by Marilyn Turk
“I’m not a nurse. And it wasn’t an ordinary hospital. It was the one where Mother was, a hospital for people with mental problems.”
Russell’s face lost the casual smile. “So, if you’re not a nurse, what do you do there?”
“I’m a doctor’s assistant. I want to learn more about mental illness. I don’t think the treatment we give mental patients is the best we can do. There’s so much more to it than what we’ve thought for centuries. The doctor I work with has some different ideas about treatment.”
“That’s very brave of you, Lexie. And commendable.”
“Brave? How so?”
“Well, I mean, with your mother’s problems and everything, well, I’m just surprised you’d want to be around that sort of thing anymore.”
“It’s not that I want to, Russell. It’s more of a need to.” She looked away. “It’s hard to explain. I don’t suppose you’d understand.”
He leaned forward and placed his hand on her knee. The shock of his touch sent a warm current through her. “I’d like to understand, though. I admire you for what you’re doing.” He sat back. “At least you know what you want to do.”
This serious side of him took her by surprise. “You don’t?”
“I’m not sure I have a choice. I just took over my father’s duties when he retired, since I seemed to be the obvious choice. Looks like I’ll always be here.”
A pang of sympathy touched Lexie’s heart. It hadn’t occurred to her that he might prefer to be somewhere else.
“You went away to college, didn’t you?” She remembered the diploma hanging in his office.
“Sure. Studied business and came right back to help Dad, like a good son.” He made a face and laughed as the familiar jovial attitude returned. “Ready for that tie-breaker?” He stood and reached for her hand.
She smiled and allowed him to pull her to her feet. As Glenn Miller’s band played “Chattanooga Choo Choo” in the background, they commenced another game of billiards. During a particularly tricky shot, Lexie had to position her body at an odd angle to make the shot, and Russell teased her.
“You’ve got great form!”
She made her shot, twirled around, and threatened him with the cue stick. Laughing and cutting up with Russell lifted the somber mood that circumstances tried to impose. The game drew to a tie with one ball each left on the table. Russell attempted to show off and make a fancy banked shot, but the ball didn’t go in. When Lexie took her turn, she stretched out to reach the cue ball. As she did, her gold necklace fell out of her blouse. She sank her shot and jumped up with an exultant smile.
“I won!” She resisted the urge to leap into his arms for a hug. Instead, she crossed her arms and gave him a nod. “Again. Guess I’m the real winner.”
Russell lifted his hands in surrender before fixing his gaze on the locket. “Nice necklace. I didn’t notice it before. Somebody special give that to you?”
Lexie’s hand flew to her neck, and she fingered the filigree heart. “You might say that.”
“I see.” Was that a look of disappointment on his face? “Well, I’m not surprised you have a boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” Lexie tilted her head at him. “Oh, no. My father gave this to me for my twelfth birthday.”
As relief washed over his face, he reached out and touched the key hanging beside the heart.
“You keep the locket locked?”
She felt the key, touching his fingers in the process. “No. Father told me it was the key to his heart. It doesn’t even fit the locket.” Her eyes misted over as she recalled the day he gave her the necklace, the look of love in his eyes. It was the last gift she ever received from him. She lifted the necklace and dropped it back inside her blouse.
Russell put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “That’s real sweet, Lexie.” He turned her around to face him. “Are you ready?”
“For what?” She felt a tremor of anticipation.
“The movie!”
“The movie?” She exhaled. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, “But I won.”
“That’s right. So you get to treat me, remember?” He checked the clock on the mantle. “It starts in two hours, so we have time for dinner first. Do you need anything from your room?”
“No, but … something about this doesn’t seem right. You got your way no matter who won.”
“Are you backing out of our deal?” Russell drew back and acted wounded.
“No, I’ll go, but next time, I make the wager.”
“Swell! Long as there’s a next time, I’m not worried.”
