Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, and dill, and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

These ye ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

—Matthew 23:23, ESV

E dward caught sight of his fiancée entering the rented ball room at the Astoria with Aunt Mae. She looked so lovely, he stared at her for a few moments before moving toward them. They had agreed to arrive separately since Veronica had said she needed extra time to dress. Consequently, he had arrived a few minutes earlier with his family.

Captivated by her demure look, he took in the pale-pink summery creation she wore. Her curls tumbled over one shoulder of the sleeveless gown, trailing from her stylish updo. Elegant white lace cascaded at the bodice's neckline, the only embellishment to the gown with its modest train. The dress hugged her figure in all the right places. He had to admit, he liked the straighter skirts these days since they revealed Veronica's curves.

The gown's simplicity caused a sensation of whispers as she stepped into the room. Seeing how many gentlemen turned their eyes upon her, he hurried to her side. He would ensure she had a wonderful evening at her first ball in New York. Out of all the admiring bachelors present, he would make certain they knew he was the one for her.

As he navigated through the sea of guests, several friends stopped to greet him. After the third interruption, he determined to push past the rest of the people blocking his path. Finally, he reached Veronica, but now he had to stand aside while she finished greeting their hosts in a reception line he'd already completed. They made eye contact a few times, exchanging sweet smiles as he waited patiently for her.

When she finally stepped out of the line, he leaned close to plant a kiss on her cheek. He wanted to tell the whole room she belonged to him, and his kiss seemed the quickest way to do so. "Hello, darling. You look marvelous. Stunning!"

"You look handsome, too, Edward. I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long."

"Not at all. I just arrived a few minutes ago."

She smiled up at him, and her elegant earrings with sparkling gems dangling from her delicate earlobes reminded him of the color of pink champagne. A glance at her gloved hands revealed she wore the pearl bracelet from the engagement collection he'd given her. Had she worn the ring as well? She began peeling off her gloves, and he smiled to see her wearing it as she snapped her fan open to ward off the relentless summer heat.

He greeted her aunt and held out his arm to Veronica. "May I escort you both to some seats near my family?"

"Yes, please. The crowd is larger than we expected," her aunt said. "We'll sit with you if you've managed to save us some seats."

Veronica placed her hand on his arm. Was that concern flickering over her face? He chalked it up to nerves at meeting so many new people and patted her hand as they progressed through the crowd.

Edward led the way to his family's table. His sisters and mother, decked in their finery, glowed with happiness at being out and about among New York society. Rupert and his father wore jovial smiles, looking dapper in their best formalwear. Seeing they engaged Veronica and her aunt in a number of introductions and kept conversation flowing smoothly, he excused himself to fetch some refreshments for them. It took an unusually long time to cross the crowded room to the table laden with sweets and punch.

When he managed to return, Veronica had disappeared. Aunt Mae pressed her lips together and pointed to the dance floor, where her niece swirled in the arms of some gentleman he didn't recognize. Did he detect a look of slight distress on her face?

Edward's heart fell. He'd hoped to have the first waltz with her, but now he could only wait until the dance ended. Things were not off to a good start.

His mother waved her ostrich feather fan at him. "Oh, Edward, there you are. Would you mind going to find your father? He went to bring your sisters and me some punch, but he's been gone a very long time. I suspect one of his business cronies may have snagged him."

His stomach clenched. "All right. Would you tell Veronica I'll return as soon as I can?" He had to dismiss his concern about his fiancée for the moment.

V eronica sighed in the arms of a gentleman named George Eaton who had pulled her away for her first dance of the evening—at Sophie's insistence. She had trouble thinking of anything to say to the man, and she longed to dance with Edward. When George had asked her to dance, she hadn't wanted to appear rude. Without Edward at her side, she had little recourse but to oblige.

Besides George, Edward's sisters had already introduced her to at least five gentlemen. At least they had done so by saying she was Edward's fiancée. Now Sophie stood off to one side with Henrietta, where the two could observe George swirling her about while they talked behind their fans. Were they up to something?

