Where Trust Lies (9781441265364) (13 page)

“Let's hit the town,” Nick called out. “Gotta be something here besides fish, even if it's just a café where we can get ourselves a good cup of joe.”

Beth hesitated. She wasn't certain of the tender schedule and didn't want to miss the last ride back to the ship. And she still was unsure of Nick's intentions. “When are you planning to head back?” she asked.

“Oh, I don't have a
plan
. Let's just have some fun—make it up as we go. What say, girls?”

The others wasted no time falling in line behind Nick. “Drop us off at your best watering hole,” Jannis instructed the driver of the dusty bus. “We wanna see the other sights here.”

Beth cast a glance at Julie, whose eyes were pleading that she concede. The two made their way back to their seats.
Julie is very hard to deny, especially after
her recent statement about feeling neglected. Perhaps the driver knows
how many more shuttles there are. . . .

As it turned out, they were not the only passengers who had decided to remain a little longer in town. Beth breathed a sigh of relief when several other couples from the cruise also found their way to the small diner.

Nick ordered five cups of coffee and a platter of fish and chips to share, struggling with the few French words he knew. The waitress nodded abruptly and hurried away.

Penny rolled her eyes. “Golly, she's a little touchy. You'd think they'd be grateful for the tourists, even if we're not French enough.”

Julie laughed. “They probably get tired of all the panto
mimed orders, as if we couldn't be bothered to learn a little French. You'd think we've never been anywhere.”

“We haven't been,” Jannis said with a shrug. “This is the most foreign place I've ever seen. Can you imagine that?”

“How about you, Nick? You traveled much?” Julie wondered.

“Nah. I went south to New Orleans with friends one summer while I was still in college. I picked up some French there, but it doesn't look like it works very well here.”

Beth asked, “Where did you attend school?”

He seemed genuinely surprised at the question. “Uh, University of Pennsylvania. I studied economics for a couple of years . . . didn't graduate.”

“That's right, he didn't,” Jannis blurted. “He got kicked out before his senior year, the dumb cluck.”

“Oh, dear. I'm sorry.” Beth wasn't sure if she should pursue the topic.

Julie, however, didn't waver. “What for, Nick?”

He sighed. “It wasn't my fault. A little disagreement between me and another guy that got outta hand. They wouldn't listen to my explanation—just booted us both. It's a shame too. I was doing real well. Thought I'd get a job in the stock market or something highbrow like that. Instead, I went right back to driving a jitney for five cents a ride. Some cushy job, huh?” He told the story with a careless tone, but Beth was certain it concealed his true feelings.

“How come you're on a
cruise
then?” Julie pressed further.

A slow grin spread across his face, and his words were evasive. “I'm working some angles—getting a foot in the door, I guess you can say, till I figure it out better. I'd hate to give away any secrets, if you know what I mean. But there's no way I'll be stuck at a dead end forever. Not me.”

Beth stared wordlessly.
What does he mean? Is he trying to find a
job on the cruise ship? A young man with an
incomplete economics degree? And what of his family? Had they
forsaken him?
It made no sense to Beth.

When the plate of food had been consumed and the coffee drained, the waitress dropped the bill on the table. Julie reached for it and fumbled in her purse for some coins.

Penny pushed away from the table, sighing contentedly. “Thanks, Darb,” she said with a little smirk at Julie, who was laying out the money.

“You're welcome.” Julie smiled back sweetly.

Beth cast a sideways glance at her sister, but Julie merely shrugged. As they rose to leave, Julie explained under her breath, “She calls me that sometimes. I think it's some kind of compliment, but I don't really know what it means. Then again, I often don't know what their words mean. Isn't it fun?”

“Hmm. I don't like the way she said it.”

“Oh, Bethie. You're so overprotective! Just like Mother.”

The words stung.
Is that how she sees me? Is that
what I am?
Beth immediately made up her mind not to reproach Julie as much—to be more open to the new people and new experiences.

