“I’ll take a bag of biscuits,” the stranger added a moment later. “And, a loaf of bread, please.”
Mr. Jenkins gathered the items the man had indicated, and Camilla fad a sense of disappointment. Considering the amount of food he was purchasing, she figured he had to be purchasing it for more than himself. He probably has a wife and children, Camilla thought to herself, shrugging off the chemistry they’d just shared.
Mr. Jenkin’s rang up the stranger’s order, and the stranger slowly paid for it.
“Thank you for your business,” Mr. Jenkins said, handing the man his change. “Please come again.”
“I certainly will,” the stranger smiled. He glanced at Camilla for a moment before leaving, and, again, they both felt a spark.
“Who was that man?” Camilla asked Mr. Jenkins once the stranger was gone.
“I have no idea,” Mr. Jenkins replied. “I’ve never seen him before.”
“Oh,” Camilla sighed. She closed her eyes for a split-second and again envisioned his ruggedly good-looking face.
Camilla went about the rest of her work day. She performed well, as usual, though she was haunted by thoughts of the stranger. Her thoughts continued to haunt her after she went home, and, that night, as she drifted off to sleep, she prayed that their paths would cross again.
SIX
The next morning, when Camilla arrived at the bakery, Mr. Jenkins was not yet there. But, his daughter—Samantha—was.
Samantha was a plump, very average-looking girl about four years older than Camilla. She was, by no measure, ugly as far as her looks were concerned. But, her personality made her far less attractive than she would otherwise initially appear.
Of all the people Camilla had met in Sun Crest, Samantha was by far the rudest. She was spoiled rotten, unduly conceited, and felt entitled. She treated others—including Camilla, and her own father—with disrespect and no consideration, and she cared more about her own wants than she did anyone else’s needs. Sure enough, Camilla was very shocked when she learned that such a creature had been sired by a man so sweet as Mr. Jenkins.
“Good morning, Samantha,” Camilla smiled, trying to be polite.
“Yeah, hi,” Samantha replied, rolling her eyes. It was obvious that she didn’t want to be at the shop this morning. And, for the most part, she seldom was there. She only came around to tend to the shop when her father had important errands to run, and, even when she was there, she was only there in body, not spirit. She barely ever lifted a finger around the place.
“I think you’re supposed to put some buns in the oven or something,” Samantha whined, reaching into her hand bag to extract a small mirror. She gazed in the mirror at herself adoringly and ignored Camilla as she set to work.
Sure enough, there were buns that were meant to go in the over. Only, they were meant to go in some time ago. As usual, Samantha hadn’t done what she should have upon arriving at the shop, and Camilla was tasked to pick up the slack.
Camilla spent the next hour or so catching up on things. Then, once things were settled enough in the backroom, she went out to the front of the store. Clearly, given Samantha’s personality, she wasn’t very good at customer service, and Camilla wanted to make sure that any customers who appeared were thoroughly served and thoroughly pleased.
Over the next two hours or so, Camilla multitasked. She went back and forth between taking care of things in the backroom and tending to customers out front, while Samantha sat admiring herself in her mirror or tapping her fingers against the counter in boredom.
But, then, at one point, Samantha’s eyes lit up. A handsome stranger walked into the bakery, and Samantha did something she’d never done before. She actually got up from her stool, walked over to him, and asked him if he needed any help.
“No thank you,” the stranger said. “I’m just looking around right now.”
“I’ll be over on my stool if you need anything,” Samantha smiled at the man wantonly. He nodded and looked around the store—but, it wasn’t baked goods he was looking for.
A minute or so later, Camilla stepped out of the backroom, and her heart fluttered. Indeed, the “stranger” was the stranger from the day before, and he smiled a wide smile at Camilla as soon as he saw her.
“Hello again,” he said cheerfully.
“Back so soon?” Camilla asked, straightening out her apron.
“I couldn’t resist,” the man replied. “Your bakery has so much to offer.”
