She loved the rhythm of life on the island—unhurried, undemanding. And Hal and Gert were as relaxing as an old pair of slippers. Maura only hoped she and Michael would be that comfortable together when they were their age.
Having finished her first year of college, Marietta was now working on the mainland for the summer, so Maura only saw her in the evenings, when she returned from work. But Joanie was still available to share her days swimming at the quarry, riding bikes, fishing off the docks, or just whiling away the time with the young crowd at Ben’s Marina.
The day before Michael’s arrival, Pops Birch suggested to his wife, Katherine, that perhaps they should stay away and let Maura meet him at the dock. “From my understanding, the pair is completely taken with each other. You remember how that was, eh, Kate?” He gave her a sly wink.
She blushed.
The day was gray and overcast. But it could have been worse. It was warm, and the lake was calm. As far as Maura was concerned, it was a beautiful day.
The minute he stepped off the ferry, she ran to him and they embraced self–consciously, aware of those around them.
He grabbed his valise and wrapped his other arm around her waist. “Let’s get out of here.”
Everyone on the island knew Michael and greeted him with genuine warmth as he and Maura walked along Water Street. Some wanted to stop to talk, but Michael, as politely as possible, kept on walking.
They bypassed his house and headed for the orchard, where they could be alone. He embraced Maura and groaned with the pleasure of holding her in his arms, then kissed her passionately.
The rains came silently, dumping their moisture on everything below. At first, neither was aware of the downpour that was drenching them, but then Michael sighed. “Guess we’d better get to the house.”
It was a week of tumultuous emotion for Maura. They spent every day together, mostly surrounded by family and friends, but each day, they found time to escape it all and go off alone. They made love with almost complete abandon.
Had it been up to Maura, there would have been no turning back, but as difficult as it was, Michael managed to restrain himself. He was determined to make it through one more year, just as Maura had suggested that night in Columbus. Then they would have the rest of their lives together.
They talked for hours, sharing their lives with each other. Michael talked about his classes, his work at the clinic, and his plans for opening a clinic of his own. Maura told him the reason she had left her job and went into great detail about her visit to Toronto and confronting her real father.
She didn’t know why she was so apologetic when she told him about the money she had inherited. She supposed it was because she knew how hard he’d worked to put himself through school. She would have gladly given him what he needed to make the burden easier, but knew he’d be too proud to accept it.
“Now you know why I can afford to call you so often,” she told him. “I love hearing your voice. It’s the next best thing to having you next to me.”
Their last day together was spent with thirty–two members of the Birch family. Most had come from the mainland to see Michael and bid him goodbye.
Kate and the girls set up a large picnic table in the back yard, where they feasted on fresh sweet corn, sliced tomatoes, string beans, fried potatoes, and hamburgers, finishing off with apple pie and homemade ice cream. All were products of their farm.
That’s when Maura and Michael announced the plans for their wedding.
Marietta and Joanie were elated when Maura asked them to be bridesmaids, and as the oldest member of the family, Victor said he considered being the best man an honor. The rest of the family gathered around Maura and embraced her into the fold. Pops and Kate were very pleased. They now had another addition to their family.
With Michael missing, Maura felt a tremendous void in her life. Her entire summer was gone, and she was at a loss for something to do. She had no work to go to. Marietta and Joanie were both off to business college in Erie. The summer crowd was gone.
She found herself regretting having left Buffalo and was considering going back. As much as she loved Uncle Hal and Aunt Gert, she missed her family—even Kevin. She took to taking afternoon walks along the lake. There was something soothing about being near the water.
It was one of those special golden autumn days that she walked along Water Street. Locusts droned. The air was warm, and the lake lapped peacefully against the shoreline. Leaves drifted silently to the ground, carpeting the earth in a quilt of crimson and gold. It seemed as though life was slowing down, getting ready to sleep.
She found herself in front of the Darby mansion. She saw the same FOR SALE sign in the front yard that had been there the day she went peeking in the windows, just a little the worse for wear.
She’d passed it many times since she’d returned, but today she stood and stared at it—thinking long and hard. She went around the back to the carriage house to look for Roger Thomas and found him clearing the vegetable garden.
“Hi there, Mr. Thomas. Remember me?” She gave him her best smile.
