Truth and Circumstances

by Myrna Parks

  Two minutes later, Beth sauntered back into the building with a smile on her face and a foolproof disguise tucked safely inside her handbag. For the remainder of her day, throughout her solitary lunch and all during her afternoon sessions, Beth felt as lighthearted as a chimpanzee sniffing superglue.

  A few minutes past five o’clock, Beth spotted Carter walking toward her. He was wearing the smile, which seemed to be on the verge of laughing. She could feel her heart begin to flutter at the sight of his handsome face and decided it was time to pull in the reins. I’m here for one purpose and one purpose only.

  “Well, I see you have a bloom in your cheeks and smile on your lips.” Reaching for her briefcase, he asked, “You didn’t by any chance meet up with anyone famous today?”

  Beth shook her head with a self-conscious laugh. They walked side-by-side out the door. Under her breath she muttered, “No. But I have great hopes for tomorrow.”

  Chapter Nine

  The car moved slowly up the winding tree-lined driveway. Carter noticed a catering truck driving around toward the back of the house.

  “I see things are underway for the party,” Beth commented dryly.

  “This is a catered affair? I thought you said ‘a small dinner party.’”

  “Father likes to entertain in style, regardless of the size of the guest list. We can expect tables set up on the terrace and an orchestra in the arbor.”

  “And wouldn’t you know it! I left my tux at home.”

  “Don’t worry. Some of the younger men usually dress in casual attire.”

  Carter shot Beth a doubtful look. He had been joking about the formalwear. One linen sports coat was all he had brought with him. He wondered if that would do.

  Upstairs, Beth kicked off her shoes. “You go first,” she said, gesturing toward the bathroom.

  Carter gladly obliged.

  An hour later, dressed and waiting for Beth, Carter roamed about the room, studying priceless artwork on the walls, he was once again amazed at the grandeur of the setting in which he currently found himself. Restless, he wandered out onto the balcony that overlooked the back of the house. He leaned over the heavy iron banister. The intricately carved railing supported him as he peered at the magnificent setting below. Graced with giant oak, elm, and sycamore trees in full leaf, and lush green foliage with exotic, white flowers placed strategically around each stone-flagged patio, the area looked calm and serene.

  The heat of the day had faded. Carter found the steady breeze a welcome relief as he listened to the whispers, sighs, and rustlings in the trees. Beneath him, he watched the uniformed caterers place crystal, china, and silver upon crisp, white linen and carefully add artistically arranged flowers in the center of each candlelit table.

  During that brief flickering moment when daylight turns into night, he heard the door open behind him.

  Carter turned.

  Beth, bright and lovely as the first star of twilight, stood in the doorway. His admiration must have shown on his face. She blushed self-consciously. With her hair swept elegantly upwards, the soft curve of her neck and shoulders revealing a shimmer of satiny skin that Carter found surprisingly appealing, she moved toward him.

  In her dusky peach dress, which flowed over sweet curves like an iridescent glove, she came to stand beside him.

  Carter muttered, “You look — lovely.” The sight of her almost knocks the words right out my head.

  “Thank you.”

  Only inches away, he found her sweet fragrance slightly intoxicating. Unconsciously, he leaned toward her, wanting to kiss her in the worst kind of way.

  “So you like the dress?”

  “It suits you perfectly.”

  “This outfit was my birthday present from Alexis.” Beth breathed a sigh. Sounds of an orchestra tuning instruments brought an embarrassed half-smile to her peach-tinted lips. “I suppose we must go.”

  Carter reached for Beth’s hand. Gently he pulled her arm through his with a teasing grin. He said, “Our guests are waiting.”

  ****

  “I envy you.”

  “You envy me?” Beth echoed her sister’s words in a voice that was a combination of disbelief and amusement. She looked at Alexis, with her thick, black hair, full lips, and form-fitting dress the color of sweet lemonade, and saw her sibling as breathtakingly beautiful.

  Beth had to know the reason for Alexis’s comment. “Why would you envy me?”

  Alexis leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table; she cupped her face in both hands. “You and Carter seem made for each other.”

