CHAPTER FIVE
That morning after breakfast Nellie settled down on the front porch with Vanity Fair. She had only read about a page when Samantha came waltzing onto the porch.
""Nellie guess what?" She asked, her brown eyes shining. Nellie didn't have to guess what was making Samantha grin like the Cheshire cat, but she did anyway.
" You finally met a doctor?" Nellie asked.
"No," Samantha laughed. "I have a secret admirer. A real secret admirer! It's the most romantic to ever happen to me."
She showed Nellie Eugene's letter.
Dear Samantha,
I hope this letter doesn't frighten you. I saw you at last week's dance at The Royal Bedford. I couldn't help but notice your beauty. You also look like a fun, and sweet person to be around. I can't help it, but I am rather shy, and sometimes I am better at putting my feelings down on paper, rather than saying them. Hope to see you again soon at the next dance.
You Secret Admirer
"Oh Samantha," Nellie gushed. "This is so sweet. This is something like out of a book." Nellie could definitely identify with the line about feeling better putting feelings down on paper, rather than saying them. Nellie believed that the pen was her most powerful tool.
"Do you think it could be from Peyton?" Samantha asked. "I wish it was, but Peyton didn't strike me as being shy. Oh Nellie what are we going to do? Grandmary won't let us go to dances anymore. I have to go, I have to find out who this is."
Eugene had given Nellie something to think about. Did she back away from the spotlight just because she felt indebted to Samantha for bringing her and her sisters into her family? Nellie had to admit that she was. Maude was right. Samantha had Peyton, and Eugene had talked with her a little. Most girls would have been jumping up and down trying to get Eugene to call on them, and instead Nellie was in her mind picturing how right Samantha and Eugene would be for each other. True, Samantha had done a unselfish, gracious, act, that Nellie would always be grateful for, but did that mean that she had to let Samantha have all the fun and take the good men? Nellie would wait. It seemed that Eugene was very taken with Samantha. Perhaps if Peyton did come calling, maybe Nellie would try and flirt with Eugene a little.
Peyton did come calling. He took Samantha for a walk, and then out roller-skating. Peyton calling on Samantha twice meant that in order to see Samantha a third time, he must meet with Grandmary. Nellie was also interested to learn more about this extremely wealthy Peyton Denardo. Samantha had Peyton fever, and Eugene's letter was soon forgotten.
Grandmary had found out from the Admiral that Peyton's father was quite the tycoon. After hearing that, Grandmary was almost as excited as Samantha was. They arranged a luncheon at the house for Peyton, Samantha, the Admiral, Grandmary, Nellie and Eugene. They fussed over the lunch just as they had fussed over Gard bringing Cornelia to meet Grandmary for the first time. They had a florist come in to make up flower arrangements for the table. Mrs. Hawkins scrambled in the kitchen like a madwoman cooking nonstop preparing chilled soups, salads, and finger sandwiches for the big event. Nellie was happy to hang out in the kitchen sampling everything, and reading her book. The kitchen was actually a quiet place to read, because Grandmary hardly set foot in it.
The day of the lunch Mr. Hawkins and Nellie got up early to make the ice cream which was to be Samantha's favorite-peppermint. Samantha changed her dress six times, finally settling on the dress she had put on originally that morning a cool, crisp, lemon-ice colored chiffon, once again using Nellie's pearl drop earrings.
At twelve sharp, Elsa came into the parlor to announce that Mr. Denardo and Mr. O'Reilly were here. Samantha and Nellie went to greet them.
"Hi Sam," Peyton said, kissing her on the cheek. "I am so sorry about having to drag my klutzy sidekick along," he gestured at a scowling Eugene. "But we needed someone to entertain your kid sister."
"Nellie is hardly my kid sister," Samantha replied.
"She's shrimpy enough," Peyton shrugged. "So where is this old hag grandmother of yours I have to meet? Honestly the whole idea of having to meet your grandmother's approval is just ridiculous! She should be grateful that a Denardo would even give a glance at her granddaughter, let alone call on her."
