At the foot of the stairs a young woman was being helped into her cloak. It was a bright red cloak, trimmed with gray lambskin. She had been the caller in the side room when Nathan went up.
“Know this girl, maybe?” asked Caleb of Nathan.
The boy colored.
“I’ve not had that pleasure,” he answered. He had heard the minister’s wife so rise to a similar situation and considered it neat.
“Introduce ’em, Clem,” suggested Caleb. His wife’s name was Clementina but Clem was plenty good enough for Caleb. She was far from being a Duchess to her husband.
The woman withered her husband with a glance of loathing, then forced a wooden smile.
“This is Mr. Nathan Forge,” she condescended. “Mr. Forge, Miss Carol Gardner.”
“Hello!” said Miss Carol Gardner. And she giggled.
Nathan bowed stiffly. He raised his hand, lowered it, raised it again, thrust it behind him.
“Mr. Forge has been engaged with my husband in the leather business,” the Duchess explained largely. Then to Nathan, “Miss Gardner has recently come from Ohio to visit her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Archibald Cuttner.”