The room’s furnishings dated back to the Civil War. The four-post bed had a quilted bedspread, and against the wall was a porcelain sink with a jug of water. A rolltop desk stood in the corner, and a vase holding sunflowers sat on the wooden coffee table.
“Porter’s fiancée, Doris, invited us to dinner when we come back from the honeymoon,” she said casually. “You never mentioned him before.”
She waited for Harley to respond, but instead he walked to the door.
“I’ve got a splitting headache; I’m going outside for a smoke.”
Pandora paced around the room and waited for Harley to return. She shouldn’t have said anything about Porter; they were both exhausted. Harley had given her no reason for concern—he didn’t talk to Porter again for the rest of the reception.
After half an hour, the door opened. Harley walked in and kissed her.
“I’m sorry; I’d forgotten how champagne affects me,” he apologized. “My head is still throbbing. Why don’t we go to bed?”
Pandora went into the bathroom to wash her face. She slipped on the satin negligee she had chosen for the wedding night and checked her hair in the mirror. She wondered if it would be best to get their first night of lovemaking over with and try to conceive a baby. But she couldn’t help thinking about making love with Archie. What would it be like to make love with Harley instead?
When she came out, she found Harley sprawled on the bed, fast asleep. She lay down beside him, relief mixed with disappointment. Harley had made the decision for her.
When she closed her eyes, sleep wouldn’t come. Instead, she saw Porter Merrill in his top hat and tails. Virginia was right. Men that good looking shouldn’t be allowed at a wedding.
For the first two weeks of their honeymoon, they didn’t try to make love. Pandora couldn’t blame their surroundings, so she decided to put it out of her mind. Harley seemed happy, and they had plenty of social engagements to keep them busy. They had been invited to a dinner party hosted by a young couple, Walker and Daisy Frick, whom they met at the beach. Pandora planned to dress up, and after the party she’d ask Harley to help unbutton her gown.
Harley appeared in the bedroom. He wore a summer suit and held a straw hat.
“What a pretty dress,” he commented, standing behind her at the mirror.
“Do you like it?” Pandora turned around. It was white lace with a heart-shaped collar and ankle-length skirt. “Your mother and I picked it out at Lord & Taylor.”
He handed her a small box. “I picked up something for you in the village.”
Inside was a gold charm bracelet with a charm of a rowboat.
“It’s lovely. Where did you find it?”
“At a jewelry store,” he replied. “I happened to pass the window. I wanted you to have a reminder of our honeymoon.”
Pandora fastened it around her wrist. It really was beautiful. Her mind went fleetingly to Porter, and she wondered if there was another reason Harley bought the bracelet. She was being silly. Harley loved to bring her gifts, and they were newly married.
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him.
“Thank you. There’s nothing I would have liked better.”
“We better go or we’ll be late.” He put on his hat.
The Fricks lived in one of the smaller mansions on Lake Shore Drive. Daisy Frick was in her late twenties with blond hair and large brown eyes.
“It’s nice to meet new people,” Daisy said, leading Pandora into the drawing room. “Lake George is pleasant, but the same people come every summer. I should have known when we got married.” She fiddled with a diamond ring the size of a bird’s egg. “Lake George is strictly for the second son, the one who doesn’t inherit the grand estate in Newport.”
“What do you mean?” Pandora asked curiously.
“Walker’s father is Henry Frick.” She sat down and motioned Pandora to sit beside her. “He made his fortune in steel. I should have realized Walker’s older brother, Henry Jr., would inherit everything. And then there’s the family scandal, of course. Walker is always using his charities to try to make up for what happened.”
Pandora looked at Daisy with a puzzled expression.
“Maybe you haven’t heard about it,” Daisy went on. “Walker’s father built a hunting and fishing club in Pennsylvania. The dam wasn’t shored up properly, and there was a flood. Two thousand people died, many of them Henry’s employees.” Daisy twisted her diamond ring. “Ever since then, his family has been involved in all sorts of charities. Walker wanted me to cochair the Orphan Asylum fundraiser.” She pretended to yawn. “The meetings go on forever. So I came up with a plan.” She patted her stomach. “I’m three months pregnant; I can’t cochair an event that will happen a month before the baby is due.” She smiled smugly. “Walker is ecstatic we’re having another child, and I get out of doing charity work.”
Pandora was even more puzzled.
“How did you plan to have a baby?”
Daisy leaned back on the sofa. “It has to do with your monthly cycle. Most women use the method to stop from having babies. Trust me, you don’t want to get pregnant right away. You’ll miss out on the fun of being newlyweds. I’ll give you a tip. As long as you refrain from having relations in the middle of your cycle, you won’t get pregnant.”
“It’s that simple?” Pandora asked in surprise. No one had ever explained it before.
“Take my advice and wait to have a baby as long as you can.” Daisy patted Pandora’s hand. “After I had Walker Jr., Walker looked at my body as if I were our Labrador after she had puppies. It takes more effort after a baby to keep a man attracted.”
Pandora stood on the Fricks’ porch overlooking Lake George. The night was still, and she could hear dinner parties at other houses. She wondered if the houses were full of happy couples, or if some of them kept secrets, like she and Harley.
Harley was enjoying himself. Walker had gone to Yale, and they talked about private clubs in New York. She heard Walker invite Harley to dinner at the Knickerbocker Club.
She couldn’t get Daisy’s words out of her mind. Pandora’s cycle had always been regular. Which meant she should have gotten her period three days ago. But she hadn’t. And there were none of the cramps that usually preceded its arrival.
A fear gripped her, and she couldn’t let it go. What if she had gotten pregnant on the night she spent with Archie? She finished her cocktail and went inside to join Harley.
After the dinner party was finally over, Pandora paced around the bedroom of their cottage, waiting for Harley to join her. Finally, the door nudged open. In one hand, Harley held a bottle of gin and in the other an empty glass.
“I’m sorry I took too long,” Harley said.
Pandora wondered how many glasses of gin he drank. His eyes were glassy, and he seemed much drunker than when they’d arrived back at the cabin.
“I’m not the least bit tired.” Pandora kept her voice light. “I had a wonderful time.”
Harley put the bottle on the desk next to the window. He refilled his glass.
“All the men said how lucky I am to have such a lovely bride,” he slurred. “It’s a pity I’ve created a mess.”