"Wait." Esme hesitated at the doorway. "Can we go upstairs?" she asked him. "We have guests in the house."
"Mrs. Rhy," he said smoothly. "In this house you make up the rules of etiquette. What do you deem proper?"
Esme was thoughtful for only a moment.
"Our guests might be scandalized," she told him. "And I always try to keep a watchful eye on Pa and the twins."
Cleav acquiesced easily. "Whatever you think, Mrs. Rhy."
Esme's thoughtful expression slowly became a confident grin. "But I think I've been taking too much care of my family," she said. "It's time that Pa and the girls start facing the world all on their own."
"Now, that's a very good idea," Cleav said.
"And your gentlemen friends from up north should really get some opportunity to find out about real Tennessee people."
Cleav nodded. "So we go straight upstairs?"
As if suddenly remembering what happened, Esme sighed in dismay. "No, after making such a fool of myself, I'd better go back in there and face them tonight."
Cleav placed a strong arm around her waist and grinned at her.
"Just stick close to me, Mrs. Rhy," he said. "It's a husband's right to rescue his wife from social blunders."
"Who made that rule?"
"I did," he replied easily.
Esme walked nervously beside her husband as they entered the house. The company had left the dining room for the informality of the back parlor, and she could hear Pa fiddling a happy tune.
Reaching the doorway, she saw the twins gleefully instructing the gentlemen from up north on the proper steps of mountain clogging. There was much laughter and clapping, and the two somewhat bookish gentlemen were clearly having the time of their lives.
"Excuse us," Cleav interrupted their revelry.
Every eye focused on them, and Esme felt her courage drifting away. Only the strength of Cleav's arm kept her beside him.
"My wife and I would like to apologize for our abrupt departure from dinner," Cleav began civilly.
"Quite all right," Theo said eagerly.
"We're perfectly fine," Ben insisted.
"Wonderful," Cleav replied with a pleasant smile. "Do go on and enjoy yourselves," he said. "Mrs. Rhy and I must retire early, it seems."
Esme glanced up at her husband in surprise.
Cleav smiled at her before he said calmly, "You may find this difficult to believe, but my wife and I have both suddenly developed an unprecedented infestation of fleas."
March 12, 1898
Theodatus G. Simmons
Springfield, Massachusetts
My dear brother-in-law Theo,
As always, we enjoyed receiving your missive, especially the good news of your addition. Esme sends her love to your new son and our dear Agrippa with hopes for an eventless recovery.
I accepted the salutation on your last letter as jest. Believe me, the degree is strictly honorary and I certainly have not taken to calling myself Dr. Rhy, despite the governor's fine words about my modest contribution to natural science.
