~ ~ ~
Kate stood in front of the mirror, finally wearing her brand-new dress, and felt like she was about to cry. This is a disaster, she thought. How absolutely horrible.
“Does this look as bad on me as I think it does?” she asked.
Becky let out a low sigh. “Miss Taylor, I’m afraid it does,” she said.
Kate closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. I have plenty of other dresses to wear. This doesn’t matter very much in the grand scheme of things. In fact, perhaps it doesn’t even look as bad as I thought. When she opened her eyes again, however, she realized that her first impressions had been accurate. The dress hung from her only slightly better than the bed sheet had, in fact. The neckline left a gap far too large—though it would have been perfect if she’d been cursed with two heads—and one sleeve was noticeably longer than the other. It hung loosely at the waist, as if she’d decided to put on a gunny sack, and was far too long, piling up on itself at the floor. No, I was right. It’s a disaster.
“Where does she get off calling herself a seamstress? What am I supposed to do with this?” Kate asked, fighting to keep her voice from sounding shrill.
Becky immediately began undoing the dress.
“Miss Taylor, I need you to take this off,” she said.
“Thank you, Becky,” Kate said. “The sooner I forget about this rag, the better. I can’t believe I wasted the money on it. I’ll need you to help me choose something to wear for this evening, of course.”
“Actually, if you don’t mind, I want to try to fix this,” Becky said as Kate stepped free and she held the dress up in front of her. “If it were taken in here and there, and maybe tightened up in a few spots, this could be a really nice dress.”
“It was already supposed to be a really nice dress,” Kate said. “But have you ever done any tailoring?”
“Once in a while, yeah,” she said, already hunched over and examining the stitching. “I mean, I’m no professional, but I don’t think I can make things any worse,” Becky added, glancing up at Kate.
“I’d agree with you there. Will you have enough time? We’re supposed to leave in only a few hours.”
“I think so,” she murmured, apparently lost in thought as she examined the sleeves. Kate left her to her work and went downstairs to the parlor, where she tried to make the time pass with a book. Her curiosity would not let her lose herself in the text, however; every ten or fifteen minutes found her quietly going back upstairs to check Becky’s progress, finding her pulling out threads in one place and carefully stitching in another. The floor at the foot of the bed was littered with scraps of fabric and tangled threads, and Kate could only shake her head at how her plans had turned out. Finally she felt like she had to escape from the house if only to prevent herself from obsessing over Becky’s work more than she was already. After a final trip upstairs to see Becky shearing off the end of the ridiculously long sleeve, Kate forced herself back downstairs and out of the house.
She started walking without a definite destination in mind, but for somebody who didn’t want an up-close introduction to corn, there weren’t many places to go on the farm. Shortly she found herself headed to the creek. I’ll sit in the shade and enjoy the sound of the water. That should distract me for a while at least. She passed the tall aspen that grew near the creek and headed straight for the boulder that sat next to the water. Whether it had been put there by men or by nature, it made for a very pleasant place to sit while watching the water flow by. Kate sat down on the rock and closed her eyes, trying to let the sound of the burbling stream soothe her. Even if she can’t fix it, it’s not the end of the world. It’s just a dress.
“Afternoon, Miss Taylor,” she heard somebody say. Kate couldn’t help gasping; the surprise of hearing another’s voice behind her was like a splash of cold water on her back. She turned to see Sam sitting on the ground, his back against the tree and a sandwich in hand.
“Sam, you nearly scared the life out of me,” she said. “I didn’t know anybody was out here.”
He laughed a bit as he got to his feet, brushing off the seat of his trousers. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. How’s your dress?”
“Best not to mention it. Becky’s seeing if she can fix things, but suffice to say, I won’t be using Mrs. Gray’s services in the future,” she said. “Would you like me to leave you alone? I see I’m interrupting your lunch.”
He smiled at her. “It’s no interruption at all. But maybe you’d like me to leave? It looked like you wanted some time alone.”
“No, it’s fine,” Kate said. “I was making myself crazy just sitting around waiting on Becky, and I wanted to listen to the water. I find the sound very relaxing. It reminds me of home. Home back East, I mean.”
“How are you settling in here on the farm?”
“Oh, about as well as you might expect,” she said, sighing. “I suppose it’s fine; it’s just quite a change. Imagine if you were to move to a large city like Boston—there’d be some adjustments you’d have to make, I’m sure.”
“I don’t doubt it,” he said. He stooped to pick up a stone and threw it into the creek. “That’s why you’d never catch me moving somewhere like that. I like my life here too much.”
