‘Of course.’ Chuck kept Tug’s hand in his, and together they wound their way into the park, finding a big flat rock around a bend that wasn’t occupied. ‘Here?’ Chuck asked, as he pointed off the path toward the rock.
‘Perfect.’
They climbed up the less steep side of the rock and settled themselves on top, spreading the blanket Chuck had brought and looking out over a field that stretched out on the rock’s other side. There were plenty of other picnickers out, and for a while they didn’t speak as they watched New Yorkers lounge in the grass under a smiling sun.
Tug found one couple that completely captured her attention. The girl looked about her age, and the boy was playfully teasing her with a bite of something in his fingers. After a minute he pulled whatever it was away and captured her with his arm, kissing her right there in the middle of the park where anyone could see. Something about it held Tug’s gaze, and it took her a few minutes to notice that Chuck was watching her intently.
‘What?’ she asked, when she found his eyes on her.
‘I’m just happy to be with you, Tug. You’re beautiful and smart … I feel lucky that you’d spend the day with me.’
‘Don’t be a dolt,’ Tug said, punching him lightly in the arm. She enjoyed hearing the words, but she had no means for processing them. No one had spoken to her that way before, with that kind of affection in his voice, and the dreamy look on his face. Tug was as embarrassed as she was pleased, and she didn’t know how to react. She found that it was hard for her to look into Chuck’s face. When she did risk a glance up, warmth climbed her own cheeks and it was difficult to hold his gaze. She felt silly and giddy. And confused.
Why was she having this reaction to good, safe old Chuck? More to the point, why was good old Chuck wasting his time with her? She could never be the girl his family would expect. There was almost no point to them continuing, but Tug wanted to spend a little more time by Chuck’s side before she pointed out the uselessness of it all.
Once they spread the food out before them, setting up the picnic Chuck had brought, things moved a bit more naturally, and Tug was able to think about the situation under the cover of polite banter as they ate. She watched the man before her.
Tug wondered if the standard expectations of society always mattered. If they applied to people who ran in the darker circles beneath the cover of polite society, people like her and Chuck. She watched Chuck and thought hard about what she wanted to see happen, trying her best to forget the deep monetary divide that lay between them. When he’d kissed her the other day, her heart had raced and her skin had warmed. She’d thought of that kiss constantly in the days that followed. And if she was being honest, she wanted him to kiss her again. She wanted him to stop being shy and proper, and to wrap his arms around her and own her, without asking permission. But that would be completely unlike the friendly, careful Chuck that she knew.
‘What are you thinking about over there, Tug?’ Chuck asked as they put away the wrappers of their food, tucking napkins back into the small basket.
Tug felt as if she’d been caught guilty. She flushed and shook her head. Finally, she forced words to her lips. ‘Damn it all, Chuck. I don’t know what to think!’
He looked surprised.
‘I’m thinking lots of things. For one thing, you have no business taking a girl like me out on a date.’
Chuck’s eyebrows shot up and then he laughed out loud, the sound rolling through the bright clear air. ‘What?’
‘And now you’re laughing at me.’ Tug crossed her arms.
‘I’m just surprised, is all. What the dickens are you talking about?’
‘You. And me. And your mother and what she must think!’ Tug stared at him, waiting for it to sink in. When he said nothing, she went on. ‘You. And the debutantes lined up at your door, Chuck. The girls you’re supposed to be sitting in the park with. The girls who are appropriate for you.’ She said the last part slowly, trying to decide how to phrase her understanding of her own social standing.
‘Are you inappropriate for me?’
‘Now you’re just playing dense.’
‘I’m not. And I think I should be offended. You’ve called me several names now, Tug.’ Chuck grinned.
Tug sighed, and finally pulled her gaze to her own hands. If Chuck didn’t want to talk about this, she figured, that was a bad sign. If he didn’t at least acknowledge the issue that lay between them, then there was little hope of overcoming it.
