Rebecca's Heart (7 page)

A sharp rap on the door jarred Rebecca from her somber thoughts. Aunt Clara entered the room with a bright smile on her sweet, wrinkled face.

“I’m almost ready,” Rebecca said.

Aunt Clara waved her hand. “Ben just arrived home and won’t be ready for another few minutes, so you’re fine.” She glanced in the mirror and pushed back a silver wisp of her hair, which was complemented by her olive-colored dress, then chuckled softly. “He’s not a bit pleased that I’m making him wear a dinner jacket to Patience’s party tonight.”

Rebecca couldn’t help but laugh, knowing very well how opposed he was to formal attire. “You know Uncle Ben would do anything for you. He adores you.”

After two and a half years of marriage, the older couple still acted like newlyweds. Rebecca frowned at the sudden thought of marriage and newlywed bliss. She still had no regrets over stopping her own nuptials, but the longing for marriage and a family still compelled her—almost as much as it frightened her.

Aunt Clara smoothed down the folds of her dress with the palms of her hands and eyed Rebecca intensely. “Why the sad look all of a sudden?”

Rebecca sat on the cream-colored quilt her grandmother had made years before. “I’m a bit homesick, I suppose.”

“Did something happen?”

“Not really.” Nothing more than foolish daydreams about a handsome shipbuilder. Hadn’t she learned her lesson about love once before? But Luke seemed so different….

“Then I believe that tonight is the perfect remedy for your doldrums.” Aunt Clara reached out to adjust Rebecca’s hair clip. “There’s nothing like a party to lift one’s spirits.”

Rebecca’s lips curled into a slight smile. “I suppose you’re right. I’ve always loved parties.”

“And you look beautiful. I’m quite certain you’ll capture the eye of at least one or two young gentlemen this evening.”

Rebecca shivered. “I think I’d prefer to be a simple wallflower than attract the attention of some interested suitor.”

“Plenty of young men regard marriage in a higher light than Jake did, you know.”

“Yes, but if a man is always going to add such complications to my life, I don’t know if I ever want to get married.”

“The right man is worth the extra complication.” Aunt Clara rested her hands against her hips and tilted her head. “Who is it?”

“Who is it?” Rebecca started at the question. Surely her unsolicited yet seemingly irrepressible interest in Luke hadn’t been obvious. “It’s no one. No one important, anyway.”

“Luke Hutton, by any chance?”

Rebecca felt her cheeks flush at the mention of Luke’s name. “How did you know?”

Aunt Clara rested her forefinger against her chin. “Let’s see. If I recall correctly, his name has been mentioned at least once over dinner most nights, and—”

“I was simply—simply sharing with you the events of my day.” Rebecca stumbled over her excuse. “He often dropped by to leave messages from his mother regarding the work I’m doing for her. Nothing more.”
Nothing more intended on his part, that is
.

“And that’s the other thing,” Aunt Clara began with a twinkle in her eye. “How many of your other clients require a personal carrier to deliver messages to you regarding their slipcovers and draperies?”

“None, but—” Rebecca closed her mouth, feeling caught.

“I’ve known his family for years, and he’s a good man.” Aunt Clara reached out and squeezed Rebecca’s hands. “Take your time and get to know him. Maybe something will come of it. On the other hand, maybe he’ll never be more than a good friend. Just don’t let the past stop you from finding out.”

Rebecca stood and wrapped her arms around the older woman’s waist. If only forgetting the past could be easier. Still, she knew Aunt Clara was right. She’d never find out what could happen between her and Luke, or any other man, if she let Jake’s actions stop her from trusting her heart again. “I know why Michaela loves you so much. She told me how wise you are.”

“I’m just an old woman who’s thankful to have been blessed by love twice in a lifetime.”

Rebecca closed her eyes and wondered if she had any chance at all to find true love—just once.

Classical music played in the background as Rebecca sipped the tangy citrus- and tea-flavored punch from a crystal cup. A number of elegantly dressed guests mingled along the outskirts of the room, but for the moment Rebecca enjoyed studying her surroundings. Mrs. Hutton had chosen to hold the party in a large room that led to the outside terrace and well-manicured gardens below. Like the rest of the house, the room held a collection of fine furniture: rosewood tables with carved grape motifs and marble tabletops, chairs with balloon-shaped backs, and a sideboard with ivory inlay. A pair of gas chandeliers, with cut-glass prisms, reflected dancing shadows on the pale pink wallpaper and added to the festive ambiance of the evening.

Across the room Aunt Clara and Uncle Ben stood talking to Mrs. Hutton beside a table laden with corned beef, seafood, pies, and other tempting delights. The gracious hostess had greeted Rebecca warmly at the door, but she’d yet to catch a glimpse of Luke. She scanned the room and tried to convince herself it didn’t matter if she had the chance to speak to Luke tonight. Surely he’d be far too busy playing host for his mother to pay any attention to her. Regardless of the fact that their families had been longtime friends, she was, in reality, only someone his family had hired. But her heart felt different. She did want to see Luke tonight. Wanted him to seek her out and make her heart quiver the way it did when he was near.

