help, even if it comes from a
smuggler! So you can keep your opinions to yourself,
William Sheridan, and go wash your mind in the creek!"
Amethyst's blazing temper seemed only to inflame
William's anger, and glaring heatedly in return, he
shouted, "You are left far too much on your own for a
respectable young lady. You need..."
"Now you're telling me that I'm not respectable?"
"...you need someone to take care of you...to
watch out for your welfare."
"I don't need anyone now, William Sheridan, and I
never will! Mama and I have done quite well for ourselves
since Papa died. We support ourselves and run our own
lives, and we do not need or want you to tell us how to
behave!"
With that last shouted, unmistakable declaration,
Amethyst had turned on her heel and stepped off the path
onto the road. Without turning back once to see William
staring moodily after her, she had stomped proudly down
the road to town.
Frowning slightly, still puzzled with his behavior of the
week before, Amethyst caught her mother's silent
scrutiny and flashed her a short smile. Mama had met
William several times and liked him immensely. It
wouldn't do to upset her with his confusing behavior. In
an effort to relieve her mother's mind by appearing
intensely interested in shopping, Amethyst directed her
glance toward some of the market stalls across the street.
As she did, a mahogany colored head standing above the
crowd caught her attention, and when the crowd of
shoppers shifted for a moment, she saw William. His eyes
were trained on the face of a slender blonde girl hanging
tightly on his arm, her face turned up to his as she cooed
appealingly.
"So," Amethyst mumbled to herself angrily, "that's the reason he's suddenly so critical of me..."
Slipping her arm through her mother's, she urged
quietly, "Let's look at the wares across the street,
Mama," and before Marian Creer realized what had
happened, she felt herself being propelled across the
street. Within moments she was facing William Sheridan
and his female companion. Startled, Marian Greer said
lightly, "William, how pleasant to see you!"
Before William could respond to her mother's
greeting, Amethyst smiled brilliantly up into his face,
fluttering her silky black lashes in flagrant imitation of
his companion's soleful expression. Directing the full
power of her violet gaze into his eyes, she cooed sweetly,
"Yes, William, it's sooooooo good to see you, but I'm
afraid we have no time to chat right now and must run
along." Flashing him another dazzling smile, she
mumbled under her breath for his ears alone, "Yes, she
does appear to be very... respectable."
Satisfied to see the beginning of a bright flush suffuse
his face as she turned away, she urged her mother
forward, chatting amiably as she did, "It really is such a
lovely day, isn't it, Mama? I'm so glad we decided to come
out for a walk..."
Amethyst turned the bend in the road and immediately
caught sight of William's tall, spare frame as he stood
waiting at the turnoff to Sheridan Plantation. Nero was
tethered to a tree close by, his black coat gleaming in the
early morning sun. She had started out a few hours
earlier this morning with the hope that she would be able
to pick up her supplies and go before William even
expected her to arrive. Somehow she felt William would
make an effort to meet her today, and she was in no mood
for another of his outbursts. She realized her behavior
the day before when she had mocked Cecily Hargrove so
blatantly was not that expected of a "proper" young lady, and her mother had upbraided her severely. She did not
wish to give William the opportunity of saying she had
proven him right. She could not really say she regretted
her actions, either. Oh, what great satisfaction it had
been to show Cecily Hargrove up for the simpering
thoughtless idiot she really was! And if that was the kind
of girl William wished her to emulate, he was more of a
smuggler! So you can keep your opinions to yourself,
William Sheridan, and go wash your mind in the creek!"
Amethyst's blazing temper seemed only to inflame
William's anger, and glaring heatedly in return, he
shouted, "You are left far too much on your own for a
respectable young lady. You need..."
"Now you're telling me that I'm not respectable?"
"...you need someone to take care of you...to
watch out for your welfare."
"I don't need anyone now, William Sheridan, and I
never will! Mama and I have done quite well for ourselves
since Papa died. We support ourselves and run our own
lives, and we do not need or want you to tell us how to
behave!"
With that last shouted, unmistakable declaration,
Amethyst had turned on her heel and stepped off the path
onto the road. Without turning back once to see William
staring moodily after her, she had stomped proudly down
the road to town.
Frowning slightly, still puzzled with his behavior of the
week before, Amethyst caught her mother's silent
scrutiny and flashed her a short smile. Mama had met
William several times and liked him immensely. It
wouldn't do to upset her with his confusing behavior. In
an effort to relieve her mother's mind by appearing
intensely interested in shopping, Amethyst directed her
glance toward some of the market stalls across the street.
As she did, a mahogany colored head standing above the
crowd caught her attention, and when the crowd of
shoppers shifted for a moment, she saw William. His eyes
were trained on the face of a slender blonde girl hanging
tightly on his arm, her face turned up to his as she cooed
appealingly.
"So," Amethyst mumbled to herself angrily, "that's the reason he's suddenly so critical of me..."
Slipping her arm through her mother's, she urged
quietly, "Let's look at the wares across the street,
Mama," and before Marian Creer realized what had
happened, she felt herself being propelled across the
street. Within moments she was facing William Sheridan
and his female companion. Startled, Marian Greer said
lightly, "William, how pleasant to see you!"
Before William could respond to her mother's
greeting, Amethyst smiled brilliantly up into his face,
fluttering her silky black lashes in flagrant imitation of
his companion's soleful expression. Directing the full
power of her violet gaze into his eyes, she cooed sweetly,
"Yes, William, it's sooooooo good to see you, but I'm
afraid we have no time to chat right now and must run
along." Flashing him another dazzling smile, she
mumbled under her breath for his ears alone, "Yes, she
does appear to be very... respectable."
Satisfied to see the beginning of a bright flush suffuse
his face as she turned away, she urged her mother
forward, chatting amiably as she did, "It really is such a
lovely day, isn't it, Mama? I'm so glad we decided to come
out for a walk..."
Amethyst turned the bend in the road and immediately
caught sight of William's tall, spare frame as he stood
waiting at the turnoff to Sheridan Plantation. Nero was
tethered to a tree close by, his black coat gleaming in the
early morning sun. She had started out a few hours
earlier this morning with the hope that she would be able
to pick up her supplies and go before William even
expected her to arrive. Somehow she felt William would
make an effort to meet her today, and she was in no mood
for another of his outbursts. She realized her behavior
the day before when she had mocked Cecily Hargrove so
blatantly was not that expected of a "proper" young lady, and her mother had upbraided her severely. She did not
wish to give William the opportunity of saying she had
proven him right. She could not really say she regretted
her actions, either. Oh, what great satisfaction it had
been to show Cecily Hargrove up for the simpering
thoughtless idiot she really was! And if that was the kind
of girl William wished her to emulate, he was more of a
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