What was she saying—“next time”? And yet, the idea wasn’t all that unpleasant. Spending time with Russell made everything else that had happened more bearable. But he couldn’t make the problems go away.
Chapter 15
As Lexie stepped out of the car at the club’s beach teahouse, a gust of cold wind blew off the ocean and peppered her with sand. Russell draped his arm around her shoulders, a welcome gesture against the chilly air. They hustled inside the building where chairs were lined up in rows before the projector screen.
The place wasn’t packed, due to the cold weather, so Lexie got a good look at the other people present. Most of them were staff members enjoying some time off, surprising her that they had been given the privilege of sharing a movie with the club members. She scanned the crowd for a familiar face, recognizing a few of the waiters and bellmen. There were some obvious couples, reminding Lexie that it was a Saturday date night.
“So what’s playing?” Lexie asked Russell.
A voice beside her spoke up. “The Maltese Falcon.”
Lexie jerked her head and saw the young waiter Walter standing nearby. His grin revealed sparkling white teeth as his eyes met hers. Was he flirting with her? Her cheeks warmed under his scrutiny.
“Evening, Walter.” Russell nodded to the waiter, grabbed Lexie’s arm and led her to two empty chairs. “I do believe young Walter is smitten with you,” he whispered in her ear as he took her coat. “I’ll go get us some popcorn.”
Lexie offered him a twisted smile before he dashed off to the refreshment table. She kept her gloves on and rubbed her cold hands together as she waited for Russell to return, meanwhile avoiding eye contact with Walter. She certainly didn’t want to invite his attention. Soon, Russell came back holding a bowl of popcorn and handed it to her.
“Thank you.” She closed her eyes and inhaled the aroma before lifting her gaze to Russell. “I didn’t realize the staff mingled with the members.”
“Things have changed, haven’t they? War has a way of unifying us.” He nodded toward a group of young men across the room. “Many of these guys will be going off to fight soon.”
Lexie followed his gaze, seeing Walter standing among them.
“What kind of soda would you like? Coca-Cola? Root beer?”
“Root beer sounds good.” She smiled up at Russell, pleased by his eager effort to make sure she enjoyed the evening.
“Be right back.”
Russell scurried off again, and Lexie watched the room fill up in the meantime. Could any of these people be responsible for sending her the telegram? She folded her arms across her chest and shivered. Did anyone here follow her to the cottage? If so, why? She glanced over at the refreshment table and saw Russell laughing with a young woman. Lexie pursed her lips and her stomach tightened.
How silly the girl looked, throwing herself at Russell that way! Could she be more obvious about her intentions, cocking her head from side to side? Lexie tried not to stare but couldn’t help noticing the way Russell returned the woman’s attention. She was rather attractive, but bobs that short were no longer in style ... Maybe she was Russell’s girlfriend. Lexie shook her head and looked the other way. It was no concern of hers anyway, so why should she care?
“Is this seat taken?”
Lexie jumped, her thoughts interrupted by a familiar voice. She glanced up to see Walter wa
iting by the chair next to her. She gave him a polite smile. “No, I don’t believe it is. Have a seat. I’ll save this one for Russell.” She pointed to the other empty seat beside her. Better than sitting totally alone and standing out like a sore thumb.
“Terrific!” Walter plopped down, his smile running from ear to ear. He indicated a sign posted on the wall. “You going to the dance?”
“Dance?” Lexie’s gaze traveled to the poster announcing a Sweetheart Dance for Valentine’s Day.
“Sure! It’ll be loads of fun! if I were still going to be here, I’d love to swing you around a few times!”
Lexie’s face warmed, and she shook her head. “It sounds like fun. But I don’t expect to be here in February.”
Walter drew back and studied her face. “You don’t say. You’re not staying for the whole season?” He nudged her with his elbow. “You’re not joining the army, too, are you?”
She knew he was kidding, but wanted to come back with, “Why not?” Instead, she just smiled. “I have business to attend to back home.”
