by Alexa Kang
“Why are you coming? Can’t you leave me alone? Don’t you have to go back to your dorm?” she asked.
“I have to tell Mother and Father what happened.”
She stopped walking. “You know something, Anthony? You’re a real pantywaist. Must you consult with your parents about everything? Can’t you resolve anything on your own? What is so serious that we have to summon the whole house?”
“Don’t call me a pantywaist.”
“You’re being a pantywaist. Go. Go tell Uncle William and Aunt Sophia. Oh dear. Tessa went to a bar, and now she’s home safe. But let’s make your parents upset and worried over nothing. You can be the goody-two-shoes tattletale, and I’ll be the troublemaker. Then we can both be like little children and see what your parents have to say about this. Who is the immature one now? Pantywaist.”
“Stop calling me that!”
“Pantywaist, pantywaist, pantywaist,” she said and walked toward the house until she reached the front door. “You coming in?”
He stood in place, trying to decide what to do. She had a point. It made little sense to alarm his parents now. But shouldn’t he let them know what she was doing? But, what did she say? Did he always consult with his parents on everything? What did he do to make her think he was a pantywaist?
She went inside and closed the door.
“Damn it, Tessa,” he mumbled under his breath and went back to his car. No one ever accused him of being a pantywaist before. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone made him lose his composure like this.
# # #
In his dorm room the next morning, Anthony tried to study, but he couldn’t stop thinking about his argument with Tessa the night before.
— You are the only one who talks down to me like that. Did he always talk down to her like she said? He wasn’t aware that he did. She had looked so frustrated with him when she said that.
— You’ve been doing that since the day we met. He thought of the first time they met. He chided her in the rose garden, but she was making a mess of it. They had a pool party for her after that. She didn’t even appreciate it, so he had told her she must stay. When she took a summer job, he tried to talk to her about responsibility and that didn’t go so well. Was he talking down to her all those times? Had he been rude any other time without knowing it?
— You’re a pantywaist. Pantywaist, pantywaist, pantywaist. How could she insult him like that? Whatever flaws he had, he certainly was no weakling. She was the one who was rude. All he did was try to look out for her.
— You don’t know the first thing about me. I don’t need you to protect me.
He didn’t do anything wrong to get her out of the bar. But then he remembered the redheaded boy who stood up to him. Come to think of it, that boy was actually trying to protect her from him. And the bartender who rushed to check up on her when they left, she must’ve been watching over Tessa the whole time. Was Tessa truly able to take care of herself like she said?
He knew so little about her. How did she end up at the tavern? What did she do on her own? What kind of people did she spend her time with? How much more about her did he not know?
— Sixteen. I’ll be sixteen next week.
It only now occurred to him that although she had lived with his family for two years, he didn’t even know her birthday. Perhaps that was excusable. He had been away at school most of the time after she arrived, but he never did bother to find out, either.
And then it struck him. Their argument last night was the first real conversation they had ever had with each other.
She was right. He didn’t know the first thing about her.
— Must you consult with your parents about everything? Can’t you resolve anything on your own? What is so serious that we have to summon the whole house?
All right, we’ll do it your way, he thought to himself. We’ll resolve this on our own.
He closed his book, put on a light jacket, and left his room.
Chapter 27
Downtown, Anthony wandered about the streets looking for a place to shop. He had no idea what would make a good birthday present for a teenage girl. For Katherine’s birthdays, his mother always picked out a gift and they would give it to her as a family.
He went into a gift shop and aimlessly looked around. The shop sold nothing but dolls, small toys, and stationery and pens. Nothing appealed to him. He left and wandered down the street, passing by several more shops until he came upon a small jewelry store. It was a very small store hidden on a side street. “Unique, handcrafted jewelry”, said the sign hung on the door. He scanned the items shown in the display window. A small, pretty necklace caught his eye. A pink rose made of coral hung on its simple gold chain. It reminded him of the flowers in their rose garden. Maybe she would like that. It could be a nice memento to remind her of their home. He smiled and went inside.
The storeowner, a thin, middle-aged woman, greeted him immediately. “Welcome. How may I help you? Are you looking for a gift?”
“Yes. I’m looking for a birthday gift.”
“For your mother? Or for your girlfriend, maybe?”
“Oh no.” He laughed. “For…” He didn’t know how to describe who Tessa was to him. He started saying sister, but that wasn’t right. They didn’t treat each other like siblings. He could say they were cousins, but they weren’t that either. They weren’t close the way Katherine and Alexander were with him. Were they friends? Not exactly. They sort of coexisted, and generally stayed out of each other’s way. How awful was that? She lived in his house.
“For a family friend, I guess.” He couldn’t think of what else she could be.
“I see,” said the store owner. “Is she a young woman or an older lady?”
“A girl. It’s for her sixteenth birthday.”