Roger Thomas stood, holding a handful of tomato vines, and stretched to get the kinks out. “Well, hello there, missy. How’s the world been treating you?”
“Very well, Mr. Thomas. And you?”
“Not bad. A little rheumatism here and there. But overall, not bad at all.”
They stood looking at each other for a moment, then he said, “I see you and that Michael Birch are quite the item around here. Watched you a number of times passing by, holding hands. He’s a fine young man.”
“I think so. Michael and I are to be married next August. That’s why I’m here.”
“You came to see him while he was home, I take it.”
“Well, that too, but I mean that’s why I’m here in your backyard. I was wondering if you could show me the house. I was thinking perhaps I might be interested in buying it.”
“Whoa there, missy. I know it’s been sitting here empty for near on ten years, but that don’t mean the Darbys ain’t holding out for a good price. That’s why it’s still theirs. They can afford to wait.”
He rubbed his chin and looked at her hard. He knew she was Maggie Ryan’s daughter, the one who had worked as a maid in this very house.
“Now, where would a young thing like yourself be getting that kind of money?”
“Well, Mr. Thomas, I do have my resources. And if the price is a fair one, I’m sure I would be able to handle it.” She looked wistfully toward the house. “For some reason, this house has always intrigued me. I’d love to see it from the inside.”
Roger Thomas had shown the house to many people, making sure they saw all its flaws. There was that one couple that came back for the third time, ready to buy, but the husband took deathly ill, and they had to renege on the deal. So far, he’d managed to steer the rest of the people away, realizing that if someone did buy the place, he and Mary would have to leave the home they’d lived in since they’d been married. He was in no hurry to see it sold.
“Now, why would you be wanting a house here on the island? After you and Michael are married, won’t the two of you have to find a place where he can do his animal doctoring?”
“Michael is planning to set up a clinic right across the way on the mainland after he graduates. There’s a desperate need for a veterinarian in that area because of all the farmland. He loves the island so much—with his family here and all. And I feel the same way. He seems to think it would be no problem ferrying back and forth—at least in the summer. Perhaps we can find a place on the mainland that will serve as his office that we can also live in during the winter months.
“We talked about it a lot while he was here. Pops and Kate said we could live with them until we build a house of our own. Aunt Gert and Uncle Hal offered us their place as well. But this would be perfect. I have a whole year with nothing to do but get a home ready for my Michael.”
Roger knew he was not about to squelch this young lady’s enthusiasm. He sighed. “Just let me go wash my hands and get the key.”
When he returned, his wife was with him. “I don’t believe you’ve ever met my wife, missy. Mary, this is Maura Ryan. Maggie Ryan’s daughter.”
“Oh, my. Oh, my.” Mary’s eyes misted as she grabbed Maura’s hand with both of hers and shook it heartily. “Your mama was such a love. Took me near a year to get over her tragic demise. But look at you. All grown up and everything.”
Maura swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’d almost forgotten about that, but my mama did work here, didn’t she? I do remember a man that lived here, though. I think mama called him Henry. He was such a nice man. Took us on a picnic one time.” She paused and looked down at her feet. “That was so long ago.”
Mary gave her a little hug. “Come on, Roger. Let’s show this special young lady the house.”
They took her in through the front door, their footsteps and voices echoing in the large, empty, marbled foyer. Mary noticed Maura’s eyes widen at the spiral staircase at the far end. “Your mama loved that staircase. She said it always made her feel like someone special when she came down it.”
They moved from room to room. Dust and grime revealed the years of neglect. Many rooms, such as the dining room, still contained very large pieces of old furniture. Wallpaper and paint were peeling everywhere. The third–floor rooms had brown stains in the ceiling from obvious leaks, and a broken window pane in one of the rooms gave access to a family of sparrows that had found safe haven there.
Maura remained relatively quite while on the tour, and Roger felt she had seen enough to discourage her from any further interest.
Once outside, her first comment was, “The oak woodwork is in wonderful condition, and the crown moldings and chandeliers are just magnificent.” She chewed on her lip. “It sure needs a lot of attention, though.”
Roger’s hopes were up.
“How much are the Darbys asking, Mr. Thomas?”
When he quoted her the price, he expected that would completely deter her.
But Maura was no one’s fool when it came to business. She knew the going rate in real estate. Although expensive, this was a real bargain.
