promised. "I'll come as early as you want. What time
do you want me?"
I had to laugh.
"Let me catch my breath, Samuel. You're
making me dizzy spinning and jumping and making
these dramatic pronouncements like some town crier." "I want to; I want to keep you dizzy with
surprises and happiness," he said. "I've got to go home
to tell my father the good news, and then be back in
three hours to take you to Nelson Childs' engagement
party. We'll steal the limelight," he promised, slapping
his hands together.
He started out of the room and then turned and
rushed back to plant a quick kiss on my cheek. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you for making
me the happiest man in the world."
He turned and left me sitting there, dazed, the
diamond glittering under the light of the lamp beside
me, my heart galloping.
What a wonderful surprise this will be for
Mother, I thought as I stood up. My legs felt a bit
weak under me as the realization of what had
happened sunk in. I was engaged and to a very
handsome man. In a
sweeping moment, I was ahead
of Belinda again and the proper thing would happen:
the older daughter would be married first. Mother
would surely be pleased and she so needed something
to make her happy and bring a smile to her weak, thin
face.
As I started for the stairway, I heard a voice
within me ask, "But do you love him, Olivia?" I paused.