Chapter 12
Monday morning dawned bright and hot, even though Sylvie left the house well before noon.
This time, she was able to tell her mother honestly that she was going to Cedar Point.
She had plans to meet Matilda and the Moreau sisters there to enjoy the amusements until Sylvie needed to slip away for her show.
Of course, the sisters didn’t know about that part, but Matilda had agreed to help hide her afternoon plans.
Greeting the other three at the entrance, Sylvie couldn’t help but smile at their overzealous delight, gushing about the parts of the resort they could already see.
Dressed in a gown of white cotton and lace nearly identical to her sister’s, Leila craned her entire torso to see through the gate better.
“Sylvie, have you been here before? Matilda said you’re familiar with the resort. ”
Not wanting to lie to her friends, Sylvie nodded. “Quite a few times, but I’m excited to spend the morning experiencing it with all of you. There are some fun new additions to Amusement Circle this year that we shouldn’t miss.”
Matilda entwined her arm around Sylvie’s. “Can we start at the beach? It would be nice to sit in the sand for a while before it gets too hot.”
“It’s already too hot,” Adelle complained while wiping her brow with a handkerchief.
Sylvie smiled at her. “Then we should go to the beach before it gets worse. Follow me.”
The four of them spent an enjoyable hour running their fingers through the sand while chatting and watching the other beachgoers.
While many of them reclined on the shore on blankets with parasols to protect their delicate skin from the sun, a good number of adventurous souls ventured into the waters of Lake Erie.
Children especially ran and splashed at each other.
Some bold ladies donned bathing costumes of dark, heavy wool, in which they waded into the deeper water.
The four of them concluded they were not at all interested in discovering whatever lurked in the depths of the lake, and they would remain happily on the sand.
To her dismay, though, Sylvie couldn’t help but wish she was there in the company of a favored gentleman, like many of the ladies strolling along the beach, arms linked with their male companions.
Would her letter writer roll up his trouser legs and walk out into the water like some of the men?
Or perhaps he would prefer to stay on the sand and talk.
They might laugh over the antics of the children or exchange knowing glances when a young couple shared a kiss they thought no one else saw.
Sylvie fought against a wave of longing.
The romance of having a secret admirer was going to her head.
When Adelle decided it was too hot, they rose and embarked on a stroll past the bathhouse and Breakers Hotel and along the wide boardwalk toward Amusement Circle.
The creaking and grinding of mechanical marvels, the shouts of thrill-seeking guests, and the chatter of excitement grew ever louder as they approached the midway.
At the entrance to Amusement Circle, Adelle pulled them to a stop. “What shall we do first?”
Leila bounced on her toes, casting wild glances in every direction as if to take in everything at once. “The roller coaster. Oh, please, let’s do that first.”
Her enthusiasm was contagious, so they headed in the direction of the towering wooden structure constructed right on the beach.
Sylvie hadn’t spent much time exploring the amusements at the resort, so it was her first experience with the roller coaster.
Nerves built as they joined other passengers loading into the cars.
Sylvie and Matilda clasped sweaty hands as their vehicle lurched into motion and picked up enough speed to ascend the looming hill in the track.
But once she’d experienced the exhilaration of the first drop, Sylvie was smitten.
By the end, all four of them stumbled off the loading platform, giggling and clutching each other as they regained strength in their legs.
The rest of the morning progressed in a delightful string of entertaining amusements and thrilling rides.
The group ended their time together in one of the small, shallow boats traversing the man-made lagoons running along the edge of the peninsula.
A young resort employee was there to handle the boat so they could enjoy a relaxing hour on the ride.
Adelle kept batting her eyes at the handsome man, causing the others to exchange sly looks and the occasional giggle.
Sylvie, however, had her own reasons for being taken with the ride.
The tree-lined lagoons created a quiet, idyllic respite from the busy resort.
Like at the beach, she couldn’t help imagining a romantic jaunt at dusk with a handsome beau.
Her letter writer would look deep into her eyes and offer a compliment about their entrancing color.
Then he might turn and mention the genus of the insects that would be most prevalent in a lagoon like the one they traveled along.
Oh no. Sylvie shook off her daydream. The only man she’d ever known who would bring up insects was Miles, and she couldn’t consider a romantic moment with him alongside one with her admirer.
She refused to be the woman who was torn between two men vying for her affections.
And Miles wasn’t even vying anymore. He seemed all too content with their mutually agreed upon friendship.
Sylvie forced her attention back to the current moment as Adelle asked the boat operator what amusements they should enjoy the next time they visited.
The young man answered with a charming, crooked smile and his eyes glued to Adelle.
“You don’t want to miss a moving picture at the theatre.
And you should take in a few of the live shows, as well.
There’s a delightful Vaudeville act that’s here for most of the summer. ”
Leila perked up at the suggestion. “Oh, I love Vaudeville. I’ve also heard about a female archer, a Robin Hood-type character who can do the most amazing shots. Is her show any good?”
The man shrugged. “I’ve heard it’s decent enough. It needs a little more excitement, if you ask me. It’s more of a demonstration than an entertaining show, so it doesn’t compare to some of the other things we have to do here.”
Sylvie’s chest constricted at the criticism, however unintentional it might have been.
Matilda reached over and squeezed Sylvie’s hand, most likely aware of how the words could have hurt her.
But as the ride ended and the ladies climbed out, taking care not to dampen their skirts, Sylvie decided to make the comment useful.
It was unbiased feedback on her show, and she could use the information to help it gain popularity.
What changes could she implement to fix the problem?
Sylvie mulled it over while she and Matilda said goodbye to the sisters at the dock, having given the excuse that they planned to shop in Sandusky for the rest of the afternoon.
Matilda was planning to go, so it wasn’t a complete untruth.
But Sylvie had already grown tired of trying to hide her work.
If only the show would take off, become as successful as she’d hoped.
Then she might have a good reason to tell her parents about it, which would mean much less sneaking around.
A hard pang of longing caught her by surprise, and she found herself praying over the sudden desire to be as carefree as her friends. God, I’ve been obedient my entire life. This is the only thing I’ve asked for myself. Please let my show become something great.
Sylvie parted from Matilda once their companions had disappeared onto their steamer, then made her way back into the resort. She’d locked her bag with her costume in the resort staff changing room earlier, so she retrieved it, taking great care not to let anyone see her enter.
By the time she walked out onto the lawn to start the afternoon show, Sylvie had determined she had to do the one thing she’d been putting off.
She would need to take Miles’s suggestion and figure out how they could practice in secret.
That was the only way to work on more exciting shots, and it would give them time to add a more entertaining flair to the show.
But the mere thought of being alone in the woods with him rang alarm bells in Sylvie’s mind.
Mr. Miller was already struggling to fit the show into his daily schedule, so she couldn’t ask him to chaperone, and Matilda was busy with her wedding plans.
If she spent time alone with Miles, could she trust herself to maintain her secret identity as well as keep her wayward heart from growing even fonder of him?
As it was, the charming smiles he sent her throughout the show were enough to start her heart fluttering in the most distressing way.
She hesitated on her shots, worried the distraction might cause her to miscalculate the angle or misjudge how the light breeze would affect her arrows. His presence was too much already.
But she simply didn’t have any other choice.
When they had finally completed the last shot without a single mistake, Sylvie let a huge, deep sigh release the tension in her shoulders.
She tilted her head side to side, cracking and stretching her neck.
Then she marched over to where Miles was helping Mr. Miller gather arrows. “Will Scarlet, I think you’re right.”
Miles turned to face her, all too confident with his almost-smirk. “Oh? And what might I be correct about this time?”