanted to go through the floor!” Sarah's emotions spilled out.

“You've never been flirted with? Have you been in a cave or something?” Mrs. Jenkins blurted. “Your hair wasn't a mess. Maybe it wasn't fixed same as ours, but it was still beautiful. And that man was flirting with you. Doug is a scandalous little fool with no tact! Don't let him bother you.”