Groom Wanted (19 page)

Her heart skipped a happy beat. This was the beautiful sort of people she would be associating with once she moved to New York.

“I’ll see you two later.” Abby let go of her and headed over to Phoebe.

Mother pulled Leah’s arm through hers. “Let’s go say hello, shall we?”

Leah didn’t have a chance to refuse her mother’s request because she tugged her along, and the two of them glided toward the group.

When they arrived at the small party of guests, Mr. Barker’s attention drifted to Mother’s and stopped. His eyes brightened and a huge smile split across his face. “Hello, my dear.” He looped Mother’s gloved hand through the crook of his arm. “Gentlemen, may I present to you my special lady friend, Katherine Bowen.”

They all greeted her with cordial smiles.

“And this lovely young woman is her daughter Leah.” Mr. Barker gently pulled Leah into the fold.

Men she’d never seen before greeted her warmly, staring at her approvingly even, but the women only nodded and raked their eyes up and down the length of her.

Seeing their looks of disapproval, heat rushed into her cheeks. At that moment, she wanted to crawl under the floor and pull it over her.

She glanced at her mother to see if she noticed, but Mother only had eyes for Mr. Barker.

Whispers behind gloved hands about her attire reached her ears. How could they be so cruel?

If only she’d taken more time with her appearance and worn her bustle gown and the jewels Father had given her. Elaborate jewels that had belonged to Father’s mother. If she had, they would not be looking down their noses at her.

“Miss Bowen.” Fitzwilliam’s icy tone from beside her caused her gaze to jump to him. No smile or any warmth of feeling ingrained his features. And he’d called her
Miss Bowen
instead of
Leah.
That couldn’t be good. What gross
faux pas
had she committed this time?

His gaze discreetly ran down the length of her and a scowl marred his face. Without even excusing them from the crowd, he cupped her elbow and led her away from the small gathering of people near the French doors.

“Leah, my dear, this is a formal affair with men and women of great prominence. Why did you not dress appropriately for it? How could you embarrass me this way?”

Her heart sank. She had a lot to learn. The only problem was, would she ever? “I’m sorry, Mr. Barrington. I didn’t know it was going to be this elaborate or I would have taken more care in dressing.”

“Did you not know that this was to be an operetta?”

“Well, um, yes. But...” She shrugged.

“But what?”

“Well, I, um... I’ve never been to one before.”

His line of vision trailed to Abby, then to her mother.

“Your mother and your sister are appropriately dressed.” One brow hiked.

He didn’t believe her.

He was right not to. She’d been so hurt by what had transpired between her and Jake that she didn’t care. Nothing mattered if Jake wasn’t in her life. She loved him.

Leah froze, and the blood drained from her face. It was as she feared.
Dear God, no. I can’t love Jake.

Jake’s handsome face, lazy smile and soft tabby-gray eyes invaded her mind. As did thoughts about how he accepted her just the way she was, how he didn’t even try to change her, how he made her laugh, made her feel special. Her knees went weak at the thought and very nearly pitched her to the floor.

“Evening, Leah.” Leah stiffened at the sound of Jake’s voice.

Drawing in a deep breath, she turned to face him and forced a smile onto her face, forced herself to act as if everything were normal. “Evening, Jake.”

Jake’s smile slipped, replaced by a concerned frown.

She hadn’t fooled him at all. He knew her well. Well enough to know something wasn’t right. His eyes never left her face. Seeing him through different eyes, she tried not to notice how handsome he really was inside and out.

Or how his broad shoulders, powerfully built arms and wide chest filled out the light blue shirt he wore under a dark blue vest.

Or how strong his muscular legs looked in the new dark blue pants that covered them.

Leah yanked her attention off of him. Those were things an unmarried woman should not be noticing.

She peeked a glance at Fitzwilliam.

His arms were behind his back and he stared at her with brown eyes of steel.

Her heart didn’t care, but her mind did. He was still her way of escape from this place and the nightmares. She couldn’t risk his disapproval. But what about Jake? What about her newly discovered love for him? Confusion infused itself into her heart and soul. Desperately she tried to think of a way to stay, to rid herself of the nightmares, of her strong hatred for the place that had ripped her father from her. Every coping strategy she’d tried since his death had failed. Nothing had worked. No. She had no choice. She had to go.

