Abigail's Secret (A Whimsical Select Romance Novella) (4 page)

Charlotte gals, won't you come out tonight?

Come out tonight, Come out tonight?

Charlotte gals, won't you come out tonight,

And dance by the light of the moon.

I asked her if she'd stop and talk,

Stop and talk, Stop and talk,

Her feet covered up the whole sidewalk,

She was fair to view.

Charlotte gals, won't you come out tonight?

Come out tonight, Come out tonight?

Charlotte gals, won't you come out tonight,

And dance by the light of the moon.

I asked her if she'd be my wife,

Be my wife, be my wife

Then I'd be happy all my life,

If she'd marry me.

Charlotte gals, won't you come out tonight?

Come out tonight, Come out tonight?

Charlotte gals, won't you come out tonight,

And dance by the light of the moon.

             
“Oh, Thomas,” Abigail whispered.  “This is an unseemly thing to do to poor Tess.  Having her arrive into this maddening town is as calamitous as having her march into Hell’s fire.”

“She’s an entertainer
by trade,
Abilene
,” he prompted, reminding her of the importance that she kept up appearances with her new name.  “I went to Wilmington and spoke to her last week and she is wholly in support of our cause.  In fact, she was rather tickled and eager to participate.”

From the corner of her eye, Abigail glanced at Brice Winslow where he was leaning against the station’s wall.  She looked over her shoulder to improve her view and was
embarrassed that he was already looking at her.  He nodded and tipped his hat and she hastily turned back around.

“I see Mister Winslow is eagerly awaiting
my
arrival,” she gritted out quietly between her teeth.

Thomas looked toward Brice, smiled, and waved him
over to join them.  Abigail nudged him in the ribs.  “What are you doing?”

“Aren’t you the least bit curious
at seeing his reaction when he comes face to face with Tess?  She’ll surely make fun sport of him.  I don’t know about you, dear sister, but I want a front seat to that show.”

“Oh, Thomas,” Abigail
snickered.  She lightly smacked his arm with her lace fan.  “Truly, of late, I believe the devil has taken over all your senses.”

“Good
day, “Brice offered after he pushed his way through the crowd to meet them.  Abigail noticed that he was back in his formal wear for the event, unlike his daily wear she’d seen him in town the previous week wearing that consisted of basic wool trousers and a plaid cotton shirt.  Out of the corner of her eye, she secretly perused him and reluctantly acknowledged that he looked quite dapper.  He had an aroma of cinnamon and spice about his person and she wondered if it was something he’d ingested or from something that he wore.  Either way, it was alluring.

“So, Mister Winslow, as the week’s past has brought a multitude of new gentlem
en into your town, are you beginning to fret whether Abigail will choose you?”

He looked lazily down
with his bright green eyes and gazed into hers.  Abigail had a feeling of great discomfort by his closeness and inwardly cursed when the crowd prevented her further distance away from him.  He finally smiled and slowly shook his head, completely confident that he’d be the one that she’d choose.

“Well, Mister Winslow, every garden in the county has been plucked bare of floras
, and the all the town’s stores have sold their supplies of chocolates and candies, so what will be
your
plan of attack to gain Miss Abigail’s heart? “

“
Well,” he drawled out, “I don’t intend to sound like I’m going to war with her as you suggest, Miss Abilene, but rather woo her.”  He glanced at the crowd as if to weigh their numbers.  “And from the looks of how many Blue Bellies and Darkies are present, I suspect the numbers in competition would narrow considerably, as I’m sure our Abigail wouldn’t shock polite society by taking them into consideration.”

The boxcar door slid open and the crowd turned
toward the train. They all stood deathly still and quiet, and Brice, Abigail, and Thomas turned to watch.  Stepping toward the doorway, Tiny Tess appeared in a bright pink gown with pagoda sleeves and a lace neckline that looked uncomfortable around her thick neck.  Although her gown was no longer fashionable, it suited her rightly well.  The woman glanced over all the people in the crowd and then placed her hands aside her wide hips.  A smile brightened her face and she shouted out into the crowd in a loud, robust voice, “I’m Abigail Large and I am here to get myself a husband!”

The crowd whirled with excitement.  Guns were shot into the air and the men in the crowd whistled and cheered.  She raised her hands and those in front of her
fell into silence, and within a couple minutes the rest of the throng that stood further away followed suit and quieted as well.

“Word has reached my ears that there
’s a certain gentleman that I once knew and he has...Well, won me,” she said, and her face exaggerated a very big frown.  The crowd began to hiss and boo out their disappointment.  “The question I ponder is, should I honor my brother by his choice or seek out a man of my own choosing?”  She then raised her plump finger to her head and repeatedly tapped, pretending to be thinking.

The crowd was
sent into an uproar by her question.  Shouts urged her to give them all an equal chance.  Abigail glanced at Brice and watched as he stared at Tiny Tess.  She detected more than a hint of worry upon his brow and a peculiar color of green that shaded his pallor.  “Are you still feeling as confident now, Mister Winslow?” she asked and followed it with a chuckle.

He glared at her.

“I think perhaps we should have Mister Brice Winslow approach,” Tiny Tess called out.  “It’s been many years since I’ve seen him and perhaps he’s now no longer worthy of my heart.”  True to her performance training, she put her hand above her eyes and peered out into the crowd from one side to the other.  “Mister Brice Winslow?” she shouted out.  “Are you out there?”

The
crowd in front of Brice looked back at him and resentfully stared but moved aside as Brice walked forward.  They opened up for him much to the fashion of Moses parting the sea.  He looked back at Abigail, closed his eyes, sighed heavily, and continued toward the woman.

“Good luck, Mister Winslow,” Abigail called
out to him and smothered a giggle within her white gloved hand.  She watched him until he was beneath the train’s doorway where the Abigail imposter stood.

