The Davenports(68)

Despite all their worries, the teahouse was a treat—a remnant of a time before when it was a nearly daily pastime, if only to stop by and exchange a bit of gossip over a strong cup and a sweet. Ruby especially loved the macaroons. Did I eat any? She rubbed her temples. Her head ached. Ruby hated the way she ended things with Harrison. His face, twisted with hurt, haunted her.

“Ruby!”

She flinched at her name.

Mrs. Tremaine leaned forward. “As I said, I understand why she was distracted.” Her mother’s eyebrow slowly crept closer to the fringe of hair that swept over her left eye. Clearly she awaited Ruby’s own excuse.

You thought you were so clever, Ruby chided herself. How could she have expected to keep her deepening feelings for Harrison Barton to herself? She should have known better. She did know better.

There was nowhere to go. The reason for this detour was clear. Her mother brought her out here to talk. Ruby shifted in her seat. The day that had passed in a foggy blur now sharpened. A man sat on the bench throwing crumbs to the birds. Two women giggled under a shared parasol. Somewhere, the savory scent of stewed beef thickened the air, and the water lapping the shore reminded her of the tick of the second hand on her father’s pocket watch. Her stomach tightened in subtle warning before she spoke. “Harrison Barton, the young man I’ve befriended—” she started. Of course she remembers! “He suspects something is amiss between us. I don’t think we’ll be spending as much time together.”

“And is that something you want—to spend more time with him?”

Ruby’s answer: absolutely. Time spent with Mr. Barton felt like another life, one where the pressure of the everyday lifted for a time. She could relax, feel free. Her skin warmed at the thought of him at the jewelry shop, with her on the beach, the two of them dancing.

“But I think it’s wise to continue the courtship until my situation with John is settled, see this to the end,” Ruby said cautiously.

“My dear, there is only one way this will end.” When she didn’t respond, her mother continued. “You know, your father wasn’t my first love.” Ruby gasped and her mother cocked another eyebrow. She watched her mother’s face soften around a sad smile. “There was a young man who thought the world of me. And I of him. We made plans.” Mrs. Tremaine picked at the leather piping along her seat. It was as if she wandered into a memory.

Ruby wondered what her mother was like when she was Ruby’s age. They rarely spoke like this anymore. She waited, afraid to ask questions. A part of her mother must still love this other man. Why else would she bring him up? Was her father the safer choice? They both turned to watch a couple walk past. Their arms linked through each other’s, creating a unit, moving as one. Like you and Papa, Ruby thought. They never tired of each other’s company and decided everything together. Isn’t that the goal?

“We were young,” her mother said. “And when you’re that age, you don’t realize there are many types of love. I chose your father and have never regretted it.” Mrs. Tremaine signaled the driver to move on. “Enslavement is rooted in our history, Ruby. I wanted something we could build, as far away from that past as we could get without forgetting it.”

“What happened to the young man?” Ruby asked.

“He married someone else. Had another family.”

The response was so matter-of-fact, it knocked Ruby back. She tried to imagine Harrison marrying someone else, giving another woman his last name and fathering her children. It put a sour taste in her mouth. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to live in a reality where she thought of him as in the past. Ruby wondered what about her father had swayed her mother from this other man. She bit the inside of her cheek, debating whether knowing was better than wondering. Her curiosity won out.

“Why Papa?” she asked.

Mrs. Tremaine never took her eyes off the street passing by. “He was the better choice.”

The buggy jerked away from the curb, rattling Ruby’s jumbled thoughts. Harrison Barton surprised her. She liked the version of herself she was when with him. She breathed easier around him. Their outings were the highlights of her week, and now the days stretched out before her. The thought of spending every dinner, function, day without him felt like too much to handle. How could she have been so stupid? And so cruel? He deserved the truth, yes, but the whole truth: That despite the reason she pursued him, her feelings for him were real—and she was a fool for not realizing it sooner.

She looked at her mother. The better choice. Deep in her bones. Ruby knew the better choice for her was Harrison Barton.

Her nails bit into her palm as she replayed the confrontation in her mind. I will make this right, she thought. I must.





CHAPTER 31


    Olivia



“Are you going to save these?” Olivia pointed at the lunch tray of untouched sandwiches.

Her father frowned. “You don’t mean to take these with you?”

“The schoolhouse roof is being repaired by volunteers, and some women are gathering to discuss the vote. I thought it would be nice to add these to the others Jessie prepared and bring them over.” She didn’t wait for a yes. Olivia began wrapping the sandwiches in cheesecloth. She avoided eye contact with her mother, keeping her hands busy and concentrating on staying relaxed.