Chapter Four

James placed his hands on Victoria's shoulders, kneeling down slightly. Victoria turned her head around, smiling slightly. Unconsciously, she held the flower tighter in her lily-white hands. She stood up, pulling away from him, swallowing painfully.

"When did you arrive?" Victoria asked with a cordial tone that was forced. Her back was facing James.

"A few minutes ago," James replied, not noticing Victoria's discomfort.

"What a pleasant surprise!" Victoria tried to exclaim with a forced cheerfulness. She placed the flower in her basket and started walking.

"You look very nice," James complimented, perhaps a bit stupidly.

Victoria glanced at herself. She was wearing her sky blue garden dress and her wide brimmed straw hat. She saw nothing "nice" about her dress. But then, James was always courteous, even if he was as blind as a bat sometimes. "Thank you," she said somewhat stiffly.

"You are coming up to the Hamptons this summer?" James asked, walking along with Victoria.

Victoria nodded, relieved that the conversation had taken on a different tack. "Yes, Aunt Grace has given me her permission, and Serena has agreed to come with me," she said pleasantly

"I will be looking forward to the visit," James remarked with feeling.

Victoria turned around and stopped, smiling. "So will I," she said, suddenly filled with genuine warmth. She slipped her arm through his. For now, there was an unspoken peace between them.

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There was a tall shadow approaching her. Victoria looked up from her spot on the grass. She picked off a blade of grass viciously when she realized who the stranger was. Vernon knelt down next to her, a smile on his face.

"Hello there," Vernon greeted. He was silent for a few seconds before speaking. "James is up from New York?" he guessed, studying Victoria's profile.

Victoria nodded, her knees tucked under her chin. "Yes, he is," she replied, her fingers playing with the blade of grass.

"Why aren't you up there then?" Vernon asked, referring to her home.

Victoria shrugged, not wanting to answer. "I needed some time to think. Even though I am devoted to James, I really cannot spend all of my time with him." She waved a hand at the river. "Isn't it lovely, the Charles River? But then you probably know this better than I. You have been living here longer than I."

Vernon glanced at Victoria' profile, wondering at her tone of voice. "Yes, the scenery has always been lovely. But I really am not one to take note of such things," he admitted sheepishly.

Victoria bent the blade of grass in her hands. "I have never noticed its beauty until now, you know. It has always escaped me." She laughed a little, even though it was weak. "I suppose other things have always occupied me."

Vernon tentatively seated himself comfortably next to her, his legs crossed neatly. "Is something bothering you?"

Those innocent blue-green eyes looked up at Vernon. Her eyes met his for a brief moment before looking away. "Why would you ask that?"

Vernon frowned slightly. "You don't sound very elated."

"You would not understand," Victoria said softly, the blade of grass dropping from her fingers.

Vernon was annoyed. "Try me," he suggested.

For one desperate moment, Victoria considered doing just that. But she could not. She could not reveal her soul to one who was hurt by Amanda. He would undoubtedly use her secrets to hurt her and her family. Didn't it always come down to revenge? Revenge? No. "No, I will not burden you with my problems, Vernon," she answered somewhat hastily. She stood up and looked at Vernon.

"Come on and walk with me. I do believe I need some exercise." Without waiting to see if Vernon would accept her sudden offer, Victoria stood up and started walking rapidly next to the path by the river.

Victoria silently watched Vernon from the corner of her eye. Until now, she had purposely kept herself a few steps ahead of him. But now, she had something important to ask, and it could not wait any longer. Instinctively, she stopped and waited for Vernon to catch up with her. When he did, instead of letting him pass by, Victoria placed a hand on his arm. "Will you be at the ball tonight?" she asked, surprised with herself for asking such a question.

Vernon stopped walking and turned around. He glanced momentarily at Victoria's hand before looking up. "Unless something detains me, expect me there."

Victoria nodded, a bubble of joy spurting up from some unknown spring. "Yes," she whispered. She turned slightly to meet Vernon's eyes, the wind blowing a few strands of hair onto her face. She impatiently brushed them away.

"Will you save me a waltz?" Vernon asked curiously, placing a few fingers over her hand on his arm.

Victoria blushed. "If you wish," she replied quietly. "But you need not feel obliged just because -- "

"I would never feel obliged to anyone," Vernon said sternly, although he was secretly pleased by Victoria's answer. He held out a hand to Victoria.