“Well, if you change your mind, I’m sure there’s some fellas here that’d love to give you a spin.”
Lexie glanced around the room, wondering what fellas that might be. None of them really attracted her, yet the very thought of dancing excited her. She looked over at Russell, still engaged in conversation with the bob. Was he a good dancer? Or did his foot hinder him? It certainly didn’t get in the way of anything else he did. Like flirting. No doubt that woman he was talking with would love to dance with him.
The lights went out and the sound of the projector came from the back of the room. Russell slid into the chair beside her just as the image appeared on the screen in front of them.
“Sorry. Here’s your root beer.” He handed her the cold glass bottle.
Lexie waited for an explanation, then chastised herself for expecting one. Why did he have to give her an excuse?
“Thank you,” she whispered and tried to appear nonchalant, focusing ahead. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone slip into the room late, but she couldn’t see who it was.
“The Eyes and Ears of the World” newsreel played first, as it always did these days. A booming voice announced how successful “our” soldiers were in battle, showing pictures of men in uniform marching down a road, climbing out of ditches. Planes took off from an airfield somewhere before the picture changed to an aerial view of a battleship, followed by a close-up of sailors with broad grins. For a second, she searched the faces for Robert’s until it hit her with gut-wrenching reality that he was dead. Her eyes filled up and overflowed, streaming down her cheek.
Russell reached and placed his hand over hers. He must know how she felt because he felt it too. A selfish thought crossed her mind when she realized he couldn’t be in the military. He wouldn’t have to leave, get hurt … She squeezed her eyes shut so she didn’t have to watch the rest of the news clip and exhaled a sigh of relief when the movie’s theme music began to play.
Soon she was caught up in the melodrama with all its intrigue and mystery. Everyone in the movie acted suspiciously, and it was difficult to know the trustworthy characters from the dishonest ones. Sort of like her own life. She shivered and glanced around her, sensing that she was being watched again. Humphrey Bogart’s character was besieged with people who wanted a statue he had—the Maltese Falcon. She sympathized with him as he was drawn into a conflict over the object. The idea resonated with her.
Did she have something someone else wanted? Her heart raced. If so, what could it be?
The movie ended, the lights came up, and people took their time departing, taking the opportunity to stretch and visit with friends. Russell retrieved their coats while she waited, studying the folks around her. A man shoved past her toward the door with his head down, not speaking to anyone on his way. He certainly appeared to be in a hurry.
Just before he went out the door, he glanced back over his shoulder, making eye contact with her. She froze. It was the boat captain Jack. Was he looking at her or had she just imagined it?
As if she needed to be, the movie must have made her extra-suspicious. When Russell returned with their coats, she told him about seeing the man.
“Why do you think he was here alone?”
“Guess Stella stayed home with their little girl. He probably just wanted to get out.”
Of course. Why not? He had every right to be there, maybe even more than Lexie did.
“He doesn’t seem to like me.”
“Why do you say that?” Russell cocked his head. “He doesn’t even know you.”
“I know, but he just gives me such hateful looks.”
Russell put his hand on Lexie’s shoulder and peered into her eyes. “Lexie, I know you’ve got questions, but you’ve got to quit thinking everyone is out to get you.” He smiled with tenderness in his eyes. “And you don’t need to worry about Jack. He’s just not a happy guy, and I’m sure it has nothing to do with you.” He helped her with her coat and ushered her back to the car. She shivered in the damp cold, her breath emitting frosty clouds.
As they rode back to the clubhouse, Lexie stared out the car window into the dark night, replaying scenes from the movie in her mind.
“Thanks for coming with me tonight, Lexie.” Russell’s voice startled her back to the present. “I hope you enjoyed the movie, even if it wasn’t a very cheerful one. Next time, we’ll watch a movie that’s not so serious, I promise. Maybe one with Bob Hope or Jack Benny.”
Lexie faced him. “You can get whatever you want? Even with the war?”
