Chapter Twenty-Six

Cory crossed the square a safe distance from Douglas. She spied Beth coming out of the church in a pale pink ball gown and realized the dance would begin soon. Douglas wasted no time approaching Beth. She watched as they talked. He dropped his hat and picked it up. Beth nodded at his endless monologue. When he stopped talking, Beth smiled at him in the way women have smiled at men since Eve.

Cory looked for Tyler. Where was he? He hadn’t requested permission to escort her to the dance, and now she wished she had paid more attention to her own love life. She headed for the family wagon to retrieve her dress. She met Jem and Cole carrying their dress boxes.

Cole glanced at the Town Hall and paced back and forth. “Do you want us to wait for you?”

It was Cole’s first dance. Cory sympathized with her impatience. “Go ahead. I’ll be along in a minute.” Cory found her dress box jammed under one of the bench seats in the family wagon. She leaned over to retrieve it.

“Do you need some help?”

The box came loose suddenly, and Cory stumbled backwards. Edward jumped up on the wagon wheel hub to steady her. “Careful, Miss Beecher.”

She regained her composure. “Thank you, Mr. Vandal.”

“May I?” He offered his hand to help her down.

She jumped with the box in her hands. “Have you seen Tyler?”

“Yes.” He smiled. “I must compliment you, Miss Beecher.”

He was happy about something. “Why?”

“I have tried for years to humble Tyler Montgomery, and your small, delicate hand has accomplished what my fist could not.”

Cory shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Women never admit the power they have over a man. Men certainly don’t want to admit it. But take my wife, Regina. She’s a delicate creature whose vulnerability makes me strive to protect her and solve all her problems.”

Cory frowned. “Women don’t want a man to solve their problems.”

“But you seemed so distressed over them.”

“We enjoy our emotions too much to have them dismissed with a solution.” Cory smiled as she thought of Douglas and his logic. “All we want from a man is an understanding ear and comforting arms. We’re not afraid of the hurt. We’re afraid you don’t care we’re hurting.”

Edward frowned. “Do you think Regina sent Tess away?”

“It probably hurt to see Adam with Tess,” Cory said. “Taking her back won’t solve the problem. But your return could. You’ve been gone a long time.”

“I didn’t mean to abandon her, but I didn’t know how to deal with the grief. He was my son, too.”

“Don’t let it tear you apart.” She paused. “Permanently.”

“Well, Tyler looks like you’ve torn him apart.”

Cory was baffled. “Me? I’ve done nothing.”

“Come, Miss Beecher. The man is a train wreck. I’ve never seen him so despondent. I’m confident you’re right. He doesn’t love Regina. He has never been this broken.”

Cory narrowed her eyes. “And you blame me?”

“He kept babbling about losing you to Douglas.”

Cory digested this piece of news and laughed.

“You think marrying another man is funny?” He gloated. “I almost pity Tyler.”

His cruel side was showing. “I’m not marrying Douglas. I turned him down so he could propose to Beth. Tyler must have misunderstood.”

He frowned. “I suppose you’ll have to set him straight.”

“I would never hurt someone on purpose or lie about them.”

“Do you think I lied about Tyler?”

“I meant Noah. You printed those fliers claiming he was your runaway slave.”

“I only wanted to find him to find Tess,” Edward defended.

“Your men beat him.”

“He needed some persuasion.”

“That’s barbaric.”

“Northerners don’t understand the need for slavery.”

“Maintaining your wealth at the expense of others’ freedom and happiness is wrong,” she said. “You must not be a good businessman if your fortune depends on the return of one woman and a little baby.”

“It’s not about money,” he said. “It’s about respect. She needs to be taught her place.”

Tyler had warned her Edward would teach Tess a lesson and use it as an example to other slaves. Cory saw the hardness in his face and feared Tyler had been right about Edward all along. He could be cruel without conscience and had no regrets about hurting others whether it was Tyler by revealing his mother was the town whore or by whipping Tess for running away. She wanted to get away from him. “Do you know where I can find Tyler?”

Edward sneered. “He’s drowning his sorrows at the beer wagon.”

