Wings Of The Morning Part 4

"What is it, Smokey?"

"I should have changed my dress." Smokey's cheeks had turned red with humiliation upon spotting her hostess' lovely frock. Jenny, horrified that she had been so thoughtless, found herself helplessly tongue-tied. Smokey stood stiffly on the I threshold, wis.h.i.+ng she could vanish, but Tate rescued them fctarh se don't mind us, Smokey," he said. "Jenny's family is K>re relaxed, but my family is used to dressing for jgd we've fallen into the habit. We're really not sn.o.bs."

i&s.

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The cross-eyed look on Tate's face was so comical that Smokey immediately relaxed They took their seats, and dinner was served It was a sumptuous feast of beef, sage dressing, fresh turnip greens, and mince pie. Smokey ate her fill.

Jenny and Tate had decided they would not press Smokey in any way to share about herself, but as they ate and the conversation flowed, they learned little things.

"You don't have to leave right away, do you, Smokey? I mean, we were hoping you could stay for a few weeks," Jenny commented after the soup.

"I don't really have anything pressing right now. I didn't tell Da.r.s.ey when I would need to be picked up because I wasn't sure."

Smokey realized that they weren't going to give her the third degree and she was thankful, but she could also see that she needed to explain about Da.r.s.ey.

"Da.r.s.ey was my father's first mate, and he still works for me. He's always been like a second father to me, and especially now that my father is gone. Willa, the woman I told you about, is his sister. We live with her when we're home." Not until after Smokey uttered the words did she realize that statement would need yet another explanation, but just then they were interrupted. Amaid arrived and told them Buck was there to see them.

"Oh, thank you, Polly," Jenny told her before turning to Smokey. "Buck is my brother, and you're going to love him.

Let's go into the parlor. I'll ask Polly to serve our coffee there."

Before Smokey could draw another breath, Tate had gently taken her arm and was leading her out of the room. She took a moment to conjure up what a person named Buck would look like, but as soon as she followed Jenny into the room, she could see that she couldn't be more wrong.

Engaging was the only word that would come to Smokey's mind, and that was before Buck had uttered a word. He was a small man, slightly taller than Smokey but shorter than his sister, and pet.i.te in build. His small frame and exact manner

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caused several names to jump to mind, but Buck certainly wasn't one of them.

"h.e.l.lo, Buck/'Jenny greeted him warmly. After kissing his sister, Buck dropped somewhat dramatically onto the sofa.

"I've decided to propose to her, Jen, but if she says no, then I'll wish that I had given her more time. On the other hand, if she says yes, I'll wish that I'd asked sooner."

Smokey, who sat on the small settee Tate had led her toward, stared at Jenny's brother. He had thrown his head back and said all of this with his eyes on the ceiling. Smokey looked to Tate then, who winked audaciously before turning to speak to his brother-in-law.

"Come now, Buck, I'm sure she'll have you. How could she resist?" Not realizing how serious Buck was, Tate wanted to tease him from his somber mood.

"I don't know. She was very quiet tonight."

"We have company, Buck," Jen said softly when it seemed he would lie there for some time. Jen could see that her brother was serious, and she wanted to listen, but she realized he must not have seen Smokey, for he would not want to share all of this in front of a stranger.

"Miss Victoria Simmons from Kennebunk is staying with us." Tate said this, having finally seen that Buck was truly feeling low.

His words did the trick. Without rising, Buck's head came up. His eyes narrowed and then widened upon spotting Smokey. An instant later he came off the sofa as though on strings and bowed low to his sister's guest.

"Excuse my lack of manners, my dear." The tone of Buck's voice was refined "I am Rowland Knight, 'Buck' to friends and family alike."

Smokey watched in fascination as he came forward with all the manners of a gentleman at court, took her hand, and carefully kissed the back of it. Knowing her skin and nails were rough, Smokey squirmed with embarra.s.sment, but the warm eyes Buck raised to hers made her relax in a moment.

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Smokey found herself smiling hugely as Buck took a seat beside her.

"You know," he spoke to the room but never took his eyes off Smokey's perfect complexion and huge gray eyes. "If I wasn't in love with the widow Rittenhouse, I might fall in love with Victoria."

Smokey chuckled low in her throat, and because she sincerely liked him at first meeting, she teased him with a warm glimmer in her eye. "If you could change your affections that swiftly, Mr. Knight, I'm not sure I would have you."

Buck threw back his head and laughed in delight. Smokey glanced at her host and hostess and found them grinning also.

"I like you, Victoria," Buck told her bluntly.

"My friends call me Smokey," she told him.

"Smokey," Buck tried the name out loud. "It fits you."

"Thank you. I rather like it myself."

"Do you play cards?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes."

Tate and Jenny, who had sat quietly through the exchange, went into action. Within minutes the four of them were seated around a table. Jen was the first to deal, and then the cards went to Tate. By the time the deal got around to Smokey, she found herself more relaxed than she had been all evening.

China cups and fine flatware were new to her, but cards, well, she'd been playing since she was a child. The lighthearted game, along with Buck's outrageous wit and easy smile, caused her to wish she lived much closer to Buck and the Pembertons.

Smokey missed the glances of her game partners as she allowed her gaze to roam the room. They noticed that she didn't even need to concentrate on the deck in her hands. She shuffled and dealt cards to them like a cardsharp. Everyone's eyes were dutifully back on their own cards by the lime Smokey glanced back at them, but they all knew that they'd been given a glimmer of yet one more aspect that made up the person of Victoria "Smokey" Simmons.

