His Most Suitable Bride (21 page)

Music floated through the house. Tables draped in gold-and-silver satin lined nearly every room. Trays of fruit and cheeses were surrounded by piles of smoked fish, roasted fowl and thinly sliced cuts of beef. Several tables were dedicated to desserts.

At last, he caught sight of Callie in the grand ballroom. She was dressed in a gossamer gown that was neither blue nor green but a mesmerizing combination of the two. The bodice was form-fitting, trimmed with lace, while the skirt draped in flowing waves of fabric past her slippered feet. Her hair was piled on top of her head with a loose waterfall of curls hanging around her face.

As he’d seen her do countless times in the past, she watched the dance floor from a discreet distance. The sight made his gut twist. She should be taking a turn around the ballroom with the other couples, with him as her partner.

Easy enough to rectify.

She must have sensed his gaze on her because she turned her head and smiled at him. She was different tonight, bolder, more sure of herself. As inevitable as the day giving way to night, his heart picked up speed. His blood raced through his veins.

His throat seized over an unsteady breath.

He set out in her direction.

She set out in his.

They met halfway and he took her hand. “You are a vision tonight.”

Though she boldly held his stare, the slight tremble in her fingers spoke of her nervousness. “Thank you, Reese. You’re looking quite handsome yourself.”

“I look like every other man in the room.”

She smiled again, an expression of infinite caring and affection. “Perhaps in what you are wearing, that is true. But you stand out above all others, in looks and character.”

He’d asked himself many times over the past few weeks, why this woman was the one he wanted to marry.
Why her?

Now, as he stood entrapped in her gaze, he wondered why he’d ever doubted his decision to pursue her.

“Shall we dance?”

She bit her lip. Even without that telltale sign, he could sense her hesitation. He silently willed her to say yes.

Her answer came in a brief nod. He drew her into his arms and spun her out onto the dance floor.

Gazes locked, they danced in silence for most of the song. It came to an end all too soon and they stepped apart.

Reese wasn’t through holding her. “Dance one more with me.”

“I have been tasked with refilling the dessert tables whenever they fall low. I cannot neglect my duties.” She sighed. “Nor can I monopolize you all evening.”

The strains of the next waltz filled the air. “Once more,” he insisted.

“People may misunderstand your intentions.”

“My intentions are wholly honorable.” Sweeping her into his arms, he gave her no more chance to argue. “Besides, you owe me a respite.”

Her eyebrows arched at haughty angle. Ah, there she was.
His
Callie.

“Countless women have been showing up at my law firm all week with the sole purpose of insisting I dance with them at the ball this evening.”

Letting out a delighted laugh, she shook her head. Then, as if concerned he might actually be telling the truth, her eyes rounded. “Surely not.”

“I might have exaggerated the number.” His tone came out more amused than he’d felt at the time. “It wasn’t
countless
women, just two.”

Eyes narrowed, head titled, she considered this a moment. “Let me guess, their names begin with the letter
P.
”

“Right on the first try.” He spun her in a circle.

She matched him step for step. “I forbid you to dance with either Phoebe or Penelope Ferguson tonight.”

He drew back in laughing surprise. “You forbid me?”

“Don’t think you can defy me on this, either.” The mock scowl she gave him was as endearing as the rest of her. “I will make a scene if you do.”

“I wouldn’t dare risk a scene.”

They danced the next twelve notes in companionable silence.

“I’ve made up a new bride list,” he said.

Her feet stumbled to a halt and she blinked up at him in horrified silence.

It was hardly the response he’d expected.

At last, she found her voice. “You did what?”

“I have designed a new list. I brought it with me.” He took her arm and guided her off the dance floor. “I thought we might review it together later, perhaps when the ball is winding down.”

“You have revised your list,” she repeated.

“You’ll be pleased to discover that I put much thought into this last and final one. It’s very detailed. I’m hoping you’ll approve of the changes.”

She glanced at him without smiling. “So you are still seeking a bride?”

“Not precisely.” He was attempting to tell her he’d picked out his bride—
her—
but he was making a hash of it. “I’ve already made my decision. You see, Callie, I—”

A small commotion at the front of the ballroom cut off the rest of his words. Reese swiveled his head and, for a perilous moment, his mind went blank.

He’d expected this evening to be memorable. Had hoped and planned for it to be so.

