XIII

Nell woke, the sun was shining in the window at her back. She felt groggy, as if she had been drugged and rubbed her eyes. Then she remembered the gala. Her ball gown and underclothes were still in a pile on the vanity chair, her pearl strand and earrings still out, the box on the vanity top. Adam was gone but she turned over and saw the indentation of his head on his pillow and the bedclothes had been pushed back from when he had risen. He hadn't wakened her for any reason, not even this morning to kiss her goodbye.

Nell climbed out of bed and put on her silk wrap and went downstairs. The vase of roses—she remembered the sound of china crashing but it was obvious that Mrs. Chevy or Margery had cleaned up the mess as nothing remained. Nell walked in the kitchen and Margery was sitting at the small round table sipping coffee and chatting with Mrs. Chevy who was making preparations for the day's meals. Margery jumped up at seeing Nell.

"Miss Nell, can I help you dress? You had no at homes or calls today on your schedule so I didn't wake you—just let you slept. The Mister left early." She and Mrs. Chevy exchanged looks.

"Perhaps later," Nell said. "Please bring me some tea and toast in my room and draw me a bath. Then tell Dawson to ready the buggy."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, and Mrs. Chevy, there was an accident with the flower vase last night…"

"Yes, ma'am. I cleaned it up this morning. Such a shame. The piece was your mother's and the roses were so beautiful. I kept a few that hadn't yet wilted—if it please you?"

"That's fine, Mrs. Chevy, enjoy them. And thank you for cleaning it up; it was very late last night when we came home and I was so tired. Margery, the tea and toast, please."

"Yes, Miss."

Nell left and she heard the rush of voices. Margery and Mrs. Chevy were discussing their employers and Nell flushed; she hadn't fooled them. Even though their rooms were on the far end of the house in another wing and they couldn't possibly have heard what Adam and she had said, it must have been obvious that there had been a quarrel between her and Adam. And Nell couldn't help but wonder in what black mood Adam had been when he woke. Nell dreaded having another row with Adam and considered that this evening when he came home, she would behave as if everything was fine, that nothing had happened. She would be pleasant and charming and indicate that she hoped he would take her upstairs early and she would convince him that she loved him only. But how Adam would behave, she couldn't guess. And so she feared what might happen. He hadn't been initially upset about the flowers, gave them almost no weight and even joked about it although roses this time of year must have cost the sender dearly. She had told Adam that Vincent hadn't sent her the roses but she didn't actually know if it was true. Vincent certainly had the money and Nell knew that Vincent still pined for her; Abby had told her that when she stopped by the house before leaving for her sister's. But Nell would find out if it had been Vincent and ask him—no, tell him to stop. But if it wasn't Vincent, Nell wondered who it was and the idea that she might have a secret admirer, someone who worshipped her from afar, that was exciting in a way but it also filled her with dread at what Adam might do should he discover there was someone.

Mrs. Weems herself met Nell at the door.

"Oh, child, come in." Mrs. Weems, a full-figured woman whose hair had once been the lovely blonde of her daughters and was now brassy with the dye she used to keep it blonde, was happy to see her daughter's friend. She kissed Nell on the cheek. "We haven't seen you in…well, since the wedding. I'm so glad that you've come to visit. Come in, come in." Mrs. Weems ushered Nell into the familiar drawing room, friendly, warm and full of furniture as over-stuffed as Mrs. Weems herself. "Sit down, my sweet Nell, and I'll call Abby. I'm so glad that you're here; maybe you can cheer her up. I thought the trip to visit Mavis in Utah would do it after she and Vincent Marquand—well, I don't know what happened between them, but I'll call her down. And, Nell, I do hope…"

Nell hated to interrupt Mr. Weems but felt a sense of urgency. "Please, Mrs. Weems, if you don't mind may I go up and talk to Abby? Perhaps I can get her out of the house for a while."

"Why what a good idea. It might put some color into her cheeks. We Weems women are so fair, being blondes you know, and therefore we tend to look pale. Abby needs some roses in her cheeks. Now you, Nell, with your auburn hair and hazel eyes, well, you naturally have color but we blue-eyed blondes, well, we need the fresh air upon occasion and even a slight bit of sun. Only promise me, Nell, that you won't let her get freckled. Men just don't seem to like freckles although sometimes there's no preventing it! I always say a good milk bath, soaking in it, helps. Buttermilk, which is thicker is actually better. Now my mother…"

"Mrs. Weems, I would love to hear more but I am in a bit of a hurry; it's already past noon and I was hoping that Abby and I could have lunch in that little tea shop on 11th Street. I'll go see." And Nell left an unsatisfied Mrs. Weems standing on the flowered rug while she picked up her skirts and hurried up the stairs until she came to Abby's room. The door was closed and Nell lightly knocked. "Abby, it's me. Can I come in?"

