A Forbidden Boundary

By Shauna Springs

The year is 1902 and wealthy free-spirited, and somewhat lonely Mary Anne Winters longs for questions to the world around her. That June her father hires a new manservant named Edward Bailey. While hes at first nervous in his new environment with Mary Annes kindness he opens up and they develop a fast friendship which eventually blossoms into more. Mary Anne and Edward sneak around to be together, both longing to be officially together. Later on disaster and illness both befall Mary Anne and Edward, but the question remains; will these two be ill-fated, or will they wind up together?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Dec 10, 2014
• ISBN: 9781452523019

Shauna Springs

Shauna Springs enjoys writing and the study of history as both are her passion. She enjoys listening to classic rock music. She also likes hiking, traveling, and sightseeing. She resides in Washington state.

Book preview

CHAPTER

1

I t was June 1902, and Ignacio Del Torres, the manservant of the Winters’ property, was sitting on the porch with his boss, Mr. Benjamin Winters. They discussed Ignacio’s work performance and the need to hire more help. The previous December, Ignacio had an accident when he was shoveling snow, and he’d slipped on a patch of ice fell and broke his arm. He spent two months recovering from the ordeal. Thank God the season was winter and there wasn’t a great deal that needed to be done around the property.

Ever since then, Benjamin had been in a bind. Since Ignacio’s accident, he’d been slower and was left with much unfinished work. Naturally Benjamin thought about hiring another manservant to help Ignacio finish the work quickly and more efficiently, and he was also in dire need of a new cook because two weeks ago Mrs. Petrakis had quit. She was a Grecian immigrant, and the rest of her family had immigrated to the United States, so she relocated to New York City to be with them. Benjamin knew one thing for certain: he was tired of hiring immigrants because they all ended up quitting in a short span of time. It seemed like as soon as the rest of their families came to Ellis Island, they up and left. He decided this time he was going to hire either Negroes or destitute white Americans.

Mr. Winters, ever since my accident I haven’t been getting all my work done, and I could use some help, especially since its summer now, Ignacio remarked.

I couldn’t agree with you more, Ignacio. I’m going to look into hiring someone to help you—probably some younger stronger man so that you won’t be behind on your tasks.

Thank you very much.

Don’t mention it. Now go.

Benjamin was presently faced with a tough decision, and he now had to go through the interviewing process and pick which ones were proficient enough to handle the jobs. He’d see who was in their right minds—he couldn’t hire anyone who belonged in an asylum. He had to find out who had a place to live and who didn’t; currently all his servants were live-in. He also needed to make sure he didn’t hire any criminals; he didn’t want to risk anything being stolen. Whenever he was in the process of hiring someone, he always had the name of the person, description, and where he or she currently lived. Then Benjamin would take that to the police station to see whether they’d had run-ins with the law. If they didn’t, he continued; if they did, forget it. Tomorrow he planned to place an ad in the newspaper for a new cook and a new manservant, and he’d spread the word around town that he was hiring. All the servants had connections to unemployed people, or so it seemed. Within no time he would have people knocking on his door for interviews.

After sitting and thinking on his porch for a while, he stood up and walked into his office to compose his advertisement. Just before he sat down, he went to the Victrola phonograph. He wanted to listen to something classical like Beethoven or Tchaikovsky, but what he heard was entirely different. That stupid ragtime noise—that’s what they call music! Mary Anne, why do you have to listen to such things? he muttered to himself. He looked in the pile of records next to the phonograph. His records were on the bottom, and the ragtime jazz records were on the top. Benjamin shook his head in disgust. He decided to turn the phonograph off. Then he sat down to type his add.

Wanted: new cook and manservant

Wages negotiable, plus room and board

823 Cranberry St. Newark.

He proofread it to make sure there were no mistakes. It was satisfactory, and so he pulled the paper out. He was prepared to take it to the Newark Tribune office so that it could be printed in the paper the following day.

Ignacio, go and crank up the Oldsmobile for me. I need to go into town, He said while peering out his front door.

Yes, sir, Ignacio said as he trimmed a rose bush in the front yard. He promptly dropped his shears.

As Benjamin was preparing to leave, he thought of Mary Anne, his daughter. She was eighteen years old and had already graduated from high school. She was still living at home and showed no interest in getting married anytime soon. Naturally she knew her father needed to hire more help, but he couldn’t comprehend how Mary Anne continuously befriended the domestic help. She couldn’t keep them separate from her place in the home. He thought it might have stemmed from her being lonely and having grown up an only child. Not only that, but her mother died from influenza when she was two years old. After her mother’s death, he vowed to never remarry. He reasoned years ago that it would be simpler if it was just he and Mary Anne, but as time went on he realized that it would have been so much easier to have another woman around, other than the servants, to help raise her. At that time he was naïve in his thinking and believed he could raise her to be a lady all on his own, but in hindsight it backfired. Mary Anne was free-spirited, independent, and strong willed. She also believes that women should have equal rights under the law, and that worried him. He had no son and did not want to have a tomboy daughter. Although he did the best he could to teach her everything that was ladylike, she seemed to follow some of it. He wanted her to get married so that she could have sons to whom she could pass on the family fortune, because he came from a longstanding belief that women couldn’t manage money well.