“That’s easy.” She walked to one of the counters and gestured from him to come over. “Come look at these. What do you think?” She brought out a velvet tray of gold and silver necklaces. Some were adorned with rhinestones, others with crystals. “You can get her something made with her birthstone. What month is her birthday?”
“Actually,” he said, “can I take a look at the rose necklace in the display window?”
“Okay.” She took the necklace out from the display window and showed it to him for a closer look.
Close up, the rose’s detailed carving was even more impressive. “I’ll take this.”
“Good choice,” she said. “Would you like it gift-wrapped?”
“Yes please.” While she took it away to wrap it, he checked his watch. Three o’clock. He had time to take it home and return to school before dinner.
# # #
When he arrived home, his mother was surprised to see him.
“Anthony, this is unexpected.” Sophia gave him a hug. “What are you doing home?”
“I came back to drop off something. Is Tessa around?”
“No. I haven’t seen her since breakfast. She went out with her friends. They’re doing a metal scraps drive for the Army at the community center.”
“Is her birthday next week?”
“You remembered?”
He was too embarrassed to tell her he hadn’t known it in the first place.
“Yes, her birthday’s next week,” Sophia said. “I asked her if she would like us to throw her a sweet sixteen party. When Katherine turned sixteen back in March, Leon and Anna hosted a very nice lunch party for her at the Sienna Country Club. I didn’t want Tessa to feel like she deserved anything less. Your father said Tessa wouldn’t want it, and he was right, as usual. Tessa said no. She said she didn’t like parties and didn’t want all that attention.”
He thought back to last night when he found her at the tavern and smiled to himself. He had a better idea of how she would rather spend her birthday. Anyway, too bad she wasn’t here. He looked at his watch. He didn’t have time to wait for her to come home.
“I need to drop off something upstairs. Then I’ll have to be of
f,” he said.
“So soon? Won’t you stay for dinner?”
“I can’t. Exams are coming up. I have to study.” He kissed Sophia on the cheek and went upstairs to Tessa’s room.
He hadn’t been in this room since she moved in. It looked almost exactly like the guest room that it was before she came to live with them. That was odd. She had lived here for two years, but one could not have known this was her room. She did nothing to make it her own. It didn’t even look like a girl’s room. No collection of mementos anywhere. No soft and pretty pillows on the bed like Katherine’s. No accessories and jewelry scattered on the dresser. The dresser top was almost clear except for a hairbrush and a bottle of perfume.
The country landscape paintings on the wall, the clock next to the bed, the vase on the chest of drawers, everything had been there before she arrived. She changed nothing and added nothing. The only things in the room that gave any clue to it being hers were her schoolbooks on the bookshelf and a few necessary items like her school bag and her umbrella. It made him a bit sad that she felt so unattached to this place. Two years, and it was as though she was still a temporary visitor.
But there were fresh roses in the vase. He wondered if Tessa had put them there herself, or if his mother or their housemaid had.
And there was a framed photograph of her parents on the nightstand. It was the most personal item in here except for her clothes. In the photograph, her parents looked very happy.
He put his gift on the desk and scribbled a short note.
“Dear Tessa,
Happy sixteenth birthday. Sorry about last night. Would you agree not to visit bars and taverns again? I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. — Anthony”
He hoped this made up for what happened last night. On his way out, he noticed a scarlet red dress on her bed. While the dress looked stylish and elegant, it seemed a little too mature for a young girl. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her dressed up. When did she wear this? Where did she go dressed like that, he wondered.
But he had no time to think about this anymore. He had to meet Mary Winters for dinner. If he lingered any longer, he would be late. And he didn’t want to keep her waiting.
# # #
When Tessa saw the birthday present Anthony left her, she regretted being so rude to him last night. It would’ve been easier if he had stayed disagreeable. In that case, she could’ve shut him out like the way she did with Katherine and her friends. A thoughtful gesture on his part made things harder. She wasn’t used to backing down and reconciling from a conflict.
She opened the gift box. Inside was a very pretty rose necklace. She held it up and examined it. The rose looked like some of the ones in the memorial garden. It looked handmade, with intricate, skillfully carved details of the petals.
When he returned home this summer, she would have to thank him.
She read once more the note he left her.
Would you agree not to visit bars and taverns again? I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.
He worried about her? If he had spoken to her the way he wrote this note instead of telling her she should leave because she was too young or that she was a girl, they wouldn’t have bickered like they did last night. Why did he always have to talk at her like she was a child?
Would she stop going to Murphy’s? The truth was, even without him asking, she had been thinking she might stop going. She wasn’t worried that something bad might happen to her, but the place had changed. Like Nadine said, the regulars were gone. Jack was gone. The people who made Murphy’s fun for her had been replaced by soldiers passing through in transit. Being at Murphy’s no longer felt the same. The only reason she still went there was Nadine, but Nadine had her hands full these days with the waves of servicemen frequenting the bar. As for Henry, she saw him often enough when she visited Ruby on the weekends.
She looked at the rose necklace again.
