Hidden Talents

wearing a selection of incredibly dull items from what she thought of as her Miss Town & Country collection. Figuring out how to dress without raising eyebrows in the outside world had been a problem for her until she had hit upon the brilliant notion of buying entire outfits out of catalogs. That way, she assured herself, she couldn't go wrong. Left to her own devices, she tended to run afoul of subtle fashion concepts that she had never fully grasped.
    The suits she had worn to Seattle during the weeks she'd been meeting with Caleb had all come from a catalog that claimed to cater to women who preferred the “classic, tailored style.” The outfit she had on today was from the same catalog. She felt reasonably confident that she looked suitably normal in it.
    For today's journey into the unknown wilds of middle America, Serenity had selected a pair of cuffed, wool gabardine trousers in a subdued camel color. She had paired the pants with a cream silk shirt. Her tasteful gold-toned earrings had been shown on the same page of the catalog as the trousers and shirt, so Serenity knew they were correct.
    “I called the house this morning and talked to Dolores,” Caleb said. “She'll make sure one of the guest rooms is made up for you.”
    “Who's Dolores?”
    “My grandfather's housekeeper. She and her husband Harry have been with Roland for over fifteen years. Harry takes care of the stables.”
    Serenity watched, fascinated, as the doors of a quaintly steepled church opened to reveal a wedding party. Bridesmaids dressed in pastel pink spilled out onto the steps. The bride, wearing a traditional veil and a billowing white gown emerged, laughing. The groom, looking a little awkward in his formal attire, grabbed her hand and pulled her toward a gaily decorated car. The guests hurled rice.
    “What a pretty sight. Do you know those people over there?” Serenity pointed toward the church.
    Caleb glanced briefly at the wedding group. “I don't recognize the bride, but the groom looks like Chuck Jackson. He was a couple of years behind me in high school. He took over his father's feed store after he graduated.”
    Serenity smiled wistfully. “Did you go through a high school graduation ceremony?”
    “Sure.” He gave her a surprised look. “Didn't you?”
    “Not exactly. I was home-schooled.”
    Caleb frowned. “By who?”
    “By virtually everyone in Witt's End. I learned something from all of them, even Blade. It must have worked, because I breezed through the college entrance exams.” Serenity chuckled. “But I wanted a real high school graduation so badly I could taste it. So Witt's End gave me one.”
    “Just for you?”
    “Yep. Ariadne sewed a cap and gown for me. Montrose played the entrance march. Everyone was there. Quinton gave a very inspiring speech about the future of mathematical planes and the universe in general which none of us understood. The best part was that I got all the awards. No competition, you see.”
    Caleb slanted her a curious glance. “Sounds a little strange.”
    “Don't laugh. I even got to be valedictorian.”
    “No kidding.”
    Serenity slanted him an uncertain glance. “Is something wrong?”
    “No.”
    She sensed that he was lying, but she decided not to pursue it. Her instincts told her that if she pushed for an explanation, he would continue to deny that there was a problem.
    Caleb had become more taciturn and remote with every mile they had covered since leaving Witt's End. The closer to Ventress Valley they got, the colder and more withdrawn he became.
    Serenity was beginning to wonder if she had made a mistake in agreeing to accompany him on the family visit.
    Two nights ago in the hot glow of passion, everything had seemed crystal clear for a time. But today she was forced to acknowledge that her relationship with Caleb was as obscured as ever by a dense fog of emotional confusion.
    “I'll bet you've changed your mind about Ventress Valley now that you've been away from it for several years,” Serenity said.
    “No, as a matter of fact, I haven't. I still hate the place.”
    She slid a glance toward his granite profile. He looked as if he were preparing to go into battle. “It's your hometown. You were born and raised here. Don't tell me that you don't wax nostalgic about it once in a while.”
    “It can sink into the darkest part of Hell as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't miss it for a second.”
    Serenity was baffled by the sweeping ease with which he