He grabbed his hat and long jacket, put them on, locked the front door, and headed over to the automobile.

It’s ready to go, sir, said Ignacio.

Benjamin nodded his head and then got into the automobile. Ignacio got in the driver’s seat, and they both placed on their goggles.

Where are we going? Ignacio asked.

To the Newark Tribune.

Should we also pick up Ms. Mary Anne?

No. Not unless we see her walking home.

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This cream soda is so delicious! I think it’s even better than the last time I ordered it! How do you do it, Mr. Palomino? Mary Anne said.

Mr. Palomino shrugged.

Well anyway, it is quite delectable!

Why thank you, Ms. Mary Anne, he said in broken English.

You’re quite welcome. You know, you won’t be losing my business any time soon.

I’m so happy to know you keep being my good customer, said Mr. Palomino.

Mary Anne was at her favorite place, Palomino’s Soda Fountain. She absolutely loved soda pop. Like any typical young person, she had a penchant for sweets. Every day except for Sunday, she came to the soda fountain. She always used a nickel out of her allowance to buy one or two. Every week her father gave her a five-dollar allowance, and he wasn’t pleased that she went to the soda fountain on a regular basis. She could hear his voice now: Mary Anne, those are only for when you have a stomachache. Why do you have to drink it like its milk? She mimicked her father’s phrases to her friends many times while heading to the soda fountain. She’d been raised by a strict father, and she had to make fun of him somehow.

She winced at the thought just as her best friend and next-door neighbor Lucinda tapped on her shoulder. Hey, I thought I just saw Ignacio and your father driving down the street. Do you think they’re coming to look for you?

I doubt it. He knows I come here often. Either he thinks I’m here or at the opera house watching a show. You should know by now that he doesn’t usually come looking for me. I’m certain he has a very important errand to run.

I know. It’s just that your father is one of few people who have an automobile in this city. When I see him driving down the street, he sticks out like a sore thumb.

I know.

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The following day when the ad appeared in the newspaper, at least ten people appeared at Benjamin’s front door requesting an interview. It was what he’d thought: mostly immigrants. He didn’t want to be rude and deny them an interview, but when he did talk with them, he knew right away he would not hire them. For a cook he settled on a Negro woman named Laura Nelson; she had much experience cooking for affluent families. She sounded like she was in her right mind and would be a loyal employee.

For the manservant, there was only one American man that showed up. His name was Edward Bailey, and he was only eighteen years old. This was slightly younger than what Benjamin was looking for. It sounded like Edward had lived a rough life, working since he was seven years old. He had no experience working for wealthy families, but Benjamin decided he would give him a try. For a second he thought about Edward’s age and Mary Anne’s penchant for befriending domestic help, and about how young men think. Then he thought, No she should be able to discern well enough.

He decided to head to the police station to check on these people. He had Ignacio start up the Oldsmobile again. He couldn’t risk anything happening to his property—or worse. They both would be starting tomorrow, should they both pass the criminal check. Only Edward would be living in-house.

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Edward was back at his tenement that he shared with his friend and former coworker, Calvin, who was called Cal for short. Guess what?! I got a new job, Edward said with excitement in his voice.

Good for you. Where is it? asked Cal.

I’ll be working on Cranberry Street for some rich man.

Cal’s eyes seemed to pop out of his head; he was clearly surprised with what he’d just heard. No! Are you serious? They are the richest of the rich in this city, possibly even the state. People like them always look down on folks like us.

Yes, I know, but ever since I lost my job at the steel mill, I’ve needed a place to work—and a place to live because the landlord’s evicting me. Oh, and did I mention I’ll be living there too?

You don’t say! When do you start? Cal said.

Tomorrow at nine o’clock in the morning. I have to pack up my things now.

So tell me about this rich man and where he lives. What does he do?

Well, he owns an investment banking firm, and he lives in an enormously huge house, on a street up on the hill with many other similar houses. And get this: he even has an automobile.

An automobile, you and I can only dream of owning one of those. What does it look like?

Edward replied, It’s mostly black and has a red trim on its sides. The seats sit pretty high on it, and it has lights on the front of it that make it look like it has eyes. The wheels are black, white, and red. Haven’t you seen an automobile before?

Yes, but not up close and personal like you apparently have.

Yeah, I went and looked at it while I was waiting to be interviewed.

Look, I’m happy for you buddy, but there’s some advice I need to give you. Do you know what kind of family he has? Cal asked, and Edward shook his head. If he has a daughter, you’d better be careful. Those are some broads I could never hope to get with. Those rich girls will screw you over big time, and if he has a wife, watch out! The wives are the worst. I sure would not want to be in your shoes then.

Edward thought about this for a minute. Cal, I’m going over there to work, not to find a wife or to screw anyone. Besides, I’m sure there are many other poor folks who work for them, if I happen to be looking for someone to be my tootsie-wootsie.

