2. Chapter Two
Chapter Two
A loud banging on her bedroom door awakened Jacquelyn Sheridan. A most unwelcome sound, since she was in the midst of a wonderful dream. In her mind, she was attending an elegant ball and was just about to dance with a handsome stranger. He extended his hand to her, and she was just about to accept his invitation when she heard her brother, David, yelling, “Jacquelyn Sheridan, you answer me right now or I’m coming in there!”
She jolted awake. For a moment, she was confused, and it took everything she had to realize that David was outside in the hallway. Annoyed, she called out, “What do you want?”
“You need to get up and get dressed.”
“No.” She burrowed under the covers and pulled the sheet over her head. Getting up would happen eventually, but on her own terms. There was no one to tell her otherwise. Their parents were in Europe for the holiday season, and nearly all the servants were off the premises, supposedly at home spending the week with their own families. Not what she would have allowed, but no one asked for her opinion on the matter. Her older brother, David, was the last thorn in her side, but he had no authority over her hours of sleep. If the rest of the mansion was the world, her bed was her own personal island and she was the queen. “Go away, David. Leave me alone.”
She heard the double doors leading into her bedroom fly open and David’s footsteps as he came into her room. Jacquelyn cringed. She could have sworn she’d locked those doors. She certainly would in the future.
“Get up,” he said, standing over her. “You need to get dressed right away or you’ll be late.”
“Late for what?” She gave him a glare over the edge of the sheet.
“For the Christmas visit at the girls’ home.”
“Mother and Father do that.”
“They’re not here, and Mother left specific instructions for you to go in their place.” He stared down at her, his face serious. At twenty-three, David had embraced adulthood and all the responsibilities that came with it. Despite the early hour, his appearance was impeccable, as usual. David was handsome, with dark wavy hair and deep-set eyes. His physique was outstanding as well; he was tall and naturally slender with broad shoulders. All of Jacquelyn’s friends flirted with him, but he rarely took the bait, calling them “vacuous.”
David was an odd one, so different from his sister. The state of the world bothered him. Jacquelyn was so tired of hearing about how the country was going through a depression. As far as she was concerned, the financial troubles of the multitudes hadn’t changed their lives much at all. She didn’t understand why he was taking on the worries of others, people they’d never met and never would. There would always be soup kitchens, struggles, hunger, and sickness, but none of it was their doing. David was just being silly and overwrought when it wasn’t necessary at all. She’d known since she was a little girl that life was meant to be enjoyed. David had yet to learn this particular truth.
“Mother didn’t say anything to me.”
“Yes, she did, and she included it in the instructions she left behind.” He held up a piece of paper.
Through sleep-filled eyes, Jacquelyn recognized her mother’s handwriting. Vaguely, she recalled hearing her mother talking about visiting the home in their absence. She hated the idea, so she’d dismissed it, of course, and then promptly forgot all about it. She sighed. “When do we have to go?”
“Not we , you. She wants you to start taking on some of the family responsibilities. The foundation is supposed to be run by both of us.” It was so like David to remind her of her duties.
The foundation he referred to was the Frank and Irene Sheridan Foundation, a charity established by their parents to create a lasting legacy. Her father in particular took great delight in seeing their names on signs and plaques. It was important to him that others knew of their generosity, and Jacquelyn agreed with this. What good was it to give away money if it went unnoticed ?
When David had graduated from university, he’d taken on the role of running the foundation. At the same time, Jacquelyn had somehow been duped into becoming second in charge. Not a job she wanted, but since they’d given it to her, she reluctantly went to the meetings and weighed in on the decisions. And it was a good thing too. Left up to David, the family fortune would be a piggy bank for those who weren’t nearly as smart about money. Luckily, he needed her vote of approval to move forward on most expenditures, and she was not nearly as inclined to dole out funds for the undeserving. At their last meeting, David had thrown up his hands and called her stingy. It was a point of contention between them.
Jacquelyn sat up in bed. “So I have to go by myself?”
David exhaled in exasperation. “Yes, because I’m going to be doing another foundation visit elsewhere at the same time. Don’t worry, it’s really nothing. You walk through, get the tour, and ask the little girls some questions so they know you care. At the end, you hand out the candy canes. It’s easy.”