Cory heard the sound of musicians tuning their instruments through the open church doors as she headed to the square. Jess, Cass, and Jules played with a puppy on the blanket her family had occupied earlier. Adelaide watched them from her seat on the church bench. “The ladies are changing at the Town Hall.”

Cory headed toward the beer wagon.

“Where are you going?” Adelaide asked.

She turned. “Tyler is at the beer wagon. He thinks I’m marrying Douglas.”

“Douglas proposed?”

Cory was impatient to talk with Tyler. “Yes.”

“You’re marrying Douglas?”

“Who’s Douglas?” Jess asked.

“I thought you liked Tyler,” Cass said.

“I like Tyler,” Jules said.

“I am not marrying Douglas.” Cory announced to squelch all the remarks.

“Thank goodness,” Adelaide said. “I didn’t think you’d ever realize he was all wrong for you.”

“I wanted Douglas to propose so I could turn him down, but Tyler misunderstood. Now I don’t have an escort to the dance.”

Jess jumped up. “I’ll fetch him!”

“We’ll all go!” Cass grabbed Jules hand.

“Sometimes it’s good to have little sisters,” Adelaide said.

“It’ll give me a chance to change into my gown.” She turned to Jess. “Ask him to meet me outside the Town Hall.”

“Are you going to yell at him?”

“I’m going to yell at you if he doesn’t show.” Cory watched her sisters run across the square followed by the puppy. She carried her dress box to the Town Hall.

The sandstone building faced the church on the opposite end of the town square. The double doors opened to a small foyer and the main room beyond. A narrow staircase led to the second floor where the offices were located.

Most of ladies were dressed and putting on the final touches to their hair or accessories when Cory joined them. She searched for her sisters and saw Beth helping them in a corner of the room. Her pink gown had a full ruffle across the bodice and was gathered in several tiers for the skirt.

“Beth, your dress is lovely.” Cory put her box down on the floor next to her sisters’ boxes and began untying the string.

“I want to look my best.” She giggled. “Mr. Raymond is escorting me.”

“That’s wonderful!” Cory silenced any questions from Jem with a slight shake of her head. She had confided her hopes for a match with Douglas to her sister only last Sunday in church.

Beth stared at her reflection in a full length mirror someone had placed in the center of the room. “I wish my hair had some curl like yours. I can’t do anything with it.”

“There are some lovely ways to wear straight hair.” Cory turned to Jem. “How should Beth wear her hair?”

Jem studied her face. “I think it needs to be up and draw attention to her eyes. You have lovely eyes, Beth.”

“Let’s pull it back and braid the length in loops near the back,” Cory suggested. “We can pull some strands to frame her face.”

“You better dress,” Jem said. “I’ll braid Beth’s hair.”

Cole helped Cory strip off her day dress and corset cover. She tightened the lacings on her corset.

“That’s tight enough!” Cory gasped.

Cole tied off the ends. “Why do women have to wear all these silly clothes?”

“To attract a man,” Cory explained.

“Seems to me a woman could attract a man more if she was naked.”

Beth gasped.

Cory looked at Jem. “Remind Mama to have another talk with this one.”

“It won’t help.” Jem frowned. “I plan to be securely married before she ruins the family name.”

Cole helped Cory dress and loosely stitched the bodice to the skirt.

“A man likes a little mystery,” Cory told Cole. She felt a bit hypocritical. Tyler had seen her in her nightgown already. She didn’t leave him much mystery. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t proposed. She thought of the cow. “Don’t give away free milk.”

“Milk?”

“I’ll explain later.” Cory played her big sister role. “It’s your first dance. Gloves worn at all times, arms’ length distance between you and your partner, and don’t leave the dance floor.”

Cole slipped on her gloves. “All this so a boy can step on your toes.”

Cory examined her gown in the mirror. “Grandma can perform miracles with a needle.”

“I can’t believe the little touches she adds. Did you notice the castle pattern on my skirt?” Jem pointed out an elaborate pattern in black braiding on the blue plaid gown that complemented her red hair and blue eyes. “She repeated the same pattern on the sleeves.”

“She embroidered little roses on mine.” Cole glanced at the door. “May I go now?”

“Who’s escorting you?” Cory asked.

“The first boy to ask me!” Cole headed for the stairs.

