Page 7 of Lady in Ruby
“Thank you, Papa,” she whispered. “The stones are so beautiful.”
“You enhance them, darling,” her mother declared, reaching out to straighten one of the drops. She turned Caroline so she could face the looking glass. Caroline scarcely recognized the glamorous figure in the mirror. The bloodred stones sparkled against her skin, and the red dress echoed the colors perfectly.
“Oh, Mama, are you certain I should wear them? I don’t know if I’m…worthy.”
“These stones have been in my family for generations,” her mother told her. “It was my grandmother who had them set into a necklace. Before that they’ve been seen as a brooch, a bracelet, even a crown…if family legend is to be believed. You are the next generation, Caroline. And you’re of age to wear these like a true lady, with pride in your family and the knowledge that you are worth far more in your own right.”
Caroline felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. Her mother was rarely so emotional, but she’d clearly prepared for this moment.
“Thank you, Mama. I’ll be very careful with it.”
“Of course you will,” her father said. “You’re always so precise about everything in the laboratory, and you do the same in life. Mind you, no wearing the necklace while doing experiments! You don’t want to drop it in something caustic!”
She laughed and said, “Certainly not! Though I can’t wait to get back to the lab and work on the latest version of the formula.”
“We’re so close,” her father said, excitement in his eyes. “Just a few more tweaks, and of course after thorough testing on our subjects to ensure there are no ill effects. Truly, I think that by the New Year, I can present the formula to—”
“Oh, no! That’s quite enough of such chatter!” her mother interrupted, with a playful wag of her finger. “It is Christmastide, and we should be thinking of the holiday, not working matters, no matter how fascinating. And I pray that you both remember that not all our guests wish to discuss chemicals and elements at the dinner table!”
“Yes, Mama,” Caroline said, kissing her on the cheek. “I’ll let you finish getting ready. See you downstairs!”
Holly and ivy were draped all along the banister, and she inhaled the sharp green scent of cut branches as she walked. She was conscious of how she usually tromped down the stairs, so she tried to glide down, with tiny steps in her evening slippers. Ugh, it took so long to get anywhere in a ladylike way!
At the bottom of the stairs, she encountered Aunt Juniper in the foyer, who was polishing off the last of a berry tart before a maid spirited the empty plate away to the kitchen. Caroline chuckled, and said, “I should have told Cook to save two.” She looked around the room, sure that the heavy boughs of greenery had increased since that afternoon. Mistletoe hung at the apex of every doorway, and a bunch of it even hung from the chandelier in the center. “Goodness, we’re practically in the forest, aren’t we?”
“It’s good luck,” Juniper said. “And good sense too. Ah! Got the rubies, have you?” Aunt Juniper said, squinting at her neck. “Your mama wore those the very first time she hosted a party as Mrs Garland, you know! Talk of the village for months. Pretty little stones, for those who like that sort of thing.”
“They’re a family heirloom, Aunt,” Caroline protested.
“They’re rocks, at the end of the day. But they do look well on you, dear,” she added with an indulgent smile. “Now, let’s go into the parlor to await the others so we can go in to dinner properly. I’m starving!” She brushed the last few crumbs of tart from her lips.
That evening, Caroline was the center of attention. Everyone commented on the rubies she wore. Estelle quietly declared her to be prettier than a sunrise. “I’m going to paint your portrait, Caro.”
Other guests complimented her appearance, while her family members all seemed to agree that such a ladylike look surely meant she was finally thinking about marriage.
After the meal, the men lingered for a smoke and some brandy, while the ladies preceded them into the drawing room, where candles glowed in every corner and a fire blazed in the hearth. Clove-studded oranges decked the mantel, lending a rich scent to the air. Caroline accepted a small glass of mulled wine from the maid who was pouring them out, and inhaled the sweet smell of spices and the pungent aroma of the ruby-red wine, watching as the steam curled upward like a little ghost. She smiled. She did love the holidays.
The men rejoined them shortly afterward, and Francis made straight for her.
“Caro, you must be having the time of your life tonight, with a fortune tied around your neck!” Francis said, reaching out to chuck her under the chin.
“Well, don’t say it like that,” Caroline retorted. “You make it sound like a noose!”
“Ha, criminals should be so lucky! Must be quite the occasion for your mama to lend such a trinket.”
“Not lent!” she said proudly. “They’re part of my inheritance, now that I’m turning twenty-one.”
He looked suitably impressed. “Is that so? Happy Christmas, indeed! Oh, look. Mistletoe! You know what that means.”
He leaned over to kiss her, but as he did so Snowdon happened to step back to allow a lady by, and he bumped into Francis and sent the man stumbling forward a few paces.
“What the devil!” Francis recovered himself and spun around angrily.
“Apologies,” Snowdon said in a smooth tone. “Rather more crowded here than I expected.”
“Watch where you’re going!”
“Excellent advice.” Snowdon seemed utterly calm, making Francis’s sputtering reaction all the more excessive.