But he hadn’t foreseen this shocking twist.

After months of being gone, after innumerable unanswered letters from her sister, Fanny Mitchell had chosen tonight to make her return to Denver.

As she took the dance floor with her partner, Reese clasped Callie’s hand and watched his ex-fiancée waltz back into their lives.

Chapter Twenty-One

F
anny looked spectacular, Callie thought glumly. She was poised and sophisticated beyond her twenty-two years, and even more beautiful than when she’d left town. The blue silk gown she wore complemented her delicate beauty, while the artfully arranged mass of blond curls set off her exquisite face and startling amber eyes.

As if she didn’t know—or perhaps didn’t care—that she was the center of attention, she twirled around the dance floor in Jonathon Hawkins’s arms. A triumphant return, timed for utmost effect.

But to what end?

If Fanny had come to the ball in an effort to halt any remaining gossip over her broken engagement, she’d failed. The ballroom buzzed with whispers and speculation. Gazes swung between Fanny and Reese.

Callie thought she might be sick.

Not wishing to add substance to the rumors already circulating through the ballroom, she discreetly tugged her hand free of Reese’s.

He continued staring straight ahead. “Did you know she was coming tonight?”

“No. Did you?”

Reese shook his head.

They fell silent again, both of them watching Fanny, as were most of the other party guests.

Callie stared blankly at the spinning couple, her thoughts in turmoil. Why had her sister chosen tonight to make her long-awaited return? Why had she not let Callie know she was coming home?

Was Reese happy to see Fanny? His stiff posture hinted that he was more taken aback than pleased. Callie couldn’t drum up the courage to look at him to find out one way or the other.

The whispering intensified around them, turning into open speculation. She thought she heard her name linked with Reese’s, followed by an unfounded conjecture that she’d played a role in her sister’s broken engagement.

Now gazes were turning to study her and Reese, making a connection that wasn’t there. Or hadn’t been there until recently.

The music played on and Fanny continued whirling around the dance floor with Mr. Hawkins.

Callie’s stomach churned in perfect rhythm with their steps. She wanted to be glad her sister was home, truly she did, but did Fanny not realize that her sudden appearance would generate talk, much of it ugly? Did she not hear the whispers following her across the dance floor?

“Why did she have to come back tonight?”

Reese shook his head, obviously as baffled by Fanny’s behavior as Callie. “Your sister has interesting timing.”

Indeed.

If Fanny had arrived even hours before the ball had begun, Callie would have been better prepared for the whispers. She would have found a way to temper the gossip...somehow. She loved her sister—she did. Hadn’t she sent innumerable letters begging Fanny to come home?

Now that her sister was here, Callie wished she would have stayed away.

Guilt washed through her at the thought, turning her heart bleak. Where was the joy over seeing Fanny again?

Her sister was her best friend, the woman who knew her better than any other. Yet, Callie still wanted her gone.

This time, a spark of resentment followed the thought, leaving an unattractive blight on her soul. This insight into her character was not a pretty one.

“I must greet her properly,” she said, mostly to herself, but Reese responded, anyway.

“As should I.” He shook his head in resignation. “She’s given us little choice.”

They shared a bleak smile.

“Come.” He took her hand and set it on his arm. “The waltz is drawing to a close. We’ll catch up with her as soon as she steps off the dance floor.”

More than a few curious glances followed their progress across the room.

They approached Fanny and Mr. Hawkins on the very edge of the parquet floor. Neither seemed to notice their arrival. They were each looking steadily into one another’s eyes, a silent message flowing between them. With a shaky smile, Fanny lowered her head.

Mr. Hawkins cleared his throat. “Thank you for the dance, Miss Mitchell.”

Fanny continued staring at her toes. “It is I who should thank you, Mr. Hawkins. I’m afraid I didn’t sufficiently think through my actions. Had you not asked me to dance I don’t know what I would have done. You saved me from certain humiliation.”

“I’m glad I could help.” He started to say more, but caught sight of Callie and Reese. “Ah, Miss Mitchell. Mr. Bennett.” He divided a look between them. “Always a pleasure to see you both.”

Callie greeted him with her a short nod and then turned her attention to her sister. “Welcome home, Fanny.”

