The Glittering Life of Evie Mckenzie by Delancey Stewart

Author:Delancey Stewart [Stewart, Delancey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781474032568
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2015-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Evie

Evie stayed close to home after visiting Tug, eager for news of Roger and Chuck. After she’d had time to consider, her mother seemed to sense that this was about more than her own social standing, and she did her best to encourage Evie that things would be fine. She didn’t mention calling off the engagement again. She even brought out some fabrics that she’d had delivered, and tried to engage Evie in discussions about her wedding gown, but Evie couldn’t bring herself to consider anything that had to do with marriage at that point.

Guilt filled her, over her silly suspicions about Roger and the action she’d taken as a result – seeking out Jack. It had been the wrong thing to do, she knew. Roger loved her. The more she thought about it, the more she convinced herself that his absence that night had a perfectly logical explanation. He was probably studying for finals; after all, he would be finishing school as she wrapped up her first semester.

Dinner was a quiet affair, both her parents stealing glances at each other and then at her, as if her face might give away some crucial information about Roger’s situation. As they wrapped up the final course, the phone in the hall sounded a shrill cry, startling Evie.

She heard Buck answer, and then he appeared in the door to the dining room. ‘Miss Evie? It’s Mr White.’

Relief coursed through her veins, and Evie rose to follow Buck to the hall. ‘Hello, darling? Are you all right?’

‘I’m fine,’ Roger said. ‘I’m at my parents’ for a bit.’

‘And Chuck?’

‘He’s with his folks, too.’

‘What’s going to happen, Roger?’ Evie wound the phone cord around her finger as she spoke.

‘Dad doesn’t think anything will stick. There’s nothing tying us to the delivery of the stuff that made people sick, and I wasn’t even there that night.’

‘I know. I looked for you.’ A brief burst of anger flared in the pit of Evie’s stomach.

‘You were there?’

‘I went to see you. I hadn’t heard from you all day. I guess I missed you.’ Evie wasn’t sure if that was the reason she’d gone looking for Roger. She’d wanted to see him, but she’d also wanted to see what he was up to. She was suspicious, even if Roger had explained her fears away. There was something going on, and now it was just more complicated.

‘I’m sorry, darling. I was stuck at school. Wait, you didn’t drink anything, did you? Are you all right?’

‘I’m fine.’ Evie’s mood darkened. She tried to keep herself from admitting what came out next. ‘I called your room. Late.’

‘I was studying, honey. I’ve got – well, I would have had – finals.’

‘You’re not going to finish?’

‘I can’t leave town now. Dad thinks it would be too risky. I’m to stay at home and be watched.’ Roger sighed. ‘Don’t suppose I could pay you a visit, be watched over there?’

Evie glanced at the shadow falling into the hall from the parlor, where her mother stood eavesdropping.

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