CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tears were streaming down Marie's cheeks when the fog began to lift. She was in her own garden. She ran to her house, tearing open the door and dashing upstairs. She paused at her room long enough to toss her bag onto her bed and then dashed to her parents' room. "Mother! Father!" She banged on the door.
The door opened, and her father stared at her in shock. Her mother, however, jumped out of bed with a cry of joy and threw her arms around Marie. "Marie! You're all right! I can't believe you're all right!"
Mr. Tranton at last recovered and wrapped his arms around both women, laying his cheek against his daughter's hair. He'd thought he'd been in control of his world until Marie had disappeared. He would have given that world to have her back.
Marie pulled back a bit when she heard her father sniff. "Father, I've never seen you cry!" she said, laughing with happiness and relief.
"I've never before lost you for five weeks and three days."
She turned to put her arms around him. "I love you, Father."
"I love you too, darling. Where have you been?"
Marie caught her breath. In her misery over leaving Rick, she hadn't gotten around to thinking up a plausible story. "I-I'd rather not talk about it."
"Not talk about it?"
Mrs. Tranton shot her husband a warning glance. Marie had surely been through a very traumatic experience, and they shouldn't make her talk about it until she was ready. "Why don't I have Louise make us some breakfast, and we can talk," Mrs. Tranton suggested.
"If you can take your hands off our daughter long enough."
Mrs. Tranton smiled. She'd been caressing Marie's hair and shoulders and arms. "You seem to be having a problem with that yourself."
He grunted, stroking Marie's cheek and then tilting her chin up. "We have been out of our minds with fear. We had no idea what had happened to you."
"I know. Thinking about how worried you'd be was the worst thing about being gone."
"Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm fine. I-I was held against my will but-but in a very nice place. He--they were good to me."
"Why were you kidnapped? We never received a request for ransom."
"I don't know. Um, Mother, could we have some cocoa?"
Mrs. Tranton hugged her daughter. "You could ask us for the world right now, and we'd get it for you."
Marie laughed. "Just cocoa, thanks."
They sat at the table drinking coffee and cocoa while they waited for Louise to serve them breakfast. "What's the first thing you want to do now that you're home?" Mrs. Tranton asked.
"I'm doing it."
"Drinking cocoa?"
Marie laughed. "No. Talking to my parents."
"Life has changed since you've been gone. We've grabbed the phone the minute it rings. Your father offered a $50,000 reward for your return. We--"
"Really, Father?"
He stared into his cup. "Of course. I raised it from $25,000 after the second week. Small price to pay to have my daughter back. Very small indeed."
She rose and went to lean over him and hug him. "Thank you, Father."
He grunted. "`Thank you' indeed. You're my daughter."
"Were--"
"Marie!"
She looked up in shock to see her brother in the kitchen entrance. "John!"
He ran and grabbed her, twirling her around. "Where did you come from?"
"It's a long story." When he set her down, she pushed back to look up at him. "What are you doing here?"
"Isn't this my home too?" He grinned at her.
"It wasn't five weeks ago!"
He laughed, hugging her again. "There's nothing like a tragedy to draw a family together." He smiled at his parents.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes." He stroked her hair as he gazed down at her. "We were all out of our minds with terror and grief. None of us could just sit still. I kind of oversaw the private investigators that Father hired. And we felt better being all together. Somewhere along the way Father and I worked out our differences."
"That's wonderful! I'm so glad." She slid her arm around John and smiled at her parents. "There's nothing that could make me happier than being with my whole family."
"We need to call Davis," Mrs. Tranton said.
Marie's face fell. "That can wait. I'd rather it be just the four of us for a while."
"Soon it'll be the six of us."
She frowned up at her brother. "What do you mean?"
"We might just have to make it a double wedding."
Her mouth fell open. "You're betrothed?"
"No, not yet. Carolyn and I are very serious, but I just couldn't think about proposing to her while you were still missing. But now . . . well, Mother has told me she's ready to give me the ring the moment I ask."
Mrs. Tranton smiled. "My son proposing with the family diamond and my daughter getting married in the family wedding gown. A mother's dream."
Marie tried to smile, but the thought of that wedding gown, that symbol of tradition and family and home, upset her. Yesterday it had made her long for home. Now it made her long for Rick. She wanted to wear it for him. She certainly wasn't going to wear it for Davis.
After breakfast Mr. Tranton went to call his daughter’s betrothed. Marie was in the living room with her mother and brother, and they jumped when they heard him begin shouting. They'd had only enough time to look at each other in bewilderment when Mr. Tranton joined them. "Young Runyon will be here within the hour."
Understanding dawned, and Marie said quietly, "He didn't want to come until after work, did he?"
"There's a big account and . . . well, as I said, he'll be here within the hour."