“Callie.” Fanny’s head lifted and a look of unfiltered relief filled her gaze. “I’d hoped you would be here this evening.”

As she stared into her sister’s eyes, Callie recognized the discomfiture there, the worry that her return would not be received well. Whatever lingering anger she’d been holding toward Fanny suddenly disappeared. All that was left was love. Love for her sister. Love for her best friend. Fanny had made her share of mistakes recently. Then again, so had Callie.

Judge not, lest you be judged.

“Oh, Fanny.” Callie pulled her younger sister into a warm, tight embrace. “I’ve missed you so.”

“I’ve missed you, too, Cal. So very much.”

They clung to one another for several seconds, neither caring that they were making a spectacle of themselves with their joyful reunion. Or that the whispers and chatter had increased.

Fanny stepped back first.

Her gaze dropped over Callie, traveling from head to toe. “Why, Callie, you’re beautiful. And your dress...” A smile curved her lips. “It’s absolutely stunning and so perfect for your coloring.”

A few months ago, the compliment would have alarmed Callie. She would have retreated behind her cool mask, concerned she’d attracted unnecessary attention. Now, she accepted her sister’s admiration with a gracious smile and a genuine thank-you.

“My, how you’ve changed, Cal.” Fanny clasped her hands delightedly. “Is this newfound confidence due to Mrs. Singletary’s influence?”

“And Reese’s.” Callie answered without hesitation, not quite realizing what she’d revealed until the words had passed her lips.

Reese.
He stood silently beside her, his shoulders not quite touching hers. Tall, strong and vigilant, ever watchful, she found strength in his presence.

She dared a glance in his direction, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at Fanny, his expression unreadable.

Fanny turned to face him directly.

A hush fell over the surrounding crowd, spreading through the ballroom like yeast through leavened bread. It was as if the entire room was poised in anticipation, eager to witness firsthand this unexpected reunion between the estranged couple.

“Hello, Fanny.” Reese gave her a brief nod, his smile slipping only a fraction. Callie doubted anyone noticed but her. “Welcome home.”

“Thank you, Reese.” Fanny looked momentarily disconcerted, then returned his smile with a bright one of her own. “It’s wonderful to be back in Denver.”

“Is your return permanent?” Callie asked, hoping to alleviate the tension falling over their awkward little group.

“I haven’t yet decided.” Something flickered in Fanny’s gaze as she glanced at Mr. Hawkins. “The terms of my employment aren’t quite settled.”

Mr. Hawkins frowned, the gesture one of genuine masculine puzzlement. “Miss Mitchell, I am more than willing to meet your requests.”

Fanny lifted her eyebrows. “
All
of them?”

After a slight pause, he nodded.

“Wonderful.” Her eyes lit with triumph. “Nevertheless, I wish to think it over before I give you my answer.”

Her response earned her a frown. “I understand. However, you should know...” His face took on an unbending expression. “I will not wait indefinitely for your answer. You have a week to make your decision.”

Fanny gasped. “But, Mr. Hawkins, I—”

“One week. Not a day more.”

After a quick word of farewell to Reese and Callie and a brief nod in Fanny’s direction, he was gone.

Additional tension descended in his wake. Expectant silence hung heavy on the air. Not quite understanding what she’d just witnessed, Callie shared a confused glance with Reese.

He lifted a shoulder, then, ever the gentleman, stepped into the void. “Fanny, would you care to dance?”

Eyes still on Mr. Hawkins, hands clenched at her sides, Fanny drew in a sharp breath. “Thank you, Reese, I believe I would. Very much.”

As he guided her sister onto the dance floor, Callie was filled with admiration for Reese. The sensation was followed immediately by gloom. Though Reese had merely been smoothing over an awkward moment, Fanny was once again in his arms.

Callie’s worst nightmare realized.

Melting to the edge of the dance floor, then farther back into the shadow cast by an oversize flower arrangement, she watched her sister and the man she loved waltz together.

They made a striking pair.

Reese’s masculine build stood in stark contrast to Fanny’s slight frame, his dark to her light, their steps flawlessly in sync with the music. The romantic waltz seemed to have been composed for this moment.

Callie sighed unhappily. Mrs. Singletary had commissioned entirely too many waltzes for this evening’s ball. Why couldn’t she have insisted upon quadrilles, where couples spent more time apart than together? Or, better yet, a scotch reel, where they didn’t touch at all.

