Romancing Adrienne Page 4

  “I had no idea I could like it so much. It’s nice to know I have a useful talent.”

  “I’m sure there are many things you do well.”

  She wasn’t sure anymore. Her entire life had been wrapped up in dancing and dressing well and making small talk with important people so she could impress them for her father’s sake. She knew those things well enough but they didn’t have any use in this town. She was relieved to find she had an unexpected love for cooking.

  “Tonight I was planning to make stuffed green peppers, green beans, fruit salad and rice,” the woman said.

  “Can I try the stuffed green peppers? I haven’t had a chance to make those yet and I noticed they are on the menu at the restaurant for tomorrow.”

  “You are certainly welcome to make them. I must say I admire your eagerness to learn new things.”

  “When it’s fun, I like a good challenge.”

  “Here’s the recipe.” She handed her the card from her stack of favorite recipes. “Will you be making something for the potluck tomorrow night?”

  “Oh. I hadn’t thought about it but I should. Do you recommend anything?”

  She paused as she thought it over. “Would you like to try fried chicken? We can make it together. It’s one of the more popular dishes and I usually run out of it before everyone gets a chance to try it. It would be nice to have an extra pair of hands for the task.”

  “That sounds like fun.” For the first time since she learned of Mr. Parker, she felt like smiling. “Thank you, Mrs. Gallows. You have been most kind to me.”

  The woman seemed pleased by her words but shooed the compliment aside with a wave of her hand. “It’s nothing. You are an easy customer. Since you are helping me cook dinner, I don’t feel right in charging you for the room.”

  “Oh, in that case, I will help you with breakfast too.”

  “You’re a nice young woman. Trevor Lewis is lucky to have you.”

  Before she could protest, Mrs. Harper came into the kitchen. “I’m sorry to interrupt but I wanted to stop by and give you my recipe for brownies before I forgot.”

  “Great, Regina!” Mrs. Gallows added it to her stack of cards. “I don’t know what your secret is but I’m anxious to find out.”

  “Let’s make them for dessert,” Adrienne said.

  Mrs. Harper shook her head in amazement. “You’re a real trooper. You spent all day in the kitchen and came home to do more cooking.”

  She shrugged. “I’m having more fun doing this than I’ve had in a long time. I have to be honest. I don’t want to leave.”

  Mrs. Gallows gasped. “But what will Trevor think?”

  “I don’t care. It’s not his decision.”

  “I know you’re having relationship problems, but do you really think it’s wise to not consult him about this?”

  “We’re not getting married.”

  Mrs. Gallows frowned. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. Perhaps it’s best you found out before you said ‘I do’.”

  Adrienne sighed. She decided to let people think whatever they wanted to. It was better than explaining her running from Mr. Parker.

  “Will you be staying for dinner?” Mrs. Gallows asked Mrs. Harper.

  “I suppose I could if you don’t mind five children. Mr. Harper is working late at the lumber yard.”

  “Bring the children. They are fun to have over.”

  “That means we’ll have to make more food!” Adrienne looked forward to making another dish. And I can easily ignore Trevor. The more people, the better. She had been dreading the meal but now she didn’t have to.

  Mrs. Gallows chuckled. “You’ll fit right in this town.”

  Adrienne turned back to the meat and mixed the rice and tomato sauce with it so she could stuff it into the peppers. Then she made meatloaf. Afterwards, she helped Mrs. Gallows with the brownies. Mrs. Gallows made the side dishes. Once they were done and Mrs. Harper, her five children and Trevor were ready to eat, they took the food out and everyone took as much as they wanted.

  She noticed that the children were already gravitating to Trevor who seemed happy to be surrounded by all of them. He likes a lot of people, especially children.

  “Adrienne made the meatloaf and stuffed green peppers. She also helped me with the brownies,” Mrs. Gallows said in the middle of the meal.

  “You’re kidding?” Trevor spoke up. “I thought she couldn’t cook.”

  “She learned how to do it today, and she’s a quick learner,” Mrs. Harper replied.

  “Well, I’m blown away. I didn’t think she could pull it off.”

  Adrienne glared at him.

  He looked at her and shrugged. “Sorry but I’m really surprised you could make something this good.”

  “You are a horrible man,” she snapped.

  “Why? I just paid you a compliment.”

  “Your compliment was wrapped up in criticism.”

  “Oh dear,” Mrs. Gallows sighed. “I had not wished to start a lover’s quarrel.”

  “She’s not my fiancée. I hardly even know her.”

  “Well, I don’t wish to know you either. I can’t wait until you buy your ticket and get out of here.”

  “The feeling is mutual.”

  “Trevor, it’s not nice to fight,” a five year old girl interrupted.

  He immediately cooled down. “I’m sorry, Fiona. You’re right.”

  “You should apologize,” the eight year old boy said.

  He sighed and stiffly said he was sorry.

  The kids looked over at her.

  “Alright. I’m sorry too.” She quickly said it so she could get back to her meal and get the ordeal over with. She quickly finished eating so she could start collecting the dirty plates to wash.

