Debutante Hill

by Lois Duncan

  To Lynn’s surprise, she felt her heart begin to beat a little faster.

  He is handsome, she thought but so tough and insolent and cocky! How I’d love to take him down a peg or two . . . and I know how to do it.

  If she had thought, she would never have done it—not really. It was the kind of thing that was fun to think about and to laugh about with the girls, but never, never actually to do. It was with real surprise that Lynn heard her voice saying, coolly and easily, as though it were the least important thing in the world:

  “Why, thank you, Dirk, that would be very nice. I’d love to go out with you Saturday night.”

  4

  When she thought back upon it later, Lynn decided it was worth it, worth every minute of it, just to see the look of shock upon Dirk’s face. He had been standing there grinning at her, waiting to see her wriggle and squirm in an effort to be polite and still refuse his left-handed invitation. Her simple words of acceptance took him completely off guard and left him staring at her in bewilderment.

  “What?”

  “I said thank you, I’d love to go out with you Saturday. What time will you be by for me?”

  “Why, I—I—” Dirk’s smile was gone now. “I didn’t mean—that is, you—you don’t really want to go?”

  “Of course, I want to go.” Lynn said sweetly. She knew she should back out now; it was the perfect moment for it but she was too amused by Dirk’s discomfort to let the situation drop. “How about eight o’clock? Do you know where I live?”

  “Sure,” Dirk said, “I know where you live. But your folks. What will they say? They don’t even know me.”

  “They’ll meet you,” Lynn said, “Saturday night.”

  The bell rang, announcing the end of lunch hour and the beginning of afternoon classes. Lynn got to her feet for she knew she could not have continued the conversation a single moment longer without bursting into laughter and ruining the whole effect. Seeing Dirk embarrassed was so completely out of character!

  Now she gave him her brightest smile and joined the crowd moving into the building.

  It was funny. Terrifically funny then—and it would have been even more so if there had been someone to share it with, but she could think of no one to tell. Nancy, Joan, Holly—they would all be horrified. A date with Dirk Masters! Why, it was as far out of the question as dating Satan himself.

  And the more Lynn thought about it, the less amusing it began to seem to her. Yes, she had succeeded in disconcerting Dirk. The last thing in the world he had ever expected was that he would find himself dating Lynn. But a boy like Dirk would resent being put on a spot. If he had been bitter and resentful of her before, what would he be like now?

  The question was not a comforting one.

  I never should have gone on with it, Lynn thought. Why didn’t I slip out while I could? Now I’m committed, and there’s not much I can do about it.

  She had not meant to mention the date much beforehand at home, but she was forced to because of Dodie who, for the first time in her live, asked her if she wanted to go to the movies.

  “It’s a good show,” she said, “a Western. Good reviews and everything.”

  Lynn could not believe her ears.

  “You want to go to a Western? How come? You never liked them before. And if you do want to go, why aren’t you going with Janie?”

  Dodie shrugged. “I don’t mind a Western once in a while, and I thought you—well, I just thought maybe you’d like to go. It really doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.”

  Lynn thought, did Mother ask her to go to the movies with me Saturday, in order to give me something to do to keep me from thinking about the dinner dance? It was not like something her mother would do. And yet there did not seem to be any other answer. She and Dodie never went to the movies together.

  “Thanks,” she said now, “but I can’t. I’ve got a date.”

  “A date?” Dodie said in surprise. “Who on earth are you dating, with Paul away at college and all the eligible fellows at the debutante dance?”

  “Dirk Masters.”

  “Who?” Dodie stared at her in amazement. “You’re joking!”

  “No,” Lynn said, “I’m not joking. I really do have a date with him. Is there any reason why I shouldn’t?”

  “Why, he’s a juvenile delinquent!” Dodie exclaimed. “He’s already been in trouble a couple of times with the police. He’s wild and he runs around with a terrible crowd. How can you possibly—” Then, suddenly, a look of understanding crossed her face. “Oh, I see what you’re doing. You can’t date the Hill fellows because they’re all at the deb parties, so you’ll date the other extreme. Let Daddy meet Dirk once, and he’ll be begging you to get back with the old Hill crowd again.”

