by Bess McBride
Ellie swallowed hard and wondered if she could ask for Melinda’s confidence. To what end? Melinda would only wonder why Ellie wanted to hide her engagement.
“Oh, Melinda, I shouldn’t have mentioned that. It’s not a big thing...really. I don’t know when.” She sniffed. “Maybe never. Forget I ever said anything.”
Melinda stuck out a pink lower lip and eyed Ellie with concern.
“Not a big thing,” she repeated in the tone of someone savoring an unfamiliar expression. She nodded. “I take it you do not wish to discuss it, then. I understand. It is a private matter. I apologize for prying.” Melinda jumped up in a restless movement. “Still though, I would love to be engaged.” She twirled around the room with her arms wide. “Parties and balls and dinners and breakfasts...plus a handsome man at my side. Wouldn’t it be wonderful?”
Ellie watched her with a stirring of affection. An engagement would come soon if Melinda had anything to say about it.
Alice was working miracles into what Ellie recognized as a Gibson hairdo—a glorious upswept style guaranteed to make any woman look tall and elegant.
“So, you want to be married,” she murmured.
Melinda stopped dancing and plopped down on the chair once again with a whiff of lavender. “I do not know that I want to be married yet, but I would love to be engaged. That would be exciting. Some of my friends want to marry so they can be free to set up their own homes, but Robert lets me do as I please, and I do not feel restricted here. I would like to be in love though.” Her voice trailed away on a sigh.
Ellie couldn’t help herself and matched Melinda’s contagious sigh, the memory of a pair of green eyes tugging at her heart. “I know what you mean.”
Melinda’s sharp ears turned toward Ellie. “But you are already engaged.” She bit her lower lip. “I apologize, Ellie. I am such a busybody.” She jumped up and glided toward her wardrobe. “Hurry, Alice. I have to dress for Amy’s tea party this afternoon.”
“Yes, miss.”
“I didn’t know you were going out,” Ellie said. “So, you’re not coming on the tour, then?”
“Oh no, that is just you and Robert. Grandmother feels unwell, and I have the party to attend.”
“Oh.”
Melinda misunderstood. “I would invite you to accompany me, but you had the previous engagement with Robert. You will have an enjoyable time, Ellie. Robert is a wonderful man, kind and gentle. There is no need to be afraid of him.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Ellie said with a blissful sigh.
Alice stuck a sprig of small silk roses and baby’s breath into the crown of Ellie’s hair. Freed from the maid’s ministrations, Ellie turned to watch Melinda. She chewed on her lip for a moment and drew in a deep breath.
“Melinda, why hasn’t Robert married before now?”
Melinda rummaged through her undergarment drawers, tossing aside one petticoat after another.
“What?” she asked distractedly. “Robert? I do not know why he has not found a wife, really. I tease him about being a confirmed bachelor all the time. He is in his late 30s, you know. Quite old.” She grinned and continued ransacking her wardrobe.
Ellie held out her hand to Alice with beseeching eyes. Alice grinned and pulled her upright. She almost toppled over and leaned on Alice while she regained her balance.
Melinda continued. “Although that may change soon. Constance has her eye on him, you know.”
“I didn’t know,” Ellie murmured with a pain in her chest. The corset...too tight.
“Yes. She has not said anything to me directly, but I have seen the way she looks at Robert...ever since her husband died.”
“Really?”
“Grandmother thinks she is too old for Robert. She says that Robert needs to look for a young woman who can give him children. I think Constance is the same age as Robert.”
Ellie felt faint. Her thirty-fifth birthday had come and gone.
“But Constance can still have children in her thirties.” Ellie knew she defended herself.
“Yes, but Grandmother still thinks she is too old for Robert. She wants Robert to marry someone in her early twenties. Something about healthy children. I do not know what she means exactly.”
Melinda finally found a few garments that pleased her and tossed them on the bed.
“Are you feeling well, Ellie? You look positively green. Is the corset too tight?” Melinda moved toward her and raised a motherly hand to Ellie’s forehead.
