An Engagement: A New Pioneers Short Story (3 page)

Annabelle shook her head. "I guess
you’ve outlived your usefulness."

"Anna, please. He knows I can’t
stand Tom."

She looked at Alex laughing with
Tom, Gerald huddled with John and Michael and Jim speaking at a
rapid clip to an unresponsive Lucy. "That must be it."

An hour later the champagne was
passed out. Gerald stood up. "Thank you all so much for coming. In
case you haven’t heard, we’re going to have a wedding to celebrate
soon. Congratulations to my Annabelle and the lucky man she’s
chosen. Stephen, welcome to the family."

People murmured their cheers, then
sipped the champagne. Gerald waited a moment. "I hope my daughter
forgives me for this, but I wanted to make one more announcement.
My son has just told me that by next year he and Lucy will also be
married. Please join me in congratulating them as well."

There were surprised murmurings.
Annabelle saw her father raise his glass again to Jim, who beamed
and squeezed Lucy’s hand. Lucy was pale as a sheet, the opposite of
a blushing bride-to-be.

Annabelle saw Lucy turn her eyes
for just a moment before she turned back to Jim and forced a smile.
Annabelle looked in the direction Lucy’s eyes had pointed to and
landed on Alex. Now she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. Alex
lifted his chin slightly then let it fall, as if he were nodding.
He looked at Gerald with an expression that could only be described
as triumphant. Next to him, Tom put his finger on his lips as if he
were trying to restrain a laugh. Alex elbowed Tom, but smiled as he
did so.

Annabelle felt Stephen put his hand
on her shoulders. "Darling, are you alright?"

She looked again at her brother.
She hadn’t seen him so happy since they were children.

"I need some air," she
whispered.

Stephen walked her out to the
patio. Annabelle felt the cold but didn’t care. "I’m sorry your
father made that announcement tonight. It wasn’t fair
—
"

"I want to talk to him
now."

"Your father?"

"No. Alex."

Stephen pulled his chin back. "What
did he do?"

"Please, Stephen. Just send him out
here so I can talk to him."

Stephen went inside. Two minutes
later, Alex came out holding Annabelle’s stole. "Stephen thought
you’d need this."

Annabelle put it on. "Stephen’s
considerate. But you’re thoughtful too, aren’t you?"

Alex put his hands in his pockets.
"What does that mean?"

"Some people are good to keep
around, aren’t they? Some people are a good date at a party, and
some people can get you the invitation in the first place. Some
people have money for a loan." Alex pursed his mouth. "But the most
useful people of all are the ones with information."

"Intriguing theory, but I don’t
know what you’re talking about."

"Don’t play dumb. It doesn’t suit
you."

"I know you don’t believe this, but
Stephen is my best friend and I don’t keep him around for the
invitations."

"Obviously, since you didn’t throw
him over after his father couldn’t give you the loan." She clenched
the stole to her. "Do you know what that would have cost Stephen?
To owe his father because he did you a favor? That’s how you treat
your best friend?"

He clenched his jaw. "I would have
paid him back with generous interest. Stephen wouldn’t have owed
his father anything."

"Are those the terms you promised
my father?" She waited a moment, but Alex was silent. "Or did you
give him the one thing he’s wanted for years? I underestimated you.
I had no idea that your many talents included matchmaking. Or
should we just call it pimping?"

Alex threw up his hands and looked
away. "Pretend your father made me an offer: secure Lucy for Jim in
exchange for the capital to make the investment of a lifetime.
That’s a generous offer, but how could I possibly influence Lucy to
go along with that?" He looked back at her and shrugged. "I think
you’re not giving your brother enough credit."

"I saw Lucy just now
—
I saw her a few days ago. How could you influence her?
I have no idea, but whatever it is Tom thinks it’s hilarious. Is
Jim going to laugh too?"

"I’m going to get Stephen now.
You’re obviously upset." He turned to walk away.

"My father isn’t stupid. You don’t
get the money until they’re married, do you?" Alex stopped. "Jim
can change his mind between now and then."

Alex turned around. "Pretend there
is something. How would you find out what it is?"

"I could start by asking Lucy and
if she didn’t tell me I could ask Tom."

Alex laughed. "You’d talk to
Tom?"

She took a step closer. "To keep
Jim from being made a fool of? Yes."

"Your brother is happy. Why do you
want to take that away?"

"Don’t you dare. Jim just walked
into a fantasy, and part of it is that my father is finally going
to be satisfied. Fantasies fall apart."

"You wouldn’t be able to prove
anything. Imagine what Jim would say if you threw around baseless
accusations."

"Then you do it. Go in there and
tell Lucy you’re releasing her. Tell my father you can’t do this to
his son. Do it, and I’ll give you whatever my father promised
you."

Alex seemed to stop breathing.
Annabelle didn’t move. Then he shook his head. "It wouldn’t be
enough," she heard him say as he walked away.

Stephen came out. "Anna, what is
going on?"

If only he would believe her. But
why should he? And why would Jim?

He took her hand. "Hey.
Everything’s going to be alright. Remember?"

No one would believe her. "Of
course." She closed her eyes and squeezed his hand. "Let’s go
congratulate my brother."

Deborah Nam-Krane has been
writing in one way or another since she was eight years old (and
telling stories well before that). As an adult she brought many of
her characters together to begin the New Pioneers series. The first
book of the series
The Smartest Girl in
the Room
and
The
Family You Choose
were published in
2013.

In 2012 she wrote the
History section of her sister Suzanne Nam’s Moon Thailand (Moon
Handbooks).

Please join her
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