12. Twelve
The spicy scent of fried food and the sounds of childish laughter along with spirited puppy yipping warmed something in Camilla’s heart she hadn’t realized had grown cold. Stella set the table in Daniel’s mansion with the help of two young women while Lucas played with Lula on the dining room floor.
Camilla didn’t know what to do with her hands, so she locked them behind her and let the homey scene wash over her. She’d been content to spend her days adventuring on the waters with Papa. But something about this mismatched land-bound family drew her as well. Two different worlds, yet similar in many ways. She knew a thing or two about creating families out of bonds other than blood.
What would her crew think of this bunch? She should have asked if she could bring her fellas to eat with them. Presumptuous of her, but she might ask for tomorrow anyway. Maybe if she offered to bring some food it wouldn’t be so rude.
She’d promised to go with Solomon and visit his mother while they were in town, but they could squeeze in a meal here as well.
Besides, they’d just gotten a barrel of salted pork. They could spare a few slabs to share with these people.
“Can I keep her?” Lucas tugged on Camilla’s shirtsleeve and snatched her from calculating the difference between how much other women and a boy might eat in comparison to the portions assigned to her men.
He cradled Lula in his arms, and two sets of wide eyes gleamed up at her.
“Keep Lula? No, you can’t do that.” Her chest seized when his lips puckered. Maybe she shouldn’t have brought Lula after all.
“But we go together so well. Lu–cus and Lu–la. My father would have called that fate.”
Camilla extended her hands, and Lula squirmed, ready to go back to her mistress. “That is a fine similarity, but I wouldn’t call it destiny.”
Lucas twisted his body and held the dog away. “But I like her. She’s a good friend.”
“Boy howdy, do I know it.” Her heart pinched, and she lowered to one knee. “Lula here’s my best friend if you can believe that. A dog for a friend.”
“’Course, I can believe it.” He snuggled Lula, and the dog stared at Camilla with big eyes that seemed to ask if Camilla was really contemplating giving her away.
Not that she could ever do that. She kept her words gentle, knowing that often the heart needed the unfettered kindness and affection only a dog could provide. “My papa got her for me.”
“Oh.” His face scrunched, but he still clutched her to his little chest.
“She was the tiniest thing in the litter. Papa knew I’d been pretty lonely as the only girl on our boat for so long. So, he got me a furry little girl to play with. He’s gone now, but I still have Lula. She’s named for the Tallulah River, where my papa was born.”
Lucas sighed and, with an air of great nobility, stretched his arms toward Camilla. Lula took the opportunity to leap and slammed into Camilla’s chest, her clawed feet hanging onto Camilla’s shoulder. She patted the dog’s back and smiled at Lucas.
He tucked his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Don’t want to separate a friendship like that, then.” His eyes brightened. “Could you take me to the Tallulah River and get me one too?”
“I’d have to ask your mama about that.”
He groaned. “Then I won’t ever get one of my own.” He reached out to pat Lula’s head. “Can I keep playing with her until you leave, at least?”
“Of course. She especially likes to tug on a length of rope if you have one. Just be sure you’re easy about it.” She winked. “You’re much stronger than she is.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt her.” He beamed and dashed off, presumably to raid the house for a length of rope.
Camilla peeled the dog from her shoulder and placed her on the floor. Lula positioned herself between Camilla’s feet and sat down. Poor girl. Sometimes new people and situations could be a bit much for her. Must be hard being so small.
She was about to ask if there was anything she could do to help Stella and the others when Daniel’s sister Mabel swept into the room in a rustle of shimmering rose fabric. A chain of pearls dripped down the front of the low-waisted gown, and white gloves stretched to her elbows. A headband of sparkling beadwork draped across the dark hair at her temples, two pink feathers sticking out from the side.
She must be going out somewhere. Surely no one dressed like that for a meal at home.
“Fried things again?” Mabel shook her head, sending the feathers dancing. “Stella, didn’t I tell you all that grease is terrible for our figures?”
Stella and the two young boarders paused in setting silverware on the table. Camilla had been introduced to both. One’s name was Daisy and the other’s was Violet, but she’d already forgotten which name belonged to which woman. She’d always been better at remembering faces than names.
