The party was full of strangers. Each one more beautiful than the next.
Todd brought Linda over to
a group of people standing by the tall windows overlooking the garden. She was
first introduced to a blond-haired couple, both dressed in white: the man in a white tuxedo and the woman in a long white gown.
“Linda, these are my close
friends from England, Duke
Alan Rutherford and his wife, Duchess Amy Rutherford. They came in
for Diane’s party—as did everyone else in this room.”
The duke bowed to Linda
while the duchess bowed her head in greeting. They held themselves stiff and
erect like proper English nobility. The duchess displayed ruby jewelry around
her elegant neck and wrists. Linda even noticed sparkling rubies nestled among
the blonde strands of her long wavy hair.
“You old fox, you finally
found a woman that you could introduce to us,” the duke said as he nudged Todd
with his elbow. The duke was tall and handsome with blond hair and dark-green
eyes. He kept a watchful eye on all the guests: he was laughing with Todd, but
his eyes never left the dance floor.
While Todd grimaced in
reply, the duchess walked over to Linda and whispered, “They are very old
friends who love to tease each other…. Just ignore them.”
Linda smiled at her in
response. The duchess seemed to be very pleasant and cheerful.
Next Todd led her to a
dark-haired couple, who were standing off to the side, listening to their conversation.
“Come meet Count Vladimir
and Countess Leona Stravinsky. They are from Russia.”
This remark brought a dark
scowl to Vladimir’s face. At first Linda had found him scary, but now with the
scowl he seemed positively terrifying. Vladimir and his wife had perfectly
chiseled features, tall lean bodies, and luscious dark hair; but all their
beauty didn’t at all improve upon their icy cold demeanors. Linda nodded hello and then moved back
to the duchess.
The last couple walked
over to introduce themselves. The tall, broad-shouldered man spoke with a heavy
accent. “We are happy to meet you. I am John von Strobe and this is my wife, Caroline.
We have come from Romania.”
The woman spoke with the
same accent. “We are happy to meet a friend of Todd’s. We have known him for
many years and have never before met any of his friends.”
Linda said, “Thank you…I love your accents. Were
you both born in Romania?”
The woman smiled.
“Yes…however, I was born to a farmer and John was born to nobility.”
Linda was impressed.
“Should I be bowing?”
“Oh no!” said Caroline.
“We are very down to earth people and expect no special treatment from our
friends. No one ever calls us Baron or Baroness.”
Linda hoped that she
hadn’t insulted them. But they were still smiling at her. John had such a
beautiful face, with blue eyes that sparkled mischievously, while his wife had
gorgeous black hair and dark-blue eyes. What a beautiful couple.
