The Engineered Engagement

by Erica Vetsch

  Josie moistened her lips, and her right hand clasped the middle two fingers of her left hand and twisted them.

  His attention was diverted by the littler one tugging on his coat sleeve. “You will take us, won’t you? I want to see an elephant.”

  So Eli found himself in the center of a ruffled and beribboned tornado. High-pitched voices filled the airspace in the carriage, little bodies bounced on the seats, noticing everything. After less than three minutes, he gave up trying to follow the conversation and settled into his corner with crossed arms. How did he let himself get talked into this? His one goal of spending time with his intended had burst apart into this female cacophony. The closer they got to the circus tent, the more their excitement level grew.

  Josie grabbed the smallest girl’s waistband and pulled her back from where she tried to hang out the window. “Sit still, Giselle. You’ll fall out on the road if you’re not careful.”

  “But look at the flags. Look at the wagons.”

  Calliope music whistled and punctuated the air. Eli caught the scents of popcorn and sawdust and the musky smell of animals and canvas.

  The Kennebrae coachman pulled the carriage up close to the big top and opened the door. Eli got out first to assist the girls. He needn’t have bothered. They shot out like corks from a bottle, except for Josie. She took his hand and stepped down, not meeting his eyes. The wind blew a strand of hair across her cheek, and she hooked it back with her little finger, a gesture he remembered from the last time they’d spoken.

  The barker beckoned them, and Antoinette grabbed his hand. “C’mon!” Her hair bounced as she wriggled and jumped.

  He allowed himself to be led toward the open tent flap. “They sure are lively.” He directed his comment over his shoulder to where Josie trailed behind. The little one had a tight grip on him, but he forced her to stop so he could dig in his pocket for enough change to buy four tickets. Josie stopped beside him, and he thought he caught a whiff of violets. “They seem to hop in all directions.”

  “You get used to it.” She swallowed, and he found his attention centered on her delicate throat. “Thank you for taking us out today. I know you’d rather be with Clarice, and that Mama sort of cornered you into this. She can be quite forceful at times.” A delicate flush brightened her cheeks, and her smoky lashes hid her eyes.

  Would he? Would he rather be with Clarice? He had to admit no, not really. The little girls seemed eager for his company, where his fiancée avoided him to the point where it made her ill. And he found himself not reluctant to share Josie’s company in particular. “Don’t worry about it. You’re never too old to see a circus.”

  They found seats on the hard benches, and Eli tried to maneuver them so he could sit by Josie, but he found himself between Antoinette and Giselle. Sharp elbows, enormous bows clipping him in the chin, and restless movement unsettled him. He looked over Giselle’s head at Josie.

  Her eyes moved, taking everything in. A band at the far end played a lively tune. “We’ve never been to the circus before.” Her face, flushed with pleasure, attracted him.

  “I’m glad you got to come then.”

  A man in a red-and-white-striped jacket and straw boater paused before their row. He carried a box suspended from his shoulders by wide straps. “Peanuts, popcorn, candy!”

  Eli glanced down at Giselle, who had tucked her lips in and clasped her hands under her chin. It was the first time she’d sat still all day. Antoinette on his other side grinned at him with wide, hopeful eyes. With a chuckle and shrug, he dug into his breast pocket for his wallet. No sense going to the circus if you didn’t eat some sweets.

  Each girl selected her preference from the vendor. He noticed that Josie selected a striped bag of peppermint sticks, the least costly item offered. “Thank you, Mr. Kennebrae.”

  “Please, call me Eli, and it’s my pleasure.” And he found that it truly was. And that should bother him, shouldn’t it? He had the distinct feeling that if Josie had been his fiancée and not the reluctant Clarice, he wouldn’t mind the idea of matrimony in the least. His conscience jabbed him for his disloyal thoughts. But could a man be disloyal to a fiancée he’d neither sought nor wanted?

  ❧

  Josie took another grip on her traitorous emotions. She shouldn’t be enjoying this outing so much, not when she’d just finally decided to put Eli Kennebrae out of her mind and heart and pursue her mathematics. Not that it was the outing that caused her such turmoil. No, it was him.

