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95: Preparations
“Mr. James!”
“Andrew James!”
A flurry of jackets and fluttering paper greeted him as he and Alexander descended the courthouse steps. Andrew flinched at a bright camera flash, frowning as white spots blinded parts of his vision. The press. Just what he needed.
Alexander clapped an arm around his shoulders. “I warned you,” he said softly.
“Just get me out of it.”
“Mr. James, is it true your wife was killed after meeting with you?” a reporter demanded, shoving in close with a large cluster of others.
“Were you arguing about the divorce?”
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Alexander cut in, steering Andrew toward the street and a line of awaiting cabs, “these questions are of no consequence. Mrs. James died tragically yesterday afternoon. Mr. James has just dropped his divorce petition to take care of his wife’s remains and final estate matters.”
“Your court documents state Mrs. James has been residing in St. Louis since sometime ove
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World of Tomorrow 96: Winding Down
Evelyn recognized the perfunctory knock as Andrew’s before the door opened and he slipped into their bedroom. He hadn’t made it home in time to have lunch with her as he’d hoped. Instead, after taking care of his other errands— which, for some bizarre reason she had yet to hear, included Justin—they’d barely had time to get to the children’s school at the dismissal hour to pick them up. Between Sarah’s mathematics homework—Andrew’s parenting responsibility—and Peter’s reading assignment—Evelyn’s childcare duty—and the myriad of hysterics and tantrums that seemed to go hand in hand with both children’s learning process, then whining over the dinner options, then arguments about baths, then bedtime rituals, there hadn’t been much time for her and Andrew to talk. Whispered in passing, he had mentioned he thought to talk to the children tonight about Charlotte’s death, but she began to wonder if he wasn’t having second thoughts after how exhausting the evening had been.
World of Tomorrow 97: Fitting
As it had the previous morning and early Monday afternoon when Andrew had brought her home, the shower Wednesday morning took longer than Evelyn ever recalled either of them spending in it previously. In fact, she felt confident in saying it took longer than it did when she ran a bath, then washed, then rinsed with clean water. She was pleased to have done without the chair entirely, happy to find herself able to stand for the duration despite the drawn out washing process. And the excessive drying process which inevitably took longer than it needed too. When at last Andrew hung their towels over the rack in the warm and humid bathroom, a lazy smile still curling his lips and his half-lidded mutable blue eyes glittering with green, he wiped the steamed-up crystal face of his wristwatch and commented, “See? We’re finished with time to spare before the children get up to get ready for school.” Evelyn took a step back, her index finger raised between them, as he
World of Tomorrow 98: Big Day
“Peter, please, sit down and eat your breakfast,” Evelyn said, catching the boy by the arm as he attempted to dart past her and away from the dining table. “You’re going to make everyone late, or you’ll be hungry at school.” “But I forgot to put Lofty on the plants! He’ll be hungry!” “Then you’d best sit down and eat quickly so you can remedy that.” Despite his prying fingers, she held him firmly. “It’ll only take a second to get him,” the boy argued. “Peter,” Andrew rose from his seat at the head of the table, giving the boy a stern look down his straight, narrow nose. “Sit down at once like your mother told you.” “But Father—.” Andrew shook his head. “Absolutely not. Sit and eat, or you’ll spend the weekend without Lofty. Do I make myself clear?” It was a harsher consequence than Evelyn preferred to inflict, particularly for such a minor infraction, but she had to admit, the threat got Peter to yield. After a fashion. Returning to his seat, he plunked into it heavily, crossi
World of Tomorrow 99: Main Event
