She gave him a startled look. Did he think his tears had offended her? “Oh, no, no, it’s nothing like that. It’s…” She couldn’t tell him.
“What? What have I done wrong that you won’t see me?”
To Nellie’s disbelief, she burst into tears. She hid her face in her hands, and her shoulders shook with her weeping. Within moments Jace was there, his arm around her, and he was handing her a glass of brand
y. “Drink this,” he ordered when she was seated.
“I can’t. I don’t—”
“Drink it!”
She obeyed him, choking on the liquid but getting all of it down.
“Now,” he said, taking the empty glass and sitting in front of her, “tell me what’s been going on.”
“We behaved scandalously,” she said, and with the brandy in her it didn’t seem like such an awful thing they had done.
Jace didn’t understand. Maybe their behavior, had been a little outrageous, but no one in Chandler seemed to have minded. In fact, everywhere he went people were curious about Nellie. It seemed that no one in town had even noticed her before.
He took her hands in his. “Was it our being alone? We could go out with other people if that bothers you.” It might help him keep his hands off her, too, he thought.
“The wall,” she said, sniffing.
“The wall?” He smiled. “You’re upset because I hugged you on the wall? You were about to fall.”
“I…I…” She couldn’t tell him more, couldn’t tell him of the possibility of people canceling contracts or say to him that he wasn’t respecting her. When he looked at her as he did now she couldn’t think clearly.
The sound of a footstep outside the kitchen door made her eyes widen in horror. “It’s Terel. You have to go.” There was panic in her voice.
“I’ll say hello.”
“No, no, no. Leave. You must leave.”
Jace didn’t know what the urgency was, but he had no intention of leaving. He slipped into the pantry just as Terel entered the kitchen. Leaning against the shelves, he had a clear view into the kitchen and could see Nellie and her sister fully. Up until now he’d had eyes only for Nellie, but now it struck him as odd that there was such a contrast between the two sisters. Terel was dressed in an expensive wool suit, her hair coiffed and cared-for, while Nellie was wearing a dress that seemed quite old.
“Y-you’re back early,” Nellie said, stammering.
“Yes.” Terel yanked off her kid gloves. “I couldn’t stay in town and listen to more of the scandal. No one can talk of anything but you and that man.”
Nellie’s eyes darted to the pantry. “I don’t think we should discuss this now. Maybe we should go into the parlor.”
“I do not want to go to the parlor.” Terel unpinned her hat. “I am famished. I couldn’t even have luncheon because all anyone wanted to speak to me about was you and how you’d behaved with that man. I really couldn’t bear it.”
“Terel, please, let’s go to the parlor. We can—”
“Look at the flowers! Nellie, why didn’t you tell me I had flowers? Who are they from? Johnny? Bob? Not Lawrence, possibly?” Terel picked up the bouquet and searched for the card, then opened it. “It says,” she read, “ ‘to the most beautiful woman in the world.’ How lovely. It must be Lawrence.” She closed the card and then saw that it said “To Nellie, with love from Jace.”
Terel had to read the card three times before she really understood. She flung the flowers to the floor. “He has been here, hasn’t he?” she cried. “He has been in this room. After all Father and I said to you, you continue with your licentious behavior. How could you, Nellie? How could you?”
“Terel, please,” Nellie pleaded. “Couldn’t we—”
“And brandy, too,” she said, holding up the empty glass. “This has gone too far. Wait until I tell Father. Nellie, I never knew you were stupid. Don’t you know that the people who love you know what’s best for you? Don’t you understand what he wants from a woman like you? He wants to get you drunk and—”
Terel’s back was to the pantry, but Nellie was facing it, and to her horror Jace stepped into the kitchen, ready to do battle with Terel. Nellie shook her head violently, then sprinted across the kitchen. Terel fumbled with her handkerchief while Nellie pushed Jace back into the pantry. Her body was in the kitchen, but her outstretched arm was hidden inside the pantry.
“—and have his way with you,” Terel finished.
At that Jace snorted.