  Beth’s eyes searched for her pseudo-husband. He stood with a cluster of men on the other side of the terrace. Peter, she noticed, was introducing Carter to Uncle Morris, a short, bald hypochondriac Beth usually tried to avoid.

  Beth’s gaze returned to her sister. She could see the envy mirrored in her sister’s lovely brown eyes. She wanted to laugh. To hide her smile, she reached for the crystal goblet in front of her. Tipping its icy contents, she took a long cooling sip of tangy liquid, relishing the irony of the situation. The only time in her life in which she found herself the recipient of Alexis’s envy, and wouldn’t you know it, this was a hoax.

  Beth lightly dabbed her lips, leaving traces of coral on the stiff, white linen. “But Lon adores you,” Beth graciously pointed out.

  Alexis shrugged nonchalantly. “I know.”

  Beth’s pity for her sister evaporated. Alexis took it all for granted.

  Alexis traced circles on the tablecloth with one brightly varnished nail. “I feel uncertain about what I want. Lon is pressuring me for a wedding date. He wants to get married before Christmas. Perhaps I’m experiencing the usual cold feet. Did you feel this way? How long did you and Carter date before you were convinced he was the only man for you?”

  Beth swallowed hard, her eyes darting around the crowded garden. I will not tell a lie. I will not tell a lie.

  Beth frantically searched for a diversion; a way to avoid her sister’s personal and probing questions. Her eyes fastened on Eric and Maggie Pearsall. The couple stood on the logia above Beth, looking around as though searching the crowd for a familiar face.

  “Excuse me, there are our friends.” Beth pushed her chair backward.

  With a sigh of relief, she hurried across the terrace and at the top of the steps, Beth enveloped Maggie in a welcoming hug. Maggie’s hair, teased full and sprayed stiff, brushed against Beth’s cheek. Maggie smelled of hair spray and spicy perfume.

  Maggie’s eager gaze roamed around the surrounding area, taking in the music and elegant scenery. “Thanks for inviting us. I’ve always wanted to see inside one of these grand estates.”

  “This party cost me a mint. Maggie’s been shopping all day.”

  Maggie elbowed her husband. “That is not true. I only shopped half the day.”

  “You look lovely!” Beth said, admiring Maggie’s white silk dress.

  “I found this outfit at one of those upscale consignment shops and plucked it right off a clearance rack underneath another customer’s nose.” When Maggie named the boutique and the designer’s label, Beth gazed in appreciation, deciding she would shop there herself if her book fell through.

  Carter came up the steps behind Beth, placed his hands on Beth’s shoulders, and like a dutiful bridegroom, he dropped a kiss along the curve of her neck. With a playful grin, he said to his friends, “At last, two guests from my side of the family.”

  Beth blushed.

  Eric chuckled.

  “I hope we’re not late?” Maggie quickly inserted.

  “You have plenty of time. Our table’s over there.” Carter pointed to an area on the lower level where Beth could see Lon now seated next to Alexis.

  As she watched Lon drooling over her sister, Beth wondered what she had seen in the lanky non-descript television producer. She marveled that she could ever have imagined herself in love with such a man.

  “Someone pinch me! I cannot believe I’ll be di
ning with Alexis Ashton tonight!” Maggie spoke, sounding awestruck.

  “We have nearly an hour before dinner. I will give you a quick tour of the house, if you like,” Beth offered.

  Maggie appeared thrilled. Beth was glad of an excuse to move away from Carter’s disturbing clasp of feigned intimacy.

  The two young women wandered through the downstairs, with Beth pointing out historic items of interest, mostly lagging behind and allowing Maggie to explore and ask questions on her own.

  As Maggie studied an intricate sculpture, Beth contemplated her dilemma. Ever since that early morning kiss, Beth found each touch, each smile, even Carter’s nearness an endless assault on her senses. This will all be over in a few days, she kept telling herself. He lives thousands of miles away. He has apologized for the kiss, making it perfectly clear he is not interested.

