Chapter 23
The pit in Ernie’s stomach had been growing all day. Millie was coming to dinner, and he wanted everything to be perfect. He’d done every cleaning task Mom set out for him without complaint. By the time he washed up and changed, he was worn out, not so much by the cleaning as by the anticipation.
He’d never invited a woman home to meet his family, not since that disaster in high school when he wanted to take Ellen to a dance. No sense reliving that. But Ernie was a grown man now. His parents wouldn’t humiliate him like that. If anything, they were as worked up as him about Millie’s visit.
Mom seemed to be making Christmas dinner several months early, from the smells coming from the kitchen. He’d helped her heft the goose back from the market. It was big enough to feed a family three times their size.
Pop spent the day gardening and humming hymns, always a sign of high agitation.
His sisters seemed to have lost their minds and turned into a squealing, giggling, gaggle of fashion-obsessed fools.
Even Constance, who usually kept her head.
The pressure of a celebrity socialite coming to dinner proved too much.
Little did they know Millie wore pants more often than not—a far cry from how fashion magazines depicted her.
The noise levels in the house reached record highs until the doorbell rang at seven o’clock sharp.
Then there was dead silence.
Ernie walked downstairs to the front door with all the care and attention of a man going to diffuse a bomb.
Or set one off.
Hard to say which.
He opened the door, and there was Millie in a simple, dark blue coat and matching hat. She was carrying the ugliest cake he’d ever seen and looking every bit as nervous as he felt. It was definitely homemade.
With her big, hopeful eyes, she was the most endearing sight he’d ever seen.
God, he loved this woman.
He smiled with all the warmth and tenderness he felt for her, and she smiled back nervously.
“I made it myself,” she said, breaking the silence. “I wanted to bring something. I’m not much of a cook, but…”
“It looks delicious. Come in. Mom’s cooked a feast.”
He led her up the stairs, and she stopped halfway up, staring at the framed portraits on the walls.
“Did you do these?”
Suddenly self-conscious, he needed a moment to find his tongue.
“Y-yes. For Christmas every year, I draw a portrait of each member of the family. These are the most recent.”
“They’re incredible, Ernie.”
She’d seen a few of his sketches but never a finished work. Did she truly like them? He was only an amateur.
He cleared his throat, not knowing how to respond to her compliment.
“The dining room is through here,” he said, gesturing toward the door to the parlor level.
Leading her into the dining room, he saw his whole family lined up in a row against the wall, like troops at inspection. When did his family become quiet and orderly?
As soon as she saw Millie, Mom rushed forward.
“So nice to meet you, Miss Aldrich. What a lovely cake,” she said, taking the confection and putting it in the middle of the table in a place of honor.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Aldrich. May I take your coat?” Pop said, as Millie hurriedly took off her coat and hat, revealing a modest, light blue dress that matched her eyes perfectly.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Miss Aldrich,” Constance said, shaking Millie’s hand. “I’m Constance, and this is Prudence and Verity. We’re excited to get to know you. Ernie has been very tight-lipped.”
“Yes, he has,” Verity piped up. “But we’ve read all about you. Is it true you invented a new trick that no one had ever done before for your performances?”
“Is it true that you only use Maybelline makeup?” Prudence asked before Millie could answer. “Mom won’t let me wear makeup yet. She says I’m too young.”
“What was it like growing up in the circus?” Verity interrupted.
“Have you read ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’ by Agatha Christie? If not, you should, I could lend it to you,” Prudence said, nudging her sister aside.
It was time to intervene.
“Girls, let’s give Miss Aldrich a moment to sit down and get settled before giving her the third degree,” Ernie said, pulling Millie away from his sisters.
Fortunately, Millie seemed to be on the verge of laughter, taking the barrage from his sisters in stride.
He pulled out a chair for her and helped her be seated, then took a seat beside her. Constance took the seat on her other side, much to his relief. Prudence and Verity sat next to Mom on the other side of the table, and Pop sat at the head of the table, as always.
There was a crisp, white, starched linen tablecloth on the table, and Mom had gotten out the good China, hand-painted with roses by Grandma Elsworth.
The cloth napkins were embroidered by Constance with light blue flowers.
It was a far cry from what she was probably used to, but it was the very best his family had to offer.
He tried not to worry that they were too shabby for Millie. She didn’t grow up rich. Hopefully she wouldn’t judge their humble home too harshly.
“Everything looks beautiful,” Millie said, “and the food smells delicious. Thank you so much for having me! It’s been far too long since I had a home-cooked meal, especially since my parents moved to Florida.”
Ernie reached beneath the tablecloth and squeezed her hand to thank her for saying exactly the right thing. She squeezed it back, and his shoulders relaxed at last. He hadn’t realized how worried he was about her first impressions of his home.
“Let’s say grace,” Pop said when they were all seated. He offered a brief blessing, and then Mom started passing around plates.
“You said your parents live in Florida?” Pop asked.
“They like the warm weather, and my mother needed to move to a warm place for her health.”
“Ah. That makes sense. You’re originally from Garden City, is that right?” Mom asked, pouring water into everyone’s glasses.
“That’s right,” said Millie with a smile. “I loved it in Garden City. Our lives were so much simpler there. Things got complicated when my career took off.”
“I read in a magazine that you traveled a lot. What was that like?” Constance asked, passing a bowl of mashed potatoes.
Meanwhile, Pop was carving the goose and serving everyone piping hot slices that smelled like heaven.
