Chapter 5
Ann was clearing away the last of the magazines in the parlor when a knock at the door made her jump. A male voice with a delightful Irish lilt called out, “Mrs. Prince, are you there?”
As if she’d be anywhere else. She’d been at the house for three hours, cleaning and anxiously awaiting his arrival. It might have been a terrible plan, but she had committed to it.
Smoothing her dyed black skirts, she went to the door, and there he was, as charming and handsome as he’d been a few days ago at Miss Belmont’s party. Right behind him was a woman with the same chestnut hair and sparkling eyes.
“Mrs. Prince.” Bill bowed like she was the queen of England. “Here I am, as promised, with my sister, Mary.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Prince.” Mary reached out her hand, and Ann took it, immediately won over by the woman’s warm smile. Giving Ann’s hand a gentle squeeze, Mary winked. “I don’t know what you did to Bill, but he can’t stop singing your praises.”
“Heavens. I hardly know what to say.” Her cheeks heated. “Come in. Come in!” She beckoned them inside. “I have sandwiches and lemonade in the icebox, as promised.”
Bill and Mary followed her into the shabby, minuscule parlor. “I must say, it’s a darling house,” said Mary.
“Oh, thank you! My mother lived here before she passed. I’m still cleaning everything out and making it ready to move in.
The parlor is a bit of a shambles because of the leak, but it’s the only place to sit.
I hope you don’t mind.” She gestured to the small decades-old sofa and armchair, covered in a floral fabric that had clearly seen at least a generation of use.
“And this is my son, Junior.” She motioned toward the blanket on the floor where he was happily sucking on his fingers.
“What a sweet boy.” Bill beamed at Junior who stared back with that fathomless infant gaze, taking in every detail. “May I pick him up?”
She had a moment of hesitation but then nodded. He swooped down and picked up Junior, cradling him in his arms as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And he proceeded to make a series of ridiculous faces for Junior’s entertainment. Junior cooed and grabbed at the buttons on Bill’s shirt.
Mary laughed. “You’ll have to forgive my brother. He loves children, especially babies. When my little ones were born, I think they may have seen more of Uncle Bill in the early months than their own father. He just couldn’t stay away.”
“How old are your little ones now?” Ann hoped against hope that she and Mary might become friends. All her old friends had dropped her like a hot coal when she ran out of money.
“My son is five, and my daughter is seven. They both adore their uncle.” Mary turned to her brother. “Bill, don’t you think you’d better put down the baby and look at the roof?”
“Oh. Yes. Sorry.” He gave Junior back to Ann with obvious reluctance. “Let’s see.” He examined the water stain and the hole in the ceiling. “Let me get my ladder and take a look.”
He strode out and disappeared.
Ann took a seat in the armchair across from Mary, settling Junior in her lap, looking out.
“My brother told me about your predicament. I’m glad he’s able to help you. He talks a lot of nonsense, but he’s a kind soul underneath it all.”
“Thank you for coming with him.” Ann felt much more comfortable knowing she wouldn’t be alone with Bill.
Not that she wouldn’t have been alone with any repairman she hired, but if it had been a transaction with fair payment, she wouldn’t have been nearly as anxious.
Bill’s proposal to help unsettled her with its excessive generosity.
“His offer made me nervous, to tell the truth. You must admit it is rather unusual.” She couldn’t help but suspect that he wanted more than sandwiches and lemonade, but bringing his sister was a gesture of goodwill, a sign he meant to do as he said, whatever his motives might be.
“I completely understand, Mrs. Prince. I would be suspicious too if I were you. When he asked, I was all too happy to help out. Is there anything I can help you with around the house while he’s busy outside?”
“Oh, no! You don’t have to bother yourself.” She pried Junior’s hand off a lock of hair he was pulling.
“But I’d like to. I came here to help as much as my brother did.
” The kindness in Mary’s expression touched Ann’s heart.
This was what neighborliness was supposed to be like.
It moved Ann beyond words that this woman she just met was willing to help her when no one from her former life would lift a finger. It was too precious a gift to forego.
“Well, if it wouldn’t be too much to ask, could you help me go through papers? Most of it is gossip columns. My mother was obsessed. But sometimes there’s a letter or bill or something else important in the pile.”
