"There's not much trapping needed," Roberta said. "The boys have been falling over themselves to get next to us."
"That's here, in the mansion," Amelia said. "What's going to happen now that they've left? Will they retain those feeling once they're back at school, or will they begin having second doubts about romantic involvements? Look how Jeremy just threw me over. They're all from wealthy families, and may not desire the responsibility of marriage just yet."
"Boys are boys," Roberta said. "Whether in our time or this, they probably only have one thing on their minds. They can't help it. Their hormones are pressuring them to reproduce. If they want us, they'll have to marry us first. No free samples."
"Roberta, you're so crude at times," Martha said.
Despite her frequently lame jokes, Roberta had a good mind. As Renee, she had hoped for a career as a chemist. There was little chance for that now, and she was feeling some bitterness as a result. "I'm just telling it like it is, dear. I don't like the idea of using sex as a lever to get what we need anymore than you do, but if we must rely on men for everything, we have no choice."
"At least we can feel confident that they'll have as much trouble getting sex from most other women in this time," Elizabeth said. "Unless they turn to prostitutes they'll probably experience the frustration of celibacy until they marry. No wonder people married so young in this century."
"Amelia already told me that Tad will propose," Martha said cheerfully. "I can't wait until he sees me in my bridesmaid gown. It's absolutely beautiful. Maybe he'll ask me that same day."
Depressed about being unable to return to the future, and even more depressed about not being able to get Martha away from this era, Amelia tried to put it behind her for now as the discussion about the boys and marriage plans became the main topic. Her friends had made a conscious decision to stay, even if they were offered an opportunity to return, but she'd felt certain she could convince Martha to go if the spirits provided the means. The new revelation about rekindling memories was proof that the spirits were not only not helping, they were actively and subliminally undermining her efforts. The acceptance by the girls of their new bodies, their complacency with the current situation, and their contentment with prospects for their future lives, had to be directly tied to the strengthened memories of the dead girls that they were all experiencing. She had herself begun to contemplate spending her life with Jeremy, but with those hopes now dashed, and possibly no way to return home, what was left for her now?
* * *
Chapter Ten
By Monday noon, only Anne's cousin Beverly and her parents remained from among the many guests that had come for the engagement party, other than Martha, Elizabeth, Roberta, and Amelia. A seamstress would be coming on Tuesday to handle the final fittings for the bridesmaid dresses made from previous measurements and fittings.
Amelia finally had an opportunity to speak privately with Anne after lunch. At Amelia's urging they found an empty parlor for the conversation.
"Anne, how could you have withheld such news from me?" Amelia asked.
"What news, dear?"
"You arranged a reconciliation between Jeremy and myself last week, never informing me that he was already engaged to be married. It would have been far better if we had remained apart."
"Engaged?" Anne said incredulously. "Jeremy?"
"To Miss Stemple of Philadelphia."
"This is the first I've heard of it! To Margaret Stemple you say?"
"Didn't you notice that he never left her side on Saturday night, except when he climbed onto the stage to propose the toast?"
"No, I didn't— but then I was a bit preoccupied with other matters all night."
"He never once spoke to me or even looked at me."
"That doesn't sound like my brother at all. I know that he's been absolutely infatuated with you."
"The arrival of his fiancée certainly seems to have dampened his infatuation. Miss Stemple told Patricia that they've been secretly engaged since August. She said that they've only been waiting until he had graduated from college, and you were married, before they announced it formally."
"Amelia, my brother and I have always been very close. When our mother died, we became even closer. He would have told me if he was engaged to Mad Margaret."
"Mad Margaret?"
"That's what I call her. Actually I didn't create the nickname; I think that Tommy Knox came up with that a few years ago."
"Well, it must be love because they haven't come downstairs in two days."
"They can't still be in the house, dear. Jeremy had to be back at school today." Standing, Anne said, "I'm going to ask my father if he knows anything about this."
"I'd rather you didn't. I'm embarrassed by the whole incident. I'd prefer that as few people as possible know how big a fool I've been."
"I cannot believe that Jeremy would get engaged without informing me; and certainly not to Mad Margaret. And if she's telling people they're engaged, my father must know immediately."
Amelia sighed in surrender. "Very well, Anne. Do what you must."
Amelia was reading in the library an hour later when Bitsy located her and informed her that Mr. Westfield was requesting that she visit him in his study. She knew the way, but followed Bitsy to the room at the rear of the mansion where Jeremy had once begged her forgiveness.
"Come in," Mr. Westfield said loudly, in response to Bitsy's knock.
Opening the door, Bitsy stepped into the room and moved aside for Amelia to enter, then curtseyed and stepped outside, pulling the door closed without having uttered a word.
"Come in, my dear," Mr. Westfield said from the sofa that overlooked the rear yard. "Come sit down over here. Would you care for some tea?"
"No, thank you, Mr. Westfield," Amelia replied as she sat down on the opposite end of the sofa. The unpleasant odor of cigar smoke was omnipresent in the room, and probably would be until spring when the terrace doors could be opened and the room aired.