“Oh, I can’t get the newest movies—they go to the troops. But I can still get my hands on some pretty recent ones.” He glanced over at her and laughed. “It helps to have a member who owns a chain of theatres.”
She stared at his profile as he drove, admiring his pleasant, chiseled features. He didn’t seem to let anything get in his way when he wanted something. And he must be the most upbeat guy she’d ever known. How did he manage that, with all the depressing things going on in the world?
“Have you reconsidered going to the chapel tomorrow? Service starts at 11:00.”
Lexie stiffened at the suggestion. Not this again.
“No, but thanks for asking. I think I’ll just relax, maybe visit the horses. I brought my riding habit, hoping to get a ride in while I’m here. I haven’t done that for a long time.”
“I’d love to go with you after church, but if you prefer to go alone, I’ll arrange it with the head groom.”
“Don’t go to any trouble. I’d like to get out before noon, and I’m sure you’ll still be in church. But I can call for a horse myself or just walk over to the stables...”
“Actually, I’ll have to take care of it. The staff usually takes off Sunday morning to go to their church, so the stable hands need to get the horse ready before they leave.”
“Oh. I didn’t think of that. I didn’t mean to put anyone out. In fact, I can wait.”
He held up his hand. “It won’t be a problem. What time do you want to go? I’ll make a call first thing in the morning before church.”
“How about ten?” As long as she was nowhere near the chapel during the service. Someone else might try to convince her to attend, and she wasn’t ready to set foot inside that place again. And maybe never would be.
Chapter 16
Sunday morning’s cool air made for a brisk walk, but the bright sunshine and exercise were invigorating. As Lexie hurried past the chapel, she heard a piano being played. The service shouldn’t begin for at least another hour, so the music surprised her. She fought an urge to stop and listen, try to recognize the melody of the hymn. But she turned away and let the music fade as she continued toward the stables. After she strode past the tennis courts, she reached the dormitories where many of the employees lived. A few of the men, dressed in their Sunday-best suits and hats, strolled around and chatted with each other. They nodded as she walked by but gave her questi
oning looks.
When she finally reached the horse barn at the end of the road, a friendly stable hand by the name of George met her holding the reins of a gorgeous palomino.
“Good morning, Miss Smithfield. Mr. Russell called and tole me to git you a horse saddled up. Need any ‘hep gittin’ on her?” The stocky Negro man with graying hair grinned at her.
“No, thank you. I can manage.” Lexie placed her foot in the stirrup and threw her other leg over, wiggling to get comfortable in the saddle.
“All right. You enjoy your ride. Angel here’s a real sweet girl. She won’t give you no trouble.”
Lexie noted the man’s starched white shirt, unusual attire for working in a stable. “Thank you for meeting me this morning. I hope I didn’t interfere with your plans.”
“No, ma’am. I’ll be goin’ to church now and spen’ the res’ of the day there, so no harm done.” He waved good-bye over his head as he walked away. After taking a few steps, he stopped and turned around. “You jus’ put her back in that first stall there when you git back.” He motioned to a trough beside the barn. “Let her drink some water first if she wants it, if you don’ mind. I’ll take care of the res’ later.”
“Will do. Enjoy your day!” Lexie watched the man’s back as he sauntered away, whistling a tune. Leaning over, she patted the horse’s neck. “Angel, huh? What a coincidence on a Sunday. Well, Angel, I hope you plan to watch out for me. You might have your work cut out for you, though, the way things have been going.”
Lexie nudged the horse with her heels, and the animal responded with a slow gait. She guided the horse down the beach road, enjoying the quiet and solitude. Would she be the only person not in church today? Well, if so, she would have her own service out in nature, enjoying God’s creation. Surely He wouldn’t fault her for that. She didn’t have to be in the chapel to appreciate the natural beauty of the island. The melody of the hymn she’d heard played through her mind. The tune was familiar, but remote, like a memory of a long-past event. Not able to get the melody out of her head, she found herself humming the tune.
