by Kitty Margo
Snatching up her skirts Lynna tried to hurry, she really did, but thoughts of the Chateau brought heartache and worry over her father. That set off a chain reaction. Her eyes filled with tears, her heel caught in the hem of her dress, and she tripped halfway up the stairs, falling flat on her face.
“Lynna!” Suzanne's shrill voice vibrated through the house, sending the upstairs servants scurrying lest they should fall victim to her foul temper.
Suzanne's bedroom was a lovely shade of robin’s egg blue. A massive four-poster bed surrounded by a sheer lacy canopy graced the center of the room. Beside the bed a pair of Chippendale wing chairs stood on either side of a piecrust tea table. On the other side of the room was a full-length cheval glass in which Suzanne currently stood admiring herself while a young Negro girl fanned her vigorously with a peacock feather.
Lynna's aunt Judith was on the floor at her feet attempting to pin the hem on Suzanne's gown, which wasn’t an easy task due to Suzanne's constant preening. As she entered the room, Suzanne spun around to face her, almost falling off the stool, (which would have thrilled Lynna and the Negro girl immensely), and with a look of stern vexation asked, “Lynna, whatever took you so long? My goodness, but you certainly do dawdle. Why, I… never mind. How do you like my gown? Is it not positively divine?”
Lynna had to admit the gown was most becoming. Cut from light turquoise watered silk and fashioned with a low pointed waistline back and front, the full skirt was embroidered with dozens of tiny rosettes. Rosettes that Suzanne hardly noticed, while Lynna and her aunt had spent endless days and nights on the tedious handwork. A delicate row of fine lace edged the daringly low-cut bodice with three rows of the same lace falling from the back to form a short triple cape.
Judith was the seamstress for Magnolia House, a position she had held for some twenty-odd years. She stitched clothes for the entire family; on the rare occasion when she was not sewing exclusively for Suzanne, their spoiled, only daughter. Lynna and her aunt shared a small cottage on the plantation grounds.
“It really is beautiful,” Lynna had to admit. “But then, all of my aunt's gowns are.” If the truth were told, the gown would rival Lynna’s own gowns back home, made by the finest dressmakers in all of Paris. Gowns that mice had most likely built nests and were raising their offspring in by now.
“I agree. But this gown is special, for no one could fail to notice me when I wear it.” She released a quivering sigh and absently curled a lock of hair around her finger as she whispered, “Not even Captain Jordan.”
Once again, as it did each time Suzanne breathed his name, Lynna's heart set up a noisy hammering in her chest. She clutched at her bodice and glanced up, surprised the others in the room did not hear the clattering racket behind her breastbone. If Suzanne ever found out the truth about what had transpired between Lynna and Suzanne’s magnificent Captain Jordan, not only would Lynna's shame be almost unbearable, Suzanne would be livid and possibly have murderous intent. Lynna hid her blazing face behind her hands and prayed this infatuation, as the majority of Suzanne's obsessions were, was short lived.
“Do you not you agree, Lynna?”
What? “Oh, yes… certainly. He cannot fail to notice you in such a marvelous gown.”
Lynna had heard little but the praises of Captain Jordan since last Christmas, when Suzanne had met him at a Ball while visiting her brother in Charleston. She wished desperately to warn Suzanne, to tell her what a vile, wretched, black-hearted womanizer the sea captain truly was. But she could not. To confess to her horrible, horrible blunder would bring humiliation and scorn to herself, and possibly loss of employment for her aunt. If she ever found out the truth, Lynna knew Suzanne’s revenge would be swift, and she would not care who she hurt in the process. She could only listen as Suzanne prattled on and on about the sea captain with the raven locks and dashing good looks that Lynna remembered… oh… so well.
The Negro girl, with perspiration dripping from the tip of her nose and colorful braids sprouting in all directions, undoubtedly shared Lynna's sentiments. When Suzanne spun toward the mirror and the Negro girl was facing her back, her eyes rolled toward the heavens. Her actions caused Judith to move very close to the hem of Suzanne's gown to keep from laughing and sucking a mouthful of pins down her throat. Surprisingly, and to their astonishment, Suzanne suddenly dropped her favorite subject and moved on. “Now, for the reason I summoned you. Lynna, be a dear and undo my fasteners.”