“You get in touch with Mr. Darby and tell him he has a buyer if he’ll knock off two thousand for a new roof. There’s more needs done, but that can be taken care of room by room.”
Roger’s hopes were dashed.
“Also, Mr. Thomas, I would be pleased if you and Mary would remain here. I can’t do it alone. I’m going to need all the help I can get.”
Now Roger’s hopes swooped back up into high gear. He didn’t care where she got the money, just as long as he and Mary were part of the deal. “I’ll get in touch with Mr. Darby today, missy. Stop back tomorrow, and we’ll talk.”
When Maura returned to tell Gert and Hal of her new venture, she found them both sitting at the kitchen table in silence—quite sober.
“What’s wrong, Aunt Gert?”
“It’s bad news, I’m afraid. Your Uncle Hal was told today that they’ll be closing the quarry. He’s known for some time that this was coming, but the day has finally arrived. One more week, and there will be no more work for dozens of men.”
She looked up at Maura and then over at Hal with heartfelt pain on her face. “What will all those families do? Where will everyone go?”
It was so like her aunt to worry about everyone.
“Oh, that is bad,” Maura said. She stood behind Hal and rubbed his shoulders.
Hal said, “Well, we’re not as bad off as most of the young people around here. We do have some savings. And our house. If bad comes to worse, we can always go live with our son Bobby. Every time they come to visit, he asks us to come live with them.”
He looked at Gert, knowing full well that was never going to happen if she could help it. She would never want to leave her beloved island. “What’s troubling to me,” he said, “is what will become of all the folks without work. They’ll have to leave. What will happen to the island then?”
Maura sat down between the two of them. “This is a wonderful island, full of so much potential. Sure, people will leave, but others will come and buy summer homes. This is a paradise for young children. I should know; I spent my summers here. Perhaps you could even start a summer camp for children. And then there’s all the land. Lots of room for more vineyards and wineries.” She took Hal’s hand and smiled. “Things are always changing—and not always for the worse.”
He looked at her with admiration. “How did a young thing like you ever get so smart?”
She blushed, then said, “Actually, I have some news of my own. And a job offer for both of you.”
“A what?!” Gert said in astonishment.
“I’m going to buy the Darby mansion.”
“You’re what?” Now it was Hal’s turn to be amazed.
“That’s right. The Darby mansion. I don’t mean to make light of your problem, but this couldn’t have happened at a more opportune time—because, let me tell you, it surely needs a firm, loving hand. I was hoping the two of you could move in with me and help me put it back together.”
She looked at their gaping faces. “There’s plenty of room. And I’m hoping that through the years, Michael and I will fill it with children. But there will always be room for the two of you.”
The pair sat in stunned silence as Maura continued to talk, first to one, then the other.
“Aunt Gert, it’s so big, I can’t possibly keep the place clean by myself. And Uncle Hal, there’s so much work to be done fixing it up. I’ve already asked Roger and Mary Thomas to stay on. She’ll be more than happy to do the cooking.” She looked at Hal. “And you and Mr. Thomas will be hard put to get Humpty Dumpty back together.”
They all laughed.
Hal gave her a quizzical look. “That bad, huh?”
“Uh huh, that bad.”
Henry Darby put the phone back in its cradle on the desk and swiveled his chair around to look out the plate glass window. From his vantage point on the fourteenth floor of the Second National Savings and Trust building, he would usually take in the five blocks of hubbub in the streets below and Boston Harbor beyond. But not today. Today all he could see was Maggie’s beautiful face: bittersweet memories of a time long ago, when he’d found his first true love.
Little Maura. She’d been such a lanky little thing with that long, wispy hair. Sweet child, though. Smiled just like her mother.
He’d taken care of his parents’ finances for the past five years, since his father had had his stroke, and had all but forgotten the house on Darby’s Island. Normally he would send Keith Bartlow to handle a small matter such as this, but he wanted to go himself. He had to see Maggie’s daughter.
Maura’s appointment at the Farmer’s Bank in Conneaut was for eleven. She made sure she was there early and waited on a bench outside the bank with Hal and Roger.
Henry Darby pulled up at the curb in front of them at exactly eleven. Maura hadn’t imagined that he would be the one to take care of the sale, but she recognized him immediately.
