Miller's Secret

by Tess Thompson

  He held up the bag. “Vegetables from Mrs. Thomas.”

  “How thoughtful. Come in.” Speaking with the pins still in her mouth, she moved aside. He stepped into the kitchen.

  “You’ve been designing swimsuits?” He couldn’t keep the delight from his voice.

  She took the pins from her mouth and set them on the table. “Yes. Just a few.” She blushed. “It was such a good idea, I decided to try a few.”

  “They look swell.” My God, she was pretty. How was it possible not to think so? No man in his right mind would be immune. No wonder Dreeser wanted to keep her to himself. If she were his girl, would he be the same? An image of her in bed with Dreeser popped in his mind. No, he would not allow himself to go there. If he thought of her with him, he would not be able to be her friend. Mrs. Thomas might be able to overlook it, but it was impossible for him to see anything about her but the fact that she slept with a man for money, unless he separated that part of her from the woman in front of him now.

  “I have some new dress designs, too.”

  “Quite a few,” he said, moving to the table. He picked up a sheet of paper with one of her pieces. Outlined in black ink, she’d colored in the bodice and skirt of the dress with a bright pink color. “Pretty color. Reminds me of a peony.”

  “The style’s going toward lively colors, now the war’s over. Vogue says everyone wants to feel cheerier.” She picked up one of the dress designs. “Ladies want to have hourglass figures, like the actresses. Take me, for example, I’m like a boy.” She tapped the sides of her hips. “But with shoulder pads and an A-line angle to the skirt, it can change a woman’s silhouette. See here.” She pointed to another design. “This has a high waist, tucked tight. High waists are flattering on almost all body types. This would be a great dress for going to the office or out to lunch somewhere nice.”

  “Oh, yes. I see it.” Half sleeves, and wide, tall shoulders, with a skirt shaped like an A. He wouldn’t have noticed before, but it was plain as day now. He’d always assumed a dress was just a dress.

  “I’m making one for myself from this design.” She pointed to a design labeled: Summer Dress, then walked over to the dummy. “This is made of a light cotton. Softer colors are good for warm weather. And see here, I’ve pleated the skirt, another popular choice.”

  He picked up another design, labeled: Evening Dress. The drawing was colored in with a dark blue pencil.

  “That’s for fancy. Maybe a cocktail party or night at the theatre,” she said. “Made with velvet. And you see the sleeves, how they’re gathered and reach to the elbow? Very elegant.” She picked up another design. “I designed this one for Mrs. Thomas. It’s a pencil skirt, which works great because she’s petite. And do you see the how the sleeves are short but kind of flowy? Perfect for dinner and dancing. She told me she has no use for such a thing, but you should’ve seen her eyes light up when she saw it. I need fabric, though, and nothing in town will do,” she said.

  “What kind of fabric?”

  “A light cotton. I want a flower print of some kind. Something that will complement her skin and hair. Not orange or red. Pink would be disastrous. But romantic, nonetheless.”

  “I saw her today. She was wearing her new suit. She looked like a new woman.”

  Phil’s face lit up in a wide smile. “Doesn’t she look magnificent? It’s like dressing up a doll.”

  “She hasn’t had anyone making a fuss over her since my mother died. They used to do girl things together, but now, you know, it’s only Mr. Thomas and me. We’re poor substitutes for other women.” He’d never seen Phil this animated, even during their pleasant evening together. Her enthusiasm and obvious love for her craft was contagious. It made him want to be better. Better how, he wasn’t sure. More alive, perhaps. He didn’t know. My God, the woman befuddled him. She was special. Smart and talented.

  Stop now, you fool. Focus on what she is saying.

  Phil sat at the table. “She’s been kind to me. The last few weeks she’s come by every day to check on us. She’s always bringing food of some kind, usually from her garden. I don’t understand how she gets so many things accomplished in a day.”

  “She gets up at five a.m. Always has.”

  “I admire her very much.”

  “It would be impossible not to.” This pleased him, like she’d given him a compliment, instead of Mrs. Thomas. Keep control of yourself. You cannot let yourself get too attached to an outcome. He would be her friend, and that was all. After a time, Mrs. Thomas would see this was a futile enterprise.

