Distant Dreams (11 page)

“If you know the library, then you must be James Baldwin.”

“Yes, I am. Now, how about some Shakespeare?”

“Shakespeare has his merits, and I do enjoy him, but that’s not what I was seeking just now.”

“What exactly were you seeking?”

“A book on locomotives. Have you any?” Her compelling brown eyes danced with hopefulness.

“Locomotives?” James questioned. “Why in the world . . .”

“Because I find them of great interest!”

Did he detect a hint of defensiveness in her tone? “But you’re a woman,” James protested, unable to imagine the delicate flower before him having any such true desire to immerse herself in the properties and workings of mechanical things.

She rolled her eyes in a most fetching way, though he was certain she had meant it to be derisive. Why had his mother failed to include this young woman in her list of prospective brides? Perhaps she was new to the area. Just as he was about to inquire of her name, however, she spoke.

“Surely you can’t believe, Mr. Baldwin, that a female has no capacity for anything more complex than cooking and sewing. Why, look at this—” She excitedly thumbed through a few pages. “The Second Law of Thermodynamics. My brother told me about this the other day, and I was wondering if these principles could be applied to the transference of heat in the steam engine of a locomotive. There seems to be a relation to me, and that’s why I was looking for something about railroads that could verify my thoughts. Do you know anything about this subject?”

The bright eagerness she exuded made him forget the notion that such talk from women was decidedly unfeminine.

“As it happens, miss—forgive me, but I don’t know your name.”

She frowned. “Of course you do. I am Carolina Adams.”

“You?” He didn’t hide his surprise. “But she—that is, you are only a child.”

“I am fifteen!” she said defensively.

“I know, but here you are dressed like a lady in a gown and all.”

“Not by choice.”

“Oh? You mean you didn’t want to attend my party?”

“Well . . . I didn’t . . . that is, it is nothing personal, you see. It’s just that . . . I don’t know . . . I guess it is as you said, I am too young.”

“And is that why you sought out the library, because you felt intimidated by all the elders?”

“Not really. I just suppose I prefer the company of a good book.”

“To a party?”

“It’s hard to explain. But I want so much to know things—things I’ll never learn at a party. I have so many—”

But at that moment the chime for dinner sounded.

“You were saying?” James asked. She was a child, of course, but a very intriguing one.

“That was the call for dinner, wasn’t it?” she said. “I should be going.”

“Let me accompany you.”

“I can find my way, really.” And before he could say another word, she spun around, her silky curls dancing around her pale smooth neck, and walked quickly away.

Impulsively, he almost hurried after her, but then thought better of it. Why bother pursuing a child? True, at fifteen, she could become betrothed to a man, but a marriage would not be quickly forthcoming. Nevertheless, James was seven years her senior, and there were plenty of lovely, more suitable women at his disposal.

At my disposal, he thought ruefully. I’m starting to think like my parents.

Still, he was in no position for whimsy. He had to be practical.

What was more important to him than anything else was his career with the railroad, which could only be achieved precisely by thinking more like his father. In this vein, it was not Carolina but rather her sister Virginia who would best further his ambitions. It was certainly no great sacrifice. He’d already seen and approved of Virginia. It would not be hard to shake the little sister from his mind.

11

Two Sisters

Carolina had no idea why she’d hurried so from the library. And why she still had the science book in her hand as she entered the dining room! She quickly stowed it behind a large vase of flowers on a windowsill before finding her place at the long dinner table.

The encounter with James Baldwin had been odd at best, downright disturbing at worst. She mused over it during dinner as she studiously avoided even looking in James’ direction. It was a wonder to her that he had failed to recognize her at first. He’d thought she was one of the eligible young ladies, not a child who had not even yet come of age. Imagine! It was rather thrilling to have a man of his stature think of her as a grown-up lady. But appalling, too.

It made her more aware than ever of her fast-approaching maturity. In a few months she would be sixteen and would be officially presented to society; then no doubt other men would look upon her in the same way. She wasn’t ready for such things. Yet she did not want to remain a child either. It was terribly confusing.