Chuck scooted closer and took Tug’s hand in his again. ‘Look, Tug. I know what you’re talking about. I know that there are loads of silly expectations put on us when we’re too small to do much about it.’ He looked into her eyes, more serious than she’d ever seen him. ‘And I don’t care much, Tug. And really, I don’t think my folks do either. Sure, there might be some gossip at the club. But my mother can handle herself there.’
‘But what will she think?’
‘She’ll decide what to think when she meets you. When she gets to know you. And she’ll love you.’ Chuck met Tug’s eye again and added, ‘just as I do.’
Tug couldn’t process the confession Chuck had just made, so she plowed ahead, filing it away to examine at a later time.
‘Look. I’m not some innocent debutante. We both know that. And I think you confused me into trying to play some kind of role. But Chuck, this isn’t the path I was made to walk. And I like you. Maybe I like you more than I ever knew. But I’m afraid you like some version of me that doesn’t even exist anymore. You, with your fancy name and your pedigree …’ Tug trailed off, worried that maybe she’d gone too far.
‘That’s fair,’ Chuck said, sitting up straighter. ‘But Tug, I know who you are. And I’ve been offered my fair share of pedigreed girls. My parents worked hard for a while to match me up to several of their friends’ daughters.’
Tug raised her eyebrows in surprise. She’d never heard about any of that.
‘But it was too late by the time I met any of them,’ he said. ‘Because I’d already met you. And you’re tough and determined, and you don’t care what people think.’
‘I do,’ Tug said quietly.
‘Maybe you do,’ Chuck said. ‘But it doesn’t stop you from finding your own path. And I can’t help but want to go with you. You’re fiery and beautiful …’ Chuck trailed off, his eyes on her face.
Tug stared at him. Something inside her clicked. Chuck wasn’t being shy, or proper. He was being honest. And as she watched him, he reached out a hand and pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. He leaned in, and after only a second’s hesitation, his mouth claimed hers. The kiss was tender, but firm, his lips warm on her mouth. His tongue teased her lower lip and Tug drew in a sharp breath as something deep inside her jumped to life. She opened her mouth and met his tongue with her own, and the world spun around her as her body responded to Chuck’s kiss and hands. She allowed her mind to take a back seat as Chuck deepened the kiss, his hands pulling her into him, her own arms tight around him. She felt the muscles in his back moving and bulging, and wondered somewhere in the back of her mind about how handsome he must look with his shirt off.
And somewhere in that kiss, Tug realized that Chuck might seem like a safe option – he was sweet and reliable and trustworthy. But there was something else there, too. Something that was purely masculine. And her body and mind were responding to that. She realized that just as she was more than she seemed, so was Chuck. And once she acknowledged the duality in both of them, she found a peace. Her heart expanded in her chest and it felt as if it finally had found its place. After years of striving and fighting, Tug knew that she had found what she’d wanted all along. And it had been right in front of her.
*****
Tug’s reservations about seeing Chuck in a romantic light dissolved as he kissed her that day at the park, and in the days that followed she began to feel a fierce affection for him that took her by surprise. Chuck made no secret of his feelings for Tug, and heari
ng each day that she was cherished changed something inside her, broke down some of the walls she’d long since built for the purpose of self-protection.
When Chuck suggested that she and her father come have dinner with his family, Tug knew it was a big step. Aside from Evie’s family, she hadn’t been among the society types that she’d been raised with since her mother had left. And for her father it was an even bigger stretch.
‘Of course we’ll go,’ her father said when she shared Chuck’s invitation. ‘I need to find out what kind of family you’re involving yourself with.’
‘I think that’s their goal in inviting us.’
‘Are you embarrassed to present your drunkard father to them?’ As he said this, Tug had been thinking how distinctly not drunk her father had seemed lately. She hadn’t seen him take a drink in weeks, actually.
‘No,’ she said. ‘I just don’t like being judged. And I feel like the whole point of this is to be judged. Acceptable or unacceptable. I hate it.’
‘Is he worth it?’
Tug stared into her father’s eyes and nodded. ‘He is.’
‘Then we go,’ he said. ‘Maybe they’ll be impressed by my high position in government.’
Tug raised an eyebrow. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘They gave me my job back. When I went down there to get Roger and Chuck off the hook.’