Kate smiled. What a relief it would be to think like that. How much easier life would be if I were content with so little. If only I could be happy living in a single-room cabin, just mindlessly working the land with no greater ambition. Perhaps ignorance truly is bliss.
“Maybe you’ll end up liking it here too,” Sam added, flipping another pebble into the water.
Kate laughed a little. “Well, I suppose anything is possible,” she allowed, “but I’m not expecting that. I’m a city girl. I’m not really cut out for the country.”
“I wouldn’t say that. Seems like you’re adapting just fine.”
“Thankfully, everybody here has made things easier for us,” she said. “You all have been very welcoming, so that’s been a great help.”
Sam smiled warmly at her. “We’re all glad you’re here,” he said. “You ever need anything, just ask.”
“Actually, if you don’t mind, I was wondering if I could ask you a personal question. Those men I saw you with—the Indians—were those relatives of yours?”
“Yeah, those were my uncles,” he said. “I don’t see them very often, but once in a while they stop by to say hello.”
“I was amazed when I found out that your father was English,” Kate said. “How did he and your mother understand each other? I mean, they were from different worlds entirely.”
Sam smiled, and his eyes drifted for a moment as if he were remembering something sweet. “They told me that it was difficult at first, but as time went along, it got better. My mom learned some English and my dad learned some Lakota,” he said. “By the time I came along, they could understand each other pretty well.”
Kate shook her head. “It seems impossible to me.”
“Well, for somebody who’s willing to do the work, not many things are impossible,” Sam said. “And some things people understand without saying a single word,” he said. He grinned and gave Kate a wink. “That’s how they ended up with me, in fact.”
She laughed. “Well, I suppose I should be heading back,” Kate said. “We’re supposed to be leaving shortly, and I still don’t even know what I’ll be wearing.”
“Okay, then,” Sam said, and suddenly thrust out his hand; out of reflex, Kate did the same and Sam squeezed her hand briefly. “You have a good evening at the theater.”
“Thank you, Sam,” she said, and she turned to go. She had taken a few steps when she remembered the way she had slammed the door in his face a few days earlier. She turned back and found him still watching her, the smile still in place.
“You know, I have to apologize for the way I acted the other day,” she said. “That was rude of me. I’m sorry.”
He waved his hand as if shooing away a fly. “No, I’m th
e one who’s sorry,” he said. “Naming a cow after you wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had.”
“Well… I agree with you on that,” she said, giving him a quick grin before she turned to go. “I’ll see you later, Sam.”
When she arrived back at the house, Becky was still upstairs in her bedroom, and the floor was now even more littered with scraps of fabric.
“You’ll have to excuse the mess, Miss Taylor. I’ll clean that up directly.”
“I don’t care about the mess,” Kate said. “How are things going?”
“We should be all set,” Becky said, going to close the door. “Let’s have you try this on.”
She helped Kate into the dress and Kate turned to look at herself in the mirror. For the second time that day, her breath was taken away by seeing herself in the dress, although this time it was for quite another reason.
“Becky, I can’t believe it,” she said. “You’re a miracle worker.” As she turned from side to side, Kate could see no trace of the flaws that had leaped out at her in the morning. The sleeves were now evenly matched, the shoulder line was correct, and the hem touched the floor without piling up upon itself. Everything was perfect. She turned and gave Becky a quick hug, leaving the girl with an uncontrollable grin and flushed cheeks. “Honestly, this is amazing work. This is like another dress entirely. Thank you.”
“No problem at all, Miss Taylor,” Becky said. “Sorry it took so long.”
“Don’t be silly,” Kate said. “It took her a week to make it wrong and you fixed it in only a couple of hours.”
“I’m just happy you like it. Now if you’ll have a seat, we’ll get your hair done and I think you’ll be right on time.”
Becky displayed the same skill arranging Kate’s hair as she had altering the dress, and in only thirty minutes Kate was ready to go. An hour after that, they were settling into their seats in the theater box as ushers ran about dimming the gas lights. The production paled in comparison to shows that Kate had seen back East, but given the circumstances she couldn’t complain. The actors were talented and she was soon lost in the performances as the troupe offered scenes from several comedies before moving on to excerpts from the tragedies. By the time the intermission arrived, Kate had already decided to keep her eyes open for the next touring show.
The theater lobby filled quickly during the break, giving Kate and her family the chance to watch people coming and going. The coat check girl did a brisk business retrieving hats and other items for patrons who had decided that the performance wasn’t quite to their liking, while on the other side of the lobby a harried bartender poured shots of brandy and whiskey for the large crowd that had gathered around him.
