Chapter 53 Cynthia
Cynthia
Cynthia couldn’t bring herself to ask Calvin for a ride to the Mayhews’ house, so she had begged Iris to have the other chauffeur drive her.
He had dropped her off at the far end of the driveway, eager to get back to the resort, where he could depend on receiving a fat tip from one of the guests rather than an effusive but impoverished thank-you from a disgraced maid.
He had done her the courtesy of hoisting her suitcases from the trunk before hurrying off back to the resort.
The suitcases felt far lighter than they had when she first appeared at the Mayhews’ summer home a few weeks earlier.
She had become much stronger since her arrival in Mount Vernon.
It seemed so long ago. The view of the lake was just as breathtaking, but her joy at seeing it had diminished.
She adjusted her grip on the suitcase handles and headed for the wide steps leading to the sweeping and gracious porch.
Before she could reach the top step, the door swung open, and Mrs. Mayhew stepped out dressed to the nines in a full skirt and gossamer-thin twinset that appeared to be made of cashmere.
She wrapped her arms tightly over her chest.
Cynthia placed her suitcases on the wooden floorboards and wiped her palms on her skirt.
“What are you doing here?” Mrs. Mayhew asked.
“I’ve left the Maine Chance.”
“I am well aware of that. But what are you doing here?”
Cynthia felt as though she’d been punched in the stomach. Ever since Iris had told her about Miss Arden’s call, she had hoped that Mrs. Mayhew had not been a party to her losing her job. But even if she weren’t, she didn’t sound as though she were happy to have Cynthia show up out of the blue.
“I wanted to say goodbye to Pauline before I leave town,” Cynthia said, hoping she did not sound as pathetic as she felt.
Mrs. Mayhew’s eyes widened. “Surely you must realize there’s no way I could allow you to set foot in this house after what you have done. I don’t even feel comfortable with you standing on the porch.”
“Have I done something to upset you?” How quickly had the accusation against her traveled?
“Don’t play dumb with me. You can’t expect that, after the incident with Glenn, you’ll be welcome into the home of any of his family friends, can you?”
So that was it. Cynthia’s stomach roiled. “What is it that you think happened between Glenn and me?”
“You know very well that you were caught pilfering, and when he confronted you about it, you hit him.”
“Is that what you think happened?” Cynthia asked, overwhelmed with the feeling of disbelief.
How could Mrs. Mayhew believe her to be a thief?
It wasn’t as though her daughter didn’t have plenty of things another girl might wish to take for herself.
Pauline had never been the victim of any thefts in the time they’d lived together.
Why would she believe something like that just because Glenn said so?
“Whether I believe it or whether I don’t, it’s what’s being bandied about in all the best families on the lake,” she said. “We wouldn’t be able to go to another cocktail party or host a bridge game if we were seen to be harboring you.”
The notion that people who considered themselves to be the best sort of families would make such accusations without hearing both sides of the story sparked a flicker of anger in her chest. Who did they think they were?
Did the families who considered themselves to be superior to others believe it was right for wealthy young men to do as they pleased, regardless of how it might hurt others?
“How pitiable for you that would be.”
“There’s no need to take that tone. I am well within my rights to turn you away.”
“You don’t want to know what I say happened?”
Mrs. Mayhew rolled her eyes and shrugged. “If you feel you must tell me, I won’t attempt to stop you.”
“I did hit Glenn. I hit him with a gin bottle, but not in the house, as he has apparently claimed. We were out in a rowboat, supposedly to see the moon rise over the lake, when he shoved me down in the bottom of it and tried to force himself on me. If I hadn’t hit him, he would’ve managed it too.”
Mrs. Mayhew arched an eyebrow. “Are you actually trying to convince me that Glenn had to try to force himself on you? He has girls lined up around the block vying for his attention.”
“Are you saying that you think I’m making this up?”
Mrs. Mayhew shrugged again. “I’m saying I don’t think what you claim is very likely. Besides, even if what you said was true, you must have done something to encourage him; otherwise, I’m sure he wouldn’t have acted like that.”
Cynthia’s mouth flew open, and it felt as though someone had punched her in the gut. All the air went out of her body in a rush. When she finally managed to catch her breath, she could not decide if she was more hurt or angry.
“If by ‘encouraged him,’ you mean I accepted his invitation to watch the moon rise over the lake, then I suppose I must be guilty. I assure you, I didn’t indicate I was interested in anything more than that, and certainly not what he decided was the reason for being out in the boat.”
Cynthia thought she saw a curtain twitch in a window overlooking the porch. She wondered whether Pauline had been ordered to remain in the house should she appear at their door.
“Any girl in our social set wouldn’t have had any trouble with Glenn.”
While she did not think of herself as a violent person, for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Cynthia was tempted to hit someone.
“Are you saying that my background is why Glenn thought he could take liberties with me?”
Mrs. Mayhew let out a sigh and shook her head.
“You know, I’ve tried to understand what my daughter sees in you.
Really, I have. The fact that you even have to ask that question just goes to show that you will never quite be one of us.
Pauline should never have encouraged you to believe otherwise.
” And there it was. She was never going to be one of them.
A sense of calm washed over her. Mrs. Mayhew spoke again.
“This is for the best, really. Glenn got whatever he thought that you were out of his system and can now turn his attention back to where it belongs.”
The smug smile tugging at her lips made her feelings clear.
Of course she was happy to see Cynthia sent away in disgrace.
With a flash of clarity, she felt sorry for Pauline.
She only hoped that she would be able to stand up to her mother and follow her own heart when it came to choosing a husband.
She bent down and grasped the handles of her suitcases once more.
“I couldn’t agree more. I expect that Glenn will end up with just the sort of woman he deserves. I hope that you realize Pauline is far too good for him.”
She turned and began descending the stairs once more.
She half expected Mrs. Mayhew to call after her, not content to not get in the last word, but was relieved when she did not.
The million-dollar view of the lake from the pine needle–strewn lawn suddenly seemed like it would never be worth it.
Her suitcases felt even lighter than they had before as she strode down the driveway towards the road, the sound of the gravel crunching beneath her feet as if clapping for her.