The Forgotten Debutante

by Becky Lower

  She walked slowly down the hall and back to her shared office. So, the whole conversation with Halwyn hadn’t gone to her plans, but for the moment, anyway, Zeke was still her officemate, and Saffron needed to press her advantage. She chewed on the end of her pen for a moment before she took a deep breath and raised her eyes to Zeke.

  “You are aware, aren’t you, Suzanne Miller has set her cap for you?”

  He leaned back, propping the chair on its two back legs and rocking back and forth while he held on to the desk. “Really? Suzanne? What makes you say so?”

  Saffron rubbed the back of her neck. She hoped Zeke wouldn’t get the idea she was jealous. She was only angling for him to declare his feelings for her. Then she’d tell him how often she’d relived their first afternoon over the years.

  “She told me so, in the food tent. Well, not me directly. She told Betsy Klinger. I happened to overhear her, is all.”

  Zeke rubbed his jaw. “Suzanne, eh? Maybe I could take over some files over her way this afternoon, see what’s going on.”

  Saffron stood. “If there are any files to be taken to that hoyden, I’ll take them. God’s teeth, but you’re obtuse.”

  Zeke grinned. “You’re the only hoyden I wish to spend time with.”

  Saffron sputtered. “I am most definitely not in the same category as Suzanne!”

  “Did you or did you not ask me to take you to the dance? Invite me to dinner with your family? Those are two very forward actions where I come from.”

  Saffron shook her head. “Well, yes, but the simple fact that I did the asking doesn’t make me a loose woman. I am merely making certain you have food in your belly and I have a partner to dance with. And to protect you from a woman with no scruples. Did I not grab a slice of pie for you yesterday? If I hadn’t, you would have done without. And I’m well aware of how much you like pie.”

  Zeke continued to rock back and forth on the chair legs. “Let me see if I have this straight. So Thanksgiving dinner at Halwyn’s and our attending the dance together are only so I can keep my strength up, so you won’t come across as a pathetic little wallflower, and so I can keep Suzanne’s fangs from my hide?”

  Saffron pushed away from the desk and began to pace in the small room. “Something to that effect, yes. We would be doing each other a favor. Try not to make more of it than is there.”

  “I’ve got filing to do, so we can discuss this later. But let me say something right now. You would never be a pathetic wallflower, regardless of the circumstances, and I can handle any woman who’s a bit forward. I’ve had practice. Do you recall our first meeting?”

  Saffron skewered him with her gaze. “Of course. But I wasn’t being forward. At least not in the way Suzanne would be.”

  “Maybe not, but that kiss lasted a long time, with your arms tangled around my neck.”

  Saffron could feel the blush rising to her cheeks. Her neck became flushed, and she ran her hand down the front of it, in a soothing motion, attempting to cool off. It wasn’t working. Every second of their kiss came back to her in a rush, and unexpected tears formed in her eyes. Her misty gaze found him staring at her. He rose and came to her side, wrapping his arms around her, not saying a word. Saffron’s entire body succumbed to his embrace. It was almost as if she were coming into a safe port.

  They had just taken their relationship to a whole new level, at least in her mind. So now the stakes were raised, and they would have to exercise caution. If Suzanne should walk in and find them cuddling together, or if Halwyn did so, God forbid, they would be pulled apart forever. Even with the rules of decorum being a bit more relaxed than they had been before the war began, a public display of affection between unmarried people was still frowned upon. Throw a protective brother or another female on the prowl into the mix, and things could get really messy. In order to keep working together, and in the same room, where they could steal glances or hold hands in private, they had to be very careful. And that meant stepping out of his embrace now. Reluctantly, she backed away and brushed the tears from her eyes.

  But she would be back in his arms at the first opportunity.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Thanksgiving traditions had changed a bit in the years since Charlotte and George’s brood of children began to marry and move away. One of the new traditions Saffron truly appreciated was the inclusion of some Native American foods into the meal to honor Joseph, Ginger’s husband, who was half-Ojibwa. It pleased her to discover Grace meant to carry on the Fitzpatrick family traditions even though they were away from home. Thanksgiving wouldn’t have been the same without fry bread, corn casserole, and Saffron’s favorite: butternut squash with apricots, raisins, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and oranges all blended together. Her mouth watered as she glanced over the menu items Grace had put together.