‘You’re serious?’ Tug felt her jaw drop open.
‘Don’t look so surprised.’
Tug threw her arms around her father, hugging him tightly. As his arms pulled her close, she felt like a little girl all over again. He smelled like pine, thanks to the same cologne he’d been wearing since she was small. The scent brought back a flood of memories and feelings, and Tug buried her face in her father’s shoulder, struggling to get hold of them. ‘I’m proud of you, Daddy,’ she whispered.
His arms tightened around her and Tug could feel his face in her hair. ‘I’m sorry I let you down for so long, Liz.’
They stood like that for a long minute, and when Tug pulled away and dabbed at her eyes, she felt as if she’d regained most of what had been missing in her life.
*****
Going to dinner at the Merriweathers’ was a new kind of adventure. Tug and her father took his car to Chuck’s parents’ place facing the park. They were greeted at the door by a butler in livery, though Chuck practically pushed the man out of the entryway as he bounded in to hug Tug. Then he stepped back and shook her father’s hand.
‘I’m so happy you came!’ he said, his smile making dimples appear on his long face.
‘We’re happy to be here,’ Tug’s father said as Tug stared around her with big eyes, taking in the opulence of Chuck’s home.
‘Come right this way,’ Chuck said. ‘Mom and Dad are so excited to meet you both.’ Chuck led them to a parlor down a small hallway, where his parents waited. As the small group entered the room, they rose.
Chuck’s parents were both tall and slim, like Chuck, and his mother had the same broad open face that made Chuck so readily approachable. She smiled as soon as they appeared, and crossed the room to meet them. Her husband, Chuck’s father, hung back slightly, but a genuine and friendly atmosphere surrounded them both.
‘Mom, Dad,’ Chuck said. ‘I’d like to introduce the girl I plan to marry. This is Elizabeth Hadley. And this is her father, Albert Hadley.’
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you both,’ Chuck’s mother said, kissing Tug’s cheeks and taking her father’s hand. ‘I’m Lucy, and this is Charles.’
‘Welcome to our home,’ Mr Merriweather said.
The Merriweathers were warm and welcoming, and the evening passed quickly. Chuck sat close to Tug, and once she’d gotten past the initial shock of his announcement, it felt natural to think of him as her future husband. She wanted to be with Chuck. He was safe, but exciting; handsome, but sincere. She leaned into his shoulder as he sat close, taking immense pleasure from the simple knowledge that she loved him.
As they finished a cocktail and stood to head into the dining room, the doorbell chimed loudly. Minutes later, Roger appeared at the doorway to the parlor, where they all stood.
‘Chuck, I …’ Roger took in the scene before him. Tug and Chuck holding hands, Tug’s father side by side with Chuck’s parents. His mouth hung open for a brief moment and his face flushed before he recovered himself. ‘I’m so sorry to interrupt … how rude of me to burst in.’
‘No, Roger,’ Mrs Merriweather said. ‘It’s lovely to see you.’
‘Stay for dinner?’ Mr Merriweather suggested.
Tug stared at Roger. She hadn’t seen him in weeks, and while Chuck mentioned him from time to time, the burning ardor that she’d felt for him had all but disappeared. As he stood before her, looking embarrassed and out of place – things she doubted Roger felt often – she searched herself to find the love that she thought she held for him, only to find it reassuringly absent.
‘No, I couldn’t intrude,’ Roger said. ‘Chuck, I just …’ Roger seemed to notice Tug’s hand in Chuck’s then, and a question passed through his dark eyes. ‘Hello, Tug. You look wonderful.’
‘Thanks, Roger, so do you. This is my father, Albert.’
The men shook hands and the painful moment seemed determined to last forever as Roger grasped the situation around him. ‘Chuck,’ he said finally. ‘I just need to talk to you about a few things. About the firm.’ He added the last part quickly, looking around as if there might be investigators nearby, ready to catch him in some admission of guilt. ‘I’ll call you tomorrow to see if we might talk.’
‘Sure, Rog,’ Chuck said, his easy manner smoothing over the discomfort of the situation.