  “What did you come by for? Do you need something?” asked Phil.

  He cleared his throat. “I thought you and Teddy might like to take a drive tomorrow evening. Up the coast? I know a great fish and chips place. A roadside type of joint. Great food. We could watch the sunset.”

  “I don’t know, Henry.”

  “Not a date.” The tips of his ears started burning. “Just friends. I understand your situation, but there’s no reason we can’t be friends.”

  “We have to be discreet.”

  He wanted to say something snide, pointing out the irony of that statement, but he nodded sympathetically instead. “Sure.”

  “That sounds fun. Teddy would love it.”

  “Excellent. I’ll pick you both up at five tomorrow.”

  **

  The next day was Saturday. He didn’t go into the studio. Instead, he wandered around the cottage, looking for something to do that would occupy his hands but found nothing. Finally, it was five, and he headed next door. As he crossed the yard, he spotted Teddy in the window, bouncing up and down. He knocked on the door, then waited for Teddy to jump from the couch and come open the door, which took longer than expected. Finally, the door burst open and there stood a three-foot-tall ray of sunshine.

  “Hi, Henree!” No “r” sound.

  “Hello, Teddy. Are you excited to go for a ride?”

  He nodded. “Yep.”

  Phil came from the back, bringing the heavenly scent of her perfume. She wore the yellow summer dress he’d seen on the dummy last night. The dummy had not done it justice. With short sleeves and a belt around her tiny waist, she looked cool and fresh. Regardless if curves were her wish, he liked her slim, straight figure. She wasn’t as thin as when she’d first arrived, either. Her hair was fixed in one of those twists in the front that always reminded him of a fancy dinner roll, and she wore makeup. On her feet were sandals with a bow on the top. Her little toes were painted red. He tore his gaze from her feet to take in her lovely face. She had the prettiest mouth. Small, but plump, with an even row of white teeth that sparkled against her tanned skin.

  “You look…stunning,” he said. So much for keeping his emotions controlled. How many freckles did she have on her nose? More than the last time. He wanted to count them, then gather them and put them in his pocket. Holy cow, man, get it together.

  “Thank you, Henry. I’m pleased with the dress.”

  “Rightly so. Shall we go?” asked Henry.

  “Yes, please, Henree,” said Teddy.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Phil

  PHIL STOOD ON THE FRONT STEPS watching Mrs. Thomas’s truck bounce through potholes and make dust billows toward the cottage. Teddy stood on the front seat, waving and grinning. In the four weeks since they’d arrived, Teddy had turned brown in the sun, with even plumper cheeks and shining hair. The picture of health, Mrs. Thomas had said yesterday.

  Phil crossed the yard, meeting the truck when it stopped. She opened the door for Teddy, and he jumped into her arms. “Mama, goat ate my sock.”

  “One of the nasty creatures got hold of his sock on the wash line.” Mrs. Thomas rolled her eyes as she exited the truck from the other side. “The biggest nuisance you ever saw.”

  Teddy wore a pair of new pajamas and his hair looked damp. “Did you bathe Teddy?” asked Phil. “You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble.”

  “He spent some time with Mr. Thoma
s in the fields and was simply too dirty to bring home to his pretty mother.”

  He nuzzled against Phil’s neck, smelling of fresh soap and talcum powder. “And new pajamas?” They were dark blue cotton, scattered with sailboats, and soft against her skin.

  “I saw them in town the other day and couldn’t resist.” Mrs. Thomas grinned sheepishly. “You won’t deny an old woman a little spoiling of her special friend, now would you?”

  “No, I wouldn’t think of it.” Phil chuckled. “Did you have fun, ducky?”

  He nodded. “Pie.”

  “Oh, I see.” They began to walk toward the house. “It’s such a treat to have an evening to myself, Mrs. Thomas. Thank you.” They were at the steps now. “Do you want to come in for a moment? I have cold beer in the fridge.”

  “I did have something I wanted to ask you,” said Mrs. Thomas.

