“It’s none of my business,” Pandora said.
She couldn’t tell him the real reason she was upset. It sounded childish. She knew Harley loved her; he showed it all the time. And she shouldn’t expect him to tell her everything. After all, she didn’t tell him everything. For instance, Harley knew nothing about her losing the money for secretarial school. And she hadn’t mentioned Virginia’s poetry salons. That wasn’t her secret to share.
But there was something different about Harley tonight. This was a new Harley. One who drank fruit punch spiked with rum in public and attended musicals with showgirls wearing feathered headdresses.
Harley put his arms around her. He drew her close and kissed her.
“I don’t care if I ever see a play again, as long as we’re together,” he whispered.
His lips were warm and familiar, and she let herself fall into his embrace. The uneasy feeling she had must have been caused by the rum combined with the cigarette smoke inside Sardi’s. Here, kissing on the sidewalk, Harley seemed exactly the same.
It felt good to have his arms around her. As if her closest confidant had disappeared and suddenly returned.
“I’m behaving like an anxious bride.” Pandora laughed it off. “All I need is a couple of aspirin and a good night’s sleep.”
Harley waited until she got inside the taxi. He closed the door and leaned in the window.
“I mean it, Pandora.” He touched her hand. His green eyes were bright as emeralds. “I need you. You’re the only person I can talk to. If I don’t marry you, I’ll never survive.”
She watched him through the window as her cab pulled away, and she couldn’t help but wonder where he was staying that night.
Chapter Ten
June 1927, Hyde Park, New York
Three days before the wedding everything was going perfectly. The weather had been gorgeous: a mild spring gave way to a temperate early summer with cool, clear evenings. Pandora walked around the Van Luyens’ and Enrights’ gardens and felt something rich and warm curl up inside her. Everything that was dear to her would soon be hers forever.
Not even the night she ran into Harley in New York could spoil her happiness. Pandora and Harley didn’t talk about the dinner at Sardi’s. The next time she saw him, he brought her thoughtful gifts: a book of fashion illustrations he knew Pandora wanted, a box of chocolate-covered nougat for Willie. They took long walks and talked about life after the wedding, the upcoming play season in Poughkeepsie, whether they should get a dog or share Taffy with Adele and Milton. Whenever she felt uneasy about it, when she recalled how much fruit punch Harley ordered, how easily he and his friends discussed feathers and showgirls, she told herself she was too sheltered. Not every play was a serious production, reviewed in the New York Times. Harley was like any young man who liked enjoying himself. He loved her, and they were getting married.
She hadn’t even minded attending Owen and Lillian’s wedding at the end of May. The lawn at Rosecliff looked lovelier than Pandora had ever seen it, and Lillian made a breathtaking bride in a satin gown from the House of Worth in Paris.
At the reception, she overheard Owen comment to Harley that he was a lucky man, that Pandora was beautiful and intelligent. Even Lillian was friendly. Though she did boast to Pandora and Virginia that they were having a two-part honeymoon: three weeks in Palm Beach followed by a small break and then two months in Italy and the South of France. Virginia whispered to Pandora that if Pandora pushed her own wedding back a couple of weeks, Owen and Lillian would already be in Europe and then they couldn’t attend.
Pandora felt that everything was falling into place as it should. She was thrilled to receive a letter from Millie. It was typewritten on formal stationery with “Corning & Sons Inc.” printed on the letterhead. Pandora could have hugged the letter when it arrived.
“Dear Miss Carmichael,” Pandora read aloud.
“I received my first paycheck and paid Levi Dresses the $6.88 for the interview dress. I’m now the secretary to William Corning, chairman of Corning & Sons. My salary is twice what I earned at the factory, and I’m home in time to cook dinner for my husband and children.
I sent Mr. Rosen a thank-you with the payment, but I thought you would like to know.
Sincerely,
Millicent Grimes”
It was almost lunchtime, and Pandora was sitting in the Enrights’ morning room, working on place cards for the reception. The door opened and Harley entered.
“Harley.” Pandora looked up. “I didn’t know you were here.”
Recently Harley had been staying at the Park Avenue townhouse and joining his father at the bank. Harley’s first official day of work would be after the honeymoon, but Milton wanted him to get acquainted with his duties sooner rather than later.
“I took the train; I just arrived,” Harley answered. He stepped forward and kissed her on the cheek. He looked handsome in a yellow V-neck sweater and beige trousers.
“I’m starving. I haven’t eaten all day,” he said. “Could we go into the kitchen? There’s something I want to talk about.”
They made baked-bean sandwiches and took them out to the pergola.
“Pops Whiteman and his orchestra will set up on Friday,” Pandora said when they were seated. “They’ll play ‘It Had to Be You’ for our first dance, and ‘The Man I Love.’ I can’t wait to see my father dance a waltz.” Her face broke into a smile. “Your mother and I decided on my bridal bouquet. It’s so large you won’t be able to see my face. Everyone keeps telling me that’s the fashion.” Pandora stopped sheepishly. “I’m prattling on like every bride. No wonder men escape to their private clubs and smoking rooms.”
“I have news on the honeymoon,” Harley announced. “We won’t have to take the train and steamboat to Lake George after all.”
It had been Pandora’s idea to honeymoon in Lake George. She didn’t want to leave her father for the months they would have been away in Europe, and Harley’s father was eager for Harley to start work at the bank. Lake George was the perfect destination. It had boating and fishing, and in the last twenty years, many prominent families had built grand houses along the lake. Pandora and Harley could have the days to themselves and join friends for dinner parties in the evenings.
“My father is giving us a new car for the honeymoon. We went to the showroom yesterday. A 1927 Winthrop Double-Six roadster.” He bit into his sandwich. “When we get back, you can keep my car.”
Pandora’s eyes widened. Her own car meant she could drive to Riverview and see her father and Virginia whenever she liked.
“I never dreamed of having my own car.” She gasped. “I’ll have to thank him.”
“He has another surprise for us. We’ll find out at the wedding.” Harley put down his sandwich. “There’s something I need to tell you. I was at a party on Friday.”
“What kind of party?” Pandora asked.
“It was at the 300 Club. Preston was there and some actors and playwrights.”
Pandora had heard of the 300 Club. It was a speakeasy on West Fifty-Fourth Street. Every time it was shut down, the name changed, and it moved a few blocks and opened again.