Twin of Ice (Montgomery/Taggert 6)

Houston paused for a moment, her hand on a rose. “I saw him in Wilson’s Mercantile and later he said good morning to us.”

“You’re not telling me everything.”

Houston turned to her sister. “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.” She told Blair about Miss Pendergast’s nasty remarks.

“I don’t like your getting mixed up with him.”

“You sound like Leander.”

“For once, he’s right!”

Houston laughed. “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?”

Houston pulled a piece of paper from inside her sleeve. “Look at this,” she said eagerly. “A messenger brought it. He’s invited me to dinner at his house.”

“So? You’re supposed to go somewhere with Leander tonight, aren’t you?”

Houston ignored the remark. “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 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. The governor will be there. Surely he’s more important than the inside of any old house.”

“You couldn’t understand what it was like,” Houston said with a faraway look in her eyes. “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.”

Idly, Houston toyed with a rose. “When we were children, we could be in two places at once.?

?

It took Blair a minute to understand. “You want us to trade places?” she gasped. “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 know 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 how 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 took a long time before she answered, but Houston could see she was weakening. “Please, please, Blair. I hardly ever ask you for anything.”

“Except to spend months 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—.”

“Oh, Blair, please,” Houston whispered. “I really do want to see his house.”

“It’s just his house you’re interested in, not Taggert?”

Houston knew she’d won. Blair was trying to act reluctant, but for some reason of her own, she was going to agree. She hoped Blair wouldn’t try to get Lee to take her to the Infirmary.

“For Heaven’s sake!” Houston said, “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.” At least, she hoped there would be. She didn’t want to be held against a wall again.

Blair suddenly smiled. “After the wedding, would you mind if I told Leander he spent an evening with me? Just to see the look on his face would be worth everything.”

“Of course you may. Lee has a very good sense of humor, and I’m sure he’ll enjoy the joke.”