Read Online Duet for Three Hands by Tess Thompson - Free Book Online
Authors: Tess Thompson
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gaze turned to the red marks on Mother’s chest. “Those’ll bruise.”
“I have the green dress with the high collar. I’ll wear that to the Winslows’.”
Cassie nodded, smoothing loose tendrils of hair back from Mother’s face. “I’ll make an ointment for you to rub on them.”
Mother’s eyes filled with tears before she brought her hands to her face. “I’m so tired. So very tired.”
Whitmore went to the window. The setting sun had turned the sky red.
Chapter 5
N athaniel
----
D uring his time away , when not practicing or performing, Nathaniel thought of Frances. He sent several letters but heard no replies. She wouldn’t know where to send them, he reassured himself, what with a new city every week. The day before they left California he mailed her a postcard of the beach to let her know he would return to New York in a week’s time. He would call her when he got back. He hoped she still wanted him to.
He and Walt arrived in New York late on a Monday night, and he fell into a deep sleep, thankful for his own bed, excited but nervous to call Frances in the morning.
He woke refreshed and went out for a paper and a loaf of bread from the bakery on the corner around midmorning. Upon returning from his errand, there, standing outside his apartment building, was Frances. Startled, and then unsure it was actually Frances, he stopped mid-stride and froze. She was here, now? Were his eyes deceiving him? But no, it was his beautiful Frances in front of his building. He gaped at her, blinking his eyes in rapid succession. His mouth suddenly dry, he walked toward her. “Frances? Is it really you?”
“Nate.” She ran toward him and threw her arms around his neck, the bread in his arms a pillow between them. “I’m so glad to see you. I was afraid I had the wrong building.”
“What’s happened? Why are you here?” He searched her face. Her complexion was odd, almost yellow tinged. She seemed subdued, cowed even. Was she ill? “Frances, are you all right?”
“I had to see you right away.” She paused. “I have some rather frightful news. I’m going to have a baby.”
It might have been that someone hit him, that’s where he felt the blow, right in the middle of his chest. “A baby?”
“It’s yours, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
He shook his head, confused. Why had she said that? “I wasn’t wondering. Not at all, in fact.”
She started to cry and pulled a lace handkerchief from her purse. “There’s only one thing to do.”
“What’s that?”
“We’ll have to get married.”
What had she said? Married? He floated there for a moment, watching the girl in front of him, who was both a stranger and yet achingly familiar. How often he’d imagined her smooth skin, the way she’d sighed when he kissed her neck. And then, out of his mouth as if they’d been perched against his teeth all the time, came the words, “Yes, right. We’ll get married.” He smiled and took her hands. “Frances Bellmont, will you marry me?”
“Oh, Nate, I’m so relieved. I’m horrified at what’s happened, and I was afraid you might not want me.”
He cleared his throat, looking at her hands in his, trying to order his jumbled and confused thoughts into something coherent. “Does your mother know?”
“Yes, she’s waiting at the hotel. She gave me no choice but to tell her. It was the only way I could persuade her to bring me here to see you. She thought it inappropriate to call on you, of course.”
He felt sick, thinking of the kind Mrs. Bellmont he’d met at the party and how disappointed this must have made her.
“Mother was upset, or shocked might be a better word. She wants you to come to supper tonight at the hotel so you two can discuss the details. This is the way, you see, Nate. A young, southern lady decides nothing for herself.” She went on without taking a breath. “The main concern is scandal. Daddy can’t have it getting out. So we’ll have to hurry
“I have the green dress with the high collar. I’ll wear that to the Winslows’.”
Cassie nodded, smoothing loose tendrils of hair back from Mother’s face. “I’ll make an ointment for you to rub on them.”
Mother’s eyes filled with tears before she brought her hands to her face. “I’m so tired. So very tired.”
Whitmore went to the window. The setting sun had turned the sky red.
Chapter 5
N athaniel
----
D uring his time away , when not practicing or performing, Nathaniel thought of Frances. He sent several letters but heard no replies. She wouldn’t know where to send them, he reassured himself, what with a new city every week. The day before they left California he mailed her a postcard of the beach to let her know he would return to New York in a week’s time. He would call her when he got back. He hoped she still wanted him to.
He and Walt arrived in New York late on a Monday night, and he fell into a deep sleep, thankful for his own bed, excited but nervous to call Frances in the morning.
He woke refreshed and went out for a paper and a loaf of bread from the bakery on the corner around midmorning. Upon returning from his errand, there, standing outside his apartment building, was Frances. Startled, and then unsure it was actually Frances, he stopped mid-stride and froze. She was here, now? Were his eyes deceiving him? But no, it was his beautiful Frances in front of his building. He gaped at her, blinking his eyes in rapid succession. His mouth suddenly dry, he walked toward her. “Frances? Is it really you?”
“Nate.” She ran toward him and threw her arms around his neck, the bread in his arms a pillow between them. “I’m so glad to see you. I was afraid I had the wrong building.”
“What’s happened? Why are you here?” He searched her face. Her complexion was odd, almost yellow tinged. She seemed subdued, cowed even. Was she ill? “Frances, are you all right?”
“I had to see you right away.” She paused. “I have some rather frightful news. I’m going to have a baby.”
It might have been that someone hit him, that’s where he felt the blow, right in the middle of his chest. “A baby?”
“It’s yours, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
He shook his head, confused. Why had she said that? “I wasn’t wondering. Not at all, in fact.”
She started to cry and pulled a lace handkerchief from her purse. “There’s only one thing to do.”
“What’s that?”
“We’ll have to get married.”
What had she said? Married? He floated there for a moment, watching the girl in front of him, who was both a stranger and yet achingly familiar. How often he’d imagined her smooth skin, the way she’d sighed when he kissed her neck. And then, out of his mouth as if they’d been perched against his teeth all the time, came the words, “Yes, right. We’ll get married.” He smiled and took her hands. “Frances Bellmont, will you marry me?”
“Oh, Nate, I’m so relieved. I’m horrified at what’s happened, and I was afraid you might not want me.”
He cleared his throat, looking at her hands in his, trying to order his jumbled and confused thoughts into something coherent. “Does your mother know?”
“Yes, she’s waiting at the hotel. She gave me no choice but to tell her. It was the only way I could persuade her to bring me here to see you. She thought it inappropriate to call on you, of course.”
He felt sick, thinking of the kind Mrs. Bellmont he’d met at the party and how disappointed this must have made her.
“Mother was upset, or shocked might be a better word. She wants you to come to supper tonight at the hotel so you two can discuss the details. This is the way, you see, Nate. A young, southern lady decides nothing for herself.” She went on without taking a breath. “The main concern is scandal. Daddy can’t have it getting out. So we’ll have to hurry
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