Victoria lowered her head, staring at Vernon's hand. She had her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Tentatively, she placed a few fingers into his hand. James, a little voice whispered. What about James? But Victoria gave no heed to that little voice.

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It is perhaps one of the most well-known, unspoken of adages: True love can withstand even the most fearful of obstacles. However, let us note that it was not true love between Victoria and James. As it has been stated before, Victoria was only fond of James. However, it was evident that James was very much in love with Victoria, as the dowagers noted with their condescending approbation.

"Who are you looking for?" James asked kindly, puzzled by Victoria's stern expression.

Victoria started and smiled brightly at James. Had she been looking for anyone? "No one in particular. Just studying all the guests."

"Where were you this afternoon?" James asked as he offered his arm.

"Oh, I walked along the Charles River," answered Victoria a bit guiltily, ignoring the proffered arm.

"By yourself?" James asked solicitously, feeling disappointed that Victoria disregarded his offer. "I would have gone with you if you wanted me to. You need not have burdened yourself to go alone. You must have been very lonely."

"I must dislike myself if my own company is burdening, James. Sometimes solitude is a very nice thing," she added firmly, involuntarily glancing at Vernon, who had just entered the ballroom and was politely chatting with one of Boston society's beauties.

James smiled, not noticing the irritated tone in Victoria's voice. "Father is looking forward to meeting you. He says it seems that I have finally fallen in love with a young lady of sense," he said proudly as if he were a six year old boy.

"Really?" Victoria asked absently, watching Vernon.

James nodded, glowing. He did not notice Victoria's furtive glances at Vernon. "Yes, he told me so. Are you not pleased, Victoria?"

Victoria looked up, blinking blankly. "Oh, yes, yes, I am very pleased," she rambled on, having not listened to a thing James had said.

James nodded, stupidly pleased. "I will tell father that you said that."

Victoria's expression suddenly turned pale. However, before James could see and comment upon the change, she swiftly turned to him and smiled with an ingenuine gaiety. "Isn't this ballroom lovely?" she asked in her usual voice, although it could have a bit higher and more gayer than normal. For the rest of the evening, Vernon was ignored by this virtuous young lady and did not dance the waltz that he was promised.

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Vernon seated himself next to Victoria on the bench in her garden, carefully pulling up his pants to prevent them from dragging on the ground. He was silent, watching Victoria play with the flowers in her hands, absently gazing out at the environment around her. He was tempted to place a hand over Victoria's, but did not.

"Do you think you will like the Hamptons?" Vernon asked thoughtfully.

Victoria's hands stopped fidgeting; she was brought out of her reverie. "Vernon. I did not realize you were here," she greeted. She glanced down at her hands. "What did you ask me again?"

"Do you think that you will like the Hamptons?" Vernon asked again.

"Oh, I'm sure I will," Victoria answered in a reasonably pleasant tone. "James and his family will be there, and from all accounts, they seem to be a very charitable family. But as for the Hamptons itself, I am not sure. I have never been down there."

Vernon nodded, taking his gaze away from Victoria's profile and staring out into the horizon. "I have been down there before. The beaches are quite beautiful and very romantic."

Victoria looked alarmed. She switched her seat to a boulder and forced a smile to break the uncomfortable silence. The flowers fell to the ground, unheeded. "What didn't you like about the place, Vernon?"

"The people," Vernon replied thoughtfully with a grimace.

Victoria laughed lightly, crossing her ankles. "No, I suppose I will not have very good company in the Hamptons, but James will be there. Surely there will be no better company than him."

Vernon lowered his eyelids, nodding. His gloved hand moved to rest on his knee. "No, I doubt there will be better company for you than James," he said in agreement, his smile somewhat stiff.

"I am glad you think so," Victoria said gaily. She spun her head to look at Vernon. There was a hushed silence.

"Glad you think what?" James interrupted, walking into the gardens.

Vernon turned around with an expressionless face; Victoria turned pale, but quickly recovered herself. She held out her hands to James, forcing a bright smile.

"James, I did not know you were here," Victoria greeted with false gaiety, looking up at him, although her eyes were averted. "You are looking very well."

James leaned over and kissed Victoria on the cheek. He pulled back slowly, smiling. "What were you talking about?" he prodded.

Victoria smiled. "About my future visit to the Hamptons, James." She laughed. "Vernon here has been kind enough to tell me about the Hamptons. Wasn't that nice of him, James?"

