Love Never Fails

by Martha Rogers

  Stefan furrowed his brow. Yes, he remembered Molly mentioning it, but despite what Andrew may believe about self-defense, that killing could well be the reason for her aversion to guns and war. What happened in those four years of hardship and killing on both sides would not be forgotten soon. If somehow he could bring Molly to see the difference between killing for selfish gain versus killing in self-defense, perhaps she’d be more inclined to support his career. However, he wasn’t likely to solve the problem in the few days they had left together, and right now he’d settle for having a pleasant time with her without any arguments about war. He’d deal with what his heart wanted later.

  CHAPTER 11

  BUTTERFLIES DANCED IN Molly’s stomach in anticipation of the concert at the theater this evening. Stoney Creek had waited with patience as the theater was proposed then built. Ever since Mayor Gladstone made the final announcement, Molly had looked forward to this night.

  Prominent citizens of Stoney Creek had been invited to the reception following the performance, and the Whiteman family and their guests would be among those attending. Molly’s mind whirled with the names of all those who would be attending opening night and her nerves perched on edge.

  She smoothed the skirt of her green taffeta gown then fingered the lace trim at the neckline. Only the slightest hint of a bustle added to the back of the garment. Mama didn’t care to abide by all the fashion rules. Aunt Hannah said Mama had complained way back when they were young girls about corsets and hoops.

  Molly grinned and pinched her cheeks to give them some color. At least she’d inherited that trait from her mother and aunt. Comfort was much more important than style. Of course, Mrs. Elliot and Clarissa would be dressed to suit the occasion in the latest designs, as would Camilla Hightower and Mayor Gladstone’s wife.

  Clarissa sauntered into the room wearing a lavender wrapper that deepened the blue in her eyes and accented the purple that lurked in them. No wonder Andrew Delmont was so taken by her friend. Her beauty stole even Molly’s breath.

  “Oh, I see you’re already dressed, and you look lovely in that emerald green. I could never wear that color. Mama chose royal blue for my gown.” She headed for the wardrobe and removed her dress.

  Molly took the garment and began undoing the buttons while Clarissa removed her wrapper to reveal the corset under it. It pushed her small breasts up into her chemise and gave them a fuller appearance. Molly shook her head. Her bosom needed no such enhancement and gave her another argument against a corset.

  “Molly, do you ever wish for a maidservant to help you dress for these special occasions? Mama says that Lettie used to help her and your mother whenever they had a party to attend.” Clarissa raised her arms and bent at the waist for Molly to ease the dress over them.

  “Not really. Clara and I usually help each other. Our mothers lived in a different time and place than we do here in Stoney Creek. The mayor’s wife does have two women who cook and clean for her, as does Mrs. Hightower, but they are accustomed to that style of living.”

  “I’ve seen that life in Texas is very different from that in Louisiana, especially in New Orleans.”

  Molly finished helping Clarissa with her dress and stood back to admire her friend. “I must say that corset does make your waist next to nothing, but how can you breathe?”

  “I’m used to it and have learned to take short rather than deep breaths. Miriam took over her mother’s dressmaking and she is just as wonderful as Mrs. Tenney.”

  “Yes, she is. Your dress is beautiful, and the perfect color for you.” Molly remembered meeting Miriam Harris on one of their trips to Louisiana. Mama wore a dress Mrs. Tenney and Miriam had made for the wedding of Mama’s brother. Miriam and Mama had been good friends, and her husband, Stuart, had served in the war with Papa.

  Molly turned to the looking glass at her dressing table and checked her hairstyle. Mama had arranged it in curls fastened with a pearl-trimmed comb at the crown. Only a fringe of bangs swept across her forehead.

  Clarissa picked up a pair of long gloves and fitted them over her hands, then pulled them up to cover her bare arms. “Mama said that Stefan came by to visit with Andrew this afternoon. I wonder what that was all about. I certainly hope he didn’t come to discourage Andrew from escorting me tonight. It’d be just like him even though Papa already said it’d be all right.”

  Stefan was here? And she’d been up here sleeping. That was probably for the best. Even though she looked forward to the evening with him, she truly didn’t need to spend any more time with him than necessary, or she’d never get her heart to accept the idea they had nothing in common.

  “Stefan tells me that after the military, he’d like to live in the country and be a rancher like my uncle. What about you?”

  Clarissa laughed and shook her head. “Stefan can be a bore. I prefer New Orleans and the social life found in a city. I could never be happy stuck out in the country somewhere. Even Stoney Creek is better than that.”

  “I feel the same way and I told Stefan so. My aunt Hannah loves it, but then she’s so in love with Micah it wouldn’t matter if they lived in a cave.” Would her own feelings ever change if she found a love like that? Fat chance of that happening in Stoney Creek. Maybe she needed to visit Clarissa in Louisiana. New Orleans sounded like such an exciting place.

