by Terri Lee
There was no reason to feel so fluttery; after all, she’d been kissed before. Or had she? She opened her eyes to see him place his finger on his lips as he whispered, “Shhh.” Then that delicious grin spread across his face, and she knew right then and there that she would follow him, not only to the end of an aisle of dusty literature, but she would follow him anywhere.
“Now I’ll treat you to an ice cream.” He winked as he led her back out onto the main library floor.
“Oh goodie, I’ve earned an ice cream.” She laughed along with him. But her fingertips reached up to brush her lips as the weight of his kiss still lingered there. And all at once, the New York Public Library was her favorite place in the world.
SEVEN
In the days that followed the two of them peeled away the protective layers meant for the rest of the world. The more Frankie talked, the more Frances fell under his spell. The more she laughed, the more he pulled her close. And she liked him more than she was willing to admit.
In fact everyone liked him. Uncle Nate said he was a very serious fellow who was going places. It was obvious that he enjoyed their visits when Frankie stopped to pick her up, as Frances would often find the two of them, heads bent close together in some deep discussion about current events when she entered the room.
Of course, Frances had to work some magic in order to see Frankie as often as she did. With Lucy acting as the magician’s assistant. She preferred to use the term magic instead of lies. Although her aunt and uncle approved of Frankie, they would never have agreed to allow her to see him almost daily. A few dates here and there were to be expected, but anything else would constitute something much more serious. So she tiptoed around the truth, and saw him as often as she dared.
Tonight as Frances prepared for a night of dining and dancing, she dressed in her newest purchase as Lucy lay on the bed watching from across the room. Frances wriggled into her slinky red silk chemise and she carefully painted her pouty lips in a softer shade. Studying her image for a moment, she caught a glimpse of her cousin sitting on her bed.
“Are you sure you don’t mind me going out again tonight?”
“Not at all. I need some girly-girl time. I’m going to give myself a pedicure and a facial. You don’t have to worry about staying home and babysitting me.”
“I know that,” Frances grimaced. “But I feel badly that I haven’t spent very much time with you and now Lena will be here tomorrow, so I’ll probably be heading home in a couple of days.”
“You came to the city to have your fun and I’m glad you’ve had a good time.”
Frances caught Lucy’s eye in the mirror and blurted out, “He kissed me.” She bit her lip in an attempt to control the goofy grin about to spread across her face.
“Oh my goodness! Tell me all about it!” Lucy sat bolt upright.
“It was perfect.” She closed her eyes, remembering. Lucy didn’t need to hear that there had been a string of kisses in the days following the encounter in the library.
“He looks like he’d be a good kisser.”
Frances whirled around with hands on hips in mock indignation. “Back off Lucy.”
Lucy held up her hands in surrender. “Whoa girl. I just meant he has a nice mouth.”
“He does,” Frances nodded. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips absentmindedly. “He has a nice everything. Isn’t he just the cutest thing ever?”
Lucy looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. “I think he looks like trouble.”
“Why in the world would you say something like that?”
“Well let me clarify. It’s not so much him, but rather how you look at him.”
“And how do I look at him?” Frances cocked her head.
“Like you’ve been lost for your entire life and finally found your way home,” Lucy said with a sad smile.
Frances stared at her cousin for a moment, absorbing that statement. As usual, Lucy had hit the nail on the head. She turned back around to examine herself in the mirror. “Hmmm. I’ll have to think about that.”
***
When she met Frankie in the front parlor, she grinned over the fact that he was spit-shined and polished to perfection. But no matter how buttoned-up he was, there was always a lock of blonde hair that fell from his cowlick onto his forehead in a blatant reminder to everyone, though his demeanor may be serious, not every ounce of fun could be battened down. She tried to convince herself that if she smiled bright enough she just might be able to push her anxious thoughts about the short time they had left to the back of her mind. Tonight would be for fun, there would be plenty of time to worry. Tomorrow.
Once out on the sidewalk, Frankie reached out and squeezed her hand. “You’ve got to be the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. Any guy would be lucky to have you.”
“Well you have me for tonight.”
He nodded. “Let’s have a wonderful night.”
Tonight the pair would do their best to pretend that it was just one more night in an endless string of nights. If only the world would leave them alone, leave them to the dreams that they had just began to spin for themselves. But life rarely followed the path of least resistance.
They somehow managed to laugh through dinner when they weren’t stealing glances at one another. Frankie reached for her hand across the table and they twined their fingers in and out and over one another as the food on their plates was left mostly untouched.
“You know my mother is in town and I’m supposed to meet her for lunch tomorrow.” Frances broke the silence with the thoughts that had plagued her during the last hours. “Why don’t you drop me off? I’d love for her to meet you.”
“Are you sure?” Frankie brightened.
“Of course. But I have to warn you, she can be rather…cold.”
“I can handle cold.”
“Frankly, she’s more than cold. Remember that iceberg that sunk the Titanic?”
“Yes.”