William Westfield took a sip from his cup as he looked at the young woman appraisingly, then placed it down on the table beside him.
"I've been hoping to have an opportunity to talk with you, but business matters, the problems of cleaning up after the storm, and the arrangements that had to be made for the party have kept me pretty busy for the past couple of weeks. At times it seemed like I would never get a chance to relax again."
"I can appreciate the demands that events have placed upon your time recently."
Nodding, Mr. Westfield said, "My children hold you in very high regard, Miss Turner, and I respect their judgments. Anne has spoken of you often, and lately Jeremy can't seem to talk of anything but his admiration for you."
Amelia looked at him without commenting, her only reaction was a single raised eyebrow.
"We had an incident here Saturday evening, which has affected your friendship with my son, and although I fully intended to let him handle the explanations, it seems appropriate that I meddle a little now, given his absence. A wound, if left untended, will fester and worsen. You have been wounded, Miss Turner, and I believe my information might help."
"You're referring to Jeremy's failure to apprise me of his engagement to Miss Stemple?"
"There is no engagement, except in that poor young woman's head. Last year, Jeremy escorted her, twice, to balls in New York City. At the second affair, Margaret made certain suggestive remarks about their relationship, and Jeremy never contacted her again. She refuses to accept the fact that he isn't interested, and writes him once or twice a week. He answered only the first letter, politely informing her that he had no desire for further correspondence or association with her, but she continues to write him. He tells me that with each letter she has magnified the scope of their imagined relationship. Jeremy has twice written to her father, to inform him that he desires no further acquaintance with Margaret, but his letters have apparently had little effect."
"Then, may I ask why was she invited to Anne's engag
ement party?"
"She wasn't! She arrived here uninvited and unannounced! Her family is quite wealthy, and very powerful, so I didn't wish to just refuse her entry. I could imagine what people would say about my turning someone out into the cold, so I allowed her to remain for the party. It was a grievous error. After settling in, she informed Jeremy that if he didn't remain by her side throughout the evening, she would raise such a disturbance that the other guests would flee the house in panic. I didn't feel that we could forcefully remove her at that point without creating the very situation that we were trying to avoid, so Jeremy and I discussed the matter quickly, and I decided that the only solution was to mollify her until we could rid ourselves of her peacefully. Since it all happened so late in the day, he didn't have an opportunity to speak with you first. He had to get next to her, and stay with her, to keep her quiet. We didn't want to run the risk of having Anne's party forever remembered as the day that Margaret Stemple went berserk, rather then as the joyous occasion it was intended to be."
"Why didn't Jeremy say something to me before he left the house?"
"He only got a few hours sleep, and then hurried to catch the first train out. You hadn't yet come down. I made sure that Margaret knew when he was leaving, by having one of the servants let the information slip, and Margaret made sure that she was ready to catch that train as well." Mr. Westfield chuckled. "I don't suppose my son had a very pleasant trip to New Haven yesterday, but it got her out of the house, peacefully. I would hope that he was finally able to convince her that he holds no affection for her, but I expect not. I've written to her father at his office, explaining the situation, and informing him that I didn't appreciate being blackmailed in my own home with threats to cause a disturbance that would interrupt an important social event. I further informed him that she will never again be permitted to enter the house here, regardless of how inclement the weather."
Amelia sat quietly, unsure of what to say, as the memories of Saturday night ran through her head.
"I dislike meddling in the affairs of my children, but after speaking with Anne just now, I felt that some involvement was necessitated on this occasion."
"I'm grateful that you shared this information with me, Mr. Westfield," Amelia said. "I admit that I was feeling quite put out over Jeremy's sudden inattention, considering our close association during the previous week."
"That's entirely understandable, my dear. I hoped that you would understand."
"Is the matter finished then?"
"It won't be finished until Margaret lets it go. If she's anything like her father, I'm afraid that we haven't seen the last of her. You must be prepared for whatever her devious mind can conceive. If she's aware that you and Jeremy have established bonds closer than mere friendship, she may try to disrupt that association, using any means possible. She might spread lies about you that will create a social scandal, or she might even confront you, hoping to frighten you away. I just don't know what that foolish young woman will do when she realizes her actions have further reduced her standing in the eyes of my son."
"Since she's from Philadelphia, and barred from this house, I doubt that our paths will cross again."
"I certainly hope so, Miss Turner, for your sake."
* * *
Everyone withdrew to the parlor near the front entrance, a slightly more intimate room than most of the others on the first floor, following supper on Monday. Mr. Westfield and Beverly's parents retired soon thereafter but the young women stayed up and discussed the wedding plans. Amelia's face didn't register surprise when Anne happened to mention that she was the maid of honor. She'd noticed that her gown was slightly different than those of Martha, Roberta, or Elizabeth, and come to that conclusion a week earlier.
Anne described, in detail, her vision of how the house and grounds would be decorated for the wedding, and then went on to tell of her honeymoon plans. She also talked of the house where she and Gerald would live in Boston. The large home in Beacon Hill had already been purchased, and was to be presented as a wedding gift from his parents.