  “I’ll get Teddy to bed,” said Phil

  He didn’t make a fuss when she brushed his teeth and tucked him into his bed. “Did you wear yourself out chasing after Mr. Thomas today?”

  Teddy hugged his special bear to his chest and nodded, his eyelids drooping. She kissed him on the forehead.

  “Good night, ducky.”

  “Night, Mama.”

  She lingered at the doorway for only a moment, gazing at her boy as he fell almost instantly asleep. Her rambunctious terror looked like an angel when he was sleeping.

  Mrs. Thomas was outside sitting in one of the chairs that faced the sea when she came out with two bottles of beer. After seven, the sun hung low in the sky.

  She sat in the other chair and handed Mrs. Thomas a beer. “I can’t thank you enough for all the experiences he’s having on your farm. He’s already fast asleep. It’s good for a boy to be outside all day.”

  “We feel awful lucky to have him. He’s brought life back to our little farm. He gives such joy to my poor Mr. Thomas. It’s good to have a child around, especially one as special as this little tyke. When Mary comes, I hope she’ll want to join us, too. I know she’s going to need some mothering and, well, I seem to have some left in me.” She paused for a moment, swatting away a fly. “Listen now, I know that Mr. Dreeser’s not your uncle.”

  “What?” The transition was so abrupt, Phil wondered if she’d heard her correctly.

  “I hate to bring up something delicate, but I feel I must.”

  “Did Henry tell you?” asked Phil. How dare he. It wasn’t his right to share her secrets.

  “No, dear. He would rather die than talk about something like this with me. I’ve been around long enough to see with my own eyes what’s going on here. No one’s uncle would be around as often as he is, given the distance between here and the city. His wedding ring tells me he’s married?”

  “Yes.”

  “He’s stashed you away here? You have no one else and a little boy to take care of.”

  “That’s the extent of it, yes.” Phil drank from her beer. Here it comes. The judgment. The chastising. Perhaps Mrs. Thomas would suggest she give her the children so they might have a proper home.

  “Of course you don’t love him,” said Mrs. Thomas.

  “Why, ‘of course’?” she asked.

  “I mean to say, I know you don’t love him. You haven’t the look of a woman in love. So, my conclusion is this is an arrangement of convenience for you. Or rather, of necessity.”

  “Correct.” She wanted to rise, chuck her beer as far as she could into the Pacific, and let out a primal scream.

  “I understand how hard it is for you. Knowing how these things happen and you being all alone. If you’re inclined, Mr. Thomas and I are willing to help.”

  Here it comes. She clenched her teeth, bracing herself.

  “If you and the children want to come live with us until you got on your feet, we would be happy to have you.”

  “Me and the children?”

  “You can’t be separated from Teddy, or Mary, for that matter. But we could offer assistance. Henry and I were discussing it.”

  “You and Henry?” They’d been discussing her? Deciding her life?

  “Now don’t get agitated. He believes you’re very talented and he’s willing to offer you a loan if you wanted to start a dress shop in town. Dresses and bathing suits, that is.”

  “Why didn’t Henry ask me himself?”

  “He doesn’t want you to think there are any strings attached, like the ones you have here.” Mrs. Thomas took a drink from her beer, looking toward the sea.

  Shame caused her to flush. How could she have thought the worst of either Henry or Mrs. Thomas? They were her friends. They cared about Teddy. Dare she dream? Was there hope? Her own dress shop? A chance to get back on her feet. Living with Mr. and Mrs. Thomas on their farm, protected from Miller? Was it possible? No, it was not possible. No matter what she did, he would never let her go. “It’s generous of both of you. But I can’t ever get away from him.”

  Mrs. Thomas’s expression didn’t change. She had a determined purse to her mouth. “That’s why you’d live with us. Henry agrees you’re not safe here alone.”