“It was named Lena.”
“I’m not worried.” Frankie shook his head as he laughed at his date’s joke. “I’ve spent the last few years dealing with the worst of the worst.”
“You haven’t met Lena,” Frances frowned.
“She can’t be that bad, she gave birth to you.” Frankie tried to soften the moment.
“Let’s remember we haven’t really established that fact. There’s still that gypsy story I’m holding onto.”
The evening continued as they moved to a romantic little club. Dancing was an opportunity for Frankie to hold her close. Frances fit perfectly in his embrace. Her head rested on his chest, and nestled under his chin. She could feel him lean in and breathe deeply as he buried his nose in her hair.
“I love the way you smell,” he said in a dreamy whisper. “It has ensnared me as surely as if it were physical handcuffs. And I have no thoughts of escape.”
She leaned her head back to stare up into his eyes with a blissful grin of her own. Yes, ensnared was as good a word as any. She knew exactly what he meant. There was no escape for her either.
Their bodies moved in tandem to the sensual rhythm of the music. Pressed close, neither was willing to do or say anything to intrude on the magic of the moment. The night would weave its spell with the help of the music and nature’s hormones that coursed through their veins. It would not need the help of their halting words. There were more stolen kisses, soft and slow, leaning into one another as they sought the safety of the shadows on the dance floor. The night would not be long enough. Although they were compelled to believe that time was irrelevant for them as they stood in a small golden circle of light, time raced past them anyway. Before long, it was time to race home.
On the doorstep, Frances stood one step up to bring her eye to eye with Frankie.
“I’ll see you tomorrow at 11:30 and you can escort me to lunch with Mata Hari.”
“You’re the funniest girl I’ve ever met.”
“I’m not joking.” Frances gave him her best deadpan
look, which only caused him to laugh even harder.
“Until tomorrow then.” He kissed the tip of her nose and turned to skip down the steps until he was lost in the dimness of the sidewalk below. She stood for a moment longer, listening to the soft tune he was whistling as he rounded the corner, and her heart danced away with him.
Frances floated in through the front door and leaned against the large wooden portal as she hummed a few bars of the same romantic song that had them swaying earlier in the evening. She turned off the lights in the hall and tiptoed up the stairs to her room.
“You don’t have to be quiet. I’m still awake,” came Lucy’s drowsy voice from the darkness.
“Waiting up for me, Mother?”
“I just wanted to hear how your evening went.”
“It went too fast.” Frances kicked off her shoes and unzipped her dress, letting it fall at her ankles. “My feet are killing me. We danced all night and then walked forever. But it was worth it. What are a few blisters in the name of L…” she stopped herself abruptly.
“You started to say ‘in the name of love’ didn’t you?” Lucy perked up.
“No I didn’t. Neither one of us has used that word yet.”
“Yet?”
“Would you stop it.? I’m beginning to think my mother has recruited you to work for her. Has she?” Frances squinted at her sleepy cousin who had the covers pulled up to her chin.
“That’s not fair, Frances.” Lucy pouted. “Anyway, I’m glad you had a wonderful evening. But you’ll be going home in a couple of days, what then?”
“I don’t know about what then,” Frances said as she rolled down her stockings and let them drape over the end of the bed. “I can’t let myself think about it, really. I asked Frankie to drop me off at lunch with Lena tomorrow. At least they can meet.”
“Do you think that’s wise?” Lucy frowned.
“He swears he can handle it.”
Lucy took a deep breath. “I mean, is it wise to introduce them, when nothing will probably come of it? Why give Aunt Lena a reason to criticize him, when you will just be going home anyway?”
“How could she possibly find anything negative to say?”
Lucy cocked her head. “Frances, please. You know Frankie will not be seen as an acceptable suitor. With no family, no connections, no money, no …job, you’re throwing him to the wolves for no reason at all. You know you’re looking for trouble.”
“Of course he doesn’t have a job, he just returned from the War. Give him a chance. Now, you’re really beginning to sound like Lena.”
“It is possible that your mother is right once in awhile.” Lucy held her ground. “It’s all well and good for us to have our fun, but we both know these are not the guys we are going to marry.”
“Good grief, no one said anything about marrying anybody!”
“Then why are you so defensive?” Lucy continued on a somber note, “You know what is expected of us. You even more so than me.”
“I rarely do what is expected of me.” Frances dismissed the thought.
“I’m well aware of that. But I doubt that even you can win this argument. The daughter of William and Lena Durant will marry a suitable young man from a suitable family and your names will continue to grace the society pages as you live your suitable life.”
“Sounds so wonderful. How could I possibly refuse?” Frances flopped down on her pillow and reached over to turn off the little light between them. She felt it was safer to continue this conversation in the dark. Lucy thought she was being funny, but she had just spelled out the sum of France’s future and it was a grim picture.
