by Jen Turano
“Interested in you?”
Millie blinked. “I don’t know if I’d go that far, but he has been nice, but . . . I suppose that’s just his nature.”
“Everett is nice, but he’s not that nice, and he is interested in you. He’s just been fighting that interest.”
“That makes me feel so much better.”
Lucetta smiled down at Millie. “He’s your Mr. Darcy.”
“That’s just a fairy tale, Lucetta. Real gentlemen don’t put their social position in jeopardy because they’ve fallen for someone not of their station.”
“Oliver fell for Harriet.”
“Since she turned out to have a fairly illustrious ancestry, that’s probably not the best example to use.” Millie’s shoulders sagged. “Did I ever tell you that I went back to the orphanage I was raised in a few years ago?”
“I don’t recall you ever mentioning that to me.”
“I was hoping, you see, to find out more about my parents, hoping to find out I had a few siblings here or there, but . . . no one could find any record of me having been raised there at all. Since I’m not even sure my surname really is Longfellow, I’ll never find a real family like Harriet did.”
“I’m your family, Millie. I’ve been your sister since the moment we met.”
Tears blinded her once again, and she didn’t bother to wipe them off her cheeks when they slipped out of her eyes. “That’s lovely of you to say, Lucetta, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m missing the whole proper pedigree business that’s essential in Everett’s world.”
Sitting beside her on the bench, Lucetta took her hand. Music from the orchestra began spilling out of the open windows moments later, and for a long while, they simply sat and listened to it.
Finally drawing in a shuddering breath, Millie patted Lucetta’s hand and was about to go see where the children were when Davis, dressed in a smart set of formal livery, came out on the terrace, carrying one end of a table while Johnson, another footman, carried the other. Sending Millie a grin, Davis deposited the table off to the side, then nodded to some maids who’d followed him, maids who seemed to be holding table linens, cutlery, and dinnerware in their hands.
“Good heavens. What’s all this?” Millie asked, rising to her feet as the maids went about the business of setting up the table.
“Mrs. Mulberry thought it might be pleasant for the two of you, and the children as well, to enjoy dinner out here on the terrace,” Davis said. “Dinner won’t be served for hours yet, but since all the guests are getting ready for the cotillion dances to begin, our services won’t be missed right now.”
“How kind of Mrs. Mulberry to realize the children would be more comfortable out here,” Millie said softly.
“Indeed,” Davis said right as Elizabeth, Rose, and Thaddeus ran out on the terrace again and sent Millie grins.
“Miss Dixon’s done with us,” Thaddeus proclaimed in clear delight. “We came back here to do some dancing even though Elizabeth might have wanted to watch that cotill . . . whatever it’s called.”
“Cotillion,” Elizabeth supplied. “And I did want to watch it since I’m not really sure what it’s all about.”
Lucetta rose from the bench and walked over to Elizabeth’s side. “A cotillion is a special dance, performed by a select group of young ladies and gentlemen, all of whom have spent hours learning the proper steps at a dance academy.”
Elizabeth looked a little wistful. “I sure hope I’ll be able to learn a cotillion dance someday. The ladies all looked beautiful and their partners were very dashing.”
Lucetta shook her head. “You say that now, darling, but once you’ve been forced to practice the same dance over and over and over again, well, it becomes somewhat tedious.”
“You’ve practiced for a cotillion?” Elizabeth asked slowly.
For a second, Lucetta’s eyes clouded, but then she laughed, took hold of Elizabeth’s hand, and twirled her around. “How about if I show you a few simple steps?”
Watching Lucetta twirl Elizabeth around the terrace, Millie wondered once again about her friend’s past, a past Lucetta avoided talking about, but a past Millie knew full well held secrets.
“Do you want to dance with me, Miss Millie?”
Shaking out of her thoughts, Millie grinned down at Thaddeus, who was holding his little arm out to her. Unable to resist his sweet offer, she bent down and took the arm, laughing in delight as they shuffled around the terrace, completely at odds with the beats of the music pouring out of the windows, but having a grand time nevertheless.
