“Mr. Martin, Mrs. Martin, lovely to see you.”
“Looks a little boisterous, were you going in?” Sarah found herself embarrassed at the thought of the Martins seeing her in the beer tent.
“No, just looking for my friends.”
“Would you care to join us in the executive tent? We were just going to have one glass of wine before leaving. You are more than welcome.” She looked around for Matt and Christine and not seeing them, accepted Charles Martin’s invitation. His wife was reserved but smiled and remained silent.
The executive tent was a different atmosphere entirely. Tables with white tablecloths stood to one side, overflowing with wine, cheese and fruit trays, breads and imported beer. The tables and chairs were arranged in tables for four, rather than long, tables for dozens of patrons that one found in the beer tent. Sarah, Charles and his wife sat at one of the tables and the waiter appeared instantly as if by magic. They ordered wine and a small tray of cheese, grapes and cherries was delivered to the table with the wine. Sarah looked around the tent thinking of the great contrast between the two worlds. Which one do you want to live in, Sarah?
They were chatting about the town fair when a young man appeared. He was tall, with dark brown hair, dressed in white twill slacks and a v-neck sweater. Sarah thought he looked sharp and handsome. “William, how nice to see you, won’t you join us?” The young man pulled the chair out and lowered his tall, slim frame into it. Turning to Sarah, he looked directly into her eyes. “You must be the famous Miss DeVries that I have heard so much about.” She was surprised and pleased that he knew who she was.
“I am afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Mr… ?” She gave him her best smile, leaning slightly toward him as she spoke.
“William Dubois, at your service.” He laughed.
“My nephew, actually.” Mr. Martin interjected. “William works for our European branch in Brussels and is here for the next two weeks on company business. William, Sarah DeVries, Sarah, William Dubois.” William asked Sarah about the campaign. He was very interested in marketing and was attentive. Sarah liked that very much. Mrs. Martin was very happy to see Sarah’s interest in William. She leaned over and kissed her husband’s cheek. He turned to her in surprise, pressing a kiss to her forehead. They all discussed Charles’ award and the upcoming Christmas Gala that was at the end of November. She was enjoying herself.
“We have to go. William, you and Sarah stay and have another glass of wine. Good afternoon, Sarah.” Mr. and Mrs. Martin excused themselves and left the tent. William turned to Sarah, “Would you like to show me the fair? I have just arrived and haven’t seen anything yet.” Sarah thought that this day could not get any better.
“I would love to William.” They left the tent and she walked with him around the fairgrounds. Watching him from the corner of her eye, she liked the way his lips curled upward when he spoke. It made him look like he was always smiling. She learned that he was originally from Toronto, but had gone to Brussels two years ago. He was coming back to the Toronto office in January for good. He was the son of Charles Martin’s sister. She enjoyed herself immensely with William. Two hours later they ran into Christine and Matt.
“Sarah, where the heck have you been? We have been looking all over for you.” Christine looked from Sarah to William and back to Sarah. She was angry with Sarah and had no idea who this man was.
“Christine, Matt, this is William Dubois from Brussels. He works with Martin and Schultz.” The time had flown by, but Sarah did not appreciate Christine’s tone. She was hoping that her friend would not embarrass her in front of William.
“Nice to meet you,” Christine replied brusquely. “Come on, Sarah, we have to leave now. Matt has something to do this evening.” Obviously, Christine was not going to lighten up.
“May I take you home, Sarah?” Sarah turned to William giving him a wide smile.
“That would be lovely William. Christine, Matt, thank you, but William will take me home. I wouldn’t want to hold you up.” She was trying to retain her sophisticated air and Christine was getting angrier by the minute.
“Fine, see you later. Come on Matt!” They stomped away. Sarah looked at William, and pointed toward the craft tables. They moved off talking and laughing, forgetting all about Christine and Matt.
“What the heck was that about?” Matt grabbed Christine’s arm and stopped her. He swung her around to face him. “Slow down. Who was that guy and why are you so angry?”
“I have no idea who he is. I am really angry with Sarah. We could have stayed in the beer tent and enjoyed ourselves instead of looking all over for her. I was worried about her, and here she was picking up some stranger. Just take me home, Matt.”
“She looked like she liked him a lot. She was being very snooty though, I just don’t get Sarah.”
“I’m beginning to think, I don’t get Sarah either. William or whatever his name is can have her. Come on, let’s just go home.” Christine had been secretly hoping that Sarah and Jack would get back together, but it looked like Sarah was looking elsewhere.
Sarah spent a great deal of time with William over the next week. She took him on a walking tour of Bridgetown, showed him all ten bridges, the parks and the town hall. He took her to the live theater production at the art gallery. Sarah had never been there and she really enjoyed it. The art gallery had built the theater three years ago and had different live shows each month. This was something that she would continue to do. Her world had broadened. On the weekend, William asked her to go to Toronto with him to visit his parents. She was thrilled.
