Presendia Mycroft looked adoringly at her husband to be, Hugh Elsing. Hugh was such a divine man, and a lawyer to boot! Father said that Hugh wasn't all that bright, and wasn't amounting to much with his law firm…but that didn't matter, because Presendia had convinced her Pa, who denied her nothing, to finance Hugh's business investment, the Kennedy Mills!
Presendia sneaked a bit of strawberry shortcake from her handbag and nibbled it. She didn't feel comfortable ordering more food right now…The maid had given Presendia this little morsel in case she became famished before or after luncheon.
The strawberry shortcake was MARVELOUS. Not as good as the shortcake that Presendia had eaten that fateful day at dancing school…she'd eaten almost everything at the sweets table and then it had all come up, all over the table, and Mother had had to take Presendia to Europe for a year as she was no longer welcome at Monsieur Christophe's.
But Hugh didn't mind. Presendia could eat all she liked, and he was just so supportive. Look at how he smiled at the young busboy clearing a table near the window. Hugh loved young men, and actually had gone to the trouble of working with Presendia's oldest nephew on his French schoolwork, actually taking the young man to Presendia's family's summer cottage to spend an exhaustive week getting young Frederick up to par academically.
This was the man that Presendia loved! And Presendia was going to make Hugh a mill owner, no, a timber BARON, by George.
Hugh's dear friend, and the best man at the wedding tomorrow, Wade Hamilton, owned the mills with his mother, but they were in a bit of a financial dither, and as Hugh had once been employed by Mrs. Butler in the mills, he had such experience. And he had such good judgment!
Presendia knew this because after so many silly men had passed her up…called her unhelpful nicknames like "Pudgy Pressie" and "Old Beer-Keg Ankles".
But finally a handsome, successful (or soon to be) man like Hugh had taken a shine to her!
True, Presendia was forty-eight to Hugh's thirty-five, but he thought she looked like—she had no idea who "Carmen" from the opera was, but it must be a compliment!
Hugh danced like an angel he and Wade had so many brilliant ideas for decorating the house Papa was building for them, and the boys had also planned a beautiful wedding. Why he even helped Presendia pick out dresses…what exquisite taste!
But Papa only had one real reason he respected Hugh, and Presendia had to agree.
"Mrs. Butler demoted Elsing from manager to lumberyard wagon driver because he wasn't very bright, didn't have much gumption." Papa said, "But he loves my little Princess, and I have to give Elsing credit for that. I'll make him a man, that's for sure!"
And Hugh was also so well mannered and considerate. There had been previous beaux who'd made disparaging remarks about Presendia's tendency to sweat even during cold weather, and how this created a (very slight) body odor.
And of course other boys had misunderstood Presendia's desire to not go walking, and they'd attempted to take advantage of her, several boys had, and even married friends of Papa's had done shameful things with Presendia, promising to leave their wives…the liars!
But Hugh had never done this! A perfect gentleman, and when Presendia told him she preferred to sit and chat, he only brought her refreshment, what a wonderful man.
It embarrassed Presendia that she had been the one to propose to Hugh (several times, actually) but could she let this boy get away? And of course it helped that Papa was assuring their future!
Presendia had initially suggested that Papa hire Hugh to help her brothers at the Mycroft Building and Loan Company, but Papa said something about the mills being a less expensive mistake, whatever nonsense that meant!
Now Presendia and Hugh were enjoying a delightfully unchaperoned lunch at the Picard Bistro. Papa worried often that Hugh would take advantage, but during the entire four month courtship, Hugh had been a PERFECT gentleman. Not even trying to steal a kiss!
And Hugh had been so indecisive about their future…understandably. He'd not had luck with the law…two of his clients had been hung, and one had had to declare bankruptcy.
"If I can't even afford to move out of Mother's house, darling…"Hugh had pleaded.
But then he and Wade had come up with the idea of investing in the mills! And the proposal had followed…thanks to Wade! What a friend!
And speak of the devil!
"Oh look, dear, there is your friend Wade!" Presendia waved at the door. "He's dropped in to see us!"
What Presendia loved about Hugh was how open he was. Most men in the stuck-up South just shook hands upon meeting, but whenever Hugh and Wade got together, they gave each other a big HUG.
"Wade, do you have the papers for me to sign?" Hugh asked. "We've to still meet with Mr. Mycroft to get the bills of lading and all that sort of thing, but…"
Rene Picard, the restaurant's owner bustled by, nodding at Hugh with a big smile. How many friends Hugh had! Hugh and his sister, Fanny had been childhood friends with Maybelle Meriwether Picard, and her mother, Mrs. Meriwether.
Thinking of Mrs. M's splendid pastries, which Presendia often had hand-delivered to her house, she smiled, and Hugh fondly wiped crumbs off Presendia's considerable jaw with his monogrammed handkerchief.