“Mr. Darby, how wonderful to see you again,” she said as she gave him a little hug and a peck on the cheek, then stepped back and smiled. “You probably don’t remember me, but I have some very good memories of you.”
It took Henry a moment to respond to such an open display of esteem. He took both of her hands in his and stood back. “I remember you very well. But my, just look at you. You’ve become quite a lovely young woman. And you still have your mother’s smile.”
He shook hands with Hal and Roger, and the four of them went into the bank.
Roger gaped when Maura wrote a check for the full amount of the house.
Henry had agreed to take not two thousand, but five thousand off the selling price.
“I haven’t been back to that house since the day I left for Boston, but I can imagine it must be falling down with neglect on the inside,” he commented. “And I couldn’t be happier that it is now in the capable hands of such a wonderful young lady.”
He didn’t tell her that he would have given the house to her if it had been his to give. Although he’d been happily married for the past fourteen years, his love for Maggie had not died with her.
He took the three of them to lunch at The Tavern, a charming country inn. He wanted to spend a little more time with the daughter of the woman he had loved so deeply—a delight, so open and effervescent. And what an astute mind!
When he dropped them off at the pier where they would catch the ferry back to the island, he said to Maura, “It’s been a wonderful afternoon. I’m so happy our paths crossed again. And if you’re ever in Boston with that new husband of yours, please don’t hesitate to come and visit me. I truly mean that.”
Once again, Maura kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for everything, Mr. Darby. You’re just as nice as I remembered.”
In order to move in, it was imperative that they prepare three major rooms of the big house—the kitchen and two bedrooms. The five of them rolled up their sleeves and got to work, spending the next month scrubbing and scouring, scraping and peeling, mending and patching.
Gert and Maura went into fits of coughing, then laughter, as they watched the curtains and draperies crumble into dust when they took them off the windows. There were enough pieces of bedroom furniture in the eight bedrooms to fill two quite comfortably, and although Bernice Darby had taken all of her valuable china, crystal, and silver with her, the kitchen cupboards and pantry shelves were still filled with dishes, pots, pans, and other essentials.
Jack took a week off in October, and he and Martha came over to help out. He’d congratulated Maura over the phone for investing her money in real estate.
The day they arrived was one for celebrating, as far as Maura was concerned. She met them at the marina, thrilled to see her aunt and uncle again.
“Next best thing to gold,” Jack said as they stood outside looking at the house. “You did well picking this beauty.”
She took them in through the pantry, and they were quite impressed with the kitchen.
“You still have a way to go,” Jack commented after they’d taken a tour of the house. “But when you’re done, you’ll have a fine showplace. One to be proud of.”
Mary and Gert prepared a wonderful meal, and they all sat around the kitchen table, feasting on pot roast with little potatoes and carrots, cole slaw, homemade bread, and chocolate cake—and lots of conversation and laughter.
The next day, they all got to work.
“What in the world do people do with two parlors?” Maura wondered out loud as she and Jack put the finishing touches of trim around one of the parlor walls.
She stood up, holding her paintbrush in mid–air, wagging it like a finger. “I know what I’m going to do with one of them. It will make a perfect playroom for the children. What do you think, Uncle Jack?”
“Sounds good to me. You’re not planning to have a brood of fifteen, like Pops and Kate, are you?” he asked jokingly, then got back to concentrating on avoiding smearing paint on the oak woodwork.
Maura laughed. “You never can tell,” she said, quite seriously.
“You sound like you might be considering it.”
“Oh, Uncle Jack!” She dabbed a spot of paint on his nose.
They worked in silence for a while, concentrating on the fine detail of trimming, and then she asked, “How’s Kevin been behaving?”
“Very well, actually. Getting great marks in school. He’s really settled down. Hardly sees Wally at all anymore. Of course, you know your Aunt Martha’s thoughts on the matter. He’s perfect.”
“Oh, I’m so happy to hear that.”
Martha measured the tall casement windows on the first floor. After a long discussion, they decided on a pale cream brocade of some sort. She promised she would have the draperies made and shipped over. The rest of the house could wait. Blinds would suffice for now.
By week’s end, they had the two parlors and the dining room cleaned and shining with new paint. The library door was left closed. It would be Michael’s domain and his to do after he moved in. The large guest bathroom had been scrubbed down, but there was some plumbing work still to be done. It would have to wait until spring, when they could get to Erie to buy the necessary plumbing supplies.