To Marie's amazement, after her father had bathed, shaved, and dressed, he rejoined them in the living room with a cup of coffee. "Aren't you going to the office, Father?"
"The day I get my daughter back? Not likely."
John stood then. "May I assume then that it's permissible for me to take the day off, Father?"
Marie stared at her brother. "You've joined Father's company?"
"Yes. He bought my small business, and I began in the middle. Not at the bottom, because I do have a good deal of experience, but not at the top either. I want to earn it."
"And you will, young man."
Marie knew that the stern look her father gave John was intended to mask the love and pride he felt. Her own heart tightened with love. She never would have dreamed that her disappearance would bring her family closer together.
John and Mrs. Tranton went to get dressed, doing so in record time. The four were in the living room discussing a late August trip to Cape Cod when the doorbell rang. Marie's hands shook as she set her teacup aside. She rose just as Davis appeared in the living room.
"Darling!" He crossed the room to draw her into his arms, kissing her cheek. "What happened to you?"
"We're not discussing that right now, Davis," Mrs. Tranton said. "We're just enjoying having her back."
"Of course." Davis took her hand, and they sat on the sofa. "How have you been, darling?"
Marie gaped at him. How had she been? That was all he could say to her when he hadn't seen her for the past five weeks? "Fine, Davis. I've been fine." Freeing her hand, she moved away from him and retrieved her tea.
The warm family atmosphere was suddenly replaced by an awkwardness that was only relieved by a lively business discussion among the three men. Marie caught her mother's glance, and the two ladies went to the kitchen to get some pastries and coffee.
"Don't worry, Marie--the two of you just need some time alone together to talk."
"No." Marie shook her head. "I'm not going to marry him."
"What?!"
"I don't love him, Mother. I never did, really." She turned to look at her mother earnestly. "When you love someone, you should feel comfortable with him all the time. You should be able to
put your arms around him whenever you want without having to fear rejection or disapproval. You should feel secure enough with him to know that no mistake you might make will make him stop loving you. And if he loves you, he should want to spend as much time as he can with you. He should cherish you, make you feel like you're everything to him, not just a part of his life with no more importance than any other part."
Tears were rolling down her cheeks, and her mother took her hands, examining her eyes anxiously. "What happened to you, Marie? Did you run off with a man?"
"No! I would never run off and leave you wondering what had happened to me." She hugged her mother. "I love you, Mother. And I need--"
"Marie? Davis is leaving." John had come in search of them. "Are you all right?"
"We're just having a mother/daughter talk," Mrs. Tranton said as Marie reached for a napkin. "Tell Davis she'll be out in a minute."
Marie wiped her face. "Well, I guess I have to go face him."
"Are you sure you want to end your betrothal, darling?"
"Absolutely."
They returned to the living room, and Marie walked Davis to the door. "I have something to tell you."
"What?"
She removed the ring from her finger. "I'm not going to marry you."
"What?!" He gaped at her.
"I'm not going to marry you. Over the past five weeks I've come to realize that we don't love each other."
"Don't be ridiculous. Of course we love each other."
"No, we don't. You love your job, and I love . . . I was in love with a dream." She held out the ring.
He ignored it. "You're just confused because of what happened to you. What did happen to you, by the way?"
"I came to my senses. Take your ring, Davis."
"Listen, Marie, you don't know what you're saying. We can push the date back a bit, get married in October instead of September."
"What part of `I don't want to marry you' do you not understand?" She grinned, because he was obviously taken aback. "Yes, I've changed. It's over, Davis."
He was beginning to get worried. With John and his father having reconciled, he had to marry Marie to solidify his position in the company. "Just give us a chance to get reacquainted. We'll have dinner--"
"No. I'm not marrying a man who makes me ill when he puts his tongue in my mouth. Good-bye, Davis." She stuffed the ring in his shirt pocket and marched off.
All three people in the living room stopped talking and looked up when she returned to the living room. "Did you end your betrothal?" Mr. Tranton asked, standing.
"Yes. I'm sorry, Father. I know that Davis--"
"Don't be sorry. I just want you to be happy, darling."
Marie was too stunned for a moment to move. Finally she walked into her father's embrace, glancing at her mother, who simply smiled at her. Apparently she'd prepared her father and brother well.
They decided to leave for Cape Cod two weeks from Friday. Marie thought about the bathing suit Rick had bought her. Her father would kill her if he ever saw her in such a thing, she mused with a smile.
"What are you smiling about?" John asked her.
"Hmmm? Oh, nothing. When do you think you'll get married?"
"I don't know. I'll leave that up to Carolyn after I propose. Mother, I'd like to invite her over for dinner tonight if that's all right. I'd like for her and Marie to get to know each other better."
"Why don't we wait until tomorrow? I think we should give Marie a chance to rest and readjust."
"I'm fine."
"No, Mother's right. Tomorrow will be better."
