An Engagement: A New Pioneers Short Story
Book 2.5 of The New Pioneers
by Deborah Nam-Krane
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SPOILER ALERT
CAST OF CHARACTERS
DEDICATION
THE ENGAGEMENT OF ANNABELLE HENDRICKSON AND STEPHEN ABBOT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SPOILER ALERT
This is Book 2.5 of The New Pioneers series. This story takes place in 1980, before the main characters of The New Pioneers were born, but the events in this short story will reverberate into the third full installment, The China Doll, when Jessie, the youngest of my characters, comes into adulthood.
Please don't read this until you've read Book Two, The Family You Choose. Otherwise, be spoiled at your own peril!
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Annabelle Hendrickson—Socialite daughter of Gerald Hendrickson and sister of Jim Hendrickon
Stephen Abbot—Son of Michael Abbot, beloved of Annabelle and Alex's best friend
Michael Abbot—Stephen would never tell anyone why he loathed his father, but Annabelle knew enough
Gerald Hendrickson—Jim and Annabelle's financier father. The heart of shrewd, he knew, was patience
Jim Hendrickson—Gerald's son, Annabelle's father and too damned decent for most of them
Tom Bartolome—Lucy's brother and John's son. At least Michael Abbot had the decency to hide his sins…
Lucy Bartolome—Tom's sister, John's daughter and perched on a pedestal too high for Jim to reach
John Bartolome—The son of a Boston Leighton and a Louisiana Bartolome
Alex Sheldon—Annabelle doesn't trust her father's employee—and Stephen's best friend—any further than she can throw him
DEDICATION
For Dani and Erin, my partners-in-crime
THE ENGAGEMENT OF ANNABELLE HENDRICKSON AND STEPHEN ABBOT
Annabelle Hendrickson ran down the stairs. Her father Gerald smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Yes?"
She saw Jim’s breakfast dish and empty juice glass. She sighed as she sat down. "I missed Jim again, didn’t I?"
Gerald sipped his coffee. "I’m afraid he doesn’t keep the same hours you do."
Annabelle cleared her throat. "Sorry, I tried not to make too much noise getting in."
"Well, of course, it wasn’t just you."
Annabelle placed a piece of toast on her plate and reached for the jam. "Aren’t you glad Stephen didn’t let me walk home by myself?"
"What kept you out so late?"
Annabelle took great care spreading her toast. "We had dinner and then a movie."
"Where did you eat?" She hid her smile as she bit into her toast. He wasn’t going to make her lie about the movie.
"That little Italian place on Beacon Street."
"Excellent choice. I’m sure you picked it."
Annabelle put down her toast. "I picked Stephen too."
The smile was replaced by the calm, measured expression he wore so often. "I won’t stop you, but you’re not stupid. He has trouble controlling his drinking now and he’s only twenty-five. What do you think he’ll be like when he’s thirty?"
It depends on whether his father is still alive, Annabelle thought. "How would you know how much Stephen drinks? Are you paying bartenders now to keep tabs on people?"
"Word gets around if you’re not discreet."
Annabelle clenched her juice. "Dad, how many times do I have to tell you? Don’t listen to anything Alex Sheldon"— she practically spat the name out—"says. Everything he does is for his own gain. Why you hired him I will never understand."
"He has the potential to be a successful investor, and so far I’ve been impressed with his work. He’ll go far. Of course, I’m not the only one who thinks highly of him."
Sometimes Gerald was cruel. "Stephen’s too kind to push Alex away because they’ve known each other so long."
"Really? Because I thought he was a good complement for your young man. I’ve never seen him be anything but upstanding in public, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him drunk."
"Stephen doesn’t want to admit that Alex uses him. Since when are you blind?"
"Sometimes, my dear, you have to find ways for people to be useful."
Annabelle sat back. "What use could you have for Alex?"
Gerald picked up his coffee. "One never knows."
~~~
Annabelle met Stephen later that day for lunch at the Ritz. After they ordered, Stephen leaned in.
"Stop teasing me," she whispered involuntarily.
"Now why would I tease you?"
"Because I said lunch and not dinner."
"Did you get in trouble when you got home?"
"Just a slap on the wrist this morning."
"Does that mean that you haven’t told him yet?" He sipped his drink.
She shook her head, unable to stop looking at him. "I wanted to tell Jim first."
Another sip. "Good plan. Jim doesn’t hate me."
"He doesn’t hate you—"
"He just doesn’t think I’m good enough for you."
"Most men aren’t thrilled with their daughter’s boyfriends."
"Is that all I am?"
She smiled. "Well, most fathers aren’t crazy about their daughters’ fiancées either."
"Really? I’m pretty sure John Bartolome would be ecstatic if Lucy picked one from her many, um, suitors."
She frowned. "I can’t stand that woman."
"Well, she’s not your type—"
"I have no idea why she thinks Jim isn’t good enough for her, but I’m glad."