“Someone needs to dance with me,” Rose complained from the sidelines.
Stepping immediately up to her, Davis presented Rose with a bow, and grinning from ear to ear, the little girl dipped into a remarkably fine curtsy, before she threw herself at the footman and he whirled her away.
Time slipped by as they danced to one tune after another, and during a pause in the music, feeling a little breathless, Millie shook her head at Davis, who’d just offered to show her how to waltz.
“I really don’t dance, Davis, but thank you for the offer.”
“I don’t actually know the steps, Miss Millie, but it seems a shame that you and Miss Plum are looking so lovely tonight, but haven’t been given the opportunity to waltz.”
“It’s a shame indeed.”
Millie’s breath left her in a split second as Everett strolled across the terrace, smiling her way and looking remarkably handsome, at least to her, even though his face was still a bit of a disaster. Coming to a stop right in front of her, he nodded to Davis.
“Perhaps you could offer Miss Plum a dance instead?”
Davis’s eyes widened. He leaned closer to Everett and lowered his voice. “Miss Plum scares me, Mr. Mulberry. That’s why I asked Miss Millie. She’s safer.”
“I’m completely safe, Davis,” Lucetta said with a huff before she took the poor man by the arm and grabbed hold of his other hand. “Allow me to teach you the basic steps of the waltz.”
With Davis turning bright red, Lucetta sent Millie a wink and then spun Davis around, not giving the man an opportunity to refuse her demand of a waltz.
“That’ll be something he’ll be able to talk about for years,” Millie said, catching Everett’s eye, which immediately had all the breath leaving her again.
To her confusion, Everett frowned. “I must beg your pardon, Millie. I rather rudely stepped in between you and Davis. It has not escaped my notice that he seems a little . . . keen to be around you, and . . . if you’re, ah, keen to be around him, I won’t stand in your way.”
Millie scrunched up her nose. “Davis has been secretly seeing one of the maids, Ann, for over a year now, so any keenness on his part has probably just been a ruse to hide that relationship. But don’t go letting anyone know about that relationship, and don’t even think about letting either Ann or Davis go from their positions.”
“Since you told me you’re planning to tell Harriet about Davis and his tailoring skills, I have a feeling he won’t be in my employ long, but of course I won’t let him or Ann go.”
“Wonderful, and . . . thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome, and since that’s settled . . . shall we waltz?”
“I should warn you that what we’re about to do will not remotely be considered a waltz, not given my two left feet.”
“We’ll see about that.” Laughter rumbled in Everett’s chest but the rumbling died a sudden death when he pulled her close, his breath fanning her face. “Did I tell you how lovely you look tonight?”
“I don’t believe so,” Millie managed to whisper.
“Well, now you know, and . . . we’re waltzing.”
Millie blinked and realized she was, indeed, gliding over the uneven stones of the terrace, Everett’s strong arm pressing her a little too close for comfort as he steered her around, his steps perfectly timed with the music. A glance over his shoulder found the children clapping their hands, while
Lucetta flashed her a grin as she pushed Davis through the steps of the dance.
“I, ah, couldn’t help noticing that some of your guests seemed to be very friendly with you tonight,” she said after Everett dipped her in his arms, the action sending butterflies fluttering about her stomach.
“Of course they’re friendly, Millie. They’ve been invited to what will surely be deemed the ball of the summer season, and . . . I do hold a bit of power within society.”
“You enjoy that power, don’t you.”
Everett slowed his steps and stared into her eyes. “I’m not that fussed about it anymore.”
“But . . . you’d miss it, wouldn’t you, if that power, or your position within society went away?”
“I think it would be next to impossible for that to happen. I’d have to do something really foolish for society to turn its collective back on me.” Everett pulled her even closer and slowed their steps until they were barely moving. “This is nice.”
Edging a little away from him, she lifted her head and found her breath catching in her throat when his gaze suddenly locked on her lips.
Tingles spread over her entire body even as her knees began to give out, and then . . .
“Everett, there you are. I’ve been searching all over for you.”
