He'd left Liza's letter inside an illustrated copy of Huckleberry Finn. The thin cloth-coveredbook was old and worn as if he'd read it many times. She traced the tired edgesof it, wondering how long he'd had it. There was a note taped to the top: For TD. ALL OTHERS, DO NOT TOUCH OR SUFFERTHE CONSEQUENCES—Calvin Wynne. Shenoticed a piece of paper sticking out behind another page of the book andpulled it out. It read, Hi Teddi, I wouldhave come myself, but I didn't want to get you in trouble. Last time was tooclose of a call.—Calvin. She folded the white slip of paper neatly andstuffed it in her dress pocket. She'd come back next week with her reply toLiza.

"It's time to go, Theodora," her grandmother's voice floated through thetrees from the church lawn. "Theodora, where are you?"

She hurried back to the lawn to see her grandmother walking back towardthe chapel steps.

"Grandmother," she said, hurrying to her side. "I'm right here."

"Where did you get off to, young lady?"

"I just wanted some time to myself."

Elizabeth shook her head in disapproval. "You get plenty of that athome. You have social responsibilities when we are in public." As she saidthis, they walked passed a girl named Samantha Chatfield—Brookhurst perfection,blonde, fresh and spirited—with three boys forming a triangle around her.

"Responsibilities like that?"

"It wouldn't hurt you to be more like Samantha, Theodora. In fact, thereis something I'd like to discuss with you at home. I wasn't certain I'd madethe right decision, but now I see that I have."

That afternoon, Teddi sat across from her grandparents at theircustomarily large Sunday lunch. Gertrude had cleared away the soup bowls andnow filled their plates with roast chicken, potatoes, honey glazed carrots, andcreamy asparagus. Teddi wasn't hungry.

"Mrs. Chatfield? Why can't I just stay with the Hollidays? It's only forthe night."

"Impossible."

"Why impossible?"

"It would be inappropriate. Ben is a young man. You are a young lady. Besides,I think Samantha Chatfield will be an excellent companion for you."

Teddi turned to her grandfather with pleading eyes. Her grandparents announcedthey would be going to the city next Saturday for a wedding. She was surprisedher grandmother did not want her to come, but Elizabeth Donovan had definitiveideas about what should and should not be done. Staying with Mrs. Chatfield andthat stuck-up daughter of hers was the last thing Teddi wanted to do. Hergrandfather attempted to mollify her with a hopeful smile. "It will just be forthe day, buttercup. We'll be back soon enough."

Teddi frowned. Couldn't he be more helpful? He knew what loathsomecreatures the Chatfields were to Teddi.

"It will be better than going with us, dear. Believe me." Hergrandfather grumbled then took a sip of iced tea. It was maddening. He wasbeing forced to go somewhere he didn't want to out of some sort of silly ruleof obligation. Why did people have to do such things? He should be able to stayhome if he wanted to. Teddi presented no further argument in regards to theChatfields, knowing the subject was closed. She really did not feel up to the intervalof headaches that usually followed a verbal tennis match with her grandmother.Suddenly, an idea came to her. If she had to stay with that tragic woman andher daughter, why not make the most of it? She'd be free from her grandmother'seagle eye. Free to see Calvin maybe. She wasn't sure if her inclination to seeCalvin had to do with an itch to be defiant or if it was something more. Sheneeded this temporary freedom to find out. Swallowing every ounce of anxiousdoubt, Teddi made up her mind. She would make it happen.

"Grandfather. I left my book at the picnic. Would you mind taking me toget it?" she asked.

"What book?" her grandmother asked sharply, her sardonic eye icing herto a halt.

"My music book," Teddi replied. "I brought it to show Harper, but I'dforgotten she'd left on her family vacation."

"She's only been gone for a week, Theodora. Honestly, I hope you pullyour head out of the clouds before you get to Miss Carrington's and embarrassyour grandfather and me."

Teddi felt no annoyance at all by her grandmother's comment. She was tooexcited about the prospect of this new plan. Plans. She seemed to be full ofthem these days. She couldn't help it. Calvin made her feel like she could doanything.

