by Bess McBride
“Annie!” she called.
“Sit down before you fall in as well, Marie! I’ll get her!” Rory barked.
“Help!” Annie yelled. “My skirts are wrapped around my legs, and I can’t kick. Freezing. Can’t catch my breath.”
Rory dove into the water near Annie and came up behind her. He grabbed her by the waist and dragged her toward the boat. The water was freezing, but he had expected that. Annie tried to help by kicking, but the motion seemed to drag her deeper into the water.
“Don’t kick, Annie! I’ve got you,” he reassured her.
Her teeth chattered when she spoke. “I’m such a klutz. I’m sorry. You must be freezing!”
“Don’t worry about me, dearest. Here, cling to the edge of the boat. Let’s see how we shall get you aboard without capsizing it and tossing Marie into the drink.”
“If I could just get out of these skirts,” she said as she hung onto the canoe and shivered.
“Can’t you take them off, Rory?” Marie asked. “It would be easier to pull her out.” She grabbed Annie’s hands as if to try to haul her aboard.
“I think that will not be necessary,” Rory said, his own voice beginning to tremble from the cold. “Forgive me, Miss St. John, but I must push you out of the water by your nether regions. Marie, sit on the other side of the canoe so that it does not tip over.”
Marie reluctantly let go of Annie’s hands and slid over to the opposite side of the boat.
“Ready, Annie?” Rory said.
She nodded and shivered.
“One, two, three!” Rory grabbed Annie by her backside and pushed with all his might, half submerging himself. He kicked forcefully several times to keep himself above water. Annie hoisted herself over the edge of the canoe and onto the floor before immediately popping up to offer him her hands. Touched by the sweet but ineffective gesture, Rory pulled himself from the water and rolled into the canoe—not the first time he had ever done so.
“Are you all right?” he asked as he raised his head to look at Annie. “Your skin is so blue.” Her wet, bedraggled hair hung down her back and around her face. Marie rubbed her sister’s arms.
“I’m freezing, but I’ll be all right. It’s pretty warm today,” Annie said with a shiver.
Rory pulled her to a sitting position and wrapped his jacket around her shoulders.
“Come, we must get back to shore and return you to the hotel so you can get out of your wet clothes.”
“What about the picnic?” Annie said. “I don’t want to spoil the picnic! I’ll dry. Really! This isn’t the first time I’ve gone swimming in my clothes.”
Marie laughed. “That’s true. There was this one time in high school that she fell into a friend’s pool and stayed in there for the next hour, fully clothed. We all jumped in after her. Of course, the pool was heated.”
Annie chuckled. “See? No problem. But I suppose you’re miserable, aren’t you?”
“I keep a change of clothes in the carriage as well as in the car. Always. I’ve been in too many wild and undeveloped areas during photography shoots not to have a change of clothes available in the event of a mishap.”
“It’s settled then,” Annie said. “We’re picnicking. I refuse to be the reason we have to leave the park so soon. But I am going to get rid of this petticoat and the jacket. My skirt and blouse will dry faster if I lighten the load.”
“There is a lavatory in the boathouse where you can remove some of your clothing, if you wish,” Rory said with a twitch of his lips.
“Perfect!” Annie said.
Rory rowed back to the dock house, and within a half-hour of their arrival, Annie and Marie emerged from the lavatory carrying the bag that Rory had managed to procure for them from the boathouse owner. As Annie had predicted, her clothing appeared to be drying, as was his. He thought he may as well forgo the opportunity to change clothes in sympathy with Annie, opting only to loosen his tie and unbutton the collar of his shirt. It would not do for him to sit comfortably dry picnicking while Annie’s clothes were still a bit damp.
A bit taken aback by her unconventionality, he could only admire the damp curls at the nape of her neck, remnants of an obvious attempt to redo her hair without benefit of a comb or brush. He opted not to offer his comb so as not to insult her efforts. Her hair looked charmingly disordered, much like her personality. She seemed to exhibit a remarkable proclivity for accidents.