Everett’s arm dropped away from her, and when Millie turned, she found Caroline, strangely enough, smiling at them from the edge of the terrace, although there was something odd resting in the woman’s eyes.
Before Millie could get so much as a squeak out of her mouth, Caroline turned and let out a laugh. “Doesn’t this just prove how devoted my darling Everett is to his wards? Why, little Elizabeth wanted to see how a proper dance was done, so what does my Everett do? Shows her by teaching . . . the nanny.”
The last two words sounded somewhat forced, but Millie didn’t dwell on that, not since she was being faced with what looked to be all two hundred of Caroline’s guests, all of whom had assembled on the back lawn, and all of whom were watching her with rather daunting expressions on their faces.
A gentleman Millie recognized as Mr. Dudley Codman stepped out of the crowd, and a mere moment later he was standing right beside them, a smile on his face but anger in his eyes. Taking hold of Everett’s arm, he let out a hearty laugh.
“Caroline has decided, since your guests are so curious, to hand out the pails sooner than expected. Since this is your ball, and you provided your guests with the treasures inside those pails, well, you should be present when your guests are given their pails.” Dudley lowered his voice. “Do not even think about declining, Everett. You’re walking a fine line here, and embarrassing Caroline in the process. This is her night, remember that.”
For a moment, Everett looked as if he wanted to argue that point, but then nodded to Caroline. “Shall we attend to our guests?”
Caroline smiled far too sweetly back at him. “I need to have a little word with the nanny first, but then I’ll join you.”
The hair on Millie’s neck stood to attention.
Everett shook his head. “I don’t believe that’s necessary.”
“I wasn’t asking your permission, Everett.”
Looking back to the crowd that seemed to be edging closer, Millie squared her shoulders. “I’ll be fine. You should go see to your guests.”
“I don’t think I should leave you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Everett. I’m not going to do anything to her.” Caroline smiled. “If you must know, I need the help of the children for an extra little surprise I’ve planned for later on this evening, and need to talk to their nanny about it. We’ll only be a short time.”
“We’ll be fine,” Millie told him again.
“I’ll walk with you, shall I?” Dudley asked as he practically pushed Everett forward. Thankfully, once Everett began walking through the crowd, that crowd turned and followed him back into the house.
“It’s amazing how cooperative people can be when there’s the added lure of treasure,” Caroline drawled before she set her sights on the children. “I need the three of you to go up to Elizabeth’s room, and do not leave that room until I come to fetch you.”
“I’m not comfortable having them out of my sight,” Millie said slowly.
“They’ll be less than comfortable if you keep them out here, especially since I have a few things to say to you that might not be appropriate for . . . tender ears.”
Lucetta stepped forward. “Millie doesn’t have to listen to anything you feel you need to say.”
“Shut . . . up.”
Millie caught Elizabeth’s eye. “Darling, I need you to take your brother and sister to your room for just a little bit. I’ll join you as soon as I’m able.”
Looking close to tears, Elizabeth nodded, took hold of Rose and Thaddeus’s hands, and hurried across the terrace and out of sight.
“Horrible creatures,” Caroline muttered before she turned and set her sights on Millie again. “Now, you and I, my dear, need to come to an understanding.”
“An understanding?”
“Exactly.” Caroline lifted her chin. “You must find Everett’s interest in you very romantic, but surely you must know that he’ll end up with me in the end. He’s a tried-and-true gentleman at heart, raised to adhere to the rules of society, no matter what those rules demand of him. Because of that, he certainly won’t deny me, especially in front of the highest members of society, what he’s been promising for years.”
Millie drew in a breath. “You’re going to go through with announcing your engagement tonight.”
“Of course I am, in fact . . .” She lifted her hand, fumbled with the clasp of a small reticule that was looped around her wrist, then pulled out a box. “This is the ring I’ll be wearing by the end of this night. It’s an engagement ring I picked out, and an engagement ring that will soon be joined by a wedding band.”
“Everett didn’t mention anything about a ring he was going to give you tonight,” Lucetta said. “And why would you be holding on to it?”