Somehow, both forgot that Vernon was there. Yet there was something ingenuine about Victoria's attentions to James; only Vernon noticed that.

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It was a Thursday in the Creston home. Thursdays meant that Grace's fellow women church members all met at Grace's home and sewed thick, downy quilts for the various orphanages and poor families in Boston. It was part of their keeping their consciences in tact, and of doing their duty.

A few of Grace's fellow female church members always met in Grace's sewing room, with the door firmly shut so that they could have a good, satisfying gossip hour. However, this Thursday, unlike other Thursdays, the sewing room door was somewhat open. Either the women forgot to close it or Stern forgot to close it behind him after he served the tea. However, providence had intervened this day and had allowed Serena to discreetly listen in on their conversation.

"Adelaide Byons seems to be ill again," Mrs. Stella Stewart remarked. She shook out her half-finished quilt.

Miss Elizabeth Kurst, the only old maid in the group, smiled in her usually inane and kind way. "Yes, but her ladyship has a poor constitution."

Mrs. Andrea Alstear snorted. "The day Adelaide has a poor constitution is the day my boy will walk again," she retorted caustically, referring to her paralyzed son eleven year old son.

Mrs. Georgiana Cearst sighed in her usually melancholy way. "Well, if Adelaide did take ill, I do not blame her. Did you hear about her son's latest escapade?"

"William?" Mrs. Alstear asked with minor interest, jabbing her sewing needle viciously into the material. "That boy is always in trouble. His mother spoiled him dreadfully, his being the only child and all."

Miss Kurst shook her head and said benignly, "But he is such a sweet young man, Andrea. I have never seen him act without propriety."

Mrs. Alstear exchanged glances with the other two ladies and nodded knowingly. Elizabeth Kurst may have been kind, but she was as a blind as a bat and as foolish. It was no wonder she was never wed. Which reasonable man would have her? "Well, he may be kind to you, Eliza dearie, but William is not an angel, if that's what you're implying," she said acidly.

Mrs. Stewart nodded in agreement, eager to hear Mrs. Cearst's story about William. "Of course. Now do tell, all, Georgiana. There is no point in keeping a secret about William. The whole town will know anyhow, Georgiana," she said persuasively and sweetly.

Mrs. Cearst sighed as if she were making a big sacrifice. "Yes, well, it seems William has taken up with a new mistress," she said softly, glancing around her to make sure Grace was not near. Grace had never tolerated gossip in her house. And William being one of her daughter's many beaux...

Serena gasped audibly, placing a hand over her mouth. Why, Mrs. Cearst must be wrong, she thought to herself, giving a small snort. William is not a loose man nor is he a rake. He loves me, she thought haughtily. And no young lady could hold a candle to me, she thought proudly. But her thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. Alstear's gloomy remark.

"Well, what did you expect?" Mrs. Alstear demanded grimly. "He had two children with his last four mistresses, Georgiana. The Byons will see the end of it with him as the family head."

All pride and defiance slipped out as Serena's body went rigid when she heard Mrs. Alstear. No, this can't be true, her mind tried to say firmly. William told me that he loves me, and that he wants to marry me. William said...

"Grace's daughter is a fool if she thinks all of William's proclamations of love are true," Mrs. Stewart said sardonically. She shook her head in pity. "Poor girl. She will be terribly heartbroken just like all the other former debutantes."

Serena shook her head, frowning. What other debutantes? she asked, perplexed. William told me...

"Well, what do you expect?" Mrs. Alstear demanded with resignation. "Serena Watson is an innocent thing, although she may put on airs about being the most sophisticated debutante Boston ever saw, dearie. Just like all the others. I'm surprised Grace hasn't said anything yet."

"You know Grace," Mrs. Stewart said softly, raising her eyebrows. "She won't think ill of anyone until she sees the person being terrible with her own eyes."

"Well, she'll rue the day she allowed William to court Serena," Mrs. Alstear declared. "Nor do I believe William will ever marry Serena. He didn't marry the others. There's no reason for him to make an exception with Serena unless he lost the family fortune at the table," she said cynically. She rose from her seat, carefully folding all the finished quilts. She and other ladies looked up, startled, when Serena knocked on the half-open door.

Serena smiled disarmingly, taking careful dainty steps as she entered the sewing room. "Good afternoon, ladies. I am so terribly sorry to interrupt your work, but I was looking for mother..."