The draperies arrived by mid–December. Gert had made curtains in a colorful floral print for the kitchen dining area, which added the final touch to a very welcoming and cheerful room. The spiral staircase was polished, its thick, burgundy runner cleaned and swept. Windows glistened, chandeliers sparkled, and the marble foyer and oak floors were scrubbed and waxed to a pristine shine.
They were quite impressed with all they had accomplished, and Maura’s weekly conversations with Michael were full of the details concerning their progress.
Because it had been a rather mild winter, Gert and Hal were going to visit their son for Christmas. Maura decided to take off for Buffalo. She called to tell them she’d be arriving at five–thirty on the twenty–first.
Kevin was at the depot to meet her. She was surprised to see how much he had matured in the six months since she’d last seen him. His physique had taken on a manly form, and the shadow on his face showed he now had to shave daily.
After they embraced, she held him at arm’s length and said, “My Lord, you’ve turned into a handsome devil,” then gave him another squeeze. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again, Kevin. I’m so glad to be home.”
They rode to the house under gray skies. The absence of snow gave the landscape in the business district a lackluster look of soot and grime, but Maura’s heart was full of joy. She was home again.
“I understand from Uncle Jack that you’re doing quite well at school,” she said as they drove along rutted roads.
“Yeah, well, with you and Patsy gone, I have Uncle Jack’s undivided attention. And let me tell you, he’s one tough taskmaster. Not like Aunt Martha. She was easy. He’s really put a kink in my social life.”
“He only wants what’s best for you.”
“I know that. But I hardly see my friends anymore. Wally’s out of school, so he’s practically out of the picture except when I see him at the country club for special occasions. I’m not allowed out during the week.” He gave her a stern look, imitating his Uncle Jack. “Have to crack those books, mister.”
She laughed.
“In the beginning,” Kevin continued, “I tried to get Aunt Martha on my side, but for some reason, she’d just say, ‘Whatever your Uncle Jack says.’ What a switch. I could always wrap her around my little finger.”
Maura was relieved he wasn’t aware that she was the reason for her aunt and uncle’s change of attitude.
“If you want to know the truth, I kinda like it. Uncle Jack is really a swell guy. Last summer, he taught me to play golf. The weekends I don’t have a party to go to, he takes me bowling, or we just spend time together.”
They pulled into the garage, and Maura ran ahead while Kevin got her luggage. She was greeted at the door by the aroma of roasting chicken and sage, then yips of joy from Sadie, who slathered her face with dog kisses when she stooped down to pet her. Whoops and hollers came from Emiline, who almost squeezed the breath out of her with her embrace. “Oh, my baby’s home!”
Not knowing Patsy would be there made for a big surprise when she came bouncing into the kitchen, followed by Paul, Martha, and Jack. More hugs and kisses made Maura feel totally loved.
She was greeted by yet another surprise when she went into the living room and saw her grandmother Mahoney sitting in a big wing chair by the fireplace.
“Oh, Grandma, this is just a perfect Christmas,” Maura said as she stooped to kiss her. Then she sat down on the floor at her grandmother’s feet and looked at the tree with its glittering lights and the green garland and red bows on the staircase. “This is so wonderful.”
Patsy, Kevin, and Maura spent the next three days together, shopping and wrapping gifts. Christmas Day was as it had always been, with gifts galore heaped under the tree. But the best gift of all for Maura was having her grandmother there.
On Christmas evening, they were sitting around the dining room table after a sumptuous dinner, sipping a sweet liqueur and talking, when Brigid brought up the subject of Maura’s impending wedding.
She said to Maura, “Tis your thoughts I’ll be needin’, love, but after much cogitating about the matter, I’d be considerin’ it a great honor if you’d be lettin’ me put on the whole affair as me weddin’ gift ta ya.”
“Oh, Grandma, I couldn’t expect you to do that. Just the cost alone! And you’re such a busy lady. I can’t imagine you spending that much time away from your business.”
“Posh, child. I had no thoughts of a weddin’ on Darby’s Island. No, no. The weddin’ would be in Herron’s Point at Saint Michael’s. Your Michael should like that. And don’t I have all you’d be needin’ fer the reception?”
“But there are so many people that would have to get there. Where would they stay? I think it would be too difficult for you to make all those arrangements. It’s too much to expect from you.”