Caroline ignored Lucetta, keeping her attention squarely centered on Millie, who was beginning to feel a little queasy. “You didn’t think he was going to throw everything away for you, did you?” She had the audacity to laugh. “He may be overly fond of you, my dear, but gentlemen like Everett don’t marry the women they’re fond of . . . they amuse themselves with them for a bit, then move on to the next amusement.”
Lucetta’s lips curled into a snarl. “Everett doesn’t think of Millie as an amusement.”
“Shut . . . up.” Caroline turned her gaze back on Millie. “It pains me, it truly does, to see that hurt on your face, dear, but you’re not good enough for Everett, and since you seem somewhat intelligent, you must realize that.” She let out a sigh. “He was coming out here to tell you of our upcoming engagement, but . . . being a man, he apparently decided to cushion the blow by dancing with you first, something that was not well done on his part since it, I believe, allowed you false hope.”
“You would have me believe that Everett came out here to tell me about his upcoming engagement, and then . . . decided to waltz with me to cushion the blow?”
“Society gentlemen do rather odd things at times, my dear, but . . . allow me to spare both of us any further drama. This is my ball, Everett has made promises to me that I expect him to honor, and it is past time you took your leave.”
For a second, tears blinded her, but then Millie drew in a breath and squared her shoulders. “I can’t leave the children.”
“Do you honestly want to stay and watch Everett and me become engaged, because believe me, dear girl, given your obvious affection for the man, it won’t be pleasant for you.” She smiled. “As for the children, I really am intending to have them help me with a bit of an extra surprise I’ve arranged. I’ll either have a maid see them settled tonight here at Seaview, or, if they turn difficult, I’ll send them home with Abigail. But, they’re not your responsibility, my dear, no matter how much y
ou wish they were, and—just so we’re clear—as of this moment, you may consider yourself dismissed from your position.”
With that, Caroline reached up and patted Millie’s cheek, before she headed for the cottage and vanished from sight.
Tears blinded Millie once again and she could barely see Lucetta’s face when her friend came up beside her. “Are you all right?”
“Do you really think they’re going to go through with their engagement tonight?”
Lucetta bit her lip. “I’d love to be able to say with certainty that she was lying, but . . . members of society are different from us. Because of that, I can’t know for sure if Everett would be willing to risk his position in that society by not going through with the promises he apparently made Caroline.”
Millie’s shoulders drooped. “I thought . . . Well . . . it no longer matters what I thought, but . . . I need to get out of here.”
“I’ll bring the buggy around,” Davis said, stepping out of the shadows and looking uncharacteristically solemn as he nodded to Millie and then walked away.
“I’m not at ease leaving the children, though,” Millie whispered.
Lucetta rubbed a soothing hand down Millie’s arm. “Don’t worry about them. I’ll find Abigail, tell her what happened, and then I’ll stay with the children.”
“That’s a lot to ask of you.”
“It’s not.” Taking Millie by the hand, Lucetta smiled a rather sad sort of smile. “I’m sorry, Millie. I was hoping things would turn out differently.”
Millie straightened her spine. “As was I, if I’m being completely honest. But, if nothing else, I’ve finally seen exactly how ill-suited Everett and I are for each other. I may still find him incredibly appealing—especially since I’ve discovered he’s not nearly as insufferable as I used to think—but I need to face reality. He’s not my Mr. Darcy, no matter how much I might have tried to convince myself he was, and I need to accept that and move forward with my life—a life that does not include Mr. Everett Mulberry.”
18
Anxiety settled in and refused to disperse the longer Caroline was absent from the ball. Nodding distractedly at a lady who was thanking him for the jeweled bracelet she’d found in her pail, Everett made his way across the crowded hallway, dodging numerous guests who’d brought their pails out there, probably in the hopes of finding a bit of room to enjoy their treasure hunting since the ballroom was a true crush. Spotting his mother beside an ornate fountain Miss Pickenpaugh had positioned right in front of a window, Everett headed her way.