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I glanced at her. What tone was that? Admiration? My goodness, it was. And the way she was looking at him! As if she would like to eat the peach in his hand and lick the juice from his skin. How could she when James was sitting right next to her? This woman was very tacky. No manners at all. No wonder she wanted James’s pedigree. She needed Jasper to give her some lessons on etiquette.
“Our new gardener,” Papa said. “What’s his name, darling?”
“Jesse,” Mama said. “We hired him in the last week or so.”
“Why does he wear no clothes?” Fiona asked.
“He usually has clothes on,” Mama said drily. “Perhaps he was in the bath and grabbed his pants?”
His hairwasdamp. Instead of a bath, I guessed he’d been down at the creek taking a swim. Who could blame him in this heat?
Delphia and Cym rushed from the doorway to stand by the window. “Good girl, Daisy,” Cym called out, as if the naughty pig could hear her through the glass.
“She’s a lot of things,” Mama said. “But good isn’t one of them.”
“Poor old Daisy,” Viktor said, laughing. “But look how good she is now.” Daisy was now obediently following Jesse toward the barn. He dangled the peach at his side, which explained the obedience.
James, who hadn’t yet spoken, joined him in laughter. “You’d never get this kind of entertainment in New York City.”
“I would have to agree,” Mr. Masters said. “This is the most unusual dinner I’ve ever attended. Well done, Daisy.”
13
JAMES
After the pig incident,dinner was considerably less exciting. Stories were told around the table of other escapades of Daisy the pig. The old girl got around between her litters of babies. I’d have enjoyed the evening immensely if it hadn’t been for the sorrowful look in Addie’s eyes. I was a terrible person. Not only had I betrayed Lena but I’d hurt Addie. I couldn’t forgive myself for either of my actions.
Later, Lena asked me to take her around the property. Mr. Masters, apparently oblivious to the situation, suggested that Addie and Delphia accompany us. “We don’t want you two lovebirds getting into trouble alone,” he said.
Delphia raised an eyebrow and asked wickedly, “You mean if they ran into a bear?”
“Not exactly,” Mr. Masters said, sounding alarmed. “Should we be worried about that?”
“Only wayward pigs,” Delphia said. “Tonight anyway.”
A few minutes later, the four of us walked out toward the barn. Lena was on my arm but the sisters walked a few feet ahead, shoulders occasionally rubbing. They were not pleased to accompany us but knew it was impossible to decline. Alexander, who had looked worn out from entertaining Lena’s father, had seemed inclined toward bed. However, Mr. Masters would want his after-dinner drink beforehand. I hoped, for Alexander’s sake, that the evening would not go too late.
As hot as the afternoon had been, tonight was glorious. Temperatures had dropped, and the sky was the deep purple of twilight. I’d taken off my jacket and felt comfortable in my shirtsleeves.
“It’s a different life out here, isn’t it?” Lena asked in a pensive tone.
I glanced at her. She seemed different tonight than she had when she first arrived. Calmer and less inclined toward putting on airs. Maybe the mountain air was having an effect on her. Stranger things had happened, I supposed. “Yes, it’s quiet. No one to worry about.”
“What do you mean?”
“What people think, I guess. People don’t care about society and all that here.”
“It would be terribly boring, wouldn’t it? No one to show my pretty things to?”
“Is that what you like about it?” I asked. “Being the center of attention?”
“I do enjoy it, yes. I can’t imagine any other life. Here, for instance—what would I do all day and night?” She squeezed my arm tighter. “You would never want to move here, would you?”
I gazed up ahead to make sure the ladies couldn’t hear us. “I’d have liked to, once upon a time.”
“But what about your work?”
Crickets chirped in accompaniment to our shoes on the gravel. A rustle in the long grass that ran along the horse pen rustled. Some kind of creature. Probably one of the rabbits I’d seen scurrying around. The reasons for fenced gardens, Quinn had told me. Deer and rabbits didn’t care about Lizzie’s needs in the kitchen. They ate whatever they could get.
