Chapter Seven—"I Will Be Me"
"Blue, I think," said Persis decidedly. "That navy blue, in a tailored suit—no fuss or furbelows, but maybe a row of tucks down the blouse. That should be white, I think…" She cocked her head at Una, looking at her from all angles. Una felt like she was a statue on exhibit to a museum, but ever since she had received the trip to Europe, her sister-in-laws had taken over all aspects of getting her ready for her trip.
"I'm not sure," Faith said. She spoke slowly and thoughtfully, as if this was the most important decision she would be making all year. "The traveling suit should be blue, you're right, but I would make the blouse white with navy polka-dots and no tucks."
"I think the white would look more elegant."
"I think the polka-dot would be more suitable, less 'fussy'." Faith quoted Persis's word back to her.
"Why not make both blouses?" asked Nan. "You wouldn't want to always be doing laundry. Besides, who wants to look the same all of the time?"
Una gave her a grateful smile. "I like that idea."
"She wouldn't look the same all of the time, anyway," Persis said. "We're going to make sure Una has all the clothes she needs. This is a big trip, after all. I remember when Carl and I went…"
Not a statue, a doll, Una thought wryly. She knew she shouldn't complain—after all, everyone had been so kind. For starters, there had been no resentment about her inheritance.
"I wish we'd thought of it before, sister," Jerry had said. "You've been working too hard for all of us. Take a vacation—you've earned it ten times over."
And everyone had been so generous in their presents. Una had tried to dissuade them; she had plenty of money to buy her own traveling articles with. But the clan wouldn't hear of it. Carl and Persis had given her a trunk with all sorts of assorted hatboxes and bandboxes, and Persis had insisted on helping pick out her wardrobe. Jem and Faith had gotten her a new coat, with the dinkiest little blue hat to match. Rilla and Ken had found a journal for her to keep a record of her travels in—it was burgundy leather, and Una thought she'd never had anything so elegant. Nan and Jerry, although strapped by a minister's income, had given her an ivory brush and comb set with her initials monogrammed on the back. "No one's ever had such fine things," thought Una. "I must be the luckiest woman on the Island."
Shirley had written her a long letter when he'd heard about her trip. Una thought about it as Nan pinned up her skirt hem.
"What can I give you as a going-away gift?" he'd written. "If it was up to me, maybe something small, like a handkerchief or a handbag…or maybe a piece of jewelry, such as a ring. Yes, a ring would be just about right. What do you think? Diamond? Pearl? To me, that sounds like a good sort of going-away gift. But I feel that maybe that would be in poor taste at this time…so any time you want your gift, just send me a note and I'll make sure it arrives on the next train from Kingsport. I'll even personally deliver it to you." Una smiled. For someone who was always so serious, Shirley had a streak of humor and romance in him that she never would have suspected. If only she was sure that they were right for each other…
The letter had continued, "I think it's wonderful that you have this opportunity. I hope you enjoy your tour there more than I enjoyed mine—the middle of a war may not be the best time to sightsee. But twelve, thirteen years should have improved it slightly. I won't ask you to make any commitment while you're there—but use this time to consider my proposal." And he was ever hers, Shirley Blythe.
This was certainly going to be quite the trip. Una had originally planned just to go to England and wander all over the countryside for a couple of weeks, but her family wouldn't hear of it. "After all," Nan had said, "this may be the only chance you have. Make the most of it." So Una was going to travel the Continent—Germany, Spain, Italy…everywhere possible. Except France. Even though it was the home to many historic sites, Una had decided to spend as little time there as she could. Walter Blythe's memory would haunt her from the moment she stepped on French soil, and that part of her life was over. She had a beau, a wonderful family, and a trip to Europe. Why spend any of it regretting a lost love?
******************
As Una stepped off the train in Charlottetown, she was struck by how gloomy a day it was for a Prince Edward Island June. It wasn't exactly raining, but it was too close to it to really say it was much of anything else.
It was interesting to watch all of the people in the station, to wonder about their lives and where they were going. That old woman with the striped shawl, now…did she have a son who she was going to live with? And that tall girl with the russet hair and the look born of tiredness and uncertainty being pounced on by a pretty lady of about forty-five or fifty with smooth ripples of auburn hair who seemed to be her aunt…what was her worry?
She had been "seen off" by the Glen St. Mary family with all the hoopla such an occasion demanded. Meredith and Matthew had wanted to bring out the old brass gong to ring, but luckily Faith had vetoed that idea.
A window seat on the train was available, and Una watched the Island countryside pass by her as she traveled to the Cape Tormentine ferry. From there she would spend a night in Halifax with Rev. Jonas and Philippa Blake, Di's in-laws and Mrs. Blythe's old college chum. Then she would take the train to Boston and board the Victoria, which would take her to England. A sense of unreality pervaded her excitement. Was this really happening to her, Una Meredith of Glen St. Mary's, the thirty-six year old old maid of the clan? It couldn't be…but it was! She pinched herself to make sure it was true, and sure enough, the pain was real.
"This will be my chance to truly find out who I am, without the rest of the clan around. I won't stay in the background unless I want to," Una thought. "I will go and do things I've never had the opportunity to do. I will be me…and truly find out who that is. Then, maybe I can make up my mind about Shirley."