As the sky began to darken, the girls hurried upstairs to their rooms to freshen up and change their dresses before dinner. As had quickly become custom, Roberta, Martha, and Elizabeth joined Amelia in her bedroom before going down. They talked about the snow removal effort and wondered if the boys would be too tired to dance tonight, but they were happy that the road was partially open now. Only six days remained until Anne's engagement announcement party on Saturday and a number of guests, plus her fiancé, had not yet arrived. Amelia imagined that everything else would work out, since the spirit had gone to so much trouble to bring them there.
Bitsy appeared at Amelia's room carrying a tray of bread slices and cheese just before the girls were ready to leave.
"I'm sorry," Bitsy said, "but dinner will be delayed by two hours tonight so that the gentlemen who worked outside can take a short nap after their exhausting day. I've brought you a small tray of cheese to nibble on until the meal is ready."
Deciding to rest a little themselves, the girls helped one another remove the dresses they had just donned, and then stretched out on Amelia's bed.
Awoken by the sounds of knocking on the door, Amelia called out sleepily, "Who is it?"
"It's Bitsy, Miss. Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes."
"Thank you, Bitsy. We'll be ready."
Amelia began gently slapping butts and thighs until she got the other girls moving. They hurriedly dressed, and in twenty minutes they were all put back together and ready to go down. When Amelia unlocked the door, they filed through and walked quickly to the main staircase. As they entered the drawing room nearest the dining room, they saw that they were the last group to arrive. Within minutes, Mr. Westfield signaled that everyone should assemble for their walk to the dining room. Jeremy hurried to where Amelia had just sat down and offered his arm. She took hold of his forearm to help her rise, then slipped her arm through his crooked elbow as they lined up behind Mr. Westfield and Anne. When everyone was ready, the group walked into the dining room and prepared to take the same seats they had occupied last night. Jeremy held Amelia's chair for her as she arranged her skirts and sat down, then took his seat next to hers.
Amelia's mood was lighter tonight. In addition to being more relaxed as a result of her nap, she had also been through everything that would be expected of them this evening. Barring any unforeseen surprises, she could just enjoy the night as it unfolded. Jeremy proved more inquisitive, seeking to draw her out a little, but she managed to turn every question around and pose it back to him, and he spent the entire meal talking about his life again, while she just smiled and nodded. She noticed that the other girls had slipped into their proper roles as well. She longed to eat more than this body was able to, but the corset prevented her. The food was so fresh tasting and delicious that she wished she could run to her room and strip off the corset, but she remained ladylike, and ate very small bites, very slowly. Besides, without the corset she would be unable to fit into any of her very tight, formfitting dresses.
Immediately following dinner, everyone walked in procession to the ballroom. Normally, they would have gone to the drawing room and waited, as they had done last night, but the schedule was advanced tonight owing to the later supper hour. The musicians were already in place and tuning up as they arrived, having eaten earlier with the staff in the kitchen. Jeremy wasted no time tonight, asking Amelia for her first dance before the entire group was even in the ballroom, and for the rest of the night, while small angels smiled down from the ceiling high above, he worked to stop anyone else from dancing with her. As her only other dance partners were the older male guests, Amelia suspected that Jeremy had passed the word to his friends that he would not look favorably upon their interventions tonight. And he would only wait for half a dance before cutting in. The other men soon tired of the game and stopped seeking Amelia's company on the dance floor. Afterwards, Amelia had Jeremy all to herself. He never attempted to dance with anyone else during the night except for two dances with his sister Anne while Amelia rested. Since her fiancé had not yet arrived, Jeremy and his friends were expected to provide suitable companionship that would not seem improper to any observers.
At the end of the evening, Amelia allowed Jeremy to walk with her to her bedroom door, perhaps unwisely as it was generally unacceptable in society for an unmarried woman to be in the company of a man, without a chaperone. As she looked up at him to bid him a good night, he bent quickly and kissed her on the lips. She was so surprised by this breech of Victorian propriety that she couldn't speak, and she took the only option that she saw open to her; she slapped his face just as hard as she could. Then she turned and went into her room, closing the door solidly behind her without looking back.
* * *
Chapter Seven
Amelia fell back against the door as soon as it was closed, tears already streaming down her face. Dreaming of Jeremy kissing her, and actually having him kiss her, were two entirely different matters. From everything she knew, from books, old movies, and whatever, young men of this era simply did not kiss young women whom they had just met. And even then a first kiss was never taken without, at the very least, tacit permission, unless the couple was already engaged to be married. Jeremy's action meant that either he was not the gentleman that he pretended to be, or he felt she was not a proper young lady. Perhaps he felt that she was one with whom he could take liberties.
Regardless of the sexual mores of the time from which she had come, she was here now, and had to abide by the societal rules of 1883. If she had acted other than she had with Jeremy; he would surely believe her to be 'loose.' For him to treat a young lady as he did her, under his father's roof, at best showed a lack of judgment. But he was, after all, a college senior, and a prime candidate for the role of wealthy playboy. Even in these days of 'strict Victorian prejudices,' plenty of women with 'painted faces' were available to satisfy the sexual appetites of bachelors and adulterers everywhere. As much as she liked him, it would probably be best if she didn't have anything further to do with him. One couldn't afford a scandal in this society.
