The Pursuit of Lucy Banning (15 page)

“Yes, Daniel wants to go very much. I begged off from hearing any more speeches today, but I did promise to go to the fireworks.”

“I’m sure they’ll be spectacular.” Will examined Lucy’s face for any sign of sincerity.

“No doubt,” she said. “But I’m not suitably dressed, and Daniel will be arriving soon. Charlotte will have her hands full trying to make me presentable.”

“Then I won’t detain you further.” Will stepped aside. “It was lovely to run into you again.”

“Lovely to see you as well,” Lucy said, but her voice was flat.

Paddy held the door open, and Lucy and Charlotte climbed into the carriage. Will stood firmly on the sidewalk and watched Paddy secure the door, climb to his own seat, and click his tongue to get the horse moving. As the carriage pulled away, Will shook his head. Whatever was wrong was getting worse by the day. Yesterday, Lucy had seemed anxious. Today she was stricken. And now he was convinced Charlotte knew Lucy’s secret as well.

 16 

L
ucy kissed both of Irene Jules’s cheeks a week later. “It’s so good to see you,” she said. “Thank you for inviting me to dinner.”

“You know you don’t have to wait for an invitation,” Daniel’s mother responded. “You’re always welcome. The one drawback to living in Riverside is that we don’t see the Bannings nearly enough. I always mean to get into the city more, but somehow it doesn’t happen.”

Lucy scanned the room. “I see you’ve redone the parlor since I was here last. It looks delightful.”

“We’re still waiting for some handcrafted cabinetry, but that’s coming soon.”

Daniel touched Lucy’s elbow and gestured toward the baby grand piano at the far end of the room. “I insisted they have a Steinway so you can play whenever you come.”

“Oh yes,” Irene said. “Daniel says you’ve gotten very good with your private studies.”

Lucy smiled. “I admit I enjoy it. I’ve had to let the lessons go, though. Lately, there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the week for a lesson, much less sufficient practice to please my teacher.”

“How is the work coming on the women’s building?” Howard Jules asked. “I suppose that’s one of the things taking up your time.”

“It’s fascinating! It’s one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. I’m working alongside some amazing women.”

“Your mother tells me you’re also spending quite a bit of time at St. Andrew’s these days,” Irene commented.

Lucy was modest—and truthful. “I’m doing what I can. I wish I could spend even more time.”

“Ah, but you have a wedding to plan,” Irene said. “It does make for a busy life.”

“We took the train out tonight,” Daniel informed his parents. “It was Lucy’s idea.”

“How modern of you,” Irene said. “We go everywhere by carriage.”

“I’ve taken the train to New York and Boston several times, of course, and to Lake Forest,” Lucy said. “I thought it might be fun to get a flavor of what it’s like for shorter distances. I find it more efficient than a carriage.”

“If you miss the last train back, you’re welcome to stay the night,” Irene said. “Goodness knows Daniel stays at your house often enough.”

Lucy returned Irene’s smile. Irene was like a second mother to her, and Lucy guarded many fond memories over the years. However, she had no intention of missing the last train back to the city.

“Do you think your parents have any idea about the surprise anniversary party?” Howard asked.

Lucy grinned genuinely. “Not an iota. Leo and Oliver have covered every contingency. We just have to wait until November 12 and spring it on them.”

“I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces.”

The Jules’s butler appeared and announced that dinner was served. Irene took Lucy’s arm.

“I asked for all your favorites tonight,” Irene said. “Our cook’s red velvet cake is heavenly! Save room for a nice thick slice.”

Lucy was doing her best. When she had dressed for the occasion, she let Charlotte select extravagant accessories and experiment with a new hairstyle. In a favorite gown, she hoped the evening would brighten her spirits. Howard and Irene Jules were gentle, well-meaning people, and Lucy was sincerely fond of them. However, the conversation over dinner made her progressively more restless. Predictably, discussion drifted toward wedding plans—Irene suggested a September date, after the heat of summer had passed—and the details of choosing an architect and planning the layout of a home. An innocent enough remark from Irene was the final undoing for Lucy.

“Just think,” Irene said, “a year from now you could be ordering furniture for a nursery in your new home.”

Lucy turned up the corners of her mouth wanly and avoided Daniel’s glance. She had no thought of a baby of her own, but she couldn’t help thinking of Henry and the ashen color of Charlotte’s face during the last week. For days Charlotte’s body had reminded her every few hours that it was time to feed her child, and she couldn’t. Lucy knew her maid was physically uncomfortable as well as emotionally distraught and had made every excuse she could think of for Charlotte to seek shelter in Lucy’s suite. But the excuses were running thin, and they both accepted it was time for Charlotte to make more of an effort in the kitchen again.

Finally the red velvet cake arrived. Lucy’s piece was far bigger than she could manage, even though she’d barely picked at each course as it was served. She was relieved to see Daniel looking at his watch. Predictably, in the next breath he said it was time for them to catch the train for the eleven-mile trip back to Chicago.

