I open the door, and I can’t stop myself. My eyes examine Rainey to make sure there’s no possible way she’s hiding her bow. I don’t have the desire to be shot today.
Much to my relief, she appears to be weapon free, so I pull the door wider for her. Upon entering, Rainey takes one look at me, and her eyes instinctively narrow. She’s appraising me the same way I assessed her. My lips kick up into a grin as I wonder what’s going to come out of that wicked little mouth.
She’s unpredictable in every way.
It doesn’t appear that way, though. Even now, she’s wearing a yellow dress in a style Nat would fawn over. Her hair’s in an updo that I see many women wear. She’s as fresh as a daisy, and I bet my life she hates every second of it and will pull the barrettes out of her dark hair as soon as she gets home. When she was a little girl, she would run barefoot with her hair flying behind her, and her momma would chastise her and demand she come back to put some shoes on right that second.
As she walks past me, I catch the scent of lavender. Rainey has a sharp tongue, but the floral scent is a reminder she has a feminine air about her.
“Good mornin’,” she greets.
“Mornin’.” I’m relieved to see she’s no longer emotional. It feels reprehensible to see her in such a state. Doubtlessly, it’s because I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen her at her most vulnerable.
“Let’s go in the sittin’ room and talk,” I say before she has a chance to ask me about the plan that doesn’t exist.
Rainey’s silence as we walk down the hall is unsettling. When I look at her from the corner of my eye, she appears perfectly normal, but something isn’t quite right.
I stop before we enter the sitting room and reach out to keep her from walking. My hand gently curls around her arm, near her elbow. Rainey jumps as though she forgot I was beside her and stares at her arm where my hand is. At once, I let go. “Do you no longer wish to seek a husband?”
She blinks at me rapidly. A few seconds go by before she answers. “Yes, I do. And there’s no changin’ my mind.” A determined glint fills her eyes.
I watch her carefully. “I’m not tryin’ to change your mind. I’m merely reiteratin’ what you said yesterday.”
The fight slowly deflates from her. What is wrong with her today? Where are her thoughts? “Oh. Very well, then. Let’s carry on with why I’m here.” She gives me a meaningful look.
“Yes, let’s do that, shall we?” Serene says drolly from the sitting room. “While the two of you have been having the most riveting conversation, I think I’ve passed out twice from exhaustion and hunger.”
On the spot, Rainey’s head snaps in Serene’s direction. In the span of a second, her face transforms. When she truly smiles, Rainey has dimples, and her eyes crinkle at the corners.
What would it take to get Rainey to smile at me in such a way?
“My word,” Rainey drawls. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“I know you didn’t. Otherwise, you would’ve offered me a beverage or food.” Serene winks at me, but Rainey doesn’t notice. She’s too preoccupied staring at me as though I’m the devil reincarnated.
“Livingston, where are your manners? Get Serene a beverage.”
“God forbid Serene go one hour without eatin’. And she’s family. It’s never prevented her from forcin’ her way in here and makin’ herself cozy.”
Rainey waves a hand in the air as though my words are neither here nor there. Without giving me a second look, she rushes to Serene’s side. As I watch the two of them talk, it occurs to me that having my very pregnant sister-in-law here might be brilliant. She and Rainey will talk for hours, and Rainey will forget the very reason she came here.
“What brought you to Livingston’s today?”
“I’m here because Livingston made me aware of your intentions to find a husband.”
Serene could see me wildly gesticulating behind Rainey for her not to go any further, but she was simply ignoring me. Rainey looks over her shoulder, her eyes blazing. “You told her already? Lord, it’s been less than twenty-four hours since we’ve seen one another. Did you also notify The Post and Courier?”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I observe her. “Of course and also The New York Times. They said it will be front page tomorrow.”
Rainey is not amused by my words.
I roll my eyes. “Serene will not tell a soul.”
“He’s right. I won’t,” my sister-in-law cuts in and places a hand over Rainey’s.
“In fact, you’ll find that she’ll be of great assistance when she’s not yammerin’ about food.”
“He’s right again. Just not about the food part.”
Rainey looks at Serene with something close to hope. “Do you have an idea?”
At that, Serene hesitates. “Not yet, but I will. And if I don’t … hell, you can marry Étienne if you want.”
Rainey laughs and shakes her head. “If only it was that easy to have a man like yours for the choosin’.”
My brows furrow. “It’s your future husband, not a car from a production line.”
“I know that. That’s why I said ‘if only.’”
Something about her words doesn’t settle well with me, and I simply can’t let it go. “I’m baffled. I presumed you truly wanted to find love, not pluck the first man you saw from the street, wipe the dust from his jacket, and call him your fiancé.”
The irritated glance Rainey gives me would send most people scurrying in the opposite direction. For myself, my blood pumps faster through my veins. If you want to feel more alive, have a disagreement with this woman.
“You can remain baffled somewhere else, Livingston. I’ll stay here and have a lovely conversation with Serene. I’m positive that when Serene has an idea, it will be outstandin’.”
I snort. “That’s fine, but let it be noted the only reason Serene knows you want a husband and is here is because I informed her.”
“I would’ve told her!”
“When you were an elderly woman?” I challenge.
By now, Rainey’s turned in my direction. “You know what, Livingston? You can go take a—”
“Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Both of you shut up! I just thought of something.” In unison, we look at Serene. She stares at the opposite wall with a faraway look in her eye and a cockamamy grin. Slowly, she turns to us. Rainey leans forward. Even I inch closer to hear what she’s about to say.
“We should have a bachelor ball.”
While Rainey frowns and stares at Serene as though she’s grown three heads, I lift a brow. “A bachelor ball?” I repeat.
Serene nods anxiously and smiles. “Absolutely. We—Étienne, me, and you—will select about thirty or so men who we think will be good choices for Rainey. And from there, we allow Rainey to meet the men. Perhaps she’ll have dinner with some of the bachelors to better get to know them.”
It sounds ludicrous and barbaric. Rainey will never agree to this arrangement.
Crossing my arms, I wait for the outrage, but it never comes. Slowly, I turn my head in Rainey’s direction and see her thoughtfully considering Serene’s proposition.