When the gentleman returned Veronica to her seat, Aunt Mae, standing near Edward's mother, leaned toward her. "You've just missed Edward, but he brought us both glasses of punch." She nodded toward the small table near their chairs, bearing crystal glasses of fruit punch.

"Oh no," Veronica murmured, a sigh escaping her lips. "I had hoped to save the first dance for him, and now I've missed him again."

Mrs. Beckett, overhearing the exchange, stepped closer. "I'm sorry, dear. I've sent him to find Leviticus, who has surely been delayed while fetching punch. There must be quite a line for refreshments." She turned to Veronica's aunt as two ladies approached. "Mrs. Wilson, have I introduced you to my good friends, Mrs. Logan and Mrs. Nottingham? Perhaps you know them."

"Why yes, we are acquainted. How nice to see you ladies here tonight." Aunt Mae allowed Mrs. Beckett to pull her closer to the ladies to engage in polite chatter.

Hopefully, Edward would return soon. Naturally, Mrs. Beckett would want Mr. Beckett at her side for such an important event, so she must find patience for her future mother-in-law's sake. It did please her to see Aunt Mae getting along with Mrs. Beckett and her friends.

And where had Rupert gone? Lost in the crowd with his friends, she assumed. Maybe dancing in the sea of couples.

Veronica resigned herself to her seat and sipped some punch while she listened with half an ear to Mrs. Beckett, Aunt Mae, and their mutual acquaintances. If another gentleman asked her to dance, she would simply decline. No doubt, Henrietta and Sophie would appreciate having her remain in her seat, out of their way so they could fill up their own dance cards.

When the crowd thinned, she caught another glimpse of Edward's sisters, now surrounded by a growing flock of gentlemen. Perhaps a dozen, but why did they keep glancing in her direction? Veronica snapped her fan open. Surely, she only imagined their looks.

Just as Aunt Mae took her seat beside Veronica with a contented sigh, clearly invigorated by her chat, Sophie reappeared, her face alight. She took Veronica by the hand, pulling her onto her feet. "Come with me, Veronica. Henrietta and I have more gentlemen to introduce you to."

"I'd much prefer to wait for Edward…" Veronica barely had time to set the glass of punch down, let alone resist being pulled from her seat.

Maintaining a firm grip, Sophie tugged her toward Henrietta's side. Henrietta scribbled names onto the dance cards she held, pausing to look up and smile in her direction. Why did she have a bad feeling about this? Maybe because the smile seemed false.

"Put Clarence down." The gentleman who spoke glanced at Veronica with a coy grin.

"Clarence." Henrietta added the name to the dance cards in her hands.

When the gentleman kept grinning at Veronica with a shy, downward tilt of his head, she returned a weak smile. After all, she must make a good impression for Edward's and his family's sake. It was nice to see Henrietta and Sophie securing dances for themselves, but couldn't she return to her seat? What if she missed Edward again?

"Did you get Milton?" Henrietta scribbled this name down.

"Frank Crandall. Do you need me to spell it?"

"I know how to spell your name, dearest Frank." Henrietta batted her lashes at the suitor before she jotted his name down.

Another gentleman clasped the lapels of his suit. "Arthur Lewiston as well."

Veronica did her best to hang back, trying to discern which gentleman they wished her to meet. Henrietta and Sophie had introduced her to a few of them prior to her dance with George, but many more clamored about them.

Sophie turned from facing Henrietta and drew Veronica closer to her side, placing an arm around her. "Gentlemen, may I present Miss Veronica Lyndon, to those who have not met her yet."

Oh. Perhaps Sophie simply wanted to introduce her to all of them. Why didn't she announce her as Edward's fiancée? Veronica bit her lower lip as a knot formed in her stomach. At the same time, some of the men chimed in with broad smiles, staring with flirtatious twinkles in their eyes, showing little interest for her future sisters-in-law.

"Hello, Miss Lyndon."

"Nice to meet you."

"I would love a dance, Miss Lyndon."

"Can I get you a glass of punch, Miss Lyndon?"

