Charlotte Armstrong - Something Blue

CHAPTER 1

HE PUNCHED the bell. The door choked. He heard Nan calling down his name.

("I've got so much to tell you," she had said on the phone just now.)

He bounded up the stairs, they slipped arms around each other's waists, and went through the Uttle hall of the flat into what the girls' Aunt Emily called the back rooma big shabby room with a wide window, beyond which the city of San Francisco fell away.

Dorothy was there. "Hi, Johnny," she greeted him. "How was Columbia University? Did you learn everything?" ,^.

"Oh, pretty near," he said amiably. "How are your He looked down at Nan. 'His hand still held her Hghtly at the waist.

"Dear John," said Nan Padgett, articulating precisely, as if she had practiced this, "I'm in love!" Her brown eyes shone with the news. "I'm engaged to be married!"

Well, he gave her credit for being direct and for being prompt with this blow.

"'You kinda look it, Nan," he said gravely, and took his hand slowly away. '"Weill I want to hear..."

Dorothy said, "Don't worry. You're going to hear! She's got no more than her left toe on the ground. First, come help me mix you a drink."

"I sure will," said Johnny.

He saw Nan go waltzing away toward the big window. Maybe she felt reheved to have told him. He turned into the little closed-in pantry where Dorothy had assembled the makings. He Hterally couldn't see Dorothy. He dumped in

gredients together, tasted. As he swallowed he said to himself, O.K. swallow it. AU right, you got it down.

Now he could see Dorothy's blonde head and Dorothy's anxious blue eyes.

"I had a hunch, you know," he said cozily. (She didn't have to know how recent the hunch was.) "Don't you worry about me, Dot."

Dorothy said indignantly, "She's about wild. She's on Cloud Nine."

"As it should be." He patted Dorothy's shoulder to stop her. He wouldn't talk about Nan in a comer.

Dorothy was Nan's cousin, a little the older of the two certainly the more worldly one. Dorothy had beaux by the dozen. Maybe Dorothy could never reach Cloud Nine any more.

He swallowed again, put the shaker on the tray and carried the tray into the big room. "Start at the beginning," he said cheerfully.

"His name is Richardson Bartee. I wish he were here. But he had to go back this week and tend to business. He's flying up on Friday." Nan tumbled all this out.

"From where is he flying up?" asked Johnny politely.

"Oh, listen ..." Nan lit on the couch and patted an invitation. John sat downi beside her, marveling. Nan was usually the shy one, the little one with the quaint defensive air of dignity. Now she seemed bursting with joyous energy. "How can I tell you about him! He's big and and good-looking and" Words wouldn't do what Nan's face was doing in the way of description. "He's got a vineyard. Or anyhow, his family has. And a winery. Imaginel And I'm going to Hve in the south"

"With vine leaves in your hair." Johnny grinned across at Dorothy. "I see what you mean," he said. "This kid is off the ground all right."

Dorothy was sitting and sipping. Dorothy, usually so casual and gay, didn't smile.

Nan put her hand on the cushion between them. "Ah, Johnny, we've been awful fond of each other, you and I. And I always will be fond of you. But it never was hke this! Do you believe me?"

He stiffened a little with the stab of this. He reminded himseff how young she was. "I believe you." He went on

gallantly, "I won't say the old ticker isn't a little bent, honey, but it's still going."

Nan sighed.

Johnny put his nose in the glass. "When and where did you meet this fellow?" he asked her dreaming face.

"Two months ago. Mr. Copeland introduced us."

"Why wasn't I written? Never mind, don't answer that.'' He knew the answer very well. How could she have written him, or anyone, a day-by-day description of falHng in love. "What say we all go some very fancy place for dinner?" he asked restlessly. "On me. To celebrate."

"We can't budge," said Dorothy. "We've got a phone call in for Paris, France."

"For Aunt Emily? That where she is? I thought she and Hattie Cox were going around the world."

"They are," said Dorothy, "but Paris is the farthest they've got yet. They're on some kind of an expedition today, because we haven't been able to reach her. The hotel expects her back before midnight."

"Haven't we time for dinner?"

"Midnight in Paris, France," Dorothy reminded.

"You mean to tell me Aunt Emily doesn't even Icnow about this?"

"Not yet." _

"When did this engagement happen? Last night?"

"Since Sunday." Nan sighed, as if this had been a century.

"I suppose you'll have to let Emily get all the way around the world before the wedding," he said comfortably.

"No," said Nan. "That's just it. Dick and I- want to be married right now. Why not? What have I got to wait for? My job? There are a million stenographers and every single one of them can speU better than I can. Mr. Copeland isn't going to care. I want to be married to Dickand help him in the vineyards. And that's all on earth I want to do."

Johnny was astonished. This didn't sound like Nan. Shy Nan, hesitant Nan, Nan unsure of herself. "Won't that be a Httle rough on Emily?" he said gently, and knew that Dorothy stirred.

"1 don't think so," cried Nan, "because HstenI Dick says

we can get married and fly to Europe on our honeymoon. And see Aunt Emily. Wouldn't that please her?"

"Not as a surprise," said Dorothy quietly. Johnny was startled.

"Your fellow must be in the chips," he murmured.

"It will be very extravagant," said Nan serenely, "but Dick knows Aunt Emily is all I've gotexcept Dotty, of course. He understands. He's an orphan, too. I think..."

"I thought you mentioned his family."

"Oh, well, there's an uncle and a grandmother. And I guess the uncle's got a wife. I haven't met them yet. There hasn't been time."

He thought there should have been time. There should have been a lot more time. Nan was speeding and spinning. He wanted to put out both hands and hold her back and slow her down.

Now she said, all sparkling, "Johnny, you're going to have to stand up with us. You're nearly family, after all these years."

"I'm going to nm this wedding," he heard Dorothy say loudly. "Vm your family, please remember. And we're going to talk to Emily before we plan how or when. So calm downi."

"Oh, Dot! I'm doing what you want. I'm calling Aunt Emily."

Johnny perceived the conflict clearly now.

Dorothy changed the subject. "Going to be home all summer, Johnny? Summer school?"

"Nope. I'll get my doctorate in exactly one more year. Comes out nice and even. I'm stale on biology."

"Going to work this siunmer, then?"

"Don't know yet. Don't intend to work very hard," he grinned. "Maybe Roderick Grimes will have one of his projects for me. They're fun."

Nan frowned. "Don't you let him send you off some place," she said with that gay vehemence so unlike the old Nan. "At least not this weekendl"

"This weekend!"

"Well, I hope..."

'Tou mean to tell me you expect to be a married woman in a matter of days!" he exclaimed. "I don't believe it. How old are you, baby?"