Ginger Chambers - Bachelor's Puzzle

He smiled and she twitched uncomfortably in her seat. Had he seen her quick glance at his hand? Elise wanted to leap out of the car, but her legs felt like twin weights. They didn’t want to move.

“Well, I was,” he explained drolly, “but I don’t know where ‘home’ is. Would you like to direct me?”

Elise bit her bottom lip. “Go down this street to the right. Turn left, then left again after the fourth stop sign.”

“It’s all right, you know,” he said calmly, not having moved.

“What is?” she asked. She didn’t want to look at him anymore or talk to him. She just wanted to go home, go upstairs and stretch out in her bed. Maybe she had pushed herself a bit too far.

“To laugh when everything seems darkest. Sometimes it’s the only thing a person can do to protect his sanity.” He shifted the car into reverse and backed into the street.

There was a great difference between riding in a Mercedes and riding in her Escort. Bumps in the road were barely noticeable. Trees and grass and houses seemed to glide by in a haze of comfort. He took the first turn smoothly, effortlessly. But instead of relaxing, Elise grew more tense. Ultimately she burst out, “I shouldn’t be doing this! I’m needed at the library. And my car! What am I going to do about my car? I’ll need it later.”

“Can’t someone at the library drop it off for you?” he asked.

“I can’t ask anyone to do that! No, this is silly. Take me back, please.”

He glanced at her. “They won’t be happy to see you return so soon. They were ready to call an ambulance.”

“But you know I wasn’t that bad!”

“I do, yes. But they don’t. If you go back now, they’ll worry. They’ll watch you, dissect your every move. Is that what you want?” When she didn’t answer, he continued, “Tell you what. Why don’t you take off a couple of hours. Get some rest. Satisfy everyone. Then I’ll take you back to the library myself.”

“I still don’t think...”

“It won’t fall down without you, you know. Contrary to popular belief, the building looks fairly sturdy. And even if you were there and it did fall down, would you be able to hold it up all by yourself?”

“You’re making fun of me!” she accused.

He glanced away from the street. “Not really.”

The Mercedes slid to a halt at the final stop sign before making the next left. Elise wanted to continue to argue, but held her tongue as she reluctantly admitted that what he said was true. Everyone would watch her, waiting to see if she might weaken again. And she would hate that, even if it was done in the name of caring. Also, there was the concept of living to fight another day. Maybe, just this once, she should take a little time to gather her strength so that she could deal with all the difficulties that were to follow...which included her meetings with this architect! It was apparent that she was going to need every bit of energy she could muster.

* * *

“TURN RIGHT at the next corner,” Elise said, continuing her instructions.

Her voice held a musical quality even as she perched stiffly on the seat next to him. Robert did as she requested, steering the car onto a street of houses that looked to have been built sometime between the two great wars. None contained any unique architectural features; they were purely utilitarian, built for growing families. Wide yards, aged trees, sidewalks that could use some repair. Upkeep on most houses was ongoing. A few needed work.

“It’s the first house on the left,” she said.

Robert turned into the narrow driveway. He cut the engine and turned slightly toward her. He still wasn’t completely sure she was as all right as she claimed. She was so thin...fragile looking. He could easily encompass her wrist between his middle finger and thumb with room to spare! Her short hair, lightly curling, changed from blond to silver depending upon the angle and degree of light. Her naturally pale skin held the lightest trace of a summer tan. Carved, delicate features, a long, graceful neck, a narrow waist.... He could only guess at her age, but he’d estimate late forties, early fifties. Her face had a quality that youth didn’t know...of numerous challenges won and lost and, as well, a haunting shadow of pain deeply held.

“Thank you for bringing me home,” she murmured, remaining stiff and formal in her manner even as she reached for the door handle.

“I’ll see you inside,” he offered.

“That’s not necessary.” She threw him a look from pale blue eyes that exactly matched the suit she wore. The look bade him not to press. But it also showed him her uncertainty. She didn’t know what to do with him! Twice they’d arranged to meet to discuss the new library and twice some outside event had gotten in the way. She couldn’t ask him into the house to work because she knew he wouldn’t agree to do so. Also, she was irritated with him because he had advised her to rest...something she obviously didn’t do a great deal. But she couldn’t just dismiss him. She needed him. So there she was, in a quandary. He tried to ease the situation for her. She’d already been through enough.

“I have friends who live on Lake Geneva. They’ve told me to stop by any time I’m in the area. Why don’t I go visit them for a couple of hours, then I’ll swing back by here and take you to the library. We can talk after that. It shouldn’t take long today. Just a few preliminaries.”

He’d wanted to do a lot more than that. He’d wanted to dig right in and feel out where she stood on a number of necessary changes. He already had a few proposals in mind. But looking into that pale face and seeing the edge of tiredness she couldn’t disguise made him willing to wait.

“Why just a few preliminaries?” she questioned, latching on to the key word. “I’d rather get on with this, wouldn’t you? Progress as far as we can.”

“Well, because...”

“I’m perfectly all right!” she insisted. “I simply forgot to eat lunch, that’s all. Then when Joe said what he did...I had a perfect right to be upset! Joe knew it. That’s why he didn’t want to tell me.”

“Do you faint every time you get upset?”

“I didn’t faint!”

“You came close to it.”

“But I didn’t actually faint!” Her denial was low and surprisingly fierce. She took a breath. “You’ve said you think we can make this new library work. I’m going to hold you to that, Mr. Fairmont. I’m willing to put in whatever amount of time it takes. You should be, too.”

“That’s what an architect does, Miss—”

“Good. Now, you go visit your friends. I think that’s an excellent idea. Then come back and we’ll get started on the plans.”

Robert continued to look at her, a smile pulling at his lips. She might appear to be fragile, but he could see that she was a force to be reckoned with when she spoke on behalf of the library. It might have been her child, a living, breathing entity she would give her all to protect. Attack it and you attacked her.

“Whatever you say,” he murmured dryly.

Her cheeks took on a rosy hue and she quickly let herself out of the car. He watched as she walked, her back straight, to the tiny porch that fronted the house, then she disappeared inside.

Robert’s gaze stayed on the door for a moment before moving away. Her house was one of the more neatly kept homes on the block. The white paint was fresh, the shrubs trimmed and numerous flowers bloomed in their beds. The look was pleasing to the eye.

He restarted the car. If he was going to stop in on Harry and June, he needed to find a telephone. Not that he wouldn’t enjoy a simple ride in the country if they weren’t at home. But he felt he should give them ample warning. He backed out of the drive, and after another glance at the unprepossessing house Elise lived in, accelerated down the street.