Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

… Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

—Mark 7:6, ESV

V eronica answered Edward's telephone call on Aunt Mae's modern telephone the next morning. He asked if she and her aunt might like to join him for an evening of dinner and dancing at the rooftop garden of the Waldorf Hotel. He said he would bring his brother and invited her aunt to join them.

"Wear something nice. It's bound to be a very special evening," he added.

Did she detect a little more excitement than usual in his voice?

"It sounds perfect." Looking toward Aunt Mae for permission, she smiled to find her aunt nodding with approval.

"I heard everything he said. Tell him yes," Aunt Mae insisted as she leaned toward the receiver in Veronica's hands. "But I won't be dancing with Rupert."

Turning back to the telephone, Veronica replied, "We'll be ready at seven."

Frances laid out her evening attire and styled her hair in an elegant updo. Veronica dressed in a flowing evening gown, an ivory and mauve concoction with a scooped neckline in the back, draping in folds to a ruched waist before spreading into an elegant demi-train. She pulled on long evening gloves and donned a simple pearl necklace and drop earrings to complete her look.

Would Edward finally pop the question and make her his fiancée? Why did she want this ring so much when she had so adamantly opposed it only a month ago?

When had she begun to fall in love with Edward? Did she dare admit it to herself? Could she trust him with her heart?

Frances whistled, making her laugh. "You'll be the prettiest lady there. I do wish your mother and sisters could see how lovely you look."

"Thank you, Frances," she said.

Most satisfying of all was how approving Edward looked when she came down the staircase. He helped her and Aunt Mae into the carriage with Rupert, then his driver navigated them to a stunning venue.

After Edward and Rupert escorted them to one of the very few empty tables with a stunning view of the city skyline, she ordered a Waldorf salad, salmon glazed in brown sugar, and green beans almondine. Each table was a dreamscape with some positioned under floral arches, others flanked by flowering trees, and some near flickering candelabras standing five or six feet tall. Surrounded by potted plants, elegant garden beds, and palms waving gently in the occasional breeze, a sinfonia played waltzes and classical pieces mingled with one or two modern love songs. Couples danced in the central garden, its dance floor a mosaic of Italian tiles.

Edward couldn't have chosen a more romantic environment, and the feeling inside Veronica that this evening would hold a special place etched forever in her memory intensified. She had never imagined eating on the rooftop of a tall building as the splendor of the sunset turned to moonlight. Waiters kept glasses full at linen-covered tables dressed with glass goblets and fine china, surrounded by containers of roses, lilies, and orchids.

Conversation flowed as they finished the meal under a blanket of stars, all of it making Veronica feel dizzy and spoiled. Rupert pulled her aunt into a discussion about Velvet Brooks. Aunt Mae appeared to enjoy hearing about her childhood home from his perspective. She even asked Rupert questions.

Edward's gaze rested on hers throughout the evening. Eventually, he asked about her visit to Central Park.

"It didn't go exactly as planned," she explained, relaying the story of how she'd missed the carriage with his sisters by mere seconds.

"I'm surprised Henrietta and Sophie didn't mention it at dinner yesterday." Edward's brows furrowed. "Did they mention it to you, Rupe?"

Rupert shook his head as he reached for a crystal pepper shaker and proceeded to season his potatoes julienne. "No, I don't recall them saying anything."

Edward pulled Veronica's hand into his. "I'm sorry. I will speak to them and make sure this doesn't happen again. In fact, I will make sure they call upon you to issue an apology."

"That's very kind of you, Edward." Aunt Mae nodded approvingly.

Veronica didn't want to spoil the evening by criticizing his sisters, and Edward's apology made her heart swell with appreciation. "I ended up in Mrs. Cleave's carriage with Aunt Mae." She lifted her shoulder in a nonchalant gesture. "Mrs. Cleave was an excellent hostess, quite knowledgeable about everything in the park."

"Yes, we certainly did have a lovely outing," her aunt agreed before tasting some of her asparagus toast.

"I'm glad it all worked out." Edward let the matter drop, but the way he flattened his mouth and the furrow in his brows showed her he held some degree of concern about the incident.

When she'd finished her meal, Edward stood, extending his hand toward her. "May I have this dance, Miss Lyndon?"

Her heart fluttered at how debonair he looked in his black tailcoat and white vest and cravat. "Yes, you may, Mr. Beckett." She allowed him to pull her to her feet. Had the moment finally come?