Mrs. Meriwether and Rene had started a bakery just after the War, and had expanded into three more stores and this charming bistro as well…because of Hugh's money troubles, he was able to eat here for free, and actually, because his law practice had not done well, Hugh had also worked from time to time at Picard's waiting tables for pocket money.
But those days were over now! Presendia smiled beneficently and listened to her fiancée and his best friend discuss the future prospects of the business.
"…And your mother is going to keep the store?" Hugh asked. "Because we'd be glad to acquire it, I'm sure. Don't you think, darling?" Hugh smiled at Presendia. "Do you want more cheesecake, dear? You look a little peaked."
"I would love some more cheesecake!" Presendia clapped her hands together. " I thought I would be full after that pan-fried chicken, the catfish the buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy—"
Hugh smiled at Wade's wide eyed look. "Darling Presendia is a bit of a gourmet, or possibly a gourmand."
"…and then of course the dee-licious sultana cake, the blueberry pie and the two pieces of apple crisp, and that glorious cheesecake!" Presendia paused in ecstasy, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. "But I hesitate to order more cheesecake, as Mother commented that I'm getting chubby. I mean, y'all had to bring the pianner bench for me to sit on here."
"Nonsense, darling Presendia!" Hugh smiled. "There's just more of you for me to love. Don't you admit it, Wade, you're not attracted to those stick-thin women?"
Wade nodded with complete honesty. "Wouldn't touch one with a fireplace poker."
"But Wa-ade." Presendia said flirtatiously, as she gobbled a nearby sourdough roll, "You should marry that French girl who loves you so…she's awful rich, even richer than Papa."
"No, I must confess that I realized if I couldn't have you, Presendia, I wanted no other, and I have broken off my courtship. I would have dueled with Hugh over you, but I realized he is the better man." Wade said, and Hugh seemed to choke on his coffee before ordering Presendia some more cheesecake.
"To answer your question, Hugh…Mother is selling the store. As you know, Ella is also about to marry, and her husband and his brother, both fairly well-off Yankees, have decided to pull up and move to Atlanta and start a granary.
"I'm surprised that your mother would give up the store, and I know how she felt about Ella's intended." Hugh said, as he fondly fed cheesecake into Presidia's salivating jaws.
"Yes, but Mother needs the money more. Unbelievably, Uncle Ashley has written from where he is living in Ontario, Canada now. He drank his way out of the Army in Massachusetts, and then had to leave the state rather hurriedly after some misunderstandings over lost deposits during a brief employment as a bank clerk, and has now moved to Canada, yes, where he is attempting to open a saloon, and Mother borrowed money six months ago to back him…" Wade sighed.
"This after your uncle brought your family into the present difficulties when he…" Hugh started to say, but Wade nudged him, and they both looked at Presendia, who was lost to time and space in her consumption of cornbread that Rene Picard's attentive waiter had brought her. (Presendia was known throughout Atlanta for being a splendid tipper).
"That's right, Hugh…even after the difficulties. But Mother has always had a soft spot for Uncle Ashley, and he'd written that he'd repay the loan, as well as his other ah, borrowings after his tavern became successful, but Mother's heard nothing more from him since sending the money, and Uncle Ashley's landlady just wrote and said he'd departed to parts unknown."
"So why is she willing to sell the remaining shares in her mills?" Hugh asked jovially. "Did your uncle write with another business venture?"
"That's not funny, Hugh" Wade said, although he smiled involuntarily. Presendia noticed that Wade reached over and squeezed Hugh's hand. (These boys were so FRIENDLY!). Wade sipped his coffee. "No, Mother has given up finding a backer to make up the shares in the mill that Uncle Ashley uh, lost last year, and she's selling out, finally."
"Boys, boys, forget about all this boring business talk!" Presendia said, as she spit bits of cornbread into Wade's coffee cup. "Let's talk about the honeymoon! I am so, so delighted to vacation in the South of France, but it breaks my heart that you boys have to go ahead of me…on a separate boat, darlings!"
"But don't you understand, Presendia." Hugh asked as he took his bride-to-be's chubby fingers in his own elegant digits, "Wade and I are going ahead for a month, most of it on that dreary ship, just to prepare the house for you, with all you can dine on and splendid decorations, so when you arrive…it will be the best fortnight of your life!"
Wade nodded solemnly. "That's right. Hugh is denying himself the pleasures of your company, right after the wedding, AND holding off on his desire to run the mills, so he can spend thirty days with boring old me painting and decorating just for you."
"But—but all you fellows will have for company is those dullards, the muscle-headed French boys doing the heavy lifting!"
Wade looked into Presendia's eyes. "We do it just for you, sweet Presendia."
Was it any wonder this girl was in LOVE?