Just don’t get caught up in the wrong hands. I’ve heard stories about people like us who used to work for people like them, and how they got deceived by the rich folks. Oh, by the way Perry from work is coming to live here. Be sure to come by and tell me how your job goes.

Yes, I will, Edward said as he packed his suitcase.

CHAPTER

2

T he next day Edward moved into his new residence and place of work. He found that it wasn’t unpleasant, and he didn’t encounter any problems. His favorite aspect was trimming the bushes. This was so much better than the steel mill—a lot less dangerous too. He had been working in glass factories and steel mills since he was seven years old. He had been scratched up, bruised, and burned numerous times, and he had scars to prove it. He’d been raised in the slums of New York City and had to help support his family after his mother died from diphtheria when he was six years old. He had very little schooling as a result. His father died the next year from tuberculosis, or consumption as it was called, and he lived with his brother Henry, who was seven years his senior. Both the brothers worked very diligently to stay together, but they both worked all day and attended school at night.

Tragically, it wasn’t the best arrangement. Henry figured out that with their working and going to school, they didn’t have enough money to get by. They went hungry sometimes, going up to three days without eating. They had to save up whatever they could to get a bite to eat. When it was safe to do so, if there was any change left on the street, they would go and retrieve it. Anyone who picked change up off the ground, especially in that part of the city, had better make sure no one was around to claim it, or even watching, because one could get beat up on those poverty-ridden, crime-infested streets. It had happened to Henry a few times.

When they did not have enough money to get by, they ended up on the streets. It was autumn, and with the coming winter they had to think fast. They tried to go live as boarders, but that soon failed: either the homes were full or people didn’t want two raggedy kids living with them. They even tired to look for their grandpa, who was still living, but sadly they had no clue as to his whereabouts. That was when Edward had to go to the orphanage. It was already cold at night, and Henry couldn’t have Edward sleep out in the freezing and snowy weather that was sure to come.

While at the orphanage, Edward still worked and had some time for schooling. When he was eight years old, a couple came to adopt him, but he disliked them because they called him a hood rat and a slum baby. The couple attempted to grab his hands to take him out the door, and so he bit them both. That angered the couple and the headmistress, and he was deemed incorrigible. Edward smirked as he remembered that couple; they were pious people who thought he needed to be civilized.

When he was ten, he got a job in a steel mill that was nearby, and it was there that he met a man named Vincent, who was his supervisor. Vincent and his wife, Alexandria, decided to take Edward in and raise him as their own. After he went to live with his new adoptive parents, he continued school up to the fourth grade. They weren’t poor, but they were far from rich and needed a third income. He lived with them until last year, when he’d moved in and shared a tenement with Cal.

Three years ago Edward had contracted consumption while at work at the steel mill, and he’d missed work for nearly a month. Whenever his adoptive parents had the opportunity, they took him out to the countryside to get better, and it helped. It was then that they decided to move out of New York and move across the bay to Newark; it was a smaller city, and the air was cleaner. Vincent could transfer to another steel mill there. Edward liked it much better in Newark.

As for his first day at the Winters Edward enjoyed meeting Ignacio, who showed him the ropes. He also met Henrietta, the maid; Wilhelmina, the seamstress; April, the scullery maid; and Mrs. Nelson. Like Edward, it was Mrs. Nelson’s first day. They both were getting used to their new work environment and the family.

So Ignacio, how big is this family that lives here? Edward asked while he was in the middle of clipping the bushes.

Not big at all. It’s only Benjamin and his daughter, Mary Anne. How old are you?

I’m eighteen.

Oh, well she’s eighteen too. Ignacio stopped himself for a moment, looked Edward over, and said, Now don’t go getting any bright ideas. I know you’re in that part of your life.

Oh, I’m not, Edward said, and then Ignacio looked him over questioningly. The bright ideas, I mean, he added abashed.

Well good. I know how you young men think when you go through all those changes, but I’m telling you right now she is not someone you want to try and fancy yourself with. If she was, then I’d say go for it.

So I take it that our boss is not married? Edward asked.

No. His wife died years ago.

How strange, Edward thought. Just yesterday Cal was trying to tell him not to get too close to any of the rich girls here, and his new coworker was telling him the same thing. At least there was no wife, though—that was a relief, judging from what Cal had told him. He knew he liked women and was getting interested in them, but so far he hadn’t met one that he liked. Cal liked to charm the ladies, and he had even brought a few to the apartment. Edward wasn’t a charmer; he wanted to save that for when he met someone whom he truly desired. He thought Cal liked to lead the women on. Cal wasn’t ready to marry yet, and Edward thought Cal liked to deceive. Edward wasn’t a deceiver. That aside, his curiosity was getting the best of him, and he now wondered what Mary Anne was like.

