Chapter 10
“Well, that should do it, then.” Lily looked around, satisfied with the room.
She had chosen one of the larger guest rooms on the ground floor, with a door leading out to the lake behind them. Violet had urged her to stay in the master suite with its own bathroom on the upper level, insisting it was safer, but Lily still felt that Camellia and Ray had priority over that one.
“You’ll be here for a while. She said you could have any room you wanted. Why not take the master?” Violet had argued. “You deserve to spoil yourself.”
But Lily was happy with the one she’d chosen; it was still much nicer than her old apartment.
“It is nice,” Violet agreed, looking at the few personal belongings Lily had scattered around to make the room look more like home. “But I still don’t get why you didn’t take the master.”
She shrugged. It wasn’t a big deal. “Because it belongs to Camellia, Vi. I already told you I wouldn’t be comfortable taking it, and frankly, I doubt you would, either. Camellia and Ray have been coming here for years. It’s their room, if only because they’ve owned this house longer than we have.”
Violet didn’t see things that way. Their sister had never owned the house; their father had. And while Camellia had been coming to the house, she didn’t have any ownership of it. “Camellia said her mother had been occupying that room until her death a few months ago, and she and Ray hadn’t even stayed there yet,” argued Violet. “She’ll probably be too weirded out at the thought of staying in her parents’ old bedroom ever to stay there anyway.”
Her sister’s argument had merit, but the thought of staying in the same bedroom where her father had spent time with another woman frankly weirded her out. “Great, Vi. Then you stay there. You’re here for the weekend as well, so if you’re so bound and determined that one of us takes the main bedroom, why don’t you use it?”
“Because I like the smaller one next to yours,” Violet said contritely. “It has a small deck overlooking the lake and the woods, and I think I’ll have my coffee there tomorrow morning.”
Lily let out an unladylike snort. “It’s freezing out there and snowing. I doubt I’ll be seeing you drinking coffee outside anywhere on this trip. You just want to push it with Camellia, and you’re trying to use me to do it!”
Violet sent her an apologetic look. “Maybe. I would like to see if Camellia is really as open and sharing as she’s acting right now, since she’s kind of been a bouncy ball of emotions from the time we met her. Don’t you think it’s a bit odd that all of a sudden she’s all kind and sharing, when just last week she was preaching about how this house was all hers? Something’s up with that, and maybe I want to see just how far she’ll take it.”
Lily didn’t see it that way. “She’s had some time to think about things, Vi. I don’t find it that strange at all. After all, the house really belonged to her mother, not her, so maybe she doesn’t feel as confident about owning it yet. Her attitude also seemed to change when she learned of my situation, so maybe it’s just compassion, regardless of the family dynamic or circumstances.”
Violet wasn’t ready to relent. “Maybe, or else she realizes now that she’s seen the marriage certificate I sent her. The one that proves she and her mother might not legally have any rights to anything Dad owned. They clearly weren’t legally married at all. I’ll bet she’s just playing nice so we don’t throw her out of here completely.”
“Vi!” Lily looked at her sister in distress. “I would never do that even if we could. Dad left a will stating that the three of us were to share this house, so that’s clearly what he intended. We have no more right to throw her out than she does us, regardless of which marriage happened first.”
Violet shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. Lawrence has his lawyer looking into it, so we’ll see. In the meantime, we’d better start getting ready. The party is at six, and we still have to drive to Sacramento. Make sure to pack an overnight bag in case we decide to stay with Camellia and Ray.”
Lily chewed her lower lip. “I wonder whose idea that was—hers or Ray’s? I don’t exactly think Camellia is the type of person who loves last-minute overnight guests.”
Violet laughed. “Me neither. I’d bet it was Ray’s idea when he heard the weather report for tonight. It’s supposed to snow, and he probably didn’t want us inexperienced snow drivers ending up on the side of the mountain somewhere where he’d have to rescue us.”
