The Secret Bliss of Calliope Ipswich (3 page)

“It’s true, Evie,” Calliope admitted.
“I feel as if I’ve just woken from a slumber that lasted weeks on end—weeks of wind and snow and cloudy skies. And now I’m—”

“Good evenin’, ladies.”

Calliope and Evangeline both gasped as the sound of a male voice nearby interrupted their tranquility.

“Oh, hello, gentlemen,” Evangeline greeted, having recovered her senses more quickly than Calliope.

It seemed the men from the gristmill had finished earlier than usual and were finding their way home. Calliope smiled as she saw Fox Montrose, Dex Longfellow, Rowdy Gates, and a young man she had never seen before standing before her and her sister.

“Have you ladies met Tate Chesterfield?” Dex Longfellow inquired
, his attention darting from Calliope to Evangeline and back.

“Why no, Dex.
We haven’t yet had the pleasure,” Evangeline answered.

Calliope smiled at Fox Montrose when he grinned and winked at her.
Dex nodded to her in greeting, though she knew Fox had warned Dex long ago not to be too hopeful where she was concerned—being that Fox had had eyes for her the moment he’d met her last fall. Rowdy Gates reached up, giving the brim of his hat a quick bend in greeting, and Calliope smiled at the group of hard-laboring men, for they all looked quite done in.

“Well
, let us introduce you to him then,” Dex offered then. “These here lovely ladies are the Ipswich girls, Tate. Well, two of the Ipswich girls, at least.”

“My pleasure,” Tate Chesterfield greeted with a proper nod and a slight bow.

Calliope smiled, for he was a handsome young man, and he did resemble his sisters and mother. Tate Chesterfield was tall and broad-shouldered, with raven hair and deep blue eyes. Calliope thought that perhaps all the young ladies in Meadowlark Lake might be well tempted to swap their infatuations with the handsome Fox Montrose in favor of new fascinations with the handsome Tate Chesterfield. She felt sorry for Fox a moment, for she knew how much attention he was used to.

“I’m Evangeline Ipswich, Mr. Chesterfield,” Evangeline said, offering her hand to Tate.

Tate Chesterfield accepted her handshake and then turned expectantly to Calliope.

“And I’m Calliope Ipswich,” Calliope said, taking Tate’s hand as he offered it to her.
“Welcome to Meadowlark Lake.”

“Again, it’s my pleasure to meet you both,” Tate said as his smile broadened.
“I’ve heard a lot about you young ladies.”

“Tate here is gonna start workin’ at the mill with us tomorrow,” Fox interjected.
“It took some doin’, but Dex and me talked ol’ Rowdy here into givin’ Tate a chance. We’ve been shorthanded since losin’ Brake and Sam last fall.”

“Well
, that’s wonderful, Mr. Chesterfield,” Calliope congratulated. “The mill is settled in such a perfect venue. The trees and shrubs and wildflowers that grow around it are magnificent, especially when they’re greening up as they are now. A body couldn’t ask for a more lovely scene to work amidst.”

“Yes
…a lovely scene,” Fox playfully teased. “And I’m sure that’s what Tate was thinkin’ when he asked about hirin’ on at the mill.”

Calli
ope good-humoredly sneered at Fox. She smiled just after, however, and said, “Well, you gentlemen have a nice evening. Evangeline and I are off to help Kizzy with supper.” She looked to the handsome Tate Chesterfield and said, “It was very nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Chesterfield.”

“Oh
, do call me Tate, Miss Calliope,” Tate said. “And you too, Miss Evangeline.”

“Of course,” Evangeline said.
“Good evening then, gentlemen.”

“Good evenin’,” the men chimed in unison.

Calliope and Evangeline nodded to each man in turn as they walked on toward their home. And once they were out of earshot of the men, Calliope exhaled the nervous breath she’d been holding.

“Oh, Evie!
I thought I might faint dead away when he looked at me!” Calliope confided before she thought better of it.

“He’s not
that
handsome, Calliope,” Evangeline giggled.