“You didn’t change!” Annie exclaimed when she saw him. “Why not? I would not have suggested we stay if I’d known you weren’t going to get out of your damp clothes. Though they do look like they’re drying well.” She handed him his jacket.
He shook his head and chuckled. “As we discussed, this is not my first time in a canoe, therefore, not my first time in the water fully dressed either. I did not get so many of my clothes wet as you, and I will survive a damp shirt and trousers.” He led them over to the picnic spot where he had directed Joseph to lay out their picnic lunch before they set out on the lake.
“Joseph, bring some blankets from the carriage, please. Miss St. John had a small mishap.” He handed Joseph the bag of wet clothing and his vest and jacket. Joseph hurried away with the clothing and returned within moments carrying several brown woolen blankets.
“Let me wrap this around you,” Rory said as he gently draped one of the blankets around Annie’s shoulders. She looked up at him and smiled. “You should take one for yourself.”
“I will be fine,” he said. “As you say, it is a fine summer day. My shirt feels almost dry.”
“This looks wonderful!” Annie said as she took Rory’s offered hand to lower herself to the thick red and green plaid blanket. He handed her the other blanket and she laid it across her lap. Marie declined a third blanket for herself.
“If it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll just take my shoes off and let them dry out.” Annie reached under the blanket as if to fidget with her boots.
Rory’s lips twitched. “Certainly, Miss St. John. I had forgotten your shoes would not dry as easily. Are you certain you do not wish to return to the hotel? We can picnic another day.”
“Oh, no! I’m fine. Just need to get this other boot undone.” She scrunched her face as she labored under the blanket but beamed when she produced two small half boots, which she placed behind her.
“Well done,” Rory murmured. “Are you comfortable?”
“Perfectly,” Annie grinned.
Rory chuckled and turned to Marie to help her sit. She had been watching Joseph with interest.
“What does he do while we’re eating? Seems like he waits around a lot.”
Rory turned to see Joseph rummaging in the carriage to pull out a small basket.
“Joseph? Oh, he amuses himself. Give him time. He will be chatting with a woman before you know it, and offering to share his own lunch.”
“Oh, he has food with him?” Marie asked as she allowed Rory to help her sit.
“Of course, he does, Miss Marie. What sort of employer do you imagine me to be?” He grinned. “Joseph acts as my valet and driver when I am in town, and as my camera assistant when we are traveling. I have known him for a very long time. He does not want for food.”
Rory seated himself and peered into the wicker baskets, retrieving sandwiches, various small covered dishes, china, silverware, linen napkins, a bottle of wine and some glasses.
“Rory!”
Rory froze at the familiar young voice. Eddie! Rory stood as his brother approached. Eddie turned to wave at several companions as if to say goodbye, and Rory sighed. Apparently, Eddie meant to stay. He could already see the curiosity on his brother’s face.
“Hello, how do you do?” Eddie bowed in front of Annie. “My name is Edward O’Rourke. I’m Rory’s brother.” Eddie exuded their father’s charm. Rory had always hoped his young brother wouldn’t additionally inherit his father’s character flaws.
Annie took Eddie’s proffered hand with a startled look in Rory’s direction.
Marie followed suit.
“Eddie, this is Miss Annie St. John and Miss Marie St. John.” Rory did not elaborate. He still wasn’t sure exactly how to explain the Misses St. John, even to himself.
“May I sit?” Eddie knew better than to ask Rory, and he directed his question to Annie. Annie smiled and nodded silently.
“I did not know you were coming to the park on a picnic today, Rory. You should have told me yesterday when I saw you. I would have liked to join you. I must say you are dressed very casually for the park today with your shirt unbuttoned and without vest or jacket. I should like to do without my tie, but Mother would not have it, I’m sure.” He grinned, and began poking shamelessly about in the baskets. “Is there enough for me to eat?”
“Yes, of course there is, but what will your friends think?” Rory said. He sat down again and directed a warning glance to Annie and Marie.
