Chapter 20
The afternoon of the dance Mac had her hair and nails done before going home to take a scented bubble bath and dress. With her innate sense of time, she was sliding her feet into her shoes when a knock came at the door.
Clay had sent his driver up since he still was having problems with stairs and there was no elevator in her building. He was waiting for her in the car when the chauffer opened the door. "You look lovely, Sarah," he told her.
"Thank you, Clay. You're looking well yourself," she said after getting settled in the car.
"I still can't believe that Mother conned you into this," he grumbled.
"She has your best interest at heart. You need to get out! The Clay I knew when we were together would have been back at work by now!"
"That Clay doesn't exist any more," was the morose reply she got to her scolding.
"Wow…don't tell me this is all over some woman!"
"Just because you don't have anyone in your life, don't scoff at others, Sarah!"
"I wasn't scoffing, Clay. I was merely trying to say that the Clay I knew wouldn't have let a woman who seems to mean as much to you as this one does, get away from him."
"By the time I was able to contact her, she had moved on with another man."
"I see. I'm sorry Clay, but I really don't see how you can let that derail your life like this."
"Then you've never really been in love!"
More might have been said, and the conversation might have even become heated, but the car had stopped and the driver had opened the door to let them out at their destination.
Clay muttered, "Let's just get this night over with and maybe Mother will lay off of me for a while."
Thinking that with that attitude the evening certainly wasn't going to be much fun, Mac exited the vehicle and entered the ballroom on his arm. Looking around she asked, "Is your mother going to be here, to see your return to society?"
"Yes, one of her token escorts was arriving as I left the house to pick you up," Clay answered as he guided her to their table.
Moments after they took their seats Porter came into the room one the arm of a distinguished gentleman. They made their way to the table they were sharing with Clay and Mac. She introduced him as Jamison Carter Ralston the third, but her escort asked them to call him Carter. They took their seats and made small talk for a time.
The orchestra was playing and a few couples were taking the opportunity to dance before dinner was served. People were still arriving and in the newcomers Porter spotted someone she knew. Since the door was behind Clay and Mac they couldn't see who she was talking about when Porter told her son, "You know, I had always thought you and Laurel would make a good match Clayton. Her mother and I have known each other through our committee work for years, and the Harvester family is a good one. But now I am very glad it never worked out that the two of you met."
Wondering at his mother's lack of tact with his date sitting right there, Clay had to admit that she knew he and Sarah would never be together, so that was why she was being marginally rude, he still had to ask, "And why is that, Mother?"
"Because her mother told me that for the last few months she has been living with a man she won't marry and the two of them just came in. Isabelle must be beside herself!"
"Why would that be, Mother?"
"Because Laurel is clearly pregnant!"
"Then I guess it was good that I managed to avoid all of your matchmaking attempts with her over the years," Clay taunted her.
"I guess so," his mother sighed.
"Now if you will excuse us, I think Sarah and I will take a turn around the dance floor as long as she is willing to put up with my slow pace."
Knowing it was more to get away from his mother than it was a desire to dance, Mac nonetheless stated, "I prefer slow dancing," and then preceded him to the dance floor.
They hadn't been dancing but a few seconds when Clay suddenly went ghostly pale as he looked over Mac's shoulder at the people in the room.
"Clay, what's wrong?!" Mac demanded.
He uttered only one word, "Shane!"
To be continued…