As Roger took a step backward, Chuck dropped Tug’s hand to walk his old friend to the door. ‘You sure you won’t stay?’ he asked.
Tug and her father were ushered in the other direction, toward the dining room, but she heard Roger’s voice as she moved away.
‘So you and Tug, huh?’
‘I think so,’ Chuck’s voice responded. Tug could hear his smile.
‘Congratulations, Chuck.’ Roger’s voice lacked enthusiasm as he uttered the words and Tug’s attention was pulled back to the dinner table where she was being seated. Chuck returned to her side and the rest of evening went as well as the first part had.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Evie
Paris at night was something for which Evie had not been prepared. There was something tangible floating in the air, a visceral quality that surrounded the small group of three as they walked. Evie felt light and giddy, as Paris wrapped them tightly in possibility and anticipation.
Louis fell naturally between Janie and Evie, and they allowed him to play the role of tour director as they strolled, each of them on one of his arms.
The city was thronging with people. As a result of the Olympic Games, languages sifted through the night air, creating an ambient din of humanity along the more crowded streets. The world, it seemed, had fallen in love with Scotsman Eric Liddell, the sprinter who was expected to take gold in July. The town was abuzz with the news that he refused to run on a Sunday, due to his devout faith.
‘Didn’t you meet him?’ Evie asked, remembering Jane’s postcard to Tug.
‘I did,’ Janie said.
‘No,’ said Louis. ‘Really? He is practically a celebrity!’ Louis guided them past many crowded sidewalk cafes, finally ducking around a corner into a small doorway that was almost hidden. ‘This is one of my favorite cafes,’ he told them.
‘Louis!’ A booming voice greeted them as they entered the small dark restaurant, and a bald man with a broad smile approached and kissed Louis on each cheek.
The two men chattered in French and then Louis introduced Evie and Jane.
They were seated next to a small window facing the street, and food began arriving.
‘We didn’t order anything,’ Evie said, looking over the dishes that now filled the table.
Lo
uis grinned as a loud pop filled the air and then a bottle of champagne was carried over, with three glasses.
‘Jean knows what we want,’ Louis said.
Janie looked skeptical, but raised her glass in the air once it had been filled. ‘To good friends,’ she said.
The threesome drank and ate, and Evie found herself more relaxed than she’d been in weeks. Louis had a natural charm about him. He wasn’t traditionally handsome, but he seemed worldly and wise, and it was attractive. He was sure of himself, and the way he moved and talked spoke of a man who was comfortable in his skin, and in his place in the world.
They sat for most of the evening, and when they stumbled back out to the street, it was full of wine and good food. All three of them were slightly drunk.
‘To the club?’ Louis asked.
‘Yes!’ the girls sang.
The crowd in the streets had shifted during their meal. The awkward tourists had been replaced by younger, more stylish people who seemed to know where they were and where they were going. The air was charged with something more celebratory than it had been that afternoon, and Louis guided them to a corner club where a band played in the corner and tables spilled over with women and men who were raucously enjoying themselves.
‘Louis!’ A man with a mustache waved from a table full of people, and several of the others at the table scrambled to make three chairs appear. ‘Rejoignez-nous!’ the man called.
Louis smiled and guided Evie and Janie to two of the chairs, seating himself between them.
Most of the group nodded and smiled before returning to their conversations. Janie seemed to know several of the people at the table, and a young man next to them seemed especially glad to see her. Within minutes, they were deep in conversation, their heads close.
As conversation picked up around them after introductions had been made, Evie found herself seated quite close to Louis as he turned to face her.
‘How long will you stay with us here in Paris?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know.’ The question led Evie’s mind to wander over the faces of those she had left. Roger’s dark eyes and Jack’s icy gaze appeared before her briefly before she blinked them away. ‘I’m almost afraid to go back.’ Besides Roger and Jack, there was Tobias. She’d either quit or been fired … she still wasn’t sure which, but she wasn’t proud about it either way. ‘I made such a mess of everything before I left.’
The Glittering Life of Evie Mckenzie Page 18