"Shame your father doesn’t feel the same way."
"Poor Jimmy," she sighed. Her brother had pined over haughty Lucy Bartolome for the last two years. She was pretty sure he’d get over it if their father would leave him alone.
"He’ll come around as soon as Lucy marries someone else."
"Then let’s hope she picks a suitable victim quickly." She tilted her head. "Why don’t we fix her up with Alex?"
"Ha ha ha," Stephen said, squeezing her knee. "Trying to kill two birds with one stone?"
"Do you think they’d kill each other? I hadn’t thought of that."
"Sorry, Belle. If Lucy doesn’t think Jim’s good enough, she won’t think Alex is. And he’s not ready to settle down yet."
Alex made it a habit of being seen with a different beautiful woman every week. She made a face thinking about him appearing in the "Society" section of the tabloids. Why had her father hired him?
"No accounting for taste," she murmured as their food came.
~~~
They took a walk through the Public Garden after lunch. "So where are we going to live?" he said as he took her hand.
"You have a perfectly nice house."
He tightened his grasp around her hand. "Are you jo
king? It’s my father’s house."
"I’m not afraid of your father."
"Then you’re a fool."
No, she thought, I’m just not a teenager. "Fine, we’ll live with my father."
"Perfect, because your father doesn’t want me around you. Why don’t we get our own house?"
"What kind of a house could we afford?"
Stephen sighed. "Couldn’t we ask Jim for a loan?"
"And pay him back with what?"
"I’m not entirely destitute. I do have my income, and Alex has been nudging me to make some changes to my investments—"
"Do not listen to one word that man has to say about money."
"Anna, it’s his job."
She put up her hands. "Why don’t we go on a long honeymoon and wait for your father to die?"
He laughed, then she laughed. He brought her hand to his lips. "This is why I love you."
She stroked his cheek. "And here I thought it was because you thought I looked like Jackie O."
"Added bonus."
She came closer to him and kissed him. "Stephen, you worry too much. It’s going to be alright, I promise."
He wasn’t smiling now, and Annabelle’s heart tightened in her chest as she saw the sadness in his eyes. It was always there, even when he was smiling.
He kissed the top of her forehead. "It already is," he whispered.
~~~
Gerald liked to give the impression that he arrived late and left early, but the truth was that he usually stayed at his firm until six o’clock. Jim, on the other hand, got into his office early and left on time. Annabelle always had thirty minutes alone with him before their father came home.
She jumped out of her seat when Jim came through the door, took his coat and handed him a drink before he could say anything.
He grinned over his glasses. "Hello to you, too."
"Um, how was work?"
"Stop, start. Hurry up and wait. The usual. What’s going on?"
"Stephen asked me to marry him."
Jim put down his drink and hugged her. "Congratulations! And let me guess, you want me to break it to Dad?"
She pulled away and shook her head. "Of course not. I’m a grown woman. Which is exactly what I’m going to tell him."
"I don’t think that’s going to be his problem."
"Oh, Jimmy, do you really think it’s going to be a problem? I don’t want Daddy to pull one of his little aces out."
"Anna, it’s 1980. What could he do?"
"Cut me out of his will, and then Stephen would be dependent on his father even after he’s dead."
"I won’t let that happen."
"You’re taller than Daddy, but I’m afraid that’s all you have going for you in a fight with him."
"If he did something pig-headed like that, I’d make sure you and Stephen were taken care of and you know it."
Annabelle hugged her brother again. He was kind like their late mother and intelligent like their father, but she had no idea where his decency came from. "How come I’m the only woman in Boston who knows how wonderful you are?"
Jim groaned. "Don’t you start in on me too!"
Annabelle stepped back. "Did Daddy say something to you today?"
He nodded. "He hasn’t given up on Lucy."
"Don’t listen to him. She’s cold-blooded."
"She’s doing a lot of fundraising for her alma mater."
She scoffed. "You mean her little family university?" It had been Lucy’s grandfather’s idea to buy himself a little credibility by establishing a university in Boston so people would look past the name and the origins from...Louisiana.
"Be nice. Her father didn’t let her go to Sarah Lawrence. Honestly, I think he wanted to make sure she could keep an eye on Tom. And didn’t a certain someone graduate from there too?"
Annabelle’s stomach turned at the mention of Tom Bartolome. Stephen had ended his friendship with Tom within two years at the university. Annabelle knew Stephen hadn’t been a saint in college, but Tom was in a class by himself. He was a guarantee of a bad date, among other things. Of course, Alex had no such qualms, and as far as she could gather he still saw Tom frequently.
"Remind me what you see in her?"
"She has very intelligent things to say."
"I see. You love her for her mind?"
"Why do I put up with you again?"
~~~
Jim invited Stephen to dinner two nights later. Stephen was the perfect dinner guest and Gerald was the perfect host. Stephen requested Annabelle’s hand in marriage before dessert came out, and by coffee Gerald had agreed. Jim shook Stephen’s hand. "Welcome to the family."
