Chapter 3

Little by little, the ice cream sundaes and drinks disappeared, but Win couldn’t have said what they tasted like.  Not at all.  He was captivated by the blue eyes that gazed at him with such innocent fascination.

Later that evening...

The atmosphere inside Sardi’s was hazy with cigarette smoke and humming with the voices of diners who had spent the past few hours entranced by Broadway productions.  Theatergoers were ready to enjoy a meal or a round of cocktails at the iconic restaurant, and many of them were discreetly watching to see which performers would stop in for a bite. 

The Frayne party occupied a table for four near the piano.  Win sat across the table from Alice Rainsford, with his uncle on his right and his aunt on his left.  In her quiet way, Alice was looking particularly pretty tonight, he thought.  Her light brown hair was smooth and shiny, hanging to her shoulders in loose waves.  Her hazel eyes were glowing and her color was high.  Clearly, she had enjoyed South Pacific, the new Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.

“How did you like the show, Alice?” asked Nell Frayne.

“It was wonderful,” Alice replied with a brilliant smile.  “So romantic, and such a beautiful setting.”  Her expressive features changed.  “At the same time, it was sad.  I never thought about how racial prejudice affects every normal relationship.  I’m surprised, really, to see such a strong statement against prejudice in a major musical.  It’s not what I expected.  What did you think, Win?”  She turned to her escort, who had been unusually silent all evening.

Win collected his thoughts.  What had Alice said?  “Romantic, yes,” he agreed.  “Although I think maybe it made the war look too much like fun.  Mary Martin was really good.  She reminded me of someone...I’m not sure who, though.” 

“Were you surprised by the focus on prejudice?” Alice asked.  She frowned a little at him.  Apparently, he hadn’t been paying attention.

“Yes, rather.  It’s something we all do without even thinking, so to have it tackled head-on in a piece of entertainment—well, it’s surprising.”  He hoped he’d redeemed himself with this comment.

“It’ll be interesting to see what the critics said,” James added. “I've avoided the reviews because I wanted to decide for myself.”

The discussion continued, but Win’s mind wandered.  He couldn’t get Katie Vanderheiden’s face out of his mind, and kept imagining her as the cockeyed optimist, Nellie Forbush.  He tried to exert himself for Alice’s sake, but kept losing the drift of the conversation.

After dinner, the Fraynes hailed a cab and deposited Alice at her uncle’s brownstone.   Win jumped out to walk her to the door.  Catching her hand, he said, “I’m sorry I wasn’t very good company tonight.  My mind was somewhere else.”

“I could tell.”  She smiled at him, her serious eyes wide.  “Who is she, Win?”

“What?  No one—I mean, there’s no other special girl.”  He stared back, willing her to believe it.  He believed it.  Katie was just a girl who had captured his attention for the moment.  She could never take Alice’s place as a future life partner.

“All right, Win.”  Her smile now was tremulous, and her eyes sparkled where the lamplight reflected against moisture.  “You’ve never lied to me before, and I believe you’re telling the truth now.”

“You look especially lovely tonight, Alice,” he added, bending down to give her a chaste kiss. 

When she reached up and threw her arms around his neck, he was stunned.  Her cheek was wet against his as she returned the kiss with one that was anything but chaste.  He responded, almost against his will.  A loud honk from the cab’s horn finally broke their embrace.

“Uncle James must be in a hurry to get back home,” Win quipped, trying to dissipate the electric current that had suddenly charged the normal atmospheric pressure between them.

“Yes,” she agreed, her cheeks flushed crimson.  “Good night, Win.  I had a wonderful time.”  She fumbled for her key and hurried inside the Rainsford brownstone.

As the door closed behind her, Win descended the steps and strode toward the waiting cab, his mind in turmoil.  He certainly hadn’t thought Alice was ready to get serious; she hadn’t even made her debut yet, and she had always talked about going to art school before marriage.  Had she changed her mind?  And if she had, what did that mean for him? 

James directed the driver to the train station and the trio was finally on their way back to Sleepyside.  “What was on your mind, Win?” his uncle asked.  “You seemed a million miles away all during dinner.”   

