“For now,” Cymbeline said. “While I’m waiting for my adventure to call.”
Adventure? What could she mean by that? I’d leave it alone for now. She was a wild thing, like the Rocky Mountains themselves. I wished staying right here and marrying Viktor could be her adventure.
Louisa had risen to her feet and now stood in the shallow part of the creek. Her hat cast a shadow across her face. “What kind of adventure?”
Cymbeline swam over to Louisa, then stood and plopped down on the blanket next to Addie.
“Ooh, you’re cold,” Addie said, moving as far to one side as she could without moving off the blanket. “And don’t get my book wet. This is from the library.”
Cymbeline flicked her wet fingers toward Addie. “Little one, don’t be such a bluenose.”
I smiled at the Cymbeline’s use of a slang word. She might be stuck in our little town, but she somehow figured out all the latest trends. Including cutting her hair into a bob. I’d not really noticed how short it was until now because she wore it pinned back in a mimic of a bun. This afternoon, her black curls were damp and plastered to her cheeks and cut to an inch under her chin.
“What did Papa say about your hair?” I asked Cymbeline.
“Nothing really,” Cymbeline said. “Mama wasn’t happy with me at all. She’s terribly old-fashioned.”
“She didn’t like that you ran off and did it without asking,” Fiona said. “If you’d only asked, she might not have been as irritated.”
“I couldn’t very well have asked,” Cymbeline said in a dismissive retort. “Or she would’ve said no.”
“Jo was scandalized too,” Fiona said. “She gasped out loud and went all pink.”
“She’s no fun at all, especially now tha
t she’s a mother,” Cymbeline said.
“Don’t be unkind,” Fiona said. “She’s simply busy with all her responsibilities.”
Cymbeline stretched her legs out and shook her head. “That’s the problem.” Beads of water flew from her hair and landed on Addie, who brushed them from her book. “Once a woman marries, her life is nothing but duty. How can a woman think when all she does is change nappies?”
“What do you think, Louisa?” Fiona asked. “Would a baby ruin everything?”
“I don’t know,” Louisa said. “I’ve not thought much about it. I know only that I need to find work of my own to take care of Mother.”
“What kind of work?” Cymbeline asked. “We might know of something.”
“I’ve no skills.” Louisa swatted away a bug that had landed on her leg. I quickly looked away. Darn those legs anyway. “Finishing school was a ridiculous waste of money.”
“Why?” Fiona asked.
“They don’t teach you anything about real work. Only how to be feminine and polite.”
“I’ve no uses for either,” Cymbeline said.
I laughed. “You don’t have to be so adamant about it, Cym. It’s not like you’ve had anyone stopping you from doing just as you please.”
“Are you chastising me for that?” Cymbeline’s eyes flashed.
I shook my head while putting up my hands in defense. “I’m merely mentioning that Papa and Mama have always let you do whatever you wished. Skiing, skating, traipsing through the woods, cleaning horse stalls.”
“All of which gave you many more skills than I have,” Louisa said.
“Do you know how to cook?” Delphia asked. “Lizzie needs help in the kitchen. Mrs. Wu is getting older and Lizzie’s worried about her health. I also heard her tell Mama the new girl wasn’t working out.”
“She isn’t?” Fiona asked. “I didn’t know that.”
“Something about setting a curtain on fire,” Delphia said, sounding pleased with herself for knowing gossip her sisters had missed.