Mrs. Norton hugged Camilla tightly. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” she whispered lovingly.
Camilla stepped back and invited Mrs. Norton in. And, as Mrs. Norton walked in, she too noticed something different in Camilla—though, it wasn’t the same, overall difference the reverend had noticed; and, unlike Revered Jones, Mrs. Norton was pretty sure she knew what that difference was.
The revered and his wife chatted with Mrs. Norton briefly before leaving. Once they were gone, Camilla asked her elder if she wanted any of the food she’d prepared. But, Mrs. Norton declined the snack and, instead, asked Camilla a question of her own.
“So, how far along are you?” Camilla’s former chaperone asked.
“What?” Camilla replied.
“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” Mrs. Norton clarified.
“How far along are you in your pregnancy?”
“What? How did you—” Camilla inquired, a bit shocked.
“My dear,” Mrs. Norton chuckled, “I lived with you for nearly a month. I am familiar with your face, and your body—and, both are a bit rounder and fuller now. Plus, despite the sadness you now bear, you have an undeniable glow to you, which I recognize all too well.”
Camilla blushed a bit, giving more to her glow, then smiled at Mrs. Norton.
“Yes, you’re right,” she said softly. “I am with child. I found out yesterday, though I suspected as much for a short while. The doctor said I’m about two months in. I was going to tell Leslie about it last night, when he came home, but…”
Camilla was unable to finish her sentence, and her smile turned into a frown.
“It’s alright, dear,” Mrs. Norton said, moving closer to Camilla and embracing her again. “I understand.”
The women held each other for several seconds before Camilla pulled back and wiped away her tears.
“Leslie dying is one thing,” she said, moving her sleeve across her face. “And, our child being born without a father is another.”
“Who else knows about your pregnancy?” Mrs. Norton asked. “Who else have you told?”
Camilla shook her head from side to side.
“I haven’t told anyone else yet,” she replied. “Like I said, I only confirmed it yesterday. And, well, you see, I don’t have any friends. Leslie didn’t allow me to socialize.”
Mrs. Norton took a deep breath and shook her head disparagingly, and Camilla wasn’t sure which part of her statement had roused the older woman’s concern.
“You didn’t tell the revered or his wife?” Mrs. Norton asked, moving on.
“No,” Camilla sighed. “I didn’t want the good news of my pregnancy to be overshadowed by the grim news of Leslie’s death.”
“That makes sense,” Mrs. Norton replied. “But, you’ll have to tell everyone at some point, you know. Soon enough, your belly will get bigger—and, you’ll want to stop any unkind rumors before they start.”
Camilla nodded. “I know,” she said. “I will tell them, when the time is right. But, for the time being, I think both Leslie and our child deserve silence on this matter. Leslie’s untimely death needs to be properly observed, and my child’s impending arrival needs to be properly celebrated—and each needs to occur in turn.”
Mrs. Norton smiled and shook her head affirmatively, then promptly redirected the conversation to more pleasant things. She told tale of her own pregnancies with her two children, each of whom were now grown, married, and moved away, and regaled over the joyfulness she felt caring for them in their tender years. Camilla asked a good number of questions about pregnancy, childbirth, a rearing an infant, and she outlined the many milestones she looked forward to achieving with her child.
Indeed, their discussion was a very lovely one—and, for a moment, Camilla felt soothed and relaxed, and she nearly forgot about the dismal situation she was in. But, then, that moment passed. There was another knock at the door, and Camilla was abruptly reminded of the circumstances. She stood up, straightened out her skirt, and readied herself to meet her next guest… Though, there was no way she could adequately prepare for what awaited her when she opened the door.
FOUR
“Hello again, ma’am,” Sheriff Connor said, tipping his hat at Camilla.
Camilla smiled in greeting, but on the inside, she was full of fear. He was a nice enough man, but, given her limited experience with him, she knew that, when he came around, he came around with bad news.
“I’m sorry to bother you during this difficult time,” Sheriff Connor went on. “But, these men need to speak with you, and I saw it fitting that I come along.”
