Mercy nodded. “Tea time would serve us well just now. What say you, girls? Would you like to join us and have cakes?”
Bliss’s eyes widened at the thought, while Agnes dropped a very lovely curtsy and said, “Yes, please.”
They proceeded into the formal drawing room and Mercy rang for tea. The Wilson ladies took their places on the powder blue sofa, while Mia chose for herself an eighteenth-century leather chair that she’d often seen Garrett use. For some reason she could nearly feel his arms close around her again as she eased back into the chair. The very idea warmed her cheeks.
“The girls were telling me they had an enjoyable play day with Garrett.”
“Indeed they did. He’s gone off now with George. They are making plans for our Fourth of July celebration. We shall have a wonderful time.”
Mia had never known a time when Fourth of July hadn’t received every bit as much attention and planning as Christmas. Perhaps that was what had so surprised her about her parents’ departure from Philadelphia prior to that festivity. They rarely missed the celebrations.
The tea and cakes arrived, and to her surprise, Mia found herself hungry. She suddenly realized she’d not eaten since breakfast.
“I always look forward to Independence Day,” Mia began. “It’s fun to go from party to party and sample a bit of everything.”
“Oh, I do so agree.” Mercy poured the tea and helped her girls to balance their cups and saucers. “I do fear, however, that with George not feeling as spry as usual, we may be limited in our celebrating.”
“Have the doctors come to any new conclusions?”
“I’m afraid not. I know he’s in pain, but he will not admit to it.” She smiled at her daughters. “Father is a very brave man, is he not, girls?”
They agreed solemnly.
“I have been praying for his recovery,” Mia told Mercy. “I hope it will come soon.”
The sound of someone entering the front door caused Mercy to put a finger to her lips. “We can talk later. We wouldn’t wish to worry Father, would we?”
Mia nodded along with the girls. Mercy had already confided her concerns that her husband was dying. Mia recognized the deep anguish in her eyes at the admission. She realized then how lightly she approached the idea of love. She prayed she’d love with the same commitment and bravery that Mercy possessed.
Garrett entered the drawing room somewhat surprised to find Mia and his family assembled for tea. “Well, it looks as if I came at the right time.”
“Indeed you have. Would you care for some refreshment?” Mercy questioned. She looked beyond Garrett. “Where is your father?”
“I’m afraid he’s quite worn himself out. He’s gone upstairs to rest.”
Mercy put down her cup. “I’ll go to him.” She saw that her daughters were finishing the last crumbs of their cake. “Come along, girls. Let’s go help Father.”
She took the cups and saucers from her daughters and placed them on the serving cart. She bestowed a smile upon Mia and Garrett. “I’m sorry for such a hasty exit, but I know you understand.”
“Of course I do,” Garrett said, though he was actually glad they had chosen to depart. He had wanted to talk to Mia and preferred there be no audience. He pushed back his coattails and took a seat opposite Mia. “I see you have taken my favorite chair,” he teased.
Mia flushed and looked down at her cup. “I would be happy to move.”
“Nonsense. I don’t find it a serious problem; merely an observation.” He reached over and poured himself a cup of tea. “And did you have a good day?”
She took a long sip of her tea before answering. “I did. Thank you for asking. What of you?”
Garrett frowned. “Father was too weak to enjoy the outing. I fear for him, Mia.”
As she met his gaze, he thought her the most beautiful woman in the world. His love for her seemed to grow by the minute, and thoughts of holding her, so soft and warm, in his arms was nearly his undoing. Before last night he’d never known her hair fell down to her hips, nor that her slender frame was as tiny as ever even without the assistance of a corset. And he’d never known that the girl he’d always looked out for in her youth could be the woman he’d want to spend the rest of his life with.
“Mercy knows his strength is failing. I think she believes he’ll soon be gone,” Mia said honestly.
“I’m relieved to know it. I would rather talk frankly about these matters and deal with them without pretense.”
“As would I. I find the way people avoid simple communication to be abominable,” Mia said, placing her cup and saucer on the cart. “I prefer it when people simply speak their minds in open honesty. That’s one of the things I cherish about our friendship.”
Friendship. There was that awful word. How he longed to offer her something more permanent—more intimate—than friendship. Garrett felt his hands tremble and quickly put aside his own cup to avoid her notice.
“So what did you do with yourself today?” he asked.
“Shopping occupied most of my time. I ran across Lydia Frankfort and Abigail Penrose, and we decided that it would do us all good to gather tomorrow for tea and conversation after church.”
“Next Sunday is the Fourth of July,” Garrett said thoughtfully. “Father wants very much for us to enjoy a grand picnic. He’s had his heart set on that, and I’m hoping I might entice you to assist me in planning it.”
“But of course. You know I delight in such things. After all, your family saved me from a hopeless life and an abominable marriage.”
Garrett laughed. “You can’t know for sure that it would have been an abominable marriage.”
Mia’s eyes widened. “Well . . . that is to say . . . to marry anyone I did not love would be abominable. I cannot believe anyone could ever be truly happy, married against their will.”