“Leah, can we talk?” Jake said.

“Excuse me, sir.” Fitzwilliam pulled himself up straighter, and his tone practically dripped with ice. “But Leah is with me. There are some people I want her to meet. So if you will excuse us.”

Before Leah had a chance to protest, she found herself all but being dragged toward the same small group of people who’d made her uncomfortable earlier.

Leah glanced over her shoulder. Jake started to follow her, but Elizabeth stepped in front of him. He peered around Miss Barrington. That was all Leah noticed because Fitzwilliam’s yank on her arm forced her to look forward or stumble.

They reached the small group, who were engaged in a deep conversation of some sort. Mother and Mr. Barker were no longer standing among them. They were talking to another small group of people on the other side of the room.

Fitzwilliam forgot all about introducing her and joined in with the men’s conversation. In the midst of the small crowd, Leah suddenly felt alone.

One of the women looked at Leah. “Mr. Barrington says your family came from New York City and that your father was a prominent businessman there. What do you think about the wholesale corruption? Do you think William Tweed should have been appointed commissioner of public works?”

Leah had no clue what the middle-aged woman with brown hair, green eyes and a long pointed nose was talking about. “I, um. We moved out here years ago, so I’m afraid I don’t know what that is.”

“You don’t?” The woman ran her disgust-filled eyes up and down Leah’s face. “That man purchases things for a pittance and sells it at an outrageous amount, and the Tammany society supports him. Why, that political machine runs all of New York City.”

Tammany society? Running New York City. She didn’t remember Father ever talking about anything like that.

“My husband thinks it’s wonderful.”

“He does?” asked a woman with shock on her face. “It’s pretty corrupt if you ask me.”

“What do you think, Leah? Do you think it’s right to do that?”

Leah couldn’t believe these women were talking politics. It was something she knew nothing about. Nor did she care to. “Oh. I, um...” She didn’t know how to answer that. If she told them the way she really felt, which was, no, she didn’t think it was right, then the lady whose husband thought it was a great idea would sneer at her. And if she said yes, it would go against what she believed—that the thing sounded like nothing but greediness to her—then the others women would scoff at her.

“Well, surely even way out here you’ve heard about the high assessment land value in Manhattan over the past twenty-seven years?” Another beautiful woman with dark black hair and striking blue eyes close to Leah’s age joined in the conversation.

“No, I haven’t.” Heat filled Leah’s cheeks at the disapproving looks that woman sent her way. Suddenly, the woman no longer seemed beautiful to Leah. In fact, she and the rest of the ladies who were sending her their scowls appeared ugly to her. Amazing how a person could look lovely on the outside until you got to know them on the inside. The ugliness in them caused even their pretty outsides to appear ugly.

“Does your family invest in stocks?”

How was she supposed to know if they did? Her brothers didn’t discuss finances with her. They believed women shouldn’t have to carry that burden—that it was a man’s burden alone to bear. Her father had felt the same way. She hiked a shoulder in response to her question.

“What do you think about
Le nozze di Figaro?
” the same woman asked.

“I don’t know what that is.” Leah’s eyes dropped in shame.

“Don’t you know we’ve come tonight to hear selections from it?” Ugly shrouded this beautiful woman even more so now.

Knowing she would feel even stupider, she said, “Selections?”

“Yes, selections. I saw the entire opera at la Monnaie when we went to Brussels last year.”

“La Monnaie?”
Floor, open up now. Please.

The lady’s laughter held only degradation. “Why, of course, la Monnaie. Surely you have heard of la Monnaie.”

“No, ma’am. I have not.”

“Where have you been, Miss Bowen? Living with the pigs?” asked another woman who had gray hair pulled back in a bun so tight her eyes were almost slanted. They would have been, too, if she wasn’t narrowing them so severely at Leah.

Leah sank further into herself, trying to come up with a suitable response. What would this lady think if she knew she really did live with pigs? She felt like a fly caught in a spider’s web with an eight-legged beast heading directly toward her with one mission—to devour her.

