“I saw him in Wilson’s Mercantile and later he said good morning to us.”
Blair studied Houston and saw that there was an unnatural flush in her cheeks, as if she were very excited about something. “You’re not telling me everything.”
“I probably shouldn’t have involved myself, but Mr. Taggert looked as if he were getting angry and I wanted to prevent a quarrel. Unfortunately, it was at Mary Alice’s expense.” Houston then told a story about Mary Alice Pendergast’s baiting of Taggert, of referring to him as a coal miner, of turning her nose up at him. And Houston had taken Taggert’s side.
Blair was stunned that Houston would involve herself in something that wasn’t any of her business, but worse, Blair didn’t like the look of Taggert. He looked capable of doing anything to anybody. And, too, she’d heard many references to the man and his cronies, men like Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, Rockefeller. “I don’t like your getting mixed up with him.”
“You sound like Leander.”
“For once, he’s right!” Blair snapped.
“Perhaps we should mark this day in the family Bible. Blair, after tonight, I swear I’ll never even mention Mr. Taggert’s name.”
“Tonight?” Blair had a feeling that what she should do right now was run, not walk, to the nearest place of safety. When they were children, Houston had been able to involve her in several projects with unhappy endings—all of which Blair had been blamed for. No one could believe that sweet, demure Houston was capable of disobedience.
“Look at this. A messenger brought it. He’s invited me to dinner at his house.” Houston pulled a note from inside her sleeve and handed it to Blair.
“So? You’re supposed to go somewhere with Leander tonight, aren’t you?”
“Blair, you don’t seem to realize what a stir that house has caused in this town. Everyone has tried to get an invitation to see the inside of it. People have come from all over the state to see it, but no one has ever been invited in. Once, it was even put to Mr. Taggert that an English duke who was passing through should be allowed to stay in the house, but Mr. Taggert wouldn’t even listen to the committee. And now I’ve been invited.”
“But you have to go somewhere else,” Blair persisted. “The governor will be there. Surely he’s more important than the inside of any old house.”
Houston got an odd look on her face, the same one she’d had that morning when she’d gazed up at that hulking house. “You couldn’t understand what it was like. Year after year we watched the train unload its goods. Mr. Gates said the owner didn’t build a spur line to the house site because he wanted everyone to see everything going all the way through town. There were crates of goods from all over the world. Oh, Blair, I know they must have been filled with furniture. And tapestries! Tapestries from Brussels.”
“Houston, you cannot be in two places at once. You promised to go to the reception and you must go,” she said flatly, hoping to end the matter. Of the two men, Leander was definitely the lesser evil.
“When we were children, we could be in two places at once,” Houston said, as if it were the simplest statement in the world.
Blair was sure her breath stopped. “You want us to trade places? You want me to spend an evening with Leander, pretending I like him, while you go see some lecherous man’s house?”
“What do you know about Kane to call him lecherous?”
“Kane, is it? I thought you didn’t now him?”
“Don’t change the subject. Blair, please trade places with me. Just for one night. I’d go another night but I’m afraid Mr. Gates would forbid it, and I’m not sure Leander would want me to go either, and I’ll never get another opportunity like this. Just one last fling before I get married.”
“You make marriage sound like death. Besides, Leander would know I wasn’t you in a minute.”
“Not if you behaved yourself. You know that we’re both good actresses. Look at ho
w I pretend to be an old woman every Wednesday. All you have to do is be quiet and not start an argument with Lee, and refrain from talking about medicine and walk like a lady instead of looking like you’re running to a fire.”
Blair’s mind was reeling. Ever since she’d returned to Chandler she had been frantically worried about her sister, afraid that all her spirit had been suppressed. This was the first sign of life Houston’d shown in a week. It was like when they were children, getting into scrapes, pretending to be each other, and laughing hilariously together later.
But what about Leander? All he had to do was start teasing Blair about being a lady doctor and…
Her head came up. Leander never teased Houston, and for one night she’d be Houston. And, too, this would be her chance to reassure herself that Leander really was the wonderful man both Opal and Houston said he was. She would be able to satisfy herself that, when they were alone, Lee and Houston were right for each other, that they were in love.
“Please, please, Blair. I hardly ever ask you for anything.”
“Except to spend weeks in the house of our stepfather whom you know I detest. To spend weeks in the company of that self-congratulating man I think you intend to marry. To—,” Blair said, but she was smiling. She could return to Pennsylvania in peace if she were sure her sister was going to be happy.
“Oh, Blair, please. I really do want to see this house.”
“It’s just his house you’re interested in, not Taggert?”
“For Heaven’s sake! I’ve been to hundreds of dinner parties and I haven’t yet been swept off my feet by the host. Besides, there’ll be other people there.”