“I’m fine. It is tight, but Alice says it’s as loose as it can be. I’ll be fine.”
“Well, you look absolutely stunning.”
Ellie shrugged on the matching rose bolero jacket and surveyed herself in the mirror. Her face did look pale, but she had to admit she looked very...Victorian. Her ash-brown hair shone from Alice’s brushing, and the upswept style suited Ellie’s oval face. The clothing, although miserably uncomfortable, gave her an elegant height she’d never known in all her vertically challenged years. She preened.
“Thank you. I do look quite regal, if I may say so.”
Melinda laughed and turned away. “I must hurry to dress as well. Robert should be here soon. I will see you this evening at dinner.”
Ellie’s best intentions to sashay to the door were hampered by the corset and the boots which covered her feet somewhere far below her skirts. She managed a stilted prance until she got through the door.
She leaned on the wall to catch her breath and eyed the round staircase which once seemed so charming but now loomed terrifyingly as a death-defying stunt. The bedroom door flew open, and Melinda erupted into the hallway.
“Wait, Ellie. You forgot your hat. No well-bred lady goes outside without a hat.”
“A hat? On this fabulous hairdo?”
Melinda laughed and dragged her back inside. From the nether regions of the mysterious wardrobe, Alice brought out a large, black, velvet hat trimmed with rose-colored ribbons.
“Sit down, Ellie. Alice cannot put it on your head if you do not sit down.”
Ellie eyed the stool, remembering she had to be levered off it. She sighed.
Alice perched the dark hat atop Ellie’s hairdo at an angle which dipped toward her right eye. Ellie rolled her eyes. She couldn’t see anything but the brim of the hat above her nose. In the mirror, she saw Alice approach with a long pearl-tipped hatpin that she stuck into the hat and through the bun on top of her hair.
Melinda hovered. “There now. You look ravishing. Off you go.”
Ellie put a tentative hand to the creation on her head to see if it would move with her...or against her. It stayed in place. She twisted her neck gingerly to eye Alice, who grinned and pulled her upright.
Once outside the door, Ellie again paused to lean a hand against the wall. As if matters had not already been treacherous with the unfamiliar boots, the corset, her bizarre posture and the heavy hairdo, now she needed to contend with a heavy, oversized, albeit beautiful, hat which threatened to throw her off balance.
She moved to the head of the stairs and gripped the railing. Tilting her head back as best she could to counterbalance her weight, she stepped down gingerly, feeling her way down the stairs one step at a time since she could not look down to see her feet. Halfway down the interminable descent, the front door of the foyer opened and Robert came into view. He looked up, and his eyes widened. Ellie heard his quick intake of breath. She paused for a moment and gulped, hoping she wouldn’t disgrace herself with a tumble down the stairs. His lips curved into a slow smile, and Ellie’s knees wobbled in response.
“Ellie, you look absolutely beautiful.” He moved to take the steps two at a time arriving to hold out his arm.
“May I?”
Ellie nodded mutely, and gratefully took his arm. Once they reached the bottom step, Robert stood back and surveyed her once again. Ellie’s face burned, and she attempted to take a deep breath.
“I knew you were beautiful, Ellie, but I had no idea how charming you would look in
my time.” He grinned.
“Thank you, Robert, but I have to tell you your time is killing me.” She grimaced. “There is absolutely no question of my eating or drinking while I am in this costume.”
His eyes ran up and down her body rakishly. “Yes, I can see that you are much more...restricted than you were in your other clothing.”
She laid a hand on the table for support.
“I’ll say.”
“Shall we?” He took her arm and led her outside.
Ellie paused on the elegant wraparound porch and stared at the city below. No skyscrapers towered above this turn-of-the-century city of rolling greenery and sparkling blue lakes. A light haze of pollution hung in the moist air, settling over the panoramic vista. From the landmarks, she recognized their location. The Chamberlains lived on Queen Anne Hill, so named for the number of homes built at the end of the nineteenth century in the Queen Anne style of architecture.
“What are you thinking?” Robert murmured as they descended the stairs.
