have to leave?” Abigail asked.
Marcus had a feeling that she didn’t want to be left alone with these people, but his mother didn’t seem to pick up on it. “I do. But I hope to get to know your friends while they are here.”
Abigail turned to the group from home and smiled. “I’ll be right back. I want to walk Mrs. Wellington out.”
“Your friends seem quite nice, dear. Perhaps I can have them all to dinner one night?”
“That’s sweet of you, but don’t worry about it. I’m sure they have all kinds of plans,” Abigail said as she walked with them to the door.
“I’ll be back after I take Mother home, Abigail.”
“You can stay here, dear. I can take a hack home.”
“I’ll get one for you, Mother.” He turned back to Abigail. “I’ll be right back.”
Abigail nodded, but he couldn’t tell if she wanted him to come back or stay away. It didn’t much matter. He’d be back. He wasn’t sure about those friends of hers. Not at all. It was a good thing Ross was on the job.
❧
Abigail pasted a smile on her face and went back to her friends. For some reason, it had never crossed her mind that they would show up in Hot Springs. They must have found out where she was and come to see how she was doing after her broken engagement. Now that she thought about it, it was a wonder they had taken until the middle of September to find her.
“It is so good to see you! You could have let us know where you were!” Jillian said when Abigail got back to the group.
“You didn’t come just to see how I am?” Abigail knew these people. She’d never known them to take a trip to Hot Springs or anywhere else for that matter. Their lives were pretty wrapped up in the Eureka Springs social life, just as hers had been.
“Of course not. We didn’t know you were here,” Reginald said. “We’ve been hearing how much more advanced Hot Springs is and about the bathhouses here, the opera, the races.”
“Eureka Springs has been pretty boring of late. . .especially with you gone,” Robert said. He sounded just a little too smooth for Abigail.
“We wanted a change of scenery,” Edward said.
“How are you doing, though?” Rebecca asked, letting Abigail know that she was most likely right about the reason for their visit.
“Very well.” Abigail chose not to mention her broken engagement or Nate and Meagan’s marriage. “Papa had some business he wanted me to attend to for him, and I’ve found that I like Hot Springs quite well.”
“But you aren’t going to stay here, are you?” Jillian asked. “You are coming home, aren’t you?”
“I’m staying here awhile longer.”
“Well, then. We must make it our goal to convince you to come back to Eureka Springs with us,” Robert said. “But while we’re here, I’m sure you can tell us the best places to go and all about the nightlife.”
Nightlife and socializing. That was what they had on their minds. It was almost all she’d thought about at one time, too. But not now. Still, they were here, and they wouldn’t leave her alone now that they knew where she was, too.
“There is a nice opera house here. I’m not sure what is playing now, but the desk clerk will know.”
“Oh, I’ll go check,” Rebecca said.
“The hotel dining room is excellent, but there are other restaurants in town. Marcus will be able to tell you other places of interest when he returns.”
“Marcus? The family friend?” Robert asked. He almost sounded jealous, but he certainly had no right to. Abigail had never given him any encouragement.
“Yes.”
“My—he is quite handsome. Is he the reason you came here?” Jillian asked.
Abigail wanted to tell her it was none of her business, but instead she answered honestly, “No. But it is very nice to have family friends here.”
Rebecca returned to tell them that there was a minstrel show playing at the opera house that evening, just as Marcus came striding through the hotel doors.
“You’ll join us,
Marcus had a feeling that she didn’t want to be left alone with these people, but his mother didn’t seem to pick up on it. “I do. But I hope to get to know your friends while they are here.”
Abigail turned to the group from home and smiled. “I’ll be right back. I want to walk Mrs. Wellington out.”
“Your friends seem quite nice, dear. Perhaps I can have them all to dinner one night?”
“That’s sweet of you, but don’t worry about it. I’m sure they have all kinds of plans,” Abigail said as she walked with them to the door.
“I’ll be back after I take Mother home, Abigail.”
“You can stay here, dear. I can take a hack home.”
“I’ll get one for you, Mother.” He turned back to Abigail. “I’ll be right back.”
Abigail nodded, but he couldn’t tell if she wanted him to come back or stay away. It didn’t much matter. He’d be back. He wasn’t sure about those friends of hers. Not at all. It was a good thing Ross was on the job.
❧
Abigail pasted a smile on her face and went back to her friends. For some reason, it had never crossed her mind that they would show up in Hot Springs. They must have found out where she was and come to see how she was doing after her broken engagement. Now that she thought about it, it was a wonder they had taken until the middle of September to find her.
“It is so good to see you! You could have let us know where you were!” Jillian said when Abigail got back to the group.
“You didn’t come just to see how I am?” Abigail knew these people. She’d never known them to take a trip to Hot Springs or anywhere else for that matter. Their lives were pretty wrapped up in the Eureka Springs social life, just as hers had been.
“Of course not. We didn’t know you were here,” Reginald said. “We’ve been hearing how much more advanced Hot Springs is and about the bathhouses here, the opera, the races.”
“Eureka Springs has been pretty boring of late. . .especially with you gone,” Robert said. He sounded just a little too smooth for Abigail.
“We wanted a change of scenery,” Edward said.
“How are you doing, though?” Rebecca asked, letting Abigail know that she was most likely right about the reason for their visit.
“Very well.” Abigail chose not to mention her broken engagement or Nate and Meagan’s marriage. “Papa had some business he wanted me to attend to for him, and I’ve found that I like Hot Springs quite well.”
“But you aren’t going to stay here, are you?” Jillian asked. “You are coming home, aren’t you?”
“I’m staying here awhile longer.”
“Well, then. We must make it our goal to convince you to come back to Eureka Springs with us,” Robert said. “But while we’re here, I’m sure you can tell us the best places to go and all about the nightlife.”
Nightlife and socializing. That was what they had on their minds. It was almost all she’d thought about at one time, too. But not now. Still, they were here, and they wouldn’t leave her alone now that they knew where she was, too.
“There is a nice opera house here. I’m not sure what is playing now, but the desk clerk will know.”
“Oh, I’ll go check,” Rebecca said.
“The hotel dining room is excellent, but there are other restaurants in town. Marcus will be able to tell you other places of interest when he returns.”
“Marcus? The family friend?” Robert asked. He almost sounded jealous, but he certainly had no right to. Abigail had never given him any encouragement.
“Yes.”
“My—he is quite handsome. Is he the reason you came here?” Jillian asked.
Abigail wanted to tell her it was none of her business, but instead she answered honestly, “No. But it is very nice to have family friends here.”
Rebecca returned to tell them that there was a minstrel show playing at the opera house that evening, just as Marcus came striding through the hotel doors.
“You’ll join us,
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