  “You’re making me hungry already, Grace. How did you have the foresight to steal these yummy recipes from Mother’s cook?”

  “Well, I figured sooner or later I’d be responsible for the feast and had better be prepared. How will Zeke handle such strange concoctions, do you suppose?”

  Saffron’s eyes grew misty at the mention of his name. “Zeke will love the idea of trying something new, especially if it’s food related. In fact, one of the reasons I invited him here is because we have similar ideas about trying new things.”

  Grace reached over the table and grasped Saffron’s hand. “But that’s not the only reason, is it?”

  Saffron pulled her hand away and brushed a tear from her eye. “No, it’s not. I find myself falling in love with him, and Halwyn has this huge distrust of him. How do I handle it? The last thing I need is to have to choose between my brother and my potential husband.”

  Grace rose and picked up the recipes to take them to the kitchen. “I’m eager to meet this young man who has had such a polarizing effect on the two of you. Isn’t it terribly early to talk about love, though? You only met the man a month ago.”

  Saffron lowered her eyes to the table. It wouldn’t do to make Grace aware her friendship with Zeke didn’t begin when he walked into the Reburial Program’s offices.

  “It has been fairly quick, Grace, but it feels right.”

  “And you don’t need to decide anything right now. There’s no need to jump into a relationship. Take your time, get familiar with him inside and out, go on some outings together. For land’s sakes, your coming out ball never happened. Now’s your time to catch up. And perhaps Zeke won’t be your final choice. Is there anyone else at work you are interested in?”

  Saffron giggled. “No, only Zeke. I swear, Grace, when he’s in the room, I don’t notice anyone else.”

  “Well, then. I’m dying to meet this man who has captured your fancy. Right now, though, there’s silver to be polished and a tablecloth to get ironed.”

  “I’ll help you. Maybe it will make the time go faster until Zeke comes here tomorrow. I can’t wait to gauge your reaction.”

  Grace took hold of Saffron’s hand and squeezed it. “If it will help, I’ll have a talk with Halwyn and remind him to be nice to Zeke. You’re a grown woman, despite what Halwyn thinks, and it’s time he loosens some of the restraints he’s always placed on you.”

  Saffron let out a long breath. “Thank you, Grace. I’d feel much better if I could count on Halwyn being on his best behavior.”

  • • •

  Zeke’s stomach rumbled as he stood at the door to Halwyn and Saffron’s home, waiting for admittance. Saffron had promised a feast, so Zeke hadn’t yet broken his fast from last night. He hoped Saffron was correct about the quantities of food, and he also hoped he wouldn’t make a fool of himself by taking too much.

  He was shown to the parlor, which he took as a good sign. After Halwyn had warned him to stay away from Saffron, Zeke half expected to be shown to the street instead of being admitted to the home.

  Instead, Halwyn rose and clasped Zeke’s outstretched hand.

  “Nice of you to join us today, Zeke. May I p
resent my wife, Grace?”

  Grace rose to meet him, and he pulled the bouquet of flowers from behind his back. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. These are for you.”

  “How lovely,” Grace cradled the flowers in her arm for a moment, taking a sniff. “I’ll get these put in water and placed on the table.” She left the room, and Zeke glanced around for Saffron. Finding the room empty, he raised a brow in Halwyn’s direction.

  Halwyn grimaced and placed a hand on Zeke’s shoulder. “She’ll be here, Zeke. In typical Saffy fashion, she couldn’t decide what to wear and has changed her mind numerous times this morning. But she finally settled on something and will be down directly.”

  Zeke exhaled. But only partially. Halwyn’s hand was still on his shoulder, signaling the man wasn’t yet done with him.

  “Keep in mind what I told you a few days ago, though, Zeke. The war may have loosened some things with regard to proper courting rituals, but Saffron is in my care, and I don’t care for what I witnessed in the tent the other day. She’s not a woman to toy with, and I won’t stand by and allow you to take advantage of her.”