“Maura, love, I want ta do this fer yer mither’s sake. It’s something I should have done fer her and didn’t. There won’t only be the pleasure of the doin’ but the thought that I can make up in small measure the things I was so remiss about in the past.”
Maura could see this meant a great deal to her grandmother, and it was all she could do to keep the tears from spilling out. “Oh, Grandma, I think it’s not only a wonderful wedding gift, but a thoughtful one. Thank you so much.”
“Thank you, child.”
Kevin spoke up. “I think it’s a swell idea. I don’t know anyone on Darby, but I sure have a collection of pretty young things I know at Herron’s Point.”
Everyone laughed.
Before she and Paul took the train to Chicago the next day, Patsy made Maura promise she would come to Chicago to shop for her wedding dress. Paul had to get back to work, and they planned to spend New Year’s at his parents’ house. Maura accompanied Jack and her grandmother to Toronto, where Brigid caught the train to Herron’s Point.
Before she boarded the train, Brigid shed a few tears as she hugged Maura. “Now, don’t be fergttin’ to be in touch. We have lots ta be considerin’ before that big day arrives.”
The next few days, Martha took Maura on the rounds of furniture stores and antique shops, where they picked up a number of odd chairs, a beautiful Turkish rug for the parlor, and two oil paintings. Jack said he would haul it all over to the island before they went to visit Brigid in June.
New Year’s Eve, they all went to the country club for dinner and dancing. Maura met up with a number of old friends, and Kevin kicked up his heels in grand style, but he obediently rode back to the house with them instead of hanging on with the younger crowd.
The day Maura was to leave, a snowstorm threatened. Somehow it managed to blow over, leaving just a dusting of snow in its wake. Maura was relieved. There was no compelling reason for her to get back, but she was getting anxious to return to her new home.
As they drove to the station, Jack wanted to know what she planned to do with her car. “It shouldn’t just sit there idle,” he said.
“There’s not much use for one on the island. Uncle Hal has one he takes to the mainland on the ferry. If I need to, I can use his. Just give it to Kevin. He’ll be graduating in June. No reason he shouldn’t be driving it.”
The second week in June, Maura made the trip to Chicago, as promised. When she got off the train, she was greeted by a happy Patsy, who embraced her fiercely. With tears of joy spilling down her cheeks, she said, “Oh, Maura, I can’t tell you how much I’ve looked forward to this. It’s like old times, us being together.”
During the week she stayed with Patsy and Paul, they took her to the beach, went for bike rides in Rogers Park, played gin rummy, dined in, dined out, and talked till the wee hours of the morning. She’d come to grow very fond of Paul. Patsy had chosen wisely.
Patsy dragged Maura in and out of every dress store on Michigan Avenue and State Street looking for “the one.” And they found it in Marshall Field’s. They also found gowns for Patsy and her two bridesmaids there.
Once again, it was a tearful Patsy who bid Maura goodbye at the train depot. “I can’t wait until August. Only two more months,” she said excitedly as Maura boarded the train. “Take care, and see you then.”
Maura hugged her, thanking her profusely for the wonderful week. She continued to wave down from her window as the train pulled away.
Gert and Hal had settled in nicely. Their little house had been rented out for the summer, and Hal tended to the maintenance at Maura’s new house. He and Roger had hired a crew to take care of the roof repairs and were now painting the outside of the house a buff color with dark green trim. Gert insisted on doing all the cleaning, and she and Mary were like the Bobbsy twins in the kitchen. They all still ate there. When Mary suggested that Maura, Gert, and Hal move to the dining room for meals because it was only fitting, Maura spoke up. “I suppose the dining room will get used for parties and such. But I just love this kitchen. Much more homey. Don’t you feel that way, Aunt Gert?” Gert agreed.
Marietta and Joanie were now home for the summer and spent a great deal of time at the mansion, helping Maura with washing and painting the extra bedrooms. The day they tried on their dresses, they were quite excited. “Oh, they’re beautiful!” Marietta commented. Joanie’s fit perfectly, but Marietta was just a bit of a thing. Hers had to be taken in at the waist and altered for length.
