hurried out to greet her guests.
On the terrace, she found Rebecca and Aaron Kingsley, their cousin Bruce Carlton and Beau Richardson, all dressed in riding attire.
"Ah, here she come!" said Bruce, rushing to take her hand as she stepped through the doors. "Looking more beautiful than ever, I might add."
"Good afternoon, Bruce. I see your deftly schooled tongue is still in fine working order ... but I thank you for the compliment anyway. Beau, Aaron, how are you?" asked Christie, smiling in their direction as she stepped toward Rebecca. "Rebecca! Now, you do look beautiful, especially so in that russet riding habit. It matches your hair, I'd swear. It's good to see you again," she added, giving Rebecca an affectionate hug.
Rebecca Kingsley was Aaron's younger sister and she was the only young woman of Christie's age whose company Christie found tolerable. Rebecca was sensible, witty and wonderfully lacking in artful poses and artificial or insincere manners. Moreover, she had the habit of being unusually direct and outspoken, something a lot of people found disconcerting, to say the least, but which, to Christie, was often the source of amusement and delight.
"Christie," said Rebecca excitedly, "we all came to bring our families' yeses to your party invitations. What fun it will be, to dance at another grand ball! You must be very excited! I know I was, for my eighteenth. And we want to know if you'll come riding with us this afternoon. Will you?"
"Yes, Christie," added Beau, "we see little enough of you outside of formal affairs. I swear, if you continue in this way, you're going to turn yourself into the loveliest recluse in the county."
Langston had arrived with a tall pitcher of lemonade, and Christie placed herself in a chair off to one side as she demonstratively picked up her embroidery and began to stitch on it. The one thing she didnt care to do this afternoon was to involve herself in a formal riding party with these young men. Going with just Rebecca would be acceptable, for she was an able horsewoman and would be there for the ride, but Beau and Bruce and Aaron were, she knew, more interested in pursuing a social chase than they were in the sport or the exercise, and this she could do without.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think so, Rebecca. I spent the whole morning on Thunder, and I'm in need of some rest, even if he's not. But stay a little while and have some lemonade. I'm glad everyone can make it to my party." She was sorry she had had to lie about needing some rest. Lying never sat well with her in any form, but a direct approach might have hurt some feelings, as Aunt Celia would have been quick to point out.
Aaron came forward and handed her a lemonade. "I'm going to make this the slowest lemonade I've ever drunk," he said, casting a glance over her slender person. "My poor eyes are fairly starved for a satisfying look at you, Christie. Don't you feel at least a little guilty, keeping yourself from us like this?"
"Of course she doesn't, silly," said his sister. "Christie has always been the most independent one among us. If I were clever, Christie, I'd borrow the habit and then find myself equally irresistible among the boys. But, unfortunately, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to keep it up for very long. I just naturally find myself attracted to some of them," she added, sidling up to Beau and taking his arm. "But I take it they don't really mind, do you, Beau?"
With this, Beau stepped back and gave her an exaggerated, courtly bow, finishing with a kiss, bestowed in elegant fashion, upon her outstretched hand.
They were all taking this way, playfully and jocularly, when Charles and Garrett came into view of the terrace as they walked from the stables, having left their mounts there after a ride to the east pasture. "Uh-oh," said Charles, gesturing for Garrett to join him as he stopped on the path. "It looks like Christie's gotten herself tied up with some visitors, and if I don't miss my bet, I'll
On the terrace, she found Rebecca and Aaron Kingsley, their cousin Bruce Carlton and Beau Richardson, all dressed in riding attire.
"Ah, here she come!" said Bruce, rushing to take her hand as she stepped through the doors. "Looking more beautiful than ever, I might add."
"Good afternoon, Bruce. I see your deftly schooled tongue is still in fine working order ... but I thank you for the compliment anyway. Beau, Aaron, how are you?" asked Christie, smiling in their direction as she stepped toward Rebecca. "Rebecca! Now, you do look beautiful, especially so in that russet riding habit. It matches your hair, I'd swear. It's good to see you again," she added, giving Rebecca an affectionate hug.
Rebecca Kingsley was Aaron's younger sister and she was the only young woman of Christie's age whose company Christie found tolerable. Rebecca was sensible, witty and wonderfully lacking in artful poses and artificial or insincere manners. Moreover, she had the habit of being unusually direct and outspoken, something a lot of people found disconcerting, to say the least, but which, to Christie, was often the source of amusement and delight.
"Christie," said Rebecca excitedly, "we all came to bring our families' yeses to your party invitations. What fun it will be, to dance at another grand ball! You must be very excited! I know I was, for my eighteenth. And we want to know if you'll come riding with us this afternoon. Will you?"
"Yes, Christie," added Beau, "we see little enough of you outside of formal affairs. I swear, if you continue in this way, you're going to turn yourself into the loveliest recluse in the county."
Langston had arrived with a tall pitcher of lemonade, and Christie placed herself in a chair off to one side as she demonstratively picked up her embroidery and began to stitch on it. The one thing she didnt care to do this afternoon was to involve herself in a formal riding party with these young men. Going with just Rebecca would be acceptable, for she was an able horsewoman and would be there for the ride, but Beau and Bruce and Aaron were, she knew, more interested in pursuing a social chase than they were in the sport or the exercise, and this she could do without.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think so, Rebecca. I spent the whole morning on Thunder, and I'm in need of some rest, even if he's not. But stay a little while and have some lemonade. I'm glad everyone can make it to my party." She was sorry she had had to lie about needing some rest. Lying never sat well with her in any form, but a direct approach might have hurt some feelings, as Aunt Celia would have been quick to point out.
Aaron came forward and handed her a lemonade. "I'm going to make this the slowest lemonade I've ever drunk," he said, casting a glance over her slender person. "My poor eyes are fairly starved for a satisfying look at you, Christie. Don't you feel at least a little guilty, keeping yourself from us like this?"
"Of course she doesn't, silly," said his sister. "Christie has always been the most independent one among us. If I were clever, Christie, I'd borrow the habit and then find myself equally irresistible among the boys. But, unfortunately, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to keep it up for very long. I just naturally find myself attracted to some of them," she added, sidling up to Beau and taking his arm. "But I take it they don't really mind, do you, Beau?"
With this, Beau stepped back and gave her an exaggerated, courtly bow, finishing with a kiss, bestowed in elegant fashion, upon her outstretched hand.
They were all taking this way, playfully and jocularly, when Charles and Garrett came into view of the terrace as they walked from the stables, having left their mounts there after a ride to the east pasture. "Uh-oh," said Charles, gesturing for Garrett to join him as he stopped on the path. "It looks like Christie's gotten herself tied up with some visitors, and if I don't miss my bet, I'll
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