  Twenty minutes later, Beth lingered in the hallway, waiting for Maggie to return from the powder room. She saw Carter walking toward her. In his cool summer suit and smooth-shaven face, he looked disturbingly handsome.

  “Where’s Maggie?” Carter leaned his arm on the wall beside Beth.

  His nearness caused her skin to tingle and her breath to quiver. He was so close she could feel his breath brushing against her cheek. Weakly, Beth pressed herself against the wall, motioning to the door beside her in answer to his question.

  “I introduced Eric to one of your dad’s friends who’s looking for a good architect. I thought it might be mutually beneficial,” Carter said.

  Beth nodded and smiled but remained silent.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You look tired.”

  “Do I?”

  “Do you have another headache? Can I get you something?”

  His genuine concern brought a strange lump to her throat. Beth looked away.

  “Hey, what’s happened?” He touched her chin, gently pulling her face around. He looked straight into her eyes.

  Beth swallowed hard, trying desperately not to let him see how affected she was. When his thumb brushed against her cheek, every warning signal in her heart evaporated like a cool mist in the warm morning sun. Carter leaned over her. Beth closed her eyes, lifted her face upwards, her lips soft and waiting...

  With a jolt, the powder room door burst opened, bumping Beth into consciousness.

  Maggie giggled. “Sorry.”

  Carter pulled away. Beth saw the flicker of relief that shadowed his eyes.

  “I came to fetch you two. Dinner is now being served,” Carter said.

  Beth turned on her heels. She walked rapidly away with her head held high and a stabbing pain shooting straight through her heart.

  ****

  From the very first bite of the warm, spicy prawns to the last tidbit of veal chop seasoned with mushrooms, thyme, and rosemary, Carter knew he would never regret saying “yes” to this party. He savored each mouth-watering moment of roasted baby eggplant, hot buttered potatoes, and asparagus tips in lemon cream. Chewing slowly, he swallowed reluctantly and listened with a satisfied expression to the lively conversation around him, Peter describing his last race to Eric, Lon, and Alexis, enthralling Maggie with stories of their most memorable celebrity interviews. Beth, Carter noticed, smiled a lot but remained quiet and unusually subdued.

  When Carter finished the last marvelous crumb of raspberry torte, he laid his fork down with a contented sigh and turned his attention to Beth. He draped his arm along the back of her chair, and with one hand on her shoulder, Carter absentmindedly began to make slow circles with his thumb on her smooth, bare shoulder. Beth remained motionless for a time, and then suddenly, she angled her head sideways and gave him a look of unconcealed impatience that could wilt a cactus.

  Carter drew back. What happened? Had he done something wrong? He tried to imagine what she was thinking. Her change in attitude mystified him. Had he been mistaken earlier?

  Catherine Ashton, dressed in swishy layers of pink lace, floated by.

  “Mother,” Beth called.

  Mrs. Ashton paused, her delicate features tilting in a rapturous smile. In her sweet southern voice, she said, “Yes, dear?”

  “Mrs. Pearsall has expressed a desire to see the remainder of the house. Would you come with us? You are a much better guide than I.”

  “Why, it’d be my pleasha.”

  Beth scooted back from the table. Carter watched her retreating figure, wondering if males and females were really born on the same planet. Exasperated, he glanced at Eric. “I feel like stretching my legs. Care to join me?”

  When the men had walked some distance across the neatly-clipped lawns, through expertly sculptured shrubbery, Eric queried, “What gives?”

  “I will never understand women.”

  Eric threw back his head and laughed with genuine mirth. “Now, you really do sound like a newlywed.”

  “That’s the problem.”

  “Yes —”

  Carter ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. Puzzled and confused, he said, “Until a few moments ago, I thought I might have a chance for an authentic honeymoon with Bethany Ashton!”

  Chapter Ten

  “Carter!” Eric exclaimed. “You cannot be serious!”

  “I’m as serious as a bucktooth beaver in a petrified forest.”

  “You would contemplate marriage with a girl you met only three days ago?”

  “Long distance courtships may be difficult. They’re not impossible.”

  “I have never known you to be this impetuous before.”