Camilla hadn’t noticed before, But, there were two well-dressed older man standing just past her front porch. She looked past the sheriff to examine them. They appeared cold and stern, and Camilla wondered why they wanted to speak with her. Nonetheless, she opened her door and invited them in.
As soon as the sheriff and the men entered, they each regarded Mrs. Norton, and Mrs. Norton rolled her eyes and sighed. Then, she sheriff went over the Camilla.
“These men are here to discuss what you might consider a personal matter,” he said quietly. “So, perhaps you’d like to ask Mrs. Norton to excuse herself.”
“No bother,” Camilla said in a louder, yet still soft voice. “Whatever these men need to discuss with me, they can discuss it in front of Mrs. Norton. She was my chaperone when I arrived here in Sun Crest—and, now, she is my friend.”
“Alright,” the sheriff replied. He nodded toward the two men, who promptly took a seat on the sofa.
Camilla sat down on a chair across from them, and Mrs. Norton stood at her side, while Sheriff Connor remained standing in the middle of the room.
“We’re very sorry for your loss,” one of the men said, bowing his head.
“And, we’re very sorry to come at you with this business right now,” the other man added, bowing his head as well. “But, we had no other choice.”
Camilla’s heart raced. “What business?” she asked.
The sheriff stepped closer to Camilla. “These are the Owens brothers,” he explained. “They are private loan officers from Tombstone.”
“They work for the bank?” Camilla inquired. Her heart raced even faster.
“Not exactly,” the older of the two men replied.
“We are private loan officers,” the other man added.
“We run our own business, where we provide loans to individuals that the bank has rejected for one reason or another.”
“But, understand,” the other brother went on, “our loans are formal loans, agreed upon, and fully enforceable, according to the loan.”
“And, they’re ridiculous!” Mrs. Norton hissed under her breath.
“Estelle, please,” the sheriff said, giving Mrs. Norton a disparaging look.
“Some might say that,” the younger brother replied, acknowledging Mrs. Norton’s offhand comment. “But, they are what they are… When a person can’t get a loan from the bank, they come to us for help. But, obviously, there was a reason that person couldn’t get a loan from the bank. Usually, the reason is that lending to them was too great of a risk.
“So, yes, some might say that our loans are ridiculous in certain respects. We demand a high interest rate and a strong collateral source to secure our loans—but, we only do so to cover our tails and protect ourselves from the great risk that the bank saw.”
“Just get on with it!” Mrs. Norton said, shaking her head. The sheriff threw her another disparaging look.
The older Owens brother reached down and took hold of his briefcase. “Your husband borrowed a substantial amount of money from us,” he said, withdrawing a folder. “Three-thousand dollars, to be exact.”
“Three-thousand dollars?!?” Camilla exclaimed, shocked by the number.
“Yes,” the younger Owens brother replied. “He borrowed $3,000. Though, technically speaking, he is in debt to us for even more. He was behind on his payments, and the interest has accrued.”
“But,” the older brother went on, “all things considered, we are willing to overlook the interest that has accrued. We cannot, however, overlook the initial sum. We need to recover what we lent him, lest we suffer a terrible loss.”
Camilla’s heart was racing so quickly that she feared it’d jump out of her chest.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“As Leslie’s widow, you have inherited both his assets and his debts,” the older brother explained. “So, the obligation to repay us now rests on you. If you have $3,000—”
“I don’t have any money,” Camilla interjected as tears flooded her eyes.
“We thought as much,” the younger Owens brother said with a sigh. “So, that leaves us only one option.”
The older brother passed the folder over to Camilla.
“As you’ll see in this loan agreement,” he said, “your husband signed this homestead over to us as collateral. So, since you don’t have the money to pay back the loan we gave him, we’ll have to take possession of this house and land.”
Camilla opened her mouth to speak. But, no words came out.