“Oh, nothing,” Win lied.  He felt his face flushing even though the train car was dim.  He’d never felt the need to conceal anything from his uncle before, but Uncle James had been negative about his seeing Katie, and he didn’t want to admit he’d been thinking of her.

“Leave the boy alone, James, dear.”  Aunt Nell patted his arm.  “He’s tired after walking all the way to town and back in the middle of the day.  I hope you and your friend had a nice time.”

“Yes, we did.  We talked about books and things.  Can you believe she’d never had a chocolate sundae before?”

“Well, I’m glad you had a good time, Win.  You don’t need to be holed up with us old folks all the time, you know.”  His uncle shot Win a sharp look from under craggy white brows.  “I do hope you’re always conscious of your future and your obligations as a Frayne, though.”

There it is again, Win thought.  My obligations as a Frayne.  Obligations of society, growing the Frayne business, philanthropy, protecting the assets of the family, and producing more Fraynes with a suitable wife.  Nothing about fulfilling my own potential, doing something that interests me, or choosing my own soul mate.  Why does it seem like I’m going to have to hurt my uncle or deny myself one of these days?  Aloud, he said only, “Yes, Uncle James.  I know what you’ve done for the community of Sleepyside, and I hope to follow in your footsteps someday.”

“Plenty of time for that, dear,” Aunt Nell reassured him. “You still have two years of college left.”

“Right.”  Win suddenly felt trapped by his family’s expectations...but his uncle and aunt were the only family he had, and the childless couple had treated him as well as they could have treated a son. “Uncle James, may I go to your office with you tomorrow?  Do you have time to go over some of the things you wanted to show me today?”

“Of course, son.  I always have time for you.”  Uncle James beamed at him.  “I’m excited about the Frayne Foundation—it’s going to support some great causes.  Right now we’re working with the community leaders and doctors here in Sleepyside to set up specifications for the hospital construction.  People won’t have to travel so far for emergencies and surgeries or serious illnesses.  Trained nurses can care for more patients in a hospital ward than in private homes, and that’s bound to make doctors’ work easier.”

“That’s exciting,” Win agreed.  “I knew you were on the hospital board, but I didn’t realize how far along you were with construction plans.”

“We’ve narrowed the site choice to two locations, both well-situated to the village, and we’ve commissioned architectural blueprints as well as a landscaping design,” James said proudly.

“Tell him about the doctors who’ve contacted the board,” Nell interjected.  “Are you recruiting yet?”

“No, not really.”  James shook his head.  “We’re figuring completion is still a year away.  We want to have at least the bones of the construction finished before we invite any doctors to tour the facility.  Still, Dr. Ferris has a good practice here, and he’s very interested in admitting patients who need to be hospitalized.  In addition, although it’s too early to really show him anything, a Dr. Tremaine has been to visit the community.  He’s finishing up his surgical training and wants to settle in a small community.  I’m going to stay in touch with him, because he seemed like a bright, sincere, hard-working fellow.”  

“How many beds will the hospital have, Uncle James?” Win asked.

His uncle launched into a description of the layout and services the new hospital would provide.  He even sketched a diagram of its proposed layout on a napkin. 

James was bursting with enthusiasm for the planned hospital.  The town of Sleepyside and the surrounding rural area had no hospital within an hour’s drive, and that change would make a huge difference in emergencies.  He’d donated his services as general contractor, and had been instrumental in lining up the sites that were under consideration for the project.

Nell Frayne joined in to point out the location of the gift shop, as well as a classroom where new mothers would learn skills of caring for an infant.  “So many young women don’t have the slightest idea what to do with a baby,” she said.  “And although I was never able to have children, I can imagine how frightening it must be to have this tiny person completely dependent on me all of a sudden!”  She beamed, and Win could feel the pride in her voice as she continued.  “We’re going to have a trained baby nurse to teach the new mothers.  In the mornings she’ll have classes and in the afternoons she’ll visit the mothers in their rooms, to see how they’re doing and to help them with feeding and burping, even changing diapers.  One day a week, she’ll follow up with the mothers at home, to make sure things are going well.”

