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Lily angled her face toward the sky, basking in the sunlight. Columbia Park filled with neighbors who had arrived for the Fourth of July celebration. Every year the block picnic seemed to grow along with the variety of food as each household brought a dish to pass. She enjoyed tasting all the delicious recipes, especially the desserts like green tomato pie, icebox brown sugar cookies, and the lady across the way’s chocolate spud brownies. Those were her favorite.
Next to her, Anna had sprawled on the blanket they’d tossed over the sparse grass. The rays pleasantly tanned Anna’s skin while her pale coloring undoubtedly freckled. A leisure day, such as this, made her appreciate the time she could spend with her friend and their handsome gentlemen. Except, their men had decided to engage in a game of football beyond the cluster of oak trees, leaving her alone with Anna.
She tipped her head forward and opened her eyes. Father Toeller, the priest from Saint John’s Catholic Church, passed by several feet in front of her carrying a plate of sandwiches. She returned his smile. Maybe she should have taken the opportunity to ask him why she couldn’t marry a man who wasn’t Catholic. But now wasn’t the right time. Besides, the act would be too forward and presumptuous for her. Although she’d tried to push her mother’s words aside regarding their religious beliefs, she couldn’t. Benjamin had to be in her life, destined to be her true love. Anna had told her as much.
Her friend rolled over onto her side. “There is such a positive connection between you and Benjamin.” Anna grinned. “I take it everything is going well with you two.”
She was thrilled they were together, but would they be able to endure the difficulties undoubtedly coming their way? “I couldn’t be happier with how our relationship has been. We’ve gone to some fascinating places, but not exactly where I thought we would.” Lily crossed her legs and tucked her dress skirt around her knees. “I asked Benjamin to share his interests with me. Mainly because I wanted to see what his everyday life is like and learn whether or not we’d be compatible. And of course, how I would fit in.”
“So, do you see what I see?”
“I can’t believe it! We are perfect for each other.” Lily’s heart fluttered with giddiness. “I don’t know why I ever doubted we were right for each other.”
“I knew it.”
“There’s one major problem. And I’m not sure how either of us will be able to overcome the issue.” Lily pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly. “Mother mentioned the church won’t allow marriage with someone who’s not Catholic. Have you ever heard of such a thing?”
“No, but I’m not at all surprised. The church has lots of rules we need to follow and they’re not always easy.” Anna propped her head with her hand. “What are you going to do if it’s true?”
“I’m not sure yet. If Benjamin doesn’t ask me to marry him, it’s a moot point.” Lily touched the crucifix on her necklace and slid the pendant back and forth. “I have to believe everything will work out. I love him.”
Anna shot up, throwing her arms around Lily. “I’m so happy for you. What did he say when you told him?”
“I didn’t.”
Anna pulled away. “Why not?”
“He didn’t say it to me.” Lily grinned as if revealing a secret. “But I can feel the love in his kiss. In the gentle way he holds me close. In the caress of his fingers as they trace upon my cheek. And in the warmth of his breath across my ear.” She tilted her head, peering into the sky. “I’m as certain of the fact he loves me, as the earth will be lit by the moon tonight and the sun tomorrow.” She held her hand to her heart. “I read that once in one of my mother’s romance books, but it’s exactly how I feel about him.”
“Well, then.” Anna’s brow arched. “He is your soulmate!”
“I hope I’m not fooling myself into thinking we’ll get through this difference between our faiths.” Lily fiddled with her necklace. “Am I?”
“Every couple has issues. Fate brought you together, but love is what will get you through the rest. You have to hold onto that. I do. Some days are harder than others, even for me. But then I remember why I fell in love with Emmett in the first place.” Anna mirrored Lily earlier by placing her hand over her heart. “We are better together than apart. When you love someone, don’t ever give up.”
“That’s such good advice. I’m sure it’s easier to say than to live up to, but maybe that’s when you know you’ve found your true companion in life.” Lily craned her neck at the sound of snapping twigs. “They’re on their way back and it looks like they’re bringing us lunch.”
Emmett and Benjamin set the multiple plates they’d brought onto the blanket.
“We grabbed a variety of food.” Benjamin knelt next to Lily. “All of it looked so good. Thanks for inviting me.”
“I’m happy you didn’t have to work.” Lily smiled. “Bringing over the food was sweet of you. It’s the little things like this that count in a relationship.”
“My pleasure.” He smiled.
“I heard Benjamin took you to a fight on Friday and you liked it.” Emmett glanced over while taking a mouthful of fried chicken.