Despite the combination of anger and grief she was feeling, Amelia managed to remove her bodice. She pulled the sash cord to summon one of the maids and Bitsy arrived a few minutes later to help her undress. After completing her toilet, she lay down on her bed to reflect on the events of the day and, quite naturally, the evening. She knew that things had gotten very complicated, very quickly. It would be difficult to avoid Jeremy between now and the end of their visit since they had to be together in the same house, and take their meals in the same dining room. But she couldn't leave— and wouldn't, even if she could. That would cause even more of a scandal, and she felt that the spirit who had orchestrated this situation would not look favorably upon her departure. No, her only course of action was to remain where she was, and simply avoid Jeremy as best she could. She had begun to enjoy his company immensely, and it would be difficult on her to have to shun him for something as innocuous as a goodnight kiss.
Crawling beneath the covers, she promptly fell asleep, but the discord between Jeremy and herself played over and over in her dreams throughout the night.
At daybreak the following morning, Amelia didn't feel rested, but she slipped out of bed and prepared to begin her day. After bathing, she dressed with Bitsy's help, and then sat at the dressing table to brush her hair. Martha arrived shortly thereafter and took the brush from her hand. Noticing, as she worked on Amelia's hair, that her friend seemed distressed, Martha inquired after her melancholy. Amelia told her of the episode.
"So he kissed you," Martha said. "What's wrong with that? Like you haven't been kissed before, dozens of times?"
"You don't understand, Martha. Arlene has been kissed dozens of times, but Amelia probably hasn't. Where we come from, not only would it not be a problem, but it would be expected when two people are attracted to one another. But here, in this time, a young man kissing a young lady without her permission is a scandal. It means
that the young man doesn't respect the woman. In other words, he thinks that she's 'loose.' And 'loose women' are only used to have a good time with, and then are discarded in favor of 'decent' women when thoughts turn to marriage and procreation. Once a woman gets a reputation in these times, it sticks with her for life, and follows her wherever she goes."
"Where did you learn all this, Amelia?"
"I don't know, I just know. I guess that it's a combination of History classes and English Lit. I've read quite a few books about this period, and even a few plays. So far, from what we've observed, I have to assume that they were more or less accurate when they described the cultural values of this era."
"So what are you going to do?"
"I seem to have little choice. I think it best that I avoid Jeremy for the rest of our visit. And remember what I've told you. Don't become too friendly with any of the boys, or you'll regret it. You mustn't let one kiss you until you're engaged, or at least almost engaged."
"Okay Amelia, I'll remember— but when Tad dances with me, I feel weak all over, and want nothing more than to stay in his arms forever. It's very confusing because when I'm with you and the other girls, I only think about going home."
Amelia, seeing the distress in her eyes, stood up and pulled Martha to her. They stood that way for several minutes, each finding solace in the embrace. Not knowing how long they would be here complicated issues tremendously, and Amelia didn't have any easy answers to share with her best friend.
When Elizabeth and Roberta arrived, they completed their primping and all worked together to make sure that their appearances were impeccable. As they later descended the stairs to the first floor on their way to the dining room, they again found the boys waiting for them with eager smiles. Jeremy looked at Amelia with a polite smile as if nothing had happened, and offered his arm, but she gave him an icy stare and then stepped past him. The action, known in Victorian society as a 'cut', announced to all that she did not look favorably upon the gentleman. She was determined to walk to the dining room alone, but Harry smiled widely and quickly offered his arm. She decided that this would send a better message to Jeremy, and anyone else that he might have told about the kiss, so she smiled and slipped her hand into Harry's arm.
In the dining room, Harry held her chair for her as she arranged her skirts and sat down. Jeremy walked in alone, behind the group, with a strange expression on his face. Throughout breakfast, Amelia listened attentively as Harry told her of his family and college experiences. From the corner of her eye she was aware of Jeremy's unwavering gaze, but she never looked in his direction. The other guests came in and filled the room during the breakfast hour, but no one who hadn't witnessed the cut seemed to be aware of the underlying tension between Jeremy and Amelia.
The young men left to change in preparation for working outdoors again immediately after breakfast. They would clean away any of the snow that had blown into the driveway or walkways overnight, and then they would be free to play. The ladies withdrew to the music room again to read, talk, listen to the harpsichord, or watch the outdoor activity.
At lunchtime, the women were already seated as a group and talking among themselves when the boys came in. The young men had no choice but to congregate at the other end of the table, where seats were available. Amelia never looked directly at Jeremy but she knew that he watched her throughout the meal. When she and the other women had finished eating, they began to file out of the dining room on their way back to the music room. As Amelia neared Jeremy's seat, he suddenly pushed his chair back from the table and stepped out to block her path. She sidestepped quickly and continued around him without stopping, without looking at his face, and without saying a word. She never looked back to see what happened, but she did hear a stifled chuckle from one of the other boys who had noticed the second cut.