Who to respond to first? Back in Kentucky, single, she would have known exactly what to do. She would have walked away with some excuse or another, leaving them in the dust. But Sophie had her arm around her and wasn't letting her off the hook so easily. And maybe the men just wanted to meet the newcomer. "Thank you, but I already have a glass of punch." Perhaps if she ignored the one who'd requested a dance…

Henrietta wrote another name on the dance cards before looking up at the gentlemen. "As we promised, you've met our dear Veronica. I assure you, she will be most happy to dance with each of you. Now, who is next? Two dances for us in exchange for every one dance with her, just as we said."

What? Now their ruse became clear. Completely clear. She could hardly believe her ears. Her mouth dropped open. No, this couldn't be happening. How dare they assume she would agree to this! And why couldn't she get any words to come out?

"No, no…I'm saving my…" Veronica shook her head, but her denial was drowned out by the gentlemen in the back of the group talking over each other, arguing over who would be next to have their name written on those dance cards in Henrietta's hands.

Veronica's mouth went dry, preventing other words from escaping her parched throat. A surge of heat rose to her cheeks. She forced herself to bite her lower lip to keep from shouting. She resisted the urge to stomp her foot, but presently, the idea of landing a heel on the feet of the gentlemen nearest her or Edward's sisters didn't sound so bad. Stay calm. Refrain from disgracing yourself and Edward, Aunt Mae, the other Becketts…

"Who's next? I believe Mortimer, Charles, then Fred." Henrietta pointed to each and scribbled their names down. Before the men swarmed closer to Henrietta, blocking Veronica's view, she counted the dance cards Henrietta held. Three, not two.

Veronica's fists clenched. With her aunt and Edward's mother seated only ten feet away and many high society patrons at the ball, how could she stop Henrietta and Sophie or the supposed gentlemen participating in this affront to her personal wishes?

Henrietta smiled sweetly toward her, as if aware her future sister-in-law threatened to boil over. "Fear not, Veronica. We'll have your card full in just a moment. You won't have to miss a single dance or any of the fun."

Sophie fluttered her fan with her free hand, maintaining a hold on Veronica. "Have we missed anyone?"

If only she could push through the gentlemen, snag her fake dance card from Henrietta, and rip it to shreds. But how would that look? Would the gentlemen think she had cheated them out of a promised dance? Would it ruin her reputation, or worse, Edward's? Would Sophie and Henrietta be left without any dance partners if Veronica refused to honor the arrangements? Could they not secure dance partners on their own merits?

What a mess!

Veronica had to find Edward. Perhaps he could discern a way to end this nonsense. She looked back toward where Aunt Mae waited, but she couldn't see her aunt or any of the other Beckett family members through the crowd. The only blessing was that the orchestra was performing a gallop, a dance so boisterous others might not notice what the Beckett sisters were doing.

"And the last dance…" Henrietta's announcement was accompanied by a smirk of satisfaction as she stared at Veronica.

"Stop!" Veronica simply had to save the last dance for Edward. She spun around, extricating herself from Sophie's hold. She managed to reach Henrietta and snatch one of the cards from her hands. Was it hers? She looked down, relieved and alarmed to see her name at the top. She tilted her chin. "The last dance I am saving for Edward, my fiancé ."

Groans rose from a few of the gentlemen. Perhaps some of them had not realized she was engaged. Did they also realize the Beckett sisters had not acquired her consent?

With the replica of her card in her hands, Veronica pushed past the gentlemen. Perhaps she could go to the hostess sponsoring the ball and explain that these dances were not granted with her permission or penciled in by her hand. She'd heard a story once of someone who'd had something similar happen, but the result had consisted of a great amount of gossip and disgruntled gentlemen. Edward might not like the unwanted attention, but she wasn't sure she cared at this point.

Reaching Aunt Mae, she plopped into her seat in a most unladylike fashion, hardly caring what New York thought of her at this point.

Her aunt surveyed her with an open mouth and wide eyes. "Oh dear, whatever is the matter? You look positively put out!"