“Marriage is an important matter to be certain,” Garrett said, doing his best to sound nonchalant. “The good will of both parties should be a matter of consideration.”
“Exactly my thought,” Mia answered softly and looked away.
“And two people should give themselves time to know one another.” Garrett shifted in the chair and added, “Time can only benefit any couple.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Time allows for understanding.”
Garrett thought she seemed almost uncomfortable with their topic, but he wanted to press her further. He had fallen in love with her, and he had to find a way to cause her to fall in love with him as well.
“I personally am very glad you did not go to be arranged in an abominable marriage.” He grinned. “I should have missed you very much had you moved to England.”
“I could never have tolerated leaving Philadelphia. Well, perhaps I could bear to leave this city, but to be so far away from family and friends would have been very difficult indeed.”
“I have thought of leaving Philadelphia,” Garrett admitted, “but there are many things that hold my interest here.”
“And it is a lovely city,” Mia added, glancing up. She quickly turned her attention on the tea. “Would you care for more?” She held up the pot.
“Ah, no. I’m fine. Thank you. I do have something else to discuss with you.”
Mia’s hand shook so hard as she put the teapot down that it rattled quite loudly. She blushed and gave a shrug. “Sorry. I seem to be a bit tense. No doubt it’s just concerns about my family and yours.”
“Well, I say a diversion is called for.”
“A diversion?” She squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. “What kind of diversion?”
“Well, there is a special performance being given at the opera house on Friday. I thought you might accompany me.”
“To the opera house?”
He laughed. “Yes. I think it might do us both good. We can even have a little late supper afterward.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer for me to arrange a companion? Someone suitable for you to consider . . . well .
. . to consider . . .”
“For the purposes I have in mind, you are perfect for me to consider,” Garrett replied.
CHAPTER 13
“I think it’s wonderful that we can help those poor women,” Lydia said as they assembled in her drawing room. “Mother thought it a responsible idea as well. She firmly believes that people with means should help those less fortunate. We found that we had quite a bit of spare material to share.”
“As do we,” Abigail said. She looked to her sister Martha. “Isn’t that so?”
Martha stuffed a cookie into her mouth and nodded vigorously.
Mia put her cup down. “I do appreciate the help. Those women are suffering so much. They live in poverty with very little hope of bettering their way of life. Sometimes they don’t even see their husbands for years at a time. And often they are forced to pay debts left behind by their men. It makes it almost impossible for them to keep their children fed and clothed, much less pay their rent.”
“I thought you quit your job with Godey’s,” Josephine said nonchalantly. “Why are you still concerned with these women?”
“After meeting a few personally, it became much more than a job assignment,” Mia replied. “We cannot ignore the plight of the poor just because our meals are regular and our houses are well stocked. We sit here in our watered silks and crepes and drink our tea out of the finest china while others just a few blocks away are struggling for their daily existence. Working for Sarah Hale opened my eyes to the truth. I may have resigned my position with Godey’s, but I will go on caring for the poor.”
“Well spoken,” Lydia said. “We women of Philadelphia should work together to serve a common purpose. Helping the poor is an admirable and needed assistance. Mia, when will you meet again with the women?”
“I’m not certain, but I’ll inform you when it takes place. We will meet at the church, so you could all attend if you desired.” By drawing in her friends—women from respectable, well-to-do families—Mia would take the focus off of herself and hopefully mask the more dangerous outings she’d had to the docks.
“Is anyone attending the opera on Friday?” Josephine asked. “I’m afraid I find myself forced to attend with Mr. Huxford.”
“I’m attending with Mr. Wilson,” Mia offered without thinking.
“It’s about time the two of you courted,” Abigail said before taking a long sip of tea.
Mia’s eyes widened as she looked at the faces of her friends. “I’m not . . . courting. We’re simply going to the opera together. We’ve been best friends forever.”
“Which is precisely why you should court. Goodness, but you’ll never know anyone as well as you know Garrett Wilson,” Lydia threw in. “You have a wonderful friendship upon which to build a marriage. He’s a good man and deserves a good wife.”
Mia laughed nervously. Her own thoughts since that night in the hallway when Garrett had held her were rather overwhelming. “Mr. Wilson is a good man, and he does deserve a good wife—which is exactly why I’ve been working on matching him up to one of you. You’ve misunderstood my intents and motives if you think I’m courting Mr. Wilson.”
“Come now, Mia, you two are perfect for each other. You really are blind to cupid’s games if you cannot see that,” Josephine said, putting down her saucer. “I could see that even when you introduced us. He really only has eyes for you. He couldn’t take his gaze from you all evening.”
Mia swallowed hard. Could they possibly be telling the truth? Garrett wouldn’t conceal his feelings for her if they were something more than friendship and brotherly love. Would he?
Mia thought about that conversation even as she took Garrett’s arm and descended the opera house steps to their carriage. It had been a lovely evening. They’d shared supper and conversation prior to the opera and then enjoyed the evening’s entertainment. As Garrett assisted Mia into the carriage, she noted that he didn’t even attempt to take the seat opposite her, but rather moved to sit beside her, despite the warmth of the evening. It signaled one of two things. Either a familiarity of family, in which case Garrett was hardly thinking of a need to distance himself for propriety’s sake—or he was romantically inclined and wanted to be near her physically. Surely it wasn’t the latter.