Caught up in his uncle’s and aunt’s enthusiasm for the proposed hospital and its services, Win hardly noticed the miles slipping by.  It seemed that only a few minutes had passed before they arrived at the Sleepyside station.  As the three walked toward Uncle James’ handsome dark blue 1947 Packard Super Clipper, Win felt once more the closeness and love of his aunt and uncle, and doubts about his future career receded.

“Here, Win,” said Uncle James, tossing him the keys.  “You drive home.  It’s been a long day and I’m not overly fond of driving Glen Road after dark, as often as I’ve done it.  Too many blind curves.”

“You’re not worried about me navigating it?”  Win was a bit surprised.

“You’re a good driver, and you have quick reflexes,” replied his uncle.  “I trust you.”

“Thanks, Uncle James.”  Win was elated.  Lacking a vehicle of his own, he didn’t have many opportunities to drive, and the Packard Super-Clipper was a joy to operate, with its Electra-matic transmission and overdrive. 

As he guided the luxurious vehicle away from the station and toward Ten Acres, Win almost forgot that the life Uncle James had mapped out for him felt confining.

Katie started up the steps to the Sleepyside Public Library.  She had decided to try to check out the book Win had been reading the day he walked out to Hot Dog Heaven.  She’d always been considered a good student, but her most adult reading up to now was the romantic and racy Forever Amber.  Nineteen Eighty-Four was definitely in another class of literature.  But she wanted to be able to converse with Win, and how better to rise to his level than by reading the books he read?

Approaching the librarian’s desk, she drew a deep breath and smiled her most grown-up smile.  “Hello, Miss McConnell.”

“Hello, Katie.”  The elderly librarian smiled back.  “Is there something I can help you with?”  Katie was a fairly regular library patron, borrowing and returning books for her mother as well as herself.  She usually found the books she wanted without asking for help, but today she needed assistance.

“Yes, Miss McConnell.  Today I’m looking for Nineteen Eighty-Four, but I’m not sure of the author’s name or where to find it.”

“Oh, my!”  Miss McConnell pursed her lips.  “That book has just been published—in fact, it was just released on June the eighth.  I’m afraid we don’t have it yet, Katie.”

Katie struggled to conceal her disappointment.  “A friend was reading it, and he said I should read it, too.  I was really hoping to be able to check it out.”

“You can put your name on a waiting list, dear.”  Miss McConnell pulled a notebook from under her desk and wrote Katie’s name and the date in a precise script.  “I’ll be happy to telephone you when it arrives, or you can keep checking back with me.”  She smiled again.  “It shouldn’t be too long.  That book is attracting quite a bit of attention.  Would you like to read the review of it that was published in Time magazine?”

“No, I’m afraid it might spoil the story for me,” Katie replied.  “I hope it comes in soon.”

“Is there anything else I can do for you today?”  Miss McConnell offered.

“Thank you, but no.  Mamma wants me to check out the latest Pearl S. Buck, and Cheaper by the Dozen.  And do you have Mary Wakefield, in the Jalna series, yet?”

“Your mama’s books should be on the shelves.  We’re still waiting for Mary Wakefield—it was just released in June as well.  Have you already read Return to Jalna?”

Katie nodded.  “Yes, I read it a few months ago.”  She’d recently become fascinated by the Canadian saga that followed the fortunes of a wealthy, horse-breeding family living on an estate in Ontario.   “I’ll look on the shelves.  I’m sure I can find something.”  

Win came by Hot Dog Heaven to say goodbye the night before he left for camp.  “I’m taking the train to New Hampshire in the morning, Katie,” he said, his eyes crinkling the way she’d grown to love.

“How long will you be working there?”  She suddenly felt lonely.  She’d come to look forward to his brief visits, and she’d relived their two dates in her mind until the brief hours had been burnished to a glow that warmed her heart.  To think of not being able to see him for a month or longer—she wondered how she’d bear it.