"Aunt Mae, something dreadful has…" Her voice caught. "Have you seen Edward?" When her aunt shook her head, Veronica waved the dance card. "I take no pleasure in telling you what his sisters have done, filling up a dance card in my name in exchange for dances for themselves."

"They did what?" Aunt Mae snapped her fan open and began fanning herself furiously. "If I understand you correctly, they must be terribly desperate for dance partners, but this by no means excuses such wretched behavior."

"Yes, you understand me correctly."

Aunt Mae leaned closer. "I think I see Edward making his way here. Whatever you do, don't tell their parents. It will only make them implacable. Wait for Edward. He'll know what to do."

Veronica nodded, tears misting her eyes.

"Oh, dear me." Aunt Mae suddenly twisted in her seat. "I seem to have lost one of my pearl earrings. Such a treasure…an anniversary gift from my George. Do be a dear and see if you can discreetly look around on the floor behind our chairs to recover it. It can't be far…I've only been right here this whole time."

"Yes, Aunt. I'll find it." What choice did she have after all her aunt had done for her? She'd find the earring, and surely, by then, Edward would appear with Mr. Beckett. Perhaps Edward could take her home early.

A s Edward weaved through the crowd with his father finally in tow, carrying three cups of punch between them for his mother and sisters, he caught a glimpse of Veronica seated beside her aunt. Aunt Mae dropped something over her shoulder and then whispered to Veronica. His fiancée rose from her seat. However, the crowd thickened again, preventing him from seeing where she went. When he finally emerged almost directly in front of her aunt, there was no fiancée in sight.

"Levi, there you are. Thank you, Edward, for finding him," his mother said, clutching Father's arm. She began prattling to some of her friends as she leaned on Father, a wide smile on her face.

At last, he could find Veronica. Aunt Mae beckoned him closer. What had she thrown over her shoulder? She was up to something, but what, and why?

Aunt Mae placed her hand on his arm, a wary and concerned expression on her face, and he bent to hear what she had to say. "Edward, I am ever so glad to see you. A most concerning situation has arisen. I'll let Veronica explain. I've deliberately lost one of my earrings so you two might have a chance to speak to each other without interruption…but you'll need to hide her from that gentleman with the hideous sideburns standing over there who is in line to dance with her…" She paused to glance in the fellow's direction and take a breath. "Not this song, but the next."

Edward raked a hand through his hair. In line to dance with her? What was Aunt Mae talking about?

"As soon as he turns his head, you'll need to draw Veronica away to sort things out." She nodded to the area behind their seats where Veronica was indeed searching for her aunt's "missing" earring. At least her chair and the dim lighting mostly shielded her from view.

Edward's brows furrowed, but he nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Wilson."

What had happened while he'd been gone?

Slipping past the fellow who stood shifting his weight as he apparently waited for Veronica to appear, Edward glowered. The space behind Aunt Mae did not provide much room, but he managed to squeeze in next to his fiancée. "Looking for something?"

"Edward! Where have you been?"

"I might ask the same question." He shifted onto bended knee.

"My aunt's earring, but honestly, I'm thinking about making a grand escape. Would you mind terribly?"

Edward's heart skipped a beat. Whatever would have made his spirited Veronica want to flee? "But we've only just arrived. What's happened?" And were those tears in her eyes?

"Would you like the short answer…or the horrid details?" Veronica drew her legs to one side, arranging her skirt over them.

Edward winced. "My knees would prefer the shortest possible version, but I have a better location in mind." He peeked over the edge of the chairs. The man had finally turned to observe the dance floor. "We can escape to the alcove over there if we hurry." He nodded toward a recessed area where they could sit down properly. "I'll have a servant find your aunt's earring after we talk."

Relief replaced her flustered look. "Very well, the alcove. If you will be so kind as to help me up in this fitted dress, perhaps I can join you in a more dignified manner."

Once he pulled Veronica to her feet, he guided her into the nearest alcove. They sat on cushioned benches, facing each other. "This is much better."