Questions? She pictured them as little street urchins clutching at her clothing with grimy hands. What kind of questions could she possibly have for them? She shuddered at the thought. Every fiber of her being dreaded this visit. If it weren’t for the fact that it was a direct order from her mother, the holder of her purse strings, she would have refused to go. “All right. I’ll do it.”
“Good. Eddie is going to drive you. You’re leaving in forty-five minutes. ”
“Forty-five minutes?” She breathed out an objection. “I can’t be ready that quickly. It takes more time than that to do my hair!”
“Nobody cares how you look,” he said. “Pin it back and put on a hat. You’ll be fine.”
***
An hour later, she found Eddie waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. “Don’t say a word about me being late,” she said with a shake of her finger. “I went as quickly as I could.”
Eddie gave her an impish grin. “You look very nice.”
Eddie wasn’t technically a servant. He was the son of their housekeeper, Mildred, and a little younger than David. Growing up, Eddie and David had been inseparable, the best of friends despite the vast difference in their social standing. Their appearance was opposite as well. Eddie was fair with sandy hair and blue eyes. He was a few inches shorter than David and had nondescript facial features. As far as Jacquelyn was concerned, he was nothing special in the looks department. Right now Eddie was home from university for the holidays. His last year. Usually, he made himself useful when he was back, so at least he wasn’t a complete burden.
Once seated on the back seat of the automobile, a warm blanket tucked around her lap, Jacquelyn was happy to find that Mildred had put together a breakfast basket for her to eat on the way. As Eddie drove down the long drive, she nibbled on a biscuit spread with jam. “How long is the drive? ”
“About an hour.”
“And then an hour back again?”
“That’s generally how it works.” Eddie sounded amused.
This was going to take up her entire day. “Ugh. This is so tedious. It’s my Christmas holiday too. I shouldn’t have all these endless chores.” Technically, it was only the one chore, but it still felt like too much.
Checking her coat pockets, she found her custom-made leather gloves. They’d come in handy after she was done eating. She could have kicked David for rushing her this morning. In her haste, she’d forgotten her handbag, which was a shame because she wouldn’t be able to check her appearance and powder her nose right before arriving. Chances were good that the guttersnipes at the orphanage wouldn’t even care, but what if she were going somewhere important? Her brother should have given her more notice.
They left their enclave near the lake and drove through the city, an area Jacquelyn always avoided. The streets in the vicinity were dotted with garbage, and the homes and businesses were ramshackle in appearance. Why would anyone let their house get so run-down? No pride at all. Why, with a little paint and some repairs, these places wouldn’t be nearly as disgraceful. And so few Christmas decorations! If anyone had taken the time to string up some garland or hang a wreath, it would have gone a long way toward making things seem more festive. Honestly, these folks were lacking in common sense.
“It’s a cold day to be standing in line,” Eddie said as they drove past a line of men standing gloomily along the sidewalk .
“Why don’t they go inside?” she asked.
“They’re waiting to go inside. It’s the rescue mission.”
“Oh. So they’re like me. Waiting to get somewhere. Endless waiting.”
“I’ve driven your parents to the girls’ home the last few years,” Eddie said. “I think you’ll find it of interest. There’s a young lady in charge of the little girls who looks exactly like you.”
Jacquelyn sat up straight. “You’re joking!”
“No, I’m not. Exact same auburn hair and green eyes. About as tall. She could be your twin. Didn’t your parents ever comment on it?”
“No. I would have remembered such a thing.”
“She’s nearly identical in looks to you. Her name is Jane. I noticed her right away.”
“I’m quite sure she doesn’t look like me,” she said indignantly. Eddie had spent much of his childhood teasing her, and now she was certain he was doing it again. “I don’t believe it.”
“You’ll see for yourself once we get there.”
“Hmmm.” Jacquelyn finished the biscuit. “Maybe we should just drive in silence for the rest of the trip. I think a quiet ride would be best.”
“If that will make you happy, that’s what we’ll do.” His tone was still teasing, but she didn’t care. As long as he obeyed, she could tolerate some occasional insolence.