The door opened and a smiling Abby was standing inside, a small book in her hand. "Come in, Nell. I've been waiting to hear how the gala went." She slipped her arm through Nell's and pulled her inside.

"Oh, Abby, it was awful."

"Awful? But I don't understand." And while Abby listened open-mouthed, Nell told her about the gala, how at first it was wonderful and so many important people were there. Men complimented her and Adam seemed to enjoy that his wife was so admired. Other men brought her glasses of champagne and she danced and danced until she feared her shoes would fall apart! And Adam danced with her, telling her she was beautiful, the loveliest woman there and it was glorious and then she saw Henry Bailey. "I just thought it would be nice to have you and he renew your friendship; he's so rich now, is into mining speculation and he's handsome too. He always was, you know."

"Oh, Nell, How embarrassing! You didn't tell him about me, did you? I man about my broken engagement and such." Abby blushed with humiliation.

"Oh, No, Abby, I hadn't yet mentioned you. I was going to ask him to dinner and then invite you. But I never got that far. Vincent, who had danced with me earlier, well, he confronted Adam in front of a group of people and made a terrible scene."

"Oh, Nell. What happened?" And Nell told Abby about what Vincent had said, how he had accused Adam of compromising her and then of course, her having to marry him to protect her honor.

"Why did he say that?" Abby asked.

"He said that since he and I were so in love that it was the only answer for why I married Adam. Anyway, he challenged Adam and…well, Adam humiliated him. Oh, Abby, it was awful. I wanted to leave but Adam refused. He said that it had been my idea to attend and so we were going to stay. And then, well, we had an argument that started in the carriage. Well, it wasn't much of an argument; Adam said very little and I guess I sounded as if I was trying to cover up, like I was lying…oh, I just...I think I made things worse. I think that's what made Adam smash the vase of flowers."

"What flowers?"

"Someone sent me red and white roses with an unsigned card. Adam joked about it. It didn't seem to bother him at all but, well, I guess that after the gala—the sender knew I'd be at the gala—he figured it was one of the men there. I have to find out if it was Vincent. Please, Abby, come with me. I know that you and Vincent saw each other for a while but I don't dare see Vincent alone; it wouldn't be proper. Please come with me."

"Oh, Nell. Please don't ask me. I can't see Vincent again, I just can't."

"But, Abby…"

Abby stood up, wringing her hands. "Nell, swear you won't tell anyone. Anyone. Not even Adam. Remember how we would pinky swear as girls? No one could get information from us when we pinky swore."

"Yes, I remember. Don't tell me you want me to pinky swear?" Abby nodded so Nell pulled off her gloves and put up her right hand with just her little finger being upright and she and Abby hooked their little fingers around each other's. Together they said, "Pinky, pinky, bowbell, whoever tells a lie, will sink down to the bad place and never again arise."

Abby sat back down by Nell again. "Nell, I gave myself to Vincent and then he didn't want me anymore."

Nell was shocked but paused before saying anything. "He refused to marry you afterwards?"

"Yes," Abby said, her voice quavering and then she burst into tears and Nell pulled Abby to her and held her friend as she sobbed. Then they fell back onto the bed and Nell held Abby the way Adam had held her when she cried after her father's death. It had been so comforting to just let her emotions free in the safety of Adam's arms and although Nell knew that it wasn't the same for Abby, she could at least attempt to help her friend. And in a way, Nell even felt responsible.

She stroked Abby's blonde hair, ignoring the fact that her hat's brim was being misshapen as she lay on her side.

"Oh, Nell," Abby said between sobs, "I fell in love with Vincent. I mean I know at first he saw me because of you—that he was seeking solace, but then he would come and take me riding, to lectures and dinner and my parents, especially my mother, were so happy that I had found someone. Then Vincent began hinting that he loved me and wanted to marry me. Oh, Nell, I thought that if I gave myself to him, he would love me more so one night, in the back of his buggy, he took me and oh, Nell, it was awful. It hurt so much I cried and Vincent was fumbling around and my skirts got in the way and, oh, Nell, I made the biggest mistake because after it all, he hated me. I think he was embarrassed and ashamed to look at me because I knew how inept he had been."

"It'll be all right, Abby. It'll be all right."

"Oh, Nell, I still love him. Even the time away visiting Mavis didn't help me and now that I'm back, I'm afraid to go out in case I see him. That's the real reason I didn't want to go to the gala."

Nell kissed Abby's hair, her heart filling with rage at Vincent. "I understand, Abby. I understand." But now Nell knew she would have to see Vincent alone and find out the truth. If Vincent could be so duplicitous and selfish as to use Abby and then abandon her, there was no telling what mischief he might be fostering