by Janette Oke
Nick looked away, the same crooked smile that seemed to spell mischief playing across his face. “Is that how you see me? A guy with some kind of underhanded intent? I’m just someone working things out to get ahead. We’re all doing that—one way or another, right?”
Beth watched his face. He met her gaze in return, smirking back confidently. She hated to admit that almost against her own will, she found him charming.
“Look,” he continued, nodding his head as if to concede, “I like your sister. She’s a great gal. But I know there’s no possible future for the two of us. So it’s purely hands off, so to speak. And I don’t think she takes it any more seriously than me. We’re just friends. I would never do anything to hurt Julie—”
“So this is where you were off to, Bethie!” Julie’s voice came from behind them. “You should have invited me along.” She pulled out a chair and sat down, looking rather put out.
“I went for a walk . . . and happened to see Nick,” Beth explained. “He suggested something cold to drink out of the sun.”
Julie eyed the empty table.
Nick bolted upright. “Say, you’re right! Where’s that waiter, anyway? A fellow’s gotta get his own drinks around here?” He stood. “What’re you gals drinking?”
“Cherry soda for me.” Julie smiled up at him.
“I’d just like water—with ice, please. Thank you.”
The young man hurried away, and Julie immediately leaned forward. “I’m quite surprised to find you here alone with Nick. That can either mean you’re getting to know him—which would be good—or it means you came to question him. And that would be rather disappointing.”
“Neither,” Beth promised. “I was just out walking, we crossed paths. It would have been rude not to accept his offer to get in some shade, have something cold to drink.”
“Hmm.” Julie eyed her thoughtfully, not looking convinced.
“Where have you been?”
Julie’s expression turned grim. “Doing another of your silly paintings. And then I went looking for Jannis and Penny.”
“You didn’t find them?”
“Yes, but . . .”
Beth leaned in too. “But what?”
“Well, they were on the rec deck, talking with some of our friends. Now, Bethie, don’t be angry when I tell you this, promise me?”
Beth could feel herself already bristling. “Tell me what?”
Julie sighed heavily and blurted, “I think I saw Jannis with Victoria’s binoculars.”
“What?”
“They could have belonged to someone else. But they looked just like the ones she was using.”
Beth allowed the possibility to sink in slowly. They stopped to visit us the day the glasses went missing. In fact, they even sat for a few moments on Victoria’s deck chair. Of course, it’s also true they could have bought a pair at the small shop on board. There are bound to be identical ones belonging to any number of other passengers. . . .
“It would be easy to tell,” Beth finally remembered. “Victoria wrote her name on the strap.”
“I’m not sure I’d be able to get close enough. Jannis certainly hasn’t brought them out any time I’ve been around.”
“Could she just be borrowing them?”
“From whom?”
“I don’t know, one of your other friends?”
Julie shook her head. “It’s doubtful. Not many of them have any interest in something the ‘old folks’ do.”
Nick returned with the three drinks and set them on the table with no small effort. Julie and Beth waited in silence. “What’s up?” he asked, looking from one to the other. “Cat got your tongue?”
Julie stared up wordlessly at Nick, then back across at Beth. There was a question on her face, which Beth instantly understood. She nodded, and Julie began to explain, “I can’t be sure, but I think it may have been Jannis who took Victoria’s binoculars. You know, I told you about it the day after it happened. I just saw her holding some that looked just like Victoria’s.”
Nick looked oddly perturbed. “You saw her—with them in her hands?”
Julie nodded glumly.
He lowered himself into his chair and took a long, slow sip of his lemonade. “All right,” he said at last, “here’s what I’ll do. Let me look into it.”
“You? No, Nick. It’s not your problem. I can speak with Jannis about it—”
“Nah, you know how girls are,” he put in quickly. “If you bring it up, they’ll both be mad at you—and it’ll be days before you’re talking to one another again. That’ll put a damper on anything we were gonna do next. And we’re almost back in the U.S. That’s my playground. I was gonna show you four women around Boston in a couple of days. I don’t want it all balled up by some stupid spat. No, I’ll talk to Jannis and find out for sure. If they’re Vickie’s, maybe it’ll all go away if she just up and gives ’em back. What d’ya think?”