  Zeke straightened his stance and shrugged the hand off his shoulder. “I would never do such a thing, Major. I care about her the same as you do and would never compromise her reputation.”

  “Yet people will talk, and I’m not the only one who witnessed the two of you holding hands.”

  Zeke lowered his gaze. “Yes, sir.”

  Halwyn spread his arm to take in the room, the house. “You’re here today because I was overrun by two very stubborn women who feel no one should be alone on Thanksgiving. Please don’t make me regret it.”

  A rustle of fabric and the sound of soft slippers interrupted the conversation. Saffron swept into the room in a rush, and both men turned to her. Her gown was off-the-shoulder, revealing a bit more skin than she did at work, and was a lovely shade of lavender. The slight bustle in the rear emphasized her hips and her tiny waist. Zeke stared, unable to speak. Saffron grasped his hand and twirled under it.

  “Well, Zeke? Is the gown too much, as Halwyn decreed?”

  Zeke removed his hand from hers and swallowed. “You are beautiful, Saffron.”

  He noticed the triumphant glance Saffron sent Halwyn’s way. Evidently, this hadn’t been the first time Halwyn had seen the gown.

  “You got dressed up as well, I see. What a fine pair we make.” Her gaze swept over him, and he was aware his threadbare suit was of much lesser quality than her gown. He ran his hand over his chest and tried to calm his jittery nerves, made even more apparent with Halwyn’s hawk-like gaze following his every movement.

  Grace returned to the room, giving Zeke a bit of a reprieve from Halwyn’s attentions. Saffron moved so close to him he could catch her fresh scent, and his mouth began to water. Her hair hung in soft ringlets over her shoulder, and he longed to wrap one of them around his finger. But he dare not touch her.

  He wondered what else she and Halwyn had talked about before his arrival. He wondered what the succulent smells were, which were coming from the kitchen. And he wondered how in the name of all that was holy he could keep his hands off Saffron for the entire afternoon. It was going to be a long meal.

  “So, shall we make our way into the dining room?” Grace was the perfect hostess, steering the conversation toward a neutral topic. “I think you’ll find a Fitzpatrick Thanksgiving feast a bit different from what you’re probably used to, Zeke.”

  “The air is filled with delicious scents, so I can’t wait to find out what type of foods those smells are related to.”

  Zeke’s flowers were in the middle of the table, which was laden with multiple plates and more silverware than Zeke had ever seen. He gulped, realizing filling up the plates in the proper order and using the correct utensil would be another test, another way for Halwyn to highlight the differences between Saffron and Zeke. Well, if Saffron was willing to go to battle with her brother, so was Zeke. He’d follow her lead and select the same fork and plate she did for each course. He would best Halwyn at his game.

  Fortunately, the children joined them at the table and distracted Halwyn and Grace. Normally for formal dinners, he was told, the children ate behind the closed doors of the nursery, but Thanksgiving was a family meal, shared by everyone. Halwyn’s watchful eye left Zeke and Saffron alone, for a few moments, anyway, as the children settled into their places.

  Before the main courses were brought to the table, Halwyn stood for a toast. “We have a great deal for which to be thankful this year. The war has ended. America is picking up the pieces and continuing to forge a great nation. We are surrounded by our family, both near and far, and we are pleased to share our bounty with our guest for the meal. Welcome to our table, Zeke.”

  “Thank you, Major and Mrs. Fitzpatrick, for inviting me here today.” Zeke was certain Halwyn would rather Zeke be anywhere else than at this table. Still, it had been a nice gesture to welcome him. Now, he hoped Saffron could lead him through the various courses so he wouldn’t make a complete ass of himself.

  Saffron picked up on Zeke’s confusion and made eye contact as she picked up the proper fork as the meal began. He let out a breath and imitated her, picking up the same utensil as the salad course was set in front of them. It was almost as though she could read his mind.

