Everyone in the Koren household seemed just as excited as Nathan about the dance, but for a different reason. They relished the prestige of such an invitation.

"Only the richest young men have ever been invited to the Saint Mary's Ball," Merald said to another servant. The two stood at the kitchen table, up to their wrists in flour.

"That's because it's for charity," the servant said.

"Yes, I know. But just think of our Nathan making merry with all those rich folk."

"Shoot - Nate don't care nothing about that. He only wants to see his... What's that he calls her?"

"His brown-eyed angel," Merald said, playfully... mimicking how Nathan's eyes
widened when he spoke of Margaret. They both giggled.

"Oh, and wasn't that nice of the Doc paying for his fancy clothes?"

"Well, with him not being a full-fledged doctor and all," Merald said, "it would have taken the poor thing forever to buy them himself."

Elisabeth and the servants grew anxious waiting for Nathan to finish dressing and make his appearance. His aftershave talc softly greeted the downstairs air with a masculine fragrance of rum and exotic berries. When Nathan graced the stairs, Elisabeth drew in a deep breath. She exhaled in awe and held her face in her hands.

"Well, aren't you the handsome one," she said with a wide grin. Koren, hearing his wife, walked to the doorway of his smoke room and looked him up and down approvingly.

"Quite handsome, indeed...my boy."

Nathan stood quite the portrait in a black tail coat that hugged his broad shoulders and shaped a perfect waist. The double-breasted, black vest allowed the brightness of the high wing-collar white shirt and white bow tie to stand out. His trousers, wide and full, flowed to dark grey and black shoes with white upper and side buttons; and in his opaque-gloved hand, he held a black top hat that had a slightly curled brim.

"Oh, if I was twenty years younger, I'd run off with ya'," Merald said, wiping her hands on her apron. Nate bopped down the steps, bent and kissed Merald's cheek. She pulled back, grinning and as red-faced as a rose. He pecked Elisabeth on the cheek and shook Koren's hand.

"These are the finest clothes I've ever owned, Sir. I won't forget this."

"Think nothing of it, Son. You've worked hard and you deserve to be with people your own age, and - and have some fun."

Giggles echoed from behind the upstairs banister.

"Alright, come out from hiding and tell Uncle Nate how wonderful he looks." The twins' bare feet smacked against the wooden stairs as they scurried down in their pink, flowered nighties and gave Nate a hug and a kiss.

"You look like the prince that took Cinderella to the Ball, Uncle Nate," Ella, the oldest said.

"When I grow up, Uncle Nate, can you take me to the Ball?" Ellie asked.

"Of course, I'd be delighted to take you to the Ball, sweetie." He squeezed Ellie to his chest.

"Me too, Uncle Nate, me too."

"Yes, you too, Ella." Jealous, she tried to nudge Ellie out of the way, but Nate held on to the squirming tots and kissed their cheeks.

"Now back up with you; go on," Mrs. Koren playfully demanded while clapping her hands at them. Up the stairs they ran like little pink rabbits, giggling all the way to their bedroom.

"You better hurry, Mista' Nate. We gotta ways to travel and I know you want to be on time," Pete said.

"Yes...yes, I'm coming, Pete." Rushing to the door, he stepped on something hard and felt a crunch. It was his reading spectacles. Merald ran up to his bedroom and came back with the extra pair. Pete loaded him into the carriage and took off.

A few minutes into the ride, Pete tipped his hat and saw it returned by another Negro driver traveling in the same direction, and carrying beautifully clad cargo. Nathan tipped his hat at the young ladies, who gracefully and coyly bowed their blonde and brunette heads as the carriage pulled way ahead of Nate.

Pete always made riding with him a joy. He and Nathan often played checkers on Pete's days off. And young Nate always got beat.

"It sho' is a nice night for a ball, Mista' Nate."

"Yes it is, Pete. I've been looking forward to this night for quite some time."

"Is that Bay Rum I smell from back there, Sir?" Pete grinned like a sly fox.

Nathan threw his head back slightly and laughed. "Yeah...I got a little Bay Rum dabbed here and there. And what of it?" he asked, smiling.

"Smell like it's more here than there, Sir."

Nathan chuckled and shook his head.

"That's a mighty powerful talc; gonna get you a lot a dances with the ladies."

"I'm not planning on dancing with a lot of ladies."

"Gonna have the ladies buzzing around you like a swarm of bees."

"I'm not interested in being swarmed over by any bees," he said, crossing his legs.

"Not even one bee, Mista' Nate?"

"Not even one."

"You sho'?"

"Well, maybe one."

"Awe - and would that one be - a Miss Margaret, Sir?"

"Now, Pete, you be minding your business." Pete laughed menacingly. "Get on up, horse," he shouted. "Gotta get this honey to his bee." The dark horse picked up speed...slowing only to clear a few dirt curves.

A cool breeze ran across Nathan's face as his body became one with the rhythm of the carriage that bustled along the scenic trail. The short trip gave him a chance to breathe in the big Texas air. As the horse turned into the gate, there stood The White Hill Mansion, where the Texas rich had their important events. From the gate to the steps, a sea of short green grass and round circles of colorful flowers divided the pathway to the bright lights shining from the wide horseshoe-shaped windows. Nathan could hear the instruments of strings, horns, and cymbals.