"Grace?" Elizabeth Kurst asked pleasantly, shaking her finished quilt. "She has been in the other room with the other ladies."

Serena blushed prettily and shook her head. She laughed, throwing her head back. "Dear me. I've been so stupid. You see, I know sometimes mother is in this room, so I thought to check here first. You must forgive me."

Mrs. Stewart smiled in an almost benign fashion. "Certainly, dearie. It isn't your fault. Now, run along and find your mother. You must have something important to ask her."

Serena curtsied and rushed out of the room. Mrs. Alstear narrowed her eyes rather suspiciously. "Do you suppose she heard every word we said?" she demanded of the other ladies in the room.

Mrs. Cearst glanced up, surprised. "Serena? Why, Serena is the paragon of propriety, Andrea. She wouldn't do that, although I wouldn't put it past her cousin, Victoria."

"She did look rather pale though," Mrs. Stewart ventured timidly. "But no, I honestly do not think -- "

"Enough of this nonsense," Mrs. Alstear snapped. "We haven't the whole day to fritter away. And if Serena did hear our conversation, I suppose I should be glad of it. She might have gotten some sense into that empty, pretty head of hers. Her mother isn't giving that to her, that is for certain, ladies." She clapped her hands, urging everyone to hurry with her sewing.

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Serena entered the library, vexed to find Victoria standing at the window. She needed this room to compose her thoughts... and a note to William. She had to...

"Well, aren't you missing James," Serena cooed cattily, her arms crossed. She shut the door firmly behind her. She wasn't going to be stupid like her mother's friends and leave the door wide open for other ears to hear.

Victoria turned around from the window. "Of course I miss James, Serena," she said calmly.

"You honestly do not think that he will propose to you, do you?" Serena asked spitefully, obviously in a worse mood than usual. "You don't think he is in love with you? After all you're only the daughter of an earl, and James belongs to the cream of New York society."

Victoria raised her head, extremely puzzled by her cousin's virulent outburst. But she was also extremely tired of being patient with Serena. "You are acting perfectly ridiculous, Serena. Are you afraid that I will steal your beaux? After a while, whenever James is not here, I am not lonely for company. Most of your former beaux have come to me for conversation and flattery." Serena turned red, but Victoria continued mercilessly. "Fear not, Serena, there is no one for me but James, as there is no one for you but William, I suppose." She smiled sweetly. "But you should really take care, Serena. I've seen you and William in the park and at the balls. Your behavior really speaks volumes about you." She laughed softly, turning on her heel and left the room, leaving Serena speechless and overcome with outrage.

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Serena took the note from Stern with a small smile on her face and turned to her mother. She had to know what her mother thought of William before she actually did anything. She had to know if the those old gossips were right... she had to know if William was really deceiving her. She couldn't take deception, especially not from William.

"Mother," Serena said casually.

Grace did not look up from her knitting. "Yes, dear?"

Serena smiled artlessly, slipping the note into her pocket. "Was your quilting session successful... and productive?"

Grace nodded, smiling a little. "Yes. Who was that note from?"

Serena waved her hand, dismissing the question. "From one of the other girls probably about some small intimate picnic." She smiled innocently. "Mother..."

"Yes, Serena?" Grace asked absently.

Serena sighed. "What do you think of William?"

"William Byons?" Grace asked, feigning surprise. "He is a nice person, but isn't he too old for you?"

"He is only seven years older than I, mother, but Victoria has James," Serena objected. "James is ten years older."

Grace sighed, seeing that the age argument would not work. "Well, yes, I suppose you are right there."

"But what do you think of him, mother? Does he have a good reputation amongst the dowagers?" Serena asked, leaning back casually in her chair.

Grace stopped knitting and glanced shrewdly at her daughter. "I don't know William very well, Serena. As for the dowagers... they do not ill of him, but then they certainly do not think he is the greatest person who has ever lived."

"Really?" Serena asked with a forced nonchalance in her tone. "But then William is so daring, mother," she added, forcing herself to giggle.

Grace raised an eyebrow, pausing. "Yes, he is very daring, isn't he? I suppose that is why he is so attractive to the debutantes. Personally, I prefer someone like Vernon or James. But I suppose that is just me," she added with a slight smile.

Serena sighed. "William is not my only beau, mother," she assured, yawning. "I have so many that all the other girls are wildly jealous. But I don't mind. I have no intention of giving up my crown as debutante of the year."

