"ooooh" she let a low moan slip past her lips.
"Are you alright dear?" Her father asked, a look of concern playing across his graying brow.
Ramona nodded sheepishly.
"I know you don't like riding in the car, but it is the fastest way to get there."
Ramona nodded again. She could feel the color leaving her cheeks with every turn of the car. She had to say something. Had to take her mind off of how ill she was feeling.
"Father," she said in the strongest voice she could muster "Who are we meeting again?"
She noticed a smile forming under her father's bushy gray mustache.
"Just a colleague of mine Mona."
Ramona raised an eyebrow. "A colleague?"
She looked in to her father's hazel eyes (they were the exact shading as her own), he was hiding something, and Ramona could only guess what. He had done this before. Every now and then, like this afternoon, he would tell Ramona to get dressed up because that evening they would be going out to meet a "colleague" of her father's from the bank. These "colleagues" would be amiable men that her father wished for her to marry. The last one had been dreadful. He had had mosey brown hair, watery eyes, and had smelled strongly of whisky. Ramona grimaced at the memory.
"What is his name?" she asked in an indifferent tone. She could care less what his name was. He would be just like all the others. Some social climber hoping to marry her to make his way in Boston society.
"Stephen Magathan" He father answered proudly.
"Magathan?" She asked
"Yes, a good Scottish lad" there was a hint of a smile in his voice as he said this, his thick Scottish accent revealing it's self a little more than it had.
Ramona rolled her eyes. Her father was always proud of finding "good Scottish boys" for her to meet.
The car continued to bump up and down as it made it's way through the streets of Boston. Ramona felt herself feeling sick again. Why couldn't they have taken the carriage? Yes, it was slower than the automobile, but she could not stand riding in this car one more moment.
At that thought the car screeched to a stop. Ramona sighed a breath of relief.
"Well done Freguson!" her father exclaimed to the driver, "we made it in very good time."
Ferguson helped Ramona and her father exit the car, as a Valet opened the door to the restaurant.
The buzz of clattering silver, china, and Chrystal filled the air. Ramona's father took her arm and led her to a table where a young man with a head of dark hair sat.
Upon seeing them he stood up. He was dressed in a tuxedo, and Ramona had to admit, he pulled the look off very well. He was clean shaven, and had bright green eyes that were adorned with long, dark lashes.
Oh great, Ramona thought, he is handsome.
He reached out to take her father's hand.
"Good evening Mr. Ramsey." he said in a strong, confidant voice, with a small hint of a highland accent.
"Stephen my lad! Good to see you!" Her father replied with great enthusiasm. "This is my daughter Ramona."He said, gesturing to her.
Stephen bowed his head to her, as she made a small, half hearted curtsy. Ramona's father sat down, leaving a seat open next to Stephen. He pulled back the chair for her and she sat down with as much grace as she could after the bumpy ride.
There was little talking during dinner.
Ramona ate her lamb, carrots, and potatoes, listening to her father and Stephen talk about Scotland, the bank, Scotland, the weather, and Scotland for two hours. Stephen occasionally asked her a question or two, but she did not contribute to the discussion much. She learned that Stephen had come from the Highlands when he was six with his mother and father. He had attended university at Harvard, and it turned out that he was a lawyer that helped her father at the bank with legal matters. He seemed like a nice person, but for some reason Ramona was determined to dislike him.
She was watching the light play off the crystal glasses at their table when her father exclaimed,
"Pardon me children, but I must excuse my self for a few moments" he rose and walked towards the restrooms.
Ramona felt heat rising to her cheeks. He always did this. Every time her father and her had dinner with some gentleman, he would excuse himself before desert to go to the restroom.
She heard Stephen clear his throat.
"So..." he said, in a little less confident voice than he had earlier, "Your father tells me you are interested in music."
Ramona had to keep herself from rolling her eyes. He was talking to her about her music?
Oh Goodness.
"Yes," she said, rather coolly.
"Do you play an instrument?"
"I do" she replied.
He looked at her, his green eyes fixed on her hazel ones. They were the exact same green as her dress. Goodness why couldn't she think of a reply.
"And what do you play?" He asked, still staring at her.
Ramona felt her throat dry. She hated talking to strangers, especially men like this. He would ask her questions and all the time he would have a hidden agenda. Just like William had. She reached out and took a sip of her water before she replied.
" I play the Violin" she said.
"A very pretty instrument. How long have you played?" Ramona was getting tired of his questions.
She looked at him again. He look like he was earnestly interested in what she was saying. But why should he be? It was not as if they would meet again after tonight.
"Why do you care how long I have played?" She asked, ice evident in her voice.
He looked confused at her sudden rudeness, but she did not care. She was going to get to the bottom of this. "Why do you care about anything I say? All you care about is fortune and getting closer to my father through me. You are not interested in my music or my hobbies or my friends. All you care about is the money." The words had spilled out of her lips before she could stop. Everything about him reminded her of William. except for the eyes. William had brown eyes.
"Your father told me about what happened last year... with your fiance." He said his eyes, still fixed on her. "You see, I understand what you are going through"
"How could you possibly know what I am going through?" she asked. She had been betrayed by the man she loved, and lost her mother in one years time. How on earth could he understand?
"Well," he began "I was betrayed by my fiance two years ago. She ran off with another man, and I lost my father a year and a half ago" His eyes left hers and he looked lost in thought for a moment. "Your father wanted us to meet because he thinks I can be a good friend to you. Nothing more. He understands that you have been hurt and need a friend, just as I do."
Ramona looked at the crystal glass again. She did need a friend. With Sarah off on her adventures, she had been terribly lonely the last year. Perhaps she should try being Stephen's friend.