“Well, if that’s true, he does have a point. I haven’t driven in years, and I don’t particularly relish the idea of honing my driving skills in a snowstorm, either.”
After Lawrence had joyfully handed Lily the keys to her old Audi last night, she and Violet had decided to drive separately. The car had been washed, shined, and the tank filled.
Lawrence had beamed like a proud father handing a teenager her first car. “I’ve got her all shined up and ready to go for you. Just make sure you don’t drive too fast and take those winding roads carefully!”
Violet threw a pillow from the bed she was lounging on at her sister. “You loved driving that thing again, I could tell. I could barely keep up with you!”
“That’s because you drive like an old lady,” Lily laughed. “Now go to your own room and get ready. We’ve got to get going.”
A little over an hour later, Lily was driving the winding roads back to Sacramento, with Violet sitting comfortably beside her.
“I have to admit that this is a nice change,” Violet said. “I can actually look at the scenery now.”
“It’s not like you can’t see the scenery while you’re driving, Vi. Do you drive with your eyes closed or something?” Lily teased.
“No, I drive with my eyes on the road,” Violet countered. “Something I wish you would do as well.”
Duly chastised, Lily kept her eyes on the road, and the sisters drove in silence until they got closer to their destination.
“I hope we’re dressed okay.” Violet sounded slightly concerned. “Camellia wasn’t exactly much help.”
Violet had chosen a sleek, form-fitting dress paired with a casual cardigan to tone it down, thinking she could always remove the cardigan if it turned out to be a more formal affair after all.
Lily, on the other hand, had gone all in on what she perceived to be the cowboy theme. Her long, boho skirt was light grey, and she’d paired it with a flowy blouse. She’d opted to leave her almost white, mid-length hair loose except for a clip holding it back at the nape of her neck. Violet had called her boho chic, and if it turned out to be a more formal affair, there was no alternative for Lily. She was fully committed.
Sighing as she pulled into a nearby parking spot, she said, “Well, we’re here now, and I only brought a pair of comfortable sweats for the ride home tomorrow.”
As soon as they walked in, Lily breathed a sigh of relief. Just like Ray had said, the room was brimming with men wearing Stetsons, jeans, and plaid shirts, mixed with the occasional, slightly more formal white shirt. Some of the women wore jeans, while others had opted for skirts with blouses similar to Lily’s. Violet pulled up the collar of her cardigan and rolled up the sleeves in an effort to play down her formal dress.
Ray spotted them almost immediately and came rushing over. “Violet, Lily, I’m glad to see you made it. How was your drive today? Uneventful, I hope.”
“As uneventful as rush-hour traffic can be, I guess,” Violet said, answering for both of them. “Where’s Camellia?”
After their sister’s outburst the other day at the café, Lily wouldn’t have been surprised if Ray told them she wasn’t there, but he pointed to a corner where a long table had been set up with several people sitting behind it. Camellia was leaning over it, talking to someone and seemingly engrossed in the chart in front of them.
“She’s always vowing that she’s not going to get caught up in the volunteer work, but there she is again, planning and plotting the event as usual.” Ray’s face was alight with joy, and Lily could see the pride he felt for his wife.
Violet gave Lily a quizzical look. The two had wondered just how strong a marriage Ray and Camellia really had, but it seemed as if their concerns had been for naught. Judging by the way Ray gazed at his wife, he was clearly enamored with her.
He broke out of his trance and turned his attention back to the sisters. “Let me get you something to drink, and I’ll show you where we’re sitting. It’s an actual sit-down affair this year, not the usual buffet. Even though some of the board members would have rather used the extra money directly to benefit the charity, others felt that a more formal, elaborate affair might attract a few more well-off donors.” He winked. “You know how some of those Richy Riches are. They like to be served.”
Yes, Lily did know how more affluent people tended to be. She and Scott had spent many evenings hobnobbing with the very people Ray was referring to. As a stockbroker, Scott had made it his mission to know what people with money liked and how to woo them.