  There was admiration in her voice at the cleverness of the plan, but a note of contempt, too.

  “It’s smart, Lynn, but it doesn’t sound like you.”

  “Why, that wasn’t my idea at all!” Lynn protested. But even as she said it, her mind slid along Dodie’s words, seeing the possibilities. She had not consciously planned for her date with Dirk to have this effect on her parents, but perhaps it would, at that. And if it did, certainly she would not be sorry.

  When Saturday evening finally arrived, Lynn found herself dressing with as much care as she had ever shown on her most exciting date with Paul. She had selected her tan wool dress with the three-quarter length sleeves and gold belt, the dark brown suede pumps with medium high heels. It was a good outfit, simple and striking, and she hoped that Dirk, who had never seen her except in a school dress or a skirt and sweater, would be overwhelmed.

  He’s always making remarks about my being as snooty as a princess, Lynn thought, brushing her blonde hair back into a shining pony tail. Well, all right, let him see what it feels like to date a princess. I’ll be just as gracious and charming as can be, the way a real princess always is with her subjects, but I’m going to dress in good taste and look like the kind of a person I am, not like the flashy girls he’s probably used to dating.

  She finished dressing just as the doorbell rang.

  He’s here!

  And it was then that Lynn realized that, underneath, she had been half-expecting Dirk to back out of their date. She knew he had not meant for her to accept—that the whole situation was not at all what he wanted. She had not talked to him since he had asked her. She had passed him in the hall every once in a while, but he had always avoided her eyes and never once stopped to speak to her, to confirm their date. So, although she had dressed carefully for this evening and was, for all practical purposes, expecting him to arrive, she would not really have been surprised if he had not.

  Now, with the sound of the bell, came the realization—he’s here! He’s actually here!

  And with it came a wave of panic.

  It was like nothing she had experienced with Paul. Oh, she had been excited about dating Paul. When Paul rang the bell, she felt a quickening, a leap of happiness, a kind of singing inside. But never panic. Paul, even when she first met him, was dear and familiar because he was very much like Ernie and the boys Ernie went around with. Paul’s father and Dr. Chambers were in Rotary together. Paul’s mother was in Mrs. Chambers’ bridge club. She knew Paul—the kind of places he would take her, the way he would feel about things, the things he would talk about—because they came from the same world.

  Dirk did not.

  But I can’t stay here all night, Lynn told herself firmly, giving herself one last look in the mirror. Tonight may be perfectly horrible, but at least it is just one evening. You can stand anything for one evening. I was foolish to get myself into this, but four hours from now it will be over and I’ll never have to look at or speak to him again.

  Taking a deep breath, she turned away from the mirror and went downstairs.

  Dirk was sitting in the big chair in the living room, talking to Dr. Chambers. He was dressed neatly, Lynn noticed at once, in a good quality sports shirt and freshly
pressed slacks. His hair was combed back from his forehead with care. He looked clean and handsome and rather nervous, perched uncomfortably on the edge of the chair, trying to make conversation. When Lynn came in, he looked up in relief.

  “Hello!” Lynn swept down the bottom steps with all the princess-like grace she could muster. “How are you, Dirk? I see you’ve met my father.”

  “Yes,” Dr. Chambers said, rising as his daughter came toward them. “We find we have some acquaintances in common—the Turners. Dirk says they live a few houses down from him.”

  “Oh?” Lynn gave Dirk a charming smile. “How nice.”

  Seeing Dr. Chambers rise, Dirk got up too, standing uncomfortably with his hands in his pockets.

  “Are you ready to go now?”

  “Yes,” Lynn said, “all ready.”

  Her father gave her a pat on the shoulder and held out his hand to Dirk.

  “I’m glad to have met you, Dirk. Have a nice evening and drive carefully.”

  Dirk flushed slightly. “I will, sir. Thank you.” Lynn could not remember ever seeing him so subdued.

