Days of Winter
Page 46
After that first dinner her social success was assured. She was immediately in a whirl of activity.
Weekends were spent visiting neighbors in Southampton, playing tennis at Forest Hills, or sailing off Cape Cod. But wherever she went, Roger Humphreys seemed to be present. His all-American good looks were the antithesis of the fine, drawn Europeans who had courted her in France, his blunt manner the opposite of their suave flattery. She found him refreshing and was intrigued by his Boston accent, his Harvard degree, and his athletic prowess. He never tried to make love to her, but although she was surprised, she assumed that it was an American kind of restraint, a trait which she rather admired. So she was completely unprepared for Roger’s embrace one day when they were forced to seek shelter in the boathouse. “Lily,” he blurted out, “I’m in love with you. I want you to be my wife.”
She caught her breath. She had never thought of Roger in terms of romance. He was a pleasant companion, charming and good-looking to be sure, but she had felt no stirring of emotion when she was with him.
For a second she was shocked into silence. Then she stammered, “Roger, you’ve caught me by surprise. I’ll have to think about it.”
“I wish you would, Lily,” he said, squeezing her hand. “We would make such a good team.”
Team? My goodness, they could play touch football or row together to Hyannis Port. Her trepidation was almost replaced by laughter.
Of course, Lily had no way of knowing that her destiny had already been determined. Even while she was still in Paris, Charles Goodhue had invited Roger’s father, Jason, to lunch at the Harvard Club. Before Lily had even sailed for home, Charles and Jason had laid their plans for a merger between “the children.” Both fathers had agreed to press for an engagement—and then marriage—as soon as possible. A week later, while Lily was still on the Atlantic, Jason Humphreys invited his son to lunch with the same purpose in mind.
After ordering, Jason took a sip of his drink and began: “You know, Roger, you are twenty-six years old, and it’s time you settled down. I have a lovely young girl that I’d like you to meet.”
“Look, Father, I’m sure that she’s a lovely girl, but I’m not ready to get married.”
“Now Roger, I want you to listen. You know, I had lunch with Charles Goodhue last week, and he tells me that his daughter, Lily, is returning from Europe. From everything Charles tells me, she would make a perfect wife.”
“But Father …”
Jason held up his hand. “I’m not interested in your protests, Roger. Let’s face it. This girl is the Goodhues’ only child, and you know how much the Goodhue Rubber Company is worth. Someday she’ll inherit it all.”
“But Father, I haven’t even met her, and you’re planning a wedding already.”
“That’s correct, Roger. Every young woman your mother and I have suggested you have rejected. Now it’s time to grow up.”
“Why don’t you just let us meet and see if we even like one another?”
“I’m not going to let Lily Goodhue slip through your fingers. There are going to be a hundred men after her fortune the second she reaches New York. You’re our only son and you have an obligation to the family to marry well.”
Roger sat in silent rebellion. Why was he cursed with four sisters, so that the burden of carrying on the family name fell to him? I’m not ready to be tied down, he thought. I’m only twenty-six!
But as he stared across the table at his father, he realized that he no longer had any choice. People were already beginning to wonder why he never had a steady girl. He knew he would have to marry soon, like it or not, and the unknown Lily certainly had the right qualifications. Later, after he met her, he decided he was probably a very lucky man. Lily was very beautiful, and he found himself actually liking her; she was unaffected and easygoing and when he was with her she was almost like one of the boys. But seeing how the other men hovered about her, he knew he couldn’t delay and he took advantage of the time alone in the boathouse to blurt out his proposal.
Lily went home perplexed. Although she was grateful that Roger had not demonstrated any great passion for her, she thought it odd that he did no more than peck her on the cheek. Even if it was America, she didn’t think men were all that different. Despite his clear blue eyes and thick sandy hair and strong, even features, she knew she was not in love with him, and she would have no trouble deciding about his proposal.
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About the Author
Cynthia Freeman (1915–1988) was the author of multiple bestselling novels, including Come Pour the Wine, No Time for Tears, and The Last Princess. Her novels sold more than twenty million copies worldwide. Born in New York City’s Lower East Side, she moved as a young child with her family to Northern California, where she grew up. She fell in love with and married her grandmother’s physician. After raising a family and becoming a successful interior decorator, a chronic illness forced her to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. At the age of fifty-five, she began her literary career with the publication of A World Full of Strangers. Her love of San Francisco and her Jewish heritage drove her to write novels with the universal themes of survival, love, hate, self-discovery, joy, and pain, conveying the author’s steadfast belief in the ability of the human spirit to triumph over life’s sorrows.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 1978 by Cynthia Freeman Enterprises, Inc.
Cover design by Mimi Bark
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