Page 9 of Burn for the Devil

7

Samantha

The car my parents had sent to bring me to the event pulled up a curved driveway, stopping in front of a massive seaside estate. When I stepped out of the vehicle after taking the gloved hand offered in assistance, I could hear waves crashing in the background. The air tingled with the fresh scent of sea salt and a light breeze tousled my hair.

The oceanic atmosphere combined with the moon’s rising was magical and I felt my spirit rising with a sense of anticipation. Maybe the night wouldn’t drag on interminably, maybe I’d even enjoy myself and not mind the content front I was doomed to always display in front of others.

The soft crunch of tires against the gravel sounded behind me as I made my way up the stairs, passing the uniformed staff and security. I entered a foyer adorned with statues resembling gargoyles and other mythological creatures. Taking a moment to appreciate the fine artwork, I lingered before raising my eyes. I knew no one in sight, and this was my first larger society outing in Boston, having only attended small dinners previously. I’d put it off as long as I could before my parents had become insistent.Squaring my shoulders, I followed the direction the small crowd appeared to be headed in and entered a vast ballroom.

It was gorgeous. High, vaulted ceilings, massive, curtained windows with cushioned bench seats, candelabras flickering against the wall, and chandeliers with dangling crystals to refract the light set the mood. A fairytale setting complete with a small, live orchestra.

While I stood there gawking at the finery, my mother approached, air kissed my cheek, and let me know how beautiful I was. She took my arm and led me to my father, who greeted me, and then introduced me to several individuals. They were older, likely in their sixties, and possessed an air of entitlement, looking down their noses after judging those who dared to wander too close to our small group.

“Must be tough, doing all that on your own,” a graying senator with a large belly straining against his suit jacket’s buttons remarked. I gave him a small smile and noted his lack of sincere interest. His eyes were scanning the room, searching for more stimulating conversation. My parents must’ve filled him in on my business venture moments before I’d arrived.

Sending my father a weak but polite smile, I let my mother pull me to the side. “Samantha, there are many eligible bachelors here,” she stage-whispered in my ear. “You’re thirty years old.”

I winced. She wasn’t trying to set me up with a man older than my father, was she? “Mom, please, not tonight.”

She accepted two flutes of champagne from a passing waiter and handed me one. “Timothy is here somewhere, as well. He won’t make a scene, but I thought you should know. You need to make friends; it's been months now.” I’d been busy with my shop, and she knew it.

A woman chose just that moment to be within my mom’s line of sight. “Sara, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Samantha.” Mymother had spotted her and waved her over. “I’ll let you two get acquainted. Sara, so good to see you. You look well.”

“Thank you, Grace,” Sara gave my mom a small smile, “you too.” Mom beamed at her and took her leave.

“Hi,” I greeted the woman in front of me, who didnotlook particularly well. Her skin had a grayish tinge and her eyes appeared too big for her head. She almost looked like a teenager although I could tell she was near my age.

“Hi,” she said in return. “First time here?”

I nodded. “I’ve been avoiding these events for a while. I had my fill back home, I suppose.” My parents had kept tabs on me from across the country, making sure I fulfilled my duty of attending society events to keep up appearances. .

She giggled. “I avoid them too. Couldn’t worm my way out of this one though.” She rolled her eyes while I examined her. She wore a sleeveless black cocktail dress with a gauzy scarf over her shoulders. The crook of her arms were scarred and scratched; her thin frame covered with goose bumps. She noticed my perusal and adjusted her shoulder covering accordingly.

Clearing my throat and sending her an encouraging smile, I glanced up. “You want to tell me who’s who around here?”

Her face brightened. “Sure. Over there,” she nodded toward a corner, “that’s the old money. They don’t acknowledge me or my friends.”

“How nice of them,” I remarked, earning a grin. “What about that group?” I tilted my head toward a small knot of men and some women who appeared to be heading outdoors. Timothy was amongst them.

Sara raised her eyebrows. “Social climbers, lawyers, some doctors. They’re all right, I guess. The politicians are up front by the music. I guess your family already knows them. The people by the entry, they just show up whenever. They summer out here or on the islands. I think there’s a lot of tech people. I don’t knowall of them. My dad is one of the doctors here in Boston; he’s a heart surgeon.” I knew which islands she meant—Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and possibly even Block Island.

Looking around the room, my eyes snagged on a small group of men. They were all tall, well-built, every one of them clad in fine-cut black suits. I noted the rings and tattoos on a hand gripping a crystal glass, his other hand moving as if to punctuate whatever he was saying. Another man, his hair pulled back in a ponytail, had ink traveling up his neck. He was tugging on his cufflinks.

“What about those guys?” I couldn’t look away.

“Oh them? I know them. I’m trying to avoid one of them.”

I looked at her quickly. “Why? Who are they?”

“One of their group owns a huge company, but I don’t see him, no one ever does. They all work together. They own a lot of things.” She wrung her hands.

“But why are you avoiding them?”

She shrugged. “I don’t want to talk about it. They’re, well, they’re different.”

“Different?” I glanced back at the gathering in time to catch one’s eye. The scar down the side of his face startled me, and I looked away. Movement near the doorway snagged my gaze but I couldn’t see anything, and I looked back at Sara.

“I don’t know how to describe it. It’s not something I really care to talk about.” She squirmed and sighed. “They just noticed you, so they must’ve seen me. I gotta go. Nice to meet you.”

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