It was yet another fine meal at the Wandering Oaks Hotel. Mrs. Brenan had been able to take a little time from her duties at the hotel to join the trio for some coffee and pie. As they sat around the table, Camille realized how much she was going to miss Eulala, without realizing it she had become dependent on her. Not only was she her employer, but she had become her friend.
Once the dining room was empty, Mrs. Brenan began the nightly chore of cleaning and preparing for the next day’s meals. Buck and Jimmy had excused themselves to the saloon for the drink they had spoken of earlier. In the kitchen Camille was drying the dishes, as the older woman was washing them. Camille told her of the exchange she had had with Mrs. Ford at the mercantile.
"You should not be surprised by Mrs. Ford’s reaction to Buck," Eulala responded, "she is one of those people who will only see what she wants too."
Camille shook her head. "But all she sees is the color of his skin….it is wrong."
"Wrong or not, she owns the only mercantile in town, so there are times she must be tolerated," Eulala said with disgust.
"Well, I could tolerate her a lot better if she didn’t open her mouth," Camille said with a smile.
Mrs. Brenan shot her a look of reproach and then after a second they both broke into laughter.
After a minute Camille said, "Eulala, I need to speak with you about something."
"What is it?" she asked, handing Camille another wet dish.
"Buck has asked me to go back to Rock Creek with him," she spoke softly.
"He has?" Eulala said looking at her. "I can’t say I am surprised."
Camille was surprised at Eulala’s comment. "You’re not?"
Eulala took the dishtowel from Camille to dry her hands. "It is obvious that young man loves you very much, Camille."
Camille smiled at her words.
"I didn’t expect he would leave here without you," she continued.
"Really?" Camille asked, in wonder at Mrs. Brenan’s perceptiveness.
Eulala nodded to her with a smile, then asked, "Are you going?"
"Yes," she answered, looking to her friend for acceptance.
"Good," she said.
Camille was surprised by Eulala’s response. She really shouldn’t have been, but she was.
Mrs. Brenan noticed her statement. "What is it?" she asked.
"You have become such a dear friend to me. It will be hard to leave you," Camille said. "Working here at the Oaks was just what I needed to come to terms with Bill’s death…I owe you so much."
"Camille, you owe me nothing," she said as she put her arm around Camille’s shoulder. "But you do owe it to yourself to find happiness, no matter where that might be."
Eulala looked her in the eyes. "As I see it, Buck Cross makes you very happy."
"Yes…he does," Camille agreed.
"Then you must go." Eulala said giving her shoulder a squeeze.
Having finished cleaning the kitchen, the two ladies went into the dining room to place clean tablecloths on the table. They were quiet for a moment, immersed in the job they had done together so many times.
Then Camille broke the silence by asking, "Eulala, do you think it is possible to love two men?"
Eulala lifted her head from her work to look at Camille. "Are you speaking of Bill and Buck?"
Camille nodded.
"Why do you ask?" Eulala questioned.
"Because…I do love Buck so much. It’s like the feelings I had when we were younger never left. They are even stronger." She continued to set the table as she shared her thoughts. "When he came here the other day, those feelings just came rushing back…like they were always there."
"But you loved Bill too?" Eulala asked
"Yes, I did," she answered immediately, "but it was different than with Buck. Bill and I were such good friends, he was a good man and he treated me so kindly. We had fun together and enjoyed each others company. The natural thing to do was to marry."
Eulala asked, "How is it different with Buck?"
Camille thought for a second, and then as she spoke her eyes began to light up. "When I am with him I am complete…when I look at him or hear his voice I feel such a peace that I can’t explain. Eulala, when he touches me its like I can’t breath. He knows me better than anyone on this earth….he knows my soul and I know his. Maybe that is the difference…our souls are bound together."
"Camille, when you and Bill stopped to visit Buck on your way East, did you feel for Buck the way you do now?"
"I knew I still loved him, if that’s what you mean. I was told he was dead and when I saw him again my heart ached for what we had lost. But I had made a commitment to Bill and I never would have hurt him, by going back on that promise. It would have gone against every thing I had been taught as a child." She then looked at Eulala and spoke softly, " But, I feel like I am betraying Bill."
"Camille, you must not think that…" Eulala said as she walked over to take Camille by the hand. "You cannot betray Bill…he is gone." She continued, "I believe you have answered your own question. Yes, it is possible to love two men at the same time, but differently. The feelings you had for Bill are very different than the ones you have for Buck. A heart has a mind of it’s own, you can’t tell it what to feel."
Camille was quiet.
Eulala smiled lovingly at her. "You dear, have been blessed to know and love two wonderful men…don’t be so hard on yourself. You know...I like your Buck very much. He is a good man and he adores you."
"The feeling is mutual," Camille said with a light in her eyes.
"Then go...go be happy with your young man."