Camilla blushed, for she knew that he wasn’t just talking about the food on the shelves.
Of course, Samantha sensed his subtext as well, and she cleared her throat to interrupt their exchange.
“It’s not her bakery,” Samantha remarked. “It’s mine… My father owns this place.”
The stranger looked over at Samantha and smiled an awkward smile, then returned his gaze to Camilla.
“Do you have any more of those muffins?” he asked.
“Not today,” Camilla frowned. “Mr. Jenkins is the only one who can bake them just right. And, he hasn’t come in yet this morning, as he had some errands to run.”
“Too bad,” the stranger replied. He smiled at Camilla, and his smile turned her frown upside down.
“But, we have plenty else I’m sure you’ll like,” Camilla said, gesturing toward the display.
“I’m sure you do,” the stranger cooed. Again, his subtext made Camilla blush and enraged Samantha.
“Do you like cake?” Samantha asked, jumping up from her stool. “We have a delicious chocolate cake for sale. It’s my favorite.”
“I’m not very fond of chocolate,” the stranger replied. He looked at Camilla again. “What would you recommend?” he asked.
“I’d recommend a pie,” she said. “I’ve always been partial to fruits.”
“Me too,” the man grinned. Now, he, too, was blushing.
“We don’t have any more pies,” Samantha sneered.
“You sold the last two to Mrs. Thomas earlier.”
“Oh,” Camilla said, bowing her head. She looked up at the stranger again. “I’m sorry,” she added.
“No need to apologize,” the man reassured her. He glanced over at Samantha, who wore a holier-than-thou expression on her face, which unnerved him and made him feel tense.
“I’ll be back tomorrow to get a pie,” the man added.
“So, please, save one for me.”
“I will,” Camilla said with a nod.
The stranger tipped his head at Camilla, then, out of common courtesy, turned and did the same to Samantha. He left the store a moment later.
Once the stranger was gone, Camilla headed toward the backroom to tend to some items in the oven. But, before she could get there, Samantha spoke up and stopped her.
“What was that all about?” the older girl asked.
“What do you mean?” Camilla inquired.
“You’re a widow, aren’t you?” Samantha asked. “I heard your husband was killed not even three weeks ago… Do you really think it’s appropriate for you to be flirting with another man like that? Shouldn’t you be in mourning?”
“I wasn’t flirting with him,” Camilla replied defensively.
“Ha!” Samantha snickered. “Sure looked like it to me!”
Camilla exhaled loudly, shook her head, and went off to the backroom without another word. Once she was alone near the oven, she reconsidered what Samantha had said. While she might not have intended to flirt with the fellow, she could see how her behavior might have come off that way—and, sure enough, if it came off that way, she could see how it might appear inappropriate, given her circumstances.
Even though there was never any real love between her and Leslie, convention called for her to mourn his death in a certain way. And, perhaps Samantha was right. Perhaps Camilla was defying convention by interacting with the ruggedly good-looking stranger as she had.
So, at that moment, as Camilla removed a tray of biscuits from the oven, she told herself
that she’d be more mindful the next time she saw the stranger. She told herself that she’d be careful not to be too friendly with him, or to let her infatuation with him show through.
Little did she know, however, that what she told herself would be much easier said than done.
SEVEN
Camilla didn’t sleep very well that night. She tossed and turned over her thoughts. On the one hand, he knew it was inappropriate to be so friendly with the stranger, let alone to have the type of feelings she had for him. But, on the other hand, the feelings she had were strong, and she hated the idea of denying them.
As Camilla to work the next morning, she walked at a sluggish pace. The stranger said he’d be in to the shop today, and, as much as she looked forward to seeing him, she dreaded it as well.
When Camilla finally arrived at the bakery, Mr. Jenkins greeted her as he usually did. And, after he said his “hello,” Camilla was surprised to hear another voice.
“‘Morning,” Samantha said in a disinterested voice.
