by Jenna Brandt
“Are you ready, Elizabeth?” Willa inquired as she knocked on the door to the guest room.
“Yes, coming,” she replied, taking a final look in the mirror to make sure her velvet, green dress with gold accents was draping correctly, and that her mask was straight on her face. She patted her curls, making sure the gold beads that were woven through were secure. She no longer had Kate to look after her since she had left earlier in the week to return to Boston. Hiring a new maid was at the top of her priority list, but during the holidays it would be impossible to find anyone.
Elizabeth grabbed her shawl and purse before heading out the door. The short carriage ride seemed to take forever as Elizabeth anxiously awaited to arrive. She twisted her hands in her lap as she looked out the window. The beautiful stone house with large white pillars came into view. Lights were glowing from the rows of windows in the front of the home as well as in paper lanterns that lined the walkway to the entrance.
“Thank you for coming,” Mayor Luther Garrison greeted the Holts as they came into the foyer. “We’re so glad you could make it.”
“Thank you for having us,” Harrison said with a nod. “Your home looks splendid tonight.”
“That’s gracious of you to say, though I’ve heard your home outshines ours by a great deal. Please, make your way inside,” Victoria Garrison directed regally as she gestured behind her, continuing to hold onto her husband’s arm with her other hand.
The Holts did as they were told, making their way through the entryway, down a hall that was lined with more paper lanterns, and into the ballroom.
Inside, the area was already bustling with dozens of townspeople, all wearing pretty gowns, sharp-looking suits, and masks that complemented their outfits.
Harrison excused himself, wanting to talk with a couple of the town council members before the dancing began.
“Penelope is waving me over. Do you want to come with me?” Willa asked, as she glanced over to where her friends were standing.
Elizabeth shook her head. “I think I’ll grab a glass of punch.”
She made her way over to the refreshment table in the corner of the room. She poured herself a glass, then turned around and covertly scanned the room for George. Was he here yet?
“Let me guess, you’re looking for the livery boy?” the familiar voice of Gus Pelton stated snidely.
He was the last man Elizabeth wanted to be bothered by. He was new to Silverpines, just recently taking a job at the brickyard as one of the shift supervisors. When Elizabeth had visited her brother earlier in the week to take a tour of his latest business venture, Gus had taken a fancy to her. Twice since, he had accidentally bumped into her in town, though she suspected neither encounter was an accident at all.
“I’m not sure why you would assume that is who I was looking for,” Elizabeth side-stepped the accusation, not liking anyone acting as if they knew her well enough to make such an observation.
“Don’t be coy with me, Miss Elizabeth. I know you have eyes for that boy, but you won’t do well with someone like that. He can’t provide for you the way you would need.”
“And let me guess, you think you’re a better candidate for the job?”
Gus nodded. “If you’ll give me a chance, I certainly could be.”
“I have to give you credit for persistence, Mr. Pelton, but let me be perfectly clear, I don’t need a man to provide anything for me. Anything I need, I can take care of it myself.” Placing her glass down, she started to move away. “If you will excuse me, I think I will go join my sister-in-law.”
“I do mind,” he said, reaching out and grabbing her by the arm. “I wasn’t finished talking to you.” He pulled her back towards him, and added, “It isn’t polite to be so dismissive of someone.”
Elizabeth let out a small yelp, not only from the pain, but from the intrusion into her personal space. “Let go of me, you’re hurting me.”
“Maybe you need to be hurt. I’m guessing no one has ever put you in your place,” he snapped out. “Like I said, I’m the kind of man you need to show you how to behave.”
“I think you should do what the lady asks,” the familiar voice of George said behind her, “Before you force me to make a scene.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” Gus seethed. “And I don’t have to do what you say.”
“You do if you want to keep your job,” Elizabeth countered. “If my brother finds out how you’ve treated me, you’ll be fired before you can blink.”
“You wouldn’t? I need my job.”
“Then you should let her go,” George stated adamantly. “Right now.”
The man swallowed a couple of times as his eyes narrowed into slits. “Fine, you’re not worth it anyway.” The man released her, stepped back, and spun away on his heel.
“Are you okay?” George inquired with concern, reaching out and touching her arm gently where the other man’s hand had just been.
She nodded. “Yes, just furious that he thought he had the right to act that way with me.”
“You’re gracious not to report him to your brother.”
“Oh, I still have a good mind to, but I’m not going to spend another minute of tonight thinking about him.”
“Glad to hear it,” George said with a grin, just as the band started to play the first song. “Care to dance?” he requested as he stretched out his hand to her.
“I would love to,” she answered, placing her own hand in his.
He guided her onto the dance floor, then pulled her into his arms. They quickly fell into step, moving to the rhythm as they followed the designated movements.
As the night progressed, Elizabeth let herself enjoy her time with George while letting everything else melt away.
