gown. It was quite remarkable.” He smiled. “Though I also recall her complaining about the weight of it.”
“I was thinking I might wear it.” Celia watched Papa’s face. He was unlikely to deny her wishes, but she would attend the party in rags before hurting him. “But I won’t if it would make you sad.”
“On the contrary.” Papa set down his fork. “I would enjoy the sight of a beautiful girl in a beautiful gown. Remind me, and I’ll fetch your mother’s diamond necklace from the bank vault.”
Celia pushed back her chair and rounded the massive table to embrace her father. Sutton rose with her.
“Thank you, Papa. I’ll be careful with it. I know how much it means to you.”
“The necklace was my gift to my wife upon our engagement,” Papa told Sutton. “One day it will be Celia’s, of course.”
“And Celia will look like a queen as well,” Sutton said, his eyes warm with affection.
“So long as she doesn’t confuse the role with reality.” Ivyspoke lightly, but Celia detected a veiled barb in her cousin’s voice. “Anyway, I’m sure the two of you will make a splendid pair.”
“I’ll have a hard time coming up with a costume worthy of her,” Sutton said.
“I don’t care if you come dressed as a rag picker.” Celia looped an arm through his. “I’m simply glad to have you home.”
Papa rose. “Would you care for a cheroot and a brandy in the library, Sutton?”
“Thank you, but I promised Mother I’d be home early. She’s worried about Father.”
“He did seem a bit under the weather when I saw him at the club yesterday. Perhaps he needs a few days away from Commerce Row to rest.”
“Mother and I have both suggested as much, but he won’t hear of it. After so many business failures last year, he’s afraid to take his eyes off our interests for even a day.”
Celia felt a stab of sympathy for Mr. Mackay. Last year’s financial crisis had dried up many sources of credit for the cotton trade, forcing nearly a hundred Savannah businesses—including factors’ houses, insurance companies, even the main branch of the Bank of Georgia—to fail. Papa had been terribly worried about Browning Shipping Company too. She didn’t blame Mr. Mackay for his diligence. But she worried about him for Sutton’s sake.
The four of them moved from the dining room to the entry hall, where Sutton retrieved his hat and thanked them again for dinner.
“Sutton, can you wait a moment?” Ivy asked. “I have a present for you.”
He laughed. “I always have time for a present, but what’s the occasion?”
“Just a little something to welcome you home. I won’t take a moment.” Ivy hurried up the stairs and soon returned with the redwoolen scarf she’d spent the last weeks knitting. “Sorry I didn’t have time to wrap it up. I finished it only this afternoon.”
Sutton’s brow furrowed as he ran his fingers over the wool. “Well, it’s wonderful, and I sincerely appreciate it. But I . . .”
Her face fell. “You don’t like it. I can tell.”
“I do like it, and it was very kind of you to go to so much trouble.” He lifted Ivy’s hand and kissed it. “I’ve always thought of you as the sister I never had. Sweet and generous. And now, every time I wear this scarf, I’ll think of you.”
He turned to Celia. “Will I see you tomorrow at church?”
“Of course.”
“Celia wants to ride her horse tomorrow,” Papa said. “Perhaps you’d like to join us at the track after church?”
“I’d love to. Poseidon and I need to get to know each other again after all this time. And I’ve been looking forward to meeting your Zeus.”
“I can’t wait for you to see him,” Celia said. “He’s quite wonderful, but more spirited than I expected. He gets hard to handle if he’s idle for too long. The boys at the track take him out every day, but I’d rather do it myself. And lately I’ve neglected him.”
“We’ll give him a good long workout tomorrow,”
“I was thinking I might wear it.” Celia watched Papa’s face. He was unlikely to deny her wishes, but she would attend the party in rags before hurting him. “But I won’t if it would make you sad.”
“On the contrary.” Papa set down his fork. “I would enjoy the sight of a beautiful girl in a beautiful gown. Remind me, and I’ll fetch your mother’s diamond necklace from the bank vault.”
Celia pushed back her chair and rounded the massive table to embrace her father. Sutton rose with her.
“Thank you, Papa. I’ll be careful with it. I know how much it means to you.”
“The necklace was my gift to my wife upon our engagement,” Papa told Sutton. “One day it will be Celia’s, of course.”
“And Celia will look like a queen as well,” Sutton said, his eyes warm with affection.
“So long as she doesn’t confuse the role with reality.” Ivyspoke lightly, but Celia detected a veiled barb in her cousin’s voice. “Anyway, I’m sure the two of you will make a splendid pair.”
“I’ll have a hard time coming up with a costume worthy of her,” Sutton said.
“I don’t care if you come dressed as a rag picker.” Celia looped an arm through his. “I’m simply glad to have you home.”
Papa rose. “Would you care for a cheroot and a brandy in the library, Sutton?”
“Thank you, but I promised Mother I’d be home early. She’s worried about Father.”
“He did seem a bit under the weather when I saw him at the club yesterday. Perhaps he needs a few days away from Commerce Row to rest.”
“Mother and I have both suggested as much, but he won’t hear of it. After so many business failures last year, he’s afraid to take his eyes off our interests for even a day.”
Celia felt a stab of sympathy for Mr. Mackay. Last year’s financial crisis had dried up many sources of credit for the cotton trade, forcing nearly a hundred Savannah businesses—including factors’ houses, insurance companies, even the main branch of the Bank of Georgia—to fail. Papa had been terribly worried about Browning Shipping Company too. She didn’t blame Mr. Mackay for his diligence. But she worried about him for Sutton’s sake.
The four of them moved from the dining room to the entry hall, where Sutton retrieved his hat and thanked them again for dinner.
“Sutton, can you wait a moment?” Ivy asked. “I have a present for you.”
He laughed. “I always have time for a present, but what’s the occasion?”
“Just a little something to welcome you home. I won’t take a moment.” Ivy hurried up the stairs and soon returned with the redwoolen scarf she’d spent the last weeks knitting. “Sorry I didn’t have time to wrap it up. I finished it only this afternoon.”
Sutton’s brow furrowed as he ran his fingers over the wool. “Well, it’s wonderful, and I sincerely appreciate it. But I . . .”
Her face fell. “You don’t like it. I can tell.”
“I do like it, and it was very kind of you to go to so much trouble.” He lifted Ivy’s hand and kissed it. “I’ve always thought of you as the sister I never had. Sweet and generous. And now, every time I wear this scarf, I’ll think of you.”
He turned to Celia. “Will I see you tomorrow at church?”
“Of course.”
“Celia wants to ride her horse tomorrow,” Papa said. “Perhaps you’d like to join us at the track after church?”
“I’d love to. Poseidon and I need to get to know each other again after all this time. And I’ve been looking forward to meeting your Zeus.”
“I can’t wait for you to see him,” Celia said. “He’s quite wonderful, but more spirited than I expected. He gets hard to handle if he’s idle for too long. The boys at the track take him out every day, but I’d rather do it myself. And lately I’ve neglected him.”
“We’ll give him a good long workout tomorrow,”
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