Midnight Rescue / The Proposal / Christy's Choice (25 page)

“Just as if I'd never left,” Christy said.

“It was the purtiest room I ever did see,” Ruby Mae said. “For sure, I ain't never seen the like.”

“I'm glad you liked it,” Mrs. Huddleston said. “We've fixed up the guest room for you. I hope you'll find it pleasant as well.”

“This whole house is like goin' to heaven, only I ain't dead, and there ain't no angels,” Ruby Mae exclaimed.

Mr. Huddleston laughed loudly. Ruby Mae grinned, but then it occurred to her that maybe Mr. Huddleston was laughing
at
her. No, that wasn't likely, on second thought. He seemed like a very fine man.

“Will you take some tea, my dear?” Mrs. Huddleston asked. She held the teapot poised over a tiny cup.

“Yes'm,” Ruby Mae said nervously.

“Milk, sugar?”

“No, ma'am, tea. Like you said.”

“She means would you like your tea with milk, or with sugar, or maybe both,” Miz Christy explained.

Ruby Mae swallowed hard. It was like one of Miz Christy's tests at school—there had to be a right answer, and there had to be a wrong answer.

“I reckon I'll have whatever y'all have,” Ruby Mae said warily.

“That would be sweet,” Mrs. Huddleston said. “Christy has always had such a sweet tooth. It's amazing she's managed to keep her figure.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Ruby Mae said. “Only she don't eat much most of the time. I reckon that's on account of the preacher and the doctor.”

“Ruby Mae, I don't think—” Christy said suddenly.

“Both of them are sparkin' to Miz Christy something amazing, so it wouldn't do for her to be gettin' all fat and puffed up.” Ruby Mae's nervous chatter was beginning to embarrass Christy.

The pink blush that spread up Christy's neck didn't surprise Ruby Mae. Her teacher was always blushing whenever anyone talked about the way the preacher and the doctor both were hankering for her.

Mrs. Huddleston just laughed and sent Ruby Mae a wink. But Mr. Huddleston looked a little troubled. He smiled, all right, but Ruby Mae could tell it wasn't a
real
smile.

Just then, there was a knock at the front door.

“I'll get it for you,” Ruby Mae said. She opened the front door to reveal the preacher and Doctor MacNeill.

“Well, howdy,” she said. Then, in a low whisper, she added, “reckon you both better wipe your boots off real good. This is a mighty fine home.”

The two men glanced at each other. If Ruby Mae hadn't known better, she'd have sworn they looked as nervous as she was feeling. They each carefully wiped their feet on the mat before entering.

Christy jumped up. “Mother, Father, this, of course, is David Grantland whom you met at the station. And this is Doctor Neil MacNeill.”

“Pleased to formally make your acquaintance,” the doctor said, shaking Mr.

Huddleston's hand. “I'm sorry we had to run off at the station.”

“We understand, Doctor,” Mr. Huddleston said. “How is your patient doing?”

“Bessie made the trip rather well. She was sleeping when we left the hospital,” Doctor MacNeill said. “We'll be able to perform the operation first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Did she ask where I was?” Christy asked.

“Bessie understood that you were with your parents,” he said. “I reassured her that you
and
Ruby Mae would be with her tomorrow.”

“Would you gentlemen join us for some tea?” Mrs. Huddleston said.

“Perhaps they would like to go straight upstairs and check out their room,” Mr. Huddleston said.

The preacher looked surprised. “Mr. Huddleston, we've made arrangements to stay at a boarding house.”

“Nonsense,” Mrs. Huddleston said. “Christy's brother George is away at boarding school, and his room is sitting empty. You must stay here with us.”

“If they've already made arrangements, perhaps they'd rather . . .” Mr. Huddleston began to say.

Mrs. Huddleston cut him off. “They'll stay with us. And I'm sure they would both
love
a cup of tea before they go up to see the room. And they will of course be joining us this evening for the soiree.”

“What soiree?” Christy asked.

“Why, the Barclays are having a few friends over, Christy,” Mrs. Huddleston said. “It's in honor of your homecoming. I believe Lance will be there, too. Lance is home from college for a while.”