“The camp session I’m working lasts for a month,” Win answered.  “Then, I’m spending a week with Matt Wheeler and his family at their cottage on the island of Nantucket.  After that, I’ll be back to spend a couple of weeks with Uncle James and Aunt Nell before heading back to school.”

“Your summer is so busy,” Katie commented, trying not to sound jealous.  “I’ll be right here until school starts back at Irving.  Then it’s slog, slog, slog until graduation, in between working.”

“What do you want to do next year?”  Win seemed really interested.

“I don’t know.  I’d love to be able to go to Westchester Community College.”  She sipped her Coke, thinking about the prospect of going away to White Plains.  “I don’t know if I’ll be able to save the money, though.  And would it be better to board in White Plains and get a job there, or to keep my job here and ride the train every day?” 

“Which one do you want to do?” he asked.

“Well...I suppose it sounds selfish, but I’d really love to get out of Sleepyside and live in White Plains if I’m going to school there.  But Mamma—I’d hate to leave her here alone.”   Katie was suddenly fascinated by a hangnail on her left little finger.

“Have you talked to your mother about it?  Maybe she’d like for you to get away, have new experiences.”  Win’s green eyes were soft as he met Katie’s startled blue eyes.

“Not really.  It’s just her and me now, you know.  I haven’t wanted to bring it up.”  Katie nibbled her lower lip.  “She’d be lonely, I know she would.”

“What would you like to study?” he asked, changing the subject as if he knew the topic of her mother was a sensitive one.

“That’s the other thing,” she started.  “I’m just not sure.  A secretarial program seems interesting, but it also seems so ordinary.  Teaching...I don’t think I could stand in front of thirty kids every day and try to teach them.  Nursing...well, nursing would be less expensive because I’d have my board taken care of.  It hardly costs anything to go to nursing school, and there are a couple of different hospitals to choose from for training.”

“Really?”  Win’s eyebrows shot up.  “I didn’t know it was so inexpensive.”

“Oh, yes.  That’s because the student nurses staff the floors in the evenings and night shifts.  So really, the hospital gets cheap labor and the nursing students get lots of experience.”

“All hospitals don’t have nursing schools, though, do they?” Win seemed truly interested.

“No, usually only the largest hospitals have schools.  The girls have to take classes in anatomy, pharmacology, nutrition and special diets…oh, all kinds of special medical things.  So they have to have doctors and experienced nurses teaching them.”

“It sounds like you’ve looked into nursing, Katie.”

“I did, because Sally and one of her best friends are going.  Sally was the one who told me it would hardly cost anything.”  Katie sighed.  “But I decided it wasn’t for me.”

“Why?” 

“Blood.  You have to look at blood, and that makes me sick.”  Katie made a face.  “That, and false teeth, and bedpans.”  She shook her head decisively.  “The uniforms are nice, and the training doesn’t cost much.  Some nurses get to travel a lot, and there’s lots of different kinds of nursing.  But it’s not for me.”  

“It’s hard to choose the right path,” Win agreed.   “I’ve felt that way myself.” 

Their eyes met in mutual understanding.  

The week after Win left for camp stretched eternally for Katie.  The days dragged.  Without the spark of anticipation of a possible visit to Hot Dog Heaven by a tall, lanky redhead, she found her work shifts mechanical. She’d become so familiar with the ordering system, and so comfortable with serving loaded trays to customers in their cars, that the challenge of learning a new skill was gone.  Win was far away in New Hampshire at Camp Wediko.  Did he even think about her?   He’d promised to send a postcard of the camp, but after five days she’d given up on that promise.  He’s forgotten about me, she thought.  I didn’t really mean anything to him.

One day in late July, she moped about the Vanderheiden house as she did her chores.  Dusting seemed so mundane, she could hardly bear it.  She checked her watch. One-thirty.  Sally was picking her up for work in twenty minutes, and Katie had to walk to the corner to meet her.  She put away her dusting implements so she could change into her uniform.

“Katje, dear, can you check the mail before you go?” Juliana called from the sewing room just as she finished changing.