She nodded. "It is. Thank you."

"Now, tell me what happened." Edward leaned forward, hands on his knees.

"While your mother and my aunt were turned away speaking to someone, your sisters obtained a blank dance card—from the hostess table, I suppose—and wrote my name on it. Never mind the fact I already had my own which I was saving for you to fill with the dances you wanted." She held up the blank card dangling from her wrist. "Meanwhile, they offered their extra card up to the highest bidders among gentlemen who saw their chance after you stepped away." She produced another card from her pocket. Sadly, he recognized Henrietta's penmanship, and the card looked quite full.

Hot indignation flooded him. "They took bids?" That seemed extreme, even for his selfish sisters.

Veronica swiped at the corner of her eye. "Not for money. For dances with themselves. One dance with each of them for a third with me. They scribbled down nine names on my card and theirs in a matter of minutes."

"Lord, have mercy." Edward clenched his jaw tight. He had failed her terribly. He'd let his mother send him off on an errand he should have declined in favor of staying at her side. His sisters wouldn't have dared to carry out their plan directly under his nose. He had so much to make up for.

"I did manage to save the last dance for you."

"You did?" He touched her arm. "I'm glad."

"And we mustn't forget to send a servant to find Aunt Mae's pearl earring—a gift from my dearly departed Uncle George. I confess, I was hoping the gentleman on my dance card would not see me, or if he did, I prayed he'd give up and go away. But he is waiting this very minute."

Edward frowned. The man standing near the table. "You shouldn't leave. You deserve to enjoy your first ball in Manhattan. The new debutantes haven't been introduced yet, and I wanted to introduce you to my friends at dinner." He pursed his lips in thought, then smiled as an idea struck. "I think I have a plan. Will you trust me?"

Veronica let out a gusty sigh. "If you think you can salvage this disaster, then I'll give you that chance."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do think I can salvage this disaster." Edward slid closer to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for trusting me. I love you, Veronica."

Edward caught his breath. Had he said that aloud? Her stunned expression confirmed it. Had he scared her off?

V eronica's spirit soared for the first time since she'd arrived. He'd said those words she hadn't realized she needed to hear. And it couldn't have come at a better time, lifting her from despair and anger to joy. "I love you, too, Edward."

He leaned toward her and softly kissed her on the lips. She sighed with contentment. And where had her words come from? Was she ready for this step? Had she truly fallen in love with him? Perhaps she had.

"Are you ready?" He stood and arched his brow as he offered his hand.

"Ready." She allowed Edward to pull her onto her feet.

Edward peeked out into the ball room. "The first man waiting to dance with you has given up and wandered away. Another has appeared, though, and seems to be looking for you. I'll go and get a servant to recover your aunt's earring, then make my way to you as soon as possible. Go and enjoy the next dance or two until I find you again."

"All right." She nodded, stepping out of the alcove and making her way to the waiting gentleman. How odd this night had become.

As her new partner took her hand, Veronica glanced over her shoulder at Edward. He nodded, dispelling her reluctance. Then she allowed the gentleman to lead her onto the floor.

When the dance ended, before the fellow could return her to Aunt Mae and their seats, the next partner arrived. About halfway into the waltz, Edward tapped on the man's shoulder. Veronica stifled a smile. Her partner frowned, but he couldn't do anything to prevent her fiancé from cutting in. He left them to dance.

Edward pulled her into his arms and began swirling her about the dance floor, his eyes locking onto hers. The presence of his hand on her back and her other hand in his were all she needed to begin feeling secure and her happiness returning.

"I tried to hurry," he said by way of apology.

"Where did you go after you found someone to locate my aunt's earring?"

"I cut in on Henrietta's dance and then Sophie's to reprimand both very sternly." A glower accompanied his words while he led her around the dance floor almost effortlessly.

Veronica relaxed in the security of his arms. "What did you say?"

"I told them exactly what I thought."

"Which was what?"

"That their actions were reprehensible, and that they owe you yet another apology. I let them know I am disappointed in their behavior and that it won't be tolerated."