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smokey was utterly spellbound with Jenny and Tate's small church--in particular, their pastor and his preaching.

Smokey had spent so little time in church over the years that she had no idea a sermon could hold such meaning.

Clancy had spent many hours teaching his small daughter about G.o.d's Word, but he had also admitted to her many times that there were a great many things he didn't know about the Bible.

Smokey grew up on the stories of David and Goliath, Noah and the ark, and of course the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But Smokey didn't try to fool herself; she knew little about the Old or New Testament. She shared this with Jenny as they made their way home in the Pemberton buggy.

Tate had business with one of the elders and would come later.

"I basically grew up on my father's s.h.i.+p. I don't remember being in port on Sundays, at least no more than a few times a year. There's so much I don't know."

"I'm glad you liked Pastor Chase, Smokey. He's a wonder-I pastor; we feel so blessed to have him. Both Tate and I have inaed a great deal from him in the last few years. You know," r Spoke excitedly now, "you don't live that far. Even when oJjome, you could come over here for Sundays and plan lading the day with us."

M^.

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"Thank you, Jen." Smokey was so moved she fell silent.

She also realized she was going to have to tell Jenny at some point that she was not usually in Maine on Sundays, that in fact she was usually not in Maine at all. As Smokey thought on this, the ride continued in silence.

After lunch Smokey went to her room for a while and found herself poring over her Bible. Pastor Chase had preached from the book of James, and Smokey wanted to read every chapter. She never got beyond the first, where she read verses that spoke to her of how often she needed to turn to G.o.d, and how He provides in ways she hadn't thought possible.

No one had ever told Smokey that she could ask G.o.d for wisdom, nor had she ever taken the time to search out G.o.d's truths for herself. In her job she had so many responsibilities.

Too often she found herself going on her own and simply hoping for the best. It was like a gift to learn that she could turn to G.o.d, knowing that in His love, He was waiting to give her aid.

Life at the Pembertons' on Sundays was lazy and relaxed, and after Smokey had read the first chapter, she fell asleep on her bed as she prayed "My parents moved to South Carolina three years ago for my mother's health. They come to see us every other Christmas, and we sail down in the early summer to see them. My sister moved with them, but as you see, Buck and I still live here in Maine, as does Dolly," Jenny told Smokey over afternoon tea.

"Dolly is your sister?" Smokey asked "No, Dolly is another brother. Buck is the oldest, then Dolly, and then me. My sister's name is s.h.i.+rley; she's the youngest."

Smokey's smile never wavered, but she didn't really hear the last statement. She was too busy trying to push down the

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images that rose up at the name "Dolly." Buck was a small man with a soft air about him, so did that mean a man named Dolly would be large and muscular? Smokey thought it unlikely, though Jenny herself was quite tall.

"Here, Smokey/' Jenny cut into her thoughts. "Have another piece of cake."

Smokey accepted, and Jenny watched her. Smokey had no idea what to do with her cake plate as she already had a cup of tea in her hand. Jenny wanted very much to show her, but was acutely afraid of hurting her feelings. Jenny also realized that she was under Smokey's close scrutiny and was careful not to give notice.

Smokey was just about to ask Jenny another question about her family when they were interrupted Polly announced that cook needed something in the kitchen. Smokey, already seeing that Jenny was very kind to her staff, watched as she rose immediately and went to lend a.s.sistance.

After she had gone, Smokey put her cup and plate down with a sigh of relief. Jenny made it look so easy as she balanced her plate on her lap, leaving her hands free to handle her cup and saucer. But Smokey's plate always tipped, no matter how hard she worked to keep her legs even.

And then there was the different way they held their cups.

Smokey gripped her small china cup just as she held her large mug aboard the Aramis. Not so Jenny--why, her pinky finger even stuck out! Her pinky finger was always held at a most feminine angle as she drank. She made it all look as natural as breathing.

With a nervous glance at the door, Smokey reached for her cup and saucer. She held it just as Jenny had, one hand on the saucer, and thumb and forefinger of the other hand on the handle. Pinky finger pointing straight out, she tried to drink.

Before it even reached her mouth, the cup tipped and she burned her hand Her hand smarting from the burn, a frusM Smokey quickly placed her cup back in the saucer and o *1 it back on the table. She had drenched her hand "I tea down the front of her dress. It wouldn't have

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mattered if she had been wearing the brown or navy blue dress, but this had to be the dark tan. It showed every spot.

Her napkin took care of her hand, but there was no hiding the spots on her dress. As she scrubbed, Smokey felt more than saw that she wasn't alone. She glanced up quickly to see Buck standing nearby, smiling kindly at her. Seeing her wet dress and tea-filled saucer, he had grasped the situation instantly.

"h.e.l.lo, Smokey," he spoke gently as he sat and poured his own tea.

"Hi, Buck," Smokey spoke in return, not quite meeting his eyes as she tried to use her napkin to hide her wet lap.

"What have you and Jen been up to?"

Buck had a way of making Smokey relax, and she calmed at just the sound of his voice.

"We went to church this morning. This afternoon has been pretty quiet."

"Did you enjoy the sermon?"

"Oh, very much," she told him sincerely.