“Who?” Calliope asked.

“Tate Chesterfield,” Evangeline answered, her beautiful dark brows puckering with curiosity. “That’s who you’re referring to, aren’t you?”

“Oh
, I…I…” Calliope stammered.

“Oh
, you mean
Fox
took your breath away?” Evangeline asked, somewhat perplexed. “Hmmm. That’s funny…being that I didn’t think you were as sweet on him as he is you.”

“Oh
, it’s no matter. They all looked quite handsome returning from their day’s labors,” Calliope tried to redirect. “Father’s right. Men who work hard and are willing to work hard…I do find them more attractive than most of those tight-collared sorts we knew in the city.”

“I do too,” Evangeline admitted
, “though I do fear that you’ve got every eligible bachelor in this town so tightly wrapped around your finger that I’m bound to be an old spinster.”

“Oh
, nonsense!” Calliope argued. “You’re just the kind of beauty that intimidates men, Evie. When the right man comes for you, you’ll know it, because he won’t be afraid to pursue you.”

Evangeline laughed for a moment.
“Oh, poppycock, Calliope! You are so full of flattery it’s ridiculous sometimes.” She laughed a moment more and then looked to Calliope as her smile faded. “And what about Fox, Calliope? What will you do if he comes to Daddy, asking for permission to formally court you? Do you want him to? Do you like him enough?”

Calliope’s smile faded.
She inhaled a long breath and exhaled a heavy sigh. “I don’t like him the way Amoretta
likes
Brake or the way Kizzy
likes
Daddy, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Evangeline sighed then as well.
“In truth, I don’t know if any woman
likes
any man the way Amoretta
likes
Brake and Kizzy
likes
Daddy. Maybe you and I will never find that kind of love. Maybe you and I will just have to settle for…for rather lackluster love.”

“Well
, that’s the most depressing thing I’ve ever heard you say, Evangeline Ipswich!” Calliope scolded. “No. No. You and I are meant to have great lovers, to love and be loved just like Amoretta and Kizzy love and are loved. I won’t believe we are meant for anything less. After all, we are Ipswiches, are we not?”

Evangeline’s countenance brightened.
She smiled and strongly affirmed, “Yes! We are Ipswiches.”

Calliope and Evangeline linked arms then, straightened their postures
, and walked more quickly toward home.

A thought struck Calliope then, and she began to giggle.

“What is it?
What’s so amusing to you?” Evangeline inquired.

Still giggling, Calliope answered, “A baby lion in a manger!
Ha ha ha ha!”

Evangeline burst into laughter then as well
, and they were still laughing when their little sister, Shay, scurried down the front porch steps to meet them both with such loving hugs and kisses that their laughter continued—long after they had reached their destination of home.

When Calliope awoke the next morning, she didn’t feel quite as rested and refreshed as she usually did
, even for the gentle coos of the mourning doves outside her bedroom window and the cool morning breeze wafting in through it. She’d slept fitfully all through the night, for the sake of something Evangeline had mentioned the evening before. What if Fox Montrose actually
did
approach Calliope’s father and ask permission to officially court her?

The truth was that any of the eligible young women in town would simply swoon with euphoria at the mere prospect of the handsome, charming Fox Montrose calling upon
her father to ask permission to court her. Fox was, after all, a wonderful young man—polite, kind, hard working, and ambitious. His family was certainly wonderful, as well. His sister, Winnie, was one of Calliope’s dear friends. His mother, Dora Montrose, was pleasant company, always kind and making certain that everyone felt important. And his father, Dennison Montrose, was sheriff of Meadowlark Lake, very often working with Calliope’s own father, Judge Lawson Ipswich, in matters of the law.

Hence, there really wasn’t any commonsensical reason why Calliope herself shouldn’t
have been elated at the fact that Fox seemed, for all outward appearances, to have settled his interest and affections on her. And it was well accepted through town that of all the lovely young ladies of Meadowlark Lake, Fox Montrose obviously favored Calliope Ipswich—well accepted by everyone save Calliope herself. Lucky as all her friends thought her to be, Calliope was greatly unsettled. Oh, she liked Fox well enough—enjoyed his company, but only in moderation—and Evangeline’s question of what Calliope would feel if Fox did decide to ask their father for permission to officially court her had caused a great anxiety to begin stirring in her.