C
OME
ROLLER
-
SKATING
WITH
US
,”
Julie coaxed as Beth began to gather her broad-brimmed hat from its hook beside her bedroom door and her book to read on deck. “I've rented four pairs of skates, hoping you'd join us.”

It took a moment to register. “What did you say? You're going to
skate
on board the ship?”

“Yes! On the rec deck. Won't that be fun?”

“But we've never roller-skated before. And the ship is
already
rolling, so to speak.”

“We've been ice-skating, though. That's close enough. Come on, Bethie. Have an adventure.”

“Well, I'll give it a try at least. It does sound fun. But I can't promise I'll be any good at it. I don't even ice-skate very well, you know.”

“Now, what should you wear?” Julie hurried to find something from Beth's closet, returning with a thick wool skirt and a light top in hand. “Trust me,” she said, “you want your skirt to be a little longer, and nothing that the wind might catch.” Her explanation did not calm Beth's fears.

The deck was already crowded by the time they arrived. All the chairs and tables had been drawn to the center so the track could be as large as possible. Several participants were already skating laps. To Beth it seemed an awfully small space for roller-skating. Yet she was here to spend time with her sister and so would do her best. She seated herself and slipped the base of the skate under her own shoes, adjusted their fit, and buckled the straps tightly.

“Julie, I'm going to need your help to stand.”

“I'm here. Grab hold.”

Using the back of a chair and clutching Julie's shoulder, Beth lifted herself up and felt the wheels begin to roll beneath her. “Not so fast!”

Julie's laughter was her answer.

Together they glided away from the chairs and moved into the stream of other skaters. Jannis and Penny flew by them with a wave. “Oh, don't let go, Julie! Let me get used to the feeling.” Soon Beth was comfortable enough to release her sister's arm and giggle along with the other three girls. Once she felt more sure of her own movements and was able to relax somewhat, Beth found she was enjoying it immensely.

Julie could spin in slow circles and also skate backward. She and Jannis would grasp hands and spin together, drawing closer and spinning faster until they lost their grip and spun away with a rush of laughter.

“I need a rest,” Beth admitted at last. She made her way to the nearest table, caught hold of one of its chairs, and let herself down, still puffing.

Julie whisked past. “Order us sodas,” she called. “Then we'll sit with you.”

Beth placed the order, giving Mother's room number, certain that Julie would be treating her two friends. Then
she watched the energetic group doing laps around her. She noticed quickly that Julie fit well among them all with her outgoing nature and modern clothing. In fact, her short hair seemed to have been the last piece of the puzzle.

Indeed, it was now Beth who was the odd one out. Scanning the area, she realized she was the only one of the young women to still have her hair pinned up. Her hairstyle fit only with the few older ladies who were observing the activity. Some of the other girls had long locks, but their hair was flowing freely down their backs, blowing in the breeze—which seemed in this setting to look alive and vibrant. Beth began to understand and sympathize with Julie's determination to adapt. She could feel the allure of being so carefree and trendy.

“Is this seat taken?”

Beth recognized the voice immediately. “Good afternoon, Nick. Please, make yourself comfortable.” She motioned to the empty chair.

“It's good to see you joining in the fun today. I was beginning to think you might be a bit of a flat tire.” He winked at Beth.

Beth stiffened, remembering his hand on Julie's back. She refused to allow this kind of familiarity from the young man. “I suppose that
is
what I am sometimes. But I'm not opposed to fun—really.”

“Have you finished your book yet?”

“No, I've taken a break from it. The scenes became a little too sad for me, too realistic in a way that was . . . well, rather appalling.”

He leaned forward across the table. “How so?”

“The poverty, for one.”

“Gimme a ‘for instance.'” He was smiling playfully, still seeming to be teasing her.

“Very well. There is a section where a woman and two
little girls are starving. Redburn discovers them in an alley. But when he tries to call a policeman or beg for food on their behalf, no one will help.”