Daniel supported Lucy’s elbow as she climbed the steps at the rear of the train car, then opened the wooden door for her to enter.

“Sit anywhere you like,” he said.

Lucy chose a seat in the middle of the car and arranged herself gracefully. She was a striking woman, Daniel thought, as he often did. While Lucy was not beautiful in a classical sense, nevertheless her presence turned heads—even on a train late at night where no one knew she was a Banning and a resident of Prairie Avenue.

Daniel settled in next to Lucy. Few other passengers boarded, but he knew from experience that as the train neared the city, riders would increase.

“I do wish they would build a proper train station in Riverside,” Daniel said. “The railroad has been stopping here for twenty years or more.”

“I suppose it’s part of the city planning and they’ll get to it in time,” Lucy responded.

“In spite of that, it was a nice evening, wouldn’t you agree?”

Lucy nodded absently. “I always enjoy seeing your parents. What they’ve done to the house is lovely.”

“Mother loves having trees all around—and her own pond in the back lawn. If the weather is mild enough in September, I rather suspect she’d like to give us an outdoor party around the time of the wedding.”

“So it’s to be September, then?”

Daniel turned his head to look at Lucy, who suddenly seemed small as she leaned against the window.

“Do you not find September acceptable?” he asked. “That is almost a year away. I could still make an argument for July, if you don’t want to wait until September.” He reached over and squeezed her hand on her lap, but she didn’t respond.

“What I think,” Lucy said, “is that our mothers have settled the matter between themselves.”

Daniel chuckled and patted her hand. “September it is, then. Perhaps after church tomorrow we can have a word with the pastor and formally get the wedding on the church calendar.”

Finally Lucy turned to look at him. “That might be premature.”

“Why is that?” Daniel had in mind clearing up one problem between them, but it would be cleared up long before September. Tonight, in fact.

Lucy shrugged. “As you pointed out, September is nearly a year away. There’s plenty of time to start making specific plans after New Year’s.”

“It can’t hurt to get a date on the calendar.” Daniel studied Lucy, who had once again turned her gaze to the darkness outside. He surrendered to the sway of the train as he wondered what was really on Lucy’s mind and contemplated when he would ask the question weighing on his.

Back in Chicago, at a proper train station, Daniel hailed a carriage cab that took them home to Prairie Avenue. He used his key to let them into the house, and out of habit they moved to the empty parlor.

“I guess everyone else has retired for the evening,” Daniel said.

“It looks that way,” Lucy said. “If you like, I can ring for Charlotte and she can bring us some refreshment.”

Daniel shook his head. “Not for me, thank you. That meal will carry me far past breakfast.”

“Yes, I agree. Perhaps we should just turn in as well.”

“Are you too tired for a bit more conversation?” Daniel asked. He was not going to sleep one more night without knowing the truth.

She looked at him directly for the first time all evening. “What is it, Daniel?”

“Perhaps we should sit down.”

“This sounds serious.” Lucy sat in an armchair. Daniel sat where he could look directly at her.

“A business acquaintance made a curious remark to me,” he said. “He claims to have seen you on the university grounds more than once in recent weeks. I recall you initially had orphanage business there, but I can’t help wondering what would take you there repeatedly.”

Lucy hardly knew what to say. She was tired and worried. This was not how she had imagined this conversation might take place. However, she always knew the moment would come. She looked him in the eye and didn’t blink.

“I’ve enrolled in an art history class.” Lucy opted to stick to the facts. “It meets on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from one until three.”

Involuntarily, she was holding her breath, waiting to see what he would do.

“So you’re not working at the orphanage?” he finally asked.

“I used to go three afternoons a week. Now I go all day on Friday.”

“I see.”

“Do you, Daniel? Can you really understand? Because I would like to take more classes.”

Daniel stood up and waved one hand dismissively. “It seems you have more time on your hands than I realized. You’re engaging in the idleness of an unmarried woman, and I won’t have it.”

“Daniel!” Lucy was on her feet now.

He began to pace with heavy steps. “Perhaps rather than wait until September, we should marry in the spring. I had hoped we could move into a completed home, but in view of these circumstances, we can live somewhere temporarily while we build. Perhaps we should even have a Christmas wedding.”

“Christmas!”

“Yes, Christmas. Or New Year’s at the latest. Our mothers would be thrilled and easily forgive us for the short notice.”

Lucy knew the fiery look she saw in Daniel’s eye. His mind was made up, and the time for subtle persuasions was past.

“Daniel, I don’t think that’s going to happen,” she said.

“It will be a challenge, I grant you, but entirely possible. My experience is that anything can be done. It simply costs more to make arrangements on short notice. We can still have the wedding we want.”

Lucy took a deep breath. “But I don’t want a wedding, Daniel.”

He spun around and stared at her. “What did you say?” His face reddened rapidly.