Chapter Two

Victoria stood by the window, her hands folded and placed below her waist. She leaned her head against the brocades and glanced out the window. Her golden hair was tied with a blue bow, her blue-green eyes calm. She wore a tailored white blouse and a hunter green dress, looking more Edwardian in style than modern.

"You certainly seemed excited," Serena remarked as she entered the room. She took her gloves off and sat down in an armchair. She knew what a delightful picture she made: her black curls tossed around her oval face, snapping black eyes and a bright pink color on her cheeks. She wore a pink scarf around her neck with her stylish lavender cloche hat and slim but short grey skirt.

Victoria turned around calmly and seated herself in the chair across from Serena. "Where were you?" she asked quietly.

Serena shrugged her slender shoulders and tossed her hand lightly. "At the Byons home." She got up and poured herself a drink and sipped it, her back arched as she showed off her profile. "You don't want one?" she asked, referring to her glass.

Victoria shook her head. "I don't drink, Serena."

Serena raised her eyebrows and shrugged. "Oh yes, I forgot." She paused, swirling the liquid in her glass. "You know, I saw Vernon there."

"Really?" Victoria asked quietly.

Serena nodded. "Yes. He was keeping her ladyship company." She sighed. "Her ladyship is an extremely finicky person." She wrinkled her nose. "But she is extremely stylish and very beautiful. For her advanced age, of course."

"Of course," Victoria agreed skeptically.

Serena nodded. "Yes." She looked at herself critically in the mirror as she pinched her cheek and smoothed nonexistent lines under her eyes and on her forehead. "Her ladyship is so very thin. And hardly has any wrinkles. Do you think I ought to go on a reducing diet? Or that I ought to be more diligent about keeping my face smooth?"

Victoria shook her head. "First of all, Serena, you're thin enough," she answered. "Secondly, you're young. You don't have any wrinkles. Why, your complexion is admired at every party."

Serena pouted, ignoring Victoria's logical arguments. "That's easy for you to say, Victoria. You are tall and slender."

"And you are tiny and exquisite like a diamond," Victoria reminded Serena. "I would not worry about your figure if I were you."

Serena shook her head. "I think I'll be more careful now about what I eat. I do not want to become fat," she said, horrified at the mere thought.

Victoria shook her head, suppressing a sigh. When Serena decided on something, there was no changing her mind. "Do you want a cup of tea?" she asked, tugging on the rope.

Serena shook her head, offended. "No, of course not."

The doors opened as Stern entered. "Yes, Lady Victoria?"

Victoria smiled apologetically. "I am sorry to bother you, Stern, but I would like a cup of tea."

"No biscuits?" Stern inquired politely.

Victoria shook her head. "No, no biscuits please."

Stern nodded and turned to Serena, handing her an envelope. "This came for you, Miss Serena."

Serena took the envelope and nodded carelessly. "Who is it from?"

"I believe it is from Mr. William Byons," Stern answered calmly. He bowed and retreated from the room, closing the doors behind him.

Serena's color was heightened as she opened the envelope. However, no emotion was evident as she unfolded the letter. She skimmed it quickly and stuffed the letter back in its envelope and slipped the note into her jacket.

"What did William say?" Victoria asked, crossing her legs. She opened a book slowly, waiting for Serena's answer.

Serena took a small sip of her drink and shrugged. "Perfectly awful of me to drink this early in the day, but I just had to have one, Victoria."

"Are you meeting him this afternoon?" Victoria asked casually, pretending to read her book.

Serena laughed and narrowed her eyes, putting her drink down. "Really, Victoria, I never knew you had a nosy streak in you."

Victoria met Serena's eyes, smiling sardonically. "I was merely asking a question. If I remember correctly, you promised William this afternoon last night. Which was why we arrived home later than Aunt Grace expected."

Serena snorted. "Mother didn't care. I don't understand why you do." She stood up, tossing her head defiantly. "You're already turning into an old maid. Why don't you put on white cap and grey muslin? It would fit you so divinely," she sneered. "And besides, you don't have one single beau." She left the room, slamming the door behind her.

But Serena was wrong. That evening at the ball, Victoria and James met again. But instead of just expressing polite interest this time, James seemed intent on courting Victoria. His smiles were more brilliant and shown more often. There was something in his mien that indicated a warming of feelings towards Victoria, something Victoria was not sure that she returned. Nonetheless, it was pleasant.

However, after several dances, Victoria felt drained of energy. The sense of enjoyment surrounding the first dance had vanished by the time she danced with James for the second time. Nothing James said was the least bit interesting, she thought, annoyed. She found herself smiling and laughing for no reason, except perhaps not to offend James. Reluctant to relinquish his attentions, though, due to vanity and pride, Victoria continued her charade of being positively enchanted by James.