“For goodness’s sake, Benjamin!” Mrs. Norton shouted, taking the reins. “This woman’s husband died just last night. His body isn’t even in the ground yet. How dare you come here and make such demands!”
“Estelle, please calm down,” the older brother, Benjamin, replied. “Leslie’s loan is very much in arrears, and the interest that has accrued is considerable. We are doing this woman a great favor by forgiving the interest, but we’re losing opportunity, and money, by sitting on this. We need to seize the property promptly, and sell it promptly, so that we can go on with our business.
“And, I am well aware that this is not the best time to bring such news… But, would the news be any better with the passage of time? Should we allow Mrs. Parker to linger here on our land and become even more attached to it, only to take it away from her later?”
“You are ruthless men,” Mrs. Norton said angrily.
“Your mother would be ashamed.” She bowed her head and shook it angrily, then bowed out of the conversation.
The Owens brothers and Camilla went on to discuss the terms of their seizure of the property. They allotted her one week to remove herself, and all of her things, from the land.
Once the ugly conversation was over, the Owens brothers left with the sheriff, and, no sooner than she shut the door behind them, Camilla burst into tears.
“I can’t believe this!” Camilla lamented. “First, I’m rendered a widow. Then, I’m rendered homeless. What am I to do?”
Mrs. Norton rushed over to Camilla and wrapped her arms around her. “You’ll get through this, my dear,” she said sweetly. “By God’s graces, you will survive.”
“But… how?” Camilla exclaimed, breaking free from Mrs. Norton’s embrace. She darted over to the mantle, where her wedding photograph was displayed. “My husband was a horrible man to me,” she went on, taking hold of the photo. “He got drunk nearly every night. He yelled at me and called me names. He even hit me from time to time, and forced me to lie in congress with him even when I was not in the mood. I thought things could get no worse.
“But, alas, they have. Now, that horrible man has done even more horrible things to me. He has left me—and our child—with nothing to our name. We don’t even have a home.”
Camilla looked down at her wedding photograph and snorted sarcastic laugh.
“I hope you rest in peace, Leslie Parker,” she said.
“Yours is a better fate than what I and your child now face.” With that, Camilla tossed the photograph to the floor, and the glass in the frame shattered into several shards.
Mrs. Norton slowly approached Camilla and gently patted her on the back.
“My child,” she said in a motherly voice the likes of which Camilla had never heard, “I’m sorry for all you’ve endured… as well as for my part in it all. I didn’t know your husband was so cruel, but I knew the type of man he was. His drinking and recklessness existed long before you came to town—and, perhaps, while I served as your chaperone, I should have said or done something to indicate as much to you, so that you could know his true nature before you were wed.
“But, alas, I did not want to overstep the bounds of my charge. And, now, I regret that I did not. But, if you’ll allow me, I’d like to make it up to you.”
Camilla looked at Mrs. Norton curiously.
“I’ll help you pick up the pieces,” Mrs. Norton said. She bent over and collected the shards of glass from the floor, then looked up at Camilla and smiled.
FIVE
Two Weeks Later
“Good morning, Mr. Jenkins,” Camilla smiled, putting on her apron.
“And, good morning to you, Camilla,” Mr. Jenkins replied, pulling a tray of freshly baked muffins out of the oven.
“Those smell wonderful,” Camilla added with wide eyes.
“They sure do,” Mr. Jenkins chuckled. “And, I’m sure they’ll sell out rather quickly… So, here, have one before they’re all gone.” The old man took a muffin from the tray and set it down on the counter before placing the rest of the sweet treats on the cooling rack.
Camilla picked up the warm muffin, broke off a piece, and popped it into her mouth. It was delicious, and she enjoyed it very much—much like she enjoyed every other aspect of her job.
In the two weeks since Leslie’s untimely death, a lot had changed in Camilla’s life. The funeral was held two days after her meeting with the reverend. And, five days after Leslie was put in the ground, Camilla left his homestead to move on with her life.
