Lost and Found in Lavender Bay (The Lavender Bay Chronicles #2)

17. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

January 1935

L aura waited for the man from Hooper’s Garage to arrive to repair a puncture in the tire of the car. Her father was in bed with a terrible cold and had asked her to answer the door for the mechanic. As she had nothing else to do, she waited in the front hall, sitting on a side chair as her mother and Joan ran up and down the stairs with tea with lemon and honey and bowls of chicken soup.

There were some decisions to be made about her future. In the last year, she’d gone four times to Ohio to stay with her Aunt Millicent. Sometimes she took the train by herself. On her last visit, before Christmas, her aunt had suggested she come to live with her in her house, which was located outside of Cleveland. At first, Laura thought it was a ridiculous idea, but then a few days into the new year, her aunt had sent her a letter saying she could get her a position in the local bank. That’s when Laura gave serious consideration to her aunt’s suggestion. It might be nice to go and live somewhere where no one knew her. Where no one knew of what had happened. And if it had to be another state, then so be it. It had been more than a year since John Hadley’s death and the townspeople, although no longer crossing the street to get out of her way, remained cool. Little Johnny, her nephew, had just had his first birthday party, and she’d been sure Lenore would extend an olive branch and invite her, but no invitation was forthcoming. It broke her heart. In the past, she’d thought her older sister was such a drudge, but she missed her.

The sound of a vehicle pulling up to the house forced Laura to her feet. Peering out one of the windows that flanked the front door, she spotted a tow truck with the words “Hooper’s Garage” on it, parked at the curb.

Laura threw open the door and grabbed her coat off the tree stand, prepared to walk with the mechanic to the car.

A man not much older than herself jumped up onto the porch. He was dressed in black coveralls, and over his left breast was a white patch with red lettering that read “Edwin.”

“Tire puncture?” he asked.

She nodded, slipping on her coat. “I’ll walk you over.”

He frowned. “Not necessary. It’s too cold outside. You should wait inside where it’s warm.”

She laughed. “It’s all right. You’re not even wearing a coat.”

“I’m a man.”

Now she chortled, and they both laughed. Pulling the door closed behind her, she stepped out onto the porch into the frigid January air. She pulled gloves out of her pockets and tugged them on. They walked side by side down the driveway and along the snow-covered sidewalk.

Edwin whistled a merry tune as they strolled together.

Although he was pale—weren’t they all; it was winter—he had the brightest green eyes and nice auburn-colored hair. A smattering of freckles across his nose made him look young, but the fine lines at the corners of his eyes said otherwise. He had a long, narrow nose and broad cheekbones. Overall, she found him very handsome. It had been a long time since she’d been in the company of a man her age. It’d been a while since she’d even thought about a man. The business with Horace had cured her of that.

When they reached the car, Edwin removed the spare tire from the back end of the car and rolled it around to the side of the flat.

“I’ll change it for you in a jiffy.”

“Thank you.”

She remained on the sidewalk and stamped her feet to stave off the cold. The man whistled as he worked, locating the spare and wheeling it around to the side of the car with the flat. He made easy work of it.

When he was finished, he pulled a rag from his side pocket and wiped his hands. “You’re all set now, miss.” He glanced with a nod at the punctured tire he’d thrown on the snow-covered verge. “That can’t be repaired. Mr. Wainwright will need to purchase a new tire.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him.”

As she began to walk away, he thumbed over his shoulder and half turned, looking at the car. “Don’t you want to drive it back?”

She shook her head. “I don’t drive. ”

“You don’t? Why not?”

She responded with a shrug, “I don’t know. I never learned.” There had never been a reason to. Someone else had always driven her around.

He regarded her, narrowing his eyes slightly, but there was no animosity behind them, only puzzlement. Finally, he said, “Do you have the key? I’ll drive it back to your house.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think to bring it.”

“No problem. We’ll walk back for it.”

“Thank you so much.” It was refreshing to talk to someone her age without the air around them being loaded with her past.

He acknowledged her gratitude with a slight nod.

Grateful for conversation, she wasn’t in a hurry to let him go. “Are you new in town?”

“I am. I came up from Pennsylvania to work in my uncle’s garage.”

She’d seen the truck around town at different times but had never paid any attention to it. But she would now.

“I’m Edwin Knickerbocker. I’d shake your hand but mine are covered in grease.” He held out his hands to illustrate his point.

She smiled at him. “Laura. Laura Wainwright.”

“Pretty name for a pretty girl.”

She blushed. It had been a long time since anyone had paid her a compliment.

They arrived back at the house, and Laura ran inside to retrieve the car key. She returned to where Edwin waited at the end of the driveway.

“I’ll only be a second,” he said. He ran back to the car, surefooted through the slush and snow .

Edwin drove the car carefully and parked it behind his tow truck. He got out and dashed up the driveway toward her, whistling. He handed the key back to her.