The seamstress arrived Tuesday morning to begin making the final alterations to the bridesmaid gowns. Since Beverly and her parents planned to leave as soon as her gown was completed, the seamstress worked with her first. Amelia and the others were originally supposed to return home after the fittings, but they had changed those plans and would remain at the mansion for several more weeks. They used the excuse of staying to help Anne with the invitations and other wedding details, but the real reason was the apprehension of meeting the families of the dead girls. Mr. Westfield sent telegrams to each of the girl's parents, notifying them of the extension.
On Friday, Amelia received a long letter from Jeremy. The postmark indicated it had been mailed in New Haven on Monday afternoon. In the letter Jeremy apologized for his inexcusable behavior at the party, and offered an explanation consistent with the story that his father had related to Amelia. Her felicity after reading the letter was apparent to all.
With the completion of the dress alterations, the house settled into a wintertime routine. Oftentimes, weeks and months of close proximity will chafe the nerves of people living in the Snow Belt states, but for the girls, being together at the mansion seemed far preferable to being alone in a strange home with families they didn't know. And in a home as large as the Westfield mansion, it was always possible to find absolute seclusion, if you really wanted it.
Two weeks following the engagement party, the girls received a wonderful surprise when Jeremy, Tad, Donald, and Charles arrived unannounced at the mansion to spend the weekend. Jeremy told Amelia that he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her for even a minute the whole time he was away.
"I've been most distressed that you might not forgive my atrocious behavior on the evening of the party."
"Your father explained the situation on the Monday after the party. I understand why you couldn't escort me that evening. The only thing I don't understand is why you never looked at me once all night."
"I was afraid to. I feared that if I looked upon your face, and our eyes met, I wouldn't be able to prevent myself from rushing to your side. I did permit myself a few glances, later in the evening. You looked so beautiful that it took all my will power to remain with that monster, Mad Margaret. Do you know, she learned what train I was taking and followed me to New Haven? She refused to leave me alone, and took the seat opposite me so she could stare at me for the entire trip. I could only stare at her neck and think how I'd like to wrap my hands around it and squeeze, or perhaps just wring it like a chicken's. When we arrived in New Haven, she followed me right to my apartment. I had to get several of my friends to bar the way or I swear she would have followed me into my rooms."
Amelia giggled at the mental image of several large college boys piling furniture against a door to prevent a persistent Miss Stemple from following Jeremy into his apartment.
"It's not funny, Miss Turner. The woman is a menace. I never did anything more than twice act as her escort to balls, and yet she seems to believe that we're destined to wed."
"She's attractive— and I understand she's quite wealthy. Perhaps you're the first young man who hasn't hopelessly fallen for her charms. Some people only desire what they can't have. Your rejection might be the driving motivation for her actions."
"After what she forced me to put you through, I wish never to see her face nor hear her name again."
"Your father fears that we haven't seen the last of her."
"Yes, we must be very wary. Mad Margaret is extremely devious. And not for a second would she hesitate to spread lies and innuendo that would completely destroy the reputation of anyone who stands in her way. Our one saving grace might be that people have finally begun to notice her unusual behavior and discount much of what she purports to pass off as truth."
Everyone relaxed in the music room after dinner while Tad and Donald provided the evening's entertainment on the harpsichord. Mr. Westfield even broke fro
m his normal evening activity of working in his study to sit with them. It was a delightful evening, quite different from the ultra quiet evenings of the previous two weeks.
The house returned to a place of tranquil conversations and contemplations the next day, following the departure of the boys. Amelia, now satisfied that Jeremy's attentions towards her had been sincere, and not merely the actions of a philanderer, couldn't stop thinking about him in the days that followed. She knew that if it wasn't true love she was feeling, it was as close to that positive emotion of regard and affection that she had ever experienced. The conflict that she had felt before, of wishing to remain but needing to return to the future, once again occupied her thoughts.
Small snow storms continued to coat the surrounding countryside with fresh layers of soft white powder during their stay, but they were nothing like the massive storm that had claimed the lives of the first girls. The bond with Anne became closer with each passing day as the girls talked about their plans for their futures. Amelia was at first hesitant to speak about her relationship with Jeremy, but Anne slowly drew her out. Anne knew in her heart that Amelia felt the same way towards Jeremy as he felt towards her, but was nevertheless delighted when Amelia confirmed it. After that she began calling Amelia sister-in-law, whenever they were alone.
"Stop that, Anne," Amelia said one day when they were in the library looking for a book. "Jeremy hasn't indicated that he intends to propose to me."
"Amelia, really!" Anne responded, turning to face her. "He always looks at you like Cupid has just filled him with an entire quiver of arrows. When you stopped talking to him last month, he acted like he wanted to die. And I think that he might have if you hadn't forgiven him for his weakness in kissing you that once. Whenever he talks with me, and you're in the room, he can't look me in the eye because he's refuses to remove his eyes from you." Pausing for a couple of seconds, Anne asked, "How many letters has he sent to you so far?"
When The Spirit Moves You Page 17