  “I’ve never encountered anyone like Beth before.” Carter’s eyes crinkled into a smile as he spoke with pride in his voice. “She is the most unique, impulsive, one-of-a-kind individual I have ever met.”

  The two men walked side by side over the flagged sidewalk. Carter wondered what he could say to prove to his friend that he was not crazy. In the moon-washed groves of distant trees, listening to the sound of their footsteps echoing softly upon the paved walkway, at last, with a wistful sigh, Carter confessed, “I’ve fallen heart-over-head in love with this girl.”

  Eric’s head moved slowly from side to side, his hair brushing against his shoulders as he shook his head in disbelief. “How can you be so certain?”

  “In the past, whenever I found myself drawn toward a particular female, I’ve always held back. With Beth, however, I feel different. I believe my life would be empty and meaningless without her.”

  “What makes her so special?”

  Carter grinned in the darkness. “You mean besides her self-conscious smile, harebrained ideas, the intensity of her feelings, and her instant conversion into cowardice whenever she is with her family?”

  “Sounds complicated to me.” Eric’s eyebrows dipped in concern. “Do you think Beth feels the same way about you?”

  “I thought so — but now, I don’t know. Lost in the moment, I almost exposed my true feelings to her a little while ago. If Maggie hadn’t made a sudden entrance—”

  “Would it matter? I mean, if you are planning to propose anyway?”

  “If I tell Beth that I love her and if she should respond in kind.” Carter chuckled softly. “I don’t believe anything could keep me on the other side of that bedroom barrier.”

  “Ah,” Eric sympathized. “I see your point.”

  Carter stopped when he spied a garden bench. The two friends sat down. Carter’s mind recaptured the memory of Beth in the hallway, waiting for his kiss.

  Eric nudged him. “You look like a fool in love!”

  “I am. And besides the obvious fact that I love Beth, I just realized that if I don’t marry the girl, I’ll be forced to return the convertible her parents insist on giving us as a wedding present.”

  Eric chuckled. “That seals it. No man in his right mind would willingly give up a MPI4000!”

  “There are many things I love about Bethany Ashton, but money isn’t one of them.”

  ****

  Beth lay st
ill in the darkness. She could hear Carter’s breathing, slow and steady on the other side of the bed. Unable to sleep, her mind spinning, torn between tonight’s painful rejection and tomorrow’s daring scheme, she resolved to remain more distant and guarded in the future. Since he always seemed to find everything and everyone amusing, she wouldn’t tell Carter about her idea. She would remain focused on her reason for coming to Sacramento.

  Tomorrow was Thursday. Time slipped away like water through a mesh screen. Over and over in her mind, Beth went through each detail of her newly hatched plan, trying to imagine every possible circumstance, until at last she could feel herself drifting drowsily into that space between slumber and sleep.

  Just at the moment when consciousness crumbles, she felt the bed shake and heard a heavy thud as Carter’s feet hurriedly hit the floor, followed by sounds of the bathroom door banging shut. What’s going on? Unable to regain her prior sense of serenity, Beth glanced at the bedside clock. The luminous dial showed 2:42 a.m. She waited for several long minutes. When Carter did not return, she slipped from the bed.

  Donning her robe, Beth stepped into her slippers. She walked to the bathroom and stood outside the door, pressing her ear to the panel. She heard sounds of violent retching coming from inside, followed by a low groaning sound.

  Concerned, Beth tapped on the door, calling out in a low soft tone, “Carter, are you all right?”

  When she received no answer, Beth tried the knob. The handle turned easily in her hand. Beth gulped in air, and pushed open the door. In the dim lighting, she saw Carter lying on the floor with his head in both hands, groaning softly.

  Beth moved forward. “Carter, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  “Do I look okay?” He moaned and then made a sudden lurch toward the toilet-bowl.

  Beth moved to retrieve a washcloth from the shelf. She held the square underneath a stream of cold tap water and then waited until Carter returned to the floor. She went to him, knelt down, and pressed the cool damp cloth to his heated cheeks and forehead, as he lay curled on his side by the toilet, his eyes closed, his lips colorless.