“Oh, gosh, lots of things! How different the city looks, how much pollution already hangs in the air, yet how beautiful it still is.”
“It is a beautiful city, isn’t it? You will have to tell me about this...pollution some time. I would be interested to hear of that.”
Despite Ellie’s unfamiliarity with the mechanics of her voluminous clothing and her inability to see her feet, their descent of the stairs was quicker today than the ascent the night before, and Robert handed Ellie up into the carriage. She put out a protective hand to guard her hat while trying to hoist her skirts up with the other, and she wondered how women got anything done in this century, hampered as they were by their clothing. She remembered reading, though, that while upper-class women were restricted in their movements and probably could do little significant manual labor, they did contribute heavily with time and energy to charitable works.
Robert climbed in beside her, and the carriage moved off. Ellie sat awkwardly forward not only because the bend of the corset required it but also because the wide brim of her hat needed extra room. She tried to turn toward Robert but hit him in the face accidentally.
“Oops, sorry. I’m trying to get used to this thing.”
He laughed. “I’m sure you are. Women have taken to wearing larger and larger hats recently. I suspect it has very little to do with keeping their heads warm and more to do with outshining each other.”
“You’re probably right, Robert. And believe me, that will not change by the twenty-first century.”
He laughed with his endearingly unique male resonance and touched her hand briefly. Ellie had enough trouble gasping for air in her corset without having her breath stolen by his charm.
Robert proved to be a wonderfully insightful tour guide. Giving in to her requests to see specific sites, he took her down to a vendor’s market, the forerunner of the modern Pike’s Place Market, she realized. As they wandered the covered stalls, she described how it would look...as well as she could remember, having only been to the market once before. She asked to go down to the waterfront, but he vetoed that as being too rough a neighborhood for a lady.
“It’s quite trendy now, you know, with restaurants and musicians and lots and lots of tourists,” she murmured with a sigh.
“Trendy? What does that mean?”
Ellie loved stumping the normally confident man with strange terms. The confusion on his face gave him such a vulnerable look.
“Popular.”
“Ah! Popular.” He nodded. “Trendy,” he repeated to himself.
“I wanted to get a closer look at the clipper ships in the bay. We don’t have those anymore, or if we do, they’re very rare. Historic.”
“You can see the ships in the bay from any window in the front of the house. They are much more attractive from a distance. They boast quite a heavy stench close up.”
“Really?” She sighed.
He gave her a sympathetic look. “Would you like to have some lunch at a park? I had Mrs. Smith put a picnic together for us.”
She turned to him with a pleased smile. “Aw, Robert, that would be wonderful! Yes, let’s go to the park.”
A half hour later, the driver pulled into a lovely park on a beautiful blue lake. Robert helped Ellie down while the driver unloaded several baskets from the coach. After spending the last several hours clutching at her skirts to keep them from the dirt roads common to the turn of the century, Ellie was pleased to see a wooden promenade skirting the lake. Small boats took passengers out onto the calm water to lull the day away in the rare sunshine of the often rainy Pacific Northwest.
Ellie hesitated, unsure of what to do, but Robert took her hand in his arm.
“Shall we walk for a while?” he asked.
Ellie watched the couples and families strolling along the lake’s edge, and she hesitated.
“I don’t know, Robert. Teeter-tottering around in this outfit in the vendor’s market was one thing. It was too crowded for anyone to notice anything, but these people are strolling like professionals. I mean, they’re really promenading.”
Robert laughed, and she tilted her head back at an angle to glare.
“Oh, Ellie, you make me laugh with your odd sayings. Promenading, indeed. Of course, they are. It is a promenade.”
He turned to the driver, a silent young man with dark hair and a mustache.
“Jimmy, lay our things out over there, please.” He nodded in the direction of a picnic area dotted with several black wrought iron tables and chairs. “We will return shortly.”
He looked down at her and gave her hand a firm squeeze.
“Shall we, madam?”
He didn’t wait for an answer but moved out, his pace slow to accommodate Ellie’s unsure steps. Ellie kept her eyes on the boardwalk for several reasons—one was to watch her footing.