“My entire life I’ve been pushed and pulled,” Frances said. “Stand here, not there, join this club, not that one. Go to this school, not that one. Date this boy, not that one. Sometimes I feel as if I can barely breathe. I just want to be left alone. I dread going back to Vermont and spending the last few weeks before school arguing with Lena.”
“I know.” Lucy commiserated with her older cousin. “Just be glad for the time you had here. We’ve really had a great summer, haven’t we?” She tried to throw Frances a lifeline.
“Yes, we have.” Frances stared up at the ceiling and in her mind she could see Frankie smiling down at her. She would have to admit that she had been captivated by him. Lucy was right. He was just the sort of man who could sweep a young heiress off her feet.
“You really like him don’t you?” Lucy’s soft voice pierced the quiet.
“Yes, I really do.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
EIGHT
Frances would have been happy if Mother Nature had decided to sleep in that morning, but no, she was up bright and early as always and Frances was forced to remove herself from the bed to face what lay before her, head on. In the light of day she was already having second thoughts about the little meeting she had scheduled.
Her stomach was in no mood for an early breakfast. She had a quick cup of coffee instead and then returned upstairs to start dressing for lunch. Once the morning had refused to cooperate, Frances was anxious to get going.
Finally, Frankie arrived, with a big smile on his innocent face. Poor chap, Frances thought, he has no idea he’s a little lamb being led to slaughter. But Frances just linked her arm through his, skipped down the large stone steps, and put on a brave face for her young man.
“Now listen, Frankie, this is just going to be a very brief conversation. Just say, “hello, nice to meet you”, although of course, that won’t be true. A quick how are you? So on and so on. Oh I’ve got to run.”
Frankie looked at her with a frown. “I’ve met people before. I think I can manage a quick hello.”
“No, you haven’t met anyone like Lena Durant.” After thinking for a moment she said, “In all your reading, have you ever heard of the Burying Beetle?”
Frankie looked thoughtful. “Can’t say that I have.”
“Well, she’s an interesting mother in the animal kingdom. She’s known to eat her young.”
Frankie laughed. “There are several animals that eat their young.”
Frances would not be bested. “With a smile on their face?”
“Okay, you win.”
They arrived at the Commodore Hotel and Frankie escorted Frances to the large Conservatory. The room smelled like money. Filtered sunlight streamed from the gardens behind the large walls of glass and bounced off the expensive crystal and polished silver. Frances had always loved this restaurant, but today she would have been happy to pass. The pair threaded their way among the round tables, where stylish patrons engaged in muted conversations. Frances had no idea that as Frankie trailed behind her he was feeling increasingly uncomfortable and out of place.
Frances spotted her mother seated at her special table near the large Palladian window with a perfect view of the gardens and a bubbling fountain. She steeled herself for the upcoming interrogation as she pressed forward. Lena looked up from a small list she had been working on to catch Frances’s eye and managed to smile, in spite of the brief look of confusion on her face as she noticed Frankie following at her elbow. Lena was always quick to recover any sense of being caught off-guard. She made a thin attempt to disguise her disgust at Frances’s new haircut. But Frances heard the disgruntled sigh.
“Hello Mother. Nice to see you, too.” Frances bent down and planted a cold kiss on her mother’s perfect cheek. “Mother, I’d like to introduce a friend of mine. This is Frank Lee. Frank, this is my mother,
Lena Durant.”
Frankie leaned across the table to shake the listless hand offered by Lena, and Frances noticed her mother’s brisk scrutiny as she looked Frankie up and down and her gaze lingered a fraction of a second too long on his shoes. Frances could tell that her mother had immediately written him off as her snap decision was made. She could only hope that Frankie hadn’t noticed.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Durant. I’ve heard so much about you.” Frances�
��s heart broke just a little as Frankie made every attempt to seem polished. With his genuine smile and open manner he had no idea he was head and shoulders above this woman who would dismiss him with a wave of her manicured hand over the cut of his suit and his cheap shoes. Frances had learned over the years that there is no bigger snob in the world than the one who first crawled out of the gutter themselves.
“Have you?” Lena looked to her daughter. “I’m surprised she would have any time for that. I hear she’s been very busy. Did she tell you we are going home the day after tomorrow?”
“Yes, she mentioned something about it.”
“I’m rarely in the city during the hot summer months, but I had to come into town to handle a few details concerning the construction on our new apartment at The Dakota.”
“The Dakota?” Frankie looked shocked.
“You’ve heard of it then?” Lena seemed a little thrown that he would have any idea what she was talking about. “We’re in the process of converting two large apartments into one and I’m simply swamped with the details.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of it,” Frankie said. As he took a moment to register this information, he turned his gaze to Frances, who suddenly had a hangnail that needed immediate attention.
“Are you staying for lunch?” Lena drew her lips into a thin line.
“No, no…Frank has other business.” Frances piped up. “He just escorted me here because it was on his way and I thought it might be nice for you two to meet.” Frances could feel herself struggling.
Frankie heard his cue and chimed in, “Yes, I actually should be going. It was very nice to meet you, Mrs. Durant.”