But no more so than the interchange in the library with James. Oddly, the moment she’d told him who she was, a subtle change had come over him, and he began treating her like a child. He wanted to know if the “elders” frightened her, obviously considering himself to be one of those elders, as he most certainly was. Even worse, she had fumbled for words to explain things that proper young ladies shouldn’t even think about. It must have seemed quite silly to a man like James, even if she
had
been able to explain them.

Then she had rudely insulted him by implying she had no desire to be at his party in the first place. How could she have done such a thing? And to the very person in whose honor the party was given! For that she deserved the harshest reprimand her mother could think up. Instead, her mother, unaware of her rude behavior, let her attend the ball after dinner. It was the last place Carolina wanted to be, but she felt so guilty she didn’t have the nerve to impose her desires upon her mother’s generosity. Nor did she have the heart to return to the library. Someone else might catch her there, and she might make an even worse fool of herself.

She followed the other guests from the dining room and up the sweeping staircase to the ballroom, where she quickly made her way to the farthest corner and prayed to fade into the artfully carved woodwork. James entered the room acting for all the world as though nothing were wrong, and Carolina could only conclude that he had not suffered the same effects of their meeting as she had.

She studied him for a long moment. My, but he is dashing, she thought, noting the wavy darkness of his hair. The snug fit of his coat showed off a wealth of masculine lines, and the set of his jaw was lean and hard. He had grown into a handsome man—much too handsome, Carolina thought, for his own good. He was a far cry from the Jimmy Baldwin who had tormented her as a child. He and York had been great friends, and they had found much amusement in unmercifully teasing her and her sisters. Even back then Carolina had suffered a wide gamut of emotions in regard to Jimmy Baldwin, from anger at his boyish cruelty to starry-eyed admiration of her brother’s best friend.

She watched now with no less confusion as a bevy of young women suddenly began swimming around him in adoration. She mentally calculated that he must be twenty-two, knowing him to be seven years her senior. Still studying him, she caught her breath when he flashed her a smile. How utterly awful to be caught watching him! Now he not only knew she was watching him, but by the way she felt her face flush, he would know how embarrassed she was at being found out.

Fully expecting him to torment her further, Carolina made her way to where her father spoke with Leland Baldwin. Surely James wouldn’t attempt to disgrace her in front of his father.

“Are you having fun, my dear?” her father asked with a wide smile.

Carolina knew he understood her misgivings about being forced to come to the affair. If they wanted to marry off Virginia, it was all well and fine, but there seemed to be little or no reason to drag her along behind. Seeing Leland Baldwin’s anxious expression, Carolina nodded. “It’s a lovely party.”

“Now don’t feel shy about dancing, Miss Adams,” Baldwin said. “Even if you are the youngest girl here.”

Margaret and Edith appeared, and Carolina was forced to endure their scrutiny and suggestions for male companionship that evening.

“Sarah Armstrong’s brother, Daniel, has been asking after you, Carolina,” her mother said softly. “I believe he would very much enjoy a dance.”

“He’s a splendid young man,” Edith offered supportively. “He recently graduated from the military academy, and he looks positively handsome in his uniform.”

Carolina prayed for patience and the ability to endure the driving force of not one mother, but two. Her decision was made for her, however, when she spotted James making his way toward them.

“If you would introduce us, Mrs. Baldwin, I would be happy to share a dance with him.” Carolina knew she sounded rather flustered, but she had no desire to face James Baldwin again.

James watched his mother leading Carolina across the ballroom. They had their heads together as if planning a very important strategy, which as far as James could tell from his dealings with women, they probably were. He smiled to himself and was pleasantly interrupted by a feminine voice.

“Hello, Mr. Baldwin,” Virginia Adams purred.

James turned and gave a bow. “Another Miss Adams, I see. Good evening.”

Virginia smiled demurely and used the fan to her advantage to gaze at him coquettishly from over the rim. “I was hoping to congratulate you on your recent graduation.”

“That’s very kind of you.” James studied Virginia for a moment and found himself comparing her to her sister. He was, in fact, so lost in this comparison that he didn’t hear what Virginia said next.