One of the two, the shorter girl with bobbed blond hair and a milky complexion, rolled her eyes. The other, a slim girl who didn’t look a day over sixteen with thick black curls and a warm brown complexion a shade or two darker than Stella’s, ducked her chin.
Lula yipped from between Camilla’s feet as though she had something to say about the matter. But then she darted away, and Camilla saw the boy under the table wiggling a rope. No, that was a tasseled curtain tieback someone would likely be displeased with being used as a toy. She took a half step forward, then paused. Too late. Lula latched onto the other end with a growl and snatched her head from side to side. Lucas laughed and held on.
Mabel’s cool gaze landed on Camilla. This time, her eyes didn’t have the dark circles underneath, and they looked much sharper than before. “Welcome back, Miss Lockhart. I see you’ve decided to join us for dinner.”
She raked a look down Camilla’s attire and opened her mouth as though to say something, but then her attention shifted to the ruckus under the table. “Lucas! Come out from under there. We don’t play under the table.”
The boy dropped the rope, and Lula trotted out with it hanging triumphantly from her jowls.
Mabel pursed her lips. “You brought a dog inside the house?”
“Lula always stays inside. Sleeps in the bed with me too.” As horror widened Mabel’s eyes and rounded out her mouth, Camilla hurried to add, “Daniel invited us both. He thought Lucas might enjoy playing with her.”
The sharp glint in Mabel’s eyes softened as her son laughed. She fingered the pearls on her throat. “Please, just don’t set it on the table.”
Did she mean Lula? “Oh no. Lula doesn’t sit on the table. I usually feed her from a bowl on the floor.”
For some reason, Mabel looked surprised, but she gave a grateful nod and looked at a doorway at the rear of the room. “Have you seen my brother?”
Stella wiped her hands on a towel and set a platter of fried things on the table. “He went to get something for me from the cellar. Said he’d be right back.”
Mabel toyed with her necklace. “What did he go to get?”
“Vinegar, I think,” Camilla answered. Something to do with “helping out Daisy’s beans,” but she left that part off.
One of the girls, maybe Violet, added what must be the bowl of green beans in question to the table. The other one brought over a tray of steaming corncobs from a narrow table anchored against the opposite wall. Then they both stepped back from the table and waited. Were serving duties part of their rent? Stella pulled out a chair and seated herself.
Mabel cocked a slim eyebrow. “We’ll wait for my brother to begin the meal. Proper etiquette is to wait until all are present before commencing.” She peered over Stella’s head at the other two and took on an instructional tone. “Along with dressing your best, a hostess is responsible for making sure everyone is properly attended at her dinner party. These are things you will need to know if you hope to marry well and be able to move out of my house.”
Both girls ducked their chins in acknowledgment.
Seeming satisfied, Mabel turned to Lucas. “Time to take the dog to its own dinner and tuck it away for now, darling. You can get it out and play with it after we’ve finished our meal. And be sure to wash your hands extra well.”
Lucas let the curtain tieback go and stood. “Yes, ma’am.”
Wait. What did she mean about tucking Lula away? “Lula can stay with me. She won’t be any trouble.”
Whatever Mabel meant by “tucking it away” didn’t sound like something one should do to living creatures.
“I thought you said the dog didn’t sit at the table.” Mabel’s poppy-red lips drooped at the corners.
“She doesn’t.” Defensiveness rose where it likely shouldn’t, and Camilla evened out her tone. “She usually sits under the table between my feet. She won’t bother anyone.”
Mabel put a hand to her throat and opened her mouth.
“She gets nervous if I leave her alone in unfamiliar places,” Camilla interjected before the woman could try to do something mad like stuff Lula in a hatbox. “She’ll bark all night if you put her in a different room, and if she gets too upset, she might start chewing on something.”
Mabel pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine. It’s not like I don’t already live in a nuthouse. Why not add dogs at the table to everything else?”
Daniel entered with Lucas at his side before Camilla had to come up with an answer. Fastest handwashing she’d ever seen. She withheld a chuckle. The boy hadn’t had time to get his hands wet. Not that she’d rat him out.
They took their places around the table with Daniel at the head, Lucas and then Mabel to his right. Stella sat on the left and the two girls settled beside her. That only left a spot for Camilla to sit by Mabel.
Well, she could sit on the other side of Violet. Or was that Daisy? Two girls with flower names ought not to live in the same house. Either way, she got the feeling sitting over there would be rude. Putting four folks on one side of the table and only two on the other would probably break another dinner etiquette rule.