  “It’s not only me in danger. It’s Henry, too. He’s threatened to kill Henry simply because I went there for dinner. If you and Mr. Thomas were to take us in, you would not be safe, either. He will stop at nothing to have me. His jealousy is irrational now; think if I moved in with you. He has no idea that we’ve continued to spend time with Henry. If he knew, I’m afraid he might make us move away or worse, he would hurt Henry. Or me. Maybe both.” She might start to hyperventilate, her breath coming in gasps. “I’m trapped forever. I made my bed with the devil, and now I lie in it. I did this to myself and I will not have you or Henry put in danger because of my mistakes.

  After everything I’ve lost—I could not bear it if anything happened to either one of you.”

  Mrs. Thomas was silent. A cricket began to sing somewhere in the yard. The sun sank farther in the horizon. Then, she smacked her beer against the arm of the lawn chair. “No. This is not the end of the story.” She turned to Phil, gesturing at her with the beer bottle. “This man will not win. I don’t know how exactly, but he will not win. The world’s lost too many good people. The Holocaust. The brave soldiers. Those who remain are obligated to carry forth without fear, to rebuild the world. You deserve a second chance. Teddy deserves men in his life that he can respect and admire. Not one who hurts his mother. Henry told me about your bruises. I will not allow this to continue.”

  Phil, shocked by the outburst, stared at Mrs. Thomas. She began to laugh.

  Mrs. Thomas cocked her head to the side. “What exactly is funny?”

  “You’re funny. What are you? A hundred pounds soaking wet?” Her laughter turned to tears. “Don’t you see? My situation is hopeless. My only choice is to be grateful that Teddy’s fed and clothed with a roof over his head. I knew the day he was born that only his life mattered and that mine was over.”

  “I do believe you know the story of David and Goliath?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Thomas, I do.”

  “Well, then, you need to have a little faith.”

  **

  A week after their excursion to the fish and chips roadside hut, Henry picked them up for a day at the beach in Stowaway. Instead of heading to the beach parking, Henry stopped the car in front of his shop. “I have a surprise.” He ran around the front of his truck to help Phil and Teddy out. “Careful now. It’s a big step down.”

  Teddy wore his sailor suit, blue short pants, a white shirt with a blue tie, and the appropriate strut go with it. They followed Henry to the studio. The room smelled of wood shavings and stain. Shades were drawn, making the room dark and cool. Henry switched on the electric light, explaining that he kept it dark when he wasn’t there so the sunlight didn’t fade any of his wood. “Heat warps wood, as well. I keep it dark and cool during the summer months.”

  Various pieces were displayed near the front of the shop, including a large dining room table and chairs, a tall dresse
r, and delicate secretary’s desk. “Follow me,” he said. “It’s in the back.”

  Teddy ran ahead of them. “Mama, look.” He pointed to a bunk bed made of light wood.

  “This is for you,” said Henry. “For Mary to share with Teddy.”

  Phil’s hands flew to her mouth. “Henry, it’s beautiful. How did you do this so quickly?”

  “I was already working on it when I learned that Mary was coming to you.”

  “For a client?” she asked.

  “No, to display here in the shop. I sell quite a few of them. I like to have one made already if I can.”

  “It’s too generous, Henry. Thank you.”

  “I ordered mattresses, too.”

  His kindness brought tears to her eyes. What would Miller think, though? How would she explain it? Simply, that she ordered them from town. He needn’t know they were from Henry’s shop. Miller didn’t know Henry was a woodworker. He wouldn’t guess, given Henry’s arm.

  “How did you know I was worried about where she would sleep?” she asked.

  “I assumed. I have my helper bringing it out later today while we’re at the beach, if that’s all right.”

  Teddy was climbing the ladder of the bunk bed. Phil snatched him from the third rung. “You will sleep on the bottom, little man.”

  “No. Me top.”

  “Aunt Mary will sleep on the top,” she said. “Now come along. Let’s get down to the beach.”

  The mention of the beach distracted Teddy from his pursuit of the top bunk. He marched toward the door with a determined look upon his face before turning back and waving to them. “Hu’ey.” Hurry? Still no “r” sound.

  In Henry’s car once more, they headed to the public beach where Stowaway emptied into the ocean as if a river. The dirt parking area was nearly full. They had to drive to the very end before finding a spot. Henry once again barreled around the front of the car to open the door for her and Teddy.