A Love For Keeps (Truly Yours Digital Editions) (12 page)

Meagan had never had an evening such as this one. She felt like a princess. She’d met many of Eureka Springs’s most prominent citizens and was especially impressed with Mr. and Mrs. Connors and the Claytons. She’d been stopped on the way to the ladies’ room by first one lady and then another to ask if she was the one who made Mrs. Morrison’s gown.

By the time she got to the ladies’ room and to the mirror, she found there was no need to pinch her cheeks to put a little color to them. Her face was flushed with the sheer excitement of the evening. She’d had two women ask if they could come in on Monday, and another asked the same for Tuesday.

She was just turning to leave when Abigail Connors entered the room. Meagan’s heart seemed to stop beating at the look in the woman’s eyes. She nodded and tried to smile, but Miss Connors was not smiling. She barely nodded as she swept past Meagan. That she was angry was obvious, and Meagan was sure the fact that she’d come with Nate was the reason. She was thankful other women were milling around—she felt that might be the only reason Abigail hadn’t told her just what she thought of her being here with Nate.

Meagan rushed back to her table as fast as possible. She wanted to get as far away from Abigail Connors as she could.

Nate looked at her closely when she got back to their table, but she smiled and took her seat without mentioning Abigail. She hoped that she hadn’t made life harder for Nate by coming with him. Even if he never asked her anywhere else, she would be thankful to him for this evening.

The orchestra added to the enchantment of the evening, and Meagan began to tap her foot in time to the music.

“Would you like to learn to dance?” Nate leaned near and asked. “I could teach you a few steps.”

At the very thought of being held in Nate’s arms, Meagan’s heart began to beat so fast it was hard to speak. All she could manage was, “You could?”

“Certainly. I would love to teach you.”

“I would love to learn,” Meagan admitted. She looked around the room at the couples who seemed to be floating across the floor. “But not here in front of everyone.” She shook her head. “Maybe another time?”

Nate scooted back his chair and stood. “Perhaps we can get some air, then.” He pulled out her chair. “Come with me.”

Meagan felt his hand at her elbow as he steered her toward one of the double doors leading out of the ballroom. Then he led her down the stairs to an outside terrace where several other couples had decided to get some fresh air, too. They could still hear the orchestra in the quiet of the evening.

“Oh, it’s lovely here,” Meagan said. The fragrance of blooming flowers lent sweetness to the night air, and the lights from residences up and down the hillside made her realize just how far up they were.

“It is, isn’t it? Not near as lovely as you, though,” Nate said.

Meagan caught her breath at his words. She wasn’t sure what to say, except, “Thank you.”

Following a lull in the music, the orchestra began to play again, and Nate turned to her. “A waltz. Perfect. Won’t you let me show you some steps now?”

“I—yes, please,” Meagan said. How thoughtful of him to get her away from any chance of ridicule for her clumsiness.

He bowed and slipped his right arm around her waist, holding out his left hand for hers. Meagan slipped her hand into his, and he drew her nearer. “One, two, three,” Nate began to count as he showed her the steps. “One, two, three.” The pressure from his hand told her when to turn. “One, two, three. You’re getting it. One, two, three.”

Meagan found it quite easy to follow his lead, the slight pressure on her back telling her when and in what direction he wanted her to turn. She lost track of time and was quite disappointed when the music ended. Nate sighed and kept his arm around her for a moment before letting her go. “You are an excellent student. Would you like to go in and dance around the ballroom floor now?”

“Oh … I’m not sure I’m ready for that—to dance in front of everyone. But thank you for the lesson. I enjoyed—”

“Another waltz,” Nate interrupted as the music began again. “Let me have one more dance out here, then.” He looked down into her eyes and smiled. Reaching out and tucking an errant curl behind her ear, he whispered, “Please.”

He was asking her to do the very thing she wanted—to step into his arms again. “All right.”

Nate’s arm encircled her once more and pulled her close. Meagan’s heart began to pound in time to the music as they floated around the limestone terrace. She wished the evening would never come to an end.

Nate hated to see the evening end—he hated to part company with Meagan. Even Abigail’s bad mood hadn’t put a damper on his evening. All he need do was look at Meagan, and all thoughts of Abigail’s anger disappeared.

“Oh, what a lovely evening,” Meagan said as he helped her into the carriage.

It was beautiful. The moon was huge, and the stars bright and numerous. The air was balmy and fragrant.

“It is, isn’t it?” Nate took his place beside her and motioned for the driver to take off. “Lovely as it is, though, the night sky really doesn’t compare to how you look tonight, Meagan,” he complimented her once more.

“Oh, why … thank you, Nate.”

The way she ducked her head, he had a feeling she was blushing as she often did when he paid her a compliment. If so, he wished he could see the captivating color flood her cheeks. “You’re welcome. I thank you for accompanying me this evening, Meagan. And thank you for letting me teach you to dance the waltz. I can’t remember when I’ve had a better time.”

“It was a wonderful evening. I’ve never been anywhere as nice as the Crescent before. Obviously, I’d never danced before tonight. Thank you for teaching me and for asking me to accompany you, Nate.”

