Bittersweet Endeavors (12 page)

215

“Well,” Margaret laughed.  “
Tis a
secret, so you mus
tn’t tell. 
Father
spoke with
Cassandra’s father earlier today, and
‘twould
seem the two
are playing go-betweens
.
”

“
Cassandra
shall make a good match for
young Mister Preston
, I presume,
”
Myra
s
aid.  And she would,
Myra
conceded
.  Yet
it didn’t stop her from
being distraught
by
Margaret’s
announcement
. 
It shoul
dn’t
,
though,
Myra realized
. 
Seth’s
i
nterest shown
toward
her
only
a
mounted
for
the purpose of belittling and goading.
Even the times
he
had shown
a whit of affection,
it mattered naught
.  There
couldn’t
ever be a
future for them
, n
ot when she planned
her
return to England and
he
’d
remain
in Jamestown. 
Nay
, she concluded, she didn’t
give a fig
who Seth Preston married.

“
Truth be told,
I’m not entirely sure he’ll
be agreeable
with
such an arrangement
.  Yet
, if
f
ather tells him that
it’s
best, he’ll obey.”

“Does he always comply with your father’s wishes, even when he doesn’t agree
?”

“Of course!  We all do,” she
exclaimed,
surprised.  Margaret jumped from
the bed and
moved
to
ward
s
the window
.  She watched as the
phaeton
made its way
in front
and st
opped
readied at
the front of the Preston’s new manor, in which they now resided
.

 
             
“But marriage?  What if your brother doesn’t care for Cassandra?  What of love?”

“Oh, that’ll come in time, I’m sure. 
How couldn’t it
?  My brother is
perhaps
the most handsome man in Jamestown, and Cassandra is indubitably the
most
beautiful woman.  T
hey’re a perfect
match
!”

“What of you, Margaret?  You’re near
ing
the age of marriage
.  Are you
willing to
blindly accept who
your father chooses?”

“
T
is
not
a problem
in need of
concern
,
”
Margaret
said, and
grinned
mischievously.

“What
ever
do you mean?”

“
I’m
marrying
Mister Zachary Frederickson
.
”
She exaggerated a loud si
gh.

“Your father
is allowing you
a choice
but not
giving
that
same
consideration
to
his
son?”

“My
father
doesn’t
know
.  Yet
I’ve
nudged him in t
he
direction
of Mister Frederickson
.
  He’s a fine gentleman who has openly spoken
to me about
his intent
to take
my hand.
” 
An ornery gleam pied within Margaret’s eyes and she laughed.  She twisted a bland red curl around her finger and looked into the
looking-glass
on the vanity. “
He’ll soon
formally
ask for my hand.  He’s a very fine
catch, so
f
ather
shalt
surely be agreeable.  R
emember,
though,
Myra
, you mustn’t tell
anyone
!”

“Miss Margaret,” a woman called from the other side of the door after a light rap.  “Your father sent
me
,
and he said h
e
is
taking his leave
soon and it’ll be
with or without you.
  So
ready yourself
posthaste
.
”

Margaret’s unsatisfied wail ra
ng out and she stormed
across
the room.  “Oh, I’ll never be ready in time!”  From inside the bureau, Margaret grabbed a pale yellow dress that
had
faded by time and wear and
tossed it
to
Myra
.  “Dress into th
at
without delay
.
”

As instructed,
Myra
stepped behind the privacy wall and slipp
ed into the dress.  It fit
perfect
ly, but yet
plain and drab.  But what did it matter?  Certainly no one would know her there
. 
Aside from Seth
, and
for him, she
wished
that
she
was
display
ed
in all her glory
, frills
,
and lace
.  What
would he
think of her then?  She silently admonished her
self for having thoughts of him…
again.

A
nother
light tap came
rapping
on
the door,
and
Myra
was grateful
for the interruption.

“Hurry, Margaret!”
her sister,
Patience
,
called from the hall.  “Father said we are leaving
now
!
  Make haste so we’re not all late.
” 

Margaret rolled her eyes
heavenward
and stomped her foot on the
hardwood
floor.  “I heard
the first time!” she shouted.

The two sisters bickered and played in equal time.  It made her miss
her sister,
Mary
,
all the more. 
She’d
have
give
n
her weight in gold if
allowed
a moment like
that with her
s
ister
again
.

“I shall be the
re once I
readied myself into a beauty that can equal
Cassandra
,
” Margaret yelled at the closed door.

“
Even God Himself could not allot that much time
!”
her sister replied.

Although not spoken aloud,
Myra
agreed with Patience.  Margaret, even at her best, couldn’t
match
Cassandra
’s supposed beauty.  Myra didn’t know whether
she should feel pity
or
am
usement
for
Margaret’s fascination
with
Cassandra.  More so, she
couldn’t help but wonder
if
Seth
was
equally as
captivated
by the woman
.

*                    *                    *

“
Remember,
you must
stay out of
sight
from
the
other
guest
s
,
Myra
.”  Pointing towards a
ladder
, she continued.  “There’
s a
small
loft
overlooking the great
room
.  Y
ou can stow
away there and watch the
festivities
.” 

Myra
started
declining
her offer
, but
after
she
listened
to
Margaret
’s
prattle about
Cass
andra, her interest
was
piqued
.  She wondered if Cassandra would
prove to be
as lovely and graceful, insomuch that she, too, would be willing to worship a
t her feet as the Preston girls.
 

“But remember, you must return
and
help me freshen up when
we
break.”

Myra
nodded in agreement
and Margaret rushed off toward the
entrance of the
main hall
and
o
ffer
ed the newly wedded couple
well wishes.

The wooden
ladder
creaked
in protest when
she ascended
and
Myra
stopped, her breath caught in her throat.  A
fter a
few
more
rungs
, she
’d
be
afforded a good view of
the throng of people
, especially Seth. 
Although
Myra
came with Margaret and the Preston family, Seth
accompanied
Cassandra and her
parents
.
  A twinge of jealousy st
r
uck
her and she tried to push it away.

Once s
he reached the top step, she pee
ked around the corner and perused the
loft
. 
Being dark, h
er eyes
took a moment and
adjusted
to the dim lighting.
Once done,
Myra
looked at her surroundings more thoroughly
, which showed
only
a
scant amount of
furnishing
s
.  T
wo
wooden
chairs
with ornately carved arms
sat
on a
stretch of rush matting
.  Crawling on her hands and knees,
Myra
reached the
banister where she look
ed
over
to
below.
She
tipped her nose over the edge
and
look
ed
down
at
the guests.  A pang of loneliness swept
through
her at the familiar sight of a
social event
, albeit small in comparison
of the ones
she
had been
accustomed
attending
back home
. 
She saw
Margaret
and
e
nvy coursed through her veins. 
As much as she protested
coming, she
longed
to join
the
celebration
below.
 
She took a moment and reminisced about the life she once lived and recalled many
joyous
socials
at Brunnington. 
Happy
memories
of
festive
occasion
s
and times that held promise and love.
A few tears escaped
,
but
she
forced them away
and
return
ed
her attention below.