He drew away from Aunt Mae and Rupert, but instead of escorting her to the dance floor, he led her toward a cascading waterfall flowing into a pond with a fountain bordered by more potted flowers and greenery, all of it lit up with candles floating on the water along with lily pads and purple crocus. More lights displayed a variety of colors from behind the waterfall, reflecting on the pond. He took her to one side of the waterfall behind some tall potted palms where they had some degree of privacy.

"Before we dance, I'd like to give you something." He withdrew a thin but wide velvet box from his pocket and opened it. "I'd like to make you my wife, Veronica. You deserve a ring and a proper proposal to make it official."

Edward dropped onto bended knee, and Veronica's eyes grew misty.

"I promise I'll do everything in my power to make you happy all the days of your life. You'll always remain my number one priority, my God-given gift, the woman I'd like to create a family with. Will you marry me, Veronica Josephine? I know we have many details to work out, but I assure you, we can."

Hearing the words from Edward set some part of her heart free. Her heart soared. "Oh, Edward!"

Captive by his blue eyes, she finally glanced at the dazzling jewelry he held out in the silk-lined box. The set must have belonged to his family for generations. There was a diamond ring in rose gold with two ruby gems flanking each side. A matching bracelet, earrings, necklace, and a small tiara accompanied the ring, each with more stunning rubies, dangling pearls, and diamonds.

Veronica clasped a hand over her mouth. "It's beautiful, Edward. Yes, of course, I will marry you."

Joy and relief blazed across his features. "You will?"

"I will! I could never have imagined all of this. However did you acquire such magnificent items?"

Edward rose. "These were my mother's, and her mother's before her, and so on, although they have had some updates since then. I thought you might like to use some of the jewelry on our wedding day."

"Thank you! Yes, I'll wear all of this on our wedding day. Such a beautiful gift to begin our engagement with …"

He removed the ring from the box. "Shall we see if it fits?" She nodded, and he reached for her hand to slide it on.

"It fits perfectly." She held out her hand to admire the ring as the lights all around them caused it to shimmer and sparkle. Then she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "I have a feeling we will be very happy together."

"I believe we will too. Each time we are together, I learn something new and more beautiful about you. Would you like to dance now?" he asked, studying her face.

"Yes, I would very much love to dance with you."

They floated on a cloud of happiness, every step leading them over a rainbow of joy as he took her by the hand and led her to the dance floor.

Could this really be happening? This was much better than she'd imagined. Was she finally in love? Her heart felt so full and free as she twirled in his arms. Though a few doubts swirled in her mind, Edward's character was nothing like Henry's. Maybe she could finally put her fears to rest and trust this man with her whole heart.

E dward's sisters called on Veronica and Aunt Mae the next afternoon, gushing with apologies about what had happened in front of the Cleave mansion. Just as Edward had promised, their arrival indicated he'd taken his sisters to task over the carriage incident.

"We are sincerely sorry for what happened with our driver." Sophie tucked a stray curl back into place in her fashionable updo.

"Yes, it ruined our chances for our Central Park outing." Henrietta's lower lip protruded, conveying a rather fake pout.

"It's all right," Veronica assured them. "No harm has come of it. I had a splendid time riding with Mrs. Cleave and my aunt."

Aunt Mae brushed some crumbs from her lips after eating a croissant. "Mrs. Cleave and I saw the whole thing. We happened to be directly behind the rude fellow honking his horn."

Henrietta and Sophie exchanged disappointed looks, perhaps realizing they'd likely forever secured a cut from any of Mrs. Cleave's future invitations.

Henrietta shifted in her seat. "I do hope you can be of some assistance to us in clearing up the matter, Mrs. Wilson, since it happened through no fault of our own."

Aunt Mae's lips remained firmly pressed into a thin line. Her eyes narrowed, imparting her lack of trust with a powerful gaze, enough to make even Veronica squirm.

When Veronica's aunt did not take the bait, Sophie perked up. "Do let us see your engagement ring. Mother told us—and Edward confirmed at breakfast—he popped the question last night at the Waldorf Hotel, and the happy news that you've accepted him."

"Yes, it is happy news, indeed, that you are now officially engaged to our dear brother." Henrietta sipped more of her tea.

Veronica held out her hand and leaned forward so they could have a look at the glittering gem on her ring finger. "Thank you. It was a perfectly romantic evening."

"It certainly was," Aunt Mae said.