Ruby Mae saw Christy jerk in surprise at the mention of the name
Lance
. At the same time, she saw the doctor raise his eyebrows and the preacher narrow his eyes. The two of them looked mighty curious.

“Lance Barclay?” Mr. Huddleston sent a doubtful look to his wife. “Maybe Christy would rather just have a quiet evening at home with her parents, whom she hasn't seen in months.”

“We've already told the Barclays we would come,” Mrs. Huddleston replied.

Ruby Mae hid a smile behind her hand. It was pretty clear to see that Mrs. Huddleston was pleased to have her daughter surrounded by courters, including this Lance fellow, whoever he was. She was just like any matchmaking mother back in the Cove.

And it was just as plain that Mr. Huddleston wanted no part of the preacher or the doctor or the fellow named Lance. Just the same as any nervous father back in the Cove.

Her first instinct had been right, Ruby Mae realized. Folks
were
just folks, even if they lived in fine houses.

“You will come, won't you, gentlemen?” Mrs. Huddleston asked. “I'm sure you'd both enjoy getting to know all of Christy's old friends. Especially Lance. He's such a pleasant young man.”

The doctor and the preacher looked at each other suspiciously. Then they each looked at Christy, even more suspiciously.

“I'd be happy to go,” the reverend said tersely.

“Oh, yes, we'll definitely be there,” the doctor said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Ruby Mae couldn't help grinning to herself. This visit was getting more interesting by the minute.

Seven

M
y, don't we all look so fine?” Ruby Mae said that evening. “If Bessie could just see me in this dress! Wouldn't she be green with envy?”

Christy and her mother had done some quick alterations on one of Christy's dresses. The dress was silk and lace and came with a small matching clutch purse and shoes with heels. Christy watched nervously as Ruby Mae balanced in the painfully tight shoes. They were planning to walk the two blocks to the Barclay home.

“I feel like a regular princess,” Ruby Mae said. “Like out of a book.”

“Are you sure your feet are all right?” Christy asked.

“Oh, yes, Miz Christy. It just takes some getting used to. It's kind of like the way you have to walk real careful and sort of on your toes when you cross the creek on the old log bridge.”

“Silly, impractical things, women's shoes are!” Doctor MacNeill chuckled.

The evening air was warm and scented with flowers. As they neared the Barclay home, Christy noticed beautifully-clothed passengers climbing out of expensive automobiles.

The Barclays weren't as rich as the Vanderbilts, but they were well-to-do. Their house was larger than the Huddleston home. It had its own carriage house, with servants' quarters above it.

There were lanterns strung in the trimmed bushes and trees in front of the house. Through the windows, Christy could see the glint of silver and crystal. At the door, a servant assited arriving guests.

It wasn't nearly as elegant as the parties that went on at the big estates among the truly wealthy class. But to Christy's eyes, used to the subtler beauties of Cutter Gap, it seemed unbelievably bright and colorful and wondrous.

Inside the house, they were swept along to the large parlor. Most of the furniture had been removed to clear a large area for people to wander about and talk while munching delicate morsels of food. Later, Christy knew, there would be dancing on the gleaming wooden floor. In one corner, a string quartet played music by Beethoven.

Mrs. Barclay swept toward them. She was a somewhat heavy woman, with iron-gray hair and eyes to match. “Good evening, good evening! I'm so glad you were able to come on such short notice.”

“Mrs. Barclay,” Christy said, taking the woman's hand, “allow me to introduce my friends, the Reverend David Grantland, Doctor Neil MacNeill, and one of my students, Ruby Mae Morrison.”

“Charmed,” Mrs. Barclay said.

“Thanks for having us.” The doctor smiled stiffly.

“There's a Barclay family in Cutter Gap,” David said. “Are you perhaps related?”

Mrs. Barclay's eyes narrowed. “I am quite certain that I would never be related to anyone from . . . where is it? Carter Gap?”

“Cutter Gap,” Doctor MacNeill corrected.

“Yes, of course. That's the quaint little hamlet in the hills where Christy teaches the unfortunate illiterates. Christy, your mother tells me what you write in your letters. It moves me to tears to think of you up there among moonshiners with their blood feuds. No offense meant,” she added. “The mountaineers don't know any better, I suppose.”