At dinnertime, the girls walked downstairs to the drawing room which they had come to accept as the assembly point for supper and special meals. Amelia was sitting on a davenport with Roberta, discussing fashions, when Jeremy walked up to them. He stopped and stood directly in front of Amelia, who ignored him and continued talking to Roberta. Roberta became as uncomfortable as Amelia, with him standing there, staring, but she kept up her end of the discussion.
Finally, during a lull in the conversation, Jeremy said, "Miss Turner, would you do me the honor of dining with me tonight?"
Amelia was trapped. She had hoped to avoid a direct confrontation in front of others, but if that was the way it had to be, then so be it. "No, Mr. Westfield, I will not," she said curtly.
After staring down at his feet with a hurt expression for several seconds, Jeremy turned and walked from the room. Amelia went into dinner later on the arm of Harry Millar. Jeremy never showed during the meal.
Since the roads were still impassable, the musicians had naturally remained at the mansion. Originally hired only for the two weekends, Mr. Westfield had extended their engagement for the entire period when all became stranded. Jeremy never put in an appearance in the ballroom that evening, and it was now common knowledge that he had fallen out of favor with Amelia, so she was besieged by requests for dances from the other young men. She noticed Anne watching her a few times, and she hoped that Anne wasn't angry with her for her snub of her brother. The evening passed swiftly, and Amelia was able to put the earlier evening's encounter with Jeremy behind her as she enjoyed herself and danced with the other boys and male guests. Amelia wasn't treated disrespectfully by any of the young men, and she felt that her reputation hadn't been damaged. Even if Jeremy had told his friends that he had kissed her, her current rebuff of his advances should be enough to show that such behavior was not welcome.
Amelia was exhausted when she climbed into bed and crawled beneath the bed covers, but she realized just how much she had missed being with Jeremy. The other young men simply did not have his wit and charm. Why did he have to kiss her like that and spoil everything? They could have had such a wonderful time together this week. And he had looked so hurt when she told him that she wouldn't dine with him. Unable to get him out of her mind, she rolled onto her side and began to weep, crying herself to sleep for the first time since she was a small child.
Blessed with another bright sunny morning, the sight of the sun rising above the horizon as it climbed into a clear sky of deep blue failed to cheer Amelia as it had two days earlier. Thoughts of Jeremy filled her mind and efforts to think of something else, anything else, failed miserably. With the hope that activity would drive him from her mind, she rose, bathed, and dressed in what had now become her normal routine. Martha arrived soon after and they worked on each other's hair until Elizabeth and Roberta joined them for their morning trip to the dining room.
"Amelia," Elizabeth said just before they left the room, "we'd have to be deaf and blind not to have noticed that your attitude toward Jeremy Westfield has changed dramatically. What's going on? Has something happened that we should be aware of?"
"No, everything is fine."
"No, it's not. Now tell us. What's going on?"
So Amelia told them of the kiss, and about having slapped Jeremy's face.
Roberta put her hand to her mouth and tittered, saying, "Amelia, you didn't?"
"Yes, I did. I couldn't think of anything else to do."
"Well, I think that you did exactly the correct thing," Elizabeth said. "He knows better than to do something like that. I would have done the same."
"Would you?"
"Of course! It's what any properly raised young lady would have done."
"How about you, Roberta?"
"What about me?"
"Would you have slapped his face if it was Charles?"
"Well, I know that I should— but I don't know if I actually would have done it. Why do you ask?"
"Have you noticed that we all seem to be fitting in here like we really belong?"
"Isn't that what you wanted?"
"Yes, of course, but I never expected us to blend this well. By r
ights we should have made some major blunders by now, but we haven't had a single problem adapting to this era. We've not only adapted to their speech and behavior patterns, my knowledge and vocabulary has improved tremendously."
"Yes," Roberta said, thoughtfully, "I've noticed the changes in all of us. I thought it was the result of our efforts to adjust, but now that I think about it, I haven't had to concentrate on doing anything special. I just instinctively know the proper way to act. Why is that?"
"It's occurred to me that we're being affected by our bodies," Amelia said.
"By our bodies?" Elizabeth echoed.
"By these bodies. Ever since we awoke here, I've instinctively known what was proper and what wasn't. At first I attributed it to things that we learned in school, or stories that I've read or watched on television, but I realize now that it's much more than that. I know things that I never knew before. I heard Beverly talking to Patricia yesterday, in French, and I knew exactly what they were saying. But I've never studied French. The only French words I knew before we came here were 'monsieur, madam, mademoiselle, and du jour. So how is it that I now understand the French language? The only reasonable explanation is that Amelia studied French and I've acquired all her memories."
"Her memories?" Roberta said. "How can that be? You said she and the others had crossed over."
When The Spirit Moves You Page 12