“What?” Lynna’s defiant stance, with her hands planted firmly on her hips, almost betrayed her true station in life. “You called me up here just to unfasten your gown?” A quelling glance from her aunt ceased her impending rebuke. No one must learn the secret of her birthright that only she, her aunt, and, unfortunately, Joshua Jordan shared.
A withering look in Suzanne's eyes begged the question; “And what would be my error if I had? Must I remind you that you are both employees of my father, and reside in a cottage graciously allocated by the same?” But instead, for reasons that eluded her, Suzanne chose not to speak her mind. She simply was not feeling argumentative today. “Of course not, silly. I would but ask you to model this gown for me. If I see it on you, I can form an image in my mind of the accessories that would best offset the gown. You know, pretend you are a dressmaker’s dummy.” Giggling, she stepped out of the gown and admired her slim figure in the mirror while Lynna disrobed.
The soft folds of expensive silk fell caressingly around Lynna. She closed her eyes and released a contented sigh, marveling at the long forgotten feeling of expensive material against her skin as her aunt moved behind her to fasten the gown.
Judith tugged, pulled and shifted to no avail. “Lynna darling, you seem to have….um….expanded in certain areas. For the life of me I cannot seem to get the gown…fastened. Why, up until this summer I used the exact same measurements when sewing… for the two of you.” Judith peered over Lynna's shoulder to see a mortified Suzanne, her face flaming at the sight of Lynna's bosom spilling over the low cut bodice. She had insisted the gown be cut daringly low, but witnessing the sight of Lynna’s overflowing cleavage only served to infuriate her.
The Negro girl's fanning increased a degree as she savored the high and mighty Miss Suzanne's burning cheeks and flaming neck. Suzanne most thoroughly enjoyed humiliating others; however, it was a rare occasion indeed when she received the same treatment in turn.
Witnessing the rush of blood to Suzanne's upper extremities and the rage gleaming in her eyes, Lynna quickly removed the gown and spread it carefully on the bed. “It…looks much better on you, Suzanne.”
“Yes, I agree.” As she dressed, Suzanne studied Lynna with narrowed eyes and several unkind thoughts. True, Lynna's measurements had blossomed in the past year, whereas her own had remained virtually the same. The girls were a study in contrast.
Lynna's hair was the color of spun gold. The sun's rays shining through the open balcony doors added a glowing luster to her soft, golden, waist-length mane. Suzanne's hair resembled a raven’s wing, so black the same sun reflected gleaming blue highlights.
Their eyes were no less different. Lynna's eyes were shimmering pools of summer sky blue crystal that changed with her every emotion. They sparkled like brilliant diamonds when she was happy, shone sadness in their glistening depths, and snapped with defiance when angry. Suzanne's eyes were brown with green flecks, admittedly not one of her best features.
Both girls had been blessed at birth with the pearly white skin so cherished by Southern women. They protected their skin from the ravages of the sun with parasols, hats, sunbonnets, and nightly applications of buttermilk. However the vast majority of them chose to avoid the sun entirely, as did Suzanne, and ventured outside only in early morning or late evening.
A wicked and triumphant glow spread across Suzanne's pretty features. Lynna may be more generously endowed, that was painfully obvious, but she could tell by the girl’s reddening nose and cheeks that she had been outside again, dreadfully unpro
tected from the harsh rays of the sun. Be patient, she thought callously. A few more days in the sun and the careless girl would have skin like shoe leather. Feeling much better with herself, Suzanne thanked Lynna graciously for her assistance, and still in her chemise, climbed into bed for her afternoon nap, thus dismissing them.
No sooner had Judith closed the door than Suzanne's head filled with the remembrance of strong arms crushing her against a hard, lean body and soft, sweet lips lowering to hers. A shiver passed over her even though the afternoon heat was atrocious. Sleep was a long time in coming as a pulsating, persistent ache settled into a tight knot of desire in the sensitive spot between her legs and she reached to remedy it.
