remember your place."
Meagan stood up, cheeks crimson, her eyes drawn to Lion's by some magnetic force she couldn't control. While Priscilla took over her chair, he winked at Meagan quite deliberately. She dragged her eyes away and murmured with cold effort, "I beg your pardon. It won't happen again."
Blood pounded in her head as she turned toward the doorway, but it couldn't drown out their voices.
"I hope you won't think me too forward, Lion, but I've decided that it's time you and I became friends," Priscilla was saying in a sugary voice. "I'm afraid I haven't behaved very well these past two weeks, but I'm hoping you'll forgive me and we can start afresh."
"My dear, you have read my mind. Those are my thoughts and desires exactly."
Chapter 7
Darkness and silence stretched the minutes out in Meagan's imagination as she lay in her narrow bed, waiting. The room grew starkly cold. At last she forced herself up, hurrying across the frozen floor to agitate the embers in the fireplace. She was turning the hot brick at the foot of her bed when Priscilla came in wearing a satisfied smile that doubled Meagan's rage.
"Meagan, are you still awake? I would have thought you'd be asleep ages ago!"
Meagan regarded her angrily in the darkness, thinking that Priscilla's pieces no longer fit together so predictably. The empty-headed stare was gone; a new shrewdness lurked behind her innocent expression. Meagan's keenest instinct warned her to speak with care, but her temper had raced beyond caution. "Don't you put on airs with me, Priscilla Margaret Wade! I am so mad at you I could spit! How could you speak to me the way you did tonight?"
Priscilla, unfastening the front of her gown, widened her eyes in an effective imitation of incomprehension. "I can't think why you're so angry! I was only trying to act my part. I thought I was supposed to treat you like a servant!"
Her pretty chin trembled in the shadows, but Meagan warned herself not to be taken in.
"I know better than that, Priscilla. You loved that scene downstairs! You really enjoyed acting high and mighty with me."
"I think that's a hateful thing to say, Meagan Sayers!" Loud sobs were heard as she lifted her dress over her head, but when her face came back into view it was dry. "Besides, maybe it's my turn. You've been bossing me around ever since we were tiny children."
"That's ridiculous. All I've ever done is prod you into action occasionally. If you had had your way, you'd have spent your life lying in bed, having your hair brushed, and taking baths!"
"At least I wouldn't be in the scrapes you're always in!" Buttoning her bedgown, she went on. "Look at you now. You could be living in society in Boston, but you've chosen to reduce yourself to a servant. I realized tonight that it really isn't such a masquerade. I mean, you really are dependent on me now. Whom else do you have?"
Meagan was stunned by her words. Tiny hairs rose on her arms and legs in the chilly night air; slowly she crept into bed.
The silence stretched between them, finally broken by Priscilla, sweetly imploring, "Meagan, don't misunderstand now. You'll always be my best friend, no matter how high I go on Society Hill. You know, that's what James says they call the rich part of Philadelphia. You needn't fear that I'll desert you."
"You're too good," Meagan said sarcastically.
"Just don't you embarrass me with one of your little pranks! Oh, Meagan, I want to thank you for bringing me to my senses tonight—about Lion, I mean." She pulled up her quilt to her chin and sighed meaningfully. "I'm going to make him love me, you'll see. I wouldn't be surprised if he does already! I declare, he can look so attractive when he's being charming!"
* * *
The final day of their journey put Priscilla's new determination to the fullest test.
The three travelers rose before dawn. In his single-minded desire to reach Philadelphia, Lion was distant and brusque toward both girls, saving his
Meagan stood up, cheeks crimson, her eyes drawn to Lion's by some magnetic force she couldn't control. While Priscilla took over her chair, he winked at Meagan quite deliberately. She dragged her eyes away and murmured with cold effort, "I beg your pardon. It won't happen again."
Blood pounded in her head as she turned toward the doorway, but it couldn't drown out their voices.
"I hope you won't think me too forward, Lion, but I've decided that it's time you and I became friends," Priscilla was saying in a sugary voice. "I'm afraid I haven't behaved very well these past two weeks, but I'm hoping you'll forgive me and we can start afresh."
"My dear, you have read my mind. Those are my thoughts and desires exactly."
Chapter 7
Darkness and silence stretched the minutes out in Meagan's imagination as she lay in her narrow bed, waiting. The room grew starkly cold. At last she forced herself up, hurrying across the frozen floor to agitate the embers in the fireplace. She was turning the hot brick at the foot of her bed when Priscilla came in wearing a satisfied smile that doubled Meagan's rage.
"Meagan, are you still awake? I would have thought you'd be asleep ages ago!"
Meagan regarded her angrily in the darkness, thinking that Priscilla's pieces no longer fit together so predictably. The empty-headed stare was gone; a new shrewdness lurked behind her innocent expression. Meagan's keenest instinct warned her to speak with care, but her temper had raced beyond caution. "Don't you put on airs with me, Priscilla Margaret Wade! I am so mad at you I could spit! How could you speak to me the way you did tonight?"
Priscilla, unfastening the front of her gown, widened her eyes in an effective imitation of incomprehension. "I can't think why you're so angry! I was only trying to act my part. I thought I was supposed to treat you like a servant!"
Her pretty chin trembled in the shadows, but Meagan warned herself not to be taken in.
"I know better than that, Priscilla. You loved that scene downstairs! You really enjoyed acting high and mighty with me."
"I think that's a hateful thing to say, Meagan Sayers!" Loud sobs were heard as she lifted her dress over her head, but when her face came back into view it was dry. "Besides, maybe it's my turn. You've been bossing me around ever since we were tiny children."
"That's ridiculous. All I've ever done is prod you into action occasionally. If you had had your way, you'd have spent your life lying in bed, having your hair brushed, and taking baths!"
"At least I wouldn't be in the scrapes you're always in!" Buttoning her bedgown, she went on. "Look at you now. You could be living in society in Boston, but you've chosen to reduce yourself to a servant. I realized tonight that it really isn't such a masquerade. I mean, you really are dependent on me now. Whom else do you have?"
Meagan was stunned by her words. Tiny hairs rose on her arms and legs in the chilly night air; slowly she crept into bed.
The silence stretched between them, finally broken by Priscilla, sweetly imploring, "Meagan, don't misunderstand now. You'll always be my best friend, no matter how high I go on Society Hill. You know, that's what James says they call the rich part of Philadelphia. You needn't fear that I'll desert you."
"You're too good," Meagan said sarcastically.
"Just don't you embarrass me with one of your little pranks! Oh, Meagan, I want to thank you for bringing me to my senses tonight—about Lion, I mean." She pulled up her quilt to her chin and sighed meaningfully. "I'm going to make him love me, you'll see. I wouldn't be surprised if he does already! I declare, he can look so attractive when he's being charming!"
* * *
The final day of their journey put Priscilla's new determination to the fullest test.
The three travelers rose before dawn. In his single-minded desire to reach Philadelphia, Lion was distant and brusque toward both girls, saving his
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