“Ellie, my dear, lift your head. No one will notice anything unusual about you except that you are a beautiful woman.” He peered around the corner of her hat. “Although quite fetching, that hat is extremely inconvenient. I cannot see your face.”
She tilted her head and turned toward him, knowing her cheeks must be as rosy as her dress.
“There you are,” he murmured softly with a dancing light in his eyes.
“Mr. Chamberlain, I believe you are flirting with me.” She used her hat to shield her embarrassed face. The large black, rose-ribboned concoction actually had some value after all.
He paused for a moment, standing stock still so that she had to rotate, since he still held her arm. She ended up facing him. He dipped his head and looked into her eyes with a playful grin.
“Why, Miss Standish, I do believe I am.” He reached up with his free hand and softly touched the line of her cheek. Ellie’s blush deepened. She longed to rub against his hand but resisted once again.
“Robert. Miss Standish.”
Ellie turned quickly, almost knocking herself off balance.
Constance stood in front of them on the promenade, an odd expression on her face. She was accompanied by a younger blonde woman dressed like Constance in a dark blue, tailor-made silk skirt with a white blouse.
Chapter Nine
“Constance. How are you today? I did not expect to see you up and about so early after our late arrival.” Robert dipped his hat in her direction.
Ellie nodded a greeting, but ran a quick hand up to steady her hat. She did not miss Constance’s frank, appraising stare.
“I promised my niece, Amanda, that I would bring her to the park today. Amanda, you remember Mr. Chamberlain. And this is Miss Standish.”
Ellie greeted the young girl, who watched her aunt with adoration.
“Miss Standish, you look quite...stunning today.” Constance’s voice held some reserve.
Ellie ducked her head. “Thank you, Constance. You also look very beautiful.”
Constance had the grace to blush. She put a hand to her large, dark blue, netted hat.
“Well, thank you. I cou
ld murmur this old thing, but in fact, it is new.”
“Are we still expecting you for supper tonight, Constance.”
Ellie flinched for just a moment, and Robert tightened his arm.
“Yes, Robert, I am still planning to come. Seven p.m., correct?”
Robert nodded with a practiced smile. “Yes, seven it is.” He tipped his hat to her. “Well, if you will excuse us, Constance, we must move on. I am doing a poor job of showing Ellie the city.”
“Are you new to Seattle then, Miss Standish?” Constance fixed Ellie with dark eyes, an almost imperceptible narrowing the only sign of strong emotion.
Ellie blinked. “Please call me Ellie. Yes, I am new. I’ve never been here before.” It seemed better to lie than to dream something else up.
“Well, you have a fine tour guide in Robert.” Constance relaxed her face and nodded. “Please excuse us. I will see you this evening, Robert.”
She moved away with Amanda, and Ellie resisted the urge to turn around and watch her graceful gait. She was fairly sure she could learn a lot from Constance about the art of feminine elegance in this era.
She moved on with Robert, wincing as they passed an occasional fellow stroller who nodded, tipped his hat or dipped her head and murmured “Good day, Mr. Chamberlain.”
“Robert, I didn’t realize we would see so many people who know you. What will they think?”
He greeted another couple who nodded at him.
“About what, Ellie?”
“About me, I guess. I really feel like I’m sticking out. Like they can tell.”
“Tell what?” He paused and turned to her. “What can they tell?”
“Well, that I’m...” She ducked her head, but he raised her chin with a gentle index finger, forcing her to meet his green-eyed gaze.
“You’re...?”
“Different, odd, out of place,” she muttered.
“That’s what I love about you, Ellie. You are different...from any woman I’ve ever met.” He tapped the tip of her nose and resumed walking.
She trod on in a daze. Had he just said love? As in love?
“Come, I am famished,” Robert said. “Shall we have our luncheon now?” He led the way over to the picnic Jimmy had set up. A large, white, linen tablecloth covered the small, round, wrought iron table. Robert pulled out a matching, black-painted, wrought iron chair and lowered her into it. Jimmy had set out several simple white porcelain plates and plain silverware along with linen napkins.
