won’t you?” Jillian asked Abigail as Marcus walked up to the group.
“I don’t know.” Abigail hesitated. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or worried at the realization that Marcus wasn’t going to let her go anywhere, even with people she knew, without accompanying her. After all—he didn’t know them.
“What don’t you know?”
“Everyone wants to go to the minstrel show at the opera house this evening,” Abigail explained to Marcus. Might as well invite him. Otherwise, everyone would wonder why he was with her. “Would you like to go with us?”
He looked into her eyes and said, “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”
Abigail’s heart turned over, and for a moment, she forgot that he was just going along with her so that they didn’t know he was really there just to protect her. That thought gave her heart a little twist in pain, and she was glad she didn’t have to say anything as the group made plans to meet up in the lobby at seven.
❧
As Abigail waited for Marcus to pick her up, she couldn’t remember when she’d been so nervous. On the one hand, she wanted him with her. If her friends thought she’d been moping around since her breakup with Nate, having Marcus as an escort should help put an end to that! On the other, she was afraid that her greatest fear would come true—that with her friends here, he would find out what kind of woman she used to be back home in Eureka Springs.
“Dear Lord, please don’t let that happen. I don’t want him to see me as I was but only as I am now.” The knock at her door interrupted her whispered prayer, and she hurried to answer it.
Marcus stood looking quite handsome in his black suit and tucked white shirt with pearl studs and white cravat. She was glad she’d worn her favorite pink evening dress with white lace trim and a lace overskirt that draped to the side and cascaded midway down the skirt.
“You look very nice. Are you ready to meet your friends?”
“Thank you. I’m not sure about meeting my friends. I suppose I have no choice, though.”
“You weren’t expecting them, then?” Marcus crooked an arm for her to take, and they headed down the staircase.
“No! Of course not. I haven’t corresponded with them since I left.”
“Hmm.”
“Yes. My thoughts exactly.”
When Marcus chuckled, so did she, and by the time they reached the lobby, she was feeling a little better about the evening. Marcus wasn’t the only one looking after her. The Lord had heard her prayer, and she would trust that things would go well.
They all had dinner in the hotel dining room together before going to the opera house, and her friends seemed to be on very good behavior. They had been known to get a little rowdy in the past, but perhaps the genteel atmosphere helped to subdue them. Abigail certainly hoped so.
Oddly enough, no one brought up Nate or his marriage to Meagan. Perhaps her friends cared more for her feelings than she’d given them credit for. More than likely, it was because they weren’t sure they should in front of Marcus. Either way, Abigail still wasn’t at all sure how she felt about them being in Hot Springs.
Marcus proved what a gracious person he was by talking to them all, asking about their trip, and generally showing an interest in them. No one suspected that he was a private investigator and was very good at putting people at ease. By the time they left for the opera house, Abigail could tell that they all liked him. Well, all except for Robert, who still seemed a bit jealous to Abigail.
The opera house was quite luxurious inside, and Abigail was a bit surprised that she hadn’t been there before. But most of her evenings out had been in people’s homes, and she’d come to enjoy that more than trying to find entertainment. Actually, she’d liked entertaining back at home, but most of her friends had preferred going out somewhere as opposed to hosting in their homes.
Several couples whom she’d
“I don’t know.” Abigail hesitated. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or worried at the realization that Marcus wasn’t going to let her go anywhere, even with people she knew, without accompanying her. After all—he didn’t know them.
“What don’t you know?”
“Everyone wants to go to the minstrel show at the opera house this evening,” Abigail explained to Marcus. Might as well invite him. Otherwise, everyone would wonder why he was with her. “Would you like to go with us?”
He looked into her eyes and said, “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”
Abigail’s heart turned over, and for a moment, she forgot that he was just going along with her so that they didn’t know he was really there just to protect her. That thought gave her heart a little twist in pain, and she was glad she didn’t have to say anything as the group made plans to meet up in the lobby at seven.
❧
As Abigail waited for Marcus to pick her up, she couldn’t remember when she’d been so nervous. On the one hand, she wanted him with her. If her friends thought she’d been moping around since her breakup with Nate, having Marcus as an escort should help put an end to that! On the other, she was afraid that her greatest fear would come true—that with her friends here, he would find out what kind of woman she used to be back home in Eureka Springs.
“Dear Lord, please don’t let that happen. I don’t want him to see me as I was but only as I am now.” The knock at her door interrupted her whispered prayer, and she hurried to answer it.
Marcus stood looking quite handsome in his black suit and tucked white shirt with pearl studs and white cravat. She was glad she’d worn her favorite pink evening dress with white lace trim and a lace overskirt that draped to the side and cascaded midway down the skirt.
“You look very nice. Are you ready to meet your friends?”
“Thank you. I’m not sure about meeting my friends. I suppose I have no choice, though.”
“You weren’t expecting them, then?” Marcus crooked an arm for her to take, and they headed down the staircase.
“No! Of course not. I haven’t corresponded with them since I left.”
“Hmm.”
“Yes. My thoughts exactly.”
When Marcus chuckled, so did she, and by the time they reached the lobby, she was feeling a little better about the evening. Marcus wasn’t the only one looking after her. The Lord had heard her prayer, and she would trust that things would go well.
They all had dinner in the hotel dining room together before going to the opera house, and her friends seemed to be on very good behavior. They had been known to get a little rowdy in the past, but perhaps the genteel atmosphere helped to subdue them. Abigail certainly hoped so.
Oddly enough, no one brought up Nate or his marriage to Meagan. Perhaps her friends cared more for her feelings than she’d given them credit for. More than likely, it was because they weren’t sure they should in front of Marcus. Either way, Abigail still wasn’t at all sure how she felt about them being in Hot Springs.
Marcus proved what a gracious person he was by talking to them all, asking about their trip, and generally showing an interest in them. No one suspected that he was a private investigator and was very good at putting people at ease. By the time they left for the opera house, Abigail could tell that they all liked him. Well, all except for Robert, who still seemed a bit jealous to Abigail.
The opera house was quite luxurious inside, and Abigail was a bit surprised that she hadn’t been there before. But most of her evenings out had been in people’s homes, and she’d come to enjoy that more than trying to find entertainment. Actually, she’d liked entertaining back at home, but most of her friends had preferred going out somewhere as opposed to hosting in their homes.
Several couples whom she’d
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