Bittersweet Endeavors (13 page)

215

A
white flowing gown glimmered in the candlelight and
caught
Myra
’s
attention.  The silk dress stunn
ed her by every mea
sure,
neckline to hem, but the
woman who
wore it outsh
ined
the dress
a
hundredfold. 
Long
,
golden locks of hair
smoothed over the top of her head
and
displayed impeccable blonde ringlets of curls that fashioned down t
he woman’s slender back. 
Myra
didn’t need
an introduction
.  The striking woman
was
no other than Cassandra
, a
nd to
her
chagrin, Margaret
hadn’t
overstate
d
her beauty. 
When Seth approached the woman,
Myra
narrowed her eyes into
a
scrutinizing stare.  She almost didn’t
recognize him dressed in
his fashionable
R
hinegraves
and
a
silk shirt
that displayed many yards of
ribbons loop
ed
around his shoulders.  Plus
as
fashion dictate
d
since the restoration of her cousin’s crown, he donned a shoulder length periwig
with long waves of curly blonde hair
. 
She
had
never seen
him, or any other man, look
more handsome.
Margaret
was
righ
t,
the two
made
a
perfect pair
and j
ealousy welled
within her.  He offered his arm
and the
woman
took it,
and
they
advanced toward a
table that displayed an arrangement of
food
t
hat would
appeal
to the most discriminative
appetite
. 
Myra
turned her head and slid
do
wn the wall
and met
the flo
or. 
She
wished that she could
run
down the steps and
into Seth’s arms
.  She wanted to
announce
that s
he
was
Lady
Myra
of Brunnington and not
a
wretched
lowly maid
.
Perhaps then she could command as much attention
as
Cassandra
received
from him. 
Such whimsical thoughts
were
bla
therskite, she scolded herself. 
Myra
, Lady of
Brunnington, was
long dead
, and the p
lain,
impoverished
Myra
was
all that
remained. 
Even if
Seth Preston
would
have
interest
in
her
,
despite
her
present
lowly
state
,
his father wouldn’t ever allow them together.
Only a woman
capable of
advanc
ing
his family’s name and reputation
would
be appropriate enough for
his son
. 
That would soon be Cassandra.
 
All
the anguish inside seized her senses
and she
wept.
 
Time
passed
by
and she didn’t know how long she
had
sat and cried.
 
The more she swiped
her
tears, the
quicker
they
appeared
. 

“Are you all right,
Myra
?” 

Myra
startled
by the sound of his voice
and quickly stood up
and readied herself for bolting
. 
She
rea
lized
she
had risen
in
full view of the guests
,
and
she
quickly
knelt down out of sight. 

“There’s no need
hiding
.
”
Seth
’s voice was soothing, as if speaking
with
a child, and he smiled at her.
  “Especially
when you look as beautiful
as you
do
tonight.” 
He
stooped
down
beside her
and
thumb
ed
a teardrop
from her eye.  Embarrassed,
Myra
covered her face
and hid
within
the folds of
her hands
.  H
is
pity
was
more than she
was able to
bear
.

“Why are you
weeping
?”
He
to
ok her trembling hands into his
and pulled
them away from he
r face.  “You feel warm.
”
He sounded alarmed and felt her head with the back of his hand. 
“Are you ill?
Is that what ails you?”

“
Nay,
I’m fine.  Please, just let me alone
, Seth
.”  She realized her error in using his
forename
and corrected herself by adding, “M
ister Preston.
”

“Seth.”

“But you,
”
she began
, but h
e raised a finger
and
gently
placed it onto her lips and
silence
d
her.
 
She
pulled away and
started
toward the
ladder
, but Seth held
her hand
and prevented
her escape.
  The tears continued
shedding
, and no matter how much she willed
them to
stop, the
tears
unrelentingly
fell
down her cheeks
.

“Do you miss England?  Your family
?  Is that why you’re weeping?” 
Seth
pulled
her into his arms and held her with tenderness.  “I’m sorry,
Myra
. I know how hard this must be for you
being here, in the colonies, all alone
.” 

She felt his lips press against her forehead
,
and her cheeks warmed by the comforting
yet inappropriate
action
.  Worse
than being embarrassed
,
she
was offended by
his gesture
since the woman he escorted
—
the woman he’
d
soon
marry
—
awaited him
down
below. 
She pushed him away.
 

“I must go.
”
  She
began to rise
from the floor
but he held her firmly in place.
  “
Y
ou
need to go as well.  Cassandra is awaiting your return
.”

“
Cassandra
?”
  Seth
grinned
and glanced over the balcony
.  “Have you been
spying on me from up here
?”
he teased. 
“I’m flattered.”

“
I wasn’t spying
.  Truly
,
I wasn’t. 
I
…
Well
, I
…
I
w
as watching the
festivities
—
everyone
at the party, that is.” 
Myra
felt
a
surge of heat warm her cheeks.  “Margaret said I could,” she added in her defense.

“And what do you think of Cassandra?”

“She’s very beautiful.
”
  The confession came easy.  No one
who v
iew
ed
Cassandra
could
s
tate
otherwise.

“
Aye
, she is,” Seth conceded.  “Did you know my father plans
a union between her and
me
?”

“
Tis not
my
business
.”
Myra
attempted her
depart
ure
down the
ladder
again
.  She had seen and heard enough about his
interest in the girl that would soon be his wife
.
Yet
Seth
, again, prevented
her leave
when he gripped
her wrist tighter.  He tugged her close
r toward him
until they were face to face.  H
is breath
flowed
warm
and sweet
across her face.

“
Nay
, I guess
not, but I’d like your opinion nonetheless.”

“
You’d like m
y opinion
about your upcoming marriage
?”
She didn’t hide her surprise
.  “
Tis your choice if you wish
to find
a wife in the same manner as procuring a trink
et
.
”  She looked at him a moment before she continued.  “
That being the case, y
ou
exhibit
fine taste
in
ornaments
.
”  Her tone clearly d
isplayed her irritation, as well as her j
ealousy, and she hated hersel
f the moment she realized it. 

Seth smiled w
ide and released her
.  He
started for the
ladder
, but returned
and
face
d
her.
He softly brushed his finger down her cheek and across her chin, raising it slightly as
if readying her for
a kiss.

She wondered if he was
testing her.
 
He had
explicitly
point
ed
out the Blue Law
which
state
d
unmarried person
were
not allowed
kissing.
 
She swallowed hard and
apprehension
flowed
through her from head to heel.  She looked deep into his eyes and wa
ited — and God forgive her —
but
she wanted that kiss. 
T
he shimmer of
candles
from the chandelier
above the great room
swayed
and highlighted
the ornery glint in his
bright
blue
eye
s
.
Closing her
eyelids
tight, she w
ished
for him to
take advantage of her vulnerable state
and
initiate the kiss
.  Yet
by the time she reopened her
eyes,
he
had
already quit the room
.