“She did you a favor to my way of thinking.” He tipped his chair up on its two back legs and leaned against the wall.
I wished he wouldn’t do that. It always made a mark on the paint. “What was that?” What was it Lucinda had said there at the end? “I wanted to be different, Seth. But don’t you see? I’m not a lady.” What was it my mother had always told Elizabeth? “A lady is as a lady does.”
“Without her stepping in when she did and speaking up, we might have been dismissed by now. And you’d have been forced to give back all that money. And Pennyworth would have been free to turn around and swindle somebody else.”
I wished Deke would quit talking. It made it difficult to think.
“Wouldn’t you say?”
“Wouldn’t I say what?”
“She did you a favor.”
A favor? Of a sudden I could see it all so clearly. It was like having a view clear out across a battlefield. I could see where Lucinda had feinted to draw in fire and how it had all been a ruse. I pushed away from the table and grabbed up my hat with shaking hands. “I just . . . I just let her go. I walked away!”
“Who? What are you talking about? Who did you walk away from?”
“Lucinda!”
“That’s what she wanted.”
“What do you mean?”
He pushed away from the wall and let the front two legs of his chair meet the floor. “When people tell you the worst thing about them, what they want is for you to let them go.”
“But what if she didn’t? What if she was hoping . . .” Had she? Had she really been hoping?
“Hoping?”
“I’m a fool. She lied!”
“Yes. She did. Quite a lot for quite a long time. That’s what she said.”
“No. Not about that. About telling the truth.”
“About . . . the lies?” Deke’s brow had wrinkled with puzzlement. “She told the truth about lies?”
“Yes. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the other.”
“What other? There is no other. She’s a swindler, just like her father. That’s what she said.”
“She was. That’s what she lied about.” Why hadn’t I seen it before? I could only hope I wasn’t too late. But . . . I didn’t even know where she was staying. What if she’d already gone?
“How could you lie about being a swindler when you admit to— Seth?” His voice trailed after me down the hall. “I don’t understand!”
I hadn’t either. How could I have been so stupid? I left the barracks at a run, praying that Professor Hammond hadn’t already left for home.
I didn’t get very far.
Just as I rounded the corner of the barracks, I ran straight into Colonel Lee.
After recovering from a stagger, I straightened and saluted.
He returned the salute and then regarded me, hands behind his back. “Mr. Westcott. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company this evening?”
“I was just . . . just wanting to get a bit of air, sir.”
“At a run?”
“Yes, sir.”
He frowned.
“That is . . . no, sir.”
“Which is it, Mr. Westcott? Yes or no? I expect all my first-year students to be decisive. Prevarication does not become an officer.” Though his Virginian accent was mild, his words were sharp.
“No, sir. That is to say . . . I think I need some help.”
“Some help? Considering the steep decline in your class standing, and the fact that you are hanging on to your appointment by a very thin thread, sir, I would have thought you might have asked for help much earlier.”
“Yes, sir. I should have, sir.”
He sighed and gestured toward the row of instructors’ housing with one hand. “Then I suggest that you come along.”
He took me to the office in his quarters and sat behind his desk while I remained standing.
When he put me at ease, I moved my left foot away from my right and joined my thumbs behind my back.
“Why must you men always insist upon hijinks? Why can’t you simply obey the rules?”
I didn’t even have the defense that I’d been trying to. “Sometimes the rules don’t get you where you need to go, sir.”
His eyes narrowed. “Explain yourself.”
“It’s, uh . . . It’s rather complicated, sir.”
“Then you’d best get started.”
“Yes, sir.” I desperately wanted to swipe at the sweat that was breaking out upon my forehead, but I restrained myself, locking my thumbs in place instead. “It started this past summer, sir, out in Nebraska. My mother died. And then my sister was swindled out of our inheritance.”
“I am sorry to hear that.”
“Sir. A man can’t just stand by when his family is attacked. It was a trial, knowing that I wouldn’t graduate until June, and after that, I wouldn’t be at liberty to pursue the swindler until my eight years are up. It, uh . . . It seemed to me, considering that I was at the top of my class, that I might be assigned to the Corps of Engineers.”
He raised a brow.
“Which would have been a very great honor. But the idea of that man, that swindler, being able to circulate freely just didn’t seem fair.” This next part was going to be tricky. “It . . . it seemed to me that, if I were assigned to the cavalry, to some fort out west, in the course of my duties I might be able to catch up with the man and bring him to justice.”
“Which accounts for the steep decline in your class standing.”
“Yes, sir. I didn’t think the army would assign someone like me to the cavalry just on my asking.”
“No. I would not have allowed it. The army needs its best men in its most important positions. Lest you begin to congratulate yourself on being clever, however, I think that was a poorly thought-out plan. And you still haven’t explained the reason for your unauthorized departure from the barracks.”
“The man, that swindler, came here, sir. To Buttermilk Falls.”
“Here?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Which puts into question all of the trouble you went to in order to get yourself into the cavalry. Poorly thought-out plan, indeed.”
