their parents’ looks. Jane had their mother’s softer, less defined, gentle blond beauty. It was her father who had the dark Irish looks Sarah had inherited and somehow improved on.
“I hope you have a good time,” Jane said with a quiet smile, relieved that Sarah was actually going. They all wanted her to make new friends, see new things, and then come home and get back in touch with her old friends. Her life had been so lonely for the past year, so bleak, and incredibly empty. Or at least that was how it looked to Jane. She couldn’t imagine living as Sarah had done for the past year. But then again, she couldn’t even begin to imagine a life without Peter.
They left the ship as its whistle began to blow, and the smokestacks roared to life while stewards circulated in the halls, playing chimes and urging people to go ashore if they were going to. There was a flurry of kisses and hugs, and people calling to each other everywhere, last gulps of champagne, last embraces, a sprinkling of tears, and then finally the last of the visitors had gone down the gangplank. The Thompsons stood on the deck and waved to Peter and Jane, as James squirmed in his father’s arms, and Marjorie waved as Jane held her. There were tears in Victoria Thompson’s eyes as she looked at them. Two months was going to be a long time away from them, but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make if it was going to help Sarah.
“Well,” Edward Thompson said with a satisfied smile. All had gone well as far as he was concerned. They had just left the dock, and they were on their way. They were actually taking Sarah to Europe. “What shall we do now? A walk around the deck? A visit to the shops?” He was looking forward to the trip and to seeing some of his old friends again. And he was thrilled that they had succeeded in convincing Sarah to go to Europe. It was a good time to go. The political situation there had been increasingly tense recently. Who knew what might happen later. If there was a war in a year or two, this might be their last chance to go to Europe.
“I think I’ll unpack,” Sarah said quietly.
“The stewardess will do all of that for you,” her mother explained, but Sarah didn’t care.
“I’d rather see to it myself,” she said, looking bleak in spite of the festive surroundings. There were balloons and streamers and confetti everywhere, from the sailing.
“Shall we meet you in the dining room for lunch?”
“I might take a nap.” She tried to smile at them, but she was thinking how difficult the next two months would be, constantly being with them. She had become used to licking her wounds alone, and although most of the wounds seemed to have healed, the scars were still evident, and she preferred keeping them to herself. She couldn’t imagine being with them night and day, and enduring their constant efforts to cheer her. She had no desire whatsoever to be cheered. She had come to like her solitary life, and her dark thoughts, and her lonely moments. It was not the way she had been before, but it was who and what she had become, thanks to Freddie Van Deering.
“Wouldn’t you rather get some air?” her mother persisted. “You might get seasick if you spend too much time in your cabin.”
“If I do, I’ll come out for a walk then. Don’t worry, Mother. I’m fine,” she said, but neither of her parents was convinced as she went back to her cabin.
“What are we going to do with her, Edward?” Her mother looked glum as they took a walk around the deck, glancing at the other passengers, and then out to sea, thinking about Sarah.
“She’s not easy. I’ll grant you that. I wonder if she’s really as unhappy as she seems, or if she just fancies herself a romantic figure.” He wasn’t sure he understood her anymore, or that he ever had. Sometimes both of his daughters were a mystery to him.
“Sometimes I think being miserable has just become a habit,” Victoria answered him. “I think at first
“I hope you have a good time,” Jane said with a quiet smile, relieved that Sarah was actually going. They all wanted her to make new friends, see new things, and then come home and get back in touch with her old friends. Her life had been so lonely for the past year, so bleak, and incredibly empty. Or at least that was how it looked to Jane. She couldn’t imagine living as Sarah had done for the past year. But then again, she couldn’t even begin to imagine a life without Peter.
They left the ship as its whistle began to blow, and the smokestacks roared to life while stewards circulated in the halls, playing chimes and urging people to go ashore if they were going to. There was a flurry of kisses and hugs, and people calling to each other everywhere, last gulps of champagne, last embraces, a sprinkling of tears, and then finally the last of the visitors had gone down the gangplank. The Thompsons stood on the deck and waved to Peter and Jane, as James squirmed in his father’s arms, and Marjorie waved as Jane held her. There were tears in Victoria Thompson’s eyes as she looked at them. Two months was going to be a long time away from them, but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make if it was going to help Sarah.
“Well,” Edward Thompson said with a satisfied smile. All had gone well as far as he was concerned. They had just left the dock, and they were on their way. They were actually taking Sarah to Europe. “What shall we do now? A walk around the deck? A visit to the shops?” He was looking forward to the trip and to seeing some of his old friends again. And he was thrilled that they had succeeded in convincing Sarah to go to Europe. It was a good time to go. The political situation there had been increasingly tense recently. Who knew what might happen later. If there was a war in a year or two, this might be their last chance to go to Europe.
“I think I’ll unpack,” Sarah said quietly.
“The stewardess will do all of that for you,” her mother explained, but Sarah didn’t care.
“I’d rather see to it myself,” she said, looking bleak in spite of the festive surroundings. There were balloons and streamers and confetti everywhere, from the sailing.
“Shall we meet you in the dining room for lunch?”
“I might take a nap.” She tried to smile at them, but she was thinking how difficult the next two months would be, constantly being with them. She had become used to licking her wounds alone, and although most of the wounds seemed to have healed, the scars were still evident, and she preferred keeping them to herself. She couldn’t imagine being with them night and day, and enduring their constant efforts to cheer her. She had no desire whatsoever to be cheered. She had come to like her solitary life, and her dark thoughts, and her lonely moments. It was not the way she had been before, but it was who and what she had become, thanks to Freddie Van Deering.
“Wouldn’t you rather get some air?” her mother persisted. “You might get seasick if you spend too much time in your cabin.”
“If I do, I’ll come out for a walk then. Don’t worry, Mother. I’m fine,” she said, but neither of her parents was convinced as she went back to her cabin.
“What are we going to do with her, Edward?” Her mother looked glum as they took a walk around the deck, glancing at the other passengers, and then out to sea, thinking about Sarah.
“She’s not easy. I’ll grant you that. I wonder if she’s really as unhappy as she seems, or if she just fancies herself a romantic figure.” He wasn’t sure he understood her anymore, or that he ever had. Sometimes both of his daughters were a mystery to him.
“Sometimes I think being miserable has just become a habit,” Victoria answered him. “I think at first
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