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That afternoon after her daily visit to the soda fountain, Mary Anne and her friends Hazel and Lucinda came to her house and went up to her room. Mary Anne made it a point to introduce herself to Mrs. Nelson. Just as she walked in the kitchen, Mrs. Nelson turned around to see her approaching from the doorway. Hello, you must be Ms. Mary Anne, the daughter. I’m Mrs. Nelson, she said as they shook hands.

Hello, Mrs. Nelson. So how’s everything coming along? It smells delectable so far.

Why thank you, Ms. Mary Anne. I’m cookin’ T-bone steaks, with baked potatoes, peas, and carrots. Don’t worry, he trained me just fine for your likes of food. I’ve been cooking a mighty long time. Now, don’t go worryin’ about me here.

I won’t, Mrs. Nelson. I have no doubt in your abilities, but there is something I want to tell you. Mary Anne walked over to a smaller cabinet. In here is Jell-O, and that is my absolute favorite dessert and snack food. Orange is my favorite flavor. If you could make it for me, I’d very much appreciate it; I’ll even give you nickels to buy it. That’s what I used to do with the former cook.

I’ll think about it, Ms. Mary Anne, but I’ll make you some tonight. Maybe I’ll consider buying it for you.

Thank you most graciously, Mrs. Nelson, Mary Anne said. Then she walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs to the parlor and then her bedroom. When she got there, she sat on a bench at the end of her bed; Hazel sat on a valise, and Lucinda sat at the vanity table admiring Mary Anne’s braided hair bracelets, which were her mother’s.

Hey Mary Anne, didn’t your father hire a new manservant too? I thought I saw the ad in the paper for that position, Lucinda said as she stood up and walked to the window seat.

Mary Anne replied, He did, but I didn’t see him out there. Maybe he’s working on another side of the house.

Did you meet him yet? Hazel asked.

No not yet.

Wait, I see him out there! Lucinda exclaimed as she pointed out the window.

Great Scott, Lucinda! I hope he doesn’t look up here and see you pointing at him! Hazel said.

Mary Anne walked over to her window. Let me see. As she looked at him, she noticed that he was younger than she thought he would be. He was around her age and had a little bit of a robust build. He must have done some really hard labor with heavy lifting involved. He had brown wavy hair, and from what she could tell considering the angle, he was handsome.

Well, what do you think? He’s kind of handsome for a manservant, said Lucinda, as if reading her mind.

Yes, a little, said Mary Anne. Hazel nodded her head. Just then he looked up and saw them in the window, and he dropped his shovel. Lucinda burst out laughing.

Come on Lucinda get away from the window! Hazel exclaimed, obviously embarrassed.

They walked away from the window, and Lucinda was shaking with laughter. After she calmed down, she said, He’s a little bit clumsy, isn’t he?

I think it was because he knew he was being watched. When he looked up and saw us, he became nervous—and you laughing didn’t help, Lucinda, Hazel said, annoyed.

Hey, I moved away from the window, didn’t I? Lucinda said, equally annoyed.

All right, stop! I will introduce myself when the opportunity arises. Now, I think you two should go home. My father will be home soon with his dinner guests, and I will have to get dressed for it, Mary Anne said. They headed toward the door, bid their good-byes, and left.

Mary Anne looked at her braided bracelets. They were one of the only things she had from her mother. How she wished she could have known her. She had no memories of her mother. She wished all these years that she could have had a strong woman to help her navigate through all the female perspectives of the world in which she lived. With only a father, she had known misogyny firsthand. That was why she agreed with and admired the suffragists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton: they were fighting for women to have equal rights. To her it didn’t seem fair. Men could do anything they wanted, whereas women were only good for a few things and were treated like property. She understood that men liked to exert control over women in everything they did. She wondered if it dated back to the beginning of time, when Eve took the bite of the forbidden fruit, and from then on Adam could control her. Did that same fear get passed on to all men throughout time? Were they afraid women would get them into trouble? When Adam was confronted by God, he blamed Eve. Men had always been afraid that if women weren’t controlled, the men would get into trouble. However, Mary Anne didn’t believe this was true, because she had been taught all her life by her father that women were not senseless creatures. She believed they had a lot of sense—sometimes more than men. If anything, she thought that men should help to guide women, not control them. That was why she commended the suffragists and thought that what they were doing was admirable. She hoped they could change the way of life for women, at least to pass a law saying they could vote.

Just then Wilhelmina came into her room. It was time for her to change into her evening clothes. Ms. Mary Anne, did you decide on which dress you want to wear to dinner tonight? asked Wilhelmina. Mary Anne walked over to her bureau and grabbed a light dusty pink dress out of it. Great choice, said Wilhelmina.

This time all Mary Anne had to do was slip off her current dress and get into the pink one. The most difficult aspect of her dressing routine had been done this morning after she woke up, which was tying the corset. That was another complexity for her: why did men get to dress so simply when women had to dress uncomfortably? Although she had gotten used to corsets in the past three years she had been wearing them, she still never liked them. Was this another way for men to control women, by controlling their clothes? She couldn’t help but wonder.

