“You will do no such thing. That was my big surprise, which apparently you and Miss Brown completely forgot.” Aunt pouted. “I can never be your mother, but I’m trying to do my best by you.”
Elizabeth’s heart softened. Aunt had truly looked forward to revealing her big surprise. After all the excitement surrounding Rourke, Elizabeth had completely forgotten about her aunt. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, it’s quite all right to forget your poor old great-aunt.” Aunt dabbed at her misty eyes. “Never mind that I took the liberty of finding a gown for you the moment I learned of the ball. It wasn’t easy, mind you. The seamstresses here are dreadful, and there was almost no time to have something made, but Providence smiled on me, dear Elizabeth. Mrs. Evanston happened to have the perfect gown on hand. Apparently the girl who ordered it changed her mind. Though she’s a bit shorter than you, Mrs. Evanston assured me she could make the alterations.”
Elizabeth blinked. “I have not agreed to attend.”
“Of course you will attend. Moreover, Mrs. Evanston was kind enough to await your return. Run along upstairs now. We will have the fitting in the reading room.”
“You kept her here until my return?”
“Naturally.” Aunt Virginia’s note of triumph rang through the house. “She was only too happy to wait for the daughter of Key West’s most prominent attorney.”
Elizabeth was too tired to argue. She obediently followed Aunt upstairs. The reading room had been transformed into a fitting room with sheer drapes covering the windows. A woman of perhaps forty years of age stood beside a dressmaker’s form bearing a stunning steel-blue silk gown.
“It’s blue,” Elizabeth cried. “I can’t wear blue.”
“It’s gray,” Aunt Virginia countered. “Isn’t it, Mrs. Evanston?”
The woman, clearly already under Aunt Virginia’s control, nodded agreeably. “It will look especially fine on someone of your stature and complexion. We will refashion the existing skirt by adding a flounced underskirt of this lovely matching silk.”
The shimmering creation was a ball gown fit for the finest dance in Charleston. In no way did it reflect that Elizabeth was in mourning.
“It’s not appropriate,” she whispered to her aunt.
“Nonsense.”
“It has red rosettes on the skirt and bodice.”
Aunt waved away Elizabeth’s concern. “A tiny splash of color.”
“I’m in mourning.”
“Your father informed me that such customs are not observed here. In fact, he insisted you have something a little less harsh for the ball.” She pinched Elizabeth’s cheek as if she were a young girl. “You need to get the color back in your cheeks.”
“But Mother died less than three months ago.”
Mrs. Evanston looked sympathetic, but she was fully in her patron’s employ. This was clearly an attempt to pretty up Elizabeth for courtship, but neither her aunt nor Mrs. Evanston could know that they’d selected the exact shade she’d worn the day she’d hoped to win over Rourke O’Malley. The day of the hurricane. The day her brother lost the use of his legs.
She closed her eyes against the sudden rush of pain.
Four years ago, chasing after Rourke had wrought disaster. She had proceeded to Charleston as planned rather than fight to stay. This time he was leaving. Miles upon miles of turquoise sea would lie between them. Gone for as long as a year, he’d written. Gone at the very time she needed someone to stand by her side.
Now she stood alone, unable to hear the music, while the world danced around her.
14
Mr. Finch proved as insufferable as Elizabeth had expected. His eyes gleamed when she entered the foyer, even though she was covered from head to toe in black crape thanks to the alterations required on the ball gown.
“How lovely you are, Miss Elizabeth.” He bowed, revealing a bottle-green waistcoat beneath his unbuttoned tailcoat.
Overdressed yet again. The very sight of him disgusted her. His touch made her skin crawl. She extended a limp hand and allowed him to lead her into the dining room.
During supper, she nodded and murmured unintelligible responses to his comments without hearing a thing he was saying. Mr. Finch could not compare to Rourke any more than a vulture could pretend to be a magnificent frigate bird. The latter soared high on the breezes, dipping to earth to snatch up a fish or to mate. When would Rourke alight again? Soon, she hoped. A year was far too long to wait when she now knew he loved her.
Despite Caroline’s misgivings, the only explanation for such a long and indefinite absence was a family crisis. If his mother was ill, he might not return for a very long time. All of his seven siblings were younger than him. Some must still be at home. With his father gone, he would have to take on responsibility for the family. Just like her.