  Chapter Five

  The next night, Adrienne helped Mrs. Gallows and Mrs. Harper set up the dining room in the inn for the potluck dinner while Mr. Gallows helped Trevor and a couple of other men get things ready for the entertainment. After the dinner, they would enjoy music and dancing. She had taken a bath and washed her hair so that she could be presentable at the social function. If she was going to meet the people in town, she wanted to look her best. She decided to wear the soft pink dress with a dark pink ribbon that she tied around her waist. Then she pulled hair back with a pink bow. Her hair fell softly over her shoulders. It was nice to be dressed up with somewhere fun to go.

  She was looking forward to having a good time and watching people’s reaction to the fried chicken. More than cooking food, she enjoyed watching people as they ate it. She never realized that making a meal could make people happy. She glanced around the large room which was filled with adults and children. She was surprised that so many people showed up for the evening, but it was nice they did.

  During the meal, people complimented her and Mrs. Gallows on the fried chicken. She was pleased that they liked it so much. The more she cooked, the more she wanted to try new recipes and revise the recipes she already knew. Mrs. Gallows introduced her to Bonnie and Trudy Howard and twenty year old Mrs. Camilla Dundee who was six months pregnant.

  “Is it true that you and Trevor Lewis aren’t serious?” Bonnie asked.

  Adrienne inwardly groaned. “We aren’t even together.”

  “Oh good,” Trudy replied, obviously relieved. “We think he’s wonderful.”

  She could think of a few words to describe him and “wonderful” wasn’t on that list. She shook her head in wonder that any woman could find him appealing. Sure, he was good looking but his personality killed the initial attraction she felt for him.

  “I’m going to get him,” Bonnie said.

  “No. I will,” Trudy argued.

  While the sisters bickered, Adrienne turned to Camilla. “What does your husband do in town?”

  “He works at the lumber yard. It’s a big business in this town.”

  “Considering the number of trees in Virginia, I’m not surprised.”

  “Where did you com
e from?”

  “San Francisco, California.”

  “Oh how lovely. I hear you have the Pacific Ocean out there.”

  “Yes. It was fun going to the beach.”

  Bonnie and Trudy turned their attention back to Adrienne. “What does Trevor like?” Bonnie asked.

  Adrienne shrugged. “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

  “Mr. Gallows said he wrote a book,” Camilla told them. “Mr. Gallows even brought several copies here tonight. I think he plans to ask Trevor to read one of his plays while everyone is here.”

  “That sounds lovely,” Trudy gushed.

  “I can’t wait to hear it,” Bonnie agreed.

  “It also seems like he’s good with children,” Camilla noted.

  Despite her better judgment, Adrienne looked across the crowded room at Trevor who was surrounded by ten children. He was giving them piggyback rides.

  “He is wonderful,” Bonnie swooned. “He writes, he works hard on the farm, he’s good looking and he likes children.”

  Adrienne noticed that other single young women were checking him out too. She grunted. “Most likely, he will expect his wife to have a lot of kids and make her read his stories.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” Trudy wondered. “It’s refreshing to find a man who wants a large family. At least you know when you tell him you’re pregnant, he’ll be happy about it. Some men don’t want a lot of children.”

  “I guess it’s fine as long as you don’t mind being used.”

  The three women looked at Adrienne in shock.

  “Wow. Whatever happened between you two really left you bitter,” Bonnie commented.

  “Maybe she was sour to begin with,” Trudy told her sister.

  The sisters left her and Camilla.

  Adrienne rolled her eyes.

  Camilla smiled at her. “Don’t mind them. They’re eager to get married.”

  “Apparently.”

  “I suppose I can’t blame them. Trevor is new and exciting. It’s a nice change from the young men they grew up with.”

  Adrienne shrugged. She had no intention of marrying, so it wasn’t her concern.

  Mr. Gallows stood up in the center of the room and asked for everyone to sit down so Trevor read to them.

  Adrienne decided to start cleaning up while he read one of his plays. She briefly noted that he really got involved with his material. His enthusiasm was infectious for he held his audience captive for the next thirty minutes. She intentionally blocked his words out so that she didn’t have to hear him. She was aware that he changed his voice depending on which character was talking and he acted out part of the story. By the time he was done, she had most of the tables cleared off. The audience loudly applauded. She sighed. What was so great about him or his work?

  Mrs. Gallows ran over to her. “Oh, you should have waited for me to help you clean up.”

  “I didn’t mind doing most of it alone.”

  “I suppose since you’ve already read his book, you didn’t have to hear it again.”

  Adrienne decided not to respond. Let them think what they want. Soon enough, he’ll be gone and it won’t matter anyway. As she and Mrs. Gallows and a few other women cleaned up the rest of the tables, the men put the tables away. Afterwards, five men, two women, and two children played some instruments so that people could dance.

  When everything was done, she stood along the side of the room. She watched Trevor with a mixture of awe and disbelief. He was taking turns teaching a group of girls and boys how to dance. Some people stood around clapping along with the fast music as they watched him with the children. She shook her head. Apparently, no one else had any trouble getting along with him.

  When the music ended, a man got up on the stage with a fiddle. “Who wants to do a square dance?”

  The people cheered.