“Look, Laura, would you be interested in going to see a picture with me?” His eyes never left her face, and he seemed to be holding his breath.

The words were hardly out of his mouth before she found herself nodding and thinking she’d like very much to go see a movie with this Edwin Knickerbocker with the bright green eyes.

With her reply, he smiled broadly and told her he’d pick her up the following evening at seven.

She couldn’t wait.

Laura was beyond excited. She spent extra, careful time on her hair and applied a light amount of cosmetics to her face. From her closet, she chose her best and favorite dress. She liked this Edwin Knickerbocker, and she wasn’t sure of the reason yet. Was it because he knew nothing of her past, or was it because he was interested? She’d almost forgotten what that felt like.

Her parents were unusually quiet as she waited for Edwin to arrive. Her father chomped on an unlit cigar, the newspaper in his hands. Their reticence was not without reason. They were skeptical of her choice. Was every beau to be colored with the Horace Howard brush? This guy seemed decent, or at least she thought so. But then, could she trust her own judgement? Her excitement faltered. What if she’d gotten this wrong too? But then she reminded herself that she’d be moving to Ohio soon. She was going to enjoy herself that evening.

When the clock struck the hour, the doorbell rang.

From behind his newspaper, her father spoke. “At least he’s punctual.”

She practically ran to the door, opening it wide to allow him in. He looked different from when she’d met him the previous day, when he wore grease-stained coveralls. Today he wore a fedora and a suit, and he’d shaved.

Suddenly, Laura felt shy. But she did manage to get out, “Come in, Edwin.” As he stepped into the front hall, he removed his hat. She led him into the parlor, where her mother’s hands sat idle in her lap, her needlepoint momentarily forgotten. Her father had put the newspaper down to inspect Laura’s date.

Edwin walked purposefully toward her parents, his hand outstretched. “Mr. and Mrs. Wainwright. Edwin Knickerbocker. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

Leo Wainwright stood and shook Edwin’s hand. Edwin turned slightly and leaned down to shake Eleanor’s hand.

“I understand you’re from Pennsylvania,” Mr. Wainwright said.

Edwin did not shrink or back down under his scrutinous glare.

“That’s right, sir. I came up to give my uncle a hand in his garage.”

“Bert Hooper is your uncle?”

“That’s right.”

Mr. Wainwright nodded approvingly. “I know Bert. And is it your intention to become a mechanic? ”

“Yes, sir. I’m doing an apprenticeship with my uncle. He has no sons, and he hopes to leave the garage to me someday.”

“So, you like fixing cars?”

Edwin’s face brightened. “I do. I find everything about them fascinating.”

“They are fascinating, that’s for sure,” Eleanor chimed in.

Laura edged closer to Edwin. “We should get going, Edwin, we don’t want to be late.”

He smiled at her. “I’m sorry, Laura. Once I get started talking about cars, I lose all track of time. But you’ll keep me on the straight and narrow, I suspect.”

She lowered her head and blushed. His comment implied that she’d see him again.

The feature playing that evening was Times Square Lady with Robert Taylor, and as they walked toward the ticket seller, Edwin tucked her arm in his and said, “I hope this is all right.”

“It’s fine.” She didn’t care what they saw; she was enjoying being out of the house for an evening.

When they stepped up to purchase their tickets, the expression of the woman behind the counter soured as she spotted Laura. Edwin pulled out his wallet and asked for two tickets.

The woman handed them over without another word, and Edwin looked over at the line for the popcorn vendor on the sidewalk. “How about some popcorn, Laura?”

“Sure, that would be lovely.”

They stood in the line for the vendor behind two other couples. The couples ahead of them turned and when they spotted Laura, they quickly bent their heads together in a flurry of whispers.

Laura felt the heat creep up to her cheeks and averted her eyes. If Edwin noticed what was going on, he didn’t comment on it. When it was their turn, he asked for two bags. The vendor scooped up the popcorn, handing a bag to each of them.

As they made their way into the movie theater, heads turned to look at Laura. She wanted to crawl out of there and go home. This had been a bad idea. Edwin pointed to an empty row of seats and asked her if it was all right. She nodded quickly, anxious to slide down into her seat. Luckily, as she sat down, the red velvet drapes parted, revealing the large screen, and the lights dimmed until the interior of the theater was dark. She’d never been so grateful for a darkened room. As the black-and-white newsreel began, the whispers abated, and Laura settled down in her seat.

“Have you seen this movie before?” Edwin leaned over to her. He smelled nice. He tossed a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

“No, I haven’t,” she said, taking the opportunity to study his profile in the darkness. It was strong, and it looked honest. She concluded that he was no Horace Howard. By the end of the movie, a sadness settled over her like a blanket as she realized that this wouldn’t last. It couldn’t. Eventually, he’d find out about her past and he’d dump her so fast her head would spin.

The walk home was quiet.

“Didn’t you like the picture?” he asked. He scratched behind his ear.

