It came as no surprise when Camilla’s lady’s maid immediately settled her attention on Edward right before a commencing of lash fluttering began.
“You didn’t mention a thing about a gentleman meeting us at the station,” Bernadette murmured as she smiled at Edward, which earned her a bit of a sigh from Camilla.
Before Camilla could get anything but a sigh past her lips, though, Gladys suddenly bounded forward, yanking Camilla into motion, the poodle’s attention focused on something across the train yard.
“I’ll be back,” she called over her shoulder, Owen moving to pursue her but stopping when he caught sight of Mr. Timken dashing across the train yard, dodging passengers left and right and finally catching up with Camilla when Gladys abruptly ploppedto the ground, her tongue already lolling out. A second later, Camilla was handing poor Mr. Timken a handkerchief, which he promptly put to use to dab his forehead as Camilla did the same with a second handkerchief she pulled from her sleeve.
He couldn’t help but wonder if that was normal, keeping so many handkerchiefs at the ready, and if it was, he also wondered if handkerchiefs might turn into a bit of an issue with Luella because she usually never had one available when she needed it, let alone several. Truth be told, he’d seen her wipe her forehead, and occasionally, her nose, with her sleeve, something he had a feeling Camilla was going to have a problem with.
“Seems like Gladys tuckered herself out,” Bernadette said before she glanced Owen’s way. “Gladys aside, though, I imagine you were probably getting ready to introduce me to your friend before we were interrupted with the peculiarities of Miss Pierpont’s neurotic poodle.”
It came as no surprise when Bernadette shifted her attention to Edward and the batting of lashes immediately commenced again. Knowing the only way to get past all the batting was to introduce Edward to a very unusual lady’s maid, Owen turned to his friend. “Edward, allow me to present Miss Bernadette Millersport. Bernadette, this is a good friend of mine, Mr. Edward Stevens.”
“Charmed, I’m sure,” Bernadette said, extending her hand to Edward, a tinkle of laughter escaping her when he pressed a kiss to her fingers.
“Of course I’m charmed, Miss Millersport, and—” Edward suddenly stopped talking as his gaze drifted past Bernadette and settled on Lottie, who’d moseyed up to stand behind Bernadette. “Who’s that?” Edward all but whispered, which was a rather unusual thing for him to do since he wasn’t really a whispering type of gentleman.
The smile on Bernadette’s face disappeared in a trice as she shot a look at Lottie, but it was back in place a second later when she returned her attention to Edward. “This is Lottie McBriar,”she said. “She’s Miss Pierpont’s companion. Lottie, this is Mr. Edward Stevens.”
Edward released Bernadette’s hand and stepped toward Lottie, who was in the process of dipping into a curtsy.
Oddly enough, instead of acknowledging Lottie’s curtsy with the obligatory bow, Edward merely stared at her, his mouth slightly agape, not saying a single word as what could only be described as a dazed expression settled on his face.
Before Owen had an opportunity to figure out how to snap Edward out of what appeared to be some type of stupor, Camilla glided up beside him, no longer tethered to Gladys, who’d apparently been remanded to Mr. Timken’s care. Camilla’s gaze drifted from Edward to Lottie, back to Edward, then to Bernadette, who now had her arms crossed over her chest, an honest-to-goodness scowl on her face.
Why Bernadette was scowling at his best friend was curious to say the least, but before he could contemplate that curiosity further, Camilla stepped closer to Edward and gave him, much to Owen’s surprise, a soothing pat of her gloved hand.
“Mr. Stevens,” Camilla began with a lovely smile, something that left Owen feeling somewhat dazed as well, although Edward didn’t notice the smile since his attention was still riveted on Lottie, “now that you’ve made the acquaintance of everyone in our traveling party, except for Mr. Timken, my butler and stand-in chaperone, would you be so kind as to show us to the carriages we’re to use, as well as perhaps assist us with moving our portmanteaus from the Pullman car to a wagon?”
Edward gave himself a bit of a shake, tore his gaze from Lottie, and turned to Camilla. “There’s no need for you to concern yourself with your trunks, Miss Pierpont. I’ve already arranged a wagon for them, as well as brought men to help load and then unload everything once we reach Owen’s home on Wheeling Island, then reload everything when you travel to his country home tomorrow.”
“How wonderfully efficient of you, Mr. Stevens, but wouldn’t it have been even more efficient if we went directly to the country house?”
“Owen wasn’t certain what time you’d arrive in Wheeling, given the mechanical difficulties you experienced with the train. He sent me a telegram telling me everyone would spend tonight on the island because, while the country house is only about four miles out of Wheeling, the roads are somewhat questionable to traverse after dark.”
“Perfectly understandable,” Camilla said before she took hold of Edward’s arm, another surprising move, and tugged him into motion, saying something to the effect that she’d be more than happy to assist him with arranging the logistics of the ride as she strolled away, but not before Owen could have sworn she sent him just a hint of a wink.
He was still pondering the wink ten minutes later as he found himself, not astride his stallion, George, who’d been unloaded five minutes before from the livestock car, but sitting on the seat of a carriage opposite Camilla, George having been tethered to the wagon that was now packed with trunks. Following that wagon was a carriage holding Bernadette, Lottie, Mr. Timken, and Edward, who seemed just as surprised as Owen had been that he was apparently going to escort them home.
Owen braced himself when Camilla sat forward and felt more than confused when he took note of a very unusual twinkle in her eyes.
“Tell me everything you know about Edward,” she surprised him by saying.
“What?”
“Edward,” she repeated. “What can you tell me about him?”
“You arranged for us to be in a carriage alone together so that you could ask me about Edward?”
Camilla frowned. “Why else would I have arranged our present circumstances?”
“I thought you wanted to press me further about Luella’s questionable grooming practices.”
“I think her aversion to combs told me all I needed to know about that.” Her brows drew together. “You didn’t realize I’d want to discuss Edward?”
“How could I have realized that?”
“I made a point of winking at you before I went off with Edward to assist with logistical arrangements.”