Pink. A little girl’s color. Too bad it wasn’t another color. Something more daring, like red. Or something unusual like black or purple. She couldn’t immediately think of any occasion when she would wear anything pink. Carefully, she put it back into the jewelry box and placed it in her dresser drawer.
PART NINE
Mary Winters
Chapter 28
Tessa never had a chance to thank Anthony for her birthday present when he returned home for the summer. She never got to tell him she had stopped going to Murphy’s either. The right moment never came up. For one thing, he started his summer job with Uncle Leon and wasn’t around during the day. Whenever he came home, he was too busy planning for Mary Winters’ upcoming visit. He never had time, so she stopped bothering.
Mary Winters was the young woman Anthony had been seeing at school since they met at the student center on campus last fall. He asked her to visit him at his home during summer while her parents vacationed in Palm Springs. She hesitated at first, but eventually agreed. Her parents had spoken to William, and all the proper arrangements had been made for her stay with the Ardleys. Anthony had waited anxiously for her to arrive since summer began. He planned a series of activities for them for the week she would be here.
Because her visit was a big event for him, it became a big event for the entire Ardley household. Instructions went around to all the help to make sure every part of the house was in perfect order. The gardens and the yards were groomed. Daytime outings, evening entertainment, and dinners with William and Sophia were all meticulously planned. Tessa watched everything from the sidelines, amused by all the fuss and commotion. The best thing about Mary’s visit was that everyone was so preoccupied, they largely left her alone. She only wished Katherine’s friends could be here to see this. With the way they always gushed about Anthony, she wondered how they would react.
When Mary finally made her appearance, she was as remarkable as everyone expected. A classic, statuesque beauty with porcelain skin and sharp, brown eyes, she was dressed to perfection. From her elegantly coiffed blonde hair to her neatly done make-up, her entire look complemented her face. Not that she flaunted herself in any way. Her suit dress, finely tailored and understated, showed she had class.
The daughter of a steel magnate, Mary’s family had established itself in Illinois for three generations. People deferred to her father in the business community and revered her mother as a pillar of Chicago’s elite class. Mary herself was the president of the Chicago Junior League, and one of the most sought-after young ladies in her social circle. Young women wanted to befriend her, and young men wanted to court her, but she chose her friends carefully, and her suitors even more selectively.
And yet, even she was flattered when Anthony Ardley showed an interest in her. As many young men as there were who wanted to court her, there were just as many young women who wanted to date him. It had always seemed obvious to her that he and she should meet. The fact that they started dating surprised no one. It was almost expected. From family backgrounds, to looks, to accomplishments, they were a good match in every way. As good manners required, she did not immediately let on that she cared when they first began seeing each other. But from the moment he introduced himself, she knew their pairing was an obvious matter of course.
She arrived at the Ardley residence early in the afternoon and was pleased with everything she saw. Her first meeting with Anthony’s parents had gone well. William and Sophia Ardley were delightful people. As always, she handled herself beautifully. Afterward, Anthony took her outside for a walk. He had planned for them to spend the day at the beach the next day, followed by dinner with his parents and his aunt and uncle at the Cliff Dwellers, a private club that supported the performing arts. Later in the weekend, there would be a luncheon at the Ardleys’ home for her to become more acquainted with the rest of their families. Everything was going along smoothly, and her visit was an absolute success.
Until she saw that girl for the first time.
The girl made her first appearance when she and the Ardleys g
athered for dinner. She was surprised to see her, as she didn’t expect anyone else to join them. No one had told her about this girl until they met that night. They introduced her as Tessa Graham. She came from England and would be staying here until the war in Europe was over.
The first thing Mary noticed about Tessa Graham was her extraordinary beauty. When it came to the matter of beauty, Mary considered herself an expert. Everyone thought she was one of the most beautiful young ladies in the Chicago upper class. They didn’t come to that conclusion by accident. She worked at it. Her achievements in the way she looked took careful, disciplined effort in dressing right, applying make-up just right, regimented visits to hair salons, and years of diligent practice to master proper social grace and etiquette.
Tessa Graham’s beauty was something else. Her beauty was wild and unconventional. Her hair, which she didn’t bother to curl, fell untamed down her shoulders. Mary knew of no woman or girl who was so careless with her hair. She must admit though, Tessa looked very attractive that way, so natural and free.
And the way she dressed. Who dressed like that? Her blouse, not even tucked in, hung loosely on her as if she put it on as a lazy afterthought. The thin, airy fabric subtly revealed the lightness of her body and the lissome way she moved. Combined with the suggestive but not obviously low neckline, she appeared…desirable. Whether Tessa Graham was unaware of this, or was aware but did not care, Mary could not tell.
Suddenly, Mary found her own beauty too constrained and contrived. Tessa Graham was beautiful without trying at all, and she dared to show her sensuality in a way Mary herself never would.
But hardest to forget was Tessa’s face. So soft and yet so striking. Her gray eyes so hard to read.