Camilla almost had to do a double-take. In the two-plus weeks she’d worked there, she’d never seen Samantha at the bakery at the same time as her father. She was only ever there while he was away, and she always promptly left when he returned.
But, as Camilla appraised the other girl, she realized why she was there. Samantha was more dolled-up than usual. Her face was painted with thick layers of makeup, and she wore an outfit that seemed out of place in the shop. She looked like she was going to a dinner party, festive event, or date. And, indeed, in her mind, she likely was.
Given the way Samantha had acted toward the stranger, and how she’d scolded Camilla for her behavior, it was not apparent to Camilla that Samantha was smitten with the man—and, her uncanny presence at the shop, as well as her dolled-up appearance, was clearly for his sake.
Though Camilla found Samantha’s behavior unwarranted and a bit extreme, it took some of the pressure off of her. Perhaps the stranger would take kindly to Samantha, and, then, Camilla wouldn’t have to worry about the chemistry that was brewing between them.
But, a few hours passed and Camilla didn’t get the chance to test out her theory. The ruggedly good-looking stranger hadn’t shown up like he said he would, at least not during the morning hours, when he’d shown up before.
Around noon, Samantha started getting restless and bored. “I’m going to go out and get something to eat,” she shouted to Camilla in the backroom. Camilla paid her no mind and finished up the task she was working on with Mr. Jenkins before going out to cover the front of the store.
As soon as she got near the register, Camilla noticed a good deal of crumbs on the floor. She shook her head and laughed at the idea that Samantha went out to get more food after she’d been snacking on her father’s baked goods all morning.
Camilla went to the corner of the storefront and got the broom and dustpan, and she took to sweeping up the mess. As she was leaned over, pushing the dust into the pan, she heard the door open. Then, she heard a familiar voice.
“Good afternoon,” the stranger said. “I hope you saved a pie for me, like you said you would.”
Camilla jolted upright and, without even realizing it, smiled at the man. “I do believe we have one left,” she said, trying to hold back the sheer delight she felt. “And, you’re lucky we do. I was starting to believe you weren’t coming in today. So, I likely would have sold it to the next person who asked.”
“Ah,” the stranger grinned. “You don’t know me. But, I guarantee you, I am a man of my word. I said I was coming in today, and here I am… To be honest, I walked by earlier—three times. But, I saw that other girl behind the counter, but didn’t see you. Quite frankly, the other gal makes me a bit uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to deal with her. I wanted, instead, to deal with you. So, I kept walking by, in the hopes of seeing you out here, or catching you on her break.
“And, lo and behold, I see she just left.”
Camilla felt what could only be described as “excitement” course through her veins. But, as excited as she was, she was reminded of the promise she’d made to herself, regarding the circumstances she was in.
“Well, how about I go get you that pie?” Camilla asked, emptying the dustpan into the garbage bin, then wiping her hands on her apron. “It’s blackberry… I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s more than okay,” the stranger replied.
Camilla stepped into the backroom and retrieved the pie. As she was carrying it to the doorway, the front door opened, and Samantha’s voice boomed.
“I thought that was you!” Samantha said cheerily. “I was across the street, getting some candies at the general store, when I saw you come in here.”
As Camilla stepped into the front room, Samantha gave her an awful look. “I’ll take care of his order,” Samantha said, rushing toward Camilla. She reached out to take the pie from Camilla, but Camilla would not let go.
“I’m just about to box it and ring him up,” Camilla said.
“I said, I’ll take care of this sale,” Samantha insisted.
“But, you’re on your lunch break,” Camilla reminded the older girl.
Both of the women had their hands on the pie tin, and neither appeared to be letting go. But, then, Samantha had an awful idea.
“Fine,” she said, letting going of the tin with one hand and pushing it forward with the other. “The pie is yours.”
In an instant, the pie careened against Camilla’s chest, and the blackberry filling splattered all over the place. It mostly went on her apron, but a good deal of it also landed on the exposed parts of the dress she was wearing, as well as on her neck and chin.