“There wasn’t much time not to enjoy the fight.” Lily picked up a roll with ham spread. “Did you hear Jimmy caused a knock over?”
Benjamin turned toward Lily. “The term is knockout.” He grinned.
“Well, he did fall over.” Lily laughed. “How did you two do in the football game?”
“We lost.” Emmett licked his fingers. “None of our fellows could catch. So, it didn’t take too much effort from the other team.”
“I stood there like this.” Benjamin waved his arms in the air. “I was wide open many times, but no one threw it to me.”
Anna popped a stuffed olive into her mouth.
“That’s because there were always two men on defense hovering around you.” Emmett held out the plate of sandwiches. “What did you expect?”
“I could have dodged them.” Benjamin took an egg salad sandwich. “Besides, most of the time our quarterback either got tackled or tossed away the ball.”
“Maybe you could have.” Emmett set the plate down. “Guess it doesn’t matter either way.”
Anna dabbed a napkin on her lips. “Remember the last time we were all here together?”
“I sure do.” Emmett kissed Anna. “It was the best day of my life.” He put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his side. “Maybe the next time we’re all here together, it will be your turn, Lily.”
A big smile spread across Lily’s lips.
Benjamin’s cheeks flushed a shade of crimson. He pulled the sandwich away from his mouth and swallowed. The egg content squashed out between the bread, dropping onto his shirt, and plummeting directly on the crotch of his pants.
“Goodness sakes!” Lily grabbed a handful of napkins and gave them to Benjamin. “Is there any egg left in that bread?”
Benjamin flopped the two pieces open. “Nope. All of it seems to be on my pants.” He wiped at the mess, but the spot seemed to get larger.
“Looks like you could have used the bread and done a similar job. Sorry to put you in the hot seat, my friend.” Emmett chuckled. “Here, try this leg instead.”
Benjamin took the chicken piece. “I guess I’ll just have to add this encounter to my list of egg stories.” He cheerfully grinned and took a bite.
Had Emmett apologized to throw her off? Lily gave him a few more napkins. “By the way you’re smiling, it has to be almost as funny as this time.” She giggled.
Emmett slapped Benjamin on the shoulder. “Tell the girls about the one with you and your brother, that one is the best.”
Benjamin stuck a napkin in his collar and laid another over the obvious stain below. “Wish I would have done that earlier.” He smiled. “Well, Robert and I used to spend our teenage years every Saturday helping out in the store. We learned a lot. Not just because of the work, but also from the men coming in to buy their goods. A weekend never went by without a story about hunting, fishing, drinking...” He coyly grinned, “...and especially women. Those were the ones Father made us promise not to tell Mother. He said most of what they were saying wasn’t true anyway and they just liked to talk big. Of course, we never said a thing. If we had, Mother would have put an end to our fun.”
He pulled some meat off the bone and ate it. “Anyway, one of the funniest tales had to do with Elmer. He would always come in bragging about something or another. But for a month straight we listened to him about his chickens. He’d always tell us how many eggs they would lay and he said it had all to do with a certain kind of feed he gave them.”
“So Robert and I snuck out to the farm. We added a few eggs to the nest during the week and when Elmer came in, he claimed he wasn’t surprised at all by a few more. He boasted again at how well he could make his chickens lay eggs. The next whole week, we added a dozen every day and when Elmer came in telling everyone, they all said he’d been giving us a tall tale. Of course, he insisted he didn’t. But he seemed a bit more surprised than the previous week. That’s when my brother came up with another plan.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t you?” Emmett peered at him suspiciously.
Benjamin wiped his fingers on the napkin. “Maybe, but more than likely we both conjured up what happened next.”
“What?” Lily’s eyes widened. “Did he finally catch you putting all those eggs in there?”
“Nope. For the next week, we put hard-boiled eggs in the nest.”
Anna snorted and covered her mouth.
Lily laughed. “I’m guessing Elmer figured out the two of you were in on it.”
“Yes, but Elmer had the last chuckle. He told everyone about his marvelous egg mash and said it was so good his chickens had laid eggs ready to be eaten. And it was all on account of the young Claussen boys who helped out with special key ingredients. For a while, Elmer had some people believing our feed would do the same for their chickens.” Benjamin turned the chicken leg, took another bite, and swallowed. “That is one of my finest eggstraordinary tales.” He grinned. “Cracks me up every time.”
Anna snorted again.
Lily held her stomach, roaring with laughter.