After they’d gotten their wine and settled into their seats, a few curious onlookers started to mill around closer.
Lily shifted her attention over at Violet uncomfortably. “They’re going to start coming over and introducing themselves,” she whispered. “You can see just how curious they are to know who we are. What are we supposed to say? I’m not sure Camellia is exactly ready to introduce us as her long-lost sisters.”
“We could just tell them that we’re two foreign widows looking to donate, and we don’t speak English very well,” Violet suggested. “I’ll stammer out a few words, and you just keep nodding and looking at them with a blank smile. It shouldn’t take too long for them to get bored with us and leave.” She was serious and would absolutely do it if Lily would commit to going along with her scheme.
Lily threw Violet a withering look. “Very funny, Vi, but not very helpful.”
Before she could worry about it any further, however, Camellia came over, carrying her own glass of white wine.
“I see the two of you made it. I hope the drive wasn’t too bad. I’m always telling Ray this dinner needs to be scheduled a little later so we don’t all run into rush-hour traffic, but apparently cowboys go to bed as soon as the sun goes down.” Camellia’s voice was rushed, and Lily got the impression she was trying hard to sound lighthearted and fun.
She wondered why Camellia suddenly found it necessary to put on a show for them.
“The drive down here was fine. I guess we had our share of traffic coming from Santa Rosa, so we missed it here,” Lily said.
Camellia took a nervous sip from her glass. “Oh, that’s right. It’s Friday, isn’t it? Prime time for everyone to head to Tahoe for a weekend of skiing and fun in the snow,” she sang out.
Violet and Lily exchanged glances but didn’t get a chance to say anything further before the first onlookers wandered over.
She pretended to focus on Camellia, but her eyes almost twitched, trying not to get caught staring at Lily and Violet. “Camellia, you look lovely as usual,” said a heavyset woman wearing too much makeup and turquoise. “Who are these lovely women you have sitting with you tonight? Some new victims you recruited for the fundraiser, I’m guessing? I swear, the three of you look so much alike. You could be sisters!” she quipped.
Camellia gave the woman a big, albeit very fake, smile and said, much to Lily and Violet’s surprise, “Well, I suppose that’s because we are.”
So much for keeping them a secret, Lily thought.
“Oh?” The woman was rendered speechless for a minute. “I didn’t realize you had any sisters,” she stammered.
Camellia’s face remained emotionless, giving nothing away. “Neither did I,” Camellia said without elaborating. She pointed toward a door that had just opened, revealing a group of waiters bearing salads and bread. “It looks like they’re getting ready to serve dinner. You’d better get back to your seat, Trish, or you’ll miss the first course. I, for one, am starved.”
Turning her attention away from the clearly confused and gawking woman, Camellia made a great show of placing her napkin on her lap until the woman finally left, murmuring something about catching up later.
Once the woman was out of earshot, Ray grinned at his wife. “Well, that should give the old gossip something to stew over during dinner.”
Camellia cut her eyes across the room and then took a sip of her wine. “You know I can’t stand that woman, Ray. She is absolutely insufferable. Why do all of you insist on inviting her to this affair every year anyway? It’s not like she ever volunteers or actually helps with anything.”
Ray winked at Violet and Lily, then said, “Because she donates a vast amount of money to the cause, and every bit we get helps. I made sure I had her seated as far away from you as possible, Camellia.”
Camellia looked to the far corner of the room just in time to catch the woman staring back at her. “If you ask me, even if you sat her outside, it wouldn’t be far enough.”
Ray chuckled, and Camellia looked at him, perplexed. “Now I’ll need to find someone else to introduce my two new sisters to and explain the circumstances to them, just to make sure Trish’s not the first to hear the story. What a bother,” she complained.
“I’m kind of surprised you said anything at all,” Violet said. “I wasn’t really sure how you wanted us to introduce ourselves.”
