Chapter 21

Nora was sitting in her office one morning, studying a bill for a black lacquered bedroom set Elsie had ordered from one of

her many craftsmen. She reluctantly added it to the spindle that she would present to MissMorgan the following day.

Each reckoning day, Nora would cringe while MissMorgan looked over the receipts from the week. The cost of the interiors

was skyrocketing. But each week the treasurer of the Colony Club took the bills with a smile and a thank-you and carried them

away. Never once did she complain to Nora about the seemingly exorbitant expenses. Perhaps rich women never had to worry about

expenses.

Nora reached for her sketchbook, hoping to get a few minutes to experiment with some design features of her apartment building,

when the door flew open and Elsie burst into the room.

"I'm home!" Elsie looked radiant in a sleek fall coat. "Nora, how I've missed you." Elsie swept over to Nora, who was just

rising from her chair, and took her by the shoulders to kiss the air near both of Nora's cheeks.

She hardly alit for a second before she slipped out of her coat and draped it over the one empty chair. Then she spun around

in a swirl of teal-and-black silk. "Everything is so organized, and what's this?" She went over to the display crib Nora had

asked George to requisition for her that now held watercolor and pen-and-ink renderings of the catalogued items.

Nora began to explain the function of the crib, but Elsie had already moved back to the door.

Surely she wasn't leaving already.

But she merely stepped into the hallway, motioned to someone out of sight, and called, "Bring it in here for now. Careful,

I didn't bring that all the way from Paris for you to destroy it in the halls of the Colony Club."

She stepped aside to let two beefy carters haul in a wooden crate that filled the entire corner of the room. They dropped

it to the floor and left without a word, only to be replaced by another man carrying a stack of fabric swatches at least two

feet high.

"I was going to have everything delivered directly to the warehouse. But I absolutely must see if these fabrics work. Come

along. I'm dying to see what's happened since I've been gone."

"What's in the crate?" Nora asked.

"A veeery expensive wall painting from Zuber and Cie. I don't know quite where to put it, but it's wonderful. Tell me that

they've finished at least some of the rooms."

"Yes," said Nora. "The first and most of the second floors have walls. The gymnasium and assembly room are finished except

for the floors, which will go in last. They're working on the restaurant floor now."

"Excellent." Elsie took a deep breath as if she were breathing in country air. "It's so good to be back. When I'm in France

I feel like I never want to leave, then I come here and feel just the same way. And you can't know how freeing it is not to

have to go to the theater night after night." She smiled mischievously. "Except to watch Bessie's plays, of course. She's

very excited about this new one. Peter Pan. I'm sure it will be a success, Bessie is always successful. But so shall we be. Are you ready?"

Elsie reached for her coat. Nora snatched a sketchbook from the stack on the worktable, stuffed several mechanical pencils, a straightedge, and gum eraser into her skirt pocket, and decided against wearing her coat. Best just to be a working architect in a shirtwaist and skirt than to look like a pauper in a hand-me-down coat.

Elsie was already at the door, but she threw a look over her shoulder. "Bring those samples with you."

Nora scooped up the stack of fabric squares, staggered under the weight, then hurried after her.

When they reached the site, Elsie stood frowning at the heavy temporary door. "When will they put in the real door?"

"Finished windows and doors will go in once the major construction is complete."

"We're only a year away from the opening."

"They'll be installed in time," Nora assured her. Since Elsie hadn't moved, Nora shifted the stack of samples to one arm and

shouldered the door open. Elsie swept inside.

Mr.Wojcik and George appeared from the back of the space and hurried forward to greet Elsie. The other men working in the

area stopped to watch.

Like bees to honey , Nora thought as Elsie waited regally for her minions to bow before her. Nora shook herself. No use being mad at Elsie because

she was so attractive to men.

Nora risked a glance at George but he was totally enchanted; even Mr.Wojcik had a goofy smile on his face and he was probably

fifty. He should know better.

Elsie let them fawn for a couple of minutes, then started down the hall, followed by her entourage of two, followed by Nora

balancing her notebook and the stack of samples in one arm while she fished her pencil from her pocket.

Elsie stopped suddenly. "Green over there, and Wedgwood blue for the walls, Nora."

Nora was looking around for a place to put her stack when it was lifted from her arms.

"Looks like you need an assistant," George said.

Nora started, flushed that she'd been having mean thoughts about him when here he was being nice. It was kind of annoying and kind of sweet.