  The murmur of voices from downstairs signaled the arrival of their escorts. Molly pinched her cheeks once again then nodded in satisfaction with her appearance. This was one evening she planned to enjoy with all her heart.

  Molly preceded Clarissa down the stairs so as not to step on the train of her skirt. In the parlor, her parents waited with Mr. and Mrs. Elliot and Clara. Stefan and Andrew had both arrived. Molly’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of Stefan in full dress uniform. He certainly looked handsome in the dark blue trimmed with so much gold braid. If only it didn’t remind her of what he did with his life and emphasize the fact that their country still had need for an army.

  When Stefan’s eyes lighted on Molly on the stairs in front of Clarissa, his heart did a double pump and began a dull thud in his chest. The green of the dress accented the green in her eyes and her hair shone like spun gold. How he longed to see it cascade down her back and run his fingers through its silky tresses.

  Her natural beauty captured his attention, and all others in the room vanished. He offered her his hand as she reached the bottom step. “Molly, you are even more beautiful tonight than you were Sunday.”

  Roses bloomed in her cheeks as she dipped her head. “Thank you, Stefan.”

  Mrs. Whiteman clapped her hands. “Well, I see we’re all here, so let’s begin our evening of entertainment.”

  Stefan offered his arm to Molly and tucked her hand close to him. No matter what he told himself about not caring about her as anything more than a friend, he intended to savor every moment of their time together this evening.

  “Mama, where is Tom? Isn’t he going with us?”

  Mrs. Whiteman turned her head to speak over her shoulder. “He’s escorting Faith Delmont tonight.” She glanced at Andrew and winked.

  Molly’s giggle tinkled in the warm air as they stepped onto the porch. “My, I didn’t know my little brother had a sweetheart. You might be a part of
this family after all, Dr. Delmont.”

  Laughter spread through the group, and Stefan envied the family camaraderie. He and Clarissa were close but they only had each other. Molly had a passel of brothers and sisters to make her life more interesting.

  Outside they boarded the two surreys Dr. Whiteman had procured for the evening. Clara rode with her parents and Mother and Father, which left Andrew and him alone with the young ladies. Andrew offered to handle the reins and Stefan had no objections.

  Molly and Clarissa chattered the entire six blocks to the theater, their excitement for the evening causing Stefan to develop more anticipation for the events both now and later.

  They found their seats in the center, six rows from the front, and the enraptured faces of Molly and Clarissa increased his pleasure. The program began. The soloist on the stage had a beautiful soprano voice that hit high notes with no vibrato, and that was quite an accomplishment, according to his sister. With the right lessons, she could be every bit as good as the singer performing.

  He caught Andrew’s glance and smiled. Andrew returned it with an additional nod. Meeting the performer at the reception afterward would be a true serendipity for Molly and his sister. His heart thanked his mother for insisting he accompany them on this trip. Look what he would’ve missed if he’d stayed at home.

  As Miss Cushing’s voice filled the air with notes so true they brought chills to his blood, he reached for Molly’s hand. Without so much as a glance at him, she clutched it tight, but he didn’t mind. The warmth from that small, delicate hand in his sent rivers of delight carving their way straight to his heart.

  The hour and a half program passed by in a flash, even with the fifteen-minute intermission. After the applause and standing ovation died down, the audience began making its way up the aisles toward the exits. Stefan placed his hand at the small of Molly’s back to guide her through the crowd to the outside. The reception would take place at the hotel on the next block. Stefan anticipated the event as it reminded him of the ones they attended in New Orleans. He could barely wait to see her joy and excitement mixing with the entertainers.

  They ambled down the boardwalk toward the hotel with Molly and Clarissa once again dominating the conversation with their exclamations of delight with the program. Clarissa gripped Andrew’s arm and smiled at Stefan. “Oh, how I wish I could sing like Miss Cushing.”

  Andrew patted her hand. “But my dear Miss Elliot, you do sing as well as her. You proved that the other night.”

  Molly leaned close to Stefan, her words for his ears only. “I do believe Andrew is falling in love with your sister.”

  Falling in love? That would never do. He glanced again at his sister and Andrew. She clung to him and looked at him with eyes so adoring, Stefan gasped. He must speak with Father right away. A love relationship between Andrew and Clarissa would never do. He and Molly had their differences, but they were merely matters of opinion and attitude. The differences between Clarissa and Andrew were another thing entirely.

  He may sound like a snob, but his sister deserved a better life than that of a small-town doctor. She had social obligations that must be fulfilled, and that couldn’t happen in Texas. He’d watch them closely the rest of the evening before speaking with Father about the situation.

  Molly squeezed his arm. “Stefan, your mind is a million miles away from here. What has you so distracted? Is it Andrew and Clarissa?”

  How could he answer her without looking like the snob he didn’t want to be? “Um, yes, I was thinking about how pretty she looks tonight.” Not the complete truth to his thoughts, but it was the truth about his sister.