“Oh my word!” Evelyn exclaimed, pivoting on the dressing table stool as the bedroom door opened, despite the command from the hairstylist that she remain still. “Is that my Sarah? Turn around! Let me see!” Beaming, the girl paused, gave a pert curtsey, then turned around in her ruffled white dress, modeling. “Isn’t it pretty?” “Well, yes, the dress is pretty, Sarah, but the person wearing it is much prettier. You look like a young Mary Pickford. My word, your curls just shine like satin.” “Wait until you see Aunt Lily!” Sarah bounded onto the bed, perching where Evelyn could see her in one of the tri-fold mirrors on the dressing table. “She looks like Jean Harlow!” “Does she?” Evelyn asked, straightening on the stool and sighing deeply as the stylist got back to work. “I always thought she looked more like Priscilla Lane, but bright as her hair is, you’re probably right. She’s been turning heads for years.” “I can hardly wait!" Sarah giggled. "Uncle Justin’s going to flip when he
World of Tomorrow 100: Charlotte's Tale
Andrew glanced at Evelyn, clearly not surprised when she gave an almost imperceptible nod. He turned to Mary. “That will be all, thank you, Mary.” “Yes sir.” Evelyn took the hand he extended to her and allowed him to guide her to a chair. The faintest deadly glint was in his eyes as he kept them on the older man, despite the gracious tone with which he offered their odd guest a chair. “Please, have a seat. Do you prefer to be addressed as Mr. Herbert? Or Mr. Jenner?” “Ah, thank you.” Shrugging out of his jacket, he folded it neatly and draped it over the back of the chair as he sat down. “And Ned will do, if you please.” “Ned then. Something I can get you? Champagne? Brandy? Gin?” “Bourbon would be nice.” “Very good.” Andrew paced to the bar, turned up a tumbler and tipped out a generous pour of bourbon. “I’m Andrew,” he introduced, handing Ned his drink. “I believe you’ve already met my wife.” “Thank you. Wife?” Ned arched a brow. “So Charlotte wasn’t able to persuade you
World of Tomorrow 101: Processing
“For once, I would like to enjoy a significant moment with you without there being some extraordinary component to it,” Andrew groused, massaging his temples with one hand as he returned to the parlor after seeing Ned out. Evelyn slumped against the sofa back. In this particular circumstance, she might have to agree. Setting aside her confusion and seeking a more positive mental attitude, she replied, “We did manage to get married without issue.” His fingers on his temples stilled, then he looked up at her and flashed her a handsome beaming smile. “So we did.” His smile faded and he simply stared at her in amazement. “Nothing could dampen the way that makes me feel, darling. You take my breath away.” They both turned hearing Mary softly clear her throat at the parlor door. “If there’ll be nothing else, Mr. and Mrs. James, I’ll be retiring for the night.” Andrew glanced at his watch. “Dear God, it’s nearly eleven. Yes, of course, do go rest. I’m so sor
World of Tomorrow 102: Return to the Fair
Donning her robe while Andrew shaved in the bathroom, Evelyn padded down the hall to the kitchen. She poked her head in to find Mary staring into the opened refrigerator, the vacuum pot of coffee already brewing on the stove behind her. “Mary,” Evelyn said softly, hoping she wasn’t disturbing their maid. Still a bit bleary-eyed and groggy after their late night last evening, Mary turned the direction of her voice. “Yes madam?” “Have you and Tank ever been to the World’s Fair?” “Oh no, madam. It’s above our budgets, even as generous as Mr. James is.” “Would you like to go?” she asked. “Andrew and I are going to try to meet Justin and Lily with the children there. If you want to, we’ll be happy to have you attend with us.” Mary’s face lit with a bright smile. “Yes madam! I most certainly would! I’ll wake Tank at once and get breakfast on the table immediately.” Evelyn shook her head. “Don’t worry about breakfast. Just the coffee will do. The children always prefer to eat at the Fa
World of Tomorrow 103: Antagonized
“It’s beautiful country up here, Mr. James,” Tank said. Andrew’s eyes focused from his blank stare and flicked to meet Tank’s briefly in the rearview mirror. “So it is.” “You seem a little distracted. Is everything alright, sir?” He glanced out the windows, watching the scenery blur by. “I’m fine. A lot of memories on this route.” Not least of which were of Charlotte, since he was on the Taconic State Parkway, headed north of the city to go speak to his mother. Originally, the road had been designated as the Bronx Parkway Extension, and he could still remember when the route had been approved by the state legislature in 1923. There’d been a great deal of discussion at the dinner table in the James family household over the parkway’s approval. A great many fights over it too. In combination with the completed section of the Bronx River Parkway, the Taconic was to provide motorists both a scenic and rapid route from the city to t
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