"Now that we'll be family, all the more reason for you to help us find grace with Mrs. Cleave." A glint radiated from Henrietta's eyes.

When Aunt Mae met this with silence, too, Sophie asked, "Have you set a date or decided where the wedding will be? We'd like to assist, of course, if you decide on a New York wedding. I'm sure you'll need help choosing the right gown and the best tips on a bakery from which to order a cake, who to invite, that sort of thing…"

Aunt Mae chuckled. "I'm sure they haven't had time to discuss all of those details yet, but if Veronica and I or her mother need your help, which I absolutely do not expect, we will let you know."

While Veronica was still struggling to control her amusement at Aunt Mae and her horror at the notion of Edward's sisters assisting with wedding planning, Sophie rushed on. "And Mother wanted me to mention, you simply must sit with us at the ball."

She sat up straighter. This was the first form of any communication from Edward's mother. "Sit with you at the ball?" She glanced at Aunt Mae for guidance, knowing she might prefer not to sit too close to Edward's sisters.

"If your family sits near Edward, we'll all end up close together. I'm certain of one thing. We won't be able to keep Edward and Veronica apart. They are absolutely smitten with each other." Aunt Mae winked lightly at Veronica.

This answer produced light smiles, but something in the way the sisters exchanged glances made Veronica wary. If she didn't know better, she'd think they were up to something.

After that, Edward's sisters moved from one subject to another while leaving little room for either Veronica or her aunt to utter a reply. They spoke about the weather, hinted at the possibility Aunt Mae might have enough power of persuasion to secure them invitations to the Cleave Ball, and mentioned their mother would soon invite them to dinner. Next, they spoke of their plans to vacate the city soon for a long summer retreat at Chesapeake Manor. This led to a discussion about their seashell collection.

As soon as Edward's sisters departed, chatting all the way to the front door, Veronica returned to the drawing room to find Aunt Mae furiously fanning herself. "Heaven help us. Those two are the chattiest girls I ever did meet. I don't recommend sitting too close to them at the ball unless you wish some sort of self-inflicted punishment."

Veronica laughed and sat down in a nearby chair, but Aunt Mae set her fan aside and rose, making a dash toward the staircase. "No time to dawdle. Come along, Veronica."

She dutifully rose and followed her aunt, trying to shake feelings of doom concerning Edward's sisters. "Where are we going?"

Aunt Mae lifted her skirts, climbing the staircase. She'd never seen her aunt move so quickly. "Put on your best day dress. We're going to Ladies' Mile."

"Ladies' Mile?"

"Yes, a visit to my seamstress, Nell, then Bloomingdale's, and then the Bergdorf Goodman department store."

"A day of shopping?" Veronica reached the top of the staircase and paused to catch her breath. Aunt Mae had already flung open the door to her bedroom and rang a bell pull to summon her personal maid.

"Yes, and we'll have dinner out. I'll be too famished to wait until we're home."

Aunt Mae swung open her wardrobe doors to reveal several black dresses like the one she now wore as Veronica leaned against the frame of her aunt's bedroom door. Her aunt rummaged through the black dresses until she found the one she wanted, her back to Veronica as she spoke. "I'm thinking if we don't purchase your wedding gown and a proper wedding trousseau at once, Edward's family will look down their noses and attempt to take over your wardrobe and your wedding."

Veronica couldn't help but smile. "Mother did send some funds for shopping." She could hardly wait to write to tell her parents how much she loved Aunt Mae.

"Nonsense. This will be entirely my pleasure. Call it an early wedding gift. Do tell Frances she'll accompany us. We need someone to help carry our packages. Meet me downstairs in twenty minutes. And cancel everything on your schedule for tomorrow. I'm not foolish enough to think we can accomplish all of what we have before us in a single day."

"Thank you, Aunt Mae." She turned toward her guest bedroom but spun and crossed the oriental carpet to where her aunt now sat at the dressing table powdering her face. Leaning down, she hugged her aunt and dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. "You are an answer to prayers I hadn't even thought to pray yet and the very best aunt in the world."

Aunt Mae looked a bit flustered and let out a harrumph, but a half smile curved her lips upward before disappearing again as she waved Veronica away with her powder puff. "None of that mushy stuff. Now off with you to change into something more suitable, and don't dawdle!"

T hree hours later, Veronica had ordered a few items for her trousseau from her aunt's seamstress. She had also tried on a half-dozen ready-to-wear ball gowns from a rack in a private sitting room behind Nell's front room. Aunt Mae shook her head at all of the wrong choices and nodded at all of the right ones.