  Once they were out of the house, however, the awkwardness seemed to slide off him and the old Dirk began to reappear. He gave her a flash of the sardonic smile she knew so well.

  “You look real neat tonight, Princess! Are all those fancy clothes just for me?”

  “You didn’t say where we were going,” Lynn answered pleasantly, “so I wasn’t sure what to wear. I thought this was a happy medium.”

  “That’s right I said ‘paint the town’ but I didn’t say where. Well ...” He hesitated. “What about a movie to start with? There’s a good show at the State. Then we can go on from there.”

  “Fine!”

  There was a car parked by the curb. Dirk walked over and opened the door.

  “Climb in. Hope this is classy enough for you.”

  Lynn got in, choking down her surprise. The car was a brand new Chevrolet convertible.

  She asked, “Is this yours? It’s a beautiful car. I’ve never seen you drive it to school.”

  “No, I don’t take it to school.” Dirk slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He seemed anxious to change the subject. “Your dad’s nice. I thought he’d be different. It’s funny, him knowing the Turner kids.”

  “He’s their doctor,” Lynn said. “He took care of Mr. Turner while he was alive, and now he takes care of the children. He got the oldest boy a job in a drugstore. He says he’s a grand boy.”

  “Ronnie? Yes, he’s a nice enough kid, I guess.” Dirk turned the car off the Hill Road and drove toward town. “But he’s not very smart.”

  “Why, Daddy seemed to think he was awfully smart. He makes top grades in school and holds a job and—”

  “Oh, sure, he’s smart in schoolwork, but that’s no test of a guy’s brains. There he is, wearing himself out at that darned drugstore every day, all afternoon on weekdays and all day long on Saturdays, and what does he get for it? Thirty dollars a week, maybe. Probably less.”

  “Well, thirty dollars is thirty dollars,” Lynn said. “It sounds fine to me.”

  Dirk shrugged his shoulders. “It’s an awful lot of work for peanuts.”

  They drove on in silence until they reached the State Theater.

  The movie was the Western that Dodie had suggested seeing. The theater was a nice one. Lynn had been there many times with the girls and with Paul, and she automatically turned down the aisle toward the left-hand middle section where the Hill crowd always sat. She was surprised when Dirk caught her arm.

  “Come on, let’s sit in the balcony.”

  “In the balcony? Why? You don’t see nearly as well there.”

  “Sure, you do. That’s where the gang always sits.”

  Lynn hesitated and then turned to follow him up the stairs to the balcony. If by ‘the gang’ he meant the older crowd he seemed to run around with, she would just as soon not sit with them. But after all, she was Dirk’s guest and it was up to him to say where they would go. Besides, she was going to be a princess this evening, gracious and charming, or die in the attempt!

  Once they reached the balcony, Lynn felt as though she were in a separate world. There was a rustle of people moving as they approached, and somebody called, “Hey, Masters, come sit over here! Who’s the chicken tonight?”

  Dirk took her arm and steered her down an aisle to a group of seats where some young people were sitting. Straining to see them in the darkened theater, Lynn thought she recognized one of the group as the plump, blonde girl who sat in the last row in English class, but she was not sure. She did not think she recognized any of the others.

  Dirk steered her into an empty seat and sat down beside her. To her relief, he did not introduce her with any of his sarcastic remarks. He merely said, “This is Lynn Chambers.”

  “Lynn Chambers!” Lynn may not have known the crowd, but they seemed to know her. “You mean the Lynn Chambers! Well, for crying out loud, Masters, you’re mixing with royalty!”

  The plump girl gave Lynn a shy smile.

  “I’m Greta Burly. You probably don’t know me, but I’m in your English class.”

  “Of course, I know you,” Lynn said politely. “You sit in the last row.”

  The girl beamed. “Why, I never thought you noticed!”

  The boy she was with threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her toward him. “Hey, either concentrate on the picture or on me. Save your female jabber till later.”