“Hey, look at that girl over there,” Mark said as he elbowed Jake. “The one in the blue dress.”
Kate turned to look in the direction the boys were looking and saw a petite young woman in a sky-blue dress, standing with several other girls. Even from across the lobby, Kate could see that she was quite attractive, with a petite figure, milky white skin and a cascade of red curls.
The boys seemed drawn to her like iron filings to a magnet, and they drifted across the room toward the girls, leaving Kate and her father alone to discuss the performance.
“Overall, not bad,” her father said. “What do you think so far, Katie?”
“I’m enjoying it. I thought the lead actress gave quite a convincing performance,” Kate said. “I loved the bits they did from Antony and Cleopatra. It reminded me of when we saw Charlotte Cushman perform in New York.”
Suddenly there was a voice behind her—an unknown voice, but warm and rich.
“You know, before tonight I would have doubted that there was anybody else in Mineral Point who was familiar with Charlotte Cushman.”
Kate turned and had to fight to keep her jaw from dropping. It was as if the man before her had been made to order, just for her. He was tall enough so that Kate had to turn her head up a bit to look him in the eyes, and his voice was so deep and smooth that it had given her a pleasurable shiver. A few strands of thick, dark blond hair spilled into his eyes like gold filigree over jades, and his smile had put a dimple into his cheek.
“It’s wonderful to meet somebody who can appreciate the theater,” he said, extending his hand. “My name is Edward Carter.”
Kate let her hand be enveloped by his; the man’s touch sent a thrill through her tummy as he closed his hand around hers, and she realized after a moment that she hadn’t said her name in return.
“I’m Katherine Taylor,” she said quickly, feeling a wave of heat rush over her. “This is my father Thomas,” she added, reluctantly letting her hand slip from Carter’s.
“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you,” Carter said.
“So who’s Charlotte Cushman? Is she that girl who came through last spring? The one who played the fiddle?”
It was only then that Kate realized that Carter was not alone. He was accompanied by a blonde woman perhaps a few years older than Kate. She was wearing a low-cut black dress and her lipstick was almost shockingly red.
Carter’s eyes closed in a long blink. “No, my dear,” he said quietly. “Ms. Cushman is a classically trained actress, and it’s safe to say that she’ll never appear in Mineral Point. Nor does she play the fiddle, I suspect.” A hint of a smile had appeared at the corner of his mouth as he glanced at Kate, who had to suppress a grin in return.
“This is Miss Cora Rice,” he said, gesturing to his companion.
The blonde thrust out her hand and pulled Kate off to the side while Carter turned to Thomas. “It’s so nice to meet another girl here,” she said. “I thought I was gonna die of boredom if I had to listen to one more fat old lady talk about her grandkids.”
As the men talked, Kate tried to listen to Miss Rice with one ear and to listen to Edward with the other. Good thing she likes to talk, she thought as the other woman prattled on, not seeming to notice that Kate was giving her less than her full attention. With a nod now and again and a murmured “hmm”, Kate was able to keep up her side of the conversation all while listening for information about Edward. It turned out that he was also a relatively recent arrival in Wisconsin, having come to take over the family mining business following his father’s retirement. Handsome, cultured and with his own business. Too bad she got him first. Kate turned her attention back to Miss Rice just in time to hear her apparently finish a joke and dissolve into laughter. Kate forced a smile.
“So, how long have you and Mr. Carter been together?”
“Me and Eddie? Oh, not long,” she said. “It’s nothing serious between us. Mostly we go out when he needs somebody to go along to a party or something like this.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Just between you and me, I can’t stand stuff like this. If they put in some music or singing or something, maybe it would be all right.”
“That’s a very interesting point,” Kate said. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard somebody suggest that Shakespeare would be better with music.”
“And when I told that to Eddie, he just laughed at me,” she said, shaking her head. “Men, huh? How about you? You got a fella?”
Kate’s eyes flashed over to Edward. “No,” she said. “Not yet.”
The doors to the theater opened and an usher stepped into the lobby. “Five minutes,” he called. “The performance resumes in five minutes; please take your seats.”
“Well, it was nice talking to you,” Kate said to Cora as she watched her father and Edward shake hands.
“Yeah, you too,” Cora said, sliding back over to Edward’s side.
Edward turned to Kate and took her hand. “It was a real pleasure to meet you, Miss Taylor,” he said. His smile seemed to penetrate her, warming her from the inside, and she was sure she was blushing at his touch. “I hope to see you again sometime.”