“She isn’t very particular,” Beth remarked.

“She isn’t worried about getting married,” Cory explained.

“I want to look my best,” Beth said. “This may be the most romantic night of my life.”

Cory hoped it wouldn’t be the only romantic night in her life and hurried to complete her ensemble. Beth deserved better.

Jem finished Beth’s braids and pinned them at the crown of her head.

“Add a couple of ribbons,” Cory suggested.

“How do I look?” Beth turned her head from side to side as she looked in the mirror.

“You’ll be the most beautiful woman at the ball,” Jem said.

“You look beautiful, too,” Beth replied. “Who’s escorting you?”

“Ben Collins,” Jem confided. “I thought he was such a pest when we were in school together. Now I’m the pest mooning over him. How could someone so repugnant as a boy turn into such a dreamy man?”

Cory smiled. Jem was in love. She could tell by the excitement in her voice. Did she sound the same way when she talked about Tyler? She had declared her love to others, but maybe she should confess her feelings to Tyler. Edward said he was devastated when he thought she was marrying Douglas. That had to mean he loved her, too. Cory brushed back her hair and pinned it with gold combs. She arranged a cascade of curls down her back. She looked around. “Do we have everything?”

Jem took inventory. “Handkerchiefs, fans, and gloves.”

“I’ll take the boxes to the wagon.” Cory tossed her day dress and everything she didn’t need for the dance into her dress box, gathered the other two, and carried them downstairs.

Jess, Cass, and Jules were waiting outside on the steps. They stood up when they saw Cory. “We found him.”

Cory looked around. Tyler was near the pump by the watering trough, bent over, and splashing water on his face. She handed the three dress boxes to each of her sisters. “Can you take these to the wagon, please?”

“Can’t we watch?”

“What’s going on?” Jem asked. She didn’t wait for an answer. She waved to Ben when he approached. Douglas was with him and offered his arm to Beth.

Tyler watched the other couples head for the church. “You’re not going with Douglas?”

Jess put the dress box on her head. “Would she need an escort if she was?”

“Why do you think we dragged you here?” Jules asked.

“Go!” Cory pointed toward the wagon. Her three youngest sisters, with dress boxes held aloft, walked along River Road toward the wagon. “Don’t forget the puppy.”

“Why is Beth with Douglas?” Tyler stared at the departing couples. “I thought he was going to marry you.”

Cory heard the dance music and headed toward the church. “You were wrong.”

He joined her. “You wanted him to propose.”

“He did.”

Tyler blocked her path. “On the Irish Rose you told me, ‘we need to talk.’” He studied her. “From my limited experience, that precedes ‘I never want to see you again.’”

“I wanted to know your future plans.” She smelled beer on his breath. “How much did you drink?”

“One beer, but it seems to have affected my hearing. If Douglas proposed to you, why is he escorting Beth to the dance?”

“Because I turned him down.”

Tyler put his hands to his head and rubbed. “You wanted Douglas to propose so you could turn him down. Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“I didn’t have time.”

He grabbed her hands. “You’re not in love with him!”

“I was never in love with him,” Cory confessed. “I only wanted to get married.”

“And now you don’t?”

“Oh, I still want to marry if it’s the right person and the right time.”

He exhaled a long breath. “So I haven’t lost you.”

“Lost?” She showed him some of the shrewishness she’d shown Douglas. “When did you court me? Where are the flowers and candy? What about the poetry readings and romantic endearments?”

Tyler looked sheepish. “Southern gentlemen are known for their courtship manners, but I must have misplaced mine.” He bowed. “Your gown is lovely but not nearly as lovely as the woman wearing it.”

She scowled. “What is that?”

“A compliment.”

“We have another term for it, and it’s found in the barn.” She headed for the church.

“What do you want?”

“If I have to tell you, then you’re not paying attention.”

“Hey, boys act stupid when they like a girl.”

She hit him in the arm.

“What was that for?”

“Don’t you remember? Jess beat up a boy for acting stupid.”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “What do I have to do?”

“Give me your arm.”

He had his hand over the spot she had bruised. “You’re not going to hit me again, are you?”

“I’d like to go to the dance.”