room.
“Your sisters have been telling me of your elopement. I find it difficult to believe that I introduced you two the night of my party. Were you, by chance, pretending? Did you actually know one another before that night?” Her question was addressed to Seth. She seemed unaware of anyone else.
“No, Cynthia.” He accepted the cup of tea that Austine handed him. “I guess you’ll have to say it waslove at first sight. We met that night and I did not see my little wife until the next day when I talked to her uncle. A few hours after that, we were married.”
Jennifer could not restrain herself. “I hope I fall in love just like that.”
Morgan sat quietly. The way Seth told the story, it did sound romantic. She didn’t like to remember the night of Cynthia’s ball, when she had asked Seth to marry her. She took in Cynthia’s dark beauty, the exquisite gown, the intricate yet soft arrangement of her hair. Maybe Seth would marry her in a year, when they had their annulment.
Nora interrupted the silence. “Seth, you and Morgan seem to have had a good time today. Where did you ride?”
“A little past Johnson’s meadow.”
Nora walked to the love seat to stand by Morgan. “Well, I’m glad you had a good time.” She ostentatiously removed a leaf from Morgan’s hair, studying it for a second before placing it on the table.
Cynthia spoke. “Riding horses around in the woods is not my idea of a good time.” She looked at Morgan’s dishevelment with open contempt. “It’s a little too dirty for me.”
Seth and Morgan immediately exchanged looks and then laughed aloud. Just the day before, Seth had mentioned that ladies did not like to get dirty. Morgan had replied that she was not a lady. The exchange of laughter over what was obviously a lovers’ joke made for another embarrassing silence.
Nora, reassured that Morgan could handle herself with Cynthia, gathered her daughters and left.
When Nora left, Seth was the first to speak. “Cynthia, may I say that you look lovely, as always.”
Cynthia tittered. “Why, Seth, dear, you may say it as often as you like. You know … no matter how many times you have said it, I still love to hear it.” She turnedslightly toward Morgan to make sure she heard every word. “Morgan, has Seth told you what old friends we are?” Her voice had a cutting edge.
Morgan returned the sweet smile with one of her own. She reached over and patted Cynthia’s hand. “My dear Cynthia, you shouldn’t consider yourself such an old friend.”
Cynthia’s features hardened and her eyes blazed. They both turned at a sound from Seth. He was choking on a cookie. “Excuse me, ladies.” He struggled to regain his composure. “Won’t you stay for dinner, Cynthia?” There was laughter just beneath his voice. Or was there? Cynthia could not be sure.
“No, I must be going.” Cynthia rose, as did Seth and Morgan. Suddenly, Cynthia’s face brightened. She purred. “What I really came for was to kiss the groom.” She moved very close to Seth and placed a lace-covered hand on his chest. She turned her head toward Morgan. “You don’t mind … do you, dear?”
Without waiting for an answer, her arms slid up and around Seth’s neck in what Morgan knew was a much-practiced gesture. Cynthia pulled Seth’s mouth to hers, her body melting to meet his as his arms encircled her. Morgan turned away.
“Well, I must say, Seth, you haven’t changed.” Cynthia then turned to Morgan, as if startled to find her there. “I really must be going. You’ll visit me before too long, won’t you?” She addressed this to Seth, but then turned slowly to Morgan. “And you must come, too, of course.”
Seth moved to Morgan and put his arm around her shoulders. “My wife would love to come visit, on one of our return trips from New Mexico.”
“New Mexico! I thought a … wife would change your mind about that desolate place.”
“No, my little wife is just as anxious to go to New
“Your sisters have been telling me of your elopement. I find it difficult to believe that I introduced you two the night of my party. Were you, by chance, pretending? Did you actually know one another before that night?” Her question was addressed to Seth. She seemed unaware of anyone else.
“No, Cynthia.” He accepted the cup of tea that Austine handed him. “I guess you’ll have to say it waslove at first sight. We met that night and I did not see my little wife until the next day when I talked to her uncle. A few hours after that, we were married.”
Jennifer could not restrain herself. “I hope I fall in love just like that.”
Morgan sat quietly. The way Seth told the story, it did sound romantic. She didn’t like to remember the night of Cynthia’s ball, when she had asked Seth to marry her. She took in Cynthia’s dark beauty, the exquisite gown, the intricate yet soft arrangement of her hair. Maybe Seth would marry her in a year, when they had their annulment.
Nora interrupted the silence. “Seth, you and Morgan seem to have had a good time today. Where did you ride?”
“A little past Johnson’s meadow.”
Nora walked to the love seat to stand by Morgan. “Well, I’m glad you had a good time.” She ostentatiously removed a leaf from Morgan’s hair, studying it for a second before placing it on the table.
Cynthia spoke. “Riding horses around in the woods is not my idea of a good time.” She looked at Morgan’s dishevelment with open contempt. “It’s a little too dirty for me.”
Seth and Morgan immediately exchanged looks and then laughed aloud. Just the day before, Seth had mentioned that ladies did not like to get dirty. Morgan had replied that she was not a lady. The exchange of laughter over what was obviously a lovers’ joke made for another embarrassing silence.
Nora, reassured that Morgan could handle herself with Cynthia, gathered her daughters and left.
When Nora left, Seth was the first to speak. “Cynthia, may I say that you look lovely, as always.”
Cynthia tittered. “Why, Seth, dear, you may say it as often as you like. You know … no matter how many times you have said it, I still love to hear it.” She turnedslightly toward Morgan to make sure she heard every word. “Morgan, has Seth told you what old friends we are?” Her voice had a cutting edge.
Morgan returned the sweet smile with one of her own. She reached over and patted Cynthia’s hand. “My dear Cynthia, you shouldn’t consider yourself such an old friend.”
Cynthia’s features hardened and her eyes blazed. They both turned at a sound from Seth. He was choking on a cookie. “Excuse me, ladies.” He struggled to regain his composure. “Won’t you stay for dinner, Cynthia?” There was laughter just beneath his voice. Or was there? Cynthia could not be sure.
“No, I must be going.” Cynthia rose, as did Seth and Morgan. Suddenly, Cynthia’s face brightened. She purred. “What I really came for was to kiss the groom.” She moved very close to Seth and placed a lace-covered hand on his chest. She turned her head toward Morgan. “You don’t mind … do you, dear?”
Without waiting for an answer, her arms slid up and around Seth’s neck in what Morgan knew was a much-practiced gesture. Cynthia pulled Seth’s mouth to hers, her body melting to meet his as his arms encircled her. Morgan turned away.
“Well, I must say, Seth, you haven’t changed.” Cynthia then turned to Morgan, as if startled to find her there. “I really must be going. You’ll visit me before too long, won’t you?” She addressed this to Seth, but then turned slowly to Morgan. “And you must come, too, of course.”
Seth moved to Morgan and put his arm around her shoulders. “My wife would love to come visit, on one of our return trips from New Mexico.”
“New Mexico! I thought a … wife would change your mind about that desolate place.”
“No, my little wife is just as anxious to go to New
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