When Marietta and Joanie weren’t around, Maura loved working in the yard. One day, after coming in from planting a flat of petunias and some geraniums, she commented to Gert, “Whoever did the landscaping here must have done a great deal of planning. I wouldn’t change a thing. And Roger has kept it all in such trim shape. I just love planting flowers and working in the dirt, don’t you, Aunt Gert?”
With three weeks to go before the wedding, Maura decided she would go over the yard and flowerbeds one more time. She wanted Michael to be impressed as he came up the walk to enter their new home.
After spending the entire day trimming, pulling weeds, and digging in dirt, she was completely overheated. Putting her gardening tools in the shed, she wiped the sweat off her face with the back of her hand and decided to go sit on the dock across the way and put her feet in the water to cool down. Her bath could come later.
The cooling effect of the water relaxed her as she leaned back on her elbows and lifted her face to the sky. That’s when she realized she was looking up at the face of Luke Winters. She hadn’t heard him approach, probably because she was swishing her feet back and forth. But there he was.
“Mr. Winters, you surprised me. Where on earth did you come from?” she said, sitting upright.
“Sorry, Maura. Didn’t mean to startle you. Saw you sitting out here and decided to come join you to talk. Mind if I sit?”
“Of course not. Take off your shoes and get your feet wet. It’s wonderful.”
Not that they were good friends, but Luke Winters had become a very familiar and friendly face throughout the years she’d spent on the island. He seemed to go out of his way to speak to her as she passed by. But they’d never had any conversation longer than “Hello,” “Nice day,” or similar greetings. She couldn’t imagine why he was here.
As he proceeded to take off his shoes and sit next to her, he said, “I’ve been wanting to talk to you for some time. Seeing you sitting out here seemed to be the perfect opportunity, so I grabbed it.”
“That’s curious, Mr. Winters. Why would you need to talk to me?”
She looked into his angular face, remembering how good– looking he had once been. Time had not been kind to Luke, and he looked well beyond his fifty–some years. His once–blond hair had become almost nonexistent, and his formerly muscular body was now shrunken and stooped.
“Well, this is not an easy thing for me to talk about. But since the doc told me I have a bad ticker, I’ve been pondering some things I feel need tending to. This surely is one of them. I think you need to know about your mama.”
Maura sucked in her breath. “My mama!”
Luke looked out at the calm lake, his face drawn, lacking any animation when he began talking to the horizon.
“From the time your mama came to this island, I thought she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. Not that it mattered, her married and all. Me too, for that matter. I used to watch her sometimes when she’d be shopping or walking you and your little brother around the island. Just saying hello to her made me all kinda goosebumpy, ya know. Then your daddy died and she was alone. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to go to her and comfort her. But me being married and all, and a jealous wife to boot—well, I knew I’d best not.”
He looked at Maura. “You’d have to know my wife, June, to know what I mean. We got married when we were seventeen because we thought it was the thing to do. After she suffered three miscarriages, she kind of pushed me away, and I had an affair with an old girlfriend. When June got wind of it, the girlfriend moved to the mainland, and I suffered the consequences. June eventually forgave me, and we finally had a child. A boy named Mark. He was just about your age.”
Once again, he looked out toward the lake and sighed. “I know this is a long explanation, but I feel you have to understand why I haven’t spoken up until now.” Then he looked down at his feet in the water and swished them back and forth. “You know, this really is relaxing,” he said, looking at Maura with a half smile.
He continued. “After Mark was born, I thought June and I was going to have a good life together, but she gave all her attention to the boy and harped at me all the time. ‘Where were you? What took you so long? You never do anything for me.’ On and on, every day, she’d harp. I tell you, it was enough to drive a man to drink. There were times when she’d threaten to leave and go to her family on the mainland if I didn’t straighten out. But I didn’t know what I was doing that was so wrong. I truly did try to please her, and I could never figure her out. I suppose she never really forgave me for that affair I had, but it was Mark that kept us together, and I didn’t want her to take him away from me. So I kept trying, even though I spent most of my time trying to stay out of her way.”
Maura looked at the man next to her, his face strained with pain, struggling for words. Why was he rambling on about his life in such intimate detail?
“What in the world does all of this have to do with my mama?”
“I can’t tell you how hard this is for me, Maura, but it’s the only way I know how to make you understand why I took so long telling you this. That’s what I’m trying to get to.”
