The Flower Brides (11 page)

He put them in the backseat of a lovely, shiny car and stowed their luggage in the front seat with himself, and then they drove out into the brightness of the charmed city. Marigold was entranced with her first view and paid little attention to the young man, who was still talking with her mother.

“But I thought you lived in California,” her mother was saying when she came out from her absorption enough to listen.

“I did,” answered the young man. “I lived with another uncle, Uncle Norman, after Uncle Robert Bevan died and Aunt Marian came east. Then I went away to school when Uncle Norman married again; and college later, of course, and then I had a couple of years abroad. But now I’ve got a job that brings me east for a time, and just now it’s Washington.”

“And are you living with your aunt Marian?” asked Mrs. Brooke.

“Oh, no; no such luck as that! I’m boarding out in a forlorn dump near my job, worse luck! I’m only in town for a brief time. Aunt Marian thought she was going to be by herself over Sunday, and she called me up and asked if I wouldn’t come out and relieve her loneliness. Then your telegram came, and she commandeered my car to come after you. I don’t know but she’ll send me back where I came from now that you have arrived. But I’m glad to have seen you again, anyway. You loomed large in my small life the day you made that maple taffy for me and actually let me help pull it myself. I’ve never forgotten it.”

“You dear child!” said Mrs. Brooke feelingly. “To think you would remember that!”

Now why did Mother want to get sentimental? This was a man she was talking to, not a child. Mother always was that way, easily touched by wistfulness, sentiment! Why couldn’t she see how unpleasant it would be to have this young man always around underfoot? How it would just spoil the whole lovely vacation!

Suddenly Marigold wished very much that she had kept the lovely white-and-crimson dress and stayed at home and gone to her party! If this fellow was going to be around the whole time, perhaps she would just go home in the morning, anyway, and leave Mother in Washington. Mother wouldn’t mind so much after she got there, especially if this young man was so fond of her. Perhaps he would take Mother around a little and she wouldn’t be missed. Then she would take her pretty green silk and go to her party after all. She had been a fool to throw all that loveliness away. Of course, she had declined the invitation, but she could call up Mrs. Trescott and explain that she had been called away but had unexpectedly been able to return, and might she come anyway? That was being a little informal, but knowing Laurie as well as she did, perhaps it would be excusable.

Just in the distance of one short brilliant city block, the thought came to her and left her breathless, smashing all her well-built resolves, blotting out utterly her vision of Laurie looking down into those languishing eyes of that other girl, and making her heart beat wildly with the daring of it.

Well, she wouldn’t say anything about it tonight, of course. Let Mother enjoy her first evening to the fullest, and then along in the afternoon tomorrow spring it on her that she felt she must go back. Mother wouldn’t stop her, of course. Mother was really troubled that she had given up the party, and while she would be disappointed, still Aunt Marian would be there to make her forget about it, and she would promise to telephone her the first thing the next morning.

Then the car swept into the glitter and glow of another wonderful avenue, and she caught her breath with the beauty of the lovely city.

Ethan was pointing out the places of interest. Over there was the White House, here the Treasury Building, and now they were coming into the region of the embassies. He had a pleasant voice and spoke distinctly, but it was dark and Marigold could not see his face. Anyway, Marigold was not interested in his face or in him as a person at all. She was interested in knowing about the great buildings they were passing, and she sat entranced as the vistas of the city stretched out before her delighted eyes.

When they reached the house, the young man sprang out and opened the door for them. Then he capably gathered the suitcases and escorted them into the house. Marigold didn’t notice him any more than if he had been a taxi driver doing his duty.

It was a pleasant house, and they had glimpses of a wide living room with a generous fireplace, a beautiful dining room beyond, and on the other side of the hall a large library whose walls were almost literally lined with books. Cousin Elinor had married a literary man. Marigold looked around with pleased eyes on everything. She loved luxury and pretty things and had very little of either in these days. She felt that the time spent in this house was not going to be wasted by her. She hoped she would have the opportunity to curl up on that big leather couch and do some reading while she was here. Another fireplace, too! How charming!

