It stood a world apart from the noise and elbow-to-elbow existence of city life. He supposed a few months spent here while wrapping up the Providence purchase wouldn’t be too painful.
“I like having you here,” Flora said as they stood looking out over the blackness of the ocean. “I lost the letter I received from you when you were still a young boy, talking about your studies and sporting events.”
“I should have written back more,” Jack said. “It’s my fault.”
“You were busy growing up and then busy being a man,” Flora replied. “I didn’t take the silence as an affront.”
“And I’m here now,” he said as he offered her his arm.
Laughing, she took it. “Yes, you are.”
They strolled on. Music and laughter drifted to them, probably from the Forty Steps, north along the Cliff Walk, where the local servants gathered to socialize some evenings.
“You know, Jack, you could stay with me while you get the house on Touro Park put together,” Flora said.
He glanced down at her, but he couldn’t read the subtleties of her expression in the moonlight.
“That’s a kind offer, but the house is more habitable than a lot of places I’ve been,” he said. “And in any case, I learned today that I’ll need to spend a couple of days a week in Providence. I wouldn’t want to disrupt you.”
“I like disruptions. And I am really asking you to stay for my sake,” she said.
“I’m saying no for the same reason,” he replied. “People talk. Around here, they do little else. If you’re in the market to marry again and you have me as a guest, you’ll ruin your chances.”
“First, I don’t care what people say. I never have and never will. Second, I’ll never marry again. Why should I?”
“The usual reasons?” Jack asked.
“Such as?”
The silkily dangerous tone to Flora’s voice let him know he’d overstepped.
“You don’t usually see this many stars when the sky is so hazy,” he said, seeking a change of topic.
Flora gently squeezed his arm in warning.
“Such as?” she repeated.
“Security?” he ventured.
“Clem owned two gold mines, which I inherited, as well as a house on Nob Hill in San Francisco and a town house within a stone’s throw of the Marlborough House in London. I must have failed to mention them to you”
Jack laughed. “You did.”
They walked on until they reached the low fieldstone wall that separated The Reefs from its neighboring cottage. Jack decided to risk another question. “But what about children?”
“If I were going to have them, I would by now,” Flora replied. “I am not childless from lack of effort.”
“I believe that’s enough information.”
Her laughter joined the party noises. “I have embarrassed you. But you shouldn’t have asked if you weren’t prepared to hear the answer.”
“True.”
“So stay with me a few weeks. Let’s play at being the family we could have been,” Flora said.
“I can’t.”
“Can’t … That’s a word I have almost never heard you use. Why, can’t?”
“It’s difficult to explain,” Jack said. All he knew was that if he could avoid it, he didn’t plan to annoy Agnes Maxwell any more than necessary. Staying under Flora’s roof would make him a pariah to Agnes. He couldn’t let that happen.
“I have my guesses,” Flora replied.
Jack had been about to ask what those guesses were when the sight of a silhouette moving toward them from across the neighboring lawn distracted him. The figure was female, but other than that, he couldn’t distinguish details.
“I think we’re about to meet your neighbor,” he said to Flora.
“No one is in residence,” Flora replied.
The woman halted about twenty yards away.
“Flora, is that you?” she called.
Jack knew that voice—slightly husky, as though just waking.
“Caroline, what are you doing?” he called in response.
She started in their direction. “Oh, Jack, it’s just you. I thought perhaps Flora had a
“I like having you here,” Flora said as they stood looking out over the blackness of the ocean. “I lost the letter I received from you when you were still a young boy, talking about your studies and sporting events.”
“I should have written back more,” Jack said. “It’s my fault.”
“You were busy growing up and then busy being a man,” Flora replied. “I didn’t take the silence as an affront.”
“And I’m here now,” he said as he offered her his arm.
Laughing, she took it. “Yes, you are.”
They strolled on. Music and laughter drifted to them, probably from the Forty Steps, north along the Cliff Walk, where the local servants gathered to socialize some evenings.
“You know, Jack, you could stay with me while you get the house on Touro Park put together,” Flora said.
He glanced down at her, but he couldn’t read the subtleties of her expression in the moonlight.
“That’s a kind offer, but the house is more habitable than a lot of places I’ve been,” he said. “And in any case, I learned today that I’ll need to spend a couple of days a week in Providence. I wouldn’t want to disrupt you.”
“I like disruptions. And I am really asking you to stay for my sake,” she said.
“I’m saying no for the same reason,” he replied. “People talk. Around here, they do little else. If you’re in the market to marry again and you have me as a guest, you’ll ruin your chances.”
“First, I don’t care what people say. I never have and never will. Second, I’ll never marry again. Why should I?”
“The usual reasons?” Jack asked.
“Such as?”
The silkily dangerous tone to Flora’s voice let him know he’d overstepped.
“You don’t usually see this many stars when the sky is so hazy,” he said, seeking a change of topic.
Flora gently squeezed his arm in warning.
“Such as?” she repeated.
“Security?” he ventured.
“Clem owned two gold mines, which I inherited, as well as a house on Nob Hill in San Francisco and a town house within a stone’s throw of the Marlborough House in London. I must have failed to mention them to you”
Jack laughed. “You did.”
They walked on until they reached the low fieldstone wall that separated The Reefs from its neighboring cottage. Jack decided to risk another question. “But what about children?”
“If I were going to have them, I would by now,” Flora replied. “I am not childless from lack of effort.”
“I believe that’s enough information.”
Her laughter joined the party noises. “I have embarrassed you. But you shouldn’t have asked if you weren’t prepared to hear the answer.”
“True.”
“So stay with me a few weeks. Let’s play at being the family we could have been,” Flora said.
“I can’t.”
“Can’t … That’s a word I have almost never heard you use. Why, can’t?”
“It’s difficult to explain,” Jack said. All he knew was that if he could avoid it, he didn’t plan to annoy Agnes Maxwell any more than necessary. Staying under Flora’s roof would make him a pariah to Agnes. He couldn’t let that happen.
“I have my guesses,” Flora replied.
Jack had been about to ask what those guesses were when the sight of a silhouette moving toward them from across the neighboring lawn distracted him. The figure was female, but other than that, he couldn’t distinguish details.
“I think we’re about to meet your neighbor,” he said to Flora.
“No one is in residence,” Flora replied.
The woman halted about twenty yards away.
“Flora, is that you?” she called.
Jack knew that voice—slightly husky, as though just waking.
“Caroline, what are you doing?” he called in response.
She started in their direction. “Oh, Jack, it’s just you. I thought perhaps Flora had a
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