“Yeah, that's pretty balled up, all right.” Nick shrugged.

“But it gets worse.” The memory caused Beth's brow to furrow. “Redburn returned with a little bread and water which he had stolen. But later he laments that he even bothered . . . he realizes that all he'd done was to
prolong
their deaths. He even considers that it would be more of a mercy to have just killed them outright.” Beth gripped her hands tightly together at the grim memory.

“Are you serious? The guy was considering bumping them off?”

“And then Redburn realizes that if he did kill them, society—the very ones who refused to help as he rushed through the streets begging for food—this same society would spend any amount necessary to prosecute him for that crime, money they hadn't bothered to spend in order to
rescue
these poor souls in the first place.”

“Gosh! I guess there may be some truth in it, but I agree that's a pretty appalling idea.”

Beth shook her head and sighed. “I understand the vignette is fictional—but I suppose there's some amount of reality there. It makes me sick to my stomach just to contemplate it.”

A shadow crossed Nick's face. He confessed, “I've seen things that are just about as twisted as that—when you know something ain't right, but you don't know how to make it work out any more fair.”

“You have?”

“Sure, I bet everybody has. Guess all you can do is roll with whatever life gives you, and get yours before somebody else gets there first.”

“Oh no, Nick.” Beth sat forward and searched his face. “We can do so much better than that. We can right at least some of the wrongs. We can work toward changing things for the poor and cast-out. We have to.”

“What,
you
?” But the shadow lifted as quickly as it had come.
He must be teasing me again.
“You in your ivory tower—you think there's something you can do about all that? When would you have ever even
seen
poor people?”

“Oh, but I have,” she answered quietly. “I worked in a coal-mining town out in western Canada as a teacher last year. I can't say that I really changed things much . . . but we have to try. We're answerable before God at least to do our best.”

He pushed himself back, his expression slightly dour. “Even if you did—even if you could get some other folks to help too—you can't stop all the evil. People will still suffer. How could God ever make that
our
fault?”

Beth hesitated. “I'm not saying that suffering is our fault. I believe we suffer because sin has taken hold of the world. And with sin comes selfishness and heartlessness and wickedness. But I also think there will be a day of reckoning, Nick, when God lays out all we've done and judges our actions. That's not as popular to talk about anymore, I suppose. We all like to hear about a God who loves and forgives and rewards. But He isn't holy and just if He doesn't deal with all those wrongs. I would never want to stand before God without having done everything in my power to extend His mercy to the people around me whenever I could.”

He shook his head, as if to whisk away her weighty words. “I don't see it. If there even
is
a God, He's the one with all the power. Let
him
fix it.”

Just then the waiter set four glasses of soda before them
and hurried away. Beth tried to return to their discussion, but Julie and her friends descended on them just as quickly.

“Nick, you old piker! You better not be pinching our drinks.” Jannis slapped him on the back and slipped into the seat next to him.

“You gals can have them. I've got places to go.” He stood rather abruptly, pasting on a broad smile. “See you around, ladies.”

“Yeah, scram,” Penny demanded with a wink.

He nodded at Beth and hastened away. She wished they had not been interrupted and hoped for another chance to talk with him. He had seemed rather troubled. Beth realized she knew almost nothing about the man. In her concern about his influence on Julie, she had overlooked the fact that he too might be someone needing a friend.

The girls sipped on their sodas, chatting about upcoming activities and the remaining cruise stops. Glasses emptied, the others went back to skating again, but Beth decided she was finished for the day and unbuckled the skates.

As she lifted her eyes, she noticed Margret making her way through the stream of skaters, a laughing, wriggling JW in her arms.

“Whew . . .” Margret shook her head and sank into a chair. “I wasn't sure we'd make it safely—dodging the crowds and wrestling with this one.”