Wilhelmina helped her to adjust and to button up her dress. All right, Ms. Mary Anne, you’re good to go, Wilhelmina said as she patted Mary Anne on the back.

Thank you, Mary Anne said, and she left her room.

Wilhelmina was fifty years old and loved Mary Anne like a daughter. She had never married or had children. She was born in Germany but moved to the United States with her family when she was three years old, so she grew up bilingual. She moved to Newark fourteen years ago; it was then that she began working here in the Winters house. She had watched Mary Anne grow up from a little girl who had a nanny that went with her everywhere to this beautiful, sophisticated young lady. Mary Anne even resembled the Gibson girl with her fair and delicate features and stylish hair and clothing. How time flew by. Wilhelmina always felt sad that Mary Anne had lost her mother so young, and for whatever reason her father had decided to never marry again. Wilhelmina was like a mother to her in a lot of respects. She did admire Mary Anne’s spunk, and the fact that she agreed with the rights for women.

During her father’s dinner party, Mary Anne sat quietly and ate. The T-bone steaks and the potato were very tasty; Mrs. Nelson was an excellent cook. Mary Anne usually felt out of place at her father’s dinners because they were men from her father’s firm, and only sometimes did they bring their wives. This was not one of those times. She was always quiet during these meals because she hated the way men talked, and the worst part was what they said about their wives and women in general having to be subservient. She loathed listening to that. Sometimes her father would talk about her as if she wasn’t there, talking about what he forbid her to do because it wasn’t deemed ladylike. There were times when she wanted to speak up, but she knew if she did, her father would be embarrassed in front of his friends and colleagues, and no way could he have that. She hated the way her father thought about women, but she respected him and loved him dearly. She couldn’t upset him. Throughout the dinner she sat quietly ate, and didn’t speak unless spoken to. She was ecstatic when Mrs. Nelson decided to make her Jell-O and brought it over to her. Mary Anne thanked her and enjoyed her dessert; it helped her forget about everyone at the table. She even heard her father snidely remark, How she loves that new manufactured food, but she didn’t care.

That night as Mary Anne was getting ready for bed and washing her hair, she had a lot on her mind. After she had excused herself from the table, she had gone to work on a cross-stitch. When that was finished, she read some of her book, Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington. It was his autobiography, and she found it very interesting and insightful. Mary Anne was an avid reader and couldn’t get enough of it because she could live in another world for just a little while. There were times when she got bored in her large house; she had lived there her whole life, and all the activities she could do in her spare time were wearing thin.

She often wondered what it would be like to work. That was a concept with which she was unfamiliar because all her money came from her father, and she never had to work for her allowance. She had wondered what it would be like to work in a soda fountain like Mr. Palomino, or to be a maid like Henrietta, or to work as an office secretary. She had read that a multitude of women were taking those kinds of jobs now. She thought that if she could work, she would be far from bored, and time would seem to pass by more quickly. It was uncanny that she sometimes had dreams about working and about not being wealthy, but in those dreams she was totally happy. She had no concept about living that kind of life. She had heard about some doctor in Austria who claimed to interpret dreams. What was his name? Sigmund Freud? She wondered what those dreams may have told her; it would be interesting to find out.

When Marry Anne was done washing her hair, she had to go downstairs to pick up her book; she liked to read before she fell asleep. It was now ten o’clock, and everyone was getting ready for bed. Henrietta always blew out the kerosene lamps at ten thirty. Seven o’clock in the morning was when they would rise and start the day. She walked down to the kitchen to put the bowl away, and what she saw was impressive. Mrs. Nelson sure knew how to clean up, and it was an immaculate job. The kitchen was hot and stuffy in the summer.

Mary Anne walked up the stairs to the living room, grabbed her book, and then ascended the stairs to her room. She got out a match from her nightstand drawer and lit her kerosene lantern that was by her bed. Then she shut her door and crawled right into bed. This was her favorite time. She could wear her nightgown, which was light and comfortable; she didn’t have to wear a tight, constricting corset. She could wear her hair down and not have to wear those huge, heavy hats. God, was there ever a time that women could dress lightly? Yes, probably in the ancient Roman days and all the other ancient civilizations, but sadly not in this day and age. Yes, there were many positive aspects about bedtime for her. She continued to read her book, and eventually she blew out her lamp before drifting off to sleep.

The next day was as usual for her. Father was at work, and so she socialized with Hazel and Lucinda. They watched a pantomime show at the opera house and then went to the soda fountain following the show. The root beer float she had today was delicious especially considering the day was hot. That afternoon after her activities, she sat out on the back porch with some iced tea Mrs. Nelson had made, and she had her book as well.

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Today was Edward’s day to mow the lawn. He thought this task would ordinarily be easy, but with the weather scorching hot today, it would be miserable. As he approached the back porch, he thought he saw her. Then he had to turn around to mow another row. As he walked toward the porch again, he saw her standing this time and looking straight ahead. Oh my gosh, he thought. He almost stopped his mowing. She was beautiful, even more so than her pictures on the wall. She was the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen. Then he had to stop and think about what Cal had said. No, I will never be able to court a woman like that. Not in a million years. Keep dreaming, Edward. What a pity it was to be him right now.