“I’m sorry”—he smiled in a way that endeared him to young women—“I’m afraid my mind was rather preoccupied. I didn’t hear what you said.” He spoke the words in a manner he knew would be flattering to Virginia’s sense of pride.

“I merely said it was a lovely night for a party,” Virginia replied.

“Perhaps you would enjoy a dance?” he asked. “I would be honored if you would allow me to escort you to the floor.”

Virginia smiled again and snapped the fan shut. “I would be simply delighted, Mr. Baldwin.”

They joined in a lively reel, and James thought himself quite fortunate to have attained the company of Virginia with no more trouble than a few well-placed words. He reminded himself of his duty to the family and reveled privately on how easily entertained Virginia seemed to be. But disturbingly enough, it was Carolina Adams who imposed on his thoughts even as he danced with her sister. She was nowhere to be seen, and he wondered where she had disappeared to with his mother.

“Oh, look!” tittered Virginia. “There’s Sarah Armstrong and Boyd Harris together. I heard they might become engaged soon.” She waved to the couple. “Isn’t Mary Lindsay’s gown divine? It was shipped here all the way from Paris.”

Virginia went on and on, filling him in on gossip about everyone on the dance floor. James’ mind wandered in his complete indifference to Virginia’s prattle. He thought about what Carolina had said concerning thermodynamics. He was still stupefied that a female even knew of such things, much less took an active interest in them. He would have liked to talk to her more about her ideas. Incredible! But now that he thought of it, Carolina had always had a unique turn of mind. As a child of five, she had forever barraged him with questions. Jimmy, why do the clouds move when there is no wind? Jimmy, what makes the ground steam after the rain? Why are butterflies different colors?

She had really wanted to know the answers, too, and would give him no rest until he’d come up with something. No wonder he tried to pay her back with incessant teasing. Back then he had dismissed it as childish curiosity. But now . . . he wasn’t so certain. It seemed to him just from that brief encounter in the library that Carolina Adams was hardly a child any longer. And thus, her curiosity must be something else. Intelligence, wit, and mental acuity seemed rare in a woman, and yet here was a woman with a brain— or more accurately, a woman with the desire to use her brain. It was an intriguing notion. And Carolina Adams was an intriguing woman—or rather,
girl
.

But again, James had to force his thoughts back to the present moment and to the
woman
in whose company he now was. Intriguing fifteen-year-old girls with older unmarried sisters could have no place in his life. He would—and could—find contentment with Virginia. It was only his rebellious nature that was making his thoughts stray toward anyone else. Thus he threw himself with great zeal into the dance.

When a waltz—that most scandalous of dances—began, Virginia looked up at him hesitantly, then put her hand in his and waited for his lead. James put a gloved hand lightly to her back and guided her in a rotating whirl around the room. Virginia stepped lightly, with grace. Her smile was bewitching. Any man would be crazy not to feel blessed to have the attentions of one such as she.

“I suppose I should have allowed another to take this number,” James said with a roguish glint in his eyes. “Have I threatened your reputation?”

Virginia laughed softly. “I suppose one waltz will not ruin me this night.”

James offered her a warm smile and led her gracefully through the room of twirling couples. He liked the waltz for a variety of reasons. One, it put the couple very close—face to face—and it was much easier to talk if one desired to do so. Then, too, for all its movement and constant flow in and out of other whirling partners, it was a dance that seemed to exclude the others in the room.

Virginia’s cheeks were pink from exertion, and her eyes were glowing bright in anticipation of what was next to come. James found her by far the most beautiful woman in the room. Clearly more womanly and exquisite in appearance than her sister. He tried to find some flaw in her face, some single thing on which to fault her, but he could not. Her complexion was smooth in an alabaster radiance, her nose delicately upturned, and her brows naturally arched above smoky blue eyes. Weren’t Carolina’s brown?

He pushed back the reminder of warm dark eyes and resumed the silent scrutiny of his dance partner. Pulling her a little closer, he was rewarded with her look of astonished pleasure. Yes, this was how it should be. He need desire nothing else.