“Yes, sir. I do realize that, sir. But I couldn’t let him get away, so I came up with a swindle of my own.”
“A swindle?”
“Yes, sir. To get my money back. And I did, sir. Just this afternoon.”
“And how did you come by this money? If you were in class all day?”
Was there nothing that escaped the superintendent’s attention?
“I would rather not say, sir.”
“And I would rather not have to dismiss you from the military academy, Mr. Westcott. Though your attempts at justice and revenge were misguided, I find your sentiments admirable, and your concern for your sister could be called exemplary. Those are qualities of a gentleman, and it is my opinion that they ought not be overlooked in an officer either. So I’m going to give you another chance. Why don’t you tell me what really happened?”
“Sir?”
“I already received a report from the commandant about your activities this afternoon. You have cheated the military academy out of the benefit of your hard work. You have lied about your true academic aptitude. You have played the fool in front of the corps of cadets, and you have made all of us who previously had good reason to believe in you as both an officer and a gentleman question our better judgment. The commandant felt that all could be forgiven, but I must tell you, Mr. Westcott, that after reviewing your accomplishments this semester, I have no choice but to recommend you to the secretary of war for dismissal.”
My face grew hot as my ears buzzed. Dismissal? “Yes, sir.”
“What have you to say for yourself?”
I opened my mouth to offer a defense but realized I had none. I’d made my choices; now I had to pay the consequences. “I have nothing to say for myself, sir. I did exactly as you say.”
�
�I am not an unfeeling man. I do understand the ties of family. And I do still believe in your capacity to become a useful officer. I’m going to reinstate you.”
My knees wobbled with relief. “Yes, sir!”
“A smart man, Mr. Westcott, one who applies himself to his studies and to comportment, might be able to raise his class standing to a respectable level before graduation. I would expect no less of you. And quite a bit more, in fact. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I haven’t told many yet, but I’ve received a new assignment. I’ll be second-in-command of the Second Cavalry, heading for Texas this summer.”
“Congratulations, sir.”
“I find myself looking forward to it. A combat assignment can be the making of a man.”
It seemed to me that in his pause he was waiting for me to respond. “Yes, sir.”
“I’ll be made to take some of you men with me, but it would mean quite a bit if I knew I could count on at least one of my junior officers.”
“Sir?”
“I’ve no doubt you can pull yourself up through the files, though you’ll never make it back to the top of your class this late in your senior year.”
“No, sir.”
“Some decisions you can’t recover from once they’ve been made, but a smart man always finds a way to make the most of what’s been done—to manage those things he can’t change.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And sometimes, if God smiles upon him, it turns out better than he might have imagined.”
Was he inviting me to join the cavalry? If an officer like Colonel Lee was looking forward to the cavalry, maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible. I’d hoped to follow in his footsteps. I never thought I’d have a chance to walk right along beside him.
“There is one thing, however, you still have not told me.”
“Sir?”
“Where is it, exactly, that you were headed this evening?”
55
Lucinda
To my great surprise, my aunt and Phoebe welcomed me back with open arms. Milly nearly strangled me with her embrace, and Ella planted a dozen wet kisses on my cheek. Even Bobby, great lad of ten years that he was, did a poor job of feigning indifference. At the end of the night, Phoebe and I talked our way into sleep just the same as we always had, and by the next day, it felt as if I’d never been gone.
On Saturday afternoon, my aunt claimed me for the kitchen since we were having guests for an early supper. I helped her ready some vegetables for the cooking, took charge of the biscuits, and unmolded a pudding, but sooner than I expected, company was announced. She unpinned my apron and pushed me out the door toward the dining room.
I didn’t quite know what to do when I saw Deacon, but he greeted me with a smile. Dandy was otherwise occupied in trying his best to avoid Phoebe, although he didn’t seem to have any problem sending her inscrutable glances. Otter shook my hand and thanked me for saving them all from dismissal.
“I didn’t have anything to do with it. I really didn’t.”
Seth stepped into the sitting room. “You had everything to do with it.” As he sent a smile in my direction, I felt my heart turn over. But then Mr. Conklin appeared at his side. He bowed. “Miss Hammond.”
I nodded.
Seth saved me from replying by crooking his arm for me and escorting me toward the dining room.
Milly had been watching us, and she spoke up as Seth and I passed her. “Hadn’t you ought to be escorting my mother? As the most senior gentleman?”
He winked at her. “It’s Mr. Conklin’s responsibility. He outranks me.”
“I’m so glad.” I whispered the words beneath my breath.
He leaned toward me. “Pardon me?”
“I said, ‘That’s too bad.’”
A quirk of his lips and a tightening of his arm let me know he’d heard me correctly the first time.
The meal was delicious. The company was engaging. It seemed we’d just sat down when it was time for dessert. My uncle made a show of looking for it while Ella giggled and Bobby rolled his eyes. “Where’s that pudding I’ve been smelling?”