"No, not many girls do," Grace remarked, amused.

Serena rose from her seat on the ottoman and spread out her arms. "Good-night, mother. I am rather tired, and there is a ball tomorrow night."

Grace raised her cheek to receive Serena's perfunctory kiss. "Yes. Good-night, dear."

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Victoria woke up the next morning, after their little quarrel, to find that Serena had already risen and had taken herself out to the park. Victoria sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes to make sure she was not imagining things. She slipped out from underneath her covers and walked towards the dressing table, finding a pink envelope with her name written on it. Victoria took the envelope and opened it, carefully reading the note.

"Dear Victoria,

I am going to be out for the next three hours. In order for you to be able to lie for me, I will tell you the truth. Last night, I received a note from William, asking me to meet him at the pavilion in the park. It is important that I do so this time, and perhaps someday I will tell you why. Please tell mother that I am resting in bed. I know that mother will be occupied right after breakfast. If you know what being in love is really like, then please do this for me, Victoria. Please.

Serena."

Victoria refolded the note, raising her eyes to look at herself in the mirror. She shook her head at first, not understanding why it was so urgent for Serena to meet William this early in the morning. But then she had never understood Serena as well as she wanted to. Sighing, Victoria opened her drawer and placed the note there, entering her dressing room to get ready for breakfast. The matter was never spoken of again.

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Careful not to show the expression in her eyes, Serena allowed William to embrace her. She rested her head on his shoulder, not bothering to wrap her arms around his waist as she usually did. There was an expression of askance on her face as she waited for William to break the silence; on his clothes, there was the smell of a distinct and expensive Parisian perfume. It was not hers.

"What's wrong, darling?" William slurred, half-drunk. He pulled away to look at Serena.

Serena forced a flirtatious smile, wrinkling her nose. "William, have you been drinking in the morning again?"

William chuckled, swaying from side to side. "Me, Serena? Yes, I've drunken a little." He threw one arm around Serena's waist. "But then you know I drink. You've never minded it much, have you, sweetheart?"

Serena pulled away from the weak hold William had on her. She turned her back to him, clutching the straps of her purse tightly. In a carefully controlled, emotionless voice, she asked, "William, where were you all evening?"

William, who by now had seated himself on the pavilion bench, because of his headache, looked up, grinning stupidly. "Why, I was right here, Serena, waiting for you. I always wait for you and only you, darling," he said, slurring his "r's".

Serena looked up at the skies. The skies had suddenly turned dark and forbidding. She turned her torso and her head to peek at William. "Were you really here all night?" she asked in contempt. "Or were you enjoying yourself in your mistress' bed?" she asked tauntingly.

William turned dark red and rose in a threatening manner. His hands placed at his waist, he demanded angrily, "Who told you I had a mistress? What business do you have wanting to know?"

Serena could no longer force herself to put on a nonchalant facade. The color of her face became a chalk white paste as she stared at William in horror and in disbelief. "Then it's true," she whispered more to herself than to William. "You do have a mistress. They were right."

William, seeing that Serena's defenses were weakening, decided to take advantage. Gently placed his hands on Serena's shoulders, he crooned, "Serena, whoever told you that I had a mistress is wrong. Didn't I say that I loved you and that I wanted to marry you? That my heart -- "

Serena pushed William away savagely, her luminous black eyes full of pain and hatred. "Liar," she hissed. "You yourself right now admitted that you have a mistress," she remarked acidly. "How dare you try to deny that now? I surprised you, didn't I?" she demanded, laughing bitterly.

William tried to grab Serena's arm, but to no avail. She was too quick for him. Serena took three steps away from him, but then slapped him with all the brutal force within her. William looked at Serena in shock, a long red mark on his left cheek.

"How dare you deceive me!" Serena screamed, not caring if anyone was in the park at this moment. "How dare you lie to me and tell me that you love me when all you wanted was another pretty girl's heart to break!" William tried to speak, but Serena would not let him. She raised an eyebrow mockingly and threw her head back, laughing wickedly. "You thought that I was like all the other girls, didn't you, William?" she sneered to hide her pain. "Well, I'm not like any of those ninnies, I assure you of that." She spun around on her heel, walking down the steps of the pavilion. When she was on the grass, she turned majestically and smiled scornfully. "You'll rue the day you betrayed Serena Watson, William. I'll make sure you're never revered as you once were in society again," she said, emphasizing that last word in her sentence.

"Never."