"You seem preoccupied tonight." James handed Victoria a glass of lemonade.

Victoria looked up absently, taking the glass of lemonade from James, smiling a brief smile of thanks. "No, I'm fine," she reassured.

"Are you sure?" James asked gently.

"Do you think that I would say that if I were not?" Victoria asked calmly.

Victoria flashed another smile as she sipped her lemonade, barely listening to James. But he is older than me, and he is considered an important person in society, a little voice told her. Besides, there is nothing wrong with him except that you are too intelligent, the voice added. But he is boring, another voice added. The latter voice was stronger. Desperately, she searched the ballroom for an excuse.

An excuse came from the most unlikely place, or rather, person. Vernon suddenly appeared out of nowhere, his gloved hand extended to a sitting Victoria. "Good evening, Lady Victoria," he greeted. "I understand that there is to be a waltz next. I wonder if you would do me the honor of being your partner?"

James turned dazed eyes to Victoria. "I thought that you were going to dance with me, Lady Victoria."

Victoria glanced at James, then at Vernon. She quickly took Vernon's hand and rose from her chair, smiling apologetically at James. "Just think of what everyone would say if I danced with you more than three times, Mr. Callahan," she chastised gently. "No, I think it would be better if I danced this set with his grace instead of you."

Before Victoria could utter another word, Vernon whisked her into the crowd of whirling couples. She looked up at him, a question in her eyes. Vernon promptly answered. "You looked rather unhappy. I decided to rescue you."

"There was no need," Victoria retorted icily. "Mr. Callahan is a most interesting conversationalist. And he is the most gallant of gentleman. He has impeccable manners.'

Vernon smiled. "You looked rather bored," he remarked dryly.

"You must have been mistaken," Victoria returned smoothly. "Perhaps you mistook confusion for boredom. Mr. Callahan is a very intelligent man."

"Don't try to tell me that you lack intelligence, Victoria," Vernon warned quietly. "I know that your father personally taught you everything that you know, and that you received virtually the same education as your brothers." He paused. "And besides, isn't James Callahan rather old for you?"

Victoria blushed out of anger. "He is only ten years older than I," she snapped. "But I don't understand why you should care."

Vernon was amused by Victoria's anger. "And I understand that you are much more mature than your sixteen years. Is that true?"

Victoria's blue-green eyes snapped. "You are being absolutely insulting. I do not appreciate it, and I do not have to put up with it." She pulled away from Vernon, intent on getting as far away as possible from him. But Vernon had grabbed her wrist before she could walk further.

Victoria looked down at his hand which was circled her slender wrist. His hand was far too large, far too warm, far too disturbing. Instead of feeling nothing, she was feeling something, a something that she could not put a word to. She turned away. "Please let me go," she requested quietly, but firmly.

Vernon nodded and slowly released her wrist but pulled her closer, his lips next to her ears. "You and I need to talk, Victoria," he said softly. "Things must be made clear between us about the events that happened four years ago."

Victoria turned around passionately, her eyes showing her pain. "Why should you care?" she demanded. "You and I have nothing to talk about. I was twelve. I was my sister's messenger. Now, I do apologize if I what told you four year ago hurt your heart, but beyond that I owe you nothing," she added fiercely. "I had never expected to see you again, and I hope that you do not imagine that I am anything but displeased about seeing you again."

"That doesn't – " Vernon started but was immediately stopped.

"If you will excuse me, I need to return to my previous dancing partner," Victoria interrupted coldly. "But do not despair, your grace. I will be never anything less but civil to you." With one last glance at Vernon's face, she turned away and slipped through the crowds of whirling couples. Vernon made no charge to stop her.

* * *

Victoria neatly finished her embroidery and sighed, letting the pillowcase lay in her lap. She placed her arms on the armrests and looked out the window. An image of Amanda's face came into her mind. She quickly shook her head.

"Victoria, do come with me and go shopping," Serena called, interrupting Victoria's pleasant silence.

Victoria sighed and folded up her sewing. "I will get my coat, Serena."

Serena nodded, then looked at Victoria with a skeptical expression on her face. "You're not going to wear that, are you?"

Victoria looked at her starched white blouse, blue sweater, and black skirt. "What's wrong with this?"

Serena sighed, exasperated. "No sense of style, Victoria. You have to look stylish. And that hair. It must go." She patted her own freshly styled hair. "I have a reputation to keep."

Victoria put her hand up to her hair. "I will not hurt your reputation. All of society knows how dowdy and plain your cousin is. No, either I go this way or I do not go at all," she said firmly.