  “I’m beginning to think she may care as much about him as he does about her. It would be so nice if they become a couple and she moves here to Texas.”

  Stefan clenched his teeth. That couldn’t happen. Clarissa had to stay in Louisiana with Mother and Father. She’d never think about leaving them alone. He most definitely needed to have a discussion with his father concerning this relationship. “I’m not so sure about that, Molly. Louisiana is her home, and our parents will need her while I’m gone. They’d be terribly lonely without her.” There, that didn’t sound like he thought Stoney Creek beneath Clarissa’s station in life.

  She bit her lip and glanced back at the couple now lagging behind. “I suppose that’s true. As much as I’d like to have her here, your mother probably would rather have her stay in St. Francisville. I’ve thought about coming out there for a visit since I’m off all summer. I’d get to see my grandmother and uncles, too, as well as my cousins who live there.”

  “Now that sounds like a good plan. Clarissa could even take you down to Baton Rouge if not to New Orleans. Both are interesting cities, although New Orleans is somewhat more adventurous.”

  They arrived at the hotel and strolled into the lobby to find a sign directing them to the reception area where a stringed quartet, most likely from the orchestra at the concert, had set up and now played background music for guests as they arrived.

  Whatever else they had done, the mayor and town council had certainly gone all out to welcome Miss Cushing and her company to Stoney Creek for the four days she would be in town. He’d never seen so many fresh flowers in one place except perhaps at a wake. Roses, carnations, and lilies in every color of the rainbow filled giant urns as well as short crystal bowls. An area of the floor had been cleared for dancing later, and Stefan looked forward to the opportunity to lead Molly about the dance floor.

  “Oh, Stefan, doesn’t the refreshment table look lovely? I wonder if Andrew’s mother baked that gorgeous cake. She’s the best in town as is their bakery. Andrew delivered cakes and things for them when he was younger.”

  Delmont Bakery, of course. Why hadn’t he made the connection before? He’d seen the sign every day as he walked or rode from the hotel to the Whiteman house. How dense could he be not to realize Andrew would be one of them? The discovery served to strengthen Stefan’s resolve to speak with his father concerning Andrew and Clarissa.

  One thing he must remember for this night, Molly could not by any means learn of his real attitude toward the idea of Andrew and Clarissa as a couple. One slip could ruin everything and make for a most miserable evening.

  CHAPTER 12

  MOLLY STRETCHED AND opened one eye. Bright sunshine flooded through the lace curtains casting a swirled design across the room. She sat up straight and ran her hands through her hair. How had she slept so long? She glanced over at Clarissa, but she was still curled up sleeping.

  They’d come home terribly late last night, but she usually never slept this long. She eased her legs over the edge of the bed and pulled her nightgown down over her knees. She stood with as little moving of the mattress as possible so as not to wake her friend.

  She padded in bare feet across the carpet to the wardrobe and pulled it open. The door squeaked and Molly grimaced as a groan cut across the quiet.

  “Is it time to get up already?”

  Molly peered over her shoulder at Clarissa, who lay with her arms resting above her head on the pillow. “Yes, but I’m sorry I awakened you. I tried to be quiet, but this wardrobe door had to squeak.”

  Clarissa blinked her eyes and sat up. “That’s all right. I need to be getting up
anyway. Andrew has off today and is taking me for a ride. He’s renting another horse at the livery so we can ride out to the creek. He’s going to teach me to ride Western style. His mother is fixing us a picnic basket.”

  “That will be nice, especially with Mrs. Delmont’s cooking.” Why hadn’t she thought of suggesting something like that to Stefan? Of course their meal would not be near as good as the one Mrs. Delmont prepared, but then Molly did know how to prepare a few things, and with Mama’s help, it would have been nice. Maybe it wasn’t too late after all.

  “That’s such a splendid idea. I think I may suggest it to Stefan. Mama and I can fix up a basket for us in no time, but we won’t intrude on your time with Andrew.”

  Clarissa grinned and joined her at the wardrobe. “I didn’t expect you would. I’ve seen the way you and my brother eye each other. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if he asked your father if he could court you.”

  Heat pushed its way to Molly’s cheeks, and she bent down to retrieve a pair of shoes. “I don’t think so. He’ll be leaving to return to regiment in another week, so we won’t even see each other after that.” Besides, there were too many differences between them that made such a relationship impossible. She had no more plans to marry a man in the army than she had of marrying a cowboy. Of that she was certain.

  “Oh, horse feathers, as my grandma says. You can always write to each other, and there are women who marry and move out to the fort.”

  “I don’t think so, Clarissa. I do like Stefan, but not enough to leave everything here and move to some fort out in the wilderness.” She drew her night dress over her head and reached for her undergarments. “It’s time to get dressed and see if there’s anything left from breakfast.”