"The one on the top, Nora."

Nora snatched the top swatch. And found a wall to hold it up to while she waited for Elsie's decision.

Elsie cocked her head one way, then the other. "Maybe. I'll know better when the real lights are installed."

She turned and resumed her journey, which Nora expected was to the trellis room.

Nora tried to take the stack of samples from George but he held on. "You take notes, I'll hold the goods." He gave her such

an understanding, amused smile that her stomach did a little flip-flop.

Fortunately the trellis walls were finished, the columns were clad, and Nora caught a glimpse of the water pipes at the far

end.

"The fountain fits perfectly," Nora said, cutting off any potential changes that Elsie might have in mind.

"Yes," Elsie said dreamily. She looked around the room, saying nothing, but seeing whatever she saw. And Nora took that as

a good sign.

They were taken upstairs where they peeked into the gymnasium, and then stepped into the assembly room.

"Oh, that reminds me," Elsie said, looking up at the ceiling high above their heads. "I need you to go to Cooper Union and

copy the chandelier in their assembly room. I'm going to adapt it to our assembly hall. It will be perfect with a few tweaks.

Now, who can I get to cast..." She wandered away; Nora followed, scribbling in her notebook as she walked.

Several stops and sample comparisons later, the men's adoration had changed into impatience. Mr.Wojcik was the first to excuse

himself, and hurried back to work. Which left George. Nora took pity on him and suggested they return to the office and discuss

what they had planned from seeing the rooms.

Elsie was amenable, so Nora took her stack of samples and swatches back and George walked them to the exit.

"Thank you," Nora said.

"Anytime," said George and closed the door behind her.

Nora spent the next few weeks traveling from her office to the warehouse, from Cooper Union to the bronze caster, artists,

and craftsmen, and working with Elsie on the interior presentation renderings to be shown at the first club meeting after

the New Year.

The weather grew colder as fall slipped into winter. The temporary club site was constantly in use. Dinners, lectures, concerts,

afternoon teas. Nora could understand the ladies' impatience for the new clubhouse. They were quickly outgrowing the assembly

room, and someone was always complaining about not having a restaurant on-site.

But they soon would, Nora wanted to remind them. Of course, she would never volunteer an opinion, since they were already

pressing her for information, trying to sneak peeks at the drawings, and feeling free to give advice about works in progress.

Several times Mr.White joined them to confer with Elsie and advise Nora, and though he often had to sit during their sessions

as his hip was giving him problems, Nora flourished under his supervision.

By December, they had put together four of the major rooms, Nora and Mr.White doing the watercolors, Elsie describing what

would go where and pulling samples of wallpaper and swatches of fabric to accompany each painting.

It was all quite beautiful, Nora thought, though she'd never seen decor put together in such a way except in the Irving Place

house.

She liked it. The whole color scheme and the lightness of it made her smile. She just hoped it had the same effect on the ladies. The trellis room looked like a wonderful summer garden. All the rooms so far were beautiful in their simplicity.

Nora was surprised and pleased when she was presented with an extra paycheck from the Colony Club for her added duties. If

she continued to work for them like this through the next year when the club opened, she should be able to move her mother

and Rina into an apartment.

Christmas was approaching, and for the first time in her life Nora had so many people she wanted to give presents to that

she knew she couldn't afford them all. So she decided to draw something special for each one. Every night after her work was

finished for the club, she sat at her worktable and drew illustrations of the club, or portraits, or just funny little scenes,

then affixed them to cardboard cards, writing Happy Holidays and the name of each recipient in her best hand.

The Friday before Christmas, Higgie declared an early day to celebrate the season before they all parted until the following

week. Nora stopped by Mrs.Tova's, who had promised to save some raspberry sponge roll for Nora to take to a party with the

secretaries. In return, Nora gave Mrs.Tova a picture of the café's exterior.

No one was in the business office, but she could hear laughter from the lunchroom and she hurried to join her friends. She

found them wearing festive paper crowns, sitting around the table laden with sweets and a bottle of cider.

"We were about to give you up," said Sadie.

Nora added her sponge roll to the other sweets and accepted a paper crown from Lavinia. They toasted the season and each other

and all felt a bit giddy though the cider wasn't hard. It was their joy in each other, Nora decided.

