The Pursuit of Lucy Banning,A Novel (Avenue of Dreams)

by Newport, Olivia

  “Over here, Leo,” Will said. “I just spotted them.”

  Will pointed, and Leo followed the invisible line from his friend’s finger to his sister’s hat. Together they nudged their way through the burgeoning crowd to the empty seats awaiting. Leo entered the row first, squeezed past Daniel and Lucy, and left the seat next to Lucy for Will.

  “I hope you don’t mind my bringing Will,” Leo said. “At the last minute, Oliver said he had a better offer. I think it has something to do with Pamela Troutman.”

  Lucy smiled. “Mother would approve.”

  “Anyway, Will’s office closed for the day so I thought he may as well have a seat with us rather than stand in the back by himself.”

  “I’m delighted to share the occasion with you, Will,” Lucy said.

  “The pleasure is mine,” Will said, “with gratitude.” He glanced at Daniel, but something told him not to bother offering his hand. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Jules.”

  Daniel nodded ever so slightly.

  “I understand you met the vice president yesterday,” Will said.

  “That’s correct.” Daniel was watching the band prepare to play and did not turn to look at Will.

  “Do you have any political ambitions for yourself, Mr. Jules?” Will was nothing if not persistent.

  “Not at present,” came the curt reply.

  “Perhaps in the future?”

  Leo leaned in to the conversation. “Daniel’s a popular man. He could run for any office he likes. A real man for the people.”

  “Is that so?” Will asked. From his two brief encounters with Daniel Jules, he would not have judged him to be much interested in people.

  Daniel picked up Lucy’s gloved hand from her lap, tucked it into his elbow, then patted it. “I believe the ceremony is about to begin.”

  The band struck the first chord of the “Columbus March,” and Will settled back in his chair. He knew Daniel’s reputation from Leo’s stories. Leo always spoke of Daniel with the affection of a brother. So why is he giving me the cold shoulder?

  Lucy sat for more than an hour with her arm laced with Daniel’s, constantly resisting the impulse to withdraw it. Why had he treated Will so rudely? One moment she would tell herself to save her questions for a private setting later and enjoy the ceremonies, but the next she seethed with impatience, both with Daniel and the proceedings. After the opening musical march came a lengthy prayer by a California bishop and an introductory address by the director general of the exposition. By the time Mayor Washburne formally welcomed guests from around the world to the proud city of Chicago, Lucy was getting restless. She wasn’t the only one. People seemed to leave their seats and move freely around the enormous hall and even launch conversations audible from several rows away. Nevertheless, Daniel was enthralled with the proceedings, occasionally tightening his grip on Lucy’s fingers during a particularly rousing oration.

  Foremost on Lucy’s mind, though, was Charlotte. After Thursday’s unsuccessful attempt to see Phillip Emmett along the parade route, Lucy had determined to leave the house early that morning and go to the orphanage to find him. She had spoken to him on Monday morning. Surely he was making inquiries. Did he really have nothing encouraging to report? Did he not understand the urgency of the situation? Lucy wanted to find out in person. Flora Banning, however, had other plans for the morning. She insisted the family begin the day by sitting down to a formal breakfast together. Flora reasoned the day would be a long one, and it would be hours before anyone could eat properly again. At her instructions, Mrs. Fletcher had prepared a particularly hearty breakfast of compote of dried fruits, poached eggs, bacon, and bread pudding. Lucy had little choice but to sit and eat just enough to ease her mother’s mind. By then it was too late to go out before Daniel was due to arrive to escort her to the ceremonies.

  A Miss Harriet Monroe stood on the platform to recite a dedicatory ode. Lucy eyed the door.

  “Daniel,” she whispered, “I need some air. I think I’ll step outside.”

  “I don’t want to miss anything,” he whispered back.

  “I’m not asking you to go. I’ll just get some air and come back in a little while. There are still plenty of speeches to hear.”

  She extracted her arm from Daniel’s grasp and stood up. Will was immediately on his feet. “Is everything all right?” he asked.

