Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland

Author:Susan Vreeland [Vreeland, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General Fiction
ISBN: 9780812980189
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2010-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 25

RUBY

OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW WAS ON EVERYONE’S lips that millennial New Year’s Eve. Something spectacular was afoot. The denizens of Miss Owens’s boardinghouse spilled out onto Irving Place, even the Hackleys and frail Francie. Wrapped in mufflers, we spouted the day’s sentiments, fog clouds issuing from our mouths.

“The new century demands new ideas,” Merry said.

“Right! Looking ahead to better bread,” George shouted, and Merry playfully cuffed him on the jaw.

We laughed. We sang. We joined the mass migration downtown, and greeted strangers familiarly. Francie spoke to a newsboy about the headlines, Dr. Griggs joked with shopgirls, and Alice linked arms with a woman in a babushka. In the sea of people jamming City Hall Park, we strained to hear the messages from monarchs of Europe about a new age of peace, diplomacy, and prosperity, a dawning of hope for the masses.

Mayor Van Wyck gave a speech reminding us of the optimism of early Dutch settlers, and the explosion of commerce with the opening of the Erie Canal, culminating in the burst of entrepreneurial energy in the century just closing. “New York is destined to become the cultural capital of the world,” he declared. There it was—the colliding bedfellows of commerce and art both awakening on this rock between two rivers.

Combined choral societies of the city sang a new song, “America the Beautiful,” and at the stroke of midnight, City Hall was illuminated with thousands of electric lights. The sudden splendor dazzled us. Speechless, we had never seen anything like it. Tin horns blasted shrilly, kazoos whined, and a deafening cheer went up.

Mr. York gave Alice a shy little peck on the cheek, and Mr. Bainbridge elbowed his way to her, bent her backward, and gave her a melodramatic stage kiss. Mrs. Hackley raised her chin and tugged at Mr. Hackley’s coat sleeve, reminding him of his marital duty. Dr. Griggs kissed Merry Owens, who responded with an Irish jig. Dudley and Hank tossed public decorum aside and gave each other a brief manly hug, slapping each other on the back. No one noticed in the mad, happy frenzy of the moment.

When George and I heard, “Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?” we held tight to each other. Certainly if he were here, if he were living, Edwin with his beautiful patriot dream would have done his bit to “crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.”

There was no sign of Bernard that night, or New Year’s Day, nor for that matter ever since Christmas. That had to mean something, but what? He was certainly an irresistibly charming man—vibrant, caring, witty in that subtle British way—but his unexplained here-today-gone-tomorrow-here-again manner of living was disconcerting. I couldn’t afford another mystery man in my life, so I resolved that in this first year of the new century I would fill my mind with work and beauty instead.

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