Therefore, as she sat at the kitchen table with her family enjoying a comforting breakfast of warm biscuits and soft butter, bacon
, and poached eggs, she decided to broach the subject of Fox Montrose’s possible intentions with her father before her fretfulness swelled any further.

“Daddy,” Calliope began.

“Mm hmm,” Lawson Ipswich mumbled as he broke open a steaming biscuit and slathered butter on it.

“You know Fox Montrose?”
Calliope ventured.

Immediately Lawson looked up from his biscuit, glanc
ing to Calliope and then to his beautiful young wife, Kizzy. “Mm hmmm,” he answered.

“Well, I was just wondering
…I was wondering that if…well, if Fox ever came round asking to court me—you know, officially, and of course this is only if he ever came round asking to court me, which he probably never will—but if he ever did…” Calliope stammered awkwardly.

“Mmm hmmm,” Lawson urged, grinning with amusement at his daughter’s discomfort.

“Well, would you please
refuse
your permission for him to court me, Daddy?” Calliope blurted.

Lawson’s eyes widened with astonishment
, though Kizzy smiled with a woman’s understanding.

“What?” Lawson asked.
“You…you’re telling me you don’t want Fox to come courting you?”

Calliope sighed.
“No, Daddy. I don’t.”

“Calliope don’t like Fox Montrose in that romantical way, Daddy,” Shay interjected.

“Calliope
doesn’t
like Fox Montrose that way, Shay darling,” Kizzy corrected her little girl.

Shay frowned.
“That’s what I said, Mama. Calliope don’t like Fox Montrose enough for him to come courtin’ her.”

Evangeline and Lawson giggled as Kizzy sighed with amused exasperation.

“I mean to say that Fox Montrose is handsome and all, Daddy,” Shay continued as she took a bite of soft breakfast bacon.
“All the girls in town think so, but Calliope just…well, she just doesn’t want him courtin’ her, that’s all. Do you understand, Daddy?” Shay reached over, tenderly patting the back of her father’s hand in a soothing gesture.

Calliope smiled at her little sister.
Never was there a more loyal soul than little Shay. Calliope glanced up to Kizzy a moment, noting how much Shay looked like her beautiful young mother, both dark-haired beauties. Calliope quietly offered a prayer of thanks to God in his heaven for bringing Kizzy and Shay into her father’s life to love—into all of their lives.

“I think I do understand, honey,” Lawson answered Shay.

“And since you
do
understand, Daddy,” Shay continued, “and since you always, always, always tell us Ipswich girls—Evangeline, Calliope, and me, you know, the three daughters you still have here at home with you—since you always tell us that you’ll always, always, always protect us and do everything to make us happy, please don’t let Fox Montrose come courtin’ on Calliope. All right?”

Lawson exchanged amused glances with Evangeline and Calliope
, an unspoken recognition passing between them that Shay ever needed assurance that she was as much Lawson’s daughter as Evangeline, Amoretta, and Calliope were.

“All right,” Lawson agreed.
“If Fox Montrose ever does come to me to request permission to court Calliope, I’ll kindly let him know that…well, that I don’t think the time is right or some such similar reason.”

“That sounds perfect, Daddy,” Shay approved.
She looked to Calliope and smiled, whispering, “See, Calliope? You can always count on me to help you out.”

“Oh
, I know it!” Calliope giggled.

“But
, Shay, darling,” Kizzy began then, “what if Fox Montrose comes around to ask Daddy’s permission to court Calliope, and Daddy refuses, but he wants to court Evangeline instead?”

Shay’s pretty little brows puckered in puzzlement.
“Well, I don’t know about that,” the child said. She looked to Evangeline and asked, “What about that, Evangeline? Would you want Fox Montrose courtin’ you?”