"We can be friends, Stephen. As long as you promise me one thing."
His green stare met her hazel one.
"What?" he asked, somewhat amused.
"You have to promise not to fall in love with me."
He looked at her with an eyebrow raised.
"Alright Miss Ramsey, I promise I will not fall in love with you" And he held out his hand.
Ramona took it in her own. "We shall shake on it" and they did.
A few moments later her father had returned beaming at them, and told Stephen it was time for them to depart. They made their farewells outside the restaurant. When the car pulled up, Stephen helped Ramona into the car. He held her hand a second longer than necessary. And she looked up at him.
"Goodnight, my friend" he whispered. "I hope to see you again soon."
As the car pulled away Ramona felt her stomach begging to turn again, and this time, it had nothing to do with the bump, bump, bump of the car.
The car continued to bump up and down as it made it's way through the streets of Boston. Ramona felt herself feeling sick again. Why couldn't they have taken the carriage? Yes, it was slower than the automobile, but she could not stand riding in this car one more moment.
At that thought the car screeched to a stop. Ramona sighed a breath of relief.
"Well done Freguson!" her father exclaimed to the driver, "we made it in very good time."
Ferguson helped Ramona and her father exit the car, as a Valet opened the door to the restaurant.
The buzz of clattering silver, china, and Chrystal filled the air. Ramona's father took her arm and led her to a table where a young man with a head of dark hair sat.
Upon seeing them he stood up. He was dressed in a tuxedo, and Ramona had to admit, he pulled the look off very well. He was clean shaven, and had bright green eyes that were adorned with long, dark lashes.
Oh great, Ramona thought, he is handsome.
He reached out to take her father's hand.
"Good evening Mr. Ramsey." he said in a strong, confidant voice, with a small hint of a highland accent.
"Stephen my lad! Good to see you!" Her father replied with great enthusiasm. "This is my daughter Ramona."He said, gesturing to her.
Stephen bowed his head to her, as she made a small, half hearted curtsy. Ramona's father sat down, leaving a seat open next to Stephen. He pulled back the chair for her and she sat down with as much grace as she could after the bumpy ride.
There was little talking during dinner.
Ramona ate her lamb, carrots, and potatoes, listening to her father and Stephen talk about Scotland, the bank, Scotland, the weather, and Scotland for two hours. Stephen occasionally asked her a question or two, but she did not contribute to the discussion much. She learned that Stephen had come from the Highlands when he was six with his mother and father. He had attended university at Harvard, and it turned out that he was a lawyer that helped her father at the bank with legal matters. He seemed like a nice person, but for some reason Ramona was determined to dislike him.
She was watching the light play off the crystal glasses at their table when her father exclaimed,
"Pardon me children, but I must excuse my self for a few moments" he rose and walked towards the restrooms.
Ramona felt heat rising to her cheeks. He always did this. Every time her father and her had dinner with some gentleman, he would excuse himself before desert to go to the restroom.
She heard Stephen clear his throat.
"So..." he said, in a little less confident voice than he had earlier, "Your father tells me you are interested in music."
Ramona had to keep herself from rolling her eyes. He was talking to her about her music?
Oh Goodness.
"Yes," she said, rather coolly.
"Do you play an instrument?"
"I do" she replied.
He looked at her, his green eyes fixed on her hazel ones. They were the exact same green as her dress. Goodness why couldn't she think of a reply.
"And what do you play?" He asked, still staring at her.
Ramona felt her throat dry. She hated talking to strangers, especially men like this. He would ask her questions and all the time he would have a hidden agenda. Just like William had. She reached out and took a sip of her water before she replied.
" I play the Violin" she said.
"A very pretty instrument. How long have you played?" Ramona was getting tired of his questions.
She looked at him again. He look like he was earnestly interested in what she was saying. But why should he be? It was not as if they would meet again after tonight.
"Why do you care how long I have played?" She asked, ice evident in her voice.
He looked confused at her sudden rudeness, but she did not care. She was going to get to the bottom of this. "Why do you care about anything I say? All you care about is fortune and getting closer to my father through me. You are not interested in my music or my hobbies or my friends. All you care about is the money." The words had spilled out of her lips before she could stop. Everything about him reminded her of William. except for the eyes. William had brown eyes.
"Your father told me about what happened last year... with your fiance." He said his eyes, still fixed on her. "You see, I understand what you are going through"
"How could you possibly know what I am going through?" she asked. She had been betrayed by the man she loved, and lost her mother in one years time. How on earth could he understand?
"Well," he began "I was betrayed by my fiance two years ago. She ran off with another man, and I lost my father a year and a half ago" His eyes left hers and he looked lost in thought for a moment. "Your father wanted us to meet because he thinks I can be a good friend to you. Nothing more. He understands that you have been hurt and need a friend, just as I do."
Ramona looked at the crystal glass again. She did need a friend. With Sarah off on her adventures, she had been terribly lonely the last year. Perhaps she should try being Stephen's friend.
"We can be friends, Stephen. As long as you promise me one thing."
His green stare met her hazel one.
"What?" he asked, somewhat amused.
"You have to promise not to fall in love with me."
He looked at her with an eyebrow raised.
"Alright Miss Ramsey, I promise I will not fall in love with you" And he held out his hand.
Ramona took it in her own. "We shall shake on it" and they did.
A few moments later her father had returned beaming at them, and told Stephen it was time for them to depart. They made their farewells outside the restaurant. When the car pulled up, Stephen helped Ramona into the car. He held her hand a second longer than necessary. And she looked up at him.
"Goodnight, my friend" he whispered. "I hope to see you again soon."
As the car pulled away Ramona felt her stomach begging to turn again, and this time, it had nothing to do with the bump, bump, bump of the car.
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