Spotting a friend from church across the room, Rebecca edged past an arrangement of shelves filled with a number of pieces of glassware, framed daguerreotypes, and other unique curios, then stopped at the light touch of someone’s fingers against her elbow.

“You look lovely tonight, Rebecca.”

Turning slowly, she found herself facing the object of her daydreams. “Luke?”

“I’m sorry if I startled you—”

“No, it’s just that—”
It’s just that I can’t seem to stop thinking about you, and now here you are
.

Her heart fluttered out of rhythm. This time her nervousness left her uncharacteristically tongue-tied. Clean shaven and elegant in his matching charcoal-gray coat, vest, and trousers, he looked as if he’d come straight from the tailor rather than from a day’s work at the shipyard.

Luke cleared his throat. “Do you like the punch?”

Rebecca stared at her empty glass. “Yes. It’s quite refreshing.”

The corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement. “I believe the recipe comes from Mrs. Lincoln’s
What to Do and What Not to Do in Cooking
.“

“And I believe you’re teasing me.” She felt her cheeks flush, something that was becoming too frequent when in Luke’s presence.

“Far from it.” He stared back at her. “You have an unreserved passion about everything that goes on around you, from Mrs. Lincoln’s recipes to things of much weightier importance, like the quilts you’re making for the orphans. You know my mother’s eager to get involved with the project.”

If she’d been the delicate type of female, she was sure she would have swooned by now. Could it be that her instincts were correct and Luke Hutton was interested in her?

Another man, with bright red hair and dressed as elegantly as Luke, stepped up behind him and slapped him on the back. “Luke, why haven’t you introduced me to your beautiful companion?”

Luke flashed his friend a look of amusement. “Rebecca, this is Raymond Miller. He’s an old—and ornery, might I add—friend of the family.”

“Shameful, isn’t he? And a pity for you, Luke, that the
Liberty
leaves in a mere two weeks,” Raymond said with a wide grin. “I don’t suppose I could steal her away for the next dance now, could I?”

Before Rebecca could come up with an excuse to decline the invitation graciously, Luke grasped her forearm lightly with his fingers and drew her toward the dance floor. “Not a chance, sailor.”

The music stopped then, and Luke placed her empty cup on one of the tables. “Shall I have the honor of dancing the next waltz with you?”

“Of course.” She smiled at his protective manner.

Before she could take another breath, she was in his arms and floating across the room. For a man who worked with his hands and spent most of his time outdoors, he was an excellent dance partner. The intent way he looked down at her left her with no more doubts about his intentions. Clearly he wasn’t simply being polite.

Luke rested his gloved hand lightly against Rebecca’s waist and breathed in the sweet scent of her perfume. He’d promised himself one dance with her before telling her the truth about his upcoming voyage—before he was caught up even further by her charms. Unfortunately, he was fully aware he had already lost his heart to her.

While the small orchestra played the three-quarter tempo piece, Luke kept his gaze focused on Rebecca. At least a dozen other eligible young women were in the room, each dressed in their finest silks and many showing obvious interest in his status as a wealthy bachelor. But for now Rebecca had his full attention. Despite the fact that etiquette required that he mingle with the other guests throughout the evening and avoid dancing with the same partner, he planned to find a way to prolong their time together.

“Whose idea was this party?” Light from the chandeliers caught the flecks of gold in Rebecca’s eyes as she posed the question.

“Originally the idea was mine.” Luke drew her slightly closer. “My mother would never have arranged something like this for herself. I’d wanted to surprise her with a few friends over, but those friends, deciding it was a wonderful idea, took matters into their own hands. Before I knew it, half of Boston had been invited.”

Rebecca’s soft laugh chimed like one of his mother’s crystal pieces. “And the surprise part?”

Luke grinned. “Mother found out about it weeks ago. It’s impossible to keep a secret from her.”

“Why is it that mothers never seem to miss a single detail of what’s going on around them?”

The musical piece would come to an end soon, and he knew he had to talk to her. Ignoring the reality of the situation wouldn’t change anything. In fact, it would only make matters worse. He’d realized that when he’d introduced her to Raymond, who’d almost given the situation away when he brought up the
Liberty
. He was thankful he’d been able to distract her by asking her to dance. She’d never forgive him if she found out the truth from someone else. And he’d already waited far too long to tell her.

Still, his heart told him to pull her closer in his arms and beg her to wait for him until he returned. But he’d never do that to her. If only things were different and he wasn’t leaving. If only he wasn’t facing months of solitude at sea without the sweetness of her face to brighten his day.

“Rebecca, there’s something I need to talk to you about. I was wondering if we could stroll in the garden for a few minutes.”

Her eyes widened. With interest? He hoped so.

“You’re the host tonight. What if your guests need you?”

“I’m sure they can spare me for a few minutes.”

“All right, then.”

Rebecca took Luke’s arm and let him escort her across the floor. With scores of beautiful women filling the room, she couldn’t help but feel a thrill that he wanted to spend time with her. And a walk in the garden meant he wanted to prolong their time together. Aunt Clara had been right in her advice. Rebecca couldn’t let what Jake had done stop her from finding love again. It was certainly too early to know if Luke was the one God had chosen for her, but it was time to take a chance and find out.