Luke reached down into the lake and cupped up a handful of water to cool his sweaty face, then continued. “The night your mama died, June sent me over to the Burkes’ place with some of her grape jelly. She and Louise Burke were great friends and were always sharing, giving back and forth. Anyway, the Burkes lived at the other end of your street at that time, and on my way back, I saw your mama out in her driveway, arguing with a man. I couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying, because his voice was low, but I could tell by your mama’s tone that it wasn’t something she’d want me to intrude on, so I just stayed back and waited in the shadows. It was only a minute or so, and then the man left. Since it was so dark, I wasn’t sure who he was, but I think he was a man I had met earlier in the day. Man by the name of Arnaud.
“Anyway, I waited for a minute, expecting your mama to go back into the house. But she didn’t. Even from where I was standing, I could tell she was crying as she ran for Division Street, in the direction of the quarry. I don’t know what possessed me to follow her. I just felt I wanted to somehow comfort her. She had quite a head start on me, and I just followed a ways behind. I figured she’d be turning around any minute to go back to the house, and I would be there when she passed me by. But that’s not what happened.
“She just kept on running until she came to the edge of the quarry. As I got nearer, I could hear her weeping and sobbing, just standing there looking into the abyss. I didn’t know how to approach, so I started to whistle. Figured she’d think I was just out for a stroll. But my whistling startled her so much she swung around, lost her footing, slipped off the edge, and fell into the quarry. I was so shocked, I just stood there for a minute. Then when I finally got my wits together, I had to find my way down into the quarry to see if I could help her.
“Well, ever since that end of the quarry was worked out, people used it for a garbage dump. And there she was, lying in it. I could see right off that she was dead. Her neck was off to the side—broken. I can’t tell you how long I stood there bawling my head off, not knowing what to do. I couldn’t just leave her there, but if I went to tell someone, I knew June would probably think the worst of me being where I was and leave me for sure. Then I decided that if I carried her body to the beach, someone would find her first thing in the morning, and I’d be free and clear.”
Luke choked up and began to cry.
Maura was so overwhelmed with what she’d just heard that she simply stared at him, incredulous.
He looked pleadingly into her face, tears streaming down his cheeks and off the end of his nose. His voice quivered as he said, “I know I was a coward. It was a dumb thing to do. I should have done the manly thing right off. But I didn’t. It never dawned on me there’d be an investigation into a murder.”
At that point he stopped, pulled out a handkerchief, and blew his nose. Maura stared at him, stunned.
Regaining some composure, he went on. “I can’t tell you what I went through for months. I knew that if anyone got accused of murdering her, I would have no choice but to speak up. I had to act like I knew nothing, but the worst part was knowing that if it hadn’t been for me, she’d still be alive.” Once again, his voice broke and he whined, “I’ve lived with that sorrow all these years.”
Side by side, each sat covered in a heavy coat of silence.
Finally, Maura recovered sufficiently to say, “All these years, I’ve wondered who the person was that murdered my mama. Once, I even suspected someone.”
She didn’t know whether to hate the man next to her or feel sorry for him. Picking up her shoes and stockings, she stood to leave.
Luke followed suit.
When they reached the road, she turned to him. “I suppose I should thank you for telling me that awful story. It’s some small comfort after all these years to know that my mama wasn’t brutally murdered.”
“I know I should have spoken up a long time ago, but thank you for listening to me today. At least that part of my burden is lifted.”
“What’s done is done, Mr. Winters. We can’t change it. I hope you can find some peace in your life.”
Gert was drinking a cup of coffee as Maura entered the kitchen.
“Aunt Gert, how well do you know Luke Winters?”
Phone calls between Herron’s Point and Darby’s Island were frequent. Brigid kept Maura informed on all her activities, and Maura was quite pleased with her reports.
Keeping in touch with Michael was her other priority. By the second week in August, he was winding up his classes and packing up his things.
“I’ve packed up my books and the bulk of my belongings, Maura. They should arrive at the end of the week. Can you believe it? It’s almost over. I can’t wait to see you.”
“Oh, Michael, you should be so proud of yourself and what you’ve accomplished. I only wish I could come with your parents to see you graduate, but that’s impossible. I’m leaving for Herron’s Point that day. I didn’t realize when we set the date for the wedding that we’d be cutting it so close. You’ll just make it home in time to get ready to leave for Herron’s Point.”