Serena sighed, knowing how stubborn her cousin was. "All right. Come along. You do have a good eye for colors." She looked at herself in the mirror and rubbed her lips together.

Victoria hid a smile, collecting her things and putting them away. "I'll be out in five minutes, Serena. Wait for me."

"Victoria Brown!" a male voice called to the feminine figure ahead of him.

Serena turned around and giggled. "Why, Vernon Anderson, what are you doing in this part of the park?"

Vernon smiled politely in Serena's direction. "You are looking well, Serena. I assume you've been shopping?" he asked, eyeing all the packages that Victoria was carrying.

Serena threw Victoria a drone look. "I had to drag Victoria out of the house," she answered, sounding as if she had done Victoria a favor.

"You do not like shopping?" Vernon asked curiously.

Victoria looked up, shaking her head. "No, I don't," she replied politely.

Vernon deftly slipped Victoria's hand into his arm, which surprised Victoria and shocked Serena. He looked at Serena. "You can leave now, Serena. I will send your cousin along. But I wish to speak to her," he announced firmly. He handed all the packages to Serena.

Serena looked outraged, more so because Vernon was not succumbing to her charms and because he had dumped the packages on her. "But, Vernon, -- "

"Scat, Serena," Vernon said bluntly. "Victoria and I need to speak alone."

Serena shrieked and walked hurriedly to her car, humiliated. Victoria watched her cousin and then turned to Vernon, her eyes gleaming but her lips a straight line.

"That was rude."

Vernon chuckled as they started to walk. "She deserved it after the way she treated you, Victoria."

Victoria pulled away her hand from the crook of Vernon's arm. "Yes, well, I am used to it, and I do not need your charity. What is it that you wish to speak to me about?"

"Victoria, we never finished the conversation we had at that ball a few nights ago," Vernon started.

"The conversation ended where it did. Therefore, there is nothing to discuss, Vernon," Victoria interrupted quietly, facing Vernon. "I am a firm believer that the past is best left alone."

Vernon shook his head. "But I'm not done yet. What did you think of your sister?"

Victoria stiffened. "She was my sister. I loved her," she replied stonily.

"Did you?" Vernon asked quietly. "And do you believe that I am still in love with her?"

Victoria turned her eyes up to stare at Vernon. She parted her lips and sighed deeply. "Does it matter what I believe?"

"Yes, it matters a great deal." Vernon did not release his gaze on Victoria's eyes.

Victoria looked away. She pressed her lips together. "I remember your reaction when I told you that my sister had eloped with Theodore Wilson. And in the past four years, you have had no relations with any respectable young lady of a good family, even though you are considered to be a excellent and very eligible future husband."

"And so according to my lack of relationships with respectable females for the past four years, you believe that I still love your late sister?" Vernon asked incredulously.

Victoria nodded, refusing to meet Vernon's eyes. "What else could it be?"

Vernon shook his head, disbelieving. "I can't believe that you think such a thing," he answered. "My studies prevent me from having an active social life, Victoria, and I have not found any young lady suitable enough to be my future wife."

Victoria turned around quickly to study Vernon's face. She did not wish to believe him – to believe him would mean that she would have to acknowledge odd feelings for him that had nothing to do with the utter contempt that she had harbored for him for the past four years. "You don't have justify yourself to me," she finally remarked. "Now, I need to return home. You promised?"

Vernon studied Victoria a few more minutes before nodding. "Of course," he answered politely.

Victoria walked into her home quietly, her knees feeling shaky and her heart feeling torn. She leaned against the solid oak door and closed her eyes. Why on earth did she happen to meet Vernon again? She did not want to see Vernon ever again. She did not want to remember how she used to admire him and her brothers when she was a little girl, before she found out about his betrothal to Amanda. Before she was used as a messenger of bad news by her scheming, selfish sister.

Serena walked into the hallway, surprised to see Victoria leaning against the front door. "Why did Vernon want to talk to you?" she asked with a curious glint in her eyes.

Victoria shrugged her shoulders, standing up straight. She replied casually, "Nothing. We did not discuss anything of importance."

Serena snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Surely you do not think he is enamored with you, Victoria?"

Victoria looked up sharply, her expression one of anger. "Serena, I do not think that Vernon is enamored with me nor am I infatuated with him. Frankly, I do not wish to have any connections to him at all. He loved my sister and that was in the past, which, I believe, is best left alone. Now, if you will excuse me, I would like to change out of these nasty clothes. Anything else, Serena?"

Serena was surprised by the outburst from a normally calm and collected person. Victoria turned away furiously from a shocked Serena, who continued staring at her cousin.