“Sure,” Katie agreed.  She gave a final fluff to her curly bangs while glancing in the bathroom mirror.  Grabbing her small pocketbook, she ran out to the mailbox next to the front door.  The startled postman was just dropping the day’s mail into the box when she burst out onto the porch. They nearly collided, but each of them stepped back just in time. 

“Good afternoon, Miss Vanderheiden,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.  “Seems you’re in a hurry today.”

“Hello, Mr. Delanoy,” she managed to gasp. “I’m on my way to work and wanted to collect the mail for Mamma first.”

“Well, have a nice day,” the mailman replied, stepping down onto the sidewalk and turning to continue his rounds.

“Thank you!”  She scooped the mail from the box and hurried inside, separating bills from advertising circulars in neat piles on the kitchen table.

“Oh!”  A gasp of surprise escaped as two postcards fluttered to the floor.  Katie bent to retrieve them, taking in the neat, angular writing.  Could they be from Win?  A glance at the signature answered her question and her heart thumped.

“Katje, is there anything important today?”  her mother’s voice called.

“No, Mamma.  Just the usual.  I’m setting it on the kitchen table.”  Katie tucked the postcards into her pocketbook, knowing she didn’t have much time before Sally would be waiting for her.  She hurried in to kiss her mother goodbye.

“Be careful, schatje,” Mrs. Vanderheiden urged, as she did every day.

“I’m always careful, Mamma,” Katie assured her, as she always did.  Then she dashed out of the house and down the street.  When Sally drove up, she hopped into the car as she did every day.  The postcards were burning a hole in her pocketbook, but she guarded them jealously.  She didn’t want an audience when she read Win’s words for the first time. 

It was late that night before she was alone with the postcards.  With a haste born of delayed gratification, she pulled them from her pocketbook, flipping them to the message side without even a glance at the pictures.

Dear Katie, (Win had written)
It’s even more beautiful here than I thought it would be.  I don’t know if you’d like it, because it’s very rustic, lots of raw nature everywhere (haha).  But I love it!  Heard three different kinds of owls last night.  This morning rigged up an outdoor shower for the boys (and counselors) to use.  Saw a raccoon just like this one when I went outside to smoke last night. 
Win

Katie turned the card over to see a color photograph of a mask-faced raccoon perched on a rock.  In its hands it held a piece of apple.  “Wish you were here at Wediko!” it was captioned.  She smiled, wondering if Win picked the card for its sentiment or its picture.

After a moment, she pulled out the other card, which showed a dramatic view of a valley spread out below a bluff.

Dear Katie,
Didn’t know we only have mail service twice a week, so couldn’t mail the first card til today.  Hiked up this mountain today and saw valley spread out below – amazing and breathtaking.  Kids are great.  Hope you are well.
Win

Her heart lifted at those words.  She hadn’t gotten anything from him before because he couldn’t mail it, not because he’d forgotten her.  

By the last week of August, Katie had read Nineteen Eighty-four.  She’d read it twice, in order to be prepared to discuss it with Win.  But she still didn’t feel like she understood what had happened.  The book left her feeling vaguely dissatisfied, and she wondered what Win would say when she told him she’d read it but didn’t understand it.  He’ll probably think I’m stupid, she moped.

He’ll be back any day now, she thought.  There are a couple of weeks before school starts.  Win promised we’d do something before he leaves to go back to college.  Her shift was just starting, and she skated around the parking lot of Hot Dog Heaven, scouting for litter and scooping it into her long-handled dustpan with a broom.  From force of habit, she glanced down the road toward the village.

Far in the distance, she could see a figure walking along the roadside.  Squinting in the bright sun, she dropped her tools and raised a hand to shade her eyes.  Yes!  The walk was Win’s familiar easy stride.  Katie dashed through her sweeping chore and skated inside to check her hair and apply a dab of lipstick before he arrived.

As she came out of the employee door, she saw that several cars had pulled into the drive-in’s lot and were flashing their lights for service.  Win still hadn’t reached the restaurant, so she pasted a bright smile on her face and skated toward one customer. 

