The Daughter of Highland Hall (20 page)

“This way, please.” The tall, silver-haired butler led Kate down the marble-floored hallway at Sheffield House, while she tried to calm the fluttering in her stomach. The night of her ball had finally arrived. Louisa, William, Julia, Penny, Sarah, and Clark followed Kate through the doorway and into the large ballroom.

Kate’s steps stalled, and her eyes widened. She had only been to Sheffield in the daytime, but seeing it in the evening was completely different. Three large, glittering chandeliers sent sparkling light dancing across the highly polished wooden floor and bouncing back from several tall mirrors around the room.

A smile rose from Kate’s heart to her lips. “Oh, it’s beautiful.”

Penny took Kate’s arm. “Yes, it’s perfectly lovely.”

Potted pink-and-white azaleas sat in front of each window, and gold-cushioned chairs ringed the room, leaving most of the floor open for dancing. Off to the left side, double doors had been pushed open, and a long buffet table was spread with an elaborate display of candles, flowers, and delicious-looking food.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Penny added in a hushed voice.

“It’s much more than I expected.” Kate turned to Julia and William. “Thank you so much.”

Julia leaned in and kissed her cheek. “We’re happy for you, Kate. We hope you have a lovely evening.”

Kate’s gaze traveled around the room again. “I’m sure I will.”

William nodded. “They’ve done a splendid job preparing everything. We must be sure to thank the Tremonts.”

Louisa sniffed as she regarded the empty room and overflowing buffet table. “It’s a shame Elizabeth Harrington’s ball is being held the same night as Katherine’s.”

Julia turned to Louisa. “I don’t think we should worry about that.”

“Well, I won’t be surprised if our number of guests is much lower than we expected.”

Kate’s stomach tensed. Was her aunt right? Would she receive only a handful of guests this evening? That could be disastrous.

Julia took Kate’s hand. “Everything is going to be just fine.”

“Of course.” Kate straightened her shoulders. She would not allow her aunt to spoil the evening before it had even begun.

“Here come Lord and Lady Tremont.” William glanced toward the elegant couple entering the ballroom. Julia and William crossed to meet them.

Kate started to follow, but Louisa reached for her arm and stopped her. She took a small card from her beaded purse and handed it to Kate. “These are the names of the young men you must be sure to pay attention to this evening.”

Kate studied the list, and her brow creased. “I don’t recognize any of these names.”

Louisa sighed and clicked her tongue. “You met Charles Felton at the Howards’ dinner last week. He’s quite tall, with red hair.”

Kate’s eyes widened as the memory rushed back. The rude, puffy-faced young man had ogled her as though she were a dessert on display in a pastry shop. He had crooked teeth, bad breath, and was completely lacking in conversational skills. She did not look forward to seeing him again, and heaven forbid she would have to dance with him.

Louisa pointed to the card. “Each one is a possible prospect. You must make an effort to encourage them all.”

Kate stiffened. “I thought you wanted me to encourage Edward.”

“Of course. That goes without saying. But we don’t want to limit our options this early in the season.”

Kate glared at the card and then at her aunt, but Louisa didn’t seem to notice.

“Edward needs to see he is not the only one pursuing you. Men like a bit of competition. They want to feel as though they are in a race to win the prize.”

Kate did not like the sound of that. She was a young woman in need of a husband, not a piece of real estate up for auction. Her future happiness depended on finding the right man to marry, but how was she to know which one she ought to encourage when she barely had time to talk to them?

Was it enough to see their names on a list provided by her aunt? Should she trust her future to a woman who believed a man’s worth depended on his bank account, family connections, and social standing? What about her feelings for the man, or even more important, what about the way he treated her? Shouldn’t those factors be considered too?

Louisa frowned at Kate and reached up to adjust the feathered-and-jeweled fascinator pinned in her hair. “Study that list until the guests begin to arrive. Memorize the names. And when you meet them, ask them questions. Men love to talk about themselves.”

“That’s true, especially most of the men I’ve met this season.”

Her aunt lowered her chin, her expression stern. “Don’t be impudent, Kate. It’s not fitting for a well-bred young lady.”

Kate huffed.

“And for heaven’s sake, mind your manners and watch what you say!” She strode off to speak to the Tremonts.

Kate lowered her gaze to the list and read the names once more.

Charles Felton
. Well, that was one name she could cross off the list right now. The thought of encouraging him turned her stomach.
Patrick Hamilton. Neil Lawson. Henry Fletcher Harding. Archibald Spalding. Leonard Radcliff
. To her knowledge she’d never met any of these men, or if she had, they’d made no impression on her. How would she recognize them? Was she supposed to flirt with and flatter every man introduced to her?

Kate’s eyes began to burn. She blinked several times and lifted her gaze to the beautifully painted ceiling.

Dear God, I know I haven’t prayed as often as I should. I’m sorry for that, but I need Your help, so I hope You’re still listening. I want to make a good impression tonight and please my family, but most of all I want to find the right path for my future. Would You please help me?

The cheerful hum of conversation filled the air as Jon entered the large ballroom at Sheffield House. Two hours earlier he’d hurried home from the hospital to change, then caught a cab and picked up Theo on the way. But a snarl of traffic, caused by an accident, had delayed them for at least thirty minutes.

Scanning the ballroom, he estimated the number of guests to be at least one hundred. He smiled, remembering how Kate had told him one of her
greatest fears was that only a few people would come. Happily, that was not the case.

Ladies and gentlemen dressed in their finest evening wear stood around the edges of the room clustered in small groups. A few matrons and their young debutantes were seated in chairs awaiting the next invitation to dance. At the far end of the room, a quartet of musicians with stringed instruments appeared to be taking a break between songs.