Just then she looked over and saw him. He got so distracted that he didn’t see the pile of laundry that had yet to be hung up, and he ran it over as she approached him. Oh no! Would she be upset with him? He immediately became nervous.

Mary Anne tried to keep herself from laughing, but she couldn’t do it. So I see my father must have hired a new manservant. My name is Mary Anne. And you are …? she said as she extended her hand to him.

Oh, my name’s Edward, he said nervously as he shook her hand.

You don’t have to be afraid of me—I don’t bite. As for your mishap here with the laundry, I’ll just have to inform April, and I’ll see if Wilhelmina can sew it back together, she said as she examined the damaged bed sheet. There was only one large tear on it. Thank goodness it looked like it was all he wrecked.

Your father won’t be angry about this, will he? Edward asked.

No, he shouldn’t be. Well, I hope not, but we can fix this easily. If I were you, I wouldn’t worry about it. We’ll fix it.

Thank you. You’re so thoughtful, Edward said bashfully.

You’re welcome, and don’t worry, I’ll get this taken care of.

As she walked into the house with the sheet, Edward thought that not only was she beautiful, but she was sweet and kind as well. That was such a nice combination. As he continued mowing the lawn, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He looked forward to the next time he’d see her again.

Mary Anne walked into the laundry room to find April, who stood starching one of her father’s suits. April looked over and saw her. May I help you? she asked. Mary Anne straightened the sheet out for her to see. Good heavens! What happened here? April asked with shock in her voice.

Well, Edward was mowing the lawn, and he accidentally ran over this sheet, Mary Anne said with a chuckle. Luckily it was the only one that was out of the basket. Will you starch this for me? Then I’ll see if Wilhelmina can sew it back together. I’d very much appreciate it.

All right, but we need to shake it to get the grass off, April said. She and Mary Anne held the sheet on each side and shook it. As April inspected the sheet, she saw that the majority of the grass clippings came off; the rest she could pick off by hand. I’ll have it ready in about fifteen minutes, April added.

Thank you, April, Mary Anne said as she walked through the closet walkway and into kitchen next door. She was interested in what Mrs. Nelson was making today. Mrs. Nelson must be scorching in there today, and Mary Anne felt sorry for her. So far it smelled good: a little sweet, a little buttery, and a little fishy.

Well hello, Ms. Mary Anne. How you doin’ today?

I’m fine, Mrs. Nelson. What’s cooking?

Today your father wanted me to make some codfish with some butter, along with rice pilaf and fruit salad.

Mmm, sounds delicious.

I’m glad you like it. Lord, it’s so hot today, I keep havin’ to make more and more iced tea. Everybody wants it. I think I’ll make ice cream for dessert, but with this weather being so dang hot, everybody’ll want that too. My second day, and I’m already being worked to the bone—not that I’m complaining, you hear.

Well, Mrs. Nelson, I happen to love ice cream should you decide to make it. Any flavor, it doesn’t matter. I love them all.

Lord, Ms. Mary Anne, I figured you did. All my kids love sweet foods too.

You have children? Mary Anne asked.

Yes, I have four, two boys and two girls. Youngest is nine, and my oldest is twenty-two. How old are you?

I’m eighteen.

Well, close enough to my middle children. They are seventeen and nineteen.

What do your children do for work, if you don’t mind my asking?

Mrs. Nelson said, Don’t mind at all my oldest works in the shipyard along with my husband. My other son, who’s nineteen, works in the neighborhood barbershop. My older daughter works as a seamstress in a dress shop in our neighborhood, and my nine-year-old is still in school. I made my kids wait until they finished the eighth grade before they left school. I wanted them to have good schooling in the hopes that they could have slightly better opportunities than my husband and I had.

Mary Anne nodded her head to what Mrs. Nelson told her, and she didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t empathize with them—she had never known any of hardships they had. She’d been born into privilege, but the biggest difference was her not having been born with their skin color. That was something she definitely could not imagine. On the other hand, she thought it was admirable for Mrs. Nelson to make her children stay in school so that they could have better opportunities. Just as she believed in equality for women, she also believed Negroes should have equality as well, although she was doubtful that would change anytime soon.

Laura Nelson was born into slavery in about 1860 in North Carolina. Her parents and older siblings remembered that time well, but she had only been about four years old when Lincoln abolished it, so she didn’t remember having been a slave. Afterward her family had worked as sharecroppers for a few years, but her father decided it would be better to move the family northward to find better working opportunities in industry. Her father surmised that the white people in the North were somewhat lenient toward Negroes who needed employment—that was what he kept hearing, anyway. Her parents wanted to have a better way of life for them and for their children. She was glad she wasn’t living in the South, with the Jim Crow laws and the lynching; it was horrible down there, and she was glad her children weren’t subjected to that. Although she and her family had encountered a lot of prejudice, and there was some segregation here it wasn’t as bad as the South. She honestly hoped for a better day when Negroes would be treated like human beings and not animals, but she had no idea when that day would come. However, she was grateful that people like Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois were trying to change the way of life for them.