“Good evening, Mr. Carter,” she said, her fingertips sliding over his as she drew her hand away. Edward and Cora turned to head back into the
theater, with Cora attached to him like a barnacle.
Kate sighed and turned to her father. She was about to suggest that they round up the boys and head back to their seats when inspiration struck. She made a quick suggestion to her father, who thought for a second and then strode after Edward.
“Mr. Carter,” he called out, and Edward turned. “You know, I’ve been meaning to have a dinner so that I could get to know some of the people here in town. Would you do us the honor of joining us?”
A smile appeared as Carter glanced from Thomas to Kate. “It would be my pleasure,” he said. “Name the time and I’ll be there.”
“Excellent! I’ll have an invitation delivered to your office,” Thomas said. “Now, I suppose we should take our seats. Kate, let’s find your brothers.”
As they parted ways, Kate turned back to get one last look at Edward, and was surprised to find him also looking at her. The grin that crept back onto his face was paired with an intense gaze, as if there were already something unspoken between them. She felt a fresh warmth spread through her, and she couldn’t help giving him a final smile herself before he disappeared in the crowd that was entering the theater.
The rest of the performance may have been brilliant or merely pedestrian. Kate couldn’t say. In fact, her father was the only one who seemed to be paying any attention. Mark and Jake carried on a whispered conversation about the girl in the blue dress—it turned out that her name was Sally Kinney and she was eighteen, thus splitting the difference in the boys’ ages and creating an argument about who would be better suited for her—and Kate had her own distraction to think about.
She leaned forward and looked out at the seats below. In the dim light it was difficult to make out clear features of the other patrons, but she was sure that she would recognize Edward if she saw him. She scanned the crowd. She could see Sally Kinney and her friends, sharing whispers back and forth. She could see a heavyset woman who made no effort to hide the flask she was drinking from. She could see an elderly couple who appeared to be snoozing peacefully. It seemed like the only person she couldn’t find was Edward, and she leaned back in her seat with a sigh. He was nowhere to be seen.
Then, as if responding to a call she hadn’t heard but only felt in her soul, Kate raised her head and looked at the box directly across from theirs. There he is. Edward was seated in the opposite box, and although Cora still hung on him like moss on a tree, he was staring right at Kate. She felt her pulse quicken.
His eyes glittered in the dark, and there was no doubt that he was looking right at her and had been doing so for some time. His gaze would have been shocking, even offensive from another man, but Kate found it thrilling there in the darkness. Even sitting there with her family, and Edward with his companion attached to his arm, it still felt like they were all alone with each other, like they were sharing something nobody else could see. She could feel her own breath quicken, and she allowed herself a few moments more under his gaze before she tore her eyes away.
Kate pretended to follow along with the rest of the performance, but it was only a charade. During every possible moment, her eyes drifted back to Edward’s box, and invariably she found him watching her. She felt as if she were the one on stage, in fact, throwing him a glance now and again, knowing that every time she tossed her head in a laugh, every time she brought a hand to her face, every time she made any movement at all, she was on display for him. It was with real regret that she saw the curtain come down on the actual performance below. While the crowd clapped for the actors, Kate got a nod and subtle wave of the hand as Edward and his companion rose from their seats and departed. Her performance was over as well.
She was quiet on the ride home, but it was hardly noticed. With her father concentrating on the road, barely visible in the light of the crescent moon, and her brothers still bickering over who deserved Sally Kinney’s favors more—in spite of the fact that Sally herself hadn’t given them much more than her name, as it turned out—Kate was able to sit and think about the evening.
There had been some men who had caught her eye back in Boston. With the near-constant invitations that any moneyed household attracted, it seemed like she had seen everyone that the big city had to offer. They were the typical sons of the leisure class: well-educated, well-mannered, and well-dressed, and more than a few had attracted her attention at one time or another. But no man had ever affected her at first glance like Edward Carter had. Even now, bumping along over the ruts in the road, she could imagine his eyes upon her in the darkness, and she felt a pleasurable shiver course through her body.
She barely spoke to Becky upon arriving home and getting undressed, and although Becky assumed from the faraway look she observed in the mirror that Kate was exhausted, she wasn’t sleepy in the least. The night had turned out to be far, far more interesting than she could have imagined, and the thoughts racing through her mind refused to let her sleep. Kate tried to get comfortable in the bed but realized after only a few minutes that it was a lost cause; she instead lit the lamp again, wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and went to sit by the window to take in the night air.