“We just finished a meeting at the pavilion to discuss the new rowing program at the university. I’m going to crew a boat, Rory, can you imagine? Puttering about on the lake in a canoe with you has paid off.” Edward piled a plate of food for himself while Rory served Annie and Marie. He clapped his brother on the back.
“Congratulations, Eddie! Great news! I shall have to take some photographs of your competitions.”
“Yes, please do.” He turned to Annie and Marie. “I do not think I have heard Rory mention you before, Miss St. John, Miss Marie. I am certain he could not have mentioned your names, and I forgot. He is not often in town.”
“My brother has always been an affable sort of young man,” Rory said with an even smile. “He understands, though, that it is not polite to quiz a guest.”
Eddie beamed unrepentantly. “I do, but I thought I would try at any rate. I only meant to say that you must be new friends of my brother’s, as I feel certain I have met most of his other acquaintances in Seattle.”
Eddie grinned at the women, directing a particular look of admiration to Annie.
“That’s enough, Eddie!” Rory said sharply. He could have sworn he saw the reflection of his father on Eddie’s face, an unpleasant image that reminded him of his father’s womanizing.
“You and your brother have the same smile,” Annie said with a pointed look in Rory’s direction. Rory jerked and stared hard at Annie. Was it true? Did they both share the trait with their father? Rory swallowed hard. No!
“Thank you, Miss St. John,” said Eddie. “A high compliment indeed! Rory is well known about town for his smile. I believe I’ve heard it called ‘charming,’ ‘delightful,’ even ‘captivating.’” Eddie winked, nodded and bit into a sandwich.
“That will do, Edward,” Rory snapped. “You will give Miss St. John and Miss Marie the wrong impression about me, not that Miss St. John, at least, does not already believe I am anything other than a inveterate flirt.”
“Well…” Annie said with a grin. “There is that.”
Marie and Eddie laughed, and even Rory allowed himself a faint reserved, though genuine, smile. He vowed at that moment to change his ways, in the certain knowledge that Annie’s good opinion mattered more to him than any other woman’s opinion ever had. He promised himself never to favor her with a false smile designed to manipulate or charm her, as had been his habit of many years—a talent he had learned from his father as a youngster.
Rory returned his attention to the group where Eddie regaled them with information regarding his upcoming crewing activities while they ate. Although Eddie continued to attempt to elicit information regarding the Misses St. John’s origins, neither of the women, to their credit, gave him any information, deferring instead to Rory, who ignored his brother’s inquisitiveness. By the picnic’s end, Eddie appeared to have a crush on Annie, and Rory didn’t blame him. Not one little bit.
“Rory, you must bring Miss St. John and Miss Marie to the house for dinner one night to meet Mother. I know she would be pleased to make their acquaintance.” Eddie smiled wistfully in Annie’s direction.
“I don’t think…” Rory began uncertainly. What a terrible idea! He never introduced acquaintances to his mother, certainly not women, but Eddie had put him in a difficult position with his innocent suggestion. To now deny Annie and Marie an introduction to his mother would be the height of discourtesy, yet surely the women would understand that his mother would ask more questions than he had answers for, and nor did he want the Misses St. John to attempt any explanations of their origins with rumors of time travel.
“That is…” Rory began again.
“Tomorrow! Come tomorrow evening. I know for a fact that Mother has no engagements. She said you wanted to speak to me anyway, though I cannot imagine what must be of such importance that you set an appointment to speak to your own brother.” He bit into a piece of fruit. “Tomorrow!”
“Really, Eddie, I think we must consult with Mother before we descend upon her with guests. Forgive me, ladies. My brother would have you think my mother runs a boarding house such that she can whip up a meal in only a few hours. Eddie, Mother and Cook need to plan a meal before Cook can send a maid out to buy the food.” He knew his tone was exasperated, but he felt backed into a corner.
“Oh, don’t worry about us, Mr. O’Rourke,” Annie said quickly, her cheeks bright red. “Marie and I will probably be busy looking for one of those boarding houses to stay in anyway. We’ll catch a meal at the hotel or something. We’ll be just fine. You’ve been so kind.” She dropped her eyes to the apple in her hand.