They gorged on all the sweets, and laughed and made extravagant wishes for presents, then opened the little gifts they had made for each other. Higgie had crocheted fobs for their watches. Sadie had embroidered each a handkerchief with their initials. And Lavinia had written out a recipe for skin cream on festive cards that she decorated with yarn. Nora had drawn pen-and-ink portraits of each and backed them with cardboard. They all exclaimed how like they were.

"If you could have anything, anything at all, what would it be?" Sadie prompted.

"A million dollars," Lavinia volunteered. "So I wouldn't have to work. Though I like working here with all of you."

"What about you, Nora?"

"A house, a really nice house."

"That's an odd thing," said Sadie. "Coming from an architect. You can build one. Now, me, I want a handsome, rich husband."

"Surprise, surprise," Lavinia said.

Higgie glanced at the wall clock and grabbed her coat. "I'm sorry," she said. "I have to go."

"But it's still early and there's more cider." Sadie held up the bottle.

"Sorry."

The other three looked at her.

"Oh, oh, oh," said Sadie. "Don't tell me, you have a date tonight?"

"Maybe," Higgie said. "I really have to go. Merry Christmas. Merry, merry Christmas." She shrugged into her coat, patted her

hair, and hurried out the door, leaving the other three staring after her.

"Wow," said Lavinia. "She's never run out like that before."

Sadie frowned, her brows knitting together. "I wonder... what if she does have a date?" She made a beeline for the window

that overlooked the street.

It took only a second for Nora and Lavinia to follow her. They all peered down to the sidewalk below. A minute later they saw Higgie step out the office door. They all pressed their noses closer to the pane, but Higgie just turned to the left and hurried away, like she did every night to catch the corner trolley going downtown.

"I guess we'll never know," Lavinia said.

"It's probably nothing," Sadie added. "Wishful thinking."

They lingered a few minutes longer, then Nora offered to stay and clean up. After hugs and wishes for a happy Christmas, Sadie

and Lavinia left. Nora sat down. She was in no hurry to get back to her room at the Parker. Her roommates weren't leaving

until tomorrow for their two days off. She sighed, crumpled up the wrappings, tossed them in the trash, and finally put on

her coat and went downstairs.

George was leaning against the wall next to the door, but he saw her and straightened up. "Mrs.Tova said you would be here

with the secretaries. And I just saw MissHiggins leave, then the other two. They said you were still upstairs. Do you mind

that I waited?"

Nora shook her head. She'd made something for George; it was in her coat pocket, but she had already decided not to give it

to him. "Is something wrong?"

"No. I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Nora took a step back, alarmed. "Are you leaving?"

"Just until the New Year. I'm visiting my parents for the holidays. It's been several years since I've seen them. They put

their collective feet down this year."

It occurred to Nora that just like with the secretaries, she didn't know anything about him, outside of his work. "Do they

live far?"

"Just Westchester."

Nora shook her head. She supposed everyone knew about places that she'd never heard of.

"It's an hour away by train. Listen. There's Christmas music in Madison Square. I thought maybe you'd like to walk over and

hear a bit... if you're not in a hurry," he added.

Nora shook her head. "I'm not."

It was only a few blocks to the square. Nora could hear the oompah-pah of the music when they were still a block away.

They stopped at the park entrance, where peddlers and food vendors crowded the sidewalk. The smell of fresh-cut evergreens

filled the air around them. George bought them pretzels and they strolled beneath the trees, oblivious to the cold, standing

close to ward off the wind that occasionally whipped past them. They passed another cluster of holiday vendors, and on impulse

George bought a red woolen scarf.

Nora was surprised when he lifted it over her head. "So I can always see you coming." He laughed and tied it around her neck.

They continued on their way, Nora suddenly feeling a warmth that she suspected had more to do with George than her new scarf.

The little memento she'd made for him was nestled in her coat pocket, but she couldn't decide whether to give it to him or

not. It seemed so forward and yet didn't he deserve to know how much she appreciated him, along with Mrs.Tova and the secretaries?

"What would you do if you could do anything in the world?"

His question caught her off guard even though she'd been sharing her thoughts with the secretaries just a few minutes before.

"What I'm doing now, only I would do it faster."

George laughed. She'd never known someone who laughed so easily. "How could you go any faster? The men on-site are amazed

at your energy... I am, too."

"I'm saving to get a place where my mother and younger sister and I can live together." She clamped down on the end of that

sentence. What had possessed her to tell him that? No one wanted to hear hardship stories. And she certainly didn't want anyone,

especially George, knowing how she really lived.