Camellia met Violet’s eyes, and there appeared to be some sort of apology there. “No, we didn’t really talk about that beforehand, did we? We probably should have gotten our story straight and agreed on what we would and wouldn’t tell people. Now I’ve gone and blathered it out just to shut her up,” Camellia said ruefully.
“What exactly do you have against that woman?” Lily asked. “I mean, she doesn’t seem to be the most pleasant of people, but how bad can she be?”
Camellia’s eyes flashed, and she huffed out a sarcastic laugh. “Bad enough that she tried to bribe Ray to leave me for her the day before our wedding!”
Ray patted Camellia’s hand. “Come on, honey, that was a lot of years ago, and what difference does it make anyway? It’s not like I actually entertained the idea. I knew I’d found the love of my life the minute I laid eyes on you.”
“That’s not the point, Raymond Marshall! She never should have crossed that line. If she tried to buy your love with her filthy money the day before our wedding, what else is she capable of? As far as I’m concerned, she can take all of her money and disappear with it forever. I don’t want any part of it or her.”
Ray gave her a light smile. “You may not, but the rest of the committee certainly does. And for those poor children waiting to get cancer treatments they can’t afford, it doesn’t matter where the money comes from, as long as it comes in time.”
Lily’s heart sank. “So that’s what this is all about? A fundraiser for children with cancer?” Lily asked.
“Well, not this dinner. Only some of the money raised from the dinner goes to the children. We gather here to organize and finalize the plans for the real fundraiser happening next weekend: the Winter Cowboy Rodeo. That’s where we get most of the money we raise, and some of the kids come and watch the rodeo for free,” Camellia explained.
Violet’s hands went to her chest, like her heart couldn’t take not being involved. “Oh my, that sounds like fun!” she exclaimed. “And such a worthwhile cause. What can we do to help?”
Lily shot her sister a look. She barely had enough money to survive and buy her own grandchildren a few gifts for Christmas. As worthy as this cause was, she didn’t exactly have any disposable cash right now.
“Are you sure you want to help?” Camellia queried, looking over at Lily. “I mean, I know I can find plenty for you to do next week. There are always a ton of things to get ready and never enough hands.”
Time she had in spades--and she was happy to donate. “Sure. Why not? I have nothing but time on my hands for the next few days,” Lily said. As long as you didn’t expect money, she thought silently.
“And what are you going to tell people about us being sisters?” Violet asked. “People are going to ask, and like you said, we should have our story straight.”
“Just tell them the truth,” said Ray. “In my opinion, it’s always the best and the easiest policy.”
Camellia gave him a scornful look. “You should practice what you preach, Raymond.”
Sensing a storm brewing between the two of them, Lily jumped in quickly. “Normally, I’d agree with you, Ray, but don’t you think it’s a bit awkward—not to mention no one’s business—if we tell people that we just found out Dad had two separate families?”
Camellia rubbed her head tiredly. “Honestly, I just don’t know what to tell people. I’m still trying to come to grips with having just lost my mother so quickly after Dad died. I definitely haven’t had time to process this whole situation about him having a completely separate family.”
“Okay,” Lily said, “so maybe we just say we’re sisters, and we haven’t seen each other in a long while, then change the subject. I doubt anyone will be rude enough to actually probe further, especially if we tell them it’s complicated and we don’t want to discuss it.”
Camellia sighed. “Trish is rude enough.”
Violet chuckled. “Then we’ll just tell the old windbag to mind her own business.”
Seeing her sister so fired up almost made Lily wish that Trish would push it. She’d seen Violet in action, and it would be fun to see her sister put the woman in her place.
Ray glanced across the room. “Well, there’s the star of the whole show right now.” He waved, and Camellia put a warning hand on his arm.
“Ray, promise me that you won’t let him talk you into doing something stupid. Please, Ray, promise!”
But the desperation in her voice was lost to Lily, as her heart stopped beating for what felt like a full minute.
Walking across the room toward them, wearing the same cowboy hat he’d been wearing in San Francisco, was the man who had saved her and that young girl’s life.