Veronica sighed with relief. "Thank you, Edward."

"And now I will share the rest of my plan. I will cut in on every single dance partner who presumes to claim a dance with you for the rest of the evening." He leaned closer to her, giving her a secret wink.

Veronica returned his affectionate smile. "I would love to see you cut in on every one of those men who dare call themselves gentlemen after participating in that despicable dance auction." She wouldn't dwell on it any longer. Why let it spoil their evening when he had come up with a perfect plan to put those men in their place? In fact, the more she thought about it, the more giggles escaped. "I'm laughing, but won't that scheme draw attention? People will think…"

"That I'm madly in love with you and can't stand the idea of someone else dancing with my future wife?" Edward's chin lifted.

His plan made her giddy with happiness, as did this sign of his protective nature. "Yes, I suppose that is exactly what they will think, and I must say, I love it."

Far better than complaining to the hostess or causing a scene by refusing to dance with all the men on the card, and then contending with the flurry of gossip that either of those scenarios would certainly ignite. And despite the chaos of the evening, they had also exchanged professions of love. Things were definitely looking up.

She especially appreciated that Edward had taken his sisters to task. Far more effective than if she had done so, since not only would doing so make her appear retaliatory, but it could cause a greater rift between family members. Nonetheless, she would prefer to ignore them for the remainder of the evening as much as possible. She did not trust her tongue, though the fact she hadn't stomped on their feet or shouted before all of New York perhaps indicated some growth on her part.

Had Edward leaned a tad closer as they danced? Yes. He pressed his hand more firmly on the small of her back. Inhaling, she enjoyed the scent of his musky cologne. And did she detect a determination in his blue eyes she hadn't seen before? A change had come over him that made him look stronger and somehow, more appealing. Maybe his protective side emerging, a side of which she very much approved.

When the orchestra interlude began, he drew her close as they left the dance floor together, tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow. "Mind if I introduce you to some of my friends before dinner?"

Now that she had him to herself again, she was eager to meet them. "How nice. And there is Rupert…leaving the dance floor with someone I don't recognize."

"Excellent. Let me introduce you to his dance partner, Mirabel Salisbury. Then we'll find Jack Curzon, Stephen Galloway, and the Wheatland sisters, Dora and Emma."

Thankfully, none of the men he mentioned had taken part in the dance card scheme. When they caught up to Rupert, Veronica smiled warmly at his partner.

"There you are, Rupe. If I may introduce my fiancée to Mirabel… Miss Veronica Lyndon of Lexington, meet Miss Mirabel Salisbury, a longtime friend."

"How have you managed to escape us all evening, Edward?" Mirabel turned her attention to Veronica and offered a warm smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lyndon. Congratulations on your engagement, both of you. New York is glowing with happiness that Edward has found the love of his life. Everyone wants to meet you, Miss Lyndon."

"Thank you. I'll try not to disappoint them. It's very nice to meet you too."

Mirabel turned to Rupert. "It's dreadfully hot this evening. Shall we head outside for some fresh air before dinner?"

Veronica had wanted to converse with her a little more, but Rupert led her away. Edward began introducing her to his friend she'd heard so much about, Jack Curzon, and then some others who joined them.

From then on, all seemed right in the world. Rupert and Jack made her laugh, cracking jokes about how it took Edward less than twenty seconds to cut in on all of Veronica's eager dance partners.

W hen Edward finally climbed inside his carriage to go home, he looked at his family with fresh eyes. He needed to make some changes. He must never let family members come between him and Veronica again.

With his father back in town and his partners constantly interrupting him, he hadn't been able to find out much about what had happened to the family coffers. Hopefully, when Father left on business again soon, presumably to sell off another piece of real estate, he could uncover answers.

He needed to come up with an excuse to sort through Father's files in case anyone stumbled upon him in his father's corner office again. The last time he'd made an attempt, one of the senior partners had encountered him there and had raised a curious brow. He'd had to abandon the search, but if Jack could help him, he would be better prepared this time.