Theo straightened his white tie and smiled at Jon. “So, this is how society celebrates a young woman’s coming out.” He surveyed the room. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”

Jon nodded, then scanned the crowd again, searching for Kate and the rest of the family. He spotted William and Julia, engaged in conversation with two other couples.

“Come with me. I want to introduce you to Julia and Sir William.” Jon wove through the guests, and Theo followed. Jon had only gone a few steps when someone called his name.

He stopped and turned as his aunt Beatrice approached.

“Hello, Jonathan dear.” Her gold dress with black beads and lace seemed rather bright for a woman her age, but her smile was warm and welcoming. The black ostrich plume in her hair fluttered as she held her hand out to him.

“Hello, Aunt Beatrice.” He took her hand and kissed her cheek.

“I’m so glad you’re here. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to meet some lovely young people.” She smiled at Theo. “And who is this?”

“My good friend, Theo Anderson. He is a fellow medical student at St. George’s.” He turned to Theo. “This is my mother’s sister, Lady Beatrice Danforth.”

Theo smiled and nodded. “Lady Danforth, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you. I’m pleased to meet you as well. Jonathan seems so busy with his training, I didn’t know he made time for friends.”

Jon shot a surprised glance at his aunt. “Of course I do.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” She smiled. “Applying yourself to your studies is
admirable, but you must make time for social events if you want to be a well-rounded person and be included in the best society.”

“My responsibilities are much lighter this summer. I’m sure I’ll have a bit more time for leisure.”

“You should bring Mr. Anderson with you the next time you visit your grandmother.” She turned to Theo. “Her health doesn’t allow her to go out often, but she loves to receive visitors, and she especially enjoys seeing her grandchildren.” She sent Jon a pointed look.

He glanced away. He ought to visit his grandmother more often, but they had only met for the first time a few months ago, following his grandfather’s death. He still felt a bit awkward around his mother’s relatives and uncertain what to say about the strained relationship between his parents and his late grandfather. But he must put that all aside and visit her soon.

Theo sent his aunt a gracious smile. “Thank you, Lady Danforth. I’d enjoy that very much.”

Jon looked across the ballroom. “I should let William and Julia know we’ve arrived. You’ll excuse us, won’t you, Aunt Beatrice?”

“Of course, dear.” Her expression grew more serious, and she laid her hand on his arm. “But I do hope you will take advantage of the evening and dance with several partners. You never know, you might meet the young lady you’ve been looking for.”

Jon stifled a groan, but gave her a brief smile before he turned away.

Theo chuckled. “She certainly hopes you’ll meet someone special tonight.”

“Could she be any more obvious?”

“I suppose she believes it’s her duty to steer you toward marriage.”

“I’m not here to find a wife. I’ve come to support Kate and keep an eye on Penny.”

“Kate’s younger sister?”

“Yes. She’s not officially out yet, and I promised I’d help watch over her.”

Theo smiled. “Sounds like a pleasant duty. Perhaps I can assist you.”

Jon lifted his eyebrows. “We’ll see.”

“Come on, Jon. You can’t have all the fun.”

“If I allow it, you must promise to be on your best behavior. Penny is only sixteen, and this is her first ball.”

“Of course. You can count on me. I’m always a gentleman, and knowing Miss Ramsey’s age and family connections, I’ll be even more careful.”

“All right. I’ll introduce you.” He smiled at his friend. “But remember, I’ll be watching your every move.” He might jest with Theo, but he knew he could trust him. They’d been fast friends for the past two years through all the trials of medical training, and they shared an equally strong commitment to their faith.

The music began, and couples took to the dance floor in a swirl of color in motion. Jon turned toward the edge of the room to stay out of the way.

Two young women seated with their chaperones looked up and smiled as Jon and Theo approached. The petite blonde waved her fan, her amber eyes issuing a hopeful invitation. He gave a slight smile, then looked away. Perhaps he should take his aunt’s advice and meet some of the eligible young women … but there was only one girl he was searching for this evening, and she seemed hopelessly out of reach.

Jon pushed that discomforting thought aside. He must not think of Kate that way. He was her friend and protector. Those were the only roles he could claim in her life, even if it was becoming harder to be satisfied with that.

They joined William and Julia, and he introduced Theo. “It looks like you have a good number of guests.”

“Yes. That’s quite a relief. Lady Gatewood was predicting disaster.” Julia smiled as she looked around. “But it seems the Lord has smiled down on Katherine tonight.”

“And where is Kate?” Jon asked.

Julia’s smile faded. “I’m afraid Lady Gatewood has taken her around to introduce her to all the guests.”

William grimaced. “I hope she will ease up and allow Katherine to enjoy the evening. It is her ball. She should be allowed to dance.”

Jon couldn’t agree more. Lady Gatewood’s overbearing ways could suck the joy out of any event.

“Ah, there’s Kate, by the potted palms.” Julia motioned toward the far corner of the room.

Even from this distance, Jon could read Kate’s discomfort in her tense posture and guarded expression. That wasn’t right. This was her special night. She shouldn’t be trapped in uncomfortable conversations with people she hardly knew. “Perhaps I should ask her to dance and give her a break from all those introductions.”

“That’s a splendid idea,” Julia said. “I know she’d appreciate it.”

He started across the room, but as he reached the buffet table, Edward Wellington appeared at Kate’s side, and a look of relief washed over her face.

Jon’s steps stalled. He picked up a plate and pretended to be surveying the desserts while he watched Edward and Kate.

Edward extended his hand. Kate took it and excused herself from her aunt and the others with them. A smug expression filled Edward’s face as he guided her onto the dance floor and took her in his arms. They swung easily into the waltz.

A sinking realization washed over Jon. He was too late to rescue Kate.

Someone else had stepped in and swept her away, and he did not like that at all.