"Of course, I'll take you, Teddi, dear," her grandfather said, wipingthe corners of his mouth, which indicated he was satisfactorily stuffed.

"See that you hurry straight back," Elizabeth said.

Teddi nodded before getting up and rushing upstairs, shouting along theway, "I'll be right down, Grandfather."

"That girl!" she heard her grandmother saying.

She was sure her grandfather was smiling in response. He always saidthat what he liked most about her was her spirit. She was sure this was one ofthose occasions he might mention it. Teddi whipped out a piece of paper andscribbled a note to Calvin to stuff inside his copy of Huckleberry Finn.

***

Her stomach was in knots. Did he find her note? If he had, would hecome? And if he did, would they get caught?

"Theodora, don't dawdle," her grandmother said, as she paid the taxidriver who left Teddi's overlarge suitcase on the doorstep of the Chatfieldvilla.

The scorching days of September returned yesterday, which made both sheand her grandmother's brows bead with unflattering sweat. She arrived besideher grandmother on the porch of Mrs. Chatfield's foreboding seaside mansion. Itwas a haunting pale blue that looked more like gray. Trees hung about the frontof the house, casting a gloomy spell despite the sun-drenched morning. "I don'tknow why they couldn't have this wedding in June like normal people," hergrandmother said. "Now, I want you to be on your best behavior."

Teddi sighed, sounding put out with the prospect. "Yes, Grandmother."

"Don't give me that look, young lady. I've given strict instructions toMrs. Chatfield. You are not to have any visitors."

Teddi nodded unnecessarily. "I know. Not even Ben."

"You are to practice piano at three o'clock today and tomorrow."

"Why? I haven't been practicing all summer."

"You should polish yourself for Miss Carrington's. Your playing hasgrown beautifully, I must admit. Still, it could be better."

Teddi knew this was some feeble attempt to show off what her grandmotherthought was her only positive attribute to Mrs. Chatfield. "Fine," Teddigrumbled, determined to wear her frown for as long as she possibly could beforeshe had to pretend to smile for Mrs. Chatfield.

"Your grandfather and I will be back tomorrow evening," her grandmothersaid. "And be nice to Samantha."

"Nice? To her? I prefer a different form of punishment."

"She's a lovely girl. I don't know why the two of you can't be friends."

Teddi snorted. "If I try to say hello to her at school, she turns hernose up and pretends I'm not there."

"This may be your opportunity to speak with her at length then," saidMrs. Donovan. She didn't understand at all. Samantha was a phony. "You are abeautiful young girl, Theodora. You would do right to follow the example ofsomeone as poised and well-mannered as Samantha."

"Of course," said Teddi tiredly, every ounce of her tone filled withsarcasm.

"You will be nice and if I hear of anything I don't like, you may justhave to go straight home after to church next Sunday."

"But that's my last Sunday! That's the day of the jamboree!"

"If it means that much to you, then you will behave, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Her grandmother gripped the pewter door knocker and hit it swiftlyagainst its strike plate.

A sallow looking dark-haired maid answered the door. "Good afternoon,Mrs. Donovan. Mrs. Chatfield is expecting you." She gestured inside toward alarge room off the foyer. They followed the woman's direction and foundthemselves face to face with a round, middle-aged woman with prematurely whitestreaked hair curled tight into a bun. Her mouth turned up into a sweetly soursmile as she greeted Teddi and her grandmother. "Won't you sit down?"

The Donovans took a seat on the velvet sofa opposite Mrs. Chatfield.

"I can't thank you enough for allowing Theodora to stay," Elizabethsaid.

Teddi could not believe two people needed a house this large. It was nearly double the size of their house. Itwas like a museum. The floors were polished just so and the furniture lookedvirtually untouched. Everything scrubbed and cleansed of any and all filth.Teddi shifted uncomfortably.

"It's no worry at all, Elizabeth," Mrs. Chatfield said, ringing a smallbell. The maid reappeared. "Virginia, would you take Miss Donovan's suitcase tothe third floor guest room?" The girl took the bag from Teddi and left theroom. "Samantha, dear," said Mrs. Chatfield as her young blonde daughterappeared in the room with a towel over one arm and a wicker basket on theother.