  “I just need some air,” Lucy said.

  “Shall I accompany you?” Will glanced at Daniel.

  “No, that’s not necessary, thank you. I’ll be back soon.”

  As Lucy made her away across the huge hall toward the outside light, a guest musician began his performance. The walkways were bursting with onlookers, some moving, some standing still. Getting out of the building was no small feat. Finally, though, she breathed outside air just as another ceremonial reading began.

  Leo leaned over and spoke to Will. “Where is Lucy going?”

  Will shrugged. “She just said she wanted some air. She wanted to go by herself.”

  “She’ll be all right,” Leo said. “When you get to know Lucy, you’ll see she takes care of herself pretty well.”

  Unsettled, Will watched as Lucy threaded her way through the crowd. The bright crimson gown she’d chosen for the occasion made her progress easy to follow. When she reached the door, his unease got the best of him, and Will left his seat as well.

  Outside, Will saw Lucy leaning against an electric light post. When the fair opened in May, thousands of electric lights would illuminate the grounds. For now, this was the only post that mattered, because Lucy Banning was leaning against it looking distracted. Her family had been involved in planning and financing the fair for at least the last two years. Why would she now excuse herself from the ceremonies that culminated their labors?

  He decided to find out. Just as he began to move toward her—sure that she hadn’t spotted him yet—Lucy stepped away from the light post and walked with determined steps.

  Where is she going?

  He followed her.

  She quickened her pace. He quickened his, all the while contemplating whether he should intentionally close the gap between them—which he could do easily with his long stride. Not once did Lucy look back. After a couple of minutes, it was clear she was heading for the rank of carriage cabs whose drivers were trying to take advantage of the history-making day.

  “Lucy!” Will called.

  If she heard him above the crowd she gave no indication. Will watched as Lucy touched the elbows of people in her way, politely urging them to step aside. Many of the women’s gowns did not permit easy movement. Lucy’s own stride grew less and less ladylike.

  She had to find out if Mr. Emmett knew anything! Charlotte had hidden a baby in the Banning home for eight days now. Even with Lucy’s help, her luck could run out at any moment. Henry was getting bigger by the day, and his cries louder. Flora might send a servant into Lucy’s room looking for a piece of jewelry, or Bessie might bring up a bundle of laundry and forget the instructions to leave it in the hall. Anything could happen. It was urgent that Mr. Emmett find a place for Henry to board—soon.

  Lucy paused for the fourth time to look at the watch hanging from a gold chain around her neck. Almost half an hour had passed since she left her seat. How long would it take before Daniel wondered where she was? The notion that he might come looking for her was far-fetched, though, and after a while, Lucy no longer cared what Daniel might be thinking. She had to get through this crowd and find a carriage driver who would take her to the orphanage, or at least to a train stop. The silence of the last four days was enough to persuade Lucy she ought to pay to have a telephone installed in the orphanage office, but that did little to solve the immediate problem. The only way to talk to Mr. Emmett was to go to the orphanage.

  Although the ceremonies were well under way, people still swarmed toward the Manufactures Building. Trying to go the opposite direction, toward the empty cabs, was like swimming against the ocean current. Lucy ma
de little headway and generally was swept off course to the side. Even on a late October day, she was beginning to perspire from the effort. From a distance, she saw cabs coming and going, but none was within her reach.

  Lucy sank onto a bench and sighed. The errand she proposed would take far too long. It was hopeless. She would just have to go back inside and sit with Daniel, Will, and Leo and ponder how she might carve an opportunity to go to the orphanage out of the busy weekend schedule.

  Will watched her compose herself sitting on the bench for another ten minutes. She took a handkerchief out of the small embroidered lace bag she carried and dabbed at her hairline. Clearly she had tried to leave—but why? And what made her give up? Lucy looked at her watch several times and glanced over her shoulder at the jostling cabs. Eventually, though, she stood up and began to retrace her steps toward the building. Will waited for her at the light post.

  Finally, she was close enough and he made his presence known.

  “Lucy.” Will stepped into her path.

