She ate anything she could find: five slices of beef, half a pie, a jar of peaches, the heel of a loaf of bread; and when the kitchen was denuded of food, she moved to the pantry. When she entered the pantry she remembered Jace, remembered the way he’d held her, the way he’d kissed her.
“I don’t care if he wants me only for my father’s money,” she whispered, and then, to keep from crying, she opened a jar of strawberry jam and began eating it with her fingers.
It was while Nellie was in the pantry that Terel’s first invitation arrived, and by the time she awoke from her nap five invitations were waiting for her.
“How?” Terel whispered when Nellie handed them to her.
“Wishes,” Nellie said, smiling, glad to see Terel so happy. “You wished for it, and you got it.”
Terel clasped the invitations to her breast for a moment, then opened her eyes wide, “What am I going to wear? Oh, Nellie, you’ll have to get my dressmaker and tell her to bring fabric samples and patterns.”
“I can’t go, I have to prepare dinner. I’ll send Anna, or maybe you should go to her.”
“I can’t. One of the invitations is for tea today. And you can’t send Anna. She’ll never get the message right. You’ll have to go yourself, Nellie. If only Father would put in a telephone!”
“Terel, I haven’t time to—”
Terel turned on her, “I thought you wished for me to be popular. I thought you really, truly wanted me to be popular.”
“I do, but…”
Terel put her arm around Nellie. “Please help me. If I meet a lot of people, perhaps I’ll find a man to marry, and then I’ll be out of your hair forever. Maybe this time next year I won’t be living here, and you won’t have to bother with my needs. Then you can have all the free time you want with just Father to care for.”
Nellie didn’t like to think of living alone with her father. The prospect of a house without Terel was too gloomy to contemplate. “I’ll go,” Nellie said. “You get dressed.”
It was hours later that Nellie was again in the kitchen. Her father would be home soon, and dinner wasn’t ready. She had managed to get the dressmaker to Terel and had helped Terel dress and do her hair before Howard Bailey came for her in his carriage. Now she was hurriedly trying to get the evening meal ready.
“What is going on?” Charles Grayson asked, bursting into the kitchen. “Anna said Terel has spent a fortune on dresses today.”
Nellie made a silent vow to have words with Anna. “Terel began receiving invitations this afternoon, and she felt she needed new clothes for the occasions.”
“Terel always believes she needs new clothes.” He looked at the table, noting the vegetables that had been chopped but not cooked. “Is Terel the reason dinner is going to be late?”
“I was helping her, yes.”
“You were playing with Terel and neglecting your work?”
Nellie gripped the rolling pin so hard her knuckles turned white. “I will have dinner on the table at six.”
“Good,” Charles said, then he seemed to search for something else to say. “Anna said you wished for Terel to receive the invitations.”
“It was a bit of nonsense, that’s all.”
“Well, if you’re having wishes come true, then wish that I get the money to pay for all these new dresses.” He turned away and left the kitchen.
For a moment, Nellie closed her eyes. “I wish Father would be very successful,” she whispered. “I hope he makes more than enough to pay for Terel’s dresses.”
She opened her eyes, then smiled. Such nonsense, she thought. Wishes don’t come true, because if they did…She thought of Jace but then pushed the image from her mind. Father, she thought. I hope he gets what he wants.
Chapter Six
K ane Taggert stood at the window of his office and watched his cousin pacing through the garden. When his wife came to stand behind him Kane didn’t turn.
“How long has he been there?” Houston asked.
“This is the
“I don’t care if he wants me only for my father’s money,” she whispered, and then, to keep from crying, she opened a jar of strawberry jam and began eating it with her fingers.
It was while Nellie was in the pantry that Terel’s first invitation arrived, and by the time she awoke from her nap five invitations were waiting for her.
“How?” Terel whispered when Nellie handed them to her.
“Wishes,” Nellie said, smiling, glad to see Terel so happy. “You wished for it, and you got it.”
Terel clasped the invitations to her breast for a moment, then opened her eyes wide, “What am I going to wear? Oh, Nellie, you’ll have to get my dressmaker and tell her to bring fabric samples and patterns.”
“I can’t go, I have to prepare dinner. I’ll send Anna, or maybe you should go to her.”
“I can’t. One of the invitations is for tea today. And you can’t send Anna. She’ll never get the message right. You’ll have to go yourself, Nellie. If only Father would put in a telephone!”
“Terel, I haven’t time to—”
Terel turned on her, “I thought you wished for me to be popular. I thought you really, truly wanted me to be popular.”
“I do, but…”
Terel put her arm around Nellie. “Please help me. If I meet a lot of people, perhaps I’ll find a man to marry, and then I’ll be out of your hair forever. Maybe this time next year I won’t be living here, and you won’t have to bother with my needs. Then you can have all the free time you want with just Father to care for.”
Nellie didn’t like to think of living alone with her father. The prospect of a house without Terel was too gloomy to contemplate. “I’ll go,” Nellie said. “You get dressed.”
It was hours later that Nellie was again in the kitchen. Her father would be home soon, and dinner wasn’t ready. She had managed to get the dressmaker to Terel and had helped Terel dress and do her hair before Howard Bailey came for her in his carriage. Now she was hurriedly trying to get the evening meal ready.
“What is going on?” Charles Grayson asked, bursting into the kitchen. “Anna said Terel has spent a fortune on dresses today.”
Nellie made a silent vow to have words with Anna. “Terel began receiving invitations this afternoon, and she felt she needed new clothes for the occasions.”
“Terel always believes she needs new clothes.” He looked at the table, noting the vegetables that had been chopped but not cooked. “Is Terel the reason dinner is going to be late?”
“I was helping her, yes.”
“You were playing with Terel and neglecting your work?”
Nellie gripped the rolling pin so hard her knuckles turned white. “I will have dinner on the table at six.”
“Good,” Charles said, then he seemed to search for something else to say. “Anna said you wished for Terel to receive the invitations.”
“It was a bit of nonsense, that’s all.”
“Well, if you’re having wishes come true, then wish that I get the money to pay for all these new dresses.” He turned away and left the kitchen.
For a moment, Nellie closed her eyes. “I wish Father would be very successful,” she whispered. “I hope he makes more than enough to pay for Terel’s dresses.”
She opened her eyes, then smiled. Such nonsense, she thought. Wishes don’t come true, because if they did…She thought of Jace but then pushed the image from her mind. Father, she thought. I hope he gets what he wants.
Chapter Six
K ane Taggert stood at the window of his office and watched his cousin pacing through the garden. When his wife came to stand behind him Kane didn’t turn.
“How long has he been there?” Houston asked.
“This is the
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