As darkness was falling over the plantation, Lynna helped Judith shuck corn for supper and could not resist asking about Suzanne's new gown. “Is there an occasion for the new gown or did she simply open her wardrobe and discover an empty hanger?”
“Oh, there is an occasion. She is returning to Charleston to visit Samuel, yet again. She explained to her parents that she wished to spend some time with her brother and her niece, and naturally they agreed without question. However, we both know Suzanne cannot long tolerate Samuel’s daughter, or any child, for that matter. You and I know the true reason for her visit.”
“Oh, yes,” Lynna gushed, affecting Suzanne's grating whine. “Captain Joshua Jordan, why how could I possibly evah forget him?” Unfortunately, I will remember the heartless scoundrel until the day I draw my final breath.
“Precisely.” Judith laughed. “As you know, she was simply devastated last winter when she failed to add him to her collection of beaux. But I must confess, I’d like to meet this paragon. The first man, I am sure, who has ever successfully resisted Suzanne's abundant charms.”
Lynna was confident Joshua had long since sampled whatever charms Suzanne had to offer, abundant or not. She remembered with clarity the day Suzanne had returned home from her visit to Charleston. She had sent Rose, her chambermaid, with a message for Lynna to come to her room posthaste. Once there, Lynna had been forced to listen while Suzanne had prattled on and on recounting her entire evening in vivid detail.
“Oh, Lynna! He is positively the most divine creature God ever saw fit to grace this earth with. Why, he has these sea green eyes that absolutely take your breath away. When our eyes met across the crowded room, I swear, there was an immediate attraction. I could feel it.” She could not sit still, pacing across the room, gesturing wildly with her hands. “And you would not believe how handsome he is, simply breathtaking. And so powerfully built! Why, I feel most certain if he were a mind to, he could crush a man with his bare hands. Let me assure you, however, that those same hands can also be so very gentle.”
Lynna wondered how anyone could talk so long without pausing to breathe.
“And when we danced, I declare, my feet never touched the floor once.” She closed her eyes and smiled dreamily. “He held me so sinfully close.” Then, her eyes snapped open and her hand clutched her breast. “But that isn’t even the best part. After the dance ended, we took a stroll through the garden. Oh Lynna, he kissed me with so much passion that I very nearly swooned!” She closed her eyes for a minute as if the memory overwhelmed her.
“Honestly, my knees went weak. I felt faint and began to tremble. And then,” here she paused dramatically, “my jackass brother comes rushing through the garden shouting my name. Heaven knows I felt the urge to cause Samuel some small degree of physical pain at that moment. Just when I was sure Captain Jordan was about to sweep me off my feet and carry me…” She was stopped abruptly by Lynna's sharp intake of breath.
“Joshua?” Lynna had finally found her voice and breathed the name, mortified at hearing Suzanne utter it. Captain Joshua Jordan? The same man who had stolen her virginity and taken her on a round trip journey to hell and back? It could not be, she thought, as several wildly fluttering butterflies took up residence in her midsection. Suzanne had been describing the same feelings she herself had felt after being kissed by the same man. Joshua and Suzanne? Inconceivable.
Suzanne mistook Lynna's shock as being caused by her own disgraceful behavior with Joshua. “Do not play the virtuous little innocent with me. I am not blind, as some of the others around here pretend to be, dear Lynna. I have seen the way my brother looks at you when he thinks no one else is looking. And I have been… how I shall say this… intimate with enough men to know that look.”
Lynna could not believe Suzanne's depths of depravity. “How dare you insinuate that Daniel and I have ever behaved in any manner that was less than proper? Just because you are guilty of such shameful acts, do not for one second imply that I would stoop to your level.” Although she had with Joshua. Her eyes flashed blue fire as she cried, “No man will ever again…” She stopped herself in the nick of time, holding her breath. Thankfully Suzanne, as usual, was not listening to a word she said.
“You little fool!” Suzanne had laughed crudely. “You have no idea what you are missing and you never will. For Captain Jordan would never be interested in someone with your… low station in life.”
Unlike you, dear Suzanne, Captain Jordan is well aware of my true station in life. Breathing a deep sigh of relief that she had avoided a near catastrophe with her errant slip of the tongue, Lynna had ended their discussion by storming from the room.