Elizabeth in his arms was the best feeling in the world. George knew he should probably let her dance with other men at the ball, and in turn, he should dance with other women. He couldn’t bring himself to let either happen. As it turned out, he was selfish when it came to Elizabeth, wanting every one of her moments for himself.
It was the reason he nearly throttled Gus Pelton for treating Elizabeth the way he did. The idea of any man trying to spend time with her made George churn with jealousy, let alone a man like him. Gus didn’t respect anyone, let alone women, and he couldn’t stand by and let him treat Elizabeth so hideously.
There was a pause in the music as the mayor took to the stage. All of the assembled guests turned to face the mayor.
“Good evening, everyone. I’m so glad all of you can be here tonight. My wife and I come from a myriad of traditions like most of you here tonight, which is why we decided to combine a couple this evening. Some of you might be wondering why we decided to have a masked ball for New Year’s Eve. We wanted to give everyone a chance to let go of the old year and bring in the new one. At the stroke of midnight, we will all remove our masks, symbolizing our choice to start the new year off with a clean slate.
“Additionally, as some of you know, I’m Scottish on my mother’s side. Because of that, my mother taught me about the Hogmanay tradition of giving a kiss to everyone in the room preparing the way for good fortune. We wish to honor that tonight as well.”
Several of the townswomen came forward, holding bells in their hands. The mayor pulled out his pocket watch, raised his hand, and then grinned out at everyone. “It’s time to start the countdown.”
“Ten, nine, eight,” everyone in the ballroom joined in.
“Seven, six, five,” George turned to face Elizabeth, reaching out and pulling her towards him.
“Four, three, two,” Elizabeth licked her lips as she stared up at him. He could tell she was anticipating the moment as much as him.
“One.” The bells started to ring, prompting George to lean down and kiss Elizabeth gently on the lips. It was a quick peck, as was the tradition, but even though it was the briefest of moments, it seared into George’s mind, body, and soul as if it would last forever. Warmth spread through him and he knew in that
moment, he would be the happiest man on earth if he got to kiss Elizabeth for the rest of his life.
Someone pulled him around and kissed him on the cheek, and before he knew what was happening, he was separated from Elizabeth. Everyone was kissing and hugging, moving from person to person. All he wanted to do was get back to Elizabeth, but by the time the bells finished ringing, they were on completely different sides of the room.
As he watched another man ask her to dance, he forced himself not to march over there and rip the man’s head off. Though he didn’t want her dancing with anyone else, he knew it wasn’t his place—yet—to keep her from doing so.
To his surprise, she shook her head, stepping back. The other man looked disappointed but accepted her refusal. He turned and left. Elizabeth shrugged, making it clear she wanted him to come fetch her. He rushed to her side, grateful that she didn’t want to dance with anyone else any more than he wanted her to do so.
“You got here just in time,” Elizabeth mused. “There’s another gentleman eyeing me this very moment.”
“It seems to happen a lot,” George observed with irritation. “I can’t say I like it.”
“I used to, but not so much anymore. I can’t remember the last time I refused to dance with someone.”
“Does that mean you’re done dancing for the night?” George inquired.
“Not if the right man asks me.”
“Am I the right man?”
She pressed her lips together, then nodded.
“Glad to hear it.” He reached out his hand to her. “Would you join me on the dance floor then?”
Elizabeth gave her hand to him once more, allowing him to gather her into his embrace for another round of dancing. She fit into his frame just like she did before.
As the night passed, they grew closer and closer together, until George was certain of one thing; he was enamored with Elizabeth Holt, and he was never going to be the same again.
Chapter Five
Elizabeth’s eyes settled on the letter from her aunt sitting on the table in front of her. Should she dare open it? What could the woman possibly want after shipping her off across the country? If Elizabeth didn’t open it, she would wonder about the contents, causing her to be irritated until she did. Better to open it now rather than delay the inevitable.
Gingerly, she tore along the edge of the envelope and pulled the letter free.
My Dearest Niece, Elizabeth,
I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying your time with your brother. As you had hoped, the gossip about your indiscretion has died down. I know I told your brother that it would be best if you stayed there with him, but I’ve come to realize I miss having you here in Boston. Though you could be trying at times, you always made my days brighter, which is why I want to rescind your exile, contingent upon one condition. You are to marry my dear friend’s son, Charles Cummings. He has come by on multiple occasions inquiring about you and has made it clear if you were to return to Boston, he would be more than obliged to make you an offer of marriage. He would be a good match for you, Elizabeth, and returning to a waiting fiancé, you could avoid the possibility of further scandal. Please write me and let me know if I should move forward with the match.