Sally was inside, delivering her order to Arnie, when Win arrived and seated himself at one of the umbrella tables.  They waved at each other, but didn’t speak until she’d finished waiting on her other customers.

“I really enjoyed your letters,” Win said, when Katie approached him for his order.  “They brightened my days at camp.”  His smile was brilliant.

“I thought you were having a good time,” Katie replied with a frown.  “Was it awful?”

“Not at all,” Win insisted.  “I had a great time.  Sometimes it was sad, though, to see how the kids had to struggle.  They’re all handicapped in some way, you know.  When they’re home, there are a lot of things they can’t do.  But at Wediko, they’re just kids.  They love it.”  He sighed.  “Every once in awhile it was too much for me.  I’ve never been around anyone who was crippled, blind, or deaf.  But you couldn’t pity those kids, because they were having too much fun.”

“It’s wonderful that they could have that time,” Katie agreed.  “But I’d think they could get hurt easily.”

“Well, that was our job—to keep the kids from getting hurt.  I’m so glad I went.”  Win smiled again.  “That’s something I think I’d like to do, someday.  But Uncle James has other plans for me.”

Katie heard the buzzer that signaled she had an order ready.  It was moving into the busiest part of her shift, as well.  “Win, I need to get to work,” she said.

“I know.  When are you off again, though?  I’d like to take you for a picnic before I have to leave for school.”

Katie’s heart began to thump.  “A picnic?”

“Yes.  Our new neighbors, the Spencers, have a great lake.  It’s close enough to the house that they’ll be able to see us from the terrace, so it’ll be like we’re chaperoned, but we’ll be far enough away that we can talk and eat without them hearing us.”

“Oh, yes!”  She struggled to keep from looking overly eager, but could feel a huge smile stretching across her face.   There was no use denying it, she was excited.  “I’m sure Mamma would agree to that.” 

The picnic at the lake on the estate neighboring Ten Acres was everything Katie could have dreamed of, and more.  Win picked her up in a taxi, and he’d brought an insulated cooler filled with dishes of fried chicken, potato salad, tomatoes, and lemon meringue pie.  The pair spread out a quilt in a shady spot near the shore, and discussed Win’s camp experiences and Katie’s reading over the summer.  She’d never felt so comfortable just talking to a boy before, but Win seemed totally focused on their conversation, not just on flirting and trying to put some fast moves on her. 

An hour after eating, they stripped down to the bathing suits each had worn under their clothing.  Katie wore a powder-blue one-piece she'd borrowed from Sally. She didn’t know how to swim, but she waded in the shallow water near the edge, making faces as her toes squished in the sandy shale.  Win showed endless patience teaching her basic strokes; by the end of forty-five minutes, she could float on her back for brief intervals.

Two hours later, the couple made their way back to Ten Acres.  Katie hoped her sundress would be completely dry before she reached the home of Win’s aunt and uncle.  She’d insisted on pulling it on over her suit before they left the lake.  There was no place to change clothes, and “I don’t want anyone to see me walking along the road in a bathing suit,” she said with a toss of her head.  “I’m not that kind of girl.” 

Win carried the nearly-empty cooler on one shoulder.  He held out a hand for her, but she walked along next to him without touching.  Although she smiled and chattered gaily as they walked, she worried that her hair was a mess.  What would proper Mrs. Frayne think of her?  Blonde ringlets escaped from her ponytail ribbon and straggled down her neck as well as her face.  “I should have taken my hair down and combed through it,” she fretted.  “This isn’t the way I’d like to meet your aunt.  Maybe she won’t be home.”

“Don’t worry about Aunt Nell,” Win reassured her.  “She won’t judge you for that.” 

Aunt Nell was outside, cultivating her rose bed, when the young couple arrived.  She put down her small hoe and removed her gardening gloves, extending a hand to her nephew’s guest.  Katie noticed she looked neat and clean, despite working in the flowerbed on such a hot afternoon.  A wide-brimmed hat shaded her face and contained her hair.

“Hello, I’m Nell Frayne, Win’s aunt.”  She smiled at the sunburned pair.  “You must be Katrina Vanderheiden.”