They ate lunch at 12:30, and Marie could tell that both men were feeling a little restless. "Why don't you two go to the office for a few hours?" she suggested.
"Nothing pressing there. Why don't we go for a drive?"
"We can do that after dinner. Really--I know you'd feel better if you checked in at the office. Anyway, I should probably take a nap." She smiled. "Just try to come home early. We need to make a shopping list so that Mother and I can buy what we need before we leave for the Cape."
They didn't need any more encouragement and headed for the office. Marie smiled at her mother. "That's the longest Father has ever stayed away from the office."
"This is the first time he's had a missing daughter return." She hugged Marie. "Go on up to your room and take a nap."
"No--let's go back to the living room."
"Aren't you tired?"
"A little. I didn't get much sleep last night. But I'd rather talk."
"All right."
Arm in arm they returned to the living room and sat on the sofa. "Can you tell me anything about what happened, darling? If you were hurt or starved?"
Marie sighed, wishing she could tell her mother everything. But she'd think that Marie had been so traumatized that she'd lost her grip on reality. "I wasn't hurt or starved. In fact, I was treated very well." She pressed her lips together. "I accidentally ended up far away from home and couldn't get back. I met someone who took care of me and tried to help me. We finally found a way."
"This friend--he was a man?"
"Yes."
She looked her daughter in the eye. "Did he treat you properly?"
"Yes. Oh, Mother, I wish you could meet him. He's the kindest, most thoughtful man I've ever known."
"Is he the reason you ended your betrothal?"
"In a way. I didn't have a chance to tell you about the last time I was with Davis. You and Father were out, and we came here to listen to the radio. He kissed me, which was wonderful at first. But then he started kissing me so hard that my teeth cut into my lips, and I tried to push him away, but he wouldn't stop. And he put his hand under my skirt to touch my leg. I was finally able to push him away, and all he said was to make sure that you told me what my duties would be once we were married."
Mrs. Tranton's eyes blazed. "Your father is going to kill him. Marie, no man should treat any woman that way, even his wife. Kissing--"
"I know. And it's because of Rick that I know."
"Rick? That's your friend's name?"
"Yes. Mother, he's wonderful. We were attracted to each other almost immediately, but the first two times he tried to kiss me, I pulled away. And he let me. He even apologized the first time. And when I did let him kiss me, he said he'd rather die than ever hurt me."
Mrs. Tranton reached out to play with a lock of her daughter's hair. "Is that why you think he's wonderful?"
"That's just part of it. He spent every evening with me and all weekend. He even came home from work earlier than he had been just to be with me. And he took me--places." She'd started to say to Hollywood, but her mother might start asking questions about exactly where she'd been and why she hadn't been able to get home. "We-we went to the--we went shopping. He bought me clothes and all kinds of interesting things. And he held me, Mother." She looked into her mother's eyes earnestly. "Whenever I was frightened or sad, he held me. It became so natural to move into his arms for consolation. And I felt so comfortable with him. I was more comfortable with him after five weeks than I would have been with Davis after five years of marriage."
Mrs. Tranton frowned a bit. "Marie, are you . . . are you still a virgin?"
"Yes. But Mother--" She stopped, biting her lip. Her mother had enough to think about now. She'd better wait a few days before telling her about how Rick's kisses had made her feel. "I'm a virgin, Mother. But I love Rick with all my heart."
Mrs. Tranton swallowed, twisting her hands. "Will you be going back to him?"
Marie's eyes filled with tears. "No. I-I can't. My choice was to stay with him and never come home again or come home and never see him again."
Mrs. Tranton couldn't suppress a sigh of relief as she hugged her daughter. "I'm sorry you can't have both, darling. But I'm so glad to have you home again."
Marie went to her room to change clothes and lie
down. What an emotion-packed day. She'd been reunited with her family, learned that her father and brother had reconciled, broken up with Davis, and spent an entire weekday morning with her father. She smiled as she reached into her closet for a housedress. She would have sworn that her father was more like Davis than like Rick, but she was pleased to realize that he really was more like Rick. He'd stayed home from work to be with her, and he'd held her. And he hadn't been upset that she'd broken up with Davis. He just wanted her to be happy.
That was what Rick wanted for her. Tears tightened her throat as she remembered the anguish on his face when he'd told her that he was the key to the doorway to 1927. He'd desperately wanted to keep her with him, to marry her, and he could have kept his discovery to himself and never told her he knew how to help her get home. But he'd wanted what was best for her.
Hanging the housedress in the closet again, she stripped off her dress and extra set of underwear and put on Rick's t-shirt. Curling up on the bed, she stroked one sleeve. She wondered what Rick was doing right now. Had he gone to work? She suspected that he'd been too upset to work. He'd probably sat in the garden until he'd known for sure she was gone. He might even still be there, hoping she hadn't gone back, that she was lost somewhere in 2011 and would eventually call out to him to come find her. Tears began to run down her cheeks.
