The doorbell rang as I was walking into the parlor from the kitchen. Not having any better idea, I answered it. It was one of my new guests, Dora Lund.
"Dora, why are you ringing your doorbell? You live here. You don't have to ring the doorbell. The door isn't locked, is it?"
"I don't know. I didn't try it. Yes, I suppose I do live here now. It's a new idea. I guess I'll get used to it."
"And the sooner the better. Come in and meet the others. I hope there are others. If there aren't a lot of tea and cakes will go to waste."
We finished my trip to the parlor and found others. Dora took one step into the room and then stepped one step back into the doorway. I just love receptions.
"Come on, let's get you introduced." I walked her over to the other wall flower across the room next to the fireplace.
"Elizabeth, this is Dora Lund. She is a junior, and this is her first year in Begley House, so you two have at least that in common. Dora, this is Elizabeth Proctor. She is our only out of state guest, coming here all the way from Charlotte North Carolina, I believe, to study...What is your field of study, Elizabeth? I've forgotten."
"Pleased to meet you, Dora. My major field is liberal arts, I suppose. I want to be a school teacher. Or maybe it's just my parents who want me to be a school teacher. I think their plans are for me to return to Charlotte, teach elementary school, and live in their house for the rest of my life."
"My parents have much the same notion." Dora responded. "It really bothered them that I was going to leave the farm and live in the city for a year. I suppose I borrowed their concerns, I was really worried about living here. I've never lived alone before. Calling Browns Crossing a city gives you some idea of the rural life I've led up until now."
"You are not living here alone. Both of you need tea and cake. Come with me and serve yourself. And for the rest of the day, keep telling yourself that you live here, and that you are among friends. Elizabeth, you are to tell yourself that Brown's crossing really isn't that small while Dora tells herself that it isn't really that large."
Both of them were willing to do that, so I left them and looked around for another loner. They were easy to spot, I had several first-year guests this cycle. I spotted my one year too young waif at a table across the room.
"Erica, I believe? Welcome to Begley House. And welcome to the other guests at Begley House. I want you to meet them, and I know they want to meet you. And have some tea, while you're at it."
I walked her and her teacup over to the group of returning guests who had already served themselves tea and cakes and were gathered together next to the veranda windows.
"Lady and gentlemen, please meet Erica Landsdorf. She is new to Begley House and still somewhat new to Holmes College, having spent the past year in Germany at the University of Berlin. I tell you that because she might not."
"I'm Constance Claire Donne, Erica, and I'm very glad to meet you." She looked intently at Erica. "We need to talk later. I'm very interested in you."
"Constance is a journalist." Louis McDonald said smoothly, as though that explained everything. "She wants to interview you for the school paper. I admit to a certain amount of curiosity myself. I've never met anyone who has lived in Germany before, much less attended university there. My name is Louis McDonald, by the way, and I'm a law student. Well, not actually, but I will attend law school after I finish here this year."
Erica said nothing, and after a pause, I looked at John Watson. He responded into the pause.
"Pleased to meet you, Erica. My name is John Watson and I too have aspirations after graduation. I will attend medical school, and eventually become something in medical research, I hope."
Erica mumbled something about how wonderful it was to meet them all, or might not have, I really didn't hear much. We were then joined by yet another newcomer, whose name had temporarily slipped my mind. He rescued me by introducing himself."
"My name is Robert Miller." He turned to face Erica. "Did I overhear you say you spent a year in Germany?"
"Yes," Erica said quietly, turning her head to include all of them, "I was a student at Berlin University. I was sent to Germany for that purpose and to visit with my family. My family in Germany had never met me, and my family here wanted news of them, how they managed during the war."
"So you were born in America, or Germany?"
"It was a close thing, but I was born in America."
"That makes you an American citizen, doesn't it?" Robert Miller persisted.
"Yes, it does."
"Do you really speak German?" Constance Claire wanted to know. "I mean, if you lived in Germany for a year, you must, I suppose. Do you? I mean, fluently?"
"I don't know what fluently means. My family immigrated from Germany. I spoke only German as a child. I never heard any English until I started school. So yes, I really speak German."
"But your English is perfect!"
"Thank you. So is yours."
Not the slightest flicker of sarcasm passed over her thin face as she said it. Constance Claire pulled her own face back an inch. That line of conversation abruptly stopped.
I have since learned that Erica is quite adept at stopping conversations. I turned towards Robert Miller and asked as innocently as I could, "Are you planning to go into political life after graduation?"
"I don't really know. I will likely return to New York and get into something." And, turning to Erica once more, "And you?"
Erica did not respond. Instead, strangely enough, she looked at me as if responding once about something personal should be enough. Somewhat flustered, I said, "More education, an advanced degree, didn't you say?"
"Yes, I suppose."
And that was all I could get out of her. "Please excuse us," I said to the inquisitives Robert and Constance Claire, "I want Erica to meet the other new guests. Please help yourselves to more tea and cake."
Erica and I walked across the room to the newly formed Proctor-Lund alliance. Once the polite exchanges had once again occurred, I spoke of M. Dumont.
"As you are all new to Begley House, I should mention the fourth man living here, Monsieur Dumont. He isn't here today, but he does live here. You will not see much of him, he does not usually say much to the students. He is an instructor in French at the college, a very polite gentleman with a rather stand-offish attitude towards students.
I've never heard an offensive word from him, but if I do, especially towards you, Erica, I will throw him out immediately. I hate being so brutal about it, but I did want it to be very clear, especially as you are new to Begley House."
"Am I to expect that?" Erica asked.
"I don't really think so. He doesn't seem all that nationalistic. He spent most of the war at Holmes College. In fact, he is the longest guest I've had. But just in case, I wanted you to know my position in advance. As I said, you probably won't see much of him. He doesn't usually come to dinner and is only very briefly present at breakfast."
I was missing one person, Margaret. I looked around the room and found her, in the far fourth corner by herself at a table with no tea. I walked over to the table and sat down.
"I didn't know exactly what to do, Mary Susan. I was in the kitchen helping Cook and then just slipped in here to watch. I thought I'd lay low until I knew how you wanted to handle things. You didn't give instructions for today."
Mischievousness hit me just at that moment. "No, I forgot about today. Let them stew a bit longer, I think. It will all come out tomorrow after dinner. Are you all set up for classes? Get me your class schedule and times you can work as soon as you know them. I'll plan my day around your schedule. You can't know how valuable you will be to me, Margaret."
"I think it's going to be fun."
By 5:15 the party was pretty much over and after the guests had left. Margaret and I cleared the parlor and washed the dishes. Whatever visiting the guests did after that they did without my notice.