Mrs. Nelson said, By the way, I have more strawberries than I know what to do with. Why don’t you take some for a snack? They’ve been washed off.

Mary Anne thanked her as she took the bowl. She walked up the stairs and then through the living room to get to back porch. She tried a strawberry, and it was delicious. She sat around with nothing to do but snack on those. Just then she saw Edward coming toward her with a small garden shovel in hand. She got up to approach him, but as soon as he saw her, he seemed to freeze in his steps. He seemed to have a nervous disposition.

Edward, I have some strawberries Mrs. Nelson gave me. Would you like some? They’re really sweet and very refreshing on a sweltering day like this. Take a little break if you want. I won’t say a word.

Edward looked at her hesitantly for a moment. He thought a little break couldn’t hurt, with the temperature and the humidity so high and his clothes sticking to him. He did want to sit down in the shade for at least a few minutes. He hoped those strawberries were as refreshing as Mary Anne promised. Sure, I’ll have some and take a little break. You won’t tell your father about this, will you?

She gave him a look. Come on, Edward. Do you think I’m my father’s messenger? Of course I won’t tell him. What I say goes too, and if I say you can take a little break, then it’s no great affair. Besides, it’s an extremely hot day, and I’m sure he would sympathize. Now, put your shovel down, and let’s go sit on the porch.

He followed her up the couple steps to the porch and sat on the other wicker chair. The bowl of strawberries was on a wicker table between them. He grabbed a small handful and ate one; it was delicious and refreshing, just like she’d said. He was also very apprehensive because he was sitting near her. He couldn’t think of anything to say. He had never been near a woman so beautiful and so out of his league. One could imagine his nervousness because he knew he wasn’t supposed to fancy her. As he looked at her, he thought she looked like her mother mainly in the structure of her body, but her face resembled her father’s more, especially in the eyes ears and nose. He judged this from the family photo they had in the living room when Mary Anne was little.

Finally she spoke up. Silly me, I forgot to ask: would you like some iced tea?

Yes, I would, please.

As she left to grab the tea, Edward couldn’t stop being nervous, though he was trying not to be. He had finally met a woman he liked, but he knew he couldn’t have her. The only way he could be with her was if he had the same social status, which he didn’t. He now thought, If I was rich or if she was poor, I’d have a chance. Edward, stop thinking this. It’s not meant to happen.

Then as quickly as she’d left, she was back. Here, nice and chilling for you.

Thank you, said Edward. It hit the spot and was very chilled.

How do you like your job so far? Mary Anne asked.

This caught Edward off guard. It’s fine so far. I don’t have a problem with it.

I’m curious, how old are you?

I’m eighteen, he replied.

I’m eighteen as well. When is your birthday?

May tenth. Why?

Just curious again, so you just turned eighteen last month. My birthday happens to be January tenth. We were both born on the tenth day of the month.

Edward nodded his head, but he wasn’t feeling very talkative right now. He understood that she may have been bored and needed someone to talk to, but he was too anxious.

So what do you think about the strawberries and the iced tea? Mary Anne asked.

Oh, it’s very good. Refreshing, just like you said it was.

So you liked the way I chose to describe it, Refreshing?

He couldn’t help but laugh a little. Then he saw April walk onto the porch with the sheet he’d run over, and he was embarrassed. April gave him this look that seemed to say, Why are you sitting down?

April said, It’s done now. I ironed and starched it; now you can go and see if Wilhelmina will sew it.

Thank you, April. Look, Edward, I have to get up now—I have my own work to take care of. It was nice conversing with you. Hopefully we can do this again soon.

Yes, same here, he replied. So far Edward liked her as a person. What Cal had told him about wealthy people looking down on them wasn’t true with her. So far she seemed like a genuine, caring person; he felt he could tell her anything. She also sounded like she would take the blame for someone if need be, like with Edward and his running over the sheet, because she kept telling him not to worry about it. At first he thought he was going to be yelled at and reprimanded. It was certainly a relief that he wasn’t. Now he was looking forward to when he could talk to her again. She seemed interested in him—as a person of course. No pressure there. He grabbed the last of the strawberries, took another gulp of his iced tea, and got up to go back to work. He had to dig up some herbs. Yes, I think I’m really going to like it here, he thought to himself.

Mary Anne walked over to the sewing room. Wilhelmina was stitching a small hole in one of her father’s shirts. Wilhelmina looked up and saw Mary Anne standing in the doorway with the sheet. Hello, what can I do for you?

I need you to do me this gigantic favor. Will you sew this sheet back together, please?

Wilhelmina adjusted her spectacles. Good heavens, Ms. Mary Anne, what happened here?

It’s a funny story. See, Edward was mowing the lawn, and I was walking toward him to introduce myself. He saw me, and I startled him; apparently he wasn’t paying attention to where he was mowing. April had left this on the ground, and he ran over it.