  Lucy sucked in her breath. “Will! You startled me.”

  He looked into her green eyes, judging how hard to push. Finally he shrugged and said, “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I was worried.”

  “Why on earth would you worry about me?”

  “I had the sense something was amiss when you left the hall.”

  “I just needed some air. I realize it’s been quite awhile, but I’m sure there’s still a couple of hours left. I can’t have missed much of importance.”

  “I suppose not,” Will said.

  “I walked around for a bit—a preview tour of sorts,” she explained.

  Will nodded. You did more than walk. You tried to leave.

  “I should go back in,” Lucy said. “By now Daniel will be getting worried.”

  “I’m sure he’s wondering if you’re all right.”

  “I’m perfectly fine, I assure you. Shall we go in?”

  She seemed to have brightened up, but Will wasn’t convinced. “I think I’ll catch a bit more air,” he said. “Can you find your way back to your seat?”

  “Of course. I found my way out, didn’t I?”

  Will nodded. “Then I’ll see you inside.” Daniel would not be pleased if he saw Will escorting Lucy back to her seat. For Lucy’s sake, he chose not to cause a stir. No doubt she would have enough explaining to do already.

  But something was wrong. He was sure of it.

  Lucy hated deceiving Will. Technically she hadn’t said anything grossly untrue. But she hadn’t said everything there was to say, either.

  No one could know about Charlotte. No one. She couldn’t even risk sending a messenger with a note.

  She made her way back to Daniel, experiencing firsthand that the crowd had grown even thicker during her absence. An enormous choir was singing Handel’s “Hallelujah” chorus, and the audience was on its feet in traditional deference to the masterpiece. Lucy reached her seat at the peak of the music.

  “Where have you been?” Daniel asked.

  “I told you I needed some air.”

  “You were gone a long time.”

  “I know. It’s an awfully long time to sit and listen to speeches.”

  “Where’s your friend?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That friend of Leo’s. Edwards. He went out right after you did.”

  “Thousands of people are coming and going. Why would I know where Mr. Edwards is?”

  The music ended, and the audience broke into applause. As Lucy brought her hands together, she spotted Will slowly working his way back to his seat. She glanced at Leo and realized he had followed her gaze and was watching Will also. Curiosity lit his eyes, and Lucy quickly looked away.

  A dignitary from Kentucky rose to give the next speech. Lucy settled in to at least look as if she were listening.

  14

  Penard set the receiver down and turned from the telephone in the foyer.

  “Charlotte, please let Miss Lucy know she has a telephone call.”

  “Yes, sir. She’ll want to know who’s calling, sir.”

  “The caller seems reluctant to give his name,” Penard said flatly. “Perhaps it’s orphanage business. Just go upstairs and ask her if she’d like to take the call.”

  Orphanage? Charlotte raced across the foyer, through the dining room, into the butler’s pantry, and across the kitchen. She clumped up the narrow wooden stairs as rapidly as she could. This could be the word they were waiting for. She knocked quickly, then entered Lucy’s suite.

  “Shh!” Lucy whispered. “Henry just dropped off again.”

  “The telephone! You have a telephone call.”

  Lucy jumped to her feet. “Do we know who it is? Are you sure it’s not just Daniel?”

  Charlotte shook her head. “Mr. Penard would have said if it were Mr. Daniel.”

  “I’ll go down immediately.”

  Lucy burst into the hallway and scampered down the hall to the top of the stairs. Behind her, Charlotte closed the door quietly and watched as Lucy composed herself before descending the marble steps with grace and poise. Charlotte turned in the other direction and went down the back stairs with as much serenity as she could muster. By the time she arrived in the foyer, Lucy was in the midst of guarded conversation.

  “That’s lovely news. . . . I would be delighted to handle that for you. . . . Yes, I quite understand. . . . Yes, that is correct. . . . Good-bye.”

  Charlotte thought her heart might stop. She couldn’t tell anything from what Lucy was saying! Of course, the phone was in the foyer and anyone could walk by, so Lucy would choose her words carefully.