“Please—quit thanking me. I was honored to be your escort.”
More than honored
. He was also proud just to be seen with her. More than one man had come up to him and asked who she was while she was in the ladies’ room. The whole evening had been one to remember, but the highlight for him was waltzing with Meagan on the terrace. No. He would never forget this night.

“Everyone looked so elegant, and oh, the food was so delicious.”

Nate chuckled. “It was very good. They hired an excellent chef.” He loved Meagan’s fresh perspective on the evening. When the carriage stopped at her house, Nate helped her down and asked the driver to wait for him. He walked her to the door and admitted, “I hate to see the evening end.”

“Mama and the girls will be up, wanting a full account of the opening. Would you like to come in and have some lemonade? I’m sure Mama has some made.”

“I would love some if you are sure your mother won’t mind.”

“She’ll be happy to see you.”

Meagan opened the door, and her mother must have been listening for the sound, because she came out of the kitchen, followed by Sarah and Becca.

“Mama, I asked Nate in for lemonade or something cool to drink, but he wants to make sure it’s all right with you.”

“Of course it is.” Mrs. Snow smiled. “You are always welcome in this home, Nate. We’ve all been waiting to hear about the evening. Please, come on back to the kitchen.”

Nate was beginning to feel at home in this kitchen. He loved it there. It was warm and welcoming, even when nothing was on the stove or in the oven.

Meagan looked beautiful as he held out a chair for her. She didn’t look out of place at all sitting at their kitchen table in all her finery. Her sisters helped her mother, and soon he had a glass of lemonade sitting before him.

“Thank you,” Nate said and took his first sip. “The last time I sat in a kitchen and drank lemonade, I was about Sarah’s age. This takes me back to my mother’s kitchen, Mrs. Snow. It’s a good memory. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Nate.”

As they all sat around the table, he and Meagan filled the others in on the Crescent gala. He mostly listened unless Meagan asked for his input.

She described the inside of the Crescent in detail, although her mother knew what it looked like from working there. But it hadn’t been quite as dressed up then, she said. Meagan went on to describe the gowns some of the women had been wearing and how they’d sat at the same table as their neighbors, and she told them about meeting the Claytons.

It was while Meagan described the women and how lovely they all looked that Nate realized how very different she was from Abigail. Abigail would have been critical of each and every woman there and what she had on. It was what she and her friends always did, and then when one of them left the table or room, the others talked about that one. He often wondered how they could not recognize that they were all talking about each other.

Even if Meagan and her family didn’t like someone, he didn’t think they would talk about them that way. He’d never heard any of that when he was around them. Sitting in this kitchen with this family made him aware of the fact that he really hadn’t been true to himself or his upbringing in the last few years.

When the clock struck the hour, he knew it was time to leave. He certainly didn’t want to wear out his welcome. As Meagan and her family saw him to the door, Nate realized he had a lot to think about. Perhaps it was time he made some changes. He left the house that had become some kind of haven for him and headed home.

He was falling in love with Meagan Snow, but he wasn’t sure she was even aware of how much he cared for her. Part of him was afraid to let her know, and the other couldn’t wait to tell her how he felt. He wasn’t sure the time was right. He prayed for the Lord to help him sort it all out and to be able to find a way to convince Meagan that he truly cared for her.

Once Nate and that Snow woman left the gala, Abigail was no longer interested in staying. She insisted her escort take her home, although he wasn’t happy about it. She didn’t much care. All she wanted to do was get home. She wasn’t in the mood to make small talk when all she could think of was Nate and the fact that he appeared to be very interested in Meagan Snow. That just wasn’t going to do at all.

Millie helped her out of her gown and brought a pot of tea to her room as Abigail always expected. “Here you go, Miss Abigail. How was the gala? You looked so beautiful tonight—I’m sure it was an evening you’ll never forget.”

“No. I never will, Millie.” Abigail couldn’t hold her anger in any longer. “Actually, it was one of the worst nights of my life!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. What happened?”

“Nate and that—” Abigail caught herself before she confided in her hired help. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Millie nodded and poured a cup of tea for her. “I understand. Would you like anything else, ma’am?”

“No. You may retire for the night.”

“Thank you, Miss Abigail. Good night.”

Abigail sighed as her housekeeper left the room. She did like tea; it usually settled her nerves. Not tonight. She sipped from her cup as she looked out the window into the night.

She was too keyed up to stay still, and she felt like a caged tiger as she paced her room.
There must be something I can do to nip this little romance in the bud
. She couldn’t just let Meagan Snow win Nate’s heart!

Abigail had been biding her time ever since her sister, Rose, had died, hoping that one day Nate would realize how much she loved him. She’d resented Rose since the day Nate began to court her and even more once they’d had a child. Nevertheless, she loved her niece. That day of the fire was one she rarely let herself think about, but now she couldn’t keep the memories back.

She’d stopped by to bring a present to three-year-old Natalie. When the fire broke out, there was confusion. She and Rose ran from one window to the next, trying to see where it was. When they found that the flames were jumping from one building to the other up the hillside, they knew they didn’t have much time to salvage anything.

“Abigail, the fire will be here any moment. We must get Natalie to safety!” Rose handed the child to her. “I have to get the picture albums. I’ll hurry!”

Rose started up the staircase. Hugging the child close, Abigail followed. “No, Rose. There isn’t time! We need to go now.”