The Dubois’ lived in a very affluent area of Toronto. Their home was a mansion compared to the homes in Bridgetown and Sarah fell in love with it. She had never seen such elegant furnishings. Mrs. Dubois was a very pleasant woman, who bore a striking resemblance to her brother Charles Martin. Mr. Dubois was quiet and reserved, but friendly towards Sarah. She could see that they missed William. The staff served dinner in the main dining room, and again Sarah was very impressed. She was happy that she had taken extra care to wear her best black suit. As she ate the appetizer, a ginger- carrot soup, she looked at William and his parents in the lovely setting. Strange, but I don’t feel out of place here. Perhaps this is my world.
They arrived back in Bridgetown at eleven o’clock and both were tired. Sarah asked William if he would like to come in, but he declined. He reached over and kissed her lips. It was their first kiss and Sarah’s heart beat loudly in her chest. She leaned into him, returning the kiss. He opened the driver’s door and walked around to open her door for her. She swung her legs out of the car in a most ladylike fashion before she stood beside him. She kissed him again and bid him good night. William drove down the street and Sarah watched as his tail lights disappeared in the distance. She turned and put the key in the lock. The door opened and she felt as if she floated inside the house. What a wonderful day.
He picked her up the next day for lunch at the Little Greek. When the waiter dropped off the menus he noticed that Sarah didn’t look at hers. “Are you not going to order anything Sarah?”
“I know what I want. I always have the same thing, the Greek Salad.” Once the words were out of her mouth she looked at Will expectantly.
He looked into her eyes, wondering what she was waiting for. “Are you expecting me to say something?” She looked as if she were about to give a nasty retort.
She realized her error immediately, “Oh Will, I am sorry. It is just that every time I order, my ex, I mean, my friends always tease me about being consistent and boring because I order the same thing every time.” She blushed pink with embarrassment.
“I think it shows an independent woman that knows her own mind and can make a quick decision; both professional and intelligent, not to mention beautiful.” He took her hand and kissed it. “The Greek Salad it is.” Sarah was impressed. He returned to his menu.
“What are you having?” She could feel her hand tingle from his touch.
> “I have no idea.” They both laughed.
William left for Brussels the following Tuesday. Sarah was sorry to see him go. They agreed to email and talk on the phone until he returned for good in January. She didn’t know if their relationship would continue, but she did know what kind of life she wanted for herself. She looked around her tiny bungalow, and thought of the Dubois mansion. One day, she thought to herself. Sarah was finally feeling at peace. She realized that she had been harboring a deep jealousy for the rich girls at school. All through public and high school, she had felt embarrassed at the hand-me-down clothes that she was forced to wear. She envied them and by the time she arrived at university, she took her frustration and her repressed jealousy, out on the corporate world and the rich. Jack and his tirades fit perfectly with her mood and she joined him heartily. Now she had grown out of her jealousy and realized that she too, could have the life of the rich and famous. She knew what she wanted now and hard work didn’t scare her. She was willing to work for every penny, but she would live the life that William had shown her a tiny sample of. She had not seen Christine all week. She picked up the phone and called her, but there was no answer. No problem, I will see you tomorrow. Tonight I shall dream of William.
A week later, Sarah received a phone call from William in Brussels. She was thrilled to hear his voice. “Will how lovely it is to hear your voice.”
“Sarah how are you? I miss you, we had such fun together. But I am calling for another reason; my father would like you to bid on a marketing contract for his packaging firm. It will be a very large contract, starting in three months.” She could not believe her ears.
“Me? That is wonderful, Will. How do I get in touch with him?” Her dreams flashed before her eyes, designer clothes, fancy houses and money to spare.
“Take down the particulars and send your details to the address I give you. Under references, put my father’s name. I am going to give you a run down of the project so that you can make a proposal.”
“Will, this is very kind of you. I really appreciate it. Isn’t your father’s company in Toronto?” Sarah was mentally trying to coordinate this contract with Martin and Schultz Chemical, which ended at the end of the year. There would be a one-month overlap, but she could manage. They talked for half an hour and he gave her some valuable insight into the company. He also told her he wanted to see her when he got back to Toronto. She was floating on a cloud when she hung up. Wow, Sarah DeVries, Marketing marvel. Things are really looking up.; a job in the big city of Toronto and a very handsome, new man in your life. Now get to work if you want this contract!
Sarah put hours of research and planning into her proposal. That plus William’s advice helped her feel confident that it was worthy; she mailed it two days later. Now she would cross her fingers and pray that she would, at least get an interview. She was good at presentation and usually landed the job once the company saw her in action, but she needed to get noticed first. She went out and bought a new dress to celebrate. Sarah had not heard from Christine since the fair, but she was enjoying her newfound success and didn’t want to have anyone bring her down.
Sarah was coming out of the dress shop when she heard someone calling her name. She turned around in time to see Bernie, walking a very large St. Bernard.