Mia arranged her voluminous silk skirt and tried to appear calm, but the truth was, she was feeling something for Garrett that she’d never expected. Could it be love? It certainly was disconcerting. She fanned herself nervously as the driver moved them out into traffic. The silence seemed heavy between them, almost like a thick veil that needed desperately to be pushed aside. Still, Mia couldn’t bring herself to speak. What if I say the wrong thing in my nervousness? What if my feelings are proven to be false? Maybe I’m simply overcome with loneliness because of Mother and Father’s absence.
“You seem very deep in thought.”
Garrett’s words brought her out of her internal fretting. “I . . . well . . . there’s been a great deal on my mind of late.”
“Such as?”
She folded her hands together, feeling the heat of her palms beneath the gloves. “Well, of course I worry about my parents. I can’t help but wonder if they’ve arrived and if Mother made the journey in ease.”
“Yes, it is too soon to expect to find out about that just yet. I’m sure they’ll let you know at their first available chance.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” She tried to feign interest in looking out at the city.
“I hope you enjoyed our outing,” Garrett said.
“It was wonderful. Thank you for the invitation.”
“I thought the soprano particularly talented.”
Mia nodded, grateful that the conversation was fixed on something other than her worries. “Yes. She did a very nice job. I thought the costumes were lovely as well.”
“I heard there was a party going on afterward, but I don’t recall an invitation.”
She shrugged. “You know there are varying degrees of society in this town. We sometimes move in different circles. The party was being given by a distant cousin of the Brightons.”
“I see. Well, I hope you are not disappointed.”
“Because of the party? I suppose I could have gone and taken you along,” Mia admitted. “Frankly, I had no real desire to go. I don’t know the people very well, and most of my friends were not going to attend. I find it rather dull to go where I know no one.”
“I can understand that. It isn’t pleasant to spend your time alone.”
“Unless you really want to,” Mia countered. She didn’t know what else to say, and for some reason got the impression that Garrett was trying to make a point.
“I really couldn’t think of anyone I wanted to spend the evening with more than you. You make me laugh, and I very much enjoy our conversations.”
Mia looked at him and found Garrett smiling. “I greatly appreciate our . . . talks. I’m afraid there are many who would not take me seriously. You, however, seem never to be intimidated by my interests.”
“Intimidated? No. Your interests seem valid. Although I do worry when you involve yourself in affairs that are dangerous. But that’s only because I care deeply about what happens to you.”
Mia felt a band around her chest tighten. She felt strange— almost light-headed. “I appreciate . . . I uh . . . I’m glad that you care. I care about you as well.” She paused for a moment, trying to think of what to say. “It’s just nice to attend an opera or event without wondering what kind of pretense you should uphold.”
“You haven’t been out in a long time.” His words were low, almost inaudible.
“I’ve attended several parties—once with you and Mrs. Custiss, as you’ll recall.”
“I recall it very well,” he said with a chuckle. “That was a complete disaster.”
“Well, I suppose so,” Mia said with a grin.
Garrett sobered. “I wasn’t speaking of that kind of thing. Rather, I meant like tonight. Has no one asked to court you—t
o call on you?”
Mia felt her breath quicken. “You know how it is. I’ve really had no time for it. And I think the position at Godey’s probably left some potential suitors wondering if I’m too headstrong or mannish for their tastes.”
“Then they are fools.” He turned to her and she felt the full impact of his gaze. “Mia, you shouldn’t be alone. You’re a wonderful woman.”
The carriage came to a stop and the driver quickly opened the door. “Here we are, sir.”
Mia felt a sense of relief that she couldn’t explain, yet all the while it was coupled with disappointment. She didn’t want the evening to end on one hand, but on the other, she didn’t know quite what Garrett was implying. And because she couldn’t figure it all out, it frightened her.
“Thank you again for a wonderful evening, Garrett. I have some letters to write, so I’ll just head upstairs.” She hurried up the path without waiting for him to respond. She had to get away from him . . . had to be able to think things through and discern what was happening.
In her room, Mia replayed the events of the evening in her mind. Her lacy white nightgown trailed behind her as she paced back and forth. I’ll wear a hole in the Wilsons’ rug if I don’t stop this nonsense. She forced herself to sit for a moment in front of the fireplace, then got up once again.
“This is senseless.” She pulled on her robe and tied it securely. Checking the clock, she noted that it was quite late. Surely she’d encounter no one if she went to the kitchen for something to eat. She could take the servants’ stairs near the end of the hall, where George and Mercy had their bedroom. That way, even if Garrett should happen to be awake, he’d not hear her.
Mia edged the door open and listened for the sound of anyone stirring about. The house was silent. A small candle burned in the sconce at the top of the stairs, affording Mia a reasonable surveillance, although the ends of the hallway were shrouded in darkness.
A Lady of High Regard Page 12