  An hour later, all that was left were a few crumbs on the spotless tablecloth. Zeke had made it through the five-course dinner without making a fool of himself. The turkey had been succulent and moist, the corn casserole, the fry bread, and butternut squash had been unusual dishes, yet tasty, and the mountain of mashed potatoes had been devoured. Saffron and Grace both had made him laugh, and Zeke hardly got any twinges of homesickness as the meal progressed and he began to feel more comfortable at the table.

  “Can you tell us what your family does to celebrate the day, Zeke?” He flashed a glance at Grace. It was as if she had picked up on his thoughts of his family.

  “Well, life on the farm is a bit different from life in a town such as this. We have to kill the turkey and pluck its feathers before we can begin to cook it. My daddy takes care of the gruesome part, and my momma does the plucking. But the rest of the meal is pretty much in line with yours, only without the squash and fry bread. Although, now that I’ve tasted both, I think they’re wonderful additions to the menu.”

  Saffron bumped his shoulder with her own. “And now, we’ve come to the best part of the meal, as far as you’re concerned, anyway. We have two kinds of pie for dessert. Apple and pumpkin. And you don’t need to pick one over the other. I told Cook to make certain both were on your plate.”

  If he weren’t already in love with Saffron, her thoughtfulness about the pie choice would have sealed it for him. Zeke finished the meal with a huge smile on his face.

  Their cook bundled up leftovers for him to take back to the boarding house, and Halwyn even clamped him on the shoulder as they shook hands before he departed. Perhaps there was a chance with Saffron, after all.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Saffron walked with Halwyn through the crisp, December air from the Reburial Program’s offices to their townhouse in the heart of the city, pondering which dress would be best to wear to the Christmas dance. She even lifted her arms, as if placing them around a dance partner, and began to waltz down the sidewalk, promptly tripping over a crack. She righted herself and continued to hum and waltz as they walked.

  “I noticed you sitting with that boy, Zeke, again today in the lunch room,” Halwyn interrupted her dance. “Inviting him to our table for Thanksgiving was one thing. I still haven’t given my approval to him as your partner for the Christmas dance. And the more I see the two of you together, the less inclined I am to agree to it.”

  Saffron sighed. She had so hoped his scowl in her direction that afternoon had been for some other reason than the fact she shared a meal with Zeke. After their pleasant Thanksgiving dinner together, Saffron had hoped Halwyn and Zeke would be getting along better. She should
have guessed she wasn’t out of the woods yet. Raising her eyes to his tall form, she replied.

  “You will not deny me my first-ever dance, will you, Halwyn?” Saffron’s tears overflowed, and she stumbled again, unable to see where she was going. “You can’t be so cruel.”

  He took hold of her arm and laid it over his own. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head as they ambled on down the street.

  “No, I won’t deny you, Saffy. But you must be more careful with whom you associate. You may be eighteen, and in your eyes you’re a grown woman, but you’re still incredibly young at heart, and you are unschooled in the subject of men. I don’t trust Zeke. I’ve seen the way he stares at you when you’re not looking. The man is up to no good, unless I miss my guess.”

  “He stares at me when I’m not looking?” She wiped her eyes and glanced up at Halwyn, holding onto him.

  “That’s all you got from my lecture?” He shook his head. “Why wouldn’t he stare? You’ve turned into a lovely young woman any man would be proud to be with. I’ll let him accompany you to the dance, since Grace and I will be there to keep him in check. But don’t go off into a dark corner with him. He might try to compromise you in some way, kiss you, maybe, under the mistletoe.”

  “And where’s the harm in a kiss under the mistletoe? Will you not kiss Grace there?”

  “Yes, but it’s different with us. We’re married.”

  Saffron moved a step away from Halwyn and stopped on the sidewalk. She glared at his back until he turned around. Then her anger bubbled over.

  “Are you really trying to tell me you and Grace never kissed before you married? I was in the house when you two were courting, as you will recall, and even though you may not have seen me, I witnessed a whole lot more than kissing going on.”

  Halwyn’s expression turned sheepish. “All right. You’ve made your point. But I’m well aware of how impetuous you are, and I’m only warning you to exercise some caution around him. Until I can put my finger on what he’s up to.”