Free Camellia by Diane T. Ashley Page A

over Camellia. One day she would be able to carry on a conversation like the one between Mrs. Thornton and Mrs. Dabbs. It was a pity she had not studied French when she was younger, but her relatives had never seen a need for her to learn the language.
    Mrs. Thornton switched to English and introduced Jonah, Lily, and Jasmine. Then she turned to her and nodded. “And this beautiful lady is of course your new pupil, Miss Camellia Anderson.”
    “Mademoiselle Anderson, it is a pleasure to meet you.” She spoke without any trace of accent, slipping from one language to another with an ease Camellia envied.
    Camellia could feel the weight of Mrs. Dabbs’s assessing gaze as she curtsied.
    When she straightened, the lady was smiling at her. “We are going to have such a wonderful spring, my dear. Your things arrived earlier, and they have been taken to your bedroom upstairs. Say farewell to your family, and I will take you to meet your roommate.”
    So soon? Her nose tingled as she turned to face the others. Parting from her sisters was going to be harder than she had realized. It wasn’t like remaining behind at Les Fleurs while Lily and Jasmine took an overnight trip to Memphis or Baton Rouge. She wouldn’t see her sisters for months.
    The tight smile on Lily’s face was an indication of her older sister’s emotions. She was probably already regretting her decision. And Jasmine looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment.
    “Thank you so much for letting me do this.” She hugged Lily and Jasmine at the same time. “I love both of you very much.”
    “We love you, too.” Jasmine’s voice was a bare whisper.
    Lily’s arms tightened around her. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
    Camellia nodded, her head rubbing against theirs.
    “Then you’d better get upstairs before I drag you back to the carriage.” Lily released her and raised her chin. “But remember that I can come get you at any time. All you have to do is get a message to the Thorntons.”
    “Now, now.” Mrs. Dabbs stepped between them, cutting off Camellia’s escape route. “Your sister will be very happy here. All of my students enjoy themselves.”
    Allowing herself to be pulled toward the staircase, Camellia heard a whisper from the second floor. She glanced upward and caught a glimpse of a heart-shaped face surrounded by a cloud of dark hair before it disappeared around a wall. One of the other students. She looked about Jasmine’s age. Camellia glanced back over her shoulder at her younger sister, wishing for a brief instant that she would remain behind.
    Then reality intruded. Jasmine would never be happy here. She barely tolerated the lessons she received aboard the
Water Lily.
La Belle Demoiselle was not the place for either of her sisters. But it was the perfect place for Camellia. She felt lighter as she moved away from the first floor, as though each step upward was freeing her, freeing her to become an irresistible combination of style and grace that would complement her physical beauty.
    She looked up and met Jonah’s gaze. She wished she could think of something to say that would wipe away the half smile on his face. She had no reason to blush. It wasn’t like he could read her thoughts.
    Jonah shook his head and turned his attention to Mrs. Dabbs. “If something happens, you will send a note around to my parents’ home.”
    She tilted her head and stared at him. “Of course, but I believe we’re safe enough here.”
    Camellia wondered why Mrs. Dabbs’s reassurance made Jonah straighten his posture. He threw his shoulders back, looking almost like a soldier for a moment. “Mr. Lincoln could end all of this fighting if he would listen to reason.”
    “Yes, but I am afraid he is too stubborn to consider the desires of the South even though I write to him of my concerns.”
    Camellia’s eyes widened. “You send letters to Abraham Lincoln?”
    “Why not?” Mrs. Dabbs’s smile softened her question. “If I