“Samantha!” Mr. Jenkins exclaimed, running into the room. He turned to Camilla. “Are you okay, Camilla?”
Camilla looked at Mr. Jenkins, with tears swelling in her eyes. Then, she looked to the stranger, then to Samantha, who wore an evil grin on her face.
Without so much as a word, Samantha abruptly turned and ran into the backroom. She went into the pantry, shut the door behind her, and barricaded it with her body as she gave to a fit of tears.
Camilla cried, alone and uninterrupted, for several minutes before she heard a light rapping on the door.
“Camilla, dear. It’s me, Mr. Jenkins,” Mr. Jenkins said from the other side of the door. “I’ve sent Samantha home for the day, without pay. And, the customer has now left the store… So, it’s safe for you to come out now, if you’d like.”
“Thank you, Mr. Jenkins,” Camilla said through her tears. “Just give me another minute or two, and I’ll be out.”
Camilla took a few moments to collect herself. She was gravely embarrassed over what had just happened. And, even with Samantha and the stranger gone from the store, she felt belittled and hurt. She couldn’t believe what Samantha’s jealousy had led her to do.
After she was certain she would cry no more, Camilla emerged from the pantry. Mr. Jenkins looked at her forlornly, examining the damage that’d been done to her dress. “I’m so sorry for my daughter’s behavior,” the old man said. “Please forgive me. And, please, take the rest of the day off—with pay.”
Camilla took a deep breath and nodded. “It’s not your fault, sir,” she said politely. “But, sure enough, I would like to go home… I’m an awful mess.”
Camilla removed her apron and looked down at her ruined dress.
“Here,” Mr. Jenkins said, walking over to the wall to remove his extra baker’s coat from the hook. “Wear this home, to cover the mess.”
Camilla took the garment from her boss and put it on. It was too large, of course, but at least it hid the blackberry filling that was all over her garb. She quickly made her way home, where she found Mrs. Norton relaxing in the living room with her nose in a book.
“Is everything alright, dear?” Mrs. Norton asked, both surprised to see Camilla and concerned by the state she was in.
Camilla went on to explain everything that had happened, from the time
the ruggedly good-looking stranger fist walked into the bakery to the moment Samantha pushed blackberry the pie into her chest.
Mrs. Norton was very sympathetic over the incident with Samantha, and she remarked how the girl had always been a “spoiled-rotten little brat.” But, all told, Mrs. Norton was more concerned with the other aspects of Camilla’s tale—and, she wasn’t so much concerned with the “inappropriateness” of Camilla’s “flirting” as she was with something else.
“You know, Camilla,” Mrs. Norton said, “if you are sincerely interested in this man—or, if you think he is sincerely interested in you—you really should tell him about your predicament. You need to inform him that you are a widow, and tell him that you are with child.”
Camilla rolled her eyes and shook her head. “It’s all just been casual conversation,” she said. As Camilla heard herself say those words, not even she believed them, and, in her heart of hearts, she knew that they were not true. “Besides,” Camilla went on, “even if there is sincere interest, on either of our parts, I can’t act on it. Leslie hasn’t even been dead three weeks. If I were to take up with another man so soon, could you imagine what people would say?”
Mrs. Norton took a deep breath. “The people of this town knew well enough what type of man Leslie was,” she replied. “So, I doubt many would really pass judgment on you. Plus, with the way he kept you locked up in his house and prevented you from socializing, I bet the bulk of our neighbors don’t even realize who you are or the fact that the two of you were married.
“But, beyond all of that, who cares what people would say? You are but 20 years old, and you deserve happiness in your life. And, moreover, your child deserves a father in its life, someone who can love it and provide for it. So, if you think you stand to have a future with this man—”
“After what happened today, I doubt I’ll ever see him again,” Camilla interjected. She shook her head again and looked at the stains on her dress once more, trying to distract herself from the sound logic of what Mrs. Norton had just said.
New Beginnings Spring 20 Book Box Set Page 21
