“Pleased to meet you, Miss Hanham.” Hazel’s voice sounded as though she felt anything but pleased. “And how is it that you are related to Nash?”
She searched for a truthful answer. “Uh. . .uh—we met many years ago, but have recently become reacquainted.”
“So it would appear.” Mrs. Gill looked down her nose at Becca, reminding her of their recent interview. “We know all the prominent families in Providence. Indeed, even in most of New England. How did your acquaintance escape us, I wonder? I would have thought we would have met you at one event or another.”
Harrod reentered. “Dinner is served.”
“Very well, Harrod,” Nash answered with the verve of a man who enjoyed hosting. “Ladies, shall we retire to the dining room?”
The sisters exchanged glances, hesitating. Their reticence signaled a small victory for Becca, but the battle was far from over.
Silence ensued until they were seated and Nash offered grace. Soon the first course of a clear soup was set before them. As they ate they spoke of people, places, and events unfamiliar to Becca. Nash tried to steer conversational topics to those of a more general nature, but working together, the sisters ignored his cues. Becca had no idea how the women managed such a feat, but they seemed to have reached silent agreement that they would do everything they could to keep Becca from contributing to the conversation. She sat silently through the first two courses. By the time the roast beef arrived, her misery had peaked.
Hazel scrunched her nose to express her distaste. “I had really been anticipating the lobster I requested. Beef is such a disappointment, especially since we just had cold roast for luncheon today.”
“I’m sorry we couldn’t please you tonight.” Nash’s voice held not a shade of regret.
“This looks delicious nonetheless,” Mrs. Gill noted. “I’ll have my cook steam some lobster tomorrow night for you, Hazel.” She cut into her roast, the knife sliding through easily thanks to Cook’s skill in meal preparation. Before taking a bite, she looked at Becca. “Did you hear about Janette Jones?”
Becca didn’t look at her, focusing on the food on her own plate. “I’m afraid not.”
“Whatever the news is, I doubt I’m current on anything concerning Miss Jones,” Nash quipped. “And I doubt any such news would be of interest to my guest.”
“So you don’t know Janette Jones?” Hazel’s gaze bore into Becca. “Why, I thought everyone in Providence knew her.”
“Oh, but surely you know the Danforths,” Mrs. Gill prodded Becca. “Elizabeth is in a family way again. This will be her fifth child. Which reminds me, how many brothers and sisters do you have, Miss Hanham? Perhaps I have had the pleasure of making acquaintance with one of them.”
“I’m in no mood for idle chitchat,” Nash interrupted.
“Then you shouldn’t have hosted a dinner party,” Hazel retorted.
“But this gathering is much less intimate than I anticipated,” Nash shot back. “Hazel, I would prefer to hear about your trip to Hartford. Do indulge me.”
“Oh yes.” For the first time, Hazel seemed disappointed that the topic had been directed to her.
“Everyone was asking after Nash,” Mrs. Gill pointed out. “That is what you told me, wasn’t it, Hazel?”
“Oh, yes indeed. I could tell my cousins in particular wondered why they haven’t received wedding announcements.” She looked sideways at Becca.
“Did you tell them they haven’t received announcements because I never proposed?” Nash’s tone revealed his impatience.
“But of course we have an understanding. We have ever since that night at the Harris’s.”
A hint of sadness shadowed Nash’s face, and Becca could feel his embarrassment at having to hurt someone’s feelings. As obnoxious as Hazel had proven herself to be, she deserved the respect of others as a fellow person if for no other reason. The fact that Nash felt that way about a woman who had made herself the bane of his existence heightened Becca’s love for him.
“Of course you have an understanding.” Mrs. Gill looked in a pointed manner at Becca.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but we do not,” Nash said.
The sisters gasped, but Mrs. Gill recovered first. “Surely you don’t mean that, Nash. Why, to break off the engagement would cause considerable embarrassment to you and everyone else.”
Nash ignored Mrs. Gill and turned his face toward Hazel. “I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you or anyone else. But as I must repeat, a little embarrassment now is much preferred over a miserable marriage that will last the rest of our lives. Don’t you agree?”
“Miserable marriage! How dare you!” Hazel rose from her seat with such a rapid motion that the back of her chair struck the mahogany sidebar behind her. She didn’t even look to assess the damage, choosing instead to throw her pristine white cloth napkin on top of gravy-laden roast beef. Becca cringed. Her family didn’t enjoy the luxury of cloth napkins, but she was no stranger to laundry. The Abercrombie laundress would not be happy when she discovered a greasy stain covering the linen.
Mrs. Gill laid a consoling hand on her sister’s arm. “Now, now. Nash is just nervous since the wedding is upon us. There’s no need to vex him or yourself.”
Hazel didn’t seem to hear anything Mrs. Gill had to say. An accusing finger pointed Becca’s way. “It’s you, isn’t it?”
Unsure how to react, Becca let out an uncomfortable gasp in response to the accusation.
Hazel’s eyes narrowed. “I’m right! It is you!” As she spoke, her voice rose in timbre. “You’re the reason why Nash is backing out of our wedding. Why, I knew it was you from the moment I first laid eyes on you—you—you—trollop!”
