CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
New York City, January, 1913
Eddie Ryland still lived by only in Nellie's deepest and most secret thoughts. Thoughts that Nellie even kept from Samantha. Nellie figured if she kept al thoughts of Eddie to herself, then they would truly be safe. Even Samantha had laid low. Through all the gaiety of holiday parties and balls Samantha tended very few, and since returning from Mount Bedford, she had not had a single caller. Nellie had only heard the Mount Bedford disaster mentioned once. It was on a Saturday morning right before school closed for the holidays. Nellie always taught a class on Shakespeare plays down at the Settlement House Saturday mornings, for her teaching portfolio. On this Saturday she had come home early, Samantha was out at a friend's, and Bridgette and Jenny had taken Cornelia's three dogs for a walk in the park. The parlor doors were shut, and she could hear the murmur of Gard and Cornelia's voices in deep conversation. She wasn't going to eavesdrop, but when she heard Eddie's name mentioned she couldn't help it.
"I was looking through the stacks of applicants," Gard said. "I saw Eddie Ryland's in the stack. He is applying for an internship in my firm."
"Are you going to call him in for an interview?" Asked Cornelia.
Uncle Gard headed a busy law firm that took many high profile cases. It would be a great learning experience for any aspiring lawyer to work in.
"I don't think he realizes who I am," said Gard. "I think if he knew that I was Samantha's uncle he would intern somewhere else immediately."
"An internship at your firm would be good for his portfolio," said Cornelia. "I don't think he would care. He wouldn't have to see Samantha or Nellie."
"True," Gard nodded. "I always liked the boy when I would see him. He had a dry sense of humor. I know Sam always hated the way he would tease her, but when I was his age, I teased many girls, Sam's mother included."
"You teased me still," said Cornelia. "And you are an adult! I think you should at least call him for the interview. I am sure he has applied at other firms as well."
"It's shame," said Gard. "He marrying Nellie would have been a nice fit. I probably would have eventually given him a partnership once he graduated and passed the bar, Nellie would be free to do her teaching."
Nellie quickly hurried away before she was caught, only feeling more so that she had ruined Eddie's life.
It was a dreary day in January. The sky was a complete blanket of thick, gray, clouds. Nellie had just gotten out of school, and was about to be on her way home, trudging through the slush laden sidewalks, carrying her books close to her chest.
"Disgusting," she muttered at the slush.
"Nellie!" She heard a familiar voice. She turned around. Her eyes must be playing tricks on her! Eugene was hurrying towards her. What on earth would Eugene be doing in New York City? He held a white envelope in his hand.
"Eugene?" She squealed. "Is that you?"
"Oh yes," he said as he carefully stepped through the slush, careful not to splatter any on her/
"What brings you to New York City?" Asked Nellie. "Isn't your school in Rochester back in session?"
"I transferred to Columbia," Eugene explained. "Things got really bad at the Denardo house. Peyton and I haven't been getting along. We shared a town home in Rochester together, and in November Peyton told his father he did not want me living there anymore. I moved in with another friend, but over holiday vacation I had to be around Peyton again, and it's a miracle we didn't end up killing each other. Over holiday Peyton's father pulled me into his office to speak with me. I got much better marks in my studies than Peyton did, and he said it was making his son look bad. You know how the Denardo's are, how dare they finish last! So he thought it would be best for Peyton's interests if I moved to another university."
"Well you chose a good one to transfer to," said Nellie, happy that Eugene had gotten away from Peyton. She always thought that Peyton had treated him like dirt.
"You want to go grab a cup of coffee and get out of the cold?" Eugene asked. "I have to tell you something."
"Okay," Nellie replied. "I know a really nice place. Have you heard of the Edelweiss Room?"
"No," Eugene replied.
"They have the best apple strudel in New York City," said Nellie. "I am literally addicted."
They began to walk hurriedly towards the promise of warmth and apple strudel.
"You are sure brave moving to New York City by yourself," Nellie commented as they made their way through the crowded streets.
"I'm not really alone at all," said Eugene. "A friend of mine actually convinced me to apply at Columbia, and I'm rooming with him, and his friend."
Nellie pushed open the door, and the two burst into the warmth of the Edelweiss Room. Nellie could smell the aroma of fresh cinnamon, cream, and baking apples. They ordered their strudels, and tea, and chose a table by the window to sit while they waited.
"I'm glad you have a friend here in New York," Nellie commented. "It's a pretty big place. Who's your friend at Columbia? Samantha probably knows him. She knows everybody."
Eugene blushed and looked down. Nellie realized that it was probably rather tactless to mention Samantha around Eugene.
"I'm sorry," she immediately said. "I shouldn't have mentioned her."
"That's alright," replied Eugene. "Because the friend I am rooming with is Eddie Ryland."
Nellie was silent. She didn't recall Eugene being friendly with Eddie.
"I didn't know that you knew Eddie," she finally said.
"I didn't until later on in the summer," said Eugene. He was slightly uncomfortable talking about the summer with Nellie. Samantha and Nellie had departed Mount Bedford being the center of heated scandal.
"That night of the Independence Ball," he said. "We got friendly. Eddie got pretty intoxicated in the gentlemen's lounge. He was in no shape to make it home, so I took him up to my room, so he could sleep it off, and not cause trouble. We've been friendly since then, keeping up correspondence. When I told him that I would have to search for another school, he mentioned right away I should apply to Columbia, and I could room with him and his friend. It's been fun."
They were silent again. Her apple strudel had come, and for once Nellie didn't feel like diving into it. Having Eugene right there had suddenly made Eddie and the past summer seem eerily close.
"Anyway the main reason I had to talk to you is give you this. I remembered you telling me the name of your school, so I just waited until you got it. I'm not following you or anything. It just looked like an important piece of mail."
He handed her the white envelope. It looked very business like being typed out. It was addressed to a Miss Helene Fitzgerald. The house address was the Ryland's house. The return address was from the submissions office of Ladies Life Journal Magazine.
"I don't think this is for me," Nellie said.
"Weren't you Helene Fitzgerald?" Eugene asked having no problem diving into his apple strudel.
"Helene Fitzgerald doesn't exist," answered Nellie. She opened up the envelope, to find a rather surprising and shocking letter.
Dear Miss Fitzgerald,
Congratulations your submission of the Spell of Moira McCollough has been selected as the first place winner of Ladies Life Journal's Contest for Young Lady Student Writers.
Your prize will be that your submission will appear in our April issue, along with a short bio, and picture. You will also be rewarded one hundred dollars. However to claim your prize, we must hear from you by March 1st.
Please send your bio, and proof of studentship to the address below, and we will have a photographer get in touch with you.
Best Regards,
Susanne Daley
"That's wonderful Nellie!" Eugene exclaimed. "You're going to be a published writer. A hundred dollars is nice too! What are you going to do with it?"
"I'm not a published writer," said Nellie still in shock. "Helene Fitzgerald is."
"Oh dear," Eugene said.
"I forgot about the stupid story anyway," Nellie said. "I'm not sure how Ladies Life Journal got a hold of it. I gave it to Eddie to read, he never gave it back."
"He sent it in," said Eugene. "He saw the contest advertised and sent it in, before he learned that you were really Nellie. I guess that letter came to his house over the holidays and he asked me to give it to you. "
Nellie shook her head and dug into her apple strudel. She was going to now devour the whole thing, and possibly another.
"I just don't get it," she sighed. "The one time I pull off a lie, a lie that Samantha put me to, it not only burns me once, but twice."