Steadfast Heart

by Tracie Peterson

  “You look truly beautiful, Abrianna. A fella would be proud to have you on his arm.”

  “I guess dressing up causes the fires of romance to stir in a man’s heart. I’ve already been asked three times to marry and twice to court.”

  “Marry? Court? These buffoons?” Wade looked completely against the idea. “Most of these men wouldn’t begin to know what to do with a woman like you. They wouldn’t understand your desire to help the poor or to feed the orphans. They certainly wouldn’t allow you to go about as you do on the docks and alleyways.”

  “Neither do you these days,” she reminded him. “But never fear. I shall remain unmarried. I think perhaps forever. God has called me to serve Him, and marriage might well get in the way of His plans.”

  Wade shook his head. “God said in Genesis that it wasn’t good for man to be alone. And in Ecclesiastes Solomon said that two were better than one.”

  “Yes,” she agreed, “but Paul said it was better not to marry if you were serving God. That way you wouldn’t have to split up your serving. My aunts have told me on many occasions that once a woman marries, she has no time for anything but being a wife and eventually a mother. How would I serve God then?”

  “Maybe as a wife and mother,” Wade countered. “That’s an admirable ministry in and of itself. Think of the encouragement and good you might have to offer a husband. Think of molding the young minds of your offspring and teaching them to have compassion on the poor.”

  “I suppose.” She had considered this angle many times, but God had not sent a man into her life whom she considered worthy of her call. Maybe she was being prideful or wrong in her thinking, but any man she might consider for marriage would have to be completely devoted to God and willing to serve Him as Abrianna desired to serve.

  “Oh, look. I believe Kolbein and Lenore have arrived,” Thane said, pointing across the room.

  Abrianna gasped. “Doesn’t she look beautiful? I’ve never seen that golden gown before. Look at it shimmer. It’s like starlight sewn into a dress.”

  The couple approached and Lenore quickly embraced Abrianna. “You look wonderful.”

  “So do you,” Abrianna said. “That gown is lovely. It suits your complexion and hair perfectly. Why haven’t I seen it before now?”

  “I purchased it in San Francisco and only wore it once while we were there.”

  “So this is just the second time,” Abrianna said with a grin. “I suppose that means you only have three more times to wear this queenly gown and then you’ll be forced to pass it to me.”

  Lenore laughed. “So you are finally taking an interest in dressing in fine gowns?”

  “Not really—no more than usual. I just happen to like that color, and I believe it would appear acceptable with my hair coloring and freckles.”

  “You’re quite right it would. However, I plan to hang on to this gown for a bit. Marrying Kolbein means I will no longer be under the restrictions of my mother. I might break with all tradition and social decorum and wear it . . . six or seven times.” They laughed over this and drew the attention of the men.

  “What are you two hatching?” Kolbein asked. “It seems whenever these ladies get together, trouble soon follows.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Wade replied. “Keeping Abrianna out of trouble is a full-time job.”

  “Pity the man who marries her,” Kolbein said, grinning. “She’ll blind him with her beauty and then worry him to death with her antics.”

  “That’s hardly fair,” she protested.

  “Maybe not, but it’s true,” Wade threw in. “Did I tell you about the knife she straps to her leg?”

  “Better say limb,” Abrianna corrected. “Lenore doesn’t like anyone using the l-e-g word.”

  Lenore blushed. “Only when speaking about people. Legs are fine so long as they belong to a horse or a table.”

  The men laughed, but it was Wade who offered, “And limbs are on trees, so now what word shall we use?”

  Abrianna grinned. “He’s got you there, Lenore.”

  “And I have you for the next dance,” Kolbein declared. He took hold of Lenore’s elbow. “Shall we?”

  She nodded and he led her out to join the other couples. Abrianna found Lenore’s gown even more appealing in the ballroom light as she twirled in Kolbein’s arms. It truly was an amazing gown, and Abrianna found it almost impossible to take her eyes off of the couple.