Nell also penciled them in for an appointment in the morning to continue where they'd left off. Then, on to Bloomingdales, where her aunt pointed out the right kinds of lace shawls, a fashionable waist-length silk cape, and new evening gloves. Bergdorf Goodman's provided new shoes and two fascinators, headpieces appropriate for both balls.

"I think you're finally almost ready to make your mark on New York," her aunt said approvingly. "Time for Dinner."

Starving from all of the shopping, Veronica and Frances followed Aunt Mae to the lift, and the ma?tre de led them to a table in the restaurant on one of the upper floors. Frances rearranged their packages while Aunt Mae ordered high tea, salads, and bowls of beef consommé. The tea included a full pot of steaming brew, five small scones, a dish of raspberry jam and another of clotted cream, a variety of finger sandwiches, and tiny dishes of custard puddings and chocolate mousse.

"A fine way to end a busy and wonderful day," Veronica said. "Shall I say the blessing?"

"Yes, please do." Aunt Mae surveyed the feast through the lenses of her lorgnettes. "Would you mind keeping it a short prayer? I'm about to faint from lack of sustenance."

Veronica nodded, folded her hands, and bowed her head. "Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for this wonderful day, for my generous aunt, and for Edward, though I didn't at first see him as coming from Your hand, for I do now recognize and greatly appreciate Your provision, even if it did come through the meddling ways of my matchmaking mother, and …"

Aunt Mae cleared her throat. "Short, Veronica Josephine. Short."

"Yes, ma'am." Veronica sped up to the end. "We'll continue our discussion during my bedtime prayers, Lord, and in the meantime, we bless this food for which we are eternally thankful, especially since someone could have dropped it in the kitchen, and we would never know but for your omnipotent presence. In Jesus's name we pray, Amen."

"Good grief, child. I have noticed your prayers are quite…detailed." Aunt Mae reached for a scone and began applying some of the raspberry jam with great vigor.

Frances did little to hide a smile at this remark.

"Pa says, and Mama agrees, we must at times pray very specific prayers to the Lord if we wish to receive and recognize the answers when they come," Veronica explained as she reached for a scone.

"A solid Spencer belief, I'm sure, and one I happen to agree with, except when I'm this close to fainting from hunger." Her aunt tasted some of the scone and sighed. "These are my favorite in all of Manhattan, except, of course, the ones my cook prepares." She sat back from the table a bit and stretched. "Oh, my aching, throbbing feet. They object to the number of miles we've traipsed over today, but I believe it was for a good cause."

"I guess I am a bit of a cause since I am in a strange new world," Veronica confessed.

"And a very good cause you are, my dear. Would you kindly pass me a chicken salad sandwich? I can't wait to see the look on Edward's face when he sees you at the ball." Her aunt eyed the scone in Veronica's hand. "At least we don't have to worry about gaining any weight from this meal. We'll walk it all off tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" She swallowed the bite of her scone and gulped. She had been looking forward to sleeping in.

"Yes, you didn't forget about tomorrow morning's appointment with Nell, did you?" Her aunt's eyes widened, and she raised her chin..

"Oh drat, yes, I forgot." Somewhere in the fuss of trying on a half-dozen pair of shoes and even more hats. But she squared her shoulders. "Fear not. I will be ready."

"Good, because I'm determined we shall order your custom-made wedding gown from Nell and most of your trousseau. Then we have all of the accessories to shop for."

"Yes, and what a relief it will be to have ordered my wedding dress. Mama will be very happy to hear we can cross it off the list. Do tell me she can ship it to Kentucky."

"Of course. She can ship it anywhere in the world." Aunt Mae reached for a fork to try her salad. "Please pass the vinaigrette. I've got to lose some more weight before your wedding, so none of that country buttermilk dressing for me. I want to look my best."

Veronica smiled and passed the vinaigrette decanter. If Aunt Mae intended to attend her wedding, she had most certainly made an ally. She could only remember her aunt traveling to Kentucky on a couple of occasions. Veronica's Lyndon grandparents would be overjoyed to see their daughter again—not to mention, the rest of the family. Perhaps she could point out these things to Edward and persuade him to agree to a Kentucky wedding.

But first, she had to manage not to embarrass Edward with her appearance or behavior at the ball. Would she remember the right dance steps and all of the proper etiquette to make a fine impression on New York society? Perhaps his family would finally accept her too.