"Where do they live now, if I may ask?"

"In Brooklyn with my older sister. She needs help with her growing family."

"Ah," said George in a way that made her afraid he could see behind the words of her answer.

"What would you do?" she asked.

"Well, one day I want to have my own architectural firm. Build modern buildings. With emphasis put on function as well as

on aesthetic... Well, you've seen some of my designs in my office."

She nodded. "When do you think you'll do it?"

"Once I've built enough of a reputation and have a few potential clients lined up. I'm not going to be one of those people

who goes off on his own too soon only to have to come back and start all over again."

Somewhere during that explanation, he'd slipped her hand through his elbow. "You must be freezing. And I'm a cad for keeping

you out so long. Besides, the band has stopped playing."

Nora looked up and listened. He was right. She hadn't even noticed. They began walking back to the street.

"Which way is home?"

"What?"

"I'll walk you home. Which way do we go?"

"Oh, no, that isn't necessary. I'll take the trolley across town. Look. There's one coming now."

"Then I'll accompany you."

"No—thank you."

The trolley clanged to a stop. "Thank you for my scarf. Thank you for helping me to see new things." She pulled away, slipped

the packet from her pocket, and shoved it into his hands. "Merry Christmas."

She turned to go, but he pulled her back, planted a quick kiss on her cheek, and lifted her up the trolley steps. "Merry Christmas!"

She turned for a last look as the trolley pulled away. His head was bent. He was opening her present right there on the sidewalk.

Since Christmas Eve fell on a Sunday that year, Louise had decided that their regular Sunday dinner would suffice for a family

get-together. So that morning, Nora packed up her few gifts plus a jar of Mama's favorite pickles and a loaf of rye bread,

tied her new red scarf around her neck for courage, and caught the trolley to the bridge.

All the night before, as she lay in bed, Nora had tried to remember the moment George had kissed her cheek. But the memory

quickly faded into sleep and this morning as the trolley rattled over the bridge to Brooklyn, it disappeared altogether.

Swallowing down a sense of dread of what might wait inside, Nora rang the doorbell. Rina answered, but not with her usual

enthusiasm. Whether happy or sad, Rina was always full of vitality, but today, she just looked petulant.

The baby was wailing from another room, and Rina turned and hurried away, leaving Nora to make her way inside.

She stepped into the parlor, where Little Don was running around yelling at the top of his lungs, while Donner sat with his

newspaper in his regular chair. Nora went straight to the kitchen to deliver the bread and pickles to Mama, who was bent over

a roast turkey. It didn't look large enough to feed all of them, and Nora wished she hadn't come.

Mama saw Nora and hurried toward her, arms open for a hug. Nora could feel the bones in Mama's back; she was working too hard.

Not eating enough. She looked drawn, but Nora smiled and blinked away tears.

"Nora, I've missed you. Merry Christmas."

"You too, Mama," Nora managed to whisper past a searing throat.

Even though she loved Mama's cooking, she ate just enough to be polite. Saving the rest for everyone else. Nora was still sending money to Louise every month. There was no reason for this stinginess.

After dinner, Donner didn't even make an attempt to join in the festivities, just plucked his jacket off a peg—Nora noticed

that his jacket looked new—and left the house. The rest of them opened presents, while Little Don sat in Mama's lap sucking

his thumb and Louise scowled.

To her discredit, Nora couldn't wait to get away. She couldn't stand to see Mama and Rina living this way when Louise had

promised Papa to take care of them... Mama was little more than a servant and Rina was eclipsing from lack of attention.

Nora had to figure out how to get them away.

She left as soon as she could; Rina followed her to the door.

"Why won't you let me live with you?" she hissed through clenched teeth. "You don't know what it's like. Haven't you made

enough money to get us out yet? Mama is wasting away, I have no friends. I couldn't bring them to the house if I did. Mama

and I have to share our room with both children. I can't even go anywhere because Mama needs me to help out here. I'd be better

off working at the factory."

"You're not going to work until you finish school. And that's final. You promised Papa."

"Well, you promised to take care of us and I never even see you."

"Just a little longer, I promise. Please, just be patient."

"I'm tired of being patient." She pulled away and ran back into the house. The memory of the look she shot Nora before she

slipped back inside lasted a lot longer than the memory of George's kiss.