  The initial thrust of pleasure at seeing him again had subsided. In its wake, her heart beat fast against her ribs, her mouth went dry, and she couldn’t seem to stop her eyes from straying in his direction every few seconds.

  Poor Giselle. Josie had all but pushed her into the row before her so Josie wouldn’t have to sit beside Eli. The little girl wriggled and gasped and talked nineteen to the dozen, masking Josie’s emotional upheaval. At least she hoped it did.

  “Balloons! Look at the balloons!” Giselle stood and pointed down where a white-faced clown with enormous checked pants walked past trailing a rainbow cloud of balloons.

  Josie pressed her little sister’s shoulder to get her to resume her seat. “Giselle, don’t point. It’s rude.”

  “But look at the funny man.” She craned her neck and perched on the edge of the bench to follow him down the tent.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages!” The ringmaster bounded into the center ring, a bright light surrounding him and gleaming off his shiny high boots and tall hat.

  Giselle’s attention riveted on the red-coated man. Josie glanced out of the corner of her eye toward Eli. He appeared to be studying the poles and rigging overhead.

  She allowed herself to be drawn into the spectacle, laughing at the clowns’ antics, admiring the beautiful white horses and enormous elephants. The snarls of the tigers and lions made her skin prickle.

  “And now, ladies and gentlemen, all the way from Budapest, I present to you the bravest, the most talented, the amazing Istvan Hrabowski!” The ringmaster made a sweeping gesture, and the spotlight shot upward to where a man stood on a tiny platform affixed to one of the tent poles. “Istvan, a magician of balance, a man who knows no fear, will dazzle you with his high-wire abilities! Thirty feet in the air, and no net should he fall. He risks death for your amusement.”

  Giselle pressed close to Josie. She pressed her lips against Josie’s ear and whispered, “I’m scared. That man might fall.”

  Josie smoothed the girl’s hair, not wanting to admit her own apprehension. She turned Giselle away from her and put her hands under the little girl’s arms. “You can sit with me. And don’t you worry. He’s done this lots of times.” At least she hoped he had.

  Giselle snuggled close, hiding her eyes with her hands but peeking through her fingers. Josie suddenly realized that with Giselle in her lap, no one now sat between her and Eli.

  He scooched along the bench toward her, his eyes clouded. “Is she all right?”

  Josie nodded, touched by his concern. “It’s a bit scary.” She hugged Giselle close, taking comfort in the warm little body.

  The performer, holding a long pole for balance, marched across the wire as casually as if he were walking down the street. The rat-a-tat of a drum accompanied him, echoing the beating of Josie’s heart, intensifying her anxiety. Each trip he made across the taut cable, he added a level of difficulty. Each time he stepped safely onto the small platform, the band let out a flourish, and the man waved to the crowd, accepting their applause. Each time he started across with another apparatus, Josie sucked in her breath and held it.

  When he started across with a chair in hand and placed it on the wire, she bit her lip, and Giselle tucked her head under Josie’s chin. Eli slid a little closer, and somehow she found her hand clasped in his. Heat surged through her cheeks. Had she taken his hand, or had he taken hers?

  He leaned close, his breath teasing her temple. “Don’t be scared.”

  Josie
forgot all about the man teetering dangerously overhead and concentrated on her heart teetering dangerously near to toppling over in her chest. This was wrong. Eli was Clarice’s husband-to-be. No matter that he was only offering comfort, no matter that he hadn’t shown the least inclination of affection for her, she shouldn’t be holding his hand, and furthermore, she shouldn’t be enjoying it so much. Her chest felt as if a dozen mice were scurrying around inside.

  She didn’t know who was more relieved when the Amazing Istvan navigated the wire for the last time, Giselle or herself. She disengaged her fingers from Eli’s hand, already missing his touch but able to breathe easier after breaking contact. She couldn’t look at him, instead lowering her chin to Giselle’s shoulder so the little girl’s head was between her and Eli.

  The girls were much subdued on the ride home. Sated with sweets and popcorn, roasted peanuts and candy floss, they dragged into the carriage for the ride down the hill and across the canal. Josie kept Giselle in her lap and wasn’t surprised when her two youngest sisters drifted into sleep. Antoinette’s head rested against Eli’s shoulder, and he smiled across the carriage at Josie.

