“Well, wine is the perfect cure for shyness, eh?” Olivia replied, laughing approvingly. “Greta, dear, what would ye like to drink?” she asked the old lady.
“I’ll have a wee tipple of ale, lass, thank ye. The wine doesnae agree with me so much these days. Ale is better for me stomach. But nae too much, mind.”
“I’ll nae bring ye a tankard then,” Olivia told her, pouring wine for herself and Eileen and filling a crystal glass with ale for the old lady.
They sat with their drinks, admiring the decorations as well as the guests. Having already partaken of quite a lot of drink, they were growing more exuberant by the minute.
But then Greta remarked, “Ye ken, ’tis traditional for the Laird and his lady wife to be the first on the dance floor, Olivia. Me grandson’s bein’ remiss in nae askin’ ye to dance.”
Olivia blushed as she glanced over to where Edan was talking with Zander and a couple of other gentlemen. “I think he’s just busy at the moment, Greta. ’Tis a hard job bein’ the host. Why, the party’s hardly started. I’m sure he’ll get round to askin’ me soon,” she replied, forcing a smile as she turned back to Greta.
She hid her blush behind her wine goblet, wondering if Edan would come and ask her to dance or if he intended to virtually ignore her all evening. It upset her to think Greta might have noticed that something was wrong between them.
“Do ye think any of the gentlemen will ask me to dance, Olivia?” Eileen asked eagerly, growing more animated now that she had drunk some wine. “Och, ye ken I love dancin’.”
“I think ye can be certain of it, darling,” Olivia replied, glad to have her sister there to distract her from her worries about Edan.
Greta chuckled. “Just give it a little time, and they’ll be fallin’ over each other to dance with a beautiful lassie like ye, Eileen. I wager there are eyes on ye right now—ye just dinnae ken it.”
Olivia laughed. “Aye, I have a feeling ye’re goin’ to be very busy this evenin’, and that ye’ll have very sore feet in the mornin’,” she told her sister.
Eileen smiled beatifically, tapping her toes in time to the music as she said, “Then I hope for very sore feet, indeed!”
After an hour or so, the party was in full swing. The dance floor was packed already, and Greta’s assurance to Eileen proved to be prophetic. It had not been long until a good-looking young man had come and invited her to dance. Clearly thrilled, Eileen had accepted, and they had not seen her since, except to catch glimpses of her, rosy-cheeked, hair and skirts flying as she was spun around the dance floor by a succession of partners.
Though she too would have loved to dance, Olivia remained seated with Greta, watching Edan’s back as he conversed with a stream of guests and some of his advisors. Even Zander was dancing.
“’Tis so nice to see me sister havin’ a good time,” she remarked to Greta to mask how fed up she was.
Greta nodded, but she gave her a look of concern. “Aye, it is, lass, but ye should be doin’ the same.”
“Well, I will if somebody asks me to dance,” Olivia replied.
At that moment, Greta looked over Olivia’s shoulder and smiled. Olivia did not need to look to see who had come to stand behind her chair. She sensed it was Edan immediately.
“Are ye all right, ladies? Have ye got everythin’ ye need?” he asked.
“Aye, lad. Olivia here has been lookin’ after me very well,” Greta replied. “But I ken she’d like to dance,” she added pointedly.
Olivia blushed furiously. The last thing she wanted was for him to be forced to dance with her.
“’Tis quite all right, Greta. I’m happy stayin’ here with ye,” she said hurriedly, hoping Edan would ask her to dance anyway.
But all he said was, “That’s all right, then. I’ll come back and check on ye a bit later,” and then he walked off.
Is this how ’tis always goin’ to be? A lifetime of bein’ shut out in the cold by a man who will never love me?
Olivia was mortified, and although Greta did not say anything, she pursed her lips, looking worried.
“Have ye two had a fallin’ out?” she asked.
Olivia was taken aback and scrambled for an answer that would not upset the old lady. She could hardly tell her the truth.
“Nay, nae at all,” she lied.
“Then why is he nae payin’ ye any attention?”
“Och, he’s just busy with his hostin’ duties,” Olivia replied awkwardly, knowing Greta would see right through her paper-thin excuse. “I’m sure he will later on.”