“I think Aunt Marian is expecting you to come right upstairs,” said the young man, and Marigold found herself a little jealous of the possessive way in which he said “Aunt Marian,” as if she were
his
aunt and not related to them. What was he? Just an in-law by marriage!

He followed them up the stairs with the baggage, setting it down in a large room across the hall from Mrs. Bevan’s room.

They found the invalid in bed, eagerly awaiting their coming.

“Take off your things and let me look at you,” she said when the greetings were over. “I wanted to come downstairs to meet you, but my nurse had to go away this evening, and she thought if I was going to be carried downstairs tomorrow for a while and stay up to my birthday dinner, I’d better stay in bed tonight. So here I am, flat on my back! My, but I’m happy to see you! My heart jumped up and turned over when I got your telegram. And oh, my dear! Is that your baby-girl Marigold? Grown to be a young woman! Isn’t she lovely?”

Marigold’s cheeks flamed as she bent and kissed her aunt, somehow terribly conscious of the young man in the background and wishing the aunt wouldn’t be quite so enthusiastic before strangers.

But when she straightened up, Ethan was gone. She heard the front door closing and wondered if that was all they were to see of him after all. Perhaps he was only on duty until he escorted them to the house. She sincerely hoped so.

But he appeared again after they had taken off their coats and hats and came back into Aunt Marian’s room. He came carrying a large silver tray containing cups and a pot of hot chocolate, a bowl of whipped cream with a little silver ladle, plates of tiny chicken and lettuce sandwiches, cinnamon toast, and little frosted cakes. Such a lovely spread-out! And though they protested that they had had dinner on the train, they ate with a real relish as Ethan proved himself efficient in the art of serving them.

Marigold watched him without seeming to do so. How easy he was, how much at home, as if Aunt Marian were his own mother. He was rather good-looking, too, in a serious sort of way, had nice eyes and a pleasant smile, talked a lot of nonsense to her mother and aunt, and made himself very useful. But he looked straight through Marigold when she happened to be in his line of vision and mostly avoided her when she wasn’t. That didn’t bother Marigold in the least. She wasn’t interested in him, she told herself. He wasn’t in the least like Laurie, who was lithe and slender of build, tall and willowy, and handsome as a picture. This man was strongly built and seemed to have a kind of power about him.

Then suddenly she thought of Laurie. Had Laurie called her up after she left? Her heart gave a lurch and she almost contemplated calling up home tonight before she went to bed, if she could get a good chance when nobody was listening. Though it was late to hope to get Mrs. Waterman. She usually went to bed at nine o’clock and likely wouldn’t hear the telephone. It would be better to wait until morning.

They sat up talking until midnight, Aunt Marian’s eyes so happy and Mother looking as if she had just arrived in heaven. Marigold couldn’t help being glad that she had come. Just to look at Mother’s face was enough to make her sure she had done the right thing. But surely by tomorrow Mother would be having such a good time she wouldn’t mind having her go back in time for the party!

Ethan Bevan told some very amusing stories and had them all laughing, although he didn’t once look at Marigold, and she had the impression he was doing that by intention. He didn’t seem to be shy, either. She couldn’t quite understand it. It was more as if he weren’t in the least interested in her, any more than if she had been a kitten that had come along. He just didn’t take her into the picture at all. Well, that was all right. That suited her perfectly. She was free to think her own thoughts and not have to bother with him. Since he had to be there it was better that he didn’t want her attention at all. He told them a little bit about the “camp” where he worked and gave an amusing anecdote or two of the boardinghouse where he stayed, eating at the same table with his men. That was interesting, and she thought more of him that he could be friendly with the workers under him. He must be a good sort after all. But likely he would go off to the camp in the morning and she would be able to go out and see the great new city on her own. Of course, her mother would want to stay with her sister, but she would slip away and look around at one or two places she had always wanted to see. The Capitol, of course, and the Library of Congress, and perhaps the Smithsonian. She hadn’t an idea what a proposition she had mapped out for herself in one brief morning, but she only intended to take a causal glance and then telephone and perhaps spring it on her mother at noon that she was going to take a train at about three o’clock. That would give her plenty of time to dress and get to the party!