Nash stood. “I realize you are overwrought, Hazel, but I will not tolerate my dear Becca being called such a despicable term by anyone and especially not in my home. She is nothing but the finest of women, and you would do well to follow her example.”
“Follow her example? Why, I don’t even know the woman. And I never wish to.” Her gaze set itself on Becca’s ruby ring, and her face turned red. “Nash, is that your grandmother’s ring?”
“It is indeed.”
“Then—then. . .”
“Yes, it’s true, Hazel. Your guess is correct. It is time for you to reconcile yourself to facts.” Nash’s voice sounded colder than Becca had ever heard. An unpleasant shiver visited her spine. At that moment she wouldn’t have considered changing places with Hazel. “Becca Hanham is my fiancée. We plan to marry this autumn.”
Becca’s heart beat at a rapid pace. Because of the other women’s vexation, she suppressed a smile.
“Oh, so you think you want to marry her?” Hazel’s features wrenched in anger, and she turned her wrath to Becca. “Regardless of what Nash tries to tell us, I don’t believe for a moment that you’re one of us. I’ll find out who you really are, Becca Hanham, and when I do, I have a strange feeling that Nash won’t be so proud to have you on his arm. Society won’t stand for one of its own making a poor match. You will never be accepted, and Nash will no longer be welcome among the elite of Providence. Do you really want that? Do you really want him to lose everything—his prestige, his friends, his influence, and ultimately his business? Will you still want him when he can no longer afford to buy you this kind of life?” She swept her hand over the room to remind Becca of the finely appointed house. “Come along, Laurel. I have nothing more to say.” With a lift of her skirts, she turned to exit.
Though Mrs. Gill seemed the stronger of the two women, she rose to obey. “Don’t worry about us. We have been guests in your home many times and can see ourselves to the door.”
As the women left, Nash remained silent, and Becca stared at what was left of her roast beef. Any other time she would have relished such an appealing repast, but the women had made the entire meal a nightmare. She clasped her hands together, hoping to conceal their quaking.
Nash covered her hands with his. “Don’t let anything she has t
o say worry you.”
“How can I not? We can’t keep my identity a secret forever. And even if we could, I couldn’t live a lie. Not even for you.”
“Of course not. And I would never ask you to.”
“But she said she’ll ruin you.”
“She may try, but she will not succeed. My positions in both my personal and professional life are secure. My family has run our business for decades, and while your background is humble, your behavior is impeccable and your character above reproach. I don’t believe good businessmen would abandon their dealings with me because of you, and if any do, I am confident the Lord will send other provision. As for my friends, well, we may find out who they really are. . .together.”
His words warmed her spirit, yet fear lingered. “But the embarrassment. . .”
He took her hands in his. “I won’t promise there won’t be talk and whispers, especially with Hazel fueling the fire, but it will pass and they will see that not to accept you would be wrong. Remember, we are Rhode Islanders and have a fine tradition of fighting for those whom others spurn. True, Hazel has shown by her wretched attitude toward you that some of us can be dreadful snobs. However, I believe once you start to mingle with people whom I hold in high regard, you will learn that most of us are not.” A sad light entered his eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry this has turned into quite a bit more of an ordeal than even I imagined.”
“I don’t mind for myself, but this is only the beginning. I know you are a gentleman and you want to keep your word, but I think I should leave now. Let me go back to my home where I won’t be a bother or threat to you. Hazel must have gotten the message by now. She’s angry, but surely she sees she can’t have you for herself. You don’t have to keep your promise to marry me. I won’t burden you.” She meant every heartbreaking word. She’d anticipated meeting Hazel to be a dreadful event, but even the servants’ nickname for the woman hadn’t prepared her for such appalling behavior.
He took her hands in his and squeezed them. Their warmth consoled her. “Oh no, my dear. You are never a burden. If anyone is a burden, it’s Hazel and her sister.”
“I must admit, I can see why you are reluctant to wed her.”
“Reluctant isn’t a strong enough word. Being with you only confirmed what a mistake it would be to take her as my wife. Even if you walked out the door this instant and never looked back, I still wouldn’t marry Hazel.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “You have brought me more joy in these few weeks than I have felt in my entire life. The more I see how well you conduct yourself, the more I respect you. Certainly tonight was a great test of how you behave when others are rude. You have earned a place at the Abercrombie table not because of your birth, but because of who you are. Why, I can even say I’m proud of who you are.”
“Proud?” She could hardly believe she was hearing such words.
“Yes. Please say you’ll still marry me. Together we will face Hazel and all her cohorts.”
“Oh, Nash. With you I feel I can face anyone.”
He smiled. “And now for our next step, in which I’ll prove how proud I am of you. It’s past time for your family to take part in our life together.”
“My family?”
“Of course. Would they be agreeable to taking dinner with me next week?”
She didn’t know what to say. Did Nash not realize that no one in her family owned clothing fit to eat at the Abercrombie servants’ table, much less with Nash himself? She couldn’t imagine them feeling anything but uncomfortable.
“What’s the matter, Becca? Are you quite ashamed of me?”