  Finally, Lucy hung up the phone. “Charlotte,” she said loudly, “may I have a word with you in the dining room?”

  Shoulders erect and head up, Lucy walked into the dining room. Charlotte followed meekly behind. In the dining room, Charlotte glanced around. Lucy pointed at the butler’s pantry, and Charlotte gently pushed the door open to see if anyone was there. Empty. Charlotte turned to Lucy expectantly.

  “He’s found someone!” Lucy’s voice was barely above a whisper. “He knew it was urgent so he asked to use the telephone of a neighbor and called me immediately with the address. We can take Henry there today.”

  “Today?” Charlotte echoed.

  “Now. We can go now! Go get Henry ready. I’ll be up in a few minutes. I’ll take care of everything.”

  Lucy turned and walked out of the dining room, leaving Charlotte stunned, her eyes stinging. Henry. She would have to leave him. She would have to take her baby to another woman and leave him there. She would have to kiss his sweet face and walk out the door. Her chest heaved just at the thought of it. Gasping for breath, she moved through the kitchen and up the back stairs once again.

  Lucy breezed into the parlor with far more calm than she actually felt. Her mother had her needlework on her lap, and Aunt Violet was flipping through a magazine.

  “Mother,” Lucy said, “I’m going to go out for a few minutes. I have to go to Lenae’s shop.”

  “The dressmaker? But she’ll come here if you ask her to.”

  “I prefer to go to her today.” Don’t say more than you have to.

  “Lucy, dear, can’t this wait a few days? Your father is at the ceremony dedicating some of the individual fair buildings. Daniel is coming for you, and you haven’t begun to dress suitably.”

  Lucy hadn’t expected to leave the house for several more hours. It was true she was dressed in a plain yellow day dress from two years ago and had never intended to go out in it. Under the circumstances, though, plain garb might be the best thing.

  “Daniel has given me several lengths of fabric for holiday gowns,” Lucy said. “I’d like Lenae to look at them and make some sketches as soon as possible. The holidays will be here before we know it. I’m sure Daniel has a full calendar planned.”

  Daniel was the magic word, and Lucy knew it. If Daniel wanted it, then Flora was more likely to concede.<
br />
  “Are you sure this can’t wait until Monday?” Flora said.

  Violet looked up from her magazine. “Let her go, Flora.”

  “It will be a quick errand,” Lucy said, “and I know the shop is open today.”

  “But your father and your brothers have taken the carriages,” Flora pointed out. “How will you get there?”

  Lucy’s heart lurched into her throat. She hadn’t thought about the unavailability of transportation. The address Mr. Emmett gave her was too far south to walk, and she couldn’t infer to her mother that she would ride the streetcar.

  “I can get a cab on Michigan Avenue,” Lucy said, which was true enough.

  “Nonsense.” Aunt Violet inserted herself again. “The cabs will be busy with all the extra people in Chicago. Take my carriage. Paddy is outside with nothing to do. Your mother and I are not going down to Jackson Park until this evening for the fireworks.”

  Lucy met her aunt’s eyes evenly. Paddy sometimes took her to class at the university. She could trust him to take her anywhere, and Aunt Violet knew that.

  Gratefully, Lucy smiled. “That’s a wonderful idea, Aunt Violet. We won’t be gone long.”

  “We?” Flora asked.

  “I’m taking Charlotte with me,” Lucy explained. “The fabric is rather a lot to manage without assistance. Daniel was generous in the quantities.”

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “No longer than necessary.” But perhaps longer than you think.

  Violet stood up. “Go get your fabric, Lucy. I’ll tell Paddy to get ready for you.”

  Charlotte clutched Henry to her chest. She couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him! But what choice did she have? Going home was not an option, and Henry couldn’t stay in Miss Lucy’s bottom drawer forever. A growing child needed fresh air, and soon he would start being wakeful for more and more of the day. Already Bessie and Elsie were muttering that Charlotte was not carrying her weight with the work of the household during this busy week. It wasn’t fair to expect Miss Lucy to protect her indefinitely.