  “Will you be my partner?” Bronson asked her.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve never done a square dance before,” she replied. She didn’t want to dance with anyone but dancing something unfamiliar was worse.

  “I’ll help you along.”

  She hesitated. She didn’t want to lead him on. She had no desire to be in a romantic relationship with him.

  “We’ll dance as friends,” he added, as if he understood her uncertainty.

  “Alright,” she consented, relieved.

  Five groups of squares were formed, with four couples to each square. She was glad to see Trevor in a different square. He was with a girl who was as tall as him but she looked like she was fifteen. Adrienne tried not to roll her eyes. Did every man out there want to be with someone who was obnoxiously younger than him?

  The man playing the fiddle started the music while another man called out the instructions. Adrienne focused on Bronson’s leads and found that switching partners, promenading, and spinning around were fun. She messed up on a few moves but everyone was helpful and easily overlooked her errors. Despite her irritation at having watched Trevor become popular, she did enjoy herself.

  “Now all the ladies go to the square on your left,” the caller instructed. “It’s time to give another man a chance to dance with you.”

  Her next partner was a black haired twenty-one year old male named Clark Howard. He towered over her 5'2" frame. He must be 6'2” or taller. She felt awkward dancing next to him but he was in good spirits and had a friendly smile. After Clark, she danced with Mr. Gallows. Then her partner was sixteen year old Tom Peters. Finally, she found herself being partnered, against her will, with Trevor.

  He shrugged. “Might as well make the best of it.”

  She frowned. He liked everyone but her and it annoyed her. “Great idea,” she sarcastically replied. She was determined that she wouldn’t like touching him. It was insane that she would enjoy his closeness. She couldn’t stand him and he couldn’t stand her. She was relieved when the dance ended because it meant she could get away from him.

  Finally, the night came to an end and she went back to her room, feeling more alone than she had in her entire life. She wondered if she would ever talk to her mother again. Her mother took a big risk in rescuing her from a marriage to Mr. Parker. Why didn’t my father love me enough to let me make my own decision about my future? Depressed, she cried herself to sleep.

  Chapter Six

  That night, Trevor fell into bed with a mixture of feelings. He had thoroughly enjoyed himself at the potluck dinner and dance. He was flattered and thrilled that everyone seemed to like his play called Mistaken Identity about two reindeer that mistook a regular deer for the missing reindeer that was to go along with Santa Claus on the Christmas run. The only person who wasn’t even remotely interested in his work was Adrienne. She made it a point to ignore him as she cleaned up the tables. He continued to read the comedy, but it stung that she dismissed his work so easily. Ever since she made light of his ruined work, it seemed that she was determined to show him how little she thought of him.

  He hated to admit that she impressed him with her cooking. She was willing to help out Mrs. Gallows around the inn and do most of the cleaning after the potluck was over too. She wasn’t as spoiled as he originally thought. In fact, she seemed to like helping others. She had won the hearts of the people in town despite her quiet and shy nature. And she was beautiful.

  What could turn a woman so attractive and talented from men? He noticed all the available men who sought her out, but she was either oblivious to them or ignored the intent they came to her with. Though she was polite, she had a wall safely built around her that no man could penetrate. This should have turned him off completely from her, but he was intrigued by it. She was an interesting character that was multidimensional. She was exactly the kind of character who should be in his play. If he could figure her out, then he could make the woman in his romantic comedy come alive.

  He recalled her words in the buggy on the night when Mr. Gallows took them from the train station to the town. She said that she was running from her father who
wanted to drag her back to California so she would have to marry a man she didn’t love.

  Trevor sighed and rolled over in his bed. She didn’t want to be with a man who wanted to use her. That was understandable. She was eager to escape her past and start a new future where she was in control of her destiny. That was her character. Her strength was her determination to do whatever it took to fit into this new world despite how different it was from her rich background. And though he initially saw someone who was selfish and spoiled, she didn’t turn out to be that way after all. Her weakness was that she was scared of marriage. She wanted to control her own destiny, and in so doing, she would rob herself of the joys of having a loving husband and children of her own.

  Everyone wants to love and be loved. Perhaps, that was the very essence of romance. It gave him something to consider as he contemplated rewriting the romantic comedy he was working on...for the third time.

  His first attempt was a total flop. After talking to his mother, he wrote his second version of the play. Since that version was all torn up, he had begun his third draft. He sighed. He knew he would have to start a fourth draft. Adrienne was the perfect female lead role for his play. He would start her out as a snooty rich young who really wasn’t what she first appeared to be. There was some humor to be had in the set up. Any audience would sympathize with her predicament.

  But how would she fall in love? That was the purpose of a romantic comedy. It wasn’t enough to bring humor into the play. He had to introduce the man who would break through her wall and make her fall in love with him. Obviously, someone like him would never win her heart. She had shut him out. Bronson was too eager, so she wouldn’t ever consider him. Maybe Clark would work. He was sincere and likeable. He wouldn’t come on too strong and he was patient.

  Maybe Trevor could arrange it so that the two would be forced to meet. She did dance with him at the square dance. She even seemed to have a good time. She had a good time with everyone but me. He told himself the only reason the realization hurt him was because he never had any problems getting along with people before. It was better than the truth.