Samantha excitedly led Peyton on inside. Nellie was quite insulted by Peyton Denardo. She didn't care if his father had more money than Mr. Rockefeller! How dare he come into Samantha's house, one of the most prominent houses in Mount Bedford, and insult not only her, but her Grandmother as well! The Edwards family had been a pillar in the community for generations!
"Is he always that obnoxious?" Nellie asked Eugene as they followed behind Samantha and Peyton.
Eugene bent down and whispered into Nellie's ear
"I'm afraid he can be quite an ass."
He slipped Nellie a small box. "Make sure Sam gets this. Remember don't tell her who it's from."
Nellie glanced at the box for a moment, before tucking it away. It was a small box of fine truffles, with a little note card attached. Eugene was totally smitten by Samantha, and Peyton was sounding like a jerk. She better step back, and let Eugene try and court Samantha, instead of trying to get him to switch his affections to her.
The lunch table was set up on the front porch. Grandmary was dressed in a fine lilac colored linen dress, with a fantastic matching hat. She sat very business-like in her chair like an army general inspecting his troop, waiting to see if this Peyton passed muster.
"Why Mr. O'Reilly," the Admiral exclaimed. "It's a pleasure to see you again my boy!"
"Eugene," Peyton barked. "You know this clown?"
The Admiral glared at Peyton disapprovingly, but Peyton didn't seem to mind. He knew that he was by far the handsomest and wealthiest thing in Mount Bedford. He didn't care what some old man thought about him.
"For your information this clown happens to be a highly respected navy admiral," the Admiral snorted. "Juvenile ruffians!"
"Eugene did you hear that?" Peyton gasped. "Old Man River here has called me a Dernadro, a ruffian!"
Eugene stayed quiet, looking down at his feet.
"Men please," Grandmary called. "Can we have a civil lunch?"
The Admiral and Peyton tried to put their feelings aside, but no one ever messed with the Admiral. Nellie knew from that point on that this was going to be the lunch from hell, and she was indeed right.
Mostly Samantha chattered on about Peyton, while Grandmary rattled out questions. Eugene and Nellie remained silent.
The Admiral remained silent as well, choosing to ignore Peyton, until Grandmary started to shoot him annoyed looks. It was the Admiral's job to ask Peyton his position as far as business and politics, to see if he could even be a possible suitor for Samantha. So finally the Admiral had to pay Peyton some attention.
"So," the Admiral announced. ""How do you vote?"
"Conservative," Peyton replied with annoyance.
Samantha had turned into a political buff, and she was not going to let the political discussion end there. Politics were taboo for women, and she knew that she had to take any opening that she could get.
"If I could vote I would vote for Teddy Roosevelt," Samantha announced. "The man is a brilliant leader."
"Samantha!" Grandmary scolded.
"Fortunately, you can't vote," Peyton snapped.
Only one thing could pull Nellie out of her euphoria of lunch, and that was the heated argument heating up between Gradnmary, Samantha, and Peyton.
"I don't see why not?" Samantha quipped. "Roosevelt is a proven leader with eight successful years in office. Taft has proven to be a cowardly moron!"
"Samantha Parkington," Grandmary said in absolute shock. "The nerve of you calling our president a moron!"
"Well he is," Samantha ranted on. "He is not my president. I didn't vote for him, and I wouldn't vote to keep him in office."
"So you'd rather vote for an imbecile who has the mentality of a five year old," Peyton sniffed. "Running off like a child and starting his own "Progressive" party just because he can't stand it that the Republicans came to their senses and didn't give him the nomination."
"Isn't the soup delicious," the Admiral said trying to change the subject.
"No!" Peyton snapped. "It's tasteless!"
Samantha was not finished with her political tirade yet. She continued on.
"Teddy Roosevelt has platforms for women's suffrage and child labor regulations," she said.
"Oh yes," Peyton snapped. "Of course. You women would vote for any blathering buffoon who mumbled on about women's suffrage. Teddy Roosevelt needs to go off on one of his African Safaris and stay there."