  “Would you like to dance?” Wade asked her.

  “Don’t bother. I already tried that,” Thane told him. “She doesn’t want to dance. She just wants to stare at the people who are dancing.”

  “That’s not exactly true,” Abrianna said with a shrug. “I’d much rather be in my room reading a good book.”

  “And miss all of this?” Wade waved his arm toward the dancers. “You are a most unusual young woman, Miss Cunningham.”

  “Indeed she is,” Priam Welby said, coming up from behind Abrianna. “And clearly the most beautiful woman in the room.”

  The interruption so startled her that Abrianna whirled on her heel to face him. She said nothing but looked upward to find the man smiling. “I have come to seek a dance,” Welby continued. “In fact, I came to this affair solely with that in mind. Furthermore, I will be deeply wounded if you fail to accept a dance with me.”

  Abrianna drew in a long breath and let it out slowly. She knew Aunt Miriam expected her to join the others in merrymaking. “I suppose I can dance with you . . . once,” she said, looking from Wade to Thane as if she hoped they might rescue her.

  “She could,” Wade said, taking the cue, “but she’s already going to dance with me. I had just invited her to join me on the floor.”

  Welby frowned. “Then perhaps you will allow me the next dance.” He bowed and walked away without another word.

  Abrianna shook her head. “I don’t know why I must dance at all. It’s not like it serves any good purpose. I mean, look around you. Waltzing is nothing more than walking around the room to music.” She took hold of Wade’s arm. “But I know my aunts expect it of me, and if not with you, then it will just be someone else.”

  “Don’t make it sound like you’re being asked to give your life for the cause,” Thane said, chuckling.

  “She knows how to make a man feel special,” Wade commented. “Special in a way I could do without.”

  “Oh, bother with the both of you.” She pulled on Wade’s arm and all but forced him to follow. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Wade hadn’t expected the strange feelings that seemed to grip his chest like a vise. What was happening to him, anyway? It seemed Abrianna had a way about her that could expose any and all emotions in him. The way she looked and her frank way of speaking were both things he had come to appreciate, but now with Abrianna in his arms, Wade found his thoughts to be more than appreciation.

  “You dance like someone who really doesn’t enjoy this any more than I do,” Abrianna said.

  “I’ll admit it’s not my favorite, either. Still, your aunts do expect it of both of us. When Mrs. Madison invited me, she explicitly told me I would have to dance no fewer than ten times.”

  “She told me the same thing,” Abrianna said in a rather defeated way. “I’ve given serious thought to either lying about it and telling her I did so, or getting sick. Of course I’d have to do something quite bold to convince her that I’d fallen ill.”

  “Such as?” Wade was intrigued.

  “Expel my supper or faint,” Abrianna said matter-of-factly. “Neither really appeals to me, but they remain options, just in case.”

  He laughed. She could always find a way to amuse him with her candid thoughts on everything from ways to escape her aunts’ insistence that she learn to keep a household to her firm political beliefs that the Democrats had done a great deal to shake the foundations of the American Republic.

  Perhaps it was her intellect that most amazed him. Wade knew her to be quite learned. She could hold her own in most any d
iscussion, be it religion, social quandaries, or the price of fish. Once she had even given him a detailed account of how a particular piece of music had come to be. She never lacked for topics of conversation.

  The music ended and Abrianna seemed most relieved. Wade understood. He gave her a wink. “Just nine more times,” he told her.

  Her shoulders slumped. “Nine. What a perfectly awful number.”

  Lenore had never known greater happiness than to be in the arms of the man she would marry on the morrow. Kolbein was an excellent dancer and a man of social etiquette, which would please her parents almost as much as his financial status did. He had won them over with his wit and intelligence, as well as his generosity. Twice he had taken her family out for expensive dinners, and both times her father had marveled at the money spent and the enjoyable company.

  “You seem quite deep in thought, Miss Fulcher,” Kolbein said. “Could it be that you are reconsidering our wedding tomorrow?”