My aunt smiled at me as she nodded toward the sideboard. “Lucinda made it, so it ought to be hers to present.”
“I didn’t actually—”
He nodded. “So it ought.”
I excused myself to get it while my aunt brought the dishes. My uncle’s smile was almost jolly as I placed it in front of him. “Tonight is a night of celebration. First, because Lucinda’s come back to us.”
I felt my cheeks warm as the children cheered.
“And second, because I have it from a very good source that Mr. Conklin’s got himself engaged to be married.”
Mr. Conklin blinked in apparent surprise and began to splutter.
“To one of the Boston Phillips if I’m not mistaken.” My uncle’s eyes were on me.
I smiled. “Congratulations, Mr. Conklin. I wish you every happiness.”
My uncle was regarding him with a censorious look. “After such a splendid meal, I would much rather take dessert at leisure, but I expect, Mr. Conklin, that you’ll be needing to get back to the Point to make certain everything’s as it should be.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And I’m sure that you won’t mind if Mr. Westcott enjoys the full benefit of his pass. After all, he doesn’t have nearly the responsibilities that you do now.”
“No, sir. Perhaps you’ll excuse me if I leave now, sir.”
“I most certainly will.”
He rose from his chair and bowed before turning on his heel and stalking toward the hall.
As we heard the front door shut, my uncle let out a chuckle and leaned over Mr. Conklin’s vacated chair to cover my hand with his. “I hope you’ll forgive me for springing that on you, but he deserved it. And you deserved to see his true character.”
“His father is a senator. His family is influential. You could just as well have pressed him to make some commitment to me.”
“And have you bound to a liar and a cheat for the rest of your life? Family takes care of each other.”
From across the table, Phoebe was beaming in my direction.
“I apologize that I invited him to court you. I haven’t been a very good judge of character lately.” My uncle’s gaze locked on Seth’s.
Seth raised a brow.
My uncle nodded.
At my side, Seth shifted to face me. “I told your uncle, Lucinda. I told him everything. Everything I should have told him from the beginning. About my mother and sister, and about your father. About why I was trying so hard to become an Immortal. All of it.”
“I’m glad, Seth.”
“I ought to have told him sooner. I ought to have told you. I wish I had. I don’t deserve the least of your esteem. I am a man who has cheated his classmates out of good leadership, who has lied about his talents, but I find myself hoping that you might be . . .” His gaze drifted toward the head of the table, and a blush swept his face. “I, uh . . . I hope that you can overlook all that.”
I nodded, afraid to speak.
My aunt grabbed up Ella and took Phoebe’s arm, shooing Milly and Bobby into the sitting room ahead of her. Seth’s friends quickly filed out behind them. And then my uncle excused himself for the purpose of finding his pipe. I would have told him it was on the desk in its normal place, but he abandoned us too quickly.
Seth placed his hands on the table, next to mine. They were so big. I felt so small. So much less.
He looked over at me through his clear blue eyes. “Thank you for getting my money back.”
I reached down into my lap for my napkin, but he caught up my hand in his and wouldn’t let me tug it away. “I’m so sorry, Seth, about my father. And about me. I don’t care what you think of me, but I wanted to help you to get your—”
“I love you.”
He . . . ? “What?”
“I love you.”
“You love me?” I
tried to laugh, but it died, unformed, in my mouth. “You can’t love me.”
“I do.”
“You can’t.” There was such regard, such unspeakable kindness in his eyes. It was too much to bear, so I looked away.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not worth it. I’ve schemed and cheated and lied my way across the country, Seth, and—”
He was shaking his head. “That’s not the kind of person you are. I know you’re not like that. You once looked beyond the obvious and told me that you believed in me. Now I’m telling you the same.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s not true. That’s exactly the kind of person I am.”
“It’s the kind of person you were. But you’re not like that anymore. You haven’t been like that since I met you.”
“But what if I am, Seth?” As I grasped at his hands, I couldn’t keep the fear from my words. “What if . . . what if that person is still there, waiting to show herself again? What if I’m just a . . . just a big swindle?”
He cupped my face with his hand.
I gave in to his gentle pressure and looked up into his eyes.
“You were willing to give up everything to make amends. Your father. Your reputation. Your family.”
“They weren’t really mine to begin with. You’re the one who gave up—”
He pressed the softest of kisses to my lips. “I gave up nothing. I purposely ruined everything. My grades, my standing. Dare I say . . . us?”
Us? Was us still possible? “Please do, dare.” I laughed at that incongruous phrase. I couldn’t help it.
But he laughed too as he gripped my hand more tightly. “I won’t be able to join the engineers now. I might never be able to take you to Europe.”
“That was my father’s dream, not mine.”
“I’ve half a year left here, and all I can offer you afterward is the chance to head west with the cavalry.” He was looking at me very carefully.
“I happen to like the West.”
“You do? Truly?”
I nodded as a smile swept across his face.
Flirtation Walk Page 28
