Free Evvie at Sixteen by Susan Beth Pfeffer Page B

love.”
    â€œThat’s it,” Brad said. “It was all very romantic, very scandalous. Families disapproved. Romeo and Juliet. They’re still married?”
    â€œYes, they are,” Evvie said.
    â€œThere’s something to be said for romance, then,” Brad declared.
    â€œWe had a romance,” Vivienne said. “Although my husband seems to have forgotten it.”
    â€œBut this was in the old school of romance,” Brad said. “Secret meetings, broken hearts. Clark’s among them, isn’t that true?”
    â€œI was young,” Clark said. “It mended. Meanwhile, Nick and Meg had four daughters. Evvie is the oldest. She’s spending the summer at Grace Winslow’s.”
    â€œGrace,” Brad said, and snapped his fingers. “That’s right. The rigid, Puritanical, old maid aunt, fighting to keep the young lovers separated. How is she these days?”
    â€œShe sends her rigid Puritanical regards to you,” Evvie said. She might not like Aunt Grace, but Mr. Hughes had no right to be nasty. “She specifically remembered a drunk-driving incident.”
    â€œA lot of fuss over very little,” Brad said, but Evvie was pleased to see he was disconcerted. “I hit a cow. Damn thing had no business being on the road. Did more damage to my car than to the cow. Father paid off the farmer. It was nothing really.”
    â€œI’d forgotten all about that,” Clark said. “Grace has a wonderful memory for things we’d all prefer to forget.”
    â€œI never knew about it,” Vivienne said. “What other youthful indiscretions have you been keeping from me, Brad dear?”
    â€œWhatever they’ve been, I’m sure you’ll find out all about them while we’re in Egypt,” Brad said. “Evvie, is your mother still beautiful?”
    Evvie nodded.
    â€œAnd your father still handsome?”
    She nodded again.
    Brad shook his head. “Good looks, charm, and a happy marriage,” he said. “Money, too, I suppose.”
    â€œWe have enough,” Evvie said, as she’d been taught to, years before.
    â€œExtraordinary,” Brad said. “Well, I suppose you’ve been invited here to meet my boys.”
    â€œOur boys,” Vivienne said. “Clark said you’d been gracious enough to agree to spend some time with them over the summer, Evvie.”
    â€œIf they want to,” Evvie said. “I don’t know what their plans are.”
    â€œThey have no plans,” Brad said.
    â€œThey plan to relax, swim at the beach, maybe fall in love,” Vivienne said, smiling at Evvie. “I assume those are pretty much the same plans you have for this summer.”
    â€œI’m here to visit my Aunt Grace,” Evvie said. “Her foot is broken. So I won’t have much time to fall in love.”
    â€œIt doesn’t take much time,” Vivienne said. “Clark dear, why don’t you find the boys, and tell them to come down. I’m sure they’ve settled in sufficiently.”
    â€œWhatever you say, Vivienne,” Clark replied, and left the room. Evvie wasn’t thrilled to be alone with the Hugheses, but she didn’t see any alternatives. So she walked over to the window, drew the curtain aside, and stared out at the ocean.
    â€œHow old are you, Evvie?” Vivienne asked.
    â€œSixteen,” Evvie replied. “I’ll be a junior in September.”
    â€œSchyler’s entering his senior year,” Vivienne said. “And Scotty’s going to be a sophomore. They both attend Mayfield Academy. Do you know it?”
    â€œI know of it,” Evvie said.
    â€œAnd where do you go to school?” Vivienne asked.
    Evvie realized she didn’t know the name of the school she’d be going to. She was about to admit it, until she realized it didn’t matter. She could lie. “Wilson High School,” she said.
    â€œA public