  Lynn turned her own attention to the picture. It was difficult, for despite what Dirk said, the balcony was far from a choice spot for viewing. Everyone in the balcony seemed to be smoking, and within a few minutes, Lynn felt her eyes burning. Behind them, several couples were giggling, and, after a moment, there was a muffed sound that Lynn glance over her shoulder in alarm. She turned back again, her face burning.

  Beside her, Dirk chuckled. “What’s the matter, didn’t you ever see people kiss each other before?”

  “Not in public like that,” Lynn whispered back scornfully.

  “Well, kid, you’re learning new things every day.”

  With an effort, Lynn focused her attention on the screen and managed to keep it there through the rest of the picture, determinedly ignoring all sounds from the seats behind or to the side of her.

  It was a relief when the picture ended and they got up to leave.

  “Where are we going now?”

  It seemed they were now part of the gang. Everyone assumed they would be going somewhere together.

  Someone suggested, “What about Charlie’s?”

  “O.K., fine.”

  Dirk said, “I’ve got a car tonight; we’ll meet you over there. Anybody want a ride?”

  The boy who was with Greta Burly said, “Sure, we’ll ride with you. I want to see that buggy make some time.”

  They stumbled together down the stairs from the balcony, shoved and trampled by the masses of people moving in the same direction. And then, a few moments later, they were in the car, Greta and her date in the back seat, and Lynn beside Dirk in the front. She said, “Where is Charlie’s? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.”

  “It’s a good place.” Greta said. “It’s where all the gang goes.”

  Dirk swung the car out of the city traffic and onto the River Road. He began to drive fast. The wind sang past the windows. The boy in the back seat gave a crow of delight “Say, this is the greatest! Don’t you wish you had a buggy like this?”

  But isn’t it Dirk’s? Lynn thought in surprise. She watched the needle creeping across the speedometer with apprehension. Fifty-five . . . sixty . . . sixty-five. She thought, I won’t say anything. Greta and her date are in the car just as much as I am. I’m not going to be the one to be a coward about this.

  Seventy . . . seventy-five. The wind was a wild shriek on all sides of them.

  Lynn glanced beseechingly at Greta in the back seat, but she could not see the girl, only a blur. Then she hear
d a whisper, a muffled giggle. She realized that Greta and her date were not noticing the speedometer any more; they were too wrapped up in each other.

  Lynn turned back to see the needle at the far right of the speedometer. She gave a gasp, all her pride leaving her in a sharp surge of panic.

  “Dirk, please! Please slow down! We’ll all be killed!”

  Dirk glanced down at her. He was grinning.

  “Scared, Princess?”

  “Yes, I’m scared,” Lynn gasped. “Please, please, Dirk, don’t be so crazy! You promised Daddy you’d drive carefully. You know you did!”

  There was a giggle from the back seat as Greta evidently came up for air long enough to catch this remark.

  “He did what?”

  “He promised my father he’d be careful driving.”

  Greta’s date leaned forward. “Hey, did you really, Masters? Did the doc sit you down and give you a book of instructions before he let you take his darling daughter out?”

  He was laughing, and Greta was too, as though it were the biggest joke in the world.

  Lynn felt her face growing hot with fury. She waited for Dirk to come up with a similar remark, but he did not. Instead, to her surprise, he took his foot off the accelerator and let the car coast to a slower speed. Then he turned to the right, into a driveway, and came to a full stop in front of a small lighted building.

  “Here we are . . . Charlie’s.” Dirk threw open his door and got out Lynn waited a moment to see if he was coming around to open hers, and when he did not she opened it herself and climbed out slamming the door angrily behind her.

  Of all the rude things, she thought almost as irritated as she had been about the speeding. Why, Paul would never in the world get out of a car and walk off, leaving me to trail along by myself. It’s just not the way a boy acts on a date.

  Then she realized that Greta too was climbing out of her own side of the car and shutting the door behind her. The two boys were standing together by the front of the car, waiting for the girls to join than.

  Lynn felt her anger diminish slightly.