“Yes, I did,” she reassured him.

“You’re awfully quiet.”

“It’s nothing. Seriously.”

“A penny for your thoughts,” he said.

She laughed. She liked him.

Avoiding his comment, she asked, “Did you enjoy the movie?”

“Yeah, it was swell.”

When they’d reached the Wainwright house on Bluebell Lane, Edwin stood on the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets and stared at it. Finally, he pronounced, “It’s a fine house.”

“Thank you.”

He turned to face her. “Can I see you tomorrow night?”

She ignored the little voice in her head that told her not to pursue this, to end it before she inevitably got hurt. She nodded. “I’d like that.”

“Good. Come on, I’ll walk you to your door.”

At the front door, they said goodnight. He did not try to kiss her, and in a way, she was relieved. In the past, she’d have been offended if a suitor didn’t try to kiss her. Although some took it too far and it ended up practically being a wrestling match. Tonight, she was not upset that he didn’t try.

He saw her the following three evenings. Each time, Laura begged off going out, instead inviting him to stay and play cards or a board game. She didn’t think she could handle the stares and whispers out in public. By the fourth evening, her parents had warmed up to him and engaged in small talk before leaving the two of them alone.

As they cleaned up the card table, putting the board game away and getting the glasses to take to the kitchen, Edwin asked, “Would you like to go for a bite to eat tomorrow night? ”

Laura panicked. A restaurant wouldn’t provide the sheltering darkness of a movie theater. Sooner or later, someone would confront her, and how would she explain that to Edwin?

“I don’t know,” she replied. She carried the empty soda bottles into the kitchen and returned to Edwin in the parlor.

“Dinner? Tomorrow night?” he pressed.

“I don’t think so,” she said. “Why don’t you come here, and we can listen to the radio.”

He frowned.

As her posture sagged, Laura realized she would have to tell him the truth. It had been a wonderful few days in his company and she’d love to see more of him, but honesty was called for. It wasn’t fair to keep him in the dark. She wondered what Lenore would do in a situation like this.

Summoning some inner courage she didn’t know she had, she approached him and took his hand. When he held her hand, she felt safe and protected.

She led him over to the sofa and sat, patting the space on the cushion next to her.

“I need to talk to you about something, Edwin,” she started softly.

“Is this the part where you tell me you never want to see me again?” he teased with a grin.

With a smile, she said, “Not at all.” Butterflies flew around in her stomach. “But I do need to talk about something serious.”

She drew in a deep breath, steadying herself. Edwin raised one eyebrow in response.

Without stopping, she poured forth her whole story. When she finished, she looked at him. At first, he didn’t say anything, and her heart sank as she wondered if he was going to bolt for the door. But he surprised her by reaching out and taking her hand in his.

“I’m sure it was very difficult for you to share this, Laura, but I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your honesty.”

“You’re not mad?”

Confusion clouded his features. “Mad? Why would I be mad?”

She wanted to say because everyone else is , and opened her mouth, but then closed it.

“It was a terrible tragedy,” he said, “but it wasn’t your fault. You only had the misfortune of introducing the man to your family.”

She didn’t say anything. She couldn’t, because she was too overwhelmed with emotion.

Edwin leaned back against the sofa. “I suppose this hasn’t been easy, living in a small town like this.”

Often as she walked through town, she felt like a modern-day Hester Prynne, as if she had some kind of invisible brand across her forehead, condemning her. “No, it hasn’t,” she admitted. “People blame me, and I suppose I can’t fault them. I blame me. I was headstrong and wouldn’t listen to anyone about Horace.”

“Is that why you don’t want to go out anywhere?”

“Yes. I’m thinking of moving to Ohio to live with my aunt,” she said. Her voice wobbled.

“Come here,” he beckoned. He laid his arm across the back of the sofa.

Laura shifted and scooted over closer to him, but sat upright, almost rigid.

He patted the back of the sofa. “Come on, sit back. ”

She leaned back but stayed out of reach of Edwin, feeling shy.

He laughed. “You’re a funny little bird, Laura.” He moved closer and put his arm around her, pulling her to him, placing a kiss at her temple. Of all the kisses she’d gotten over her lifetime, she regarded this one as the nicest of them all. “Now, I hope you don’t move to Ohio just yet, as I’ve only just met you and I’d like to get to know you better.”

She was at a loss for words and found she could only nod. He’d discovered the absolute worst about her, and he still wanted to get to know her better. It was almost too good to be true.

He crossed one leg over the other, his arm still wrapped around her. “Tomorrow’s Saturday. What will we do? If you don’t mind the long drive, we could go up to Cheever for dinner.”

Laura nodded enthusiastically. No one knew her up there. “I’d like that.” Hurriedly, she added, “As long as you don’t mind.”

Edwin grinned. “I don’t mind at all.”

She laughed. It had been a long time since she’d felt this light.