by A.J. Dixon
Chapter 4
Sorcha could barely breathe as Johnny stopped alongside his father. Lady Davenport gracefully drew a hand in Sorcha’s direction. “Jonathan, my dear, I’d like you to meet Miss McClintock. She and her mother, Mrs. McClintock, are visiting us from Edinburgh.”
Johnny’s lips curved into a knowing smile, and he put out his hand. Sorcha’s heart pounded against her ribs –
Before Sorcha could move, her mother had stepped between the two, placing her own hand into his with a bright laugh.
“Master McClintock, it is so good to see you again. I’ve heard so much about your latest adventures from dearest Lydia! Such admirable pursuits. I’m sure you don’t remember me, but I did spend quite a bit of time in your household when you were … ”
She flushed and rearranged her sentence with quick agility. “When you were a bit younger. But let’s talk about the present. Come, do show me around your fine home! I must see every single corner of this fantastic place of yours.”
She tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led him off toward the piano room.
Tension wrapped like a snake around Sorcha’s heart. She knew she should be used to her mother’s behavior by now. She had lived with it for every day of her life. But for her mother to do that today – with Jonathan – stretched her forbearance to its breaking point.
The party swirled around her. The Davenports were called away by another group of arriving guests. Florentia and her friends giggled and whispered, enjoying the adventure of the evening. Sorcha felt as if all of it were a distant scene, one taking place far, far away.
The darkness swirled and coiled, threatening to smother her.
A glittering voice came in her ear, the smooth elegance of a harp’s strings, pulling her back to the present. “Jonathan’s like that, you know. Catches the eye of every woman in the room.” There was a glissando of laughter. “Not to worry, my dear. Soon he’ll be all mine, and I’ll be sure to keep him on a tight leash.”
Sorcha turned to the speaker. The woman was about her age, with pale blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Her dress was absolutely stunning – a rich ivory color with translucent layers that made it seem she was tenderly swathed in clouds. A rose made of shimmering moonstone nestled in her cleavage.
The woman drew her eyes down Sorcha’s much simpler dress. “You must be Sorcha, the Scotswoman,” she mused. “I’m Julia, one of Lydia’s two daughters. The younger one, of course. My older sister’s over there.”
She nudged her head to the right.
Sorcha followed her gaze. Indeed, a matching blonde woman stood by the mantle with a portly man in his fifties. Her wide eyes were vacant and passive. One hand rested idly in the crook of the man’s arm.
“Oh, is that your father she’s with?”
Julia’s laugh was a bright portamento of tones. “Father? Oh, my, no! That is her husband, Percy, the Earl of Dover. They married about three years ago. Blissfully happy.” Her fingers moved idly to the necklace at her breast. “He gave me this small bauble in thanks. I admit that I had a minor something to do with swaying my sister to accept his suit.”
Sorcha looked over the pair. The Earl of Dover certainly seemed content – almost smug. In comparison, his young wife seemed fairly oblivious of what was going on around her. She simply waited at his side to see when she was needed next.
Maybe, to her, that was a form of happiness.
Florentia abandoned her two friends and bounced over to Sorcha’s side. Her dark curls playfully sprung from her bun as she moved, and her eyes glowed with interest. “There you are! You must be the Scottish lady!” she announced gleefully. “Now, tell me, is it true what my tutor says? That everyone in Scotland steals cattle, the men all wear dresses, and the women say och in every sentence?”
Sorcha smiled at the young woman’s honest exuberance. “Och, I’m afraid I canna say that’s true, lass.”
Florentia squealed in delight. “You do! You do talk like that!” She clapped her hands together in glee, looking up at Sorcha with large eyes. “Please, please, say something that makes your Rs roll.”
Sorcha grinned. It was hard to resist the young girl’s request. “All right, then. How about lang may yer lum reek!”
Florentia’s eyes went round, and her voice was a whispered hush. “Your lum rrrreek? What in the world does that mean?”
A warm voice sounded from over Sorcha’s shoulder. “It means your house’s chimney should have smoke. That you should enjoy a life which is happy and content.”
Sorcha turned and gazed up into those deep amber eyes. She could see it all too clearly. A cozy cottage nestled in the Scottish highlands. A warm peat fire glowing in the fireplace. Her in a beautiful, embroidered dress of deepest crimson. Jonathan standing before her, his strong hands holding hers.
And he would bring his lips down –
Florentia’s giggle snapped her back to reality. She nudged her brother in his side. “There you are at last, you big oaf. Just like you to go off hiding from everyone who has come to see you at your own birthday party.”
Johnny grinned fondly at his little sister. “All right, Florentia, how about when you turned eight and nobody could find you? As I recall, it turns out you were in the stables with that new pony of yours, carefully braiding its mane with lavender and pink ribbons.”
She giggled. “You always bring that up. But I know that when you found me, you didn’t tell the others where I was. You let me enjoy my day in peace.” Her cheeks tinted pink. “You even went to fetch me some of my own birthday cake, so I didn’t miss out on it.”
He smiled. “Well, you were awfully cute back then. It was hard to resist you when you begged me so sweetly.”
Florentia spun in a delicate circle. “And how about now?”
Johnny nodded in approval, his gaze warm. “Now, my dearest Florentia, you are a beautiful young lady.” His voice lowered, and rich emotion came into his face. “I could not be more proud of you, Florie.”
She stepped to him and drew him into a warm hug. Her voice grew rough. “And you’re the best brother a girl could have, Johnny.”
She glanced over at Sorcha, blushing, and stepped back. “I’m sorry, Sorcha. We’re not good with this public behavior.”
Sorcha smiled at her. “Please, don’t mind me. It must be wonderful to have a brother who cares for you so much.”
Florentia blinked. “What, you mean you don’t have any brothers or sisters? You’re all alone?”
Sorcha felt the shadows sliding in at her, and she shook them off. “It’s just the way things ended up, I suppose. My father is always out on seafaring business of some sort or another.” She gave a wry shrug. “I suppose they’re lucky they even have me.”
Florentia turned back to Johnny and gave him a playful slap on the shoulder. “You lout! You should have married Theodosia back when you could, Johnny. Her mom and Sorcha’s mom are related. Then we could have all been one big family, and maybe Sorcha would have visited before now!”
Jonathan glanced over to the blonde with her elderly husband by the mantle. His eyes held gentle amusement. “Theodosia is quite content with her husband,” he pointed out. “She is happy where she is.”
His voice grew quiet. “And, besides, I think she is a bit too … placid … for me.”
Florentia giggled. “You are definitely not placid, Johnny! I guess you need a woman with more of an eye to adventure!”
Johnny turned to look at Sorcha, a glint of amusement in his eye.
Her heart stopped, and for a moment -
There was a shimmering of movement behind him – of blonde hair and dangling diamonds. Julia slipped her hand into the crook of Jonathan’s arm. “Ah, Jonathan. You were wise not to tie yourself to that bland shadow-of-a-woman Theodosia. You were right to hold out against our mothers’ wishes.”
She eased her body closer to his. “It seemed the both of those women had been pressuring you into that match since the day Theodosia was born.” Her
eyes flashed. “But you knew that marriage wasn’t right for you. I admire that in you. You aim to set your own destiny.”
His eyes twinkled, and he glanced over at Sorcha. “I do indeed.”
A hint of icy chill traced through Julia’s gaze, and the smile on her lips became brittle. “Well, then, let us greet your guests properly. There are still a number of them to meet before the evening truly gets underway.”
She gave a satisfied nod in the direction of Sorcha. Then Julia and Johnny sunk into the sea of people.
They were lost.