She fell asleep and dreamed that she, her parents, her brother, and Rick were at Cape Cod. When she awoke a couple of hours later, she felt feverish. Frowning, she felt her forehead. No . . .
When a breeze stirred the curtains, she realized that it was just the heat of a late July afternoon. She'd become accustomed to air conditioning. She needed to go bathe and put on some shorts and--
No, she didn't have shorts in 1927, she reminded herself. Well, she'd have to put on her thinnest cotton dress. She'd like to just keep Rick's t-shirt on. No, she thought, stripping it off. She didn't want to get her own perspiration on it. She shouldn't wear it. She should get a big doll or stuffed animal and put the shirt on it. Then she could sleep with it in her arms.
The evening out with her family was wonderful, but when she awoke the next morning, it was with the same confused mixture of happiness and panic that she'd felt when she'd thought about leaving Rick and coming home. Her breathing shallow, she sat up and tried to calm herself. She and her mother were going shopping today, and it would be an exciting day. She was certain to run into most of her friends while they were in the shops or at lunch, and they'd all make plans to get together. Tom was coming over for dinner tonight. She'd talk him into taking her to a speakeasy this weekend. Everything was back to normal.
But that thought didn't erase the hollow spot in her heart. Today would be the first day in more than five weeks that she wouldn't see Rick. As much as she was looking forward to seeing Tom, that wasn't the same as knowing Rick would be home at 5:30, would kiss her and ask how her day had been, would hover around her as she made dinner.
She just needed to get used to her life again, she told herself as she got dressed. She was where she belonged. Her-her . . . journey . . . had been some sort of strange magic, some sort of accident. She was lucky everything was back to normal.
"I believe your taste has changed, darling," Mrs. Tranton said as she watched Marie examine her latest selection in the mirror.
"Really? Perhaps you're right." She no longer cared for the stylish clothes that had appealed to her before. What she had on now was a simple black dress very much like the one Rick had bought her.
"And I see that you've decided not to . . . that is, you've chosen a more . . . natural . . . look."
Marie smiled. She hadn't even thought about binding her chest again, a convention that her mother had never understood or liked. She'd always thought she was too well endowed to look good in any of the clothes she liked, but now she couldn't imagine binding it. Besides, she liked wearing the lacy bras she'd brought from 2011.
"Marie," her mother said quietly, taking her daughter's arm as they left the store, "does the young man you met have anything to do with your decision to stop binding your chest?"
"He just told me that that's not the style in--where he lives. He bought me clothes, and they looked and fit better without the binding."
"Why didn't you bring any of those clothes with you?"
"They-they aren't in style here." She thought of the shorts and jeans and white sundress Rick had bought her. She definitely wouldn't have had any use for them here. And of course, the bathing suit. Marie grew warm as she remembered how Rick always stared at her whenever she wore her bathing suit. He'd told her she was beautiful and sexy.
"Marie?"
"Hmmm?"
"I asked where you'd like to have lunch."
"Oh. I don't care. I'm not very hungry. Just a hamburger would be fine."
"A hamburger?"
Marie forced her mind back to the present. Or the past, depending on one's point of view. She and her mother couldn't just pop into the nearest fast food restaurant. There was no nearby fast food restaurant. "I mean, tea and cucumber sandwiches would be fine."
At the tearoom her entrance was greeted with cries of disbelief and happiness. Everyone was amazed that she looked perfectly healthy and whole, and they were polite and desperately curious when she said she didn't want to talk about what had happened. She'd love to know what rumors were going to be flying about, but she knew none would be as fantastic as the truth.
Several friends invited her to parties and dinners planned for the weekend, but she declined all of them, saying that she wanted to spend some time with her family. The truth was that she felt incapable of simply picking up where she'd left off. She loved being with her family again, and she was having a wonderful time with her mother, but it felt as if something were missing. And she knew Rick was that something. As glad as she was to be home, she felt incomplete without him. It was as if her whole morning had been a series of peaks and valleys. She and her mother would exclaim over a dress that was perfect for her, and then she'd realize that she wouldn't be able to wear it for Rick. She'd see an elegant necktie that would be perfect for Rick and then realize she could never give it to him. She'd known she'd miss him, but she'd thought that the excitement of being home would lessen that feeling. She was wrong.
"Where would you like to go now?" her mother asked her when they'd finished their lunch.
"Home."
"Home? We've only been to two shops."
"I'm a little tired. I'd just like to go home."
She felt a little anxious as she walked into her house. She wanted Rick to hold her, to caress her hair and kiss her temple and whisper that he loved her. But she'd never have that again. When she'd chosen to return home, she'd given him up forever.
She managed to hold herself together until she was in her room. Then she burst into tears.