Reese and Fanny executed a well-timed series of turns. The action sent a fold in Fanny’s skirt wrapping around his legs. He said something to her that made her laugh.

Callie had a peculiar feeling in her stomach, one of dread, as if her world was about to cave in around her.

A faint sigh slipped past her lips.

“You’re frowning, Miss Mitchell. Please tell me I’m not the cause.”

“Indeed not.” She swung her gaze to meet Marshall Ferguson’s. “I was merely caught up in the music.”

“By the expression on your face I take it you don’t like this particular arrangement.”

She considered how best to answer the question. “If you must know, I find it a bit melancholy for my liking.”

He shut his eyes a moment, as if attempting to listen to the music without any distraction. “The composer has relied too heavily on the minor chords,” he said, opening his eyes. “That, I believe, is why the piece has a sad tone.”

“You know your music, Mr. Ferguson.”

“A bit.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “Don’t tell my mother, but I have been known to tap out a ditty now and then on the fiddle.”

Picturing him with a fiddle beneath his chin, plucking out a jaunty tune, she laughed softly. “I should very much like to see that.”

“One day, perhaps I shall satisfy your curiosity.” Smiling, he gestured to the flurry of dancers. “Would you do me the honor?”

Her first impulse was to refuse, to lean back against the wall and retreat into the shadows she’d once worn as a protection from future heartache. She’d hidden from life itself, cloaking her true self behind ugly clothes and severe hairstyles. She’d allowed a false sense of shame to keep her trapped in the mistake of her past.

She was not that woman anymore.

“Why, thank you, Mr. Ferguson, I would love to take a turn around the floor with you.”

* * *

Reese knew the exact moment Callie and Marshall Ferguson joined the whirl of dancers. He felt it in his gut, in the kick of possessiveness that hit him square in the heart.
Mine. She is mine.

He had half a mind to cut in, to stake his claim in front of everyone assembled, as beastly as that sounded even in his own head.

Alas, he must finish this dance with Fanny first. A multitude of gazes were on them. Tongues wagged. Speculation abounded.

“Why did you come home, Fanny?”

He didn’t ask the question for himself. They’d said everything that needed saying months ago. There was no point in rehashing the past, especially since matters were settled between them. But Fanny’s ill-timed arrival had brought unkind speculation onto Callie.

That,
he would not tolerate.

Her gaze not quite meeting his, Fanny lifted her chin and said, “I came home because I missed my family.”

He believed that was partially true. The Mitchell brood was a tight-knit group. Fanny had always been close with her siblings. But her explanation brought up another, more significant question. “Why did you choose tonight, and this ball in particular, to make your return?”

“I...” She sighed delicately. “It’s hard to explain.”

“Try.”

She fell silent.

Reese took the opportunity to eye her more closely. He dropped his gaze over her face, searching for the woman he’d thought he knew. The one with manners and grace, who would never think to cause a public spectacle as she’d done tonight.

“You must have known your entrance would create a resurgence of the gossip.”

She remained silent.

“That isn’t like you, Fanny.” He spoke her name softly, hoping to instill her trust, at least enough to get the truth out of her. “You’ve never been one to draw unnecessary attention to yourself. Again, I have to ask why you chose to do so tonight?”

“Oh, Reese.” She lowered her gaze to a spot near his left shoulder. “I guess I thought if I faced the gossip head-on, in a public setting, with half of Denver in attendance, my return would go...easier.”

“Easier?” The muscles in his shoulders tensed. “You mean easier for you.”

“Yes.”

“It was selfish of you not to warn anyone of your arrival, especially your sister.”

“I’m sorry, truly I am. I didn’t mean to throw speculation in her direction. And I definitely didn’t mean to hurt Callie.”

Again, he believed her. Fanny was not inherently selfish. She would never do anything malicious. Nevertheless, her actions had hurt her sister. Not just tonight, but for months.

“Your absence has been hard on her.” He steered around a slow-moving couple gawking at them. He chose to ignore their interest. “Despite how things were left between you and Callie, she’s missed you.”

“I’ve missed her, too. I hadn’t realized how much until I saw her again tonight.” Sighing, Fanny leaned her head to one side and scanned the dance floor. “She’s changed since I left, for the better.”