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46. To Catch a King

            On Wednesday Beatrice came upstairs to find Selene dressing to go out. The oddest part about it was she was wearing her Sunday shoes. "Where are you going?" she asked suspiciously?"

"To visit a friend," Selene answered as she added more pins to her hair to keep it in place.

Beatrice stretched out across her bed. "A man friend?"

Selene collected her gloves from her bed. "Just a friend," she said.

Beatrice laughed. "You're going to the St. Clouds' aren't you? Be sure to tell Astrid I said hello."

"Fine," Selene said. "I see it's no secret. Jethro wants to spend some time together and for once I don't have a hundred clothes to make. Besides I need to return his vest." She picked it up the item off her bed and starred at it for a while.

"Selene, you are hopeless," Beatrice said.

"I am aren't I?" Selene said. "I can't even get myself together properly."

Beatrice got up from her bed and helped Selene with her gloves. "I'll walk you half way," she offered and they left the house together.

"It is a shame your Mr. Wellbeloved didn't stay longer," Selene said as they walked through the town on Maine Street. "I guess wandering is in his soul."

"He isn't my Mr. Wellbeloved," Beatrice said. "We are just friends and I like it that way. I don't want to ruin it with romantic feelings."

Selene smiled. "I can respect that," she said.

"Thank you!" Beatrice said as they walked up to the shoe store to pay a quick visit to Mr. and Mrs. St. Cloud. After leaving the shoe store they went to the house out back where Jethro was waiting for Selene on the back porch. Beatrice sat with them for a while then decided she would rather be doing something else. "I'd best be getting back to Ladybird," she said. "She asked me to come with her to sell that painting and I don't want to make her late."

"Jessop's inside, Beatrice," Jethro said. "Thank you for sitting with us."

"Any time," Beatrice said. "I've finished all my textbooks and the new ones haven't come in so I have nothing but time. I don't mind chaperoning the occasional love bird." They both laughed and she took a bow. "I'll see you at home, Selene."

Selene watched her go then turned to Jethro. "Darling Beatrice is always surprising me," she said. "You know, you haven't told me how you enjoyed your trip."

"I suppose I could have found joy in it if it hadn't taken me away from you," he said. "You will be dismayed to know that I kept you on my mind."

Selene laughed. "Dismayed? Why would I be dismayed?"

"I was specifically instructed to forget you," Jethro said. "But I kept being reminded of you every day. To curve my longing I got this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box and placed it in her hands.

Selene opened it and put her hand over her heart. Inside was a lilac cameo with an ivory hummingbird and flowers. "Jethro it's beautiful," she said. "I'll wear it Sunday."

"Turn it over," Jethro said and Selene did.

"For sweet days, now into forever," she read. "To Selene from Jethro." She smiled. "I love it. And I love you." She let him put his hands around her face and pulled her in for a kiss. They were so distracted in their passion that neither heard the back door open.