Sincerely, Your Loving Aunt Gerty
Elizabeth read the letter twice to make sure she understood what was being offered and asked of her. All she had wanted to do was return home to Boston ever since she arrived in Silverpines, and now she had her chance. The only problem was, that her return was dependent upon her accepting an engagement that she had no desire for. Not only because she didn’t believe a woman should have to marry to matter, but also because the last man she would want to marry was Charles Cummings. He would simply look at her like a sack of money that he would want to control. He had a good name, but no bank account to support it, which she was certain played directly into why he had been coming around asking after her. He wanted her inheritance to restore his finances, and most likely assumed because of her scandal, she would be eager to marry any man who would be willing to take her. That wasn’t the case. She didn’t want to be married to the annoyingly pompous cad, even if it meant she could return home. Besides, she was beginning to form a bond with George Caldwell, and she wanted to see if it could progress into more.
She shoved the letter into her purse, stood from the table, and headed to the stable. She needed a good ride to clear her mind. She picked the same spirited mare as before, but this time had the groom apply the tack.
Once she was seated in the saddle and felt the strong, beautiful creature move beneath her, she decided to take a ride through the back country. She coaxed the horse into a trot, enjoying the ride as they became one. An hour later, she felt refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the day, deciding shopping was in order. There was never a time that buying a new hat or pair of boots didn’t make her feel better. Additionally, she wanted to find out if there was a woman’s suffrage group in town. If there was, she would like to join and attend meetings.
She had the groom prepare the horses and carriage and the driver helped her inside. She took a seat on the bench, leaning back against the cushioned seat. A few minutes later, she arrived at the start of Main Street and told the driver to deliver the carriage to the livery and wait for her return. She decided the mercantile would be her first stop; curious to see if they had any new items she might be interested in procuring.
“Good morning, Mr. Cutler,” Elizabeth greeted as she entered the store. “Have you received any gloves or hats?”
He shook his head. “I usually leave those items to your sister-in-law. Since she opened her shop, most of the women want to match their accessories to their new dresses.”
“I see,” Elizabeth replied, not wanting to go over to Willa’s store. Though the woman was nice enough, Elizabeth still couldn’t find her way into accepting her as family. “I think I will just peruse your other offerings.”
Mr. Cutler nodded, then went back to cleaning the counter in front of him.
Elizabeth looked around the store, but most of the items were meant to maintain a household, and Elizabeth didn’t have one of her own. A couple more people entered the store, but Elizabeth kept to herself until she remembered her other purpose for coming to town.
“Is your wife in?” Elizabeth inquired, deciding that the mercantile owner’s wife would be a good place to start asking if Silverpines had a woman’s suffrage group.
“Not this morning, Miss Elizabeth. One of the children is sick and she stayed home to attend him.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope he feels better soon.” Not letting it deter her, she asked, “Do you happen to know if there’s a women’s suffrage group in town?”
Mr. Cutler’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Why, no, Miss Elizabeth, I don’t think there is one.”
“Most of the women around here are too busy to attend meetings like that,” an unfamiliar man said from the side of her. He didn’t look pleased with her, and she decided it was time to move on.
She exited the store and made her way down Main Street, stopping off at the post office and one of the restaurants to inquire about the suffrage group with no luck. Next was Willa’s store, and she debated about going inside. There was a solid chance she would know if there was a group, but Elizabeth didn’t know if she wanted to ask her for help.
Before she could make her escape, the door swung open to reveal Willa’s smiling face on the other side. “You decided to come into town, Elizabeth. How wonderful. Do come inside.”
Realizing she couldn’t refuse, Elizabeth entered the store. To her surprise, it was very modern and beautiful with refined displays and counters. It proved Willa had been smart enough to do her research on how to present a quality dress shop. Several of the gowns displayed were as current as any Elizabeth would have found in Boston. “Did you ship these in from the East?”
Willa shook her head. “I designed and made them myself.”
“You did?
How ever did you learn to do this?”
“I was training with my Aunt Judy in Rockwood Springs before I had to return home last spring to help my family.”
“Your Aunt Judy must be very talented to be able to teach you such skills,” Elizabeth observed, touching the edge of a perfectly sewn collar.
“She is. Judy Breecher is one of the most well-known dressmakers in the country.”
“Judy Breecher is your aunt?” Elizabeth gasped. “Two of my good friends back in Boston had their wedding dresses designed by her.”
Willa nodded. “She gets custom orders from all over the country.”
“I had no idea your store was of this caliber,” Elizabeth stated with admiration.
“Would you like to try one of the outfits on?” Willa offered.
Elizabeth glanced around the room, and spying a pretty hunter green riding habit, she inquired, “I could use a new riding habit. May I try that one on?”
“Certainly,” Willa said with a smile. She guided her into a back area of the store where there were poles with sheets draped, creating areas for women to try on outfits.
Elizabeth slipped into one, undressed, and then put on the riding habit. Despite it not being tailored for her, it fit rather well, and the fabric was divine, being sturdy enough for riding, but luxurious enough that it could be worn for hours without becoming bothersome.
She stepped out of the dressing space and came into the main area where Willa was waiting.
“That looks good on you, but you would need it taken in here,” she pinched the fabric at the rib cage, “and here,” she gathered a small amount of fabric at the shoulder as well.