"I should have told her he's interested in you," Melissa whispered.
"That would be cruel," Alanna argued. "They're friends, and I'm sure he must like your mother very much. She has both beauty and charm, and I have neither, besides, she spends a great deal of money in his shop."
"He was waiting to see you, not her," Melissa insisted. "I saw him walk by Sally's shop at least three times. Just watch."
With what appeared to be merely a random choice, Randolph seated himself between Alanna and Rachel. Amused, Melissa winked at her cousin, and then directed her comment to Randolph. "Ian and I hope you'll be able to attend the wedding, Mr. O'Neil."
"I'm looking forward to it," he assured her. "Your cousin owes me a dance."
Noting Alanna's blush, Melissa couldn't help but probe. "Really, and why is that?"
Expecting Alanna to explain, Randolph hesitated a moment, but when she appeared to be too shy to speak, he did. "I asked her to dance the night of the Governor's Ball, but unfortunately you'd been taken ill, and Alanna had to leave early."
Rachel was not at all pleased by Randolph's mention of that night, and hurriedly changed the subject. "You'll be able to dance until dawn at the reception, Mr. O'Neil. Now tell us just what sort of things you'll be carrying in your shop in the fall. I know Melissa and Ian are sure to receive a great many beautiful wedding gifts, but I'd like to give them something special for their first Christmas together."
"It won't be a surprise if he suggests things with me listening, Mama."
"She's right," Randolph agreed, "but I'll look for something especially nice, and save it for you."
"Thank you." Rachel reached out to touch his sleeve as she spoke. Their refreshments were served, and for the next few minutes, the conversation centered upon how delicious they were. She was a perceptive woman, and noted just how frequently Randolph's glance strayed toward her niece. She was accustomed to men admiring her daughter that openly, but he was the first who had ever shown an interest in Alanna and that he was one of Williamsburg's most prosperous merchants delighted her.
She did her best to involve Alanna in the remainder of the conversation, and as soon as they had bid Randolph goodbye and entered their carriage for the ride home, she reached out to pat her niece's knee. "I didn't realize Randolph O'Neil was so taken with you. Do you like him, too?"
Alanna felt as though she were being shoved in a totally wrong direction, and mentally dug in her heels. "He's attractive and personable, Aunt Rachel, but other than as a friend, I've no interest in him. I won't be impolite, but I shan't encourage his affection, when I can't return it."
Distressed, Rachel pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment, but her expression soon brightened. "Don't you worry, sweetheart. Weddings are the perfect place to meet eligible men, and perhaps one will please you."
Alanna glanced out the window rather than argue, but she didn't want to be pleased. She just wanted to be left alone.
* * *
In anticipation of their marriage, Ian rented a house on Francis Street, and a thrilled Melissa promptly took Alanna to see it. It was a charming, white frame cottage with green shutters, and while it was very small compared with the home in which she had grown up, Melissa couldn't wait to move into it. Supplied with the minimum in furnishings by the owner, it provided Melissa with ample opportunity to express her own tastes in decorating.
"I'll wait until after the wedding to buy what I want," she told Alanna, "because we're sure to receive many lovely things as gifts, and I don't want to duplicate them, but I want this house to be as perfect as Mother's."
"I'll help you with the garden," Alanna volunteered. "You've never liked working with flowers as much as I do."
"That's certainly true, thank you. I want to plant azaleas and camellias across the front, and a rose garden in the back. I suppose I'll have to raise a few vegetables, but they're no trouble, are they?"
"No, and won't Ian help you?"
"Yes, I'm sure he will. This is only a temporary home, of
course. We'll build one of our own soon, but since we've told everyone we're marrying now because Ian may be transferred, we can't buy land and start building a house. Everyone would consider us either daft or liars, if we did."
"What if Ian really is transferred?"
"Then I'll go with him," Melissa replied. "Did you think I'd let him go off by himself?"
"No, of course not. I just wondered if you'd made some plans."
Melissa feared she'd been too curt. "I'm sorry. It's just that I'm so excited about the wedding, that it's difficult to think about anything else, and I certainly don't want to begin worrying about being parted from Ian."
"I'm going to miss you," Alanna confided. "We've been together since we were children, and—"
"And now it's time to grow up," Melissa enthused brightly. "Please don't become maudlin over my marriage. I want everyone to be as happy as Ian and me. Now come on, let's go, we've so much to do and—" She turned toward the door and, suddenly growing dizzy, Melissa reached out to grab Alanna's hand to steady herself.
"Melissa, what's wrong?"