“And there he is,” Tiny Tess called out
to her audience.  “Why, he’s as pretty, if not more so than I remember!”

Brice’s blush came faster than the crowd’s laughter
and jeering.  Yet he stood there, forced a smile toward the crowd, and returned his gaze to look upon her.

“
Good day, Abigail,” he said and tipped his hat to her.  “It’s good to see you looking so well.”

“Since you
have won me in my brother’s game of cards, I shall offer you a game of my very own in return,” she said.  She looked at the multitude of people and spoke aloud stating, “If Mister Brice Winslow wins my game, the contest for my hand shall be over and I’ll marry this man,” she said and pointed down at Brice.  “But if he loses my game, then it’s fair game for all!”  Whoops and hollers began again and Tiny Tess gave a terse nod.  “Are you up to the challenge, Mister Winslow?”

Abigail smiled when
Brice, although looking almighty uncomfortable by the attention, nodded his head to Tess. “I think I’m going to rather enjoy this show,” Abigail said to Thomas.

Again,
Tess looked at the crowd and shouted.  “And what game might you all suggests we play to test his merit?”  Ideas came from the left of her and they hailed from her right; everything from playing cards to racing horses, and a few inappropriate suggestions in-between.

“Good ole arm wrestling works well in these parts,” a man hollered
, and he then smiled at her with fewer teeth than he’d been born.  When the man noticed that he gained Tess’s attention he blew her a kiss and waved.

“Arm wrestling?”
She slapped her hand across her lap and heartily laughed through full, rounded lips.  “I believe our poor Mister Winslow would be at a great disadvantage.”

Abigail pushed and shoved her way through the people until she stood next to Brice.
She raised a challenging brow to hm.  “What about a game of wits, cousin?” Abigail suggested very loudly so all could hear.

“My fair and lovely
cousin Abilene,” Tess called out.  “I do believe you may be onto something.”  Tiny Tess looked at Abigail and winked hard.

“Not but a week ago, this f
ine gentleman insisted that he knew what truly lies within your dear sweet heart.”  Abigail turned, looked at Brice and smiled like a Cheshire cat.  “I say his familiarity of it should be assessed.”

“I do believe that’s a splendid idea,” Tiny Tess called out.  “As you know me so well, cousin, what question shall we
ask of our Mister Winslow?”

“
I think we shall keep it fairly simple so Mister Winslow has a fair chance to win your dow—why, your heart.”  She looked up at Brice and stared at him for a few moments as she gathered her thoughts.  “I shall make it simple indeed, Mister Winslow, as the answers are limited for even a guess.”

“Please state the question, Miss Abilene, “Brice said, seemingly bored with the game that Abigail was rightly sure he knew could only humiliate him in the end.

“What is my cousin’s favorite blossom?”

Brice smiled wide and
his relief was exceedingly obvious when his face relaxed. 

“That is too easy, Miss Abilene
, as her father had rose gardens planted in her honor from north to south as well as east and west upon their lawns, I am rightly sure that is the answer you seek.”

“Then you would be
greatly mistaken, Mister Winslow.  As the answer is the dandelion.”

The crowd applauded and cheered loudly at his loss.

“You play a game of trickery,” he accused, and although he smiled, the humor of it didn’t quite meet his eyes.

“Surely I do not,” she said, and
Abigail looked up at Tiny Tess.  “Cousin, please assure Mister Winslow that the dandelion is truly his hopeful intended’s favorite among all floras.”

“As my cousin knows me as well as myself, she would be most definitely correct.”

“Would you like to know why my cousin prefers the dandelion above all others?” she asked Brice, as well as the people who stood around the train. People nodded their heads and urged her to finish as their curiosities piqued.  She looked at Brice and he eyed her warily.

“As you have gathered the attention
of all, Miss Abilene, please continue,” Brice said.

“
My cousin was much to the likes of a dandelion when she once lived in this town,” she said to Brice, and then Abigail looked at all the people to whom she had caught their attention, particular those she had known many years ago.  “As like Miss Abigail Large, the dandelion’s beauty and inner worth is overlooked.  It’s taken for granted and ignored and left within the fields to dry and wither.  Eventually, sir, its seeds are blown away and lost within the wind and completely forgotten.”

Tiny Tess looked down at Abigail
with saddened eyes.  A tear dropped down her cheek and she quickly swiped it away.  “I couldn’t have stated it better, cousin.”

The p
eople in the crowd that were raised in Mecklenburg County and knew Abigail looked down and nervously shuffled their feet.  Abigail looked around and easily recalled each mean-spirited word and action amongst them all.

“I shall now step down and turn the attention back to you, dear Abigail
,” she said, and curtsied to Tiny Tess.

Tiny Tess perked up
, looked into the crowd and bellowed out, “As Mister Winslow was unable to win my hand by game of wits, then I declare to you, my lovely gentlemen, let the courting begin!” she thundered out.

Smiles
, whoops and hollers returned to the crowd, and Abigail turned and looked at Brice.  He stared at her with a peculiar smile that made her feel awkward and shy.

“
It would appear, sir, you must work as hard for Abigail’s heart as the rest of the gentlemen who’ve come out here today.”

“As long as you are around, Miss Abilene,
I do believe I’ll need to work a mite bit harder than the others.”  He tipped his hat toward her, turned around, and pressed his way through the men who stood in his path until he was no longer within her sight.

“Dear, sister,” Thomas said as he approached
. “It would appear that you’ve upset Mister Winslow.”

“Indeed, I believe that to be true
as well.”  Abigail frowned and looked guiltily at Thomas.  “I do feel shameful that I’ve placed so much burden on him when he’s already fretting over losing his plantation.  It seems almighty wrong.”