Wilhelmina smirked at that story. Well, I suppose I can fix it. It is torn pretty well. I’ll get to work on it right when I’m done with your father’s shirt.

Thank you so much, Wilhelmina. And please don’t mention this to my father. Edward just started, and I would hate to have him get in trouble.

Ms. Mary Anne, I won’t say a word, and it’s very kind of you to be concerned for Edward. Now run along so that I can get this finished.

An hour later she was sitting at the table with her father; it was just the two of them tonight. The dinner Mrs. Nelson made today was delicious. She cooks a scrumptious buttery codfish and rice pilaf, Mary Anne thought.

Benjamin said, Well, with the weather being such a scorcher today, I wished I would have called Mrs. Nelson and told her to take a break today. I could have let her go home early, and we could have gone to a restaurant to eat.

Papa, I wouldn’t worry about it, because honestly we have a very delicious dinner right here. But I see what you mean by having Mrs. Nelson take a break from having to work, with this weather being so hot.

Yes, I think the next sweltering day I’ll do that. But you’re right, my dear, this dinner is absolutely delicious.

Yes Papa, Mrs. Nelson is a great cook. I’m glad you hired her.

I am as well. Now, let’s finish our dinner so she can bring us dessert.

They ate in silence for a while. Mary Anne thought it was nice that way she could enjoy what she was eating, especially when it was silent. Just then Mrs. Nelson showed up with two bowls. Mary Anne was surprised with what it was. "Mrs. Nelson, you did decide to make ice-cream!"

Yes, I did. I made some for everyone, she said as he passed her father’s dessert to him.

Thank you, Mrs. Nelson, said Benjamin.

The ice cream was vanilla, and it had a couple strawberries and a mint leaf on it. Mary Anne savored it like she didn’t want it to disappear. God she loved ice cream nearly as much as Jell-O.

When you are done with your ice cream, my dear, I have a surprise in the living room for you, Benjamin said.

All right, Papa. She wondered what it could be. Now she hurried to finish her dessert, because she loved surprises. I’m done. May I be excused? she asked.

Of course you may, my dear.

Thank you, Papa, she said as she stood up pushed her chair in and ran into the living room. She looked around the living room. The surprise was small—she could guess that much. Then she saw it on one the chairs sitting upright. It was a book titled The Octopus: A Story of California. Wonderful! She thought. She had wanted that book. She walked back into the kitchen. Thank you so much, Papa!

Yes, well, you have been a wonderful daughter, and I’m proud of you. You deserve it, my dear. She hugged her father and he kissed her on the cheek. Maybe you should go read it now.

I will, she replied. Considering it was still hot out for seven o’clock in the evening, she decided to go out to the porch to read her new book. Then she remembered she’d left her previous book out here. Oh well. I’ll finish reading it tonight when I go to bed, she thought. She was very eager to start this new book.

Then Ignacio and Edward came up the steps. Hello, Ms. Mary Anne, greeted Ignacio.

Hello. Getting ready for dinner now? she asked.

Yes, Edward and I have to go wash up, and then we’ll eat. Is that a new book you got there?

Why yes. My father decided to surprise me with it today. By the way, the dinner tonight is delicious, and the dessert was the best.

Thanks for that tidbit, Mary Anne. Edward and I now have to go eat, because I’ll have to drive Mrs. Nelson home afterward.

All right, enjoy, she replied. As they walked in the door, she noticed Edward glance back at her. She also noticed that when she was talking with Ignacio, Edward was acting quite peculiar. He kept trying to hide behind Ignacio and had this seemingly bashful look on his face when he looked over at her. What is wrong with him? He has been acting nervous all day. He seems embarrassed and shy around me. Has he ever been around women before? Is he interested in me? Well, we can never be with each other because of our statuses in life. Or maybe he’s never been around someone like me, and he doesn’t know how to present himself? That could be why he acts that way around me. All of these were probable scenarios. Just give it time, and maybe he’ll snap out of it. After all, he’s probably just nervous because it’s a new job. Other than men’s opinion of women, which she understood well, she didn’t have much knowledge about how to tell whether a man was interested in her in a courtship aspect. She had never been courted before. She didn’t like any of the young men in the neighborhood, or even in the city. All of the wealthy young men were just like her father: wanting to acquire more, thinking women should stay home and not work, and believing that women couldn’t manage money. That was what her father believed, and that was how all the wealthy men were. She became disgusted just thinking about it. If there was a man out there who would treat her as an equal, then she would be ecstatic. That’s what she wanted.

She knew all too well how her father was worried about her. She was not married yet and was not interested in any of the men around here. He didn’t like how she agreed with the suffragists and their cause. He was terrified about her not being ladylike and not being courted by any man. What he’s really afraid of is not having someone to pass his fortune on to—that’s what it boils down to. Benjamin had never had any sons, and she knew that was why he was like this toward her. Maybe if he had had a boy, he wouldn’t worry about her so much—or better yet if she