She's Up to No Good(33)

“Look, Mama, I’ll be on my own in another month anyway. You can trust me. I promise not to corrupt her. We’ll just go to Filene’s for a few staples, get some lunch, and be home in time for supper.”

“Maybe one of your brothers—”

Evelyn smiled. “I’ll bring my hat pin. I need some practice using it anyway. We’ll be fine. Really.”

Miriam relented. She was fifty-six by then and tired. And life in the cottage with her grandchildren was so much more pleasant than sweltering on the train and the city streets.

Evelyn kissed her cheek and promised again to behave. And the next morning, the two girls set off for the station, Evelyn driving Sam’s car.

“What are we going to do first?” Vivie asked, more excited than she had been in months. “I know it’s not just Filene’s.”

Evelyn glanced at her. “What? You don’t think I told Mama the truth?”

“Evelyn! What are we doing today?”

“Well, I suppose it’s safe to tell you now. I’ll tell Mama and Papa when we get home anyway. I’m not going to Pembroke.”

Vivie’s eyes widened. “You’re—oh my goodness, Evelyn, you’re not going to college? Papa is going to disown you!”

“I’m going to college, you goose. Just not Pembroke. We’re going to go sign the papers at Simmons instead.”

“Simmons . . . but why?”

Evelyn threw another look at her sister. No, she thought. I can’t tell her about Tony. Mama would worm that out of her in an instant. “I don’t want to go that far away,” she hedged. Vivie looked skeptical. “Besides, I’ll be so much closer to Harvard and MIT. Much better husband-hunting grounds.” She thought quickly. “And you’ll be seventeen before too long. You can take the train to visit me too.”

“Do you think Mama and Papa would let me?”

“We’ll work on them.”

Vivie was quiet as they pulled into the train station’s parking lot, where Evelyn purchased their tickets. As they sat on a bench on the platform waiting for the train to arrive, Vivie looked at Evelyn. “It’s a good plan.”

“What is?”

“Switching schools.” She leaned against her sister. “You’ll be closer to Tony.”

Evelyn’s mouth dropped open, and she elbowed Vivie sharply. “What?”

Vivie dissolved into giggles. “I don’t tell Mama everything I know. And I’m not blind.”

“How long have you known?”

“Since you agreed to date Jewish boys. I know you better than that. And you’re never where you say you are now that we’re at the cottages.”

Evelyn looked at her sister in wonder. Vivie wasn’t such a baby anymore. “And you’re not going to tell Mama?”

“I haven’t yet. And she’s asked. But I told her what you told me: that you’d broken things off and that I hadn’t heard anything else about him since.” She tilted her head. “Are you going to marry him?”

“Vivie!”

“What? It’s a good question, isn’t it? And who would do it? A rabbi wouldn’t.”

Evelyn had realized it would have to be a judge. Even if Tony agreed to convert, which they hadn’t discussed, it would be tricky. But Jewish law dictated that their children would be Jewish, following the religion of their mother, and beyond that, Evelyn didn’t care.

“We’re not engaged.”

“But do you love him?”

Evelyn nodded, smiling.

Vivie dropped her voice to a whisper. “Have you . . . ? You know.”

“Vivie!” Evelyn clapped a hand over her sister’s mouth playfully. “What do you even know about that?”

“Oh my goodness, you have!”

“I have not! Lower your voice, please. People are starting to stare.” Vivie looked around. There were three other people on the platform, none of whom were paying attention to them. People came to the shore this time of year, and few left for the city if they could avoid it.

The sound of the train approaching prevented further conversation. They boarded and settled into seats. But as they pulled away from the station, Vivie returned to her line of questioning. “Do you want to? Are you going to?”

Evelyn raised her eyebrows. “And here I was thinking you would go running to Mama if you even knew he existed.”

Vivie lowered her voice again. “I read Lady Chatterley’s Lover.”

“The banned book? How did you get it?”

“I found a copy in Margaret’s bag.”

“And you didn’t share it with me?”

Vivie pursed her lips in a fair imitation of Evelyn’s face. “I’ve had a lot of time to read before bed. You sneak in awfully late.”

“Okay, well, you’re giving that to me as soon as we get home.”

“I put it back in Margaret’s bag. I didn’t want her to notice it was missing.”

“What’s she going to do? Admit to having it? We’ll swipe it.”

Vivie laughed. “I’ve missed you this summer. You’ve been here, but it hasn’t been the same.” Then she turned more serious. “You haven’t answered yet though. Are you going to?”