Beth frowned, but Julie burst out in relief. “Sure, that’s fine. If Victoria gets her field glasses back, it’ll all be okay again.”
Beth wasn’t certain. Nothing can be decided right now without knowing if one of the girls took them. And if so, such a thing should not be swept under the rug.
“No need to tell your mama about it then, is there?” Nick was watching for Beth’s reaction rather than Julie’s. Why is he protecting them? Why should he care about people he just met on a cruise?
Julie pressed on, “Come, Bethie. There’s no sense making a mountain out of a molehill. It’s enough just to right the wrong.”
“But Mrs. Montclair already purchased another pair. They’re out the extra money either way.”
“No, didn’t you hear? Victoria lost those too—they fell into the water while we were in Halifax. So you see, it really would be setting things right again.”
Beth lowered her head for a moment to think. “Are you going to ask her how she got them, Nick—so we know the truth?”
“Of course. I’ll get to the bottom of it for you. And I’ll tell you everything she says. You can trust me. Honest.”
There was great anxiety and commotion about the attire necessary for the clamming excursion in the Bay of Fundy. Beth and Julie were searching their closets for their most humble garments, over which they were to don a pair of rubberized fishing overalls, as well as heavy galoshes. They would be walking out onto a muddy landscape that half the time was covered with ocean water, depending on the tides.
Mother was not convinced. “It’s not that I don’t understand the functionality, girls. I’m just trying to decide what your father would say.”
“But we can’t back out now, Mother. We’ve already told everyone that we’re going!”
“I’m sorry, Julie darling. But I must decide based on my best judgment—not on promises you’ve made to others.”
Julie stormed out of the bedroom, and Mother allowed her to leave without reprimanding her for such disrespectful behavior. It was so uncharacteristic of her to tolerate insolence. Beth’s surprise must have shown on her face.
Mother confided, “She’s become increasingly temperamental lately. I’m quite beside myself about what to do. I wish your father were here. He’d bring it all to a hasty end. He has a way when dealing with her that seems much more effective than mine.”
Beth rested a hand on Mother’s arm affectionately. She seemed dreadfully wrung out for a woman on a vacation cruise. Her eyes held a brooding disappointment. “Perhaps it’s just too long a trip to make in one stretch. I think all of us are feeling rather weary of one another by now.”
Beth gathered the garments Julie had abandoned on her bed. “She’ll be herself again soon, Mother. Just give her a little time.”
“And the hideous clothing made for men you’re to wear? What should I say about that?”
Beth laughed with a funny expression. “Well, we’ll certainly be covered. And even though it’s pants, I hardly think it will be considered immodest. No one will be able to tell the men f
rom the women, since we will all be looking equally shapeless and foolish.”
Mother allowed herself to smile at Beth’s description. “It’ll be the first time I’ve consented to any of my daughters wearing pants. And I hate to do this without your father’s agreement.” She hesitated a moment longer. “But I suppose you’re right. He would agree if he were here.”
“Has Margret decided if she’ll come along?”
“I doubt she will. It might be too risky in her condition.”
Beth had hoped all three sisters would be able to share the experience. She said over her disappointment, “Well, I don’t think I want Emma to take any pictures of us!”
They chuckled again, then her mother added, “Now, Victoria, on the other hand, will be in her element. I hope you’ll keep your eye on her. She’s quite impulsive at times.”
For all the matter-of-fact discussion about their clamming attire, Beth couldn’t help but groan at her first sight of the bright yellow overalls being held up by the attendant. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but might you have something smaller?”
The young man stepped back and looked her over. “You’re right, lady. Can’t roll ’em up that far. Hey, Joe!” he called over his shoulder. “Do ya have any more fer kids?”
