The James Family (Part 3)

That night at dinner Emmy sat next to Brandon.

            "Your sister, Mr. James, tells me you are the British Ambassador's right hand man."

            "I don't know if I would say that, my sister is always too kind."

            "Didn't you just return from a trip to England where you met the Prime Minister?"
            "I did."

            "Well I would say you are quite important then."

            "You are kind Miss Cromwell."

            Emmy laughed, no one ever called her Miss Cromwell, no one called her "Miss" anything she was just Emmy. But she could see laughter was not the right thing to do by the way he looked.

            "I am sorry Mr. James, I was not laughing at you, I was laughing at being called Miss Cromwell, that title belongs to my sister. I am Emmy."

            "How old are you?"

            "Sixteen."

            "It is not right to call a lady by her first name."

            "But everyone does. Everyone calls me Emmy minus Miss Pembers. Though my real name is Emmaline."

            "That's an interesting name."

            "What you mean is odd."

            Brandon saw her sulk a bit. "No I mean not common but beautiful."

            "It was my father's middle name, I was born a month after she passed away. But everyone calls me Emmy. I am not graceful enough to have such a name as Emmaline."

            "Why do you say that?"

            "My Grandma Danford tells me."

            "Well I don't want to dispute your Grandma but I disagree."

            Emmy smiled.

            Then it struck Brandon how much this young girl looked like Marianne his love from Oxford. Their faces could almost be identical with the same almond shape eyes and sweet smile that made her nose crinkle a bit. Before he could speak again her sister Gloria had grabbed her attention. He overheard them talking about the piano.

            "Do you play the piano, Miss Emmy?"
            "Hardly, Gloria and I were discussing how she and Laurel should put on a musical number for you and Miss James. They have the beauty and musical skills. I can barely play hot cross buns."

            "You don't find music amusing then?"

            "To listen to yes, but I cannot play, even though to appease my Grandma I practice. I have neither the ear nor the talent."

            "Then how do you delight your time?"

            "With stories. I love to write stories, one day I hope to be published. Maybe be a great author like Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell or the Brontë sisters," she saw his little smile. "I know it's silly," she said lowering her head.

            "Not at all," he saw her smile like she had before. "What do you write about?"

            "Adventure, passion, knights fighting for the girl he loves, princes in Africa. Everything my life is not."

            "What do you mean?"

            "I have live most of life in this house and this little town not very adventurous, and my Grandma Danford tries to stifle out all passion. "

            "Maybe one day you will see the world."

            "Maybe but it is unlikely."

            "Really?"

            Emmy realized maybe she had shared too much. After all Brandon James was a stranger and he seemed so judgmental before. But now he seemed the polar opposite of judgmental and not as cold as Emmy originally casted him as being. But he still was a stranger and Laurel would be ashamed that she had shared even a bit of their financial hardships with a stranger. So Emmy changed topics quickly asking if he played the piano. He said not really. For a bit after that they sat in quietness not knowing really what to say. After dinner the men and the women separated for the men to have a smoke and a brandy.

            "You seemed to be talking to Mr. James," Laurel said.

            "He is very nice."

            "Oh Miss Emmy," Kathryn approached Emmy "thank you for amusing my brother during dinner he seems so lonely so much of the time. I wish he could find the happiness I have found with Nicholas."

            "Is he not married?" Laurel asked.

            "No he is an old bachelor, he is far too devoted to his work and my mother and myself to have time to look for a girl to settle down with. I keep trying to match him with one of my friends but he has shown no interest in any of them. The girl who does capture his heart will be the luckiest girl in the world he is so devoted and loyal."

            Emmy right then wished she had an older brother to gloat over. Emmy thought Kathryn James had it all looks, good standing, a fiancé, and a brother to gloat over.

            The rest of the night went very peacefully. Grandma Danford did not have the energy to make small talk or play a game of bridge so she retired to her room after one song. Mother went with her making sure she was properly settled and to tuck Gloria into bed. Gloria moaned about having to leaving the party so soon but mother promised her if she was good and went right to bed she could play two songs tomorrow after dinner. This made Gloria happy  and she followed mother promptly. Laurel and Emmy were now in the hand of their cousins and the James. Laurel took her place at the piano, playing a soft melody for everyone to enjoy. Uncle Charles had his concentration on the telegraph he received that day. Brandon James had his nose in his book, Emmy could not see the title but was impressed by the size of the book. Nicholas seemed to be in a correspondence leaving Aunt Victoria, Julia , Kathryn and Emmy to play bridge and talk amongst themselves. Julia pried on Kathryn to get the latest news from Boston, she moaned with each little anecdote wishing she could back in Boston getting to the balls, and the summer picnic on the Cape or seeing Mrs. Cassin's new summer cottage in Gloucester that had marble columns, and sixty windows five them being stained glass from Tiffany's. It sounded like palace not a cottage to Emmy. Emmy and Aunt Victoria did not have much to say in the conversation; Aunt Victoria because she thought idle gossip was and un-lady like behavior and Emmy because she knew not what to say as she knew not one of who they conversed about.

            The next night dinner and after dinner was much the same. Though Emmy did notice that Kathryn wore a new dress, in fact she wore a new dress every night that week while Laurel and her tried to wear their best dress every night that week while Laurel and her tried to wear their best dresses she and her had only two each and Gloria had only one. And it wasn't just the number of dresses Kathryn had it was how elaborate they were Each had a great deal of stitching and embroidery and each made of fine materials. Kathryn also had a multitude of colors that could wear a delicate peach color to a deep lavender. Her hair was always done to perfection with never a curl out of place and she never wore her hair the same way from the day to night. Emmy would have been jealous of all her fine aspects but no one could be jealous of a girl such sweet temperament. Kathryn loved Emmy's stories never thinking them silly or childish, she encouraged Emmy to write them down and send them off to a publisher. She complimented Laurel's needle point and even said she would let Laurel borrow one of her dresses any time she wished. Laurel did not take her up on such a sweet offer and she would not let Emmy take her up on it either.

            "Laurel, she has them to spare," Emmy said to her one night when the house had gone to bed. "She can only wear one dress at a time. Why shouldn't you wear another one when she offered so generously."

            "We are not charity cases Emmy."

            "Yes we are. We are living here by Grandma Danford's charity and when she passes we will live off of Uncle Charles' charity and maybe one day Nicholas' charity."

            "She is a stranger."

            "She is practically our cousin and she has been here almost two weeks."

            "I stand by what I said."

            "My goodness Laurel you are as stubborn as a mule."

            Of course Laurel didn't need to dress up she had a man, Emmy thought. Even though Emmy knew of no correspondence between Mr. Foster and Laurel seemed positive that they were in love and it was only a matter of time. Though now it had month.