She sat next to Mabel and crossed her ankles under the table like she’d seen nice ladies do. Lula started digging her claws on Camilla’s knee, and she remembered why she never sat like that anyway. She uncrossed her feet, and the dog settled into her usual place.
Poor girl. Lula was probably hungry. Maybe she could sneak a piece of meat onto one of those little bread plates and lower it to Lula when Mabel wasn’t looking.
Daniel folded his hands and waited for the others to do the same. Then he closed his eyes for the prayer. “Father, we thank you for another day and the blessings you have bestowed upon us. We thank you for this food and the hands that have prepared it. Please bless it to the nourishment of our bodies and guide us in your service.”
They echoed their amens, and Camilla kept her hands on her lap. They were fancier here, so they likely didn’t reach for the nearest plate like she and the crew did on the boat. Best wait and see what others did first.
The dark-haired girl across from her caught Camilla’s eye and slowly picked up her napkin. Camilla caught on and followed. They spread the napkins in their laps. Then the girl looked at Daniel with a tip of her head.
He picked up the platter of fried things, placed a few on his plate with a pair of tongs, and then held the platter out for Lucas. The boy grabbed a half dozen frog legs and reached for a second helping, but Daniel whispered for him to eat what he had on his plate first.
Lucas nodded, folded his hands, and wiggled as Daniel handed the food to Mabel. While Mabel picked one tiny leg from the platter, Daniel grabbed the green beans and started the process again.
Camilla waited her turn with the platter of fried legs. The spicy scent tickled her nostrils, and her stomach responded with a low growl she hoped no one noticed. She selected four fried frog legs and then reached the platter to the kind flower girl across the table. The system continued until everyone had a portion of everything on their plate. Only then did anyone pick up a fork.
Much different from the boat. They said grace and then grabbed themselves a helping from whatever Buck had scrounged up that day. She’d have to tell him about frogs’ legs if these were any good. What a wonder he didn’t already think of that himself. He’d made them eat turtle before. Why not frog? They could probably gather up plenty of the slimy little hoppers. Might make another free option to go along with walleye and crawfish.
Next to her, Mabel stabbed her fork into the fatter end of the length of meat and sawed off a sliver with her knife. She sampled it, then set the knife aside, and selected a single green bean. No wonder the lady was so thin.
Stella stuck a frog leg between her teeth and deftly separated the meat from the bone. Then she returned the remainder to her plate. That seemed much easier than Mabel’s way.
Camilla plucked one from her plate and lifted it toward her mouth. It smelled as good as the fried shrimp she’d had earlier. Her mouth watered.
“Daniel tells me you will be taking a trip along the river,” Mabel said. She dabbed her red lips with her napkin, leaving a little pink smear on the creamy fabric. “To where, exactly?”
Camilla reluctantly lowered her bite back to her plate. “I don’t know yet.” She gestured to Daniel. “That depends on him.”
How much did the others know about the treasure? Hadn’t he put all those secrecy clauses in their contract for a reason?
Daniel opened his mouth to answer, but Lula barked underneath the table, followed by a low growl. Camilla glanced around the room. Strange. Lula only did that when she felt threatened.
Mabel frowned and Lucas laughed. So much for the dog not disturbing anyone.
Lula scratched her paws against Camilla’s knee, the signal she wanted to be picked up. Camilla tilted to look at the dog under the table. Lula increased her digging.
“Not while I’m eating,” she whispered.
Lula barked.
What had gotten into her?
“Perhaps you should take the dog outside. We certainly don’t want it doing its, uh, business under the table.” Mabel’s cheeks reddened.
The blond-headed flower girl snickered. She covered her mouth with her napkin, however, when Mabel’s eyes flashed her way.
“Would you like me to escort you?” Daniel flattened his hands on the table to push back his chair.
Camilla scooted back, and as soon as there was enough room, Lula sprung into her lap. Mabel mumbled something about flying fur as Camilla tried to stand and keep hold of Lula at the same time. She finally got the squirming dog settled and straightened herself.
“If you’ll please excuse me.” That sounded plenty proper-like. She nestled Lula to her side and headed to the door.
She hadn’t even gotten the chance to taste one of the frog legs.