  “I am,” she said with a most serious expression.

  “What?”

  She had taken him completely off guard, and the expression on his face was one of grave concern. “I’m thinking perhaps we should elope tonight.” She grinned. “Of course Mother would take to her bed for a month, and Father would be beside himself over money already spent, so I suppose we shall have to wait until morning.”

  He gave her a wicked grin. “We could always marry with the justice tonight and then again in the morning. We could marry and then slip away for the evening—perhaps even the night. What scandal that would cause.”

  Lenore giggled. “Mother would never leave her bed again. She’d declare for all to hear that her social standing had been hopelessly altered by her daughter’s thoughtlessness.”

  “I suppose we can’t have that,” Kolbein replied, leading Lenore from the dance floor. He maneuvered them through the open pocket doors into a small room where several couples were visiting before turning her to face him. “But I would do it in a minute if you told me that was what you wanted.”

  She sighed. “I want a great many things, but my wedding is the last thing I can truly give my mother. As an only child, I feel I am obligated. I wouldn’t want to disappoint her after all the trouble she’s gone to. My father would be disappointed, too. I don’t want to hurt them after all they’ve done for me.”

  “Nothing is too good for you, Lenore. I intend to see you happy for the rest of your life. God had a plan in bringing the two of us together. I can see that now, where before I was blind to it and to God. Your influence has been good for me in more ways than I can tell.”

  She reached up to touch his cheek with her gloved hand. “And your influence has been good for me. I think I shall rather enjoy being Mrs. Kolbein Booth.”

  He laughed. “And I intend to see that you do.”

  25

  I believe the ball is a great success,” Miss Poisie declared.

  “But of course it is,” Wade said, smiling at the room of dancing couples. “Your dances are always successful.”

  The older woman nodded wistfully. “I do wish my Captain Jonathan could have lived to see this. I think he would have appreciated the nautical motif. He was always such a deep thinker when it came to the sea.”

  Wade felt sorry for the woman. Her ongoing love for the dead sea captain was something that he couldn’t begin to understand, having never loved someone in such a manner, yet he held great tenderness for Miss Poisie. Even so, he didn’t want her to dwell on her loss. Seeing Priam Welby had captured Abrianna for yet another dance, he turned to Miss Poisie. “What say we do something in honor of your captain. Would you care to dance?”

  The woman’s face lit up. “I would be delighted. I haven’t danced at all this past year, and I believe Jonathan would heartily approve.”

  He led the old woman to the floor and swept her into a gentle waltz. They moved much slower than the others, but Miss Poisie didn’t seem to notice. As she closed her eyes, the look on her face seemed more youthful. Perhaps in her thoughts she was young again and dancing with her beloved captain.

  Wade kept his steps slow and steady, all the while keeping his eyes on Priam Welby. The man seemed far too familiar with Abrianna. He held her much too close, and the impropriety of it bothered him. Wade had certainly not been raised to concern himself with such rules, but his time spent at the school had taught him about the social etiquette of such affairs. Clearly Welby hadn’t been taught or simply didn’t care.

  Welby momentarily let go his hold around Abrianna’s waist and brushed back a stray curl. He let his fingers linger on her cheek longer than necessary before reclaiming his partner. Wade tried not to let his feelings control him. Making a scene was out of the question. Not only would it hurt the old ladies, but he’d promised himself he would allow Abrianna to manage her own affairs that evening. Still, it wasn’t easy.

  She can’t understand that there are a great many people like Welby who seem destined to take advantage of others. Abrianna just assumes that everyone has goodness inside them, and no matter how deep that might be hidden, she is determined to find it. Even in the case of Mr. Welby.

  The music ended and the orchestra took a brief intermission. Wade led Miss Poisie back to the refreshment table and gave her a slight bow. “Would you care for refreshments, Miss Poisie? Perhaps some punch?”

  “Yes, that would be quite satisfying,” she replied. Wade quickly took up a cup offered by one of the newer bridal students and handed it to Miss Poisie.