Then suddenly her thoughts were broken by her aunt’s happy voice.

“I thought you and I would take it a little easy in the morning, Mary, and have a good talk. Marigold, of course, will want to see the city since she hasn’t been here for so long, and Ethan being here makes it nice. He will take her over to the Capitol and library and any other buildings she would like to see, and show her the really interesting points in them. He knows how to do that to perfection. Elinor’s husband says he is a master at giving a quick, comprehensive view of the right things without wearying one too much.” She gave a swift, loving smile toward Ethan. “And then,” she went on, “in the afternoon Ethan is going to take us on a drive. The doctor said I might go along if it was a pleasant day. I thought we would go out through the park, show you the new cathedral and a few other notable places, and then we would drive on to Mount Vernon and let the young folks hop out and look that over for a few minutes. Don’t you think that would be pleasant? Of course, I couldn’t hope to enjoy all this with you if I hadn’t been able to get hold of Ethan for the day, because there is no one else here to carry me downstairs and help me into the car. But since he is so good to give us his time, I feel like a bird let loose.”

Thud!
Down went Marigold’s plans in one blow. She looked from her aunt to her mother and back again. Their faces were radiant with anticipation. She simply couldn’t dash their hopes by telling them she wouldn’t be there in the afternoon. Not tonight, anyway. Perhaps in the morning she could telephone and get some word calling her home and then it wouldn’t be so much of a letdown for them. Not if it came in the nature of a call from Laurie. But the morning! How was she to escape a personally conducted sight-seeing tour of Washington in the company of an unwilling guide?

She gave a quick glance at Ethan, and it did not seem to her that he looked particularly elated at the prospect, either. He must be a grouch about girls. She certainly didn’t want to go with him. Well, it would be up to her to get out of it. She could likely talk with him early in the morning and tell him she had always wanted to go around Washington alone and just see what she wanted to see herself, and she wouldn’t bother him to escort her. He wasn’t even looking at her now, and he hadn’t said that he would be charmed to take her, nor any of the conventional phrases that the ordinary gentleman would use on such an occasion. Oh, he would be glad enough to get out of it, and perhaps it could be managed without either Mother or Aunt Marian knowing that he hadn’t gone along. Well, she would see.

So they went to bed at last, and Marigold intended to lie there awhile thinking about Laurie and how to plan for the next day, so that she wouldn’t have to go around with Ethan Bevan. But the next thing she knew it was morning and her mother was smiling down at her and telling her she would be late for breakfast if she didn’t get right up and hurry with her dressing.

It was a pleasure to get up and put on the pretty new morning dress, with its bright silk print, and go downstairs. Aunt Marian didn’t come down to breakfast. She was saving her strength for the afternoon drive, she said. Ethan Bevan was very pleasant. He did the honors like a son of the house, talking gravely with her mother mostly, though he did turn his direct gaze to Marigold once when he first greeted her with a pleasant good morning.

Marigold had begun to hope that he would just ignore what had been said the night before about taking her around, but as they were getting up from the table he turned to her and said, “Now, how soon can you be ready? I’m bringing the car around to the door in ten minutes. I need to get gas. Will that be too soon for you?”

Marigold had intended waiting until her mother got upstairs so that she could deal with the matter alone, but her mother hung around and she was forced to answer.

“Oh, please don’t take that trouble, Mr. Bevan. I really don’t need an attendant. I’m quite used to going around places by myself and shall have a lovely time. There is no need in the world for you to take time off from more important things to personally conduct me. Just forget me, please. I shall be quite all right.”

Ethan turned a surprised glance at her and studied her an instant. Then he said in his pleasant, decided voice, “You know I couldn’t think of letting you go around alone. I promised Aunt Marian I’d take you, and you’re not hindering me in the least from anything I have to do. I’m entirely free for the morning.”