That’s what these women were doing—devouring her spirit. She needed to escape them. But she had no idea how to do that without being as rude as they were.

“Excuse me, ladies.” Jake stepped next to Leah and looped her arm through his. “But I feel you have had the pleasure of my friend’s company long enough. As much as I’m sure it will sadden you all to see her leave, I’m going to have to steal her away.”

The women nodded. Their faces lit up with smiles. Jake’s massive tall frame and extremely good looks would impress any woman. Even this group of snobby women. Several stared at Jake with dreamy eyes as if he were a prince of some kind. In a way he was. He was Leah’s Prince Charming, rescuing her from the dragon ladies. Leah had never loved him so much as she did at that very moment.

They pressed their gloved hands against their lips, dipped their heads and blinked their eyes like schoolgirls with a crush. Not a single one of them could form a coherent sentence. They sounded like blathering idiots.

How did they like feeling the way they’d made her feel?

Leah raised her chin. “If you will excuse me, ladies.”

Their heads bobbed jerkily as if someone were shaking them hard by the shoulders.

Jake led her away to a corner on the opposite side of the room.

Finally, Leah could breathe—well, kind of, with the infernal corset hemming her in and the tears of humiliation shimmering just behind her eyelashes.

They lowered themselves onto a white Chippendale bench seat. “How did you know I needed rescuing?”

He shrugged. “Just knew.”

“Thank you, Jake.” She sent him a shy smile. She’d never felt shy around Jake before.

“Told you I’d be here for you.”

“Yes, you did. You’re always there for me.” Leah had to force her true feelings not to show when she fixed her eyes on him. She didn’t want Jake to know she was in love with him.

Her gaze traveled around the room, and she leaned as close to him as possible without causing speculation about them, and for his ears only she said, “Are you doing okay in here?”

Jake skimmed the room. “Not too bad. There are several doors and it’s not crowded. So far, so good. Should be fine.”

“Oh, good. I’m so glad. When I came in here and saw all the space and doors, I had a feeling you would be.” She smiled at him.

“You look really nice. I like the dress. It brings out the blue in your eyes.”

A tear pooled in each eye.

“Did I say something wrong?” Concern drifted across his face.

“No. No.” She held up her hand. “On the contrary.”

“What are the tears for, then?” He brushed each one with his thumb from her cheek as they slid down.

She wanted to clutch his hand, press it into her heart and hold it there forever. But it wasn’t hers to do with as she pleased. Her heart and soul heaved a heavy sigh before she answered him. “Since I arrived here, you’re the first person to say something nice to me.”

“What do you mean? People here been mean to you?” Jake’s forehead furrowed.

She gave a long blink and nodded. “Those ladies that were so nice to you, well, they weren’t to me. You should have seen the disgust on their faces when they eyed me up and down. Made me feel lower than dirt. Then they started talking politics. Things I knew nothing about nor care to, and some opera house in some place I’ve never even heard of before. I’ve never felt so stupid in my entire life. I wanted the floor to open and swallow me up.”

The muscle in his jaw jumped. Leah could tell he was working to compose himself. “I wouldn’t worry about what they think. You outshine every last one of them both in beauty and attire.”

“Oh, you’re just saying that to be nice. But thanks.” She gave him a half smile.

“No. I’m not. I meant every word.” Seriousness dotted each syllable he spoke.

Leah studied his beautiful gray eyes for the truth. She didn’t see any falseness in them. Her heart warmed. She pressed her shoulders back, feeling taller and better than she had since she’d walked through the doors of this place. And she owed her renewed confidence in herself to Jake, who never once made her feel the way those ladies just had. Ever. In fact, she’d always seen the two of them as equals. “Thank you, Jake. I really needed to hear something nice. You look pretty fabulous yourself.” Boy, did he ever.

* * *

Jake appreciated Leah’s compliment. Her opinion was the only one there that mattered.

Leah played with her fingertips, rubbing and tugging at them. It crushed him to hear how cruel those ladies had been to her. He wanted to storm over there and give every one of them a good tongue-lashing. But he would not cause a scene and risk embarrassing Leah or Mrs. Bowen.