“You told it well this time.” Emmett slapped his palm across his leg. “Well, I wish we didn’t have to go but I promised my family we’d stop over. They planned a small get together with a relative we haven’t seen in a while.” He stood, offering his hand to Anna. “Let me know soon when we can go out again.”
“I’ll figure something out. Why don’t you stop by the office at the end of the week and I’ll run it by you?” Benjamin held out his hand, shaking Emmett’s.
“Probably be there about three-thirty Friday. Will you still be around?”
Benjamin nodded. “See you then.”
“Bye, Lily.” Anna waved.
“See you later.” Lily gathered the plates while they walked away. “I’ll throw these out if you want to fold up the blanket. Or would you rather stay here for a while?” She stepped onto the grass.
Benjamin tossed the blanket in the air. “I’d like to go home and change my pants. We could go for a drive afterward.”
“Oh, yes. I like that idea.”
Five minutes later, Benjamin shifted the car into gear. “The road south of town is scenic through the winding bluffs. How about going out in that direction?”
“Sounds pretty.” Had he been surprised by Emmett’s hint of marriage? Is that why he dropped the egg salad? Or maybe he’d said something to Emmett about her while they played football. The clue of marriage could have been directed at her so Benjamin could watch her reaction. She’d questioned for weeks how their connection would progress. If she truly wanted to find out, there would be only one way before she lost her nerve. “Where do you think Emmett got that idea of us getting married?” She peered over at him.
Benjamin grinned. “I’m quite certain he can tell how taken I am with you. You also heard me say earlier how men talk about the women they find attractive. I’m thinking we are not the only ones who do though.” He stopped at the sign. “Don’t you tell Anna how handsome I am?” He winked.
“Absolutely.” Lily’s brow rose as a curious sensation came over her. Benjamin must have mentioned something since he didn’t disagree. Hopefully, his parents wouldn’t think the same way as hers when it comes to marriage. “Will I be able to meet your folks?”
Benjamin drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “No, sorry. Father planned on taking Mother to the picnic at the Good Fellows Club. They haven’t had one in the past few years and the club parties usually last until late in the evening. We’ll have to set up another time for you to meet them.” He accelerated into the intersection just as fast as he clarified his answer.
She’d never heard him talk like that before. Apparently, he must be nervous for her. He’s so sweet. “That would be wonderful.” Her parents had made Benjamin feel at ease. Hopefully, his would do the same for her. Although she was disappointed, maybe he could tell her a little about them. When they finally did meet, her nerves wouldn’t be so jittery. “I don’t know much about your parents, what are they like?”
Benjamin turned onto Cedar. “Well, they’ve known each other for most of their lives since they grew up neighbors back in Waupaca. The first few years they were married my father farmed with my grandfather and in the winter, he’d travel to the lumber camps. He intended on saving money and buying a farm, but mother had enough of that kind of life. Instead, they moved here and Father started working with Hans Ebbe.”
He pulled into the drive and parked next to the house. “There’s no need for you to sit in the hot car. Why don’t you come in while I change? Then I can show you around.”
“I’d love to see the house.”
Benjamin led the way through the back door. He motioned to the right. “Here’s the kitchen and over there the door opens into the dining room. Why don’t you wait in there? I’m going to take these stairs and I’ll meet you shortly.”
“Fine. I’ll see you in a little bit.” Lily stepped into the huge kitchen. There were so many cupboards and drawers along two of the walls, she had no idea what could have filled them. She passed by the breakfast table with the geometric design on top and through the swinging door.
“Look at that!” She sucked in a quick breath and covered her mouth. On one side of the room, a long table had enough chairs for ten people with a matching filled china cabinet situated on the wall directly behind. She gently ran her hand across the straight-grained table with hues of green and purple. Along the edge, a sideboard coordinated with the other pieces including the identical etched glass design of the cabinet. She’d never encountered such deep chocolate wood before. The color emulated Benjamin’s eyes beautifully.
Across the room, a similar dark wood edged a tiled fireplace. She moved closer, peering at the assorted glass items from one end of the mantel to the other. There were plates with scenic pictures, fancy colored vases, brightly painted figurines, and, at the center, an old ticking clock. Above, hung a square mirror almost equal to the size of the fireplace. She caught a glimpse of herself and tiptoed backward until her full length appeared. Picking up the sides of her skirt between her fingers, she pulled her dress away and bowed. The elaborate dinner parties must be wonderful here. She twirled around, walking past the open staircase which protruded beyond the short wall. Benjamin would probably come from there when he finished changing.
