Chapter Twelve #3
other guests are doing. But before I do,” she turned to Natalie, “I
meant to ask both of you if you’d like to get together at Margie’s
in a few days. I told her I’d help her plan the social engagement.
She’ll send out official invitations, of course, but she wanted to
get an idea of how many women will be able to come.”
“I don’t have anything to do on Wednesday or
Thursday,” Annabelle said.
“Excellent.” Katherine looked at Natalie.
“And you?”
Though Natalie wanted to decline the
invitation altogether, she knew she had a responsibility to Mark.
If it was anyone but him, she would say no, but Margie was married
to Mark’s new client. Which meant she had to say yes.
“I’m free on the same days Annabelle is,”
Natalie forced out, glad she didn’t choke on those words.
“Good. I’ll tell Margie,” Katherine said.
Annabelle waited until Katherine went back to
the ballroom before she sat next to Natalie. “Mark thought you
might like some company out here.”
So that was what Mark had told Annabelle in
order to get her away from Kenneth. “It is nice to breathe in the
fresh air,” Natalie said, opting to say something that was honest.
While Mark hadn’t exactly lied to Annabelle, it wasn’t the full
truth, either. “And I do enjoy your company.”
“I enjoy your company, too,” Annabelle
replied. “It’s hard to find someone like you.”
“It is?”
Annabelle nodded. “The women in our social
group are nice enough, but they’re too concerned with appearances.
Everything is about making themselves and the men in their lives
look good. I don’t mind that, but I think they are putting on a
charade most of the time. With you, what I see is what I get.
You’re kind and sincere. You don’t put on a big show to make
yourself look good. You really are good.”
“Thank you.” That was one of the nicest
things Natalie had heard in a long time, besides what Mark had told
her. It was nice to hear these things from a woman.
“To be honest, I’m glad you’ll be at Margie’s
with me.”
“Do you like going to dinner parties and
social engagements?” Natalie asked.
“Long ago, I learned to be content with
whatever I’m doing,” Annabelle replied. “My family wasn’t always
doing this. I was young when we started doing this kind of thing,
but I have some recollection of what life was like before then. As
my father’s business grew, the wealthier men took an interest in
him. I know I’m biased, but I think my father designs the best
houses and businesses in Omaha. It’s easy to see why he has so much
work that he’d had to turn down some offers over the years.”
Natalie’s eyes widened. “He’s that
successful?”
She nodded. “Mark’s pretty good, too. His
tastes are a little different from our father’s. Each person has
their own way of doing things. Even if someone imitates what my
father and Mark do, I can still tell which ones my father and Mark
did. There are little things that make them different.”
Since Natalie didn’t pay much attention to
such details, she would have to take Annabelle’s word for it. She
wondered if she should mention Kenneth. Now would be a good time to
do so, but did she know Annabelle well enough to pry into her
personal life?
“What do you think of all the social
engagements and dinner parties?” Annabelle asked, breaking her out
of her thoughts.
“They’re overwhelming,” Natalie admitted.
“There are so many little rules I need to learn, like how to hold a
teacup or how to dance.”
“It is overwhelming when you’re new to
it.”
“Were you overwhelmed, too?”
“I was. It took me a year before I felt
comfortable. Don’t worry. You’ll learn everything. Just be patient
with yourself.”
Natalie hoped so. She’d hate to think that
she’d always be inadequate among the people in Mark’s social
circle.
“But you haven’t met enough people,” Natalie
heard Mark say.
She and Annabelle turned in time to see Mark
trailing right behind Kenneth as he left the ballroom. Annabelle
stood up, and Natalie followed suit.
“I met people enough for one evening,”
Kenneth said. Turning his attention to Annabelle, he smiled. “I
missed you.”
Mark rolled his eyes. Fortunately, neither
Annabelle nor Kenneth noticed it.
“I missed you, too,” Annabelle replied. She
glanced at Natalie. “I was getting better acquainted with
Natalie.”
“You should let Annabelle keep talking to
Natalie,” Mark told Kenneth. “They’re obviously getting along well.
Why not let them talk for a few more minutes?”
“I think they’ve been talking long enough.”
Kenneth turned to Annabelle and extended his arm to her. “Remember
that favorite musical piece you mentioned? I talked the orchestra
conductor into playing it next.”
Annabelle gasped. “You did?”
He nodded. “You don’t want to miss dancing to
it, do you?”
Annabelle shook her head then told Natalie,
“I’ll see you at Margie’s this week.” Then she accepted Kenneth’s
arm and hurried into the ballroom.
With a groan, Mark collapsed on the
bench.
Natalie sat beside him. “I take it that
things didn’t go the way you planned?”
“No, they didn’t. This is why I resort to
lying. Doing things the honest way doesn’t always work.”
“That’s not true. I believe honesty can
work.”
Mark shook his head. “Honesty might work for
some people, but it doesn’t work for everyone.” He sighed. “I give
up for tonight. Would you like to go home?”
“Can we leave when everyone else is still
here?”
“A couple of people have already left. We
aren’t leaving too early.”
Relieved, she got to her feet. “I’m ready to
go.”
He stood up, slipped his arm around hers and,
thankfully, escorted her home.