Suzanne floated down the steps in a snug violet traveling outfit. Her hair was swept off her neck under a matching sunbonnet, the brim pulled low to protect her face from the morning sun. The carriage was piled high with numerous trunks and hatboxes, more than she could possibly require for a short stay in Charleston. Even given the fact that she changed her dress three or four times daily, there was still an excess of baggage strapped to the top of the equipage. It crossed Lynna's mind that Suzanne was planning an extended visit this time and scolded herself for being pleased at the thought.
Hugging Lynna excitedly, Suzanne whispered in her ear, “Wish me luck!” and was in the carriage before Lynna could summon a reply. She stood with a tearful Mary and Silas, waving as the coach pulled away in a cloud of dust. A gunman was perched beside the driver should the need for protection of Silas’s most precious cargo arise.
“There now,” Silas was consoling his wife, who was near prostrate with grief. “She will return home before you know it.”
“Not if Suzanne has her way,” Daniel, Suzanne’s younger brother, remarked to Lynna as he took her elbow and walked her toward her cottage. “My brother will be forced to chase our little sister home with a stick to pry her from the clutches of the magnanimous Captain Jordan.”
Oh, please, don’t let Daniel start listing the man’s finer attributes! With Suzanne gone, she had hoped to never hear Joshua’s name mentioned again. “I see Suzanne has been filling your head with tales of the handsome sea captain as well.”
“Let me assure you, there is not a person on the entire plantation who has been spared my sister's comments pertaining to him. Why, I even heard her one morning in the infirmary, conversing with the newborns. No wonder they were bawling so loud.” He grinned when Lynna shoved his shoulder playfully. “But on a more serious note, I pray you never meet the man or you might dismiss me completely from mind.”
“Daniel, I assure you that you have nothing to fear.” She eased his mind, even as her traitorous heart raced at the mere thought of her path ever crossing Joshua’s again. Had he changed? Was he still as handsome as before?
“I’m glad to hear you say that, Lynna.”
Lynna was lost in thought, remembering Suzanne's parting words. “Oh, Lynna, this is going to be the most memorable trip of my entire life. Joshua is coming home, you see. His father had that awful accident; well, actually it was a rather fortuitous mishap for me, since Joshua is returning to oversee the plantation. In fact, he should already have returned to Sea Grove by now.”
How could Suzanne be pleased over the fact that a man had lost both his legs? Her appalling lack of compassion for anyon
e other than herself never failed to astonish Lynna. “Give my love to Samuel.” Lynna had tried to change the subject, hoping to distract Suzanne from her never-ending discourse about Joshua. Her ploy failed.
“Lynna, I have a confession to make. For the first time in my life, I am truly in love. I intend to become Mrs. Suzanne Jordan, wife of the esteemed Captain Joshua Jordan, in the not too distant future. I cannot wait to see your face when you meet him. He is positively too handsome for words and filthy rich as well.”
He will marry you only if he has to. And, rest assured, he knows me… intimately!
With Suzanne in Charleston, Judith and Lynna's workload was cut drastically. They had kept late hours in order to complete several day dresses and a ball gown for Suzanne’s trip and now found themselves with rare free time on their hands. Lynna recalled Mary’s stunned expression when questioning her daughter about the new dresses and extravagant gown she had requested from Judith.
“Mother, I could not possibly be seen in the same dress twice while in Charleston. Whatever would people say? And would you have Captain Jordan think us penniless and all but destitute? The horror!” As she said the words, she clutched her chest as though she were on the verge of succumbing to one of her frequent attacks of vapors. “Why, I could never show my humiliated face in the finer homes of Charleston again!”
Mary had left the room, mumbling to herself, but Judith did not complain. Suzanne was her livelihood.
Lynna and Judith quickly adapted to the much slower pace. They often took long strolls by the river, stopping to have a quiet picnic lunch, or just sit on the front porch, listening to the birds sing, bees buzz around the flowerbeds, bullfrogs croak from the pond, and crickets chirp. The entire plantation seemed to breathe a deep sigh of relief during Suzanne’s absence.