A smiling butler opened the door and graciously motioned him into the waiting area.

"Good evening, Sir," the butler said, bowing. He took Nate's cloak and folded it over his arm.

"Good evening," Nathan said, handing him his top hat and gloves.

He swelled with excitement after entering the room and watching the black coat tails and bright colored ball gowns circle in time with the music.

Yet, after a few minutes of scanning the room and not finding Margaret, his excitement dulled. He looked up and down, often mistaking someone else for her. Finally, he caught sight of her standing with a couple of admiring gentlemen, sipping punch from a crystal cup.

With a white-gloved hand, Margaret beckoned him. She seemed more than happy to see him. And to his surprise, a small group expressed eagerness to greet him as well. When he reached her, she held his arm, guided him towards the group and introduced him. Some of the young ladies flirted with him when their escorts weren't looking.

While Margaret, the reigning beauty of the place, was keeping strict to her dance card, Nathan kept the young ladies' lovely eyes wide with his daring tale of once finding a grizzly bear half-dead and nursing him back to health. Of course, he failed to mention it was actually an abandoned cub...no bigger than a fluffy pillow.

There were tables of everything: sliced smoked hams, fried chicken, European cheeses, vegetable dips, pies, cakes and beverage. He hadn't seen that much food since his aunt Aggie married that one-eyed sheriff from a one-horse town.

The black and white orchestra, with its shiny brass instruments, filled the night performing the great composers and leaving dancers delightfully reaching for their next breath.

An elderly man tried showing off his ancient dance skills by dipping his wife which sent her thudding to the floor. Nathan rushed over to aid the old man. He struggled not to show a strain on his face while helping to lift the very large woman. He knew his expression would embarrass her even more. But as soon as she got to her feet, instead of thanking Nathan, she smacked her husband on his shiny bald head with her fan and waddled off the floor. The room roared with laughter.

"But snookums," the old timer whined, while running off behind her like a little trained dog.

The room reeked of attractive young women. But beautiful and alluring Margaret Wainwright, heiress to the Wainwrights' fortune, looked even more angel-like than when he first saw her. She wore a white lace gown, sprinkled with tiny jewels that twinkled like stars. The top of the gown plunged, revealing a long slender neck and a little cleavage. The spaghetti straps hung off her shoulders; a beaded sash surrounded her small waist. The body of the dress hugged her hour-glass figure. The gown A-lined from the knee to the floor and spilled into a long train. Her hair was swept up and held with a pearl studded comb.

With one hand, she gathered the back of her gown and held it out at the side, lifting her train off the floor as she danced. Her dance card was full, but she found a way to sneak Nathan in more than once. The third time, to the other young men's dismay, he twirled her around the floor and straight out a side door. He kept twirling until they reached the rose garden and a seat beneath a large tree. Margaret giggled the whole time.

"You've made quite a few enemies tonight, Mr. Daniels," she said playfully.

"Why? I left plenty of pretty women back there for them," he said smiling.

He gently pulled her to his chest and bent to kiss her. Margaret coyly pulled away. She turned and walked towards the colorful flower garden and pretended to admire them.

"Oh, I do love this time of year. The flowers are so beautiful."

"Why did you do that?"

"What?"

"...Pull away from me like that."

"I don't know how they do things where you're from, but here, men are not so presumptuous."

"Well, I don't know about the women around here, but where I'm from, when a woman flicks her eyelashes and wiggles her bottom at a man the way you do, she generally wants to be kissed and hard." Margaret's whole face became the color of her cheeks and she slapped him.

"How dare you insinuate that I'm a flirt."

"No. I insinuate no such thing - only that you've flirted with me."

"I have not," Margaret said, indignantly.

"You deny it. You mean, all this time, I've imagined it?" She didn't answer, but stood with her nose in the air, fanning herself rapidly. "Margaret, I'm so sorry. I thought...I mean..."

She watched him standing awkwardly. His head hung down...shifting his body from one foot to the other and not knowing what to do with his hands. Her eyes softened when she looked at his face.

"Perhaps it is my fault... in a way. I can see how you could have mistaken my gestures," she said, lowering her eyes. "I do find you attractive. I...I'm just not used to being handled so."

"So, you did like it." Nathan stood grinning.

"Now wait one minute, you...you..."


She brushed by him, knocking him a little off balance when he gently pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She broke away. Panting, she tried to yell at him, but he pulled her back in and put her entire mouth in his. A muffled protest was all she had. She struggled against the sweetness of his mouth, the strength of his arms and the fire building inside of her loins. But when his tongue slipped into her mouth, she gave in to it, sucked it and teased it with her own.

Releasing a glove from her hand, she reached up and felt the silkiness of his dark strands through her slender fingers. When the kiss broke, she stayed in his arms and laid her forehead against his lips. She turned her face toward the garden and he put his head upon hers. They stood there looking up at the stars. Nathan did not want the night to end.

"You're my brown-eyed angel, you know that?" he whispered in her ear.

"Am I?" She sighed softly.

"Umm hm..."