pouring.” Heather’s cheeks were ablaze as she rose from the seat and began to move toward the cart.
“As you wish, Miss Heather.” Colleen backed out of the room with a smile. She whispered to herself, “Miss Charlotte is very crafty, I’d say. She knew exactly the right moment to send me into the parlor with fresh tea.”
• • •
The following day, George Fitzpatrick breathed a sigh of relief as he carefully laid Jasmine on her bed. She was finally home, but the trip had not been without difficulty. Jasmine’s foot and ankle were bound in a plaster cast, and she had to be carried up the narrow stairs of the townhouse to the third floor bedroom she shared with Heather.
Charlotte orchestrated the delicate maneuvering up the stairs and took a calming breath when Jasmine was finally placed in bed. “Heather, please see that your sister gets settled in and is comfortable.” Charlotte placed a kiss on Jasmine’s forehead and brushed her hair back from her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re home, daughter.” Then Charlotte glided from the room, leaving the twins to face one another.
“Would you like me to put a ribbon in your hair to pull it back from your face, Jas?” Heather asked, obligingly.
Jasmine shrugged.
“Can I get you a pillow for underneath your foot?” Heather asked.
“Yes, that would help. And a spoon so I can take my pain medicine.” Jasmine leaned back against the pillows, as tears suddenly streamed down her face.
Heather noticed the tears and rushed to do her bidding. “Are you in a lot of pain?”
“No, not really. I’m just so mad.”
“Mad? I can see disappointed, but mad? At whom, pray tell?”
“Well, for one, at Philippe, for putting that blasted paint on the bottom of my shoes, which made me slip.”
“Ah, but you thought it was special only a few days ago. What was the term you used to describe them? Magic shoes, wasn’t it?”
“Magic, my broken foot. Secondly, I blame you.”
“Why would I be to blame?”
“You sent me out to the balcony to do your dirty deed, remember?”
Heather hesitated. She punched an extra pillow before she placed it on the bed under Jasmine’s injured ankle. Then she locked her gaze onto Jasmine’s face. Seeing that Jasmine’s eyes blazed in anger, Heather lowered her eyes to her sister’s lame limb as she blinked back her own threatening tears.
“Yes, I remember. I’m sorry for my part in this, Jasmine. If there’s anything I can do for you, just name it.”
“Well, for starters, if you ever see that dreadful man again, I’ll surely never forgive you.”
Heather sat down on the bed beside her sister. “Why? Did he say something that offended you?”
Jasmine could not meet her sister’s gaze. “Yes, but it’s of no consequence now.”
“No, it is of consequence. I insist that you tell me what happened on that balcony before you fell. Jas, it’s of the utmost importance.” Heather grabbed her sister’s hands.
“Oh, all right. It no longer matters anyway, since my season is finished before it really got started. He said that, of the two of us, he prefers your company.”
Heather released her sister’s hands and clutched her stomach, which was now a swirl with butterflies. “Oh, my. No one’s ever said that before.”
“That’s what I thought! The rude, insensitive man. Even if he thought so, he should keep those thoughts to himself. Maybe things are done differently in the south. I hope he heads back to the frontier soon. Or to Savannah. I really don’t care which.” Jasmine wiggled on the bed as she tried to find a comfortable spot. “So, tell me about the rest of the ball. What happened?”
Heather frantically searched her memory of the remainder of that evening. What could she tell Jasmine to placate her? That Heather had been left all alone at the dance with only Halwyn to see to her needs, and then having even him abandon her into the arms of David? And their slow, almost scandalous walk home? She
“As you wish, Miss Heather.” Colleen backed out of the room with a smile. She whispered to herself, “Miss Charlotte is very crafty, I’d say. She knew exactly the right moment to send me into the parlor with fresh tea.”
• • •
The following day, George Fitzpatrick breathed a sigh of relief as he carefully laid Jasmine on her bed. She was finally home, but the trip had not been without difficulty. Jasmine’s foot and ankle were bound in a plaster cast, and she had to be carried up the narrow stairs of the townhouse to the third floor bedroom she shared with Heather.
Charlotte orchestrated the delicate maneuvering up the stairs and took a calming breath when Jasmine was finally placed in bed. “Heather, please see that your sister gets settled in and is comfortable.” Charlotte placed a kiss on Jasmine’s forehead and brushed her hair back from her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re home, daughter.” Then Charlotte glided from the room, leaving the twins to face one another.
“Would you like me to put a ribbon in your hair to pull it back from your face, Jas?” Heather asked, obligingly.
Jasmine shrugged.
“Can I get you a pillow for underneath your foot?” Heather asked.
“Yes, that would help. And a spoon so I can take my pain medicine.” Jasmine leaned back against the pillows, as tears suddenly streamed down her face.
Heather noticed the tears and rushed to do her bidding. “Are you in a lot of pain?”
“No, not really. I’m just so mad.”
“Mad? I can see disappointed, but mad? At whom, pray tell?”
“Well, for one, at Philippe, for putting that blasted paint on the bottom of my shoes, which made me slip.”
“Ah, but you thought it was special only a few days ago. What was the term you used to describe them? Magic shoes, wasn’t it?”
“Magic, my broken foot. Secondly, I blame you.”
“Why would I be to blame?”
“You sent me out to the balcony to do your dirty deed, remember?”
Heather hesitated. She punched an extra pillow before she placed it on the bed under Jasmine’s injured ankle. Then she locked her gaze onto Jasmine’s face. Seeing that Jasmine’s eyes blazed in anger, Heather lowered her eyes to her sister’s lame limb as she blinked back her own threatening tears.
“Yes, I remember. I’m sorry for my part in this, Jasmine. If there’s anything I can do for you, just name it.”
“Well, for starters, if you ever see that dreadful man again, I’ll surely never forgive you.”
Heather sat down on the bed beside her sister. “Why? Did he say something that offended you?”
Jasmine could not meet her sister’s gaze. “Yes, but it’s of no consequence now.”
“No, it is of consequence. I insist that you tell me what happened on that balcony before you fell. Jas, it’s of the utmost importance.” Heather grabbed her sister’s hands.
“Oh, all right. It no longer matters anyway, since my season is finished before it really got started. He said that, of the two of us, he prefers your company.”
Heather released her sister’s hands and clutched her stomach, which was now a swirl with butterflies. “Oh, my. No one’s ever said that before.”
“That’s what I thought! The rude, insensitive man. Even if he thought so, he should keep those thoughts to himself. Maybe things are done differently in the south. I hope he heads back to the frontier soon. Or to Savannah. I really don’t care which.” Jasmine wiggled on the bed as she tried to find a comfortable spot. “So, tell me about the rest of the ball. What happened?”
Heather frantically searched her memory of the remainder of that evening. What could she tell Jasmine to placate her? That Heather had been left all alone at the dance with only Halwyn to see to her needs, and then having even him abandon her into the arms of David? And their slow, almost scandalous walk home? She
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