  She couldn’t help responding to the warmth in his eyes. Her conscience elbowed her. He had been nothing but kind to them, a bachelor fettered with three girls on an outing. His handclasp had meant nothing more to him than if she had been Giselle. She should stop obsessing about it and try to remember he was her sister’s fiancé.

  Nine

  “You didn’t even see her?” Grandfather pushed aside McKay’s help and settled the lap robe across his thin legs himself. “I thought you had an outing planned.”

  Eli shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over the back of a chair. He yawned and loosened his tie. “I did, but she couldn’t come. A headache, I believe.” He had serious doubts about that headache.

  “But you were gone all afternoon, and what’s that smell?” Grandfather sniffed the air like a bird dog. “Is that popcorn?”

  “Popcorn, peppermint, lemon drops, sawdust, and a dose of sarsaparilla. I spent the afternoon at the circus.” He eased into the chair and rested his head against his jacket, breathing the scents in again. One scent lingered in his memory. Violets.

  “The circus?”

  “I tried to take Clarice but ended up taking her sisters instead.”

  McKay’s normally impassive face twitched. He turned away and busied himself straightening things on Grandfather’s desk. “Will that be all, sir?”

  Grandfather waved the butler away. “Yes, yes, quit fussing. Go see if Melissa needs anything.” He turned his attention back to Eli. “This is all your fault, you know.”

  “What’s my fault?” Eli frowned and studied his fingernails.

  “That things aren’t progressing with Clarice. There’s no reason why you two can’t make a sensible, suitable match. I did my homework. Her family is respectable. She’s even tempered and more than passably good-looking.” Grandfather picked up the letter opener on his desk and rotated the point against his palm. “Radcliffe came by this morning and said he’s not happy with how this engagement is going. He’s concerned that you’re not spending enough time with the girl. And I agree.”

  “What do you want me to do? I made the offer. She couldn’t come. Or wouldn’t come.” He had to admit he wasn’t used to women avoiding him. Though he hadn’t ever courted before, he never assumed it would be so hard. How could he court a girl he couldn’t get near?

  “You’re not doing anything to further this relationship. The circus? How childish is that? If you want to win this girl—and more importantly, win her father’s approval again—you’ve got to do something romantic for her. Flowers, candy, that sort of thing. When I courted your grandmother—God rest her soul—she expected flowers every time I visited. . .and the occasional drive in the country and sweets. And Jonathan brings Melissa roses for everything. You saw the bouquets after Matthew was born.”

  Flowers. He could do that. Get McKay to send a bunch or two. And the confectioner’s shop delivered. “And that will get you off my back? I have work to do. She should understand that I can’t be spending every waking minute trying to figure out what will make her happy.” He rose, his muscles tight in annoyance. “I don’t know why I have to court the girl anyway. We’re already engaged, thanks to you. Seems we bypassed courting some time back.”

  The letter opener clattered to the desk. “You’ll court the girl because it’s the gentlemanly thing to do and because her father wishes it. Also because I wish it, and I’m footing the bride price by financing your shipbuilding schemes.”

  Eli bit back the hot retort burning his tongue. He couldn’t afford to get Grandfather so riled he withdrew the money. “Any other suggestions?” If his lips got any stiffer, they might snap right off.

  “It’s high time you bought the engagement ring. Jewelry always works on a woman. Get her something you know she’ll like, something big and sparkly that shows you spent some time and a considerable amount of cash. That will turn her head in your direction and mollify her mother at the same time.”

  “I don’t know anything about jewelry shopping. And I’ve no clue what she would like.” At the idea of walking into a jewelry store and picking out a ring, his heart quailed. It was too much to ask. “Couldn’t she just go pick something out herself and charge it to my account?”

  “You don’t know a blessed thing about women.”

  “That’s what I’ve tried to tell you. You’re the one who backed me into this corner. If I had my way, I’d still be a happily oblivious bachelor who had nothing more complex to think about than what gauge steel to use for the new beams in the cargo hold of the Bethany. I couldn’t begin to imagine what kind of engagement ring to buy for Clarice Zahn.” Just saying the words made his skin crawl. All this was getting uncomfortably close to real and harder to push to the back of his mind. He wanted to concentrate on his ship, not on this stupid engagement.