The outside wall housed four expansive windows which extended from almost the top of the twelve-foot ceilings all the way to the floor. Near the last window, a wooden shelf was tucked into the corner by the stair wall. As she came closer, the glass shelves displayed different breeds of porcelain dogs. There must be almost a hundred of them. An adorable black, tan, and white dog posed in a sitting position. She picked up the canine, turned it over, and in ink the word Japan was written on the bottom.
“I see you have found my collection of dogs.”
Lily jumped. That voice wasn’t Benjamin’s.
“They’re fragile!” The steps creaked. “If you wouldn’t mind placing it back on the shelf where you took it from.”
“Yes, of course.” Lily gently set the piece back and circled around. “I’m Lily Vanderhoof.” She walked toward the stairway. “You must be Mrs. Claussen. Sorry, if I startled you. Benjamin didn’t think anyone would be home.” His mother’s features were similar to his. “Nice to meet you.” She held out her hand.
With a pinched face and unpleasant expression, Constance daintily touched her hand. “I certainly wasn’t expecting anyone.” She held her purple silk robe together at the top. “Where is Benjamin?”
“He’s upstairs.” His mother looked fashionable even in a garment not intended for company.
“I see.” Constance stepped off the last stair. “If you will follow me, we can have a seat in the front room and wait for him there.”
Lily trailed behind her as they walked through a living room and set of double glass doors into the front room. From what she was wearing, along with her tousled black hair, his mother appeared to have been resting. Maybe she’d been embarrassed, but it didn’t excuse her from not smiling even once.
Constance closed the doors.
A small knotted lump tightened in her stomach. She followed Benjamin’s mother into the room and sat across from her in a floral embroidered chair. Taking a long deep breath, she slowly exhaled. “Your son is a very nice man.”
“Thank you, he is special to me too. I’m not sure what Benjamin has told you about his family, but I have always been the one to look out for my son’s best interests.” Constance’s coral manicured nails tapped on the wooden arm of her chair. “I know him better than anyone. If he hasn’t told you, we have a very close bond.” Her eyes narrowed like a piercing dagger to the heart.
Lily’s apprehension grew as his mother’s face pinched together again. “Yes, he’s told me only good things about his family.” She shifted in the chair. Her parents hadn’t made Benjamin this uneasy. Maybe his thoughts earlier of meeting his family weren’t out of nervousness but utter fear by how his mother would react. Her body shuddered with a chill.
“His last relationship ended not long ago. I’m concerned he’s not ready to begin a new one.” She cocked her head and slowly shook it to and fro. “Surely, you do not want to get hurt.”
Her insides quivered like a gelatin mold. “I don’t believe Benjamin has any intentions of breaking my heart.” Doesn’t she realize he’s old enough to make his own decisions?
Constance clenched the material at the top of her robe. “He may not have a choice. Did he mention we are a deeply faithful Presbyterian family?”
“Yes.” Her voice shook slightly.
“I have to say, a long-term relationship with a Catholic is improper.” Constance’s tone sharpened. “I’m surprised your family has not mentioned the same.”
Lily glanced at the doorway. Time seemed to have slowed. “We’ve talked and there are some concerns.” Her heart burned as it tore in two.
“Good, then you agree.” Constance forced a smile, but it quickly slipped away. “I’m sure you’re a very nice young lady and you come from a caring family, but you cannot deny our differences go beyond religion.”
Lily stared past Constance at the phonograph situated atop a small table. She couldn’t observe the unpleasantness in that woman’s face any longer or she might break down and cry.
“Socially my dear, your family is from the north side of town and that won’t work for my son.” Constance’s voice projected over her. “He’s expected to take over the company from his father and marry Vivian. You don’t want to come between what he is destined for, do you? He shouldn’t have to choose between you and his future with Ebbe.”
She resented the intimidation and needed to get out of here. Constance made it clear Lily was not good enough for her son by belittling everything about her. How could she have been such a fool believing she could fit in? Click. She glanced at the door.
Benjamin’s somber gaze darted between her and his mother. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.” He rushed over to Lily. “Are you all right?” His hand slipped onto hers.
She nodded. His usual soft caress seemed tense.
He cocked his head toward his mother. “I’m surprised you’re home. If I knew, I would have introduced Lily properly. Hopefully, your discussion has been a pleasant one so far.”
“If you’ll excuse me, I think you two should just go. The timing is all wrong.” Constance placed the back of her hand onto her forehead. “I have a horrible headache. I’m going to go back and lie down.”
Lily uttered through gritted teeth, “It was nice meeting you.”