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Her smile wavered before she quickly collected herself and forced it back. However, her grandfather was too astute.
“Do you object with my choice?”
“No, of course not, it’s just I was hoping to spend the evening with Rosalee and Trista.” The girls were closer in age to Erika and had been dear friends since childhood.
“It’s important that you maintain an appearance of proper etiquette in social functions. The girlish behavior you exhibit with your young friends is not acceptable. It’s best you restrain your acquaintance with them to private visits.”
Erika nodded her head, keeping her chin down so as not to reveal any more of her disappointment.
“Shall we leave?” He offered her his elbow and led her out to the waiting coach. The town square was not far and the drive would be short which Erika was glad.
On a cold evening such as it was, long drives in the carriage were frightfully chilly. Though the calendar dictated spring was to have arrived earlier that day, Mother Nature had other ideas. Temperatures had yet to begin to rise and snow still covered the ground this late in March.
The festivities were to commence in the Snowden Dining Hall, a grand establishment that housed a lavish restaurant and entertainment hall. Her grandfather had built it years before in the main core of town. It had been one of many establishments he had opened when he first located to the area twenty years ago. Since then, he had founded the town’s first bank and loan company, a slew of retail shops and the areas very first opera house. A place Erika had been known to produce some theatrical productions of her own.
He had always said, however, the town’s greatest asset was the lake, which brought in tourists by the boatload, and only a fool businessman would pass on such a lucrative opportunity. It was this astute thinking that earned him the respect and admiration of his fellow peers. When it was decided Placid was large enough to be incorporated into a town, Gerald Snowden was a natural choice to act as parliament representative.
Inside the hall, they headed for the grand dining room already overflowing with people and the heavy scent of ladies perfume. Instinctively, she searched out Ryan hoping he had indeed found a way back into town that night. She sighed with disappointment when his handsome face was nowhere to be seen.
Mrs. Westbrook and Mrs. Delbridge approached her at which point her grandfather took his leave. Though it might have been socially expected, Erika couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Being nearly half their age, she found their conversation trifling and often would find herself drifting off while they droned on nonstop about some social bee.
It was during one of these chattering sessions she noticed her grandfather across the hall in a heated discussion with Jay Colby. Curious, she considered going over, but just at that moment her grandfather turned on an angry snort and left Jay standing alone. The younger, but much larger man then turned and left as well. She made her excuses to the ladies before hurrying after her guardian.
“Grandfather, what was that between you and Jay Colby?” Erika frowned at the unfamiliar fire dancing in the back of his eyes. Even as he attempted to bring his temper under control, she realized in all her years that she had never seen her grandfather looking so discomposed.
“That young man is the most stubborn, mule-headed——” He broke off abruptly and forced a smile to his lips. “Never mind, my dear, let’s not let Jay Colby ruin both our evening. Do go and enjoy yourself.”
He patted her hands, then left her standing there feeling perplexed, before a very familiar feeling gnawed at her insides and had her turning irritably in search of Jay Colby. She found him near the far wall, one hand leaning against it, as he stood bent over a woman beneath him.
“What did you say to my grandfather, Jay Colby?”
He turned ever so slowly and looked over his shoulder to see Erika standing directly behind him. Looking irate, as usual, and making him wonder what he did this time to upset her.
Sighing, he pushed away from the wall and turned fully around. “Now, I may not be the most decorous man, but I do believe that would be considered an improper greeting, princess.”
He watched her bristle with satisfaction, knowing the nickname he labelled her with years ago, always had a way of rattling her lady-like composure.
“I demand you tell me at once what you said to insult my grandfather.”
The woman next to him excused herself, and Jay blew out an irritated breath. “Just because you’ve found yourself being a wall flower tonight, doesn’t give you the right to ruin my evening.”
Her eyes narrowed indignantly. “Don’t try and change the subject. You know right well I save the first dance for Ryan.”
His brows shot high. “You must have given up waiting for that boat a lot sooner than I would have guessed, or you would have known Ryan wasn’t on board. As I predicted. Figure another harbor caught his fancy again.”
“I waited plenty long enough and I am certain that unfortunate circumstances prevented him from catching the boat on time. However, I know my Ryan and I know that nothing will stop him from getting here tonight.”
He eyed her with a grin and felt a slight tug of admiration. “Well, I got to hand it to you princess, you sure got a whole lot of faith. Though why you think my wandering brother will find his way back home, is beyond me.”
“That hardly surprises me, Jay Colby.” She clasped her hands together in front of herself and straightened her spine. “Something as simple as human interaction would be lost on you.”
“Ouch.” He made a phony attempt at looking insulted before shrugging nonchalantly and snatching her small arm in his large grip. “Then maybe you’ll care to show me seeing it’s because of you I just lost me a dance partner.”
“I’m not dancing with you!” Erika attempted to pull herself free from his strong hold.
“I don’t believe I was giving you an option.”
Just at that moment, a tall slim woman with dark but gray streaked hair came to join them. “Jay, I do hope you are behaving like a gentleman.”