“Sarah! Wait up.” He rushed toward her with the dog in tow. When he was steps from her the dog approached Sarah.
“Please get that beast away from me. I don’t want dog slobber all over this outfit.” She backed up holding her shopping bag high in the air.
“Jack is coming home today. I just thought you might want to know.” He tugged at the leash to no avail. The dog stood firm.
“That’s nice. Bye Bernie.” She made a quick exit leaving Bernie staring after her.
“Nice talking to you,” he shouted sarcastically. Sarah had changed a lot in the last year and Bernie wasn’t sure he liked the new Sarah. “Come on Goliath; let’s go back to the vet’s.”
Jack arrived home that afternoon. He and Susan had said goodbye, agreeing to keep in touch by email and phone. He was very sorry to leave her and he would definitely miss their time together, but he had two things to take care of and he was determined to get some results.
“Christine? It’s Jack. Can you and Matt meet me at Bernie’s tonight? We have some things to discuss.”
“We’ll be there Jack. Great to have you back.” Christine hung up and called Matt. Jack went to the university to see Professor Sayer.
“Can you come to Bernie’s place over on Cherry Street tonight, Professor?”
“Sure can Jack, and I’ll bring the test results for Matt.” The professor agreed and the next stop was the hospital. Jack had made friends with one of the nurses when he was convalescing in the hospital. He invited Melissa to join his little get together. His final invitation was to Mr. MacIntyre, the farmer. The old man looked at him strangely, but agreed to come. He remembered Christine saying that Jack would get to the bottom of this problem.
The meeting started at seven o’clock sharp with everyone in attendance. Bernie’s apartment was small and the tiny living room was filled to overflowing with plastic patio chairs, card table chairs and a coffee table where nachos and potato chips awaited the group. Jack stood at the back of the room.
“Thanks for coming. There is something going on in Bridgetown and we are going to get to the bottom of it, once and for all. The mayor and the Water and Waste Management can keep all the secrets they want, but we are going to find out what is going on.” Everyone nodded in agreement. Christine noticed that Sarah was conspicuously absent.
“Jack, what can we do? You give the word and I think I can speak for all of us, we are ready.” Christine started the discussion.
“First I want to hear from the professor. He has the sample test results. So let’s start there.” Jack turned to Professor Sayer.
“The tree needle samples that you brought in Matt showed a slight amount of toxin.”
Matt looked at Christine knowingly. “However, it was the soil that was the biggest surprise. The soil samples show a very high chemical toxin count.”
“The soil, not the trees! What exactly does that mean, Professor?” Matt directed his question at the professor, but everyone was listening intently.
“It means that soil is contaminated, either by dumping directly onto the soil or something buried under the soil. Where did you get this soil, Matt?”
“You are going to love this, Jack. From Martin and Schultz Chemical and the funny thing is, an entire row of trees died after we planted them in that soil. Harrison Landscaping replaced all of the dead trees at considerable expense. Take a look at my arms, my crew and I got the rash after we planted the trees.” Everyone looked at Matt’s arms and shook their heads in astonishment.
“Good old, ‘Green’ Martin and Schultz Chemical, well, well, well.” Jack was smug. He could not resist taking a jab at Sarah’s ‘Green’ campaign and no one missed the innuendo. “I’ll expose them for what they really are, toxic polluters.”
“Wait a darn minute.” Mr. MacIntyre interjected, “If that soil is contaminated, then it’s running off into the river. We had a lot of rain over the past month or two. That’s why the Water and Waste Management goons have been harassing us. It’s the damn chemical plant. I knew we were going to be the scapegoats.” He was growing angry and Jack wanted everyone calm.
“Mr. MacIntyre, I appreciate how you feel, but let’s get to the bottom of this, shall we. I don’t want anyone repeating one word of this meeting, do I make myself clear?” Everyone agreed, but the mood was growing agitated.
“We don’t know for sure, but it is a definite possibility. We have to do more investigating.” Jack turned to Melissa. “Missy, can you fill us in on the hospital situation?”
“We have two cases of cancer right now, and of course, you know poor Mrs. Oliver died. But what you don’t know is that we have had several cases of diarrhea and vomiting over the past three weeks. The
doctors are calling it a mysterious virus and we have been under a ‘gag order’ so as not to incite a riot in the town.”
“What about miscarriages?” Christine was thinking about Edna and Dan.
“There have been an increased number of miscarriages over the past month. This is a small town and we had four miscarriages. Why do you think they are related?” Melissa had not related the miscarriages to the so-called virus.
“They might be. Bernie, what are you noticing at the veterinary clinic?”
“We had several cats and dogs die several months ago and we still get the odd case of diarrhea. We did lose two dogs last week but Doc thought it was just old age.” Bernie looked at the petite brunette next to him. Melissa was a real looker, how could he not have seen it before. She turned her head and smiled. Bernie stammered, “Mmmore lemonade Melissa?”
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