"I don't think so," Samantha spat.
"Well it's a good thing that you are a woman, and nobody really values your opinion," Peyton said with satisfaction. "Women need to be seen and not heard. Women voting! This country would fall to shambles."
Nellie expected Samantha to spring p out of her chair, and smack him. She would have loved to see that. To Nellie's shock Samantha didn't even argue. She instead fell silent, and went back to her soup.
"You will have to excuse her," said Grandmary, disgusted with Samantha's outspokenness. "Her Aunt and Uncle tend to be rather liberal when it comes to all these newfangled ideas such as women's suffrage. I find the whole idea quite ridiculous."
"That's true," Peyton agreed. "Sam here just doesn't know any better. Isn't that right Sam?"
This is it! Nellie thought, Samantha is going to blow up at Peyton, and then she can fall in love with Eugene.
To Nellie's dismay, Samantha through clenched teeth, and a reddened face, just nodded her head. It was like something had sucked all of the energy out of Samantha, leaving her dull and lifeless. Later on during dessert, Peyton chose Nellie to direct his insults to.
"I can't believe you only have one maid serving your table," he announced. "My family has three maids just to serve meals, we each have our own personal maid, we have two cooks, and a team of eleven just to clean the house."
"That's because you are a lot dirtier, I've seen your room," Eugene put in. This brought a giggle out of Samantha, and Nellie as well.
"What are you laughing at?" Peyton demanded at Nellie. "Considering that you used to be a maid, I don't think you should be laughing. I bet that is why your family doesn't have many servants Samantha! Is it because you just choose to adopt all of them?"
"That is enough young man," the Admiral cut in.
"You'd make a senseless wife," Peyton said ignoring the Admiral. "We'd have a house full of servants and you'd want to adopt them all as children!"
"Well my family was just a charity case, sponging off of your family," Eugene announced. Grandmary frowned. Eugene went on.
"And when my parents passed away, your family took me in."
That shut Peyton up, but only for a while. After lunch they went into the parlor for tea, and to hear Samantha play the piano. Samantha played her Debussy piece. Halfway through, Peyton pretended to fall asleep. Nellie watched as Eugene stared at Samantha with an unexplainable intensity. Nellie knew that there was no point in her going for Eugene. He was a lost cause to Samantha. Samantha finished feeling quite pleased at how the performance had gone. Not bad, for a first outing. Peyton let out a gigantic snore.
"That was amazing," Eugene applauded. "It was Debussy wasn't it?"
"Why yes," replied Samantha. "You know of him?"
"Oh yes," Eugene replied. "Not too long ago I actually purchased a book of his new piano preludes from France. I will have to play them for you sometime."
"You should call him Dip-ussy," Peyton muttered.
"Do you play?" Samantha asked, ignoring Peyton.
"Somewhat," said Eugene. "I guess I could try and fumble through something."
"Oh Eugene, let's get going," Peyton said yanking his friend away from the piano bench. "If I hear one more note out of that dreaded instrument I am going to fall asleep. Your piano playing is enough to make me puke, All that sleepy, avant-garde, French nonsense!"
"I don't consider art nonsense," Eugene bickered back.
"You don't consider anything nonsense," said Peyton. "Or else you would just keep your mouth shut all the time."
And with that they left.
"I am going to do it Nellie," Samantha said when they were alone. "I am going to be Mrs. Peyton Denardo, even if it's the last thing I do."
"You want to marry that repugnant, disrespectful, fool?" Nellie gasped with amazement. "I think you would be better off with Eugene."
Samantha burst out laughing. "Eugene? Falling in love with Eugene would be like falling in love like a sweet, naive, little puppy! I know that Peyton can seem arrogant at times but he is a Denardo. We might be wealthy, but the Denardo's are even higher up than we are, and they are just a different kind of people." She flounced out of the room, off to pine away for Peyton.
Nellie was absolutely stunned. She would rather be dirt poor again living at Coldrock House and head-over-heels in love with a puppy than be half as rude as Peyton Denardo.