"I'm leaving, mother," said Samantha, sauntering over to kiss her cheek.

"Of course, dear, but say hello to Theodora and Mrs. Donovan."

Samantha turned to her grandmother, wearing a bright smile. "Hello, Mrs.Donovan. You're looking very lovely today."

Teddi's grandmother smiled then raised her eyebrows pointedly at Teddi,obviously indicating that she approved of Samantha's phony behavior. "Where areyou off to, dear?" asked Mrs. Donovan, focusing her attention on Samanthaagain.

"The country club." Samantha turned to Teddi with a forced smile, notunlike her mother's sour-sweet grin. "I'm sorry you can't come, Teddi, dear.The others would love to see you. I suppose you're just too young to be allowedout without a grown-up."

"That is enough, Samantha," Mrs. Chatfield sing-songed.

Samantha shrugged a carefree shoulder. "Well, goodbye all. It was lovelyseeing you, Mrs. Donovan. Bye-bye, Teddi." She bounded out of the room and thenthe front door.

Teddi pressed her teeth together. That girl was a first class pill. Whatannoyed Teddi even more was that she was jealous of her. Why did SamanthaChatfield get to roam free while she was stuck inside all summer? And now notonly was she stuck inside, she was stuck inside with Mrs. Chatfield.

That afternoon, Teddi followed Hope, the pink-cheeked upstairs maid,into the over-large but confining guest room Mrs. Chatfield assigned her. Shethanked Hope and settled into her new surroundings. She appreciated the windowthat filtered sun into the room, its velvet curtains pulled back. Night wouldapproach soon, then a cold dinner with a cold woman and possibly her colddaughter would follow.

Teddi sat on the windowsill and looked over the town and the ocean.There was so much to take in this world. She just had to find the courage to doit.

But that was not her problem at the moment. She needed to decide what towear. She turned to look at her valise that sat in the middle of thefour-poster bed a few feet away. She longed for Harper's advice, or better yet,Liza's support, or maybe someone else she would never have again—her mother.She thought about the painting she'd painted over and for the first time, herheart heated with guilt. What if her mother wanted her to keep that painting,even part of it? Some was better than none. Teddi had so little of her motherleft. She couldn't remember what she looked like unless she picked up a pictureand bore it into her mind. Guilt plagued her as she struggled to recall hermother's features.

What would Calvin say to her right now? He would say that she was notthe past. Sure, maybe she wasn't responsible for other people's actions in thepast, but she certainly had to be responsible for her own. Being responsibledid not mean souring her stomach with worry or forgetting to live in the momentlike she'd promised herself, did it?

She stood up. "No, it doesn't." She strode over to her suitcase andfaced it with a determination she didn't know she needed. She bent over andwith an expert pop and a click unlocked the old rectangular beast. Its mouthstretched and offered her a ball of lace, a bundle of unmentionables and twofolded dresses—one blue, the other yellow. She removed each, deciding to ironboth to perfection before making her decision. Teddi escaped down the hallwayto find the upstairs maid. Before she could get too far, Mrs. Chatfieldappeared around the corner, brows high and eyes already full of judgment. "Well,Miss Theodora, to what do I owe this surprise?"

"I was looking for the powderroom."

"You have your own, as I'm sureyou noticed."

"Of course, I mean, I was lookingfor Hope. I wanted to see if she could lend me an iron."

"Whatever for?"

Teddi decided to time her breaths to lull the rage Mrs. Chatfield wantedto tease out of her. "My mother taught me to be self-sufficient. I'd like toiron my own things."

Mrs. Chatfield looked like a rotting deer had just been placed at herfeet at the notion. "And I've taught my daughter to remember her station.People have to know their place, Theodora. Especially, those beneath your own."

Teddi had heard a less harsh version of the epithet from her grandmotheroften. She nodded her head and gave Mrs. Chatfield a pressed smiled. "Yes,ma'am." Teddi's instinct told her that compliance would get her out of the doormore easily tonight. No matter what Mrs. Chatfield thought, she was a good anddecent girl, even if she was sneaking off with boys... that was, if the boy inquestion showed up. He would, wouldn't he? He just had to.

*g)