“I liked it at first,” Millie said. “It was an adventure, but some of the people in Europe weren’t very nice to me, especially in France. I didn’t like it much there. I’ve been back since for air shows and still far prefer the good old U. S. of A.”
“You lived in California for a while, didn’t you?” Verity chimed in, just as Millie was about to take a bite. “Is it really covered in palm trees? They look so spikey and strange. I can’t imagine what it must be like there.”
“I lived in Los Angeles,” Millie said, putting down her fork. “I was doing stunt work for a movie studio. And yes, there really are a lot of palm trees, and yes, they look that strange.”
“Verity, dear,” Mom said, observing Millie’s uneaten forkful. “Why don’t you tell Miss Aldrich about yourself instead of peppering her with questions?”
Verity’s eyes went wide, and her mouth shut tight. Her face turned pink. Was Verity feeling shy? Ernie couldn’t remember the last time Verity was tongue-tied in front of someone.
“I’m sure she’d love to hear about all that stargazing you’re doing with your telescope,” Mom prompted.
Verity’s brow furrowed, and she bit her lip.
“I really would,” Millie said with a smile.
Looking all around the table and finding no help, Verity took a deep breath and then launched into an extended explanation of her amateur astronomy activities, which, thankfully, gave everyone else a chance to eat.
Ernie glanced at Millie. Her face was alight with enjoyment. Relief washed through him at the sight.
He managed to take some bites of food. Mom really outdid herself. The meal was delicious. It might not be the work of a French chef, but it was the best home-cooked meal he could imagine.
Soon Prudence was chiming in with tales of her ambitions to become a Pinkerton. Between them, the twins chattered away until everyone was so full that they couldn’t take another bite.
“How did you and Ernie meet?” Constance asked during a lull in the twins’ prattling.
Millie turned pink and glanced at Ernie, who squeezed her hand beneath the table.
“I took a job flying the mail,” she said, looking sheepish. “Ernie was assigned to show me the routes. New pilots with the airmail trail experienced pilots to learn the lay of the land, and then they fly the routes trailed by their instructors to make sure they’ve learned them properly.”
“And it was love at first sight?” Constance asked with a knowing smile.
Millie’s blush deepened.
“Not exactly,” Ernie said, jumping in. “She didn’t think much of me at first.”
“No, I did not,” Millie said, glancing at him. “I believe I called him a no-good cad.”
“Which I deserved.”
“Yes, you did.” Millie winked at him, which made inappropriate thoughts spring to mind.
“But then I got to know him better. I learned how loyal and dedicated he is, and how much he cares about all of you. And he really is one of the finest pilots I’ve ever met.
Not to mention, he can be very charming when he wants to be. ”
Ernie’s heart soared. She really did care!
Constance chuckled. “Ah yes. My brother is very charming. It gets him into trouble more often than not, but for once he’s used his powers for good.”
Millie laughed. She’d taken him to task as no one else had over how he used his charm.
“I didn’t think much of her either, at first,” Ernie said, wanting to tell his side of the story.
“I thought she was being reckless signing up for such a dangerous job, and that it was all a publicity stunt. Little did I know what a superb pilot she was or how fiercely dedicated she would be to the work. She cares deeply about giving women aviators a chance to prove themselves, and she’s been quite the trailblazer for their cause. I couldn’t help but fall for her.”
And he had. Absolutely. His heart was hers.
“My son is very blessed to have met you,” Pop said. “You don’t know how long I’ve prayed he would meet the right woman and settle down.”
Settle down? Oh, dear. Ernie wanted Millie in his life, but they hadn’t quite gotten that far.
Glancing at Millie, he saw she was smiling at him with an amused twinkle in her eye.
“My dear, you’re embarrassing them,” Mom said, putting her hand on Pop’s. “Would anyone like cake?”
Mom sliced and served Millie’s cake with as much flourish as if it was a prize-winning confection at a fair.
It was with some trepidation that Ernie took a bite. He had no idea what to expect and was determined to praise it no matter what.
He was pleasantly surprised to find it delicious. Much like Millie, it hid surprising sweetness beneath a forbidding exterior.
“Mmm. Millie, this is so good,” he said, looking up to find her watching with avid attention.
She exhaled, and her shoulders relaxed at his words.
“Thank heavens! I’ve never been much good at making things pretty, but I’m glad at least it tastes good.”
“Delicious,” Verity concurred between bites. “Chocolate is my favorite.”
The cake was polished off in no time. Millie looked as proud as if she’d broken his Chicago to New York record.
As the meal drew to a close, Millie glanced sadly at the grandfather clock by the wall.
“I’m afraid I should get home. I have to fly tomorrow. It was so lovely meeting all of you. I hope to see you again soon!”
Millie said her goodbyes, and Ernie walked her downstairs.
In the entryway, alone with her at last, he did what he had been dying to do all evening and kissed her. He’d never kissed someone under his parents’ roof before. He half expected to be struck down by lightning or, just as bad, interrupted and told off. But none of those things happened.
It was the sweetest kiss they’d shared yet, filled with longing and tenderness instead of passion and need.
Maybe, just maybe, Millie was the woman he wanted to settle down with.
Maybe they could make a life together despite everything against them.
His family was clearly charmed by her, and the feeling was mutual as far as he could tell.
Who would ever have expected Millie Aldrich to fit in so well with the plain old Pritchards?
As they broke their kiss, he murmured into her hair, “I’m falling in love with you, Millie.”
She pulled back and gave him the saddest look. “I’m falling for you too. Whatever are we going to do?”
He didn’t know, but together, they’d figure it out.