"Indeed," Gerald murmured as he raised his coffee in toast. But Gerald wasn’t looking at his daughter, he was looking at his son.
Annabelle looked over at her brother, who smiled and sipped his own coffee. He didn’t see anything wrong, and wasn’t he the smart one? Stop worrying, she told herself.
~~~
Annabelle met Stephen for lunch that weekend. When she arrived at the restaurant, Alex was standing over him and they were sharing a laugh. There was a drink in Stephen’s hand. Wasn’t there always when he was with Alex?
What charm did everyone else see? He was handsome, sure. He had a full head of perfectly combed dark hair and dark eyes. He had a coloring that always looked healthy. He should since he "worked out" so much. But there were other handsome men in the world and not all of them were as arrogant.
"Congratulations!" Alex said when she came to the table before he kissed her on the cheek.
Annabelle felt the color rise to her face. "Thank you, Alex."
"Alex was just confirming that he’ll stand up for me at the wedding."
She thought she saw Alex’s eyes twinkle. "Don’t worry, Annabelle. I promise to do a good job. I’m sure Gerald will be grading my performance too."
That he would call her father by his first name, as if he were that close to him..."I have full faith in your ability to stand with Stephen and hand him a ring."
Stephen stood up and took her hand. "I knew you’d warm up eventually." He squeezed her hand to let her know he was joking, then looked at Alex. "Okay, you, get out of here. My bride-to-be and I have an appointment to whisper sweet nothings in each other’s ears."
Alex nodded. "Please, don’t let me interrupt. See you tomorrow," he said as he turned away. Then he turned back. "Congratulations again, Annabelle."
She and Stephen sat down. "You just told him?"
"No, actually, I told him a few days ago." Before he’d had dinner with her family.
"And I suppose you made an appointment to break the news to him gently?"
Stephen raised his eyebrows. "Not exactly. Alex stopped by the house."
"What did he want?"
"If I tell you, do you promise not to get upset?"
"I promise not to make a scene."
Stephen waited a moment. "A loan." Silence. "Anna, you’re turning white."
"A loan?" she finally managed. "Daddy isn’t paying him enough to live in the lifestyle he’d like to be accustomed to?"
"It wasn’t that kind of loan. It was for an investment." Stephen said a number.
Annabelle blinked. "Was he joking?"
"Anna, he’s never asked for anything before—"
"Was he adding up everything he could have asked for since you’ve known him? And then multiplying by one hundred?"
"He wasn’t asking me."
"Your father?"
Stephen nodded. "There was a time when my father could have made that investment, but those days are gone. He wasn’t the best investor as it was, so I’m sure he wouldn’t have seen the potential anyway."
Annabelle’s mind was racing. "You think it’s a good investment?"
"Yes. Korean electronics, and Alex has a contact."
"So you told him to ask someone else."
Stephen closed his eyes. It was only because she’d promised not to make a scene that she didn�
�t throw her napkin on the table and leave. "Your father’s a better judge of these things than I am. If he doesn’t think it’s a good investment, he’ll say no."
Now she smiled. "If he doesn’t think it’s a good investment, he’ll fire him. What a perfect wedding present."
Stephen cleared his throat and took a sip of water. "Would it be out of the question for you to ask him?" He paused. "In such a way that he won’t fire him?"
Annabelle frowned. "For you, my dear, I will agree to tell my father that Alex would very much like to speak to him. I will not put in a word for him—good or bad."
Stephen winked. "You drive a hard bargain."
Annabelle leaned in. "So you’ve told me," she whispered.
~~~
Annabelle spent the next month arranging her engagement party. In homage to her mother, the pattern for the dress she picked out was something Grace Kelly would have worn. For the color she chose a blue close to the color of Stephen’s eyes, not that she would tell him that.
She was at the tailor for her final fitting four days before the party. (She never understood why other women would wait the day before their party when a little planning would make sure that they wouldn’t risk a last-minute disaster.) The tailor had taken up the hem just a little bit, and now it was perfect.
She walked out of the changing room to see Lucy Bartolome sitting in the waiting room.
Lucy stood up when she saw her. "Hello, Annabelle," she said softly.
Lucy was tall, thin, blonde and blue-eyed. She had creamy skin that never looked too pale from ill-health or too ruddy from exertion. Of course her features were fine and perfectly balanced on her face. She was as beautiful as a Greek statue, and just as approachable.
"Hello, Lucy. Thank you for your card. I’m sorry you won’t be able to make it to our party." Annabelle was startled when Lucy seemed to flush. "Please don’t worry about it—"
"I thought Jim told you. I’ll be coming after all."
"Jim?"
Lucy smiled weakly. "Yes. He asked me to come."
She knew he had. She also knew that Lucy had said no. But then she’d said yes? "Of course. I’m glad you can come after all. Is that why you’re here?"
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