“And she prefers those ... why?”
“I think it has something to do with her aversion to what she calls ‘unmentionables.’” Owen shook his head as he took a seat across from her. “I’m not sure what unmentionables she was specifically speaking about, but she’s apparently opposed to most of them. She’s vowed to never stuff herself into garments she’s convinced are harming her, ah, parts, or attach a birdcage to her behind for the sole purpose of achieving a certain silhouette.” He gave his nose a scratch. “I wasn’t aware birdcages were an option for ladies to wear, but before I forget, I should also mention that Luella has an extreme aversion to bows.”
Camilla fought a grin. “I believe Luella was referring to bustles, which can occasionally be similar to birdcages, and seeing as how I get the impression your sister is around eighteen, sheshouldhave an aversion to bows.”
“Luella’s nineteen, almost twenty, but why should she be opposed to bows?”
“Bows should be reserved for young girls, not ladies who’ve come of age.”
“Huh...” Owen said before he frowned. “Sally Murchendorfer wears bows all the time, and she and Luella are of the same age.”
“Is your sister friends with this Sally Murchendorfer?”
“Luella currently loathes the entire Murchendorfer family, except perhaps Sally’s father, Mr. Russell Murchendorfer, who isn’t around much.”
“Which might explain the extreme bow aversion.” Camilla set aside her cup. “Tell me more about this loathing for the Murchendorfer family.”
Before Owen could do exactly that, Mr. Timken walked over to her and handed her a small plate of cheese. “This should hold you over until lunch, Miss Camilla, but if you’ll excuse me? Mr. Chesterfield and I were making arrangements for your safety while you were changing. I need to see if the footman I sent to summon the authorities has returned.” After presenting Camilla with a bow, Mr. Timken turned and headed out the door.
“I almost forgot about the attempted abduction,” Camilla admitted.
“I’m not surprised since ladies normally don’t care to dwell on unpleasantness.”
Camilla paused with a piece of cheese halfway to her mouth. “I don’t believe anyone, ladies or gentlemen, care to dwell on that.”
“Perhaps, but gentlemen are far more likely to respond to unpleasant business, whereas ladies, well, that’s why you have gentlemen around, and why you don’t need to worry your pretty little heads with such matters.”
After sticking the piece of cheese into her mouth in an effort to avoid the dressing-down she longed to give the insufferable man, Camilla made a point of chewing for an incredibly long time as she strove to get her renewed irritation in check.
“Got a hard piece of cheese, did you?” he asked.
She swallowed and summoned up a smile. “Not at all.”
“Why are you smiling at me?”
“I normally make it a practice to smile at guests.”
“But the smile you’re currently wearing isn’t what I’d consider a pleasant one, and almost suggests you’re...” His voice trailed off as he frowned, considered her for a moment, and sat forward. “You’re not put out with me again, are you?”
She kept her smile firmly in place. “I suppose that depends on if you were deliberately trying to annoy me when you said I didn’t need to worry ‘my pretty little head’ about unpleasant matters, or if you’re merely oblivious regarding why I’d take issue with your current choice of phrase. If it’s the second reason, I can now fully understand why, as you mentioned, you have trouble with the ladies.”
He blinked. “I hear other men saying ‘don’t worry your pretty little head’ all the time, and if you ask me, there’s no reason for a lady to take offense at that, particularly when the phrase has the wordprettyin it.”
“And while ladies don’t take offense at the wordpretty, the whole ‘little heads’ business is what’s wrong with the phrase, since it suggests we ladies don’t have much in the way of intellect.”
“Huh, well that certainly explains why Miss Doreen Morrison abandoned a fishing excursion I took her on after I told her she didn’t need to worry her pretty little head over taking her fish off the hook because I’d do it for her.”
“Glad I could clear that up for you.”
He nodded. “You did, and thank you for that because I never have been able to puzzle out what I did wrong that day. I’ll now refrain from using that phrase again, but returning to ladies notknowing how to handle a difficult situation—I feel compelled to remind you that you’re the one who said you’d forgotten about the abduction event, whereas I’m the one who remembered and took steps with Mr. Timken to assure your safety.”
“Are you now expecting me to present you with a medal for that?”
To her surprise, his lips quirked. “For a lady who claims to be the picture of serenity, you’re very prickly.”
“I’ve never been prickly in my life.”
“And before I’m tempted to argue with that, no doubt incurring more prickliness from you, allow me to move the conversation to safer territory and simply tell you about the safety precautions Mr. Timken and I have arranged for you.”