Rory cursed his mishandling of the matter. Clearly, Annie was humiliated by his clumsy attempts to avoid introducing them to his mother. That his mother might look upon either of them with speculative interest as a possible future wife for her eldest son would only make a dinner more uncomfortable.
“A boarding house?” Eddie repeated. “So, you are not just visiting? You have come to live in Seattle? What wonderful news! I am certain my mother might know of some establishments that might be suitable. She seems to know everything.”
“Eddie!” Rory remonstrated, but was intercepted by Annie.
“No, Eddie, we are just visiting, but we might be here for a while, so we think it best we move out of the hotel and into a boarding house. The expense, you know.” Annie finished half-heartedly.
“I shall speak to my mother as soon as I get home.”
Rory opened his mouth to forbid his brother to speak to their mother but pressed his lips together and clenched his jaw. That his brother was a good-hearted young man was not in doubt, but the idea of involving their mother in the lodging concerns of two strange young women without family would astonish their mother, and Eddie appeared not to realize that. Rory resolved to speak to Eddie privately before they left the park.
He caught Annie’s look of alarm and turned a reassuring smile on her with a slight nod. Annie was a perceptive woman. He trusted she would understand his unspoken message. She returned the nod and turned away.
“I say, Miss St. John, are those your boots that I see behind you?” Eddie asked.
“Yes, they are,” Annie responded before Rory could speak.
Had his mother taught the boy no manners? She would never have allowed Rory to be so intrusive as Eddie was behaving today.
“They were tight, so I took them off to rest my feet for a bit.”
“Eddie, I trust you are quite finished interrogating Miss St. John on every possible aspect of her life,” Rory said dryly. He shot Annie a quick conspiratorial wink. Annie’s cheeks flamed, and Rory instantly regretted the casual gesture which no doubt served to reinforce Annie’s opinion of him as an incorrigible flirt.
“Ladies, if you do not mind, I think my brother and I will take a short stroll to speak of some family matters. Please relax and finish your luncheon. Joseph is nearby if you need anything. I will return shortly.” Rory rose and held out his hand to pull Eddie to his feet.
They moved away from the lawn and stepped onto the walkway.
“I think I must be in trouble,” Eddie sa
id with a nervous laugh.
“I think you must be,” Rory said flatly. “I am surprised at you, Eddie! Since when has it been good manners to question strangers as you have done today?” Rory held up a hand as his brother opened his mouth to respond. “Never! You bandy about Mother’s name, and yet I know she would never tolerate such bold inquisitiveness from you.”
“I did not think I was being rude, Rory,” Eddie said rather hotly. “I’ve heard Father quiz people, and people seem to like talking about themselves.”
“Well, you’re not Father, thank goodness!” Rory barked, his suspicions confirmed. He relented at the startled look on Eddie’s face. “What I mean to say is that you must let your behavior in society be guided by Mother. Father is known to be…overly friendly.”
“Well, how does one find anything out about anyone if one never asks?” Eddie said in frustration. “If you think I can’t tell there’s more to the Misses St. John than you’re letting on, you’re wrong. The way they speak, the way—”
“All you need to know about the Misses St. John is that they are visiting from Chicago. I met them on the train, and they seemed to be in need of some assistance as they are strangers to Seattle. They are currently staying in the Hotel Seattle for a few days, and as you have heard from Miss Annie St. John, she apparently intends to find lodgings. There is no other information that we need to know.”
Eddie stopped and stared at him, before throwing a look over his shoulder toward the two women under the trees on the lawn.
“I don’t know, Rory. I think you know more than you’re saying. I didn’t miss the looks exchanged between you and Annie.”
“Miss St. John,” Rory corrected. “There were no ‘looks’ exchanged between Miss St. John and myself.”
“Well, I hope they stay. I think ‘Miss St. John’ is beautiful!” Rory turned to follow his eyes. The women had risen. Marie had crossed over to the carriage to talk to Joseph, and Annie watched Rory and his brother.