Beth reached for her nephew and seated him on the table in front of her. The boy struggled against her hold on him, until she offered him one of her skates. It immediately became a car, clattering and rolling across the tabletop. He sputtered out boy noises, his best attempt at an engine sound.

Margret leaned forward on the table and watched the skaters whizzing by. “Julie's doing very well with skating, isn't she?”

“Yes,” Beth agreed. “She and the other girls have taken to this like—like horses to the races.”

“And you?” Margret teased.

“More like a turtle on ice!” They laughed together, watching the frolicking skaters around them.

Julie spotted the new arrivals and, to JW's delight, rolled toward them. “Hello, little buddy boy. What'cha doing?”

JW crashed the makeshift car onto the table and reached up for Julie. “Annie Doolie—I go? I go?”

“Margret, may I take him?”

Margret hedged. “Do you think it's safe? Do you ever fall?”

“I haven't fallen all day! But I'll be extra careful—I'll skate slowly.”

“Well, I suppose. I know he'd love to go along for a ride.”

Julie scooped JW up into her arms and rolled slowly away from the table, out of the path of the fastest skaters. Beth could hear his laughter ringing across the deck.

“I wasn't expecting to see you out here. I'm glad you joined us, Margret.”

“Oh, well, I couldn't sit with Mother anymore. If I hear one more word about Miss Lucille Bernard, I'll just scream.”

“Is it that bad, darling?”

“Oh, Beth, it's worse. I'm afraid we're in constant tension—the three of us—about nap times and feeding schedules. And, truly, it's two against one—three, even, if you count Mrs. Montclair. So how much does my opinion count? I'm only his mother, after all. And all I want is to enjoy him while he's little. He's growing up so fast.” Margret cast a longing look toward the cluster of girls around JW. “He's turning into a little boy right before my eyes. Where did my baby go?”

Beth couldn't help but laugh. “Your baby! When I left last
summer we were still rocking him to sleep—talk about growing up too fast!”

“And yet that's how it feels to me too.”

Julie, Penny, and Jannis reclaimed the seats around them. By then JW was riding on Julie's back, kicking with his heels and clutching around her throat.

“Sorry you took him?” Margret asked with a grin.

“Oh, no, he was loads of fun.”

“Sure, and he draws a crowd,” Jannis put in. “All the fellas were offering to take him, but Julie wouldn't give him up. She kept him all for herself.”

“I'm glad. I wouldn't have wanted him in the arms of strangers.”

“Not even for a break?” Penny seemed incredulous. “Babies are so much work! My cousin lets anybody who'll take him hold her baby.”

Shaking her head, Margret received JW back from Julie.

He was still wriggling and clapping. “Annie Doolie—mo'—mo'.”

“Yes, they're a great deal of work—but they're also an important trust. And he's always
my
responsibility.”

Jannis laughed. “I don't know. I'd trade a baby for attention from one of those fellas over there any day.”

“Then you can surely understand why he'll never be put in your charge.” Margret's words sounded unusually terse. Beth eyed her quizzically. Her sister seemed suddenly to be quite out of sorts.
Perhaps the conflict regarding JW's care
?

Margret gathered her bag and tucked JW against her hip. Forcing a pleasant smile, she said her good-byes and hurried away.

“Golly, your sister's quite a peach, ain't she?” Penny muttered.

Julie glowered back defensively. “She's all right. Just leave
her alone. And, like Margret said, you won't be holding him—not ever.”

“Ah, horse feathers! Who wants to bother anyway? He's like any other—just a drooling, stinky mess. Babies are a dime a dozen.” With a flip of her hair, Jannis stalked away, leaving her skates on the table for Julie to return. Penny shrugged and followed after her sister.

Beth and Julie gathered up the skates and returned them in relative silence. Beth wondered if such outbursts were usual among the trio. She knew Julie could be stubborn, but she was rarely argumentative. Although it was no surprise at all that Julie's hackles would be raised when she was defending her precious nephew. And her sister.