She’d managed to clear all the papers out of the parlor, but the two bedrooms were still piled high.
“Of course. I’d be happy to.”
Ann put Junior down on his blanket again and retrieved two piles from the bedroom, placing one on the side table next to Mary and keeping the other with her.
As they settled down to the work, Ann couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Does your brother do things like this often?”
“He likes to fix things. Usually, it isn’t something as big as a roof. Usually, it’s something more like fixing a leaky faucet or changing light bulbs. He must like you a great deal to offer something like this.”
A little knot formed in Ann’s stomach. “That’s what worries me. I think he might…expect things. I like him too. He’s very kind, and he makes me laugh. But I’m not ready for anything romantic if that’s his intention. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready.”
Was she too blunt? The last thing she wanted was to alienate this woman who was showing her such kindness. But she couldn’t help her unease.
Mary smiled at her as she sorted the papers into two piles, one significantly larger than the other.
“I won’t pretend that my brother lacks interest, but I can promise you he would never press.
He’s respectful to a fault. Not that he’s always been an angel, but he seems to have turned over a new leaf in the last year or so.
I’ve known more than one woman that was charmed by my brother and hoped for more than a minor repair from him, but he turned them down.
He’s an oddball, but he’s as sweet as they come. ”
At that moment, Bill came back in. “I’ve looked it over, and I can definitely do the work. I’m going to go out to buy supplies so that I can get started. Is there anything else you need from the hardware store? I’d be happy to pick it up for you.”
“Nothing right now, thank you. But you must let me pay for the supplies.” Even eighty dollars was more than she could afford to spend, but she didn’t want to be beholden to him any more than she already was.
“I wouldn’t hear of it!”
She’d been afraid of this. “Mr. O’Donnell—”
“Call me Bill.”
“You must see how improper it would be. I can’t let you spend so much when I have nothing to offer in return.” Except myself. And I won’t offer that.
He crossed his arms and looked at her, furrowing his brow in thought. “You were willing to accept funds from the PBA, weren’t you?”
“Well, yes. But that’s different.” He had to see how this would create an obligation that would put her in an extremely difficult position.
“Then consider my purchase a contribution to the PBA. Then there’d be nothing improper about it.”
“Well…but…” This all made her terribly uncomfortable, but she was having difficulty coming up with an argument when he framed it like that.
“I swear to you on my honor as a pilot that I only want to help you with your roof and nothing more.”
What was she to do? Here was a handsome man offering to solve all her problems without asking anything in return.
She needed the charity, much as it pained her.
And so far, he’d been nothing but respectful.
Perhaps it was her imagination that he had a romantic interest in her.
After all, she was a widow with no money and a brand-new baby. Why would any man want to take her on?
She bit her lip and then sighed. “Very well. I accept.” She could only hope she didn’t regret it.
“Your wish is my command.” He made a funny little bow and left, leaving Ann unexpectedly breathless.
Mary’s knowing smile made Ann’s cheeks heat, but she didn’t say a word about Bill.
Instead, she said, “Tell me about that fancy fundraiser you went to. I asked Bill, and all he talked about was you. What is Aurora Belmont like in real life? I only know what I read in these things.” She waved a gossip magazine.
Ann closed her eyes for a moment, summoning her memories of an evening that was likely to live in her dreams forever. While she’d lived a comfortable, middle-class life until losing Roger, she’d never expected to find herself mixing with the city’s elite at the fanciest hotel in town.
“Miss Belmont is absolutely beautiful. The pictures don’t do her justice. And she’s very modern. Her dress was quite something. Every man in the place had his eyes glued on her. Except Bill. For some reason, he seemed to be immune.”
Mary laughed out loud and shook her head. “I can’t imagine why.” She winked at Ann, making her stomach do a flip.
Ann was not ready to talk about Bill and the dizzy fluttery way he made her feel, so she forged ahead as if she hadn’t heard Mary’s comment.
“I also met Mrs. Madeleine Astor, Mrs. Alva Belmont, Miss Evelyn Carnegie and a dozen other grand ladies whose names I can’t remember.
It was all I could do to form words when faced with so much wealth and fame. ”
“I can imagine.” Mary’s eyes widened as she continued her sorting. “Tell me about the dresses. What were they all wearing? I’m dying for details. Bill never notices things like that.”