“Ashamed of you? Of course not. I’m not ashamed of my family, either. It’s just that I’m not sure how they’ll feel about supping in such a fine home.”
“They will be related to me by this time next year. I’m afraid they’ll have to become accustomed to dining with us.” He smiled. “Would you like me to send several seamstresses to your house to sew them some dinner clothes? Perhaps being dressed for dinner will make them feel more at ease.”
Becca held back her thought that her father would rather have a pitcher of ale from the tavern than a new suit from the haberdasher. But Mother—she would enjoy such a dinner. And for her sisters, the occasion would be nothing less than the fulfillment of a fantasy. Her brothers—well, they would enjoy a feast of plenty. “That is very kind of you. I’ll mention it tonight when I go home.”
Ten
Back at her house later that night and donned once again in her plain housedress, Becca felt nervous as she served her father and the oldest boys at the Hanham table. Hazel’s visit had set their dinner hour quite late. Still, her family didn’t complain. Becca and her mother plus the girls and small boys would eat in two more shifts after the men. At least now that she knew Nash, their main meals no longer consisted of thin gruel and ale. With better quality food from the Abercrombie kitchen, mealtimes had become a source of enjoyment rather than dull routine. She couldn’t help but contrast their present way of life to Nash’s and felt grateful to him for the fact they would soon be moving to better quarters.
Becca made sure to give Father an extra portion of ale to put him in a good mood. She waited until her older brothers threw dinner down their gullets and hastened out to whatever mischief awaited them on the darkened streets and her sisters occupied themselves with chatter and chores. Tired after another long day, complicated by the burdens of an advancing pregnancy, Mother plopped back into her seat at the table.
Becca sat in the chair across from Father as he enjoyed robust swigs of alcohol. “Father?”
He gave her a sidelong glance. “What is it, girl?”
“My fiancé has asked if I can bring my family to dinner at his house next week.”
Father set down his mug. “Did he, now? If the leftovers you’ve been bringin’ are any clue, we’ll be eatin’ high on the hog that night, eh?”
Mother’s expression revealed her discomfort and slight alarm as she touched the sleeve of her dress. “But what will we wear?”
“Nash has already thought of that. He’ll have new clothes made for all of you.”
Mother gasped. “New clothes! Why, with the number of us here that will cost a fortune. Are ya sure he wants to do such a kind thing?”
Becca embraced her mother. “Yes, I am. That’s the thoughtful type of man he is, Mother. Always wanting to do the compassionate thing. You’ll love your new dinner clothes.”
“Dinner clothes?” Father spat out the words. “So he’s sayin’ our regular clothes ain’t good enough fer ’im.”
“They aren’t.” Becca tried not to sound grumpy.
“I don’t care who he is. He can take us just the way we are. I ain’t wearin’ no dress-up clothes fer nobody.”
“Ya wanted the riches and new house he promised,” Mother argued. “Ya got to take the bitter with the sweet, as they say. A suit won’t hurt ya none. Not fer one night.”
“It’s a waste, I tell ya. I won’t wear it again.” Father snorted and took a swig of his drink.
“You can wear it to the wedding,” Becca suggested. “Oh, please, Father, let him buy everyone new clothes. You’ll feel much more comfortable in a nice new suit sitting at his dining table. Really you will.”
“Kinda like you feel more comfortable in all them fancy dresses he bought ya.”
“No. . .”
“I’ve seen how ya show off to all yer sisters. All of ya squeal like little girls at the sight of blue silk.” Father took another swig of ale and scowled. “He thinks he’s too good fer us, but since ye’ve hit a pot o’ gold, I’ll swallow me pride and put up with it.”
She wished her parent could have been more gracious, but his ungrateful attitude was the best for which she could hope from him. “Thank you, Father. Nash and I will speak with the seamstresses tomorrow and schedule a time for you to be fitted. We think it’s best if you go to her. He’ll send a carriage tomorrow to pick up you and the boys. The next da
y, Mother and the girls will go.”
“I just don’t like it,” Father argued. “Sounds to me like he’s tryin’ to make us some society types. We ain’t. And I don’t want to be. Why can’t he just give us the house and let us live like we want? Did ya ask him fer money like I asked ya to?”
Becca swallowed. Though standing up to her father would never be easy, knowing Nash had made her stronger. “I don’t mean to disobey, but I shouldn’t ask for money. I just don’t feel right about it. Don’t you know he wants to discourage a society woman who wants his money? Besides, I’d marry him even if he lived right next door and didn’t have a dime.”
❧
“Are you quite ready to go to the milliner’s, my darling?” Nash asked the following day.
Becca looked forward to seeing what type of hats Miss Dawkins had created for her. “Yes, I am.”
He peered out the window. “Well, we have a glorious, sunny day for our errand. Life can’t get much better, can it?”
Becca had to agree.
He turned and made his way toward her, the motion stirring the appealing scent of bay rum spice he always wore. “Only, my life will be at a climax on the day we wed.”
“As will mine,” she agreed. “And I hope each day afterward I can only make your life better and better.”
Taking both of her hands in his, he answered, “I anticipate you shall, my darling.” He kissed the back of each hand and squeezed them before letting go. “Come, let us take the carriage now.”
“Now?”
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