  “I raised you smarter than that. If you want to know what she likes, then ask her. Or better yet, ask her mother. But get it done.” Grandfather rang the bell for McKay. “I can’t do everything for you.”

  The butler entered so quickly, Eli suspected he had hovered in the hall. McKay shot him an inquiring glance, but Eli shrugged.

  “He didn’t want you. I did.” Grandfather tugged on the wheels of his invalid chair. “I have to do everything around here. Send a note to Pearson’s Jewelers that this stubborn grandson of mine will be in tomorrow afternoon to purchase an engagement ring. Tell them to have the best in the store ready for him and a private room for viewing.”

  “Tomorrow? I can’t tomorrow. I’m meeting with my job foreman all afternoon.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re meeting with the jeweler. Find out what the girl likes and get a ring on her hand as soon as possible.”

  ❧

  Josie hid in the library, trying to concentrate on mathematics and forget the happiness of being in Eli’s presence all yesterday afternoon.

  Clarice hadn’t been the least bit interested in hearing about the circus, and it wasn’t until much later last night she confessed that Geoffrey had met her in the garden while Josie was uptown. Her sister’s eyes glowed, and she kept sighing and staring off into the distance. Her only response when Josie mentioned Eli was to brush aside the comment. “Don’t worry about it. Geoffrey says he has a plan.”

  Josie didn’t know what to do. On the one hand, her heart broke for Clarice, forced to marry one man when her heart clearly belonged to Geoffrey. But what about Eli? He didn’t deserve such shoddy treatment from his fiancée. Why, if anyone found out about Geoffrey and Clarice’s clandestine meeting, Clarice would be ruined, Geoffrey would be fired, and Eli would be humiliated. Geoffrey may have a plan, but it was only a delay tactic, keeping Eli focused on his ship. Eventually Mama would set a wedding date and expect Clarice to say her vows. What a mess. Josie had escaped to the library as soon as she could to try to get a hold on her emotions.
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br />   “Miss Josie, there’s a gentleman here to see you.” The housekeeper entered the library and handed Josie a calling card.

  Her heart rocketed into high gear. Mr. Eli Kennebrae. “Are you sure this is for me? Isn’t he here to see Clarice?” She casually turned over the paper she was working on in her lap, hiding the drawing.

  “He asked for you.” The spare, stern woman folded her weathered hands at the waist of her immaculate white apron. “Shall I tell him you’re at home?”

  Josie swung her feet down from the chair and straightened. “Show him to the parlor. I’ll be there in a minute.” Her mind raced. What could he want? She had to stand on tiptoe to see her reflection in the mirror over the desk. Traitorous color bloomed on her cheekbones. She smoothed her hair up into its loose bun and checked her dress was straight. Just before she left the library she tucked her books and papers away. It wouldn’t do to leave them lying around where anyone could see them.

  He stood near the front window, Mama’s Boston fern almost touching his black pant leg. His hands clasped behind him, he didn’t see her at first. She took a moment to notice how his brown hair swept back from his intelligent brow and how the strong column of his neck, suntanned and smooth, disappeared into his snowy collar.

  Josie cleared her throat softly. His head came around, and she stared into his eyes. For a long moment, neither moved. All the warm feelings she’d been shoving down about him welled up and threatened to spill out of her gaze. She quickly lowered her eyelashes and schooled her features to be polite but distant. Why was it she could still feel the clasp of his fingers around hers? Stop it. Concentrate or you’ll say something stupid and embarrass yourself.

  “Josie.” His smile brightened his face. “Thank you for seeing me. I have a tremendous favor to ask of you. Would you be so kind as to accompany me downtown this afternoon?”

  He took her breath away. He was asking her? She tried to retrieve some air while her mind galloped as fast as her heart. What about Clarice? Was this proper? “Are you sure you don’t want my sister?” Perhaps he had done what many people did and confused her for one of her siblings. There were a lot of Zahn girls.