Chapter Six
As it turned out, her fiancé’s expression on the night of the party was positively awestruck causing Rose to blush, her cheeks matching her dress color. She had never felt so beautiful in her life.
William took her hand when she approached him. “Can you wear this on our wedding day?”
She laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous!”
“How can you top how magnificent you look at this moment?” he wondered. “It’s impossible.”
“We shall do it, nonetheless,” remarked Elise, overhearing as she approached them.
“Everything is perfect.” Rose grabbed her sister’s hands. “Thank you for this. It is as special as you promised.”
She surveyed the room where candles and mirrors made everything and everyone sparkle and dazzle with light. There were flowers on every available surface. Crystal punch bowls and heavily laden tables of the most heavenly smelling food beckoned the guests. And of course, there was music, which Sophie had planned.
Rose knew her musical-minded sister would be hovering over the small band all evening, directing them as to the choices. Sophie had already sat down at the piano once, pushing the alarmed pianist to the side of the bench, before sending out a happy tune over the ballroom.
At that moment, though, her sister, rustling in her skirts of deep purple taffeta, strolled over to where they stood. Of course, Riley strode along beside her, tall, ruggedly handsome — something a little Western and wild about him, despite being a physician.
Riley shook hands with William, who’d got on well with Rose’s western branch of the family. “You had better follow me,” Riley said. “Reed has something for you.”
William raised his eyebrows and looked at Rose, who shrugged.
“Knowing my brother, it’s a legal document spelling out the terms of our engagement.”
Everyone laughed.
“You mean ourmarriage,” William said.
“Oh, they’ll be one for that, too.”
They laughed again. “Go ahead,” Rose told him. “Hurry back, though, and tell me what it is all about.” She watched William walk away, trailing behind Riley. Two such handsome men — and one of them was hers!
Sophie watched them go, too, then she turned to Elise. “Go rescue Mama.”
They followed Sophie’s gaze. By the dessert table, their mother was chatting with Ethan Nickerson.
“Not I,” Elise said, her face flushing pink.
“Why ever not?” Rose asked, surprised at her oldest sister’s reticence. She usually took charge of whatever needed doing.
Sophie laughed lightly. “I think she still feels discomfort about nearly getting engaged to the man.”
“What?” Rose exclaimed so loudly her sisters had to shush her. She rounded on Elise. “Tell me,” she demanded, for she couldn’t picture Elise with anyone except Michael Bradley to whom she’d been ecstatically wed for the past ten years.
“Oh, you remember,” Sophie said when Elise remained silent. “She was trying to make Michael jealous.”
“With old man Nickerson?” Rose lifted her eyebrows.
“No, it wasn’t like that,” Elise protested. “It was more complicated.”
“Couldn’t you find someone closer to your own age?” Rose asked, wrinkling her nose and taking another look at Mr. Nickerson. True, he’d been ten years younger, but he was clearly the age of their parents. “He’s well-preserved for a man Mama’s age. Really though!”
“Enough,” Elise said. “In any case, someone else can go draw Mama away.”
“Maybe she doesn’t want to be rescued,” Rose surmised. “They seem to be having a pleasant discussion.”
They all looked again as their mother, gorgeous in a pale peach gown, laughed at something Nickerson said. She put a hand up to her hair, with its unfashionable gray streaks at either temple, the only sign that she was aging — and very gracefully at that. Rose was quite glad her mother eschewed the popular dyes and let her beautiful hair alone.
