CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
August 1950
Hereford, Massachusetts
Tony proudly thrust a letter into Evelyn’s hands as she reached his car.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.”
She pulled the flap of the envelope and removed the paper. It was Tony’s acceptance to the police training program. He would begin the following week.
Evelyn would be gone by then.
So soon, she thought, as she did whenever she realized her departure date was charging at them. But she pushed that dread aside and kissed him, then rummaged in her bag.
“It’s like I knew we needed to celebrate tonight.” She grinned wickedly, pulling a half-full bottle of Canadian Club from her handbag.
He shook his head. “I can’t celebrate my acceptance into the police by doing something illegal.”
Evelyn wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re going to be absolutely insufferable now, aren’t you? It’s a good thing you’ll look so handsome in a uniform.”
Tony kissed her lightly. “I had an idea, actually. Now that I have this.”
“What’s that?”
He hesitated slightly. “What if . . . What if I talked to your father? Before you leave.”
She felt the excitement of the moment fall like a stone into her chest. She wanted him to ask her, not her father. Joseph would say no. But she would say yes. “I think you’d do better talking to me.”
“I already know what you’d say.”
“Oh, do you now?”
He pulled her in close and kissed her deeply, his body pressed to hers, but she didn’t kiss back. “Don’t I?” he asked quietly, his face close to hers.
“Yes,” she whispered. “But he won’t say the same thing.”
Tony released her. “Evelyn, I won’t run off with you.”
“Then where does that leave us?” She turned away. “You’re never going to be Jewish. You’re still going to come from a fishing family. He won’t say yes unless we force his hand.”
“I could convert.”
She tilted her head. This was a new development. And it could be enough after the fact. Maybe. But the mere promise of conversion wouldn’t be enough to get Joseph’s blessing.
“You would do that?”
He nodded slowly. It wasn’t something he had given much thought to. But he believed in Evelyn more than religion, though it would kill his heavily Catholic mother.
She grabbed him tightly. “Then let’s do it now. We’ll go to Maryland. We can be married tonight.”
He shook her off. “I said no. Look, I would give you the moon if you asked for it, but this is the one thing I can’t do.”
“Why?”
Tony sighed, crossing his arms as he leaned against the car. “Because even if your father forgave you, he would never forgive me. And that would be a problem for the rest of our lives. And how happy could you be with your father and husband always at odds?”
Evelyn leaned next to him, and they looked down toward the beach together, neither speaking for a long time.
Finally, she broke the silence. “You can’t ask him yet.”
“Why not?”
“It’s too close to me leaving for school. He’ll see it as a threat.”
Tony looked disappointed but nodded. “When, then?” He looked to Evelyn and could practically see the wheels turning in her head.
“I’ll write to Vivie that I’m seeing someone—she knows about you—but I’ll get her to plant the seed without saying who it is.” She paused, thinking the next step through. “Then, when I come home at the end of the term, I’ll . . . I’ll tell Papa that my boyfriend is coming to meet him. Mama will insist on making a dinner. Papa won’t turn you out when you show up. And you’ll have the meal to warm him up.”
“And if he says no?”
“He will. At first.” She stuck out her chin. “But then you let me work on him.” Something in her demeanor changed, and a spark glinted in her eye as she suddenly shot past him to the driver’s side of the car before pulling open the door, climbing in, and leaning toward the open passenger window. “But now, get in. I have a surprise for you!”
“Only if you scoot over,” Tony said, going to the driver’s side, but Evelyn started the car and put it into drive. Tony hopped back, his toes in jeopardy. “Hey now!”
“What? I can drive!”
“Terribly.”
“I haven’t died yet, have I?”