When Mrs. Norton told Camilla she’d help her “pick up the pieces,” the old woman wasn’t just talking about the shards of glass in the frame. Given her affection for Camilla, her pity at Camilla’s predicament, and the guilt she felt, Mrs. Norton invited Camilla to come live with her on her homestead. She also helped Camilla find a job at the bakery, which was owned and operated by one the late Mr. Norton’s friends.
One thing that did not change, however, was Camilla’s silence about her pregnancy. Since Leslie’s death, she still hadn’t told anyone other than Mrs. Norton, and she was still waiting for the right time to do so—and, she figured it wouldn’t be timely to share the news just as she was settling into her new job.
And, as per her new job, as noted above, Camilla enjoyed every aspect of it. Mr. Jenkins was a kind old man, and he treated her very well. He also taught her a great deal about baking and managing shop, and Camilla was starting to have ambitions of one day becoming a full-fledged baker as well.
Plus, Mr. Jenkins always gave her “samples” of the delicious baked goods he prepared, and, on many evenings, he sent her home with a bag of delicious items for her and Mrs. Norton to share. What’s more, there was a social aspect to Camilla’s job that she liked very much. While she’d been married to Leslie, she wasn’t allowed to have friends. But, now, as she encountered people in her daily work, she was developing affiliations with many of the townsfolk.
But, on this particular day, a stranger came into the shop shortly after it opened, and Camilla was a bit surprised. She’d thought she’d met everyone in town by this point, as Mr. Jenkin’s bakery was a very popular spot. But, this fellow was unfamiliar to her, and she found herself staring at him from the backroom as he examined the baked goods on display.
Camilla didn’t know exactly what it was, but there was something about the man that spoke to her. There was something about him that she somehow identified with, or could relate to in a way she could not understand. He had a certain “presence” to him, a certain “glow.” But with that presence—with that glow, there was something else. Is it sadness? she asked herself, staring him down.
Whatever it was, Camilla couldn’t take her eyes off of him. In addition to whatever it was that she identified with, she also found him quite easy on the eyes. He was what any woman in her right man would consider a very handsome man. He had bright b
lue eyes and wavy locks of dirty-blonde hair that framed his ruggedly good-looking face, and his body was very fit and strong.
“I need a dozen muffins from the rack,” Mr. Jenkins called out, rousing Camilla from her daze.
Camilla scurried to collect the muffins, then carried them out to the front of the store. The moment she stepped out of the backroom, the stranger glanced at her and smiled. And, when their eyes met, Camilla lost her bearings, tripped over her own foot, and dropped the muffins to the ground. Luckily, she caught herself before she fell as well.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Camilla opined, bending down to pick up what she’d dropped.
In a flash, the stranger ran to her aid, and kneeled down beside her to help her pick up the muffins. As he helped her, their hands briefly brushed up against each other, and they both felt a “spark” of sorts.
“It’s alright,” the stranger smiled. “I just hope you have more.”
“We do,” Camilla blushed. “But, I wasn’t apologizing to you… I was apologizing to him.” Camilla glanced up at Mr. Jenkins, who looked on at the pair with a grin.
“No worries,” the old man said. “I don’t cry over spilled milk, or dropped muffins… And, I’m sure the stray cats and dogs will appreciate the treat.” He winked at Camilla, then went to the backroom to get more muffins for the stranger.
Camilla picked up the box of ruined muffins, then rose to her feet and set them on the counter.
“I’m not usually so clumsy,” she said, wiping her hands off on her apron.
The stranger smiled at her. He was so captivated by her beauty that he was at a loss for words.
“Here we go,” Mr. Jenkins announced, walking back into the front room. “A dozen muffins, fresh and free of debris.” The sweet moment between Camilla and the stranger was interrupted, and they both looked at the shop-owner and laughed.
“Can I get you anything else?” Mr. Jenkins asked, tying a string around the box.
“Um, ah, let me see,” the stranger hawed. He appraised the items in the case, admiring Camilla out of the corner of his eye the whole while.
New Beginnings Spring 20 Book Box Set Page 20