Beth was embarrassed, but she managed to gracefully accept the smaller garment, and soon the yellow-clad tourists were making their way down the steep stairs and out onto the mucky floor of the cove. With each step the oversized boots threatened to slip from Beth’s small feet, and she couldn’t help but laugh as she struggled to avoid a misstep and maybe end up flat on her back.
Special digging forks were distributed to pull the clams from their holes. The guide demonstrated how it was to be done and sent them off in all directions, searching for proper-sized holes indicating a clam lurked below. Mother was correct—Victoria lost no time in plunging her tool deep underground, though at first it seemed almost a futile endeavor. None were able to drag one of the hard-shelled creatures from its burrowed hiding place.
Julie had joined her friends in a small group, though Jannis and Penny were not among them. Nick, however, was serving as leader, and there seemed to be more conversation and laughter than digging going on. Beth sighed away her concerns and dutifully followed along after Victoria.
At last the girl let out a happy, “I’ve got one!” Soon there were several in the bottom of their shared bucket, and Victoria was coaching Beth on the proper technique. “You have to get under it, like this. And then you kind of scoop it up.”
After many failed attempts, Beth also managed to extract a clam. She laughed at her thrill with so humble a feat.
The young man who received her overalls when they were done said, “Heard ya did okay, lady. You an’ that other gal did better’n some of the men.”
“Thank you,” Beth chuckled. It’s a delightful story to tell my schoolchildren. Maybe I should have let Emma take a picture of me in my getup after all.
Chapter
21
LONG, LOW BLASTS OF THE SHIP’S HORN signaled another departure as Beth pulled her silky evening gown over her head and let the folds tumble out around her. The pale mauve was her favorite, soft and beaded and draped attractively at the shoulders. She had already worn it twice and knew Julie would disapprove of her bringing it out again. But Beth liked how she felt in this particular dress—certainly a contrast to overalls and knee-high boots.
She was still smiling at the mental image when she heard “Elizabeth! Elizabeth!” from the hallway. She quickly went out to the parlor and opened the door.
“I got them back—see!” Victoria held up her lost binoculars, lifting the strap to show where he name was written in smudged letters. “One of the bellboys just dropped them off. He said they were found somewhere on deck, and somebody turned them in to the lost and found. Can you imagine? When you took me to the ship’s office and they weren’t there, they wrote down my room number. But I never imagined they would turn up again!”
“That’s wonderful, Victoria. I’m sure you’re glad to have them back.” Beth looked at the girl’s simple frock. “Aren’t you dressing for dinner?”
“No, Mother said I didn’t have to go tonight. I’m going to watch from our balcony while the ship heads out of port. I’d rather do that than sit in the dining room waiting for everyone else to finish—especially now that I’ve got these again. You can borrow them when you’d like.”
Beth agreed with a nod. “Thank you, Victoria, for telling me. I’m so glad for you.”
“Well, Elizabeth, I just thought you’d want to know.” Victoria disappeared. How nice that she’s so happy to share her good news. Perhaps a friendship is developing after all.
“Who was that?” Julie asked as she emerged from the bedroom, casting a frown at Beth’s dress. “It sounded like Victoria.”
“It was. Her binoculars have been found and returned.”
“Really?” Julie glanced at Mother, who turned from the correspondence she was writing.
“Did they say where the glasses have been all this time?” she asked. “Surely they must have been taken by someone to have been gone this long, then returned.”
Beth wanted to say she didn’t know, but it would not be true. “Victoria didn’t say,” she managed.
“I see. Well, then, did they tell Victoria who turned them in?”
“I don’t think so.” Beth could feel the color warming her cheeks. She knew she was teetering on the brink of lying. The sensation was painfully unpleasant.
“I see.” Mother rose from her place at the desk, folding her note and slipping it into an envelope. “Then perhaps we shall never know.” She cupped a hand under Julie’s chin and smiled toward Beth. Beth felt certain Mother would see her anxiety. “It’s a wonder, really, that they should be returned intact.”
