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101: Processing
“For once, I would like to enjoy a significant moment with you without there being some extraordinary component to it,” Andrew groused, massaging his temples with one hand as he returned to the parlor after seeing Ned out.
Evelyn slumped against the sofa back. In this particular circumstance, she might have to agree. Setting aside her confusion and seeking a more positive mental attitude, she replied, “We did manage to get married without issue.”
His fingers on his temples stilled, then he looked up at her and flashed her a handsome beaming smile. “So we did.” His smile faded and he simply stared at her in amazement. “Nothing could dampen the way that makes me feel, darling. You take my breath away.”
They both turned hearing Mary softly clear her throat at the parlor door. “If there’ll be nothing else, Mr. and Mrs. James, I’ll be retiring for the night.”
Andrew glanced at his watch. “Dear God, it’s nearly eleven. Yes, of course, do go rest. I’m so sor
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World of Tomorrow 102: Return to the Fair
Donning her robe while Andrew shaved in the bathroom, Evelyn padded down the hall to the kitchen. She poked her head in to find Mary staring into the opened refrigerator, the vacuum pot of coffee already brewing on the stove behind her. “Mary,” Evelyn said softly, hoping she wasn’t disturbing their maid. Still a bit bleary-eyed and groggy after their late night last evening, Mary turned the direction of her voice. “Yes madam?” “Have you and Tank ever been to the World’s Fair?” “Oh no, madam. It’s above our budgets, even as generous as Mr. James is.” “Would you like to go?” she asked. “Andrew and I are going to try to meet Justin and Lily with the children there. If you want to, we’ll be happy to have you attend with us.” Mary’s face lit with a bright smile. “Yes madam! I most certainly would! I’ll wake Tank at once and get breakfast on the table immediately.” Evelyn shook her head. “Don’t worry about breakfast. Just the coffee will do. The children always prefer to eat at the Fa
World of Tomorrow 103: Antagonized
“It’s beautiful country up here, Mr. James,” Tank said. Andrew’s eyes focused from his blank stare and flicked to meet Tank’s briefly in the rearview mirror. “So it is.” “You seem a little distracted. Is everything alright, sir?” He glanced out the windows, watching the scenery blur by. “I’m fine. A lot of memories on this route.” Not least of which were of Charlotte, since he was on the Taconic State Parkway, headed north of the city to go speak to his mother. Originally, the road had been designated as the Bronx Parkway Extension, and he could still remember when the route had been approved by the state legislature in 1923. There’d been a great deal of discussion at the dinner table in the James family household over the parkway’s approval. A great many fights over it too. In combination with the completed section of the Bronx River Parkway, the Taconic was to provide motorists both a scenic and rapid route from the city to t
World of Tomorrow 104: Perplexing
Evelyn positioned herself in the library so that as soon as the apartment door opened, she’d hear Andrew’s return. Working in bits and spurts, sprinkling the space in between with brief games and free time, she’d managed to get the children’s homework finished. Now, she waited anxiously, watching the time on the clock’s face as it barely moved with an open book in her lap from which she hadn’t read a single word. They’d been gone an inordinately long time. Even if the drive was nearly an hour each way, they’d left over four hours ago. Her mind had begun to play out every horrible scenario it could design, starting with the simplest, that something else terrible had happened while they were driving on the Taconic. Calm down, she told herself. Stop leaping to the worst conclusions. Perhaps they’d had to stop for fuel or had a flat tire. Maybe his mother hadn’t been home and he was waiting for her to return. Or she was home but visiting w
World of Tomorrow 105: Iron Fist, Velvet Glove
“Andrew, there must be at least a thousand people in this city with connections to Tammany Hall,” Evelyn countered. “Right now, you’re angry with her. I don’t think you’re thinking clearly on this.”It had been a long time since he’d lost his temper with her, but she could see it the instant he hit flashpoint. A dark scowl settled over his face and his mutable blue-green eyes glittered dangerously with cruel shards of green.Wide-eyed, she cringed, watching in bewilderment when he sat up abruptly, then turned his head so he could go on staring down his straight, narrow nose at her. “A few days ago after we listened to Ned Jenner’s story, you told me I should trust my intuition. Well, my intuition says my mother has something to do with all of this.” His smooth Ivy League voice carried an edge.She was sorely tempted to disagree, but given the circumstances, it would only serve to rile him more. Se
World of Tomorrow 106: Surprise
“Knock knock knock.”“It’s Uncle Justin!” Sarah hissed to her brother at the breakfast table.Hearing his voice, Peter and Sarah bolted out of their chairs and darted towards the parlor door. As he appeared in the doorframe, they crashed into him with warm hugs and excited babble.After closing the door behind him, Mary asked, “I set a mug for you and the missus already. I’ll bring the coffee now. Would you both care for breakfast too?”“We’re having waffles!”“Peter, stop pulling on his suit,” Evelyn reprimanded. “He has to go to work soon and you can’t be getting him grubby.”Lifting a patient hand, Justin waved her concern away, then turned to Mary. “If it’s not too terribly much trouble, breakfast would be nice.”“Of course, sir. Mr. James had bacon and eggs. Mrs. James had toast and grapefruit and the children h
World of Tomorrow 107: Advice
“Evelyn James?” Staring blankly at the typeface before her, Evelyn didn’t hear her name called. The Ladies’ Home Journal’s ‘provocative’ survey article on What Men Think of Women had scarcely proved interesting beyond the title, especially when pitted against her own meandering and worried thoughts. Despite Lily’s concerns about the unplanned pregnancy, Evelyn was positive that circumstance would work out beautifully for her best friend and Justin. She was genuinely happy for them. Still, the surprise news brought her own insecurities to the fore. Andrew’s negotiation with her about having children on the night he’d muscled the televised baseball double header into existence had given her both reason to hope and something delightful to daydream about. If Lily had missed two cycles already, then it was abundantly clear she and Justin had been amorously engaged with a far more regular frequency than she and Andrew had. At least up until recently. Once September had rolled around, h
World of Tomorrow 108: Stumbled Upon
Evelyn sat in the great room, listening to the radio. It was Andrew’s night to go through the bedtime routine with Sarah and Peter, and it felt good to simply sit for a while. To let her mind wander.She’d had her hands full with the children most of the afternoon since school had let out. Between the shorter days with less daylight to wear them out at the park and the imminent arrival of Halloween the following week, they’d been particularly rambunctious. More and more often, even her nights responsible for bedtime were requiring an assist from their sterner, unyielding father.It had taken a bit of experimentation, but she and Lily had finally found a solution for Lily’s raging morning sickness, a combination of strong lemongrass tea and sour hard candies. Mostly Evelyn considered that a good thing. She couldn’t bear to see her best friend looking so exhausted and feeling so poorly, but she also didn’t like that the sour lemon drop
World of Tomorrow 109: Fallout
While Andrew walked Alexander Lowell out, Evelyn sat still on the sofa, staring blankly into the fire. The smell of the wood soothed her, as did the dance of the crackling flames as the logs burned, but everything else inside her felt as thought it had been blasted into a million tiny pieces. Pieces she had no hope at all of reassembling. Of course Alexander Lowell would know. How many times had she heard Andrew say it? That Lowell wasn’t the best lawyer in town because he was better at lawyering than anyone else, but because he had eyes and ears everywhere. With an eidetic memory, every piece of information he ever acquired was readily available the instant he needed or wanted it. She had no reason to doubt that what he'd told them was true. Besides that the lawyer had already been in Russell James’ debt, long before there was any demand for secret identities. What benefit to him would it be to lie now? “Do you want something to drink?” Andrew asked softly,
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