met through Marcus and his parents were attending the event, and it was good to talk to them. Her friends seemed quite impressed that she knew so many people already.
“You seem to be fitting in here quite well,” Robert said as they found their seats. “And most of who you know appears to be the town’s elite.”
Abigail felt her hackles rise as she took her seat between Robert and Marcus. “It wouldn’t matter to me if they were or not. They are very nice people, and I like them a lot.”
“My, you are touchy, Abigail. I didn’t mean anything by my comment,” Robert said.
But she knew Robert and what was important to him. Thankfully, the minstrel show started just then, and she didn’t have to answer him.
The show was quite entertaining, and it felt good just to laugh after being so tensed up that afternoon. They were all still chuckling when they came out of the opera house.
“Well now, my good man,” Reginald said. “Abigail has told us you would know the best places to go. Where do you suggest we go to get a cup of tea, coffee, or chocolate?”
“There aren’t a lot of restaurants open this time of night. The Arlington serves until eleven, though. The Melrose Place is open, and there is a café around the corner that will be open for a while, yet.”
“I think I’ll just go back to the hotel tonight,” Abigail said, knowing she’d have tea brought up soon.
“Me, too. All that traveling has made me very tired,” Jillian said with a yawn.
“Well, if you are going back, so am I,” Rebecca added.
“But the night is young,” Robert said. “I’m not ready to retire.”
“I’ll see the ladies back to the hotel, if you gentlemen aren’t ready to go yet,” Marcus said.
“You’re sure? Do you mind, Rebecca and Jillian?” Reginald asked. “I’m a bit too wound up to sleep just yet.”
“It’s all right—tonight. But don’t make a habit of it,” Jillian replied. “Go. I’m sure Mr. Wellington will see us safely back to the hotel.”
That was all it took for the men to be on their way down the street, and Abigail wondered why she hadn’t realized how. . .thoughtless they were before now. Had they always been that way? Abigail was certainly glad none of these men was her beau, as Reginald was Jillian’s and Edward was Rebecca’s. And although she’d let Robert escort her to a few functions in the past, she’d never considered him a beau. Even if she had, after this evening, he no longer would have been one.
Marcus procured a hack waiting outside the opera house and helped the ladies up, and then he took a seat beside Abigail. Jillian and Rebecca spent the ride wondering where the men might have gone and openly flirting with Marcus. Were their relationships that shallow?
By the time they got back to the hotel, Abigail was ready to go to her room, but Jillian and Rebecca had decided that they would like to go to the dining room.
“Won’t you come, too, Abigail? We have so much to catch up on!”
Abigail shook her head. “Not tonight. I’m very tired.”
“Well, you will spend some time with us tomorrow, won’t you?”
“Yes, of course I will. I don’t know how you two are still going after the train trip here. I was exhausted.”
“Well, you were most likely depressed, too,” Rebecca said. “After all—”
The none-too-subtle nudge from Jillian stopped Rebecca’s next sentence, much to Abigail’s relief. There was no telling what she was about to say. But the next words out of the woman’s mouth were no help, either.
“I’m sorry. I—”
“Rebecca! Come on. I think that the dining room may be closing very soon.” Jillian took her friend’s arm and pulled her away, waving back at Abigail and Marcus. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Abigail. It’s been nice meeting you, Mr. Wellington.”
Abigail’s sigh of relief was audible. “I’d forgotten how. . .” Irritating was the word that came to mind, but Abigail didn’t want to seem childish or
“You seem to be fitting in here quite well,” Robert said as they found their seats. “And most of who you know appears to be the town’s elite.”
Abigail felt her hackles rise as she took her seat between Robert and Marcus. “It wouldn’t matter to me if they were or not. They are very nice people, and I like them a lot.”
“My, you are touchy, Abigail. I didn’t mean anything by my comment,” Robert said.
But she knew Robert and what was important to him. Thankfully, the minstrel show started just then, and she didn’t have to answer him.
The show was quite entertaining, and it felt good just to laugh after being so tensed up that afternoon. They were all still chuckling when they came out of the opera house.
“Well now, my good man,” Reginald said. “Abigail has told us you would know the best places to go. Where do you suggest we go to get a cup of tea, coffee, or chocolate?”
“There aren’t a lot of restaurants open this time of night. The Arlington serves until eleven, though. The Melrose Place is open, and there is a café around the corner that will be open for a while, yet.”
“I think I’ll just go back to the hotel tonight,” Abigail said, knowing she’d have tea brought up soon.
“Me, too. All that traveling has made me very tired,” Jillian said with a yawn.
“Well, if you are going back, so am I,” Rebecca added.
“But the night is young,” Robert said. “I’m not ready to retire.”
“I’ll see the ladies back to the hotel, if you gentlemen aren’t ready to go yet,” Marcus said.
“You’re sure? Do you mind, Rebecca and Jillian?” Reginald asked. “I’m a bit too wound up to sleep just yet.”
“It’s all right—tonight. But don’t make a habit of it,” Jillian replied. “Go. I’m sure Mr. Wellington will see us safely back to the hotel.”
That was all it took for the men to be on their way down the street, and Abigail wondered why she hadn’t realized how. . .thoughtless they were before now. Had they always been that way? Abigail was certainly glad none of these men was her beau, as Reginald was Jillian’s and Edward was Rebecca’s. And although she’d let Robert escort her to a few functions in the past, she’d never considered him a beau. Even if she had, after this evening, he no longer would have been one.
Marcus procured a hack waiting outside the opera house and helped the ladies up, and then he took a seat beside Abigail. Jillian and Rebecca spent the ride wondering where the men might have gone and openly flirting with Marcus. Were their relationships that shallow?
By the time they got back to the hotel, Abigail was ready to go to her room, but Jillian and Rebecca had decided that they would like to go to the dining room.
“Won’t you come, too, Abigail? We have so much to catch up on!”
Abigail shook her head. “Not tonight. I’m very tired.”
“Well, you will spend some time with us tomorrow, won’t you?”
“Yes, of course I will. I don’t know how you two are still going after the train trip here. I was exhausted.”
“Well, you were most likely depressed, too,” Rebecca said. “After all—”
The none-too-subtle nudge from Jillian stopped Rebecca’s next sentence, much to Abigail’s relief. There was no telling what she was about to say. But the next words out of the woman’s mouth were no help, either.
“I’m sorry. I—”
“Rebecca! Come on. I think that the dining room may be closing very soon.” Jillian took her friend’s arm and pulled her away, waving back at Abigail and Marcus. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Abigail. It’s been nice meeting you, Mr. Wellington.”
Abigail’s sigh of relief was audible. “I’d forgotten how. . .” Irritating was the word that came to mind, but Abigail didn’t want to seem childish or
Similar Books