As Mother moved into her own bedroom, Julie’s eyes met Beth’s.
“Well, that’s just fine,” Beth muttered. “Now we’re deceiving Mother!”
Julie grasped her hand and led her back into their room. “We’re not—not really. Because Jannis didn’t take the silly things.”
“What?” Beth shook her head.
“Nick told me all about it. She said she found them beside the pool. Who knows how they got there. And by then Victoria’s name was almost worn off, so she didn’t realize they were hers. Loads of people have binoculars just like that—they all bought them on board. Nick says she was so embarrassed to have had them all this time that she couldn’t stop crying. He says it’s probably best if I just don’t mention it—so I won’t make her feel bad all over again.”
“And you believed him?”
Julie’s eyes were wide with innocence. “Nick’s got no reason to lie to me, Bethie. And why would he care about Jannis? He never even met her before this. He hardly even talks to her. He said if it were him, he’d probably just find a new friend, but I told him how much those girls have come to mean to me. And that it really didn’t matter to me. Victoria got them back. So it’s settled.”
“All right then, Julie, so go explain all of that to Mother.”
Julie stepped back quickly. “You know she wouldn’t understand. I don’t think she’s ever given my friends a fair chance—the way they look, the way they talk. Keep the secret with me, won’t you, Bethie? It doesn’t hurt anyone, now that Victoria’s happy.”
Beth frowned. Nick seems a lot more familiar with the girls than a new acquaintance should be. Then again, he’s become rather familiar with Julie too. But why did he take it upon himself to talk with Jannis, make this attempt to find the truth and fix things?
Beth sighed her consent against her better judgment. Julie’s plaintive pleadings had won her over once more.
“Come on, sleepyhead. We’ve already docked, and it’s almost time for breakfast.”
Beth rolled over and stared into the shadowy room, attempting to focus on Julie. “What time is it?” she mumbled. “Why are we getting up so early?”
> “We’re at Bar Harbor today, remember? And I want to be onshore as soon as possible . . . you know, so we can get a good look around.” Julie held out a robe for Beth. “Come on, darling.”
Beth pushed herself to a sitting position, reached for the wrap, and pulled it around her shoulders. “Is Mother up yet?”
“Of course. She’s up every day before everyone else.”
Beth stared. “How on earth would you even know that, silly? You’re usually the last one—”
“Well, she is when we’re at home. Anyway, it’s Bar Harbor, our first American city! And if we’re lucky we’ll see someone famous—maybe even a millionaire. Imagine that!”
Beth made her way slowly to the bathroom. “Julie, how would you know a millionaire if one happened to pass on the street?”
Julie giggled. “Oh, Bethie, how could you miss one?” Beth wondered fleetingly what had given her sister such a cheerful outlook this early in the day.
It seemed that Mother was of the same frame of mind as Julie. Whatever their plan, it did not include the Montclairs, who had opted out of the day’s morning excursion. Hurrying through breakfast and leaving Margret on board with her son and nanny meant they were on the dock before most of the shops were open. Monsieur Laurent went to hire a cab as Julie paced impatiently.
“They sell these maps,” she told them. “Soooo,” she added dramatically, “we can find where most of the really important people vacation—like Coco Chanel, and John Astor and his new wife, and movie stars like Mary Pickford. Wouldn’t that just be the berries!”
Beth glanced at Mother, wondering how she felt about Julie’s latest jargon. She sighed. Is this truly how we’ll be spending the morning? The cause of all the fuss and hurry?
“She’s been excited about it for days,” Mother murmured to Beth’s unspoken query. “I don’t suppose it will hurt to have a look around.”
Beth blinked and sighed again. The die was cast.
“Besides, Penny and Jannis had invited her to ride along with them today. When I saw how disappointed Julie was that I wanted us to stay together, I couldn’t say no. You don’t really mind, do you, Beth?”
