The Nightwillow

Chapter 1

"Oh!" Sophie exclaimed, jerking her gloved hand back. Shocks were normal during a Fall this dry and crisp, but they were usually little bites of energy that nipped at the end of her fingers. This one didn't just nip, it took a full bite.

Her father's blue eyes widened for a split second before settling back into a relaxed mask. He smiled as he reached in again to help her out of the carriage, but the sadness in his eyes and a small tremble in his hand betrayed him. Her quaky grasp matched his, and Sophie exhaled as her father gave her hand a light squeeze before letting her go.

Sophie's mother cocked her head at the two of them. "Are you okay, dear?" she asked, taking her husband's outstretched arm.

"She will be, darling," he replied, giving Sophie a conspiratorial nod before whispering something in her mother's ear that made her giggle and smack his arm. The affection between her parents brought a fleeting smile to her face and a blush to her cheeks, but her typical embarrassment at her parents' mildly scandalous behavior couldn't outweigh the thoughts about that shock. It wasn't normal. Not that anything in her life was normal by any means, but there was usually an order to her peculiarity.

Her self-absorbed confusion meant she wasn't paying attention to the steps in front of her.

"Careful, Sophie," her father whispered, offering his hand once again as she stumbled through the Leeds' doorway, and she knew he wasn't just talking about the marble stairs. "Keep your eyes open tonight, daughter. This may be interesting."

Sophie 's eyebrow lifted as if to ask what he meant by 'interesting,' but he was already shaking Mr. Campbell's hand, smiling and laughing as if nothing odd had just happened.

The Leeds' home was a grand estate, built on sprawling land just outside of the city. Mr. Leeds had taken it upon himself to purchase enough acreage to be considered a savvy landowner, while his wife cultivated her reputation as a chronic, but impeccable, redecorator. Whether it was fashion or interior design, she made it her mission to stay one step ahead of every other society wife, and for the most part, she was rather successful. In the hands of someone less skilled, the home, with its grand marble staircase and gilded accents, would have been considered vulgar. Instead, it was tastefully elegant, though Sophie thought it lacked the warmth of some of the "lesser" society homes in Sugar Hollow.

Mr. & Mrs. Leeds saw their daughter no different as their home. Laurel Leeds stood next to her willowy mother in a resplendent gold dress that set off her blond locks and ruddy cheeks so well that it was hard for anyone to avoid being captivated by her beauty. The roses placed along the silk tulle draping brought the eye from her impossibly tiny waist to the gold buds along her shoulders. She shimmered in the center of the room.

"Lovie!" Mrs. Leeds beamed as Sophie and her parents finally had their turn in the receiving line. The two mothers grasped hands and kissed each cheek, exchanging desires to discuss over dinner the new, London-bought wallpaper as well as other important gossip.

Meanwhile Sophie and Laurel exchanged their usual greeting.

"Laurel."

"Sophie," was the other young woman's curt reply as they kissed each other's cheeks. As their mothers chattered, the girls stood in awkward silence. Growing up together hadn't made conversation between them simple or easy.

Sophie was grateful when they were released from the receiving line and she could make her way to the dining room where most of the guests were congregating.

She made her way over to a small group of single young women gossiping in the corner. Waves of giggles over the Reilly twins' merciless flirtation with Tommy Bradley and Simon Paul released some of her tension. Mr. Thomas' too intimate a conversation with Mrs. Flynn (something that would surely set society a-twitter in the next day or two) could not escape their eagle eyes, and Sally Green's ear-to-ear grin set them all aflame with envy as she showed off her newly engaged status to the other betrothed young women.