  “Oh look,” she declared, “Miss Fulcher’s parents have arrived. I believe I will go and greet them.” She padded off across the room, punch in hand, to welcome the newcomers.

  Wade watched as Lenore quickly crossed the room to hug her mother. She beamed smiles upon each person as she introduced her parents to Kolbein’s sister and brother-in-law.

  “Doesn’t she look absolutely radiant?” Abrianna asked, coming alongside him.

  “She does, but then so do you.”

  For once Abrianna didn’t correct him. “Thank you. You look nicely done up yourself.”

  Wade touched the collar of his suit coat. “Thanks to the secondhand store.”

  “You look quite fine,” she said, turning her attention back to Lenore. “You will look perfect tomorrow at the wedding.”

  “I must say I didn’t expect Kolbein to ask me to stand up with him.”

  “It isn’t so strange,” Abrianna countered. “You have been a good friend to him here in Seattle. I think he appreciates all you did to help look for Greta. I know I do. At first you feared he was a scallywag. It was a relief to see that even a man from Chicago could turn out to be an asset and a friend.”

  Wade started to comment, but just then Priam Welby interrupted their conversation. “I do hope you won’t keep her all to yourself, Mr. Ackerman. I find that Miss Cunningham is the best dancer here.”

  “Oh, hardly that,” Abrianna protested. “It’s true I’ve had a great deal of practice in all my years of living in the bridal school. It would have been impossible to avoid dancing lessons. However, my skills are minimal, at best. There are far better dancers in this company. Not only that, but Mr. Ackerman is not keeping me. Keeping me would suggest I’m unable to keep myself, and that simply isn’t the case. I am, of course, influenced by Mr. Ackerman’s suggestions for my welfare, but no more so than I am of my aunts’ directions.”

  “Which often is very little,” Wade said with a chuckle. “I doubt anyone will ever ‘keep’ Abrianna.”

  “Perhaps she’s not met the right man to do the job,” Welby said, further irritating Wade with a suggestive smirk.

  Wade wasn’t to be outdone, however. He fixed Welby with a knowing look. “I don’t believe Miss Cunningham has yet met a man who deserves her.”

  The musicians started tuning up again, and Wade offered Abrianna his hand. “Would you care to join me on the floor?”

  She surprised him by refusing. “I believe I’m done with dancing.” She
fanned herself for a moment. “Oh, look. Lenore is going to dance with her father.”

  Wade heard something akin to longing, perhaps regret, in Abrianna’s voice. Was she once again missing the father she’d never known? He wanted to say something to encourage her, but what could he offer as solace?

  Miss Poisie rejoined them and offered her thoughts. “I find that it’s always touching to watch a father and daughter share a dance. I remember once dancing with my beloved father.” She didn’t seem to notice the change in Abrianna’s countenance, but Wade did.

  Reaching over, Wade gave Abrianna’s hand a squeeze. “Would you care for something to drink? You seem to have gotten overly warm.”

  She looked at him with an expression of appreciation. “Perhaps we could get some air.”

  Wade nodded. “I think I can arrange that.” In that moment he would have done most anything Abrianna asked of him. He hated that she was once again reminded of all she did not have.

  “I’m so glad that you and Mother came to the ball,” Lenore told her father as they danced.

  “Well, it hardly seemed I could refuse your request. After all, you will wed tomorrow and then be my little girl no longer.”

  “Oh, Father, I will always be your little girl,” Lenore said, beaming at him. “Have you and Mother given any more thought to taking a trip to Europe?”

  “We have discussed it at length,” he replied, “but nothing will be decided until after we get you wed.” He faltered in his step but corrected it before causing them both to misstep. “I’m afraid it’s been a while since I danced.”

  “You’re doing fine, Father.” Lenore could see Kolbein dancing with her mother. “And Mother and Kolbein seem to be in perfect step.”

  Father smiled. “They do seem quite adept. It would seem your young man has won her over.”