Christy felt a stab of embarrassment. She glanced at Ruby Mae, who just looked confused. Neil and David looked downright annoyed. The doctor started to say something rude in reply, but David cut him off smoothly.

“Yes,” David said, “we are all very grateful to have Christy with us. She is an invaluable part of the mission. I don't know what we'd do without her.”

“Probably wallow in ignorance while we drink corn liquor and shoot at each other.” Doctor MacNeill's quick, dry humor was lost on their hostess.

“Exactly,” Mrs. Barclay said. Christy, David, and Neil exchanged amused glances.

“Now if you three will excuse me, I simply must borrow Christy. There are so many of her friends waiting to see her!”

Before Christy could object, Mrs. Barclay had whisked her away. Suddenly there was a group of familiar faces all around her— Jeanette Grady, a childhood friend; Mabel and Melissa Bentley, sisters who were old school friends; and Elizabeth Deerfield, who had been in the church choir with Christy.

They crowded around Christy, chattering away at the same time.

“Christy, you have no
idea
what Terence Jones has been up to!”

“Christy, wait till I tell you what Martha Bates told me. You'll just
die
!”

“Christy, you simply
have
to come with me to this wonderful new dress shop in the square. They have all the latest fashions from Paris and New York!”

“Christy, it's so good to see you! Things just haven't been the same around here without you. And it's no secret that Lance Barclay has been missing you.”

“Christy, have you heard the newest music? They call it ragtime. My father simply cannot
stand
it!”

It was like being caught up in a whirlwind. Christy was surrounded by silk and crystal, taffeta and silver, lace and polished mahogany. Everyone's hair was perfectly done up. Every face was clean and powdered. The air was filled with the scent of expensive perfume.

And then Christy happened to look down. She saw something that struck her as more noticeable than all the rest. Everyone was wearing shoes.

In the Cove, even many of the adults went around barefoot, whatever the weather.

Christy felt a pang of guilt. Suddenly, it seemed strange and wrong to be in a room filled with people wearing shoes.

She turned and looked for her friends. Her parents were nowhere in sight, but she soon located Neil and David and Ruby Mae. They were standing bunched together in a corner. The three of them looked simple and rugged and weatherbeaten.

Christy felt as if she were being pulled in two directions. Part of her wanted to rush back to her friends from Cutter Gap. But these other people were her friends, too. It would be ridiculous to ignore them, simply because they came from the city, rather than the mountains.

“Christy,” a new voice said.

She turned to see Lance Barclay, handsome as ever. “It really is you! And even more beautiful than I remembered.”

“Lance,” Christy said. She put out her hand to shake his. He took her hand, bowed, and gently kissed it.

“May I have the first dance?” he asked. “Unless, of course, you've already promised it to some other man.”

Christy was caught off guard. She hadn't promised the first dance to anyone. “Um, no,” she said. “I mean, yes. No, I haven't promised the first dance, and yes, I would be honored to save it for you.”

As if on cue, the music brightened suddenly into a waltz. The shifting groups of people moved toward the edges of the room, opening a large dance area in the middle of the room.

“Shall we?” Lance asked, still holding Christy's hand.

Christy gave a little bow, then followed Lance out to the middle of the floor.

He truly was quite a handsome young man. His blond hair was perfectly combed. His smile was bright. His tuxedo was immaculately tailored.

Christy caught sight of David. He was standing to one side, looking severe and awkward in his dark suit. It was the same suit he wore on Sunday mornings when he preached. It
was
new, however. It had been a gift from his mother on her visit to Cutter Gap in May. David was watching Christy with an expression of shock.

Beside him, Neil seemed a trifle less awkward, but he looked even more out-of-place in his favorite tweed jacket. He was holding a glass and staring fixedly at the floor.

Christy felt a pang of regret. David had asked her to marry him. And even Neil had made his feelings for Christy known. It must look to the two men as if she had dumped them in a corner.

But following on the heels of her regret and guilt came a second feeling—resentment. Why should she have to worry about what David and Neil thought? Sometimes she felt as if she spent every minute of every day worrying about what people might think or say.