27. Party
The Wyndham-Pryce lake house was not far off the road, but it was screened from ready view by a tall stand of mixed maples and oaks, and had it not been for two squat fieldstone pillars topped by brass ducks rising in flight, the entrance to the property could easily have been missed. The SteerE plunged into the small copse, and following a short incline, emerged onto a wide paved lot already occupied by a variety of vehicles. As usual, Bonnie had the fanciful notion that the two-story house, imposing in its size but plain in aspect, had its back turned to visitors arriving by car; like its neighbors along the Lake Anna shoreline, it had been designed to draw the eye and impress when seen from the water, and as a result, it appeared, when approached from the parking area, entirely devoid of architectural interest or style. A perfunctory effort had been made to break up the long stretches of ochre-colored clapboards with the occasional decoration, and a pair of potted evergreens had been positioned by way of welcome on either side of the rear entrance.
Trev had, apparently, been watching for them, for he was already stepping out of the house and holding the screen door open when Bonnie and Vanna turned from collecting their bags from the trunk. He was looking unusually laid-back and chipper in his untucked linen shirt, patchwork madras Bermudas and weathered topsiders. "Ladies," he said, acknowledging Vanna with cordial nod, and leaning in to greet Bonnie with a prolonged kiss. "Good journey, I hope? Come on through. Most everyone's out on the lawn, but there're people up on the deck, too. Let's get your gear stowed away, and then, we'll see about getting you something to drink. You'll be glad to know, Bonnie, Mom's mixing up her famous white sangria."
They preceded him into the family room, deserted for the moment, although there was a selection of leather armchairs and sofas invitingly arranged to face an enormous flat vid-screen that took up much of the opposite wall. Among these modern furnishings were ranged a number of vintage pieces, spindle-legged side tables and small finely-crafted cabinets that ought to have looked out of place, but managed instead to lend character and charm to the space. Bonnie smiled to see the familiar prints of beach scenes, paintings of fish and water fowl, and wall hangings of life preservers and fishing net that everywhere proclaimed this to be a vacation home, dedicated to leisure pursuits, refreshment and relaxation. The patio doors framed a limited view of the shaded sandstone terrace and beyond that, the long slope of grass that led down to the lake, steel-blue at this hour and placid under the cloudless sky. Bonnie heard the murmur of voices and the creak of a porch swing wafting in from outside, and the faint clatter of crockery and flatware drifting down from above. "Where's the Senator?" she asked, as she and Vanna followed Trev up the stairs.
"Out on the lake with Emma. They took one of the canoes. They'll be back soon." He motioned them to precede him into the first room that opened off the upper corridor. "You can leave your things in here."
Vanna stepped into the bright, airy bedroom and immediately crossed to the double-wide french doors. "Oh, what a view!" she breathed out in admiration.
Bonnie added her bag to the jumble of possessions heaped on the queen-sized bed, and joined Vanna by the window. From this greater height, more of the long, narrow lake and some of the sprawling residences on the far shore could be seen, as well as, immediately below, the plank boardwalk at the base of the hill, and the double-slip boat house and dock. At the bottom of the lawn, on a relatively flat piece of land, a group of young people were struggling to set up a volleyball net.
Coming up behind them, Trev said, "The bathroom's just across the hall, if you want to freshen up."
After a quick inquiring glance at Bonnie, Vanna excused herself gratefully. She had no sooner vanished into the bathroom than Trev took advantage to draw Bonnie into his arms, and clasp her tightly to him. "I missed you last night. All I had for company as I lay awake staring at the ceiling was happy memories of you and me in this room." She could feel the lift of his cheek against her temple, the tickle of his low laugh against her ear. "There was one memory in particular…"
Bonnie shut her eyes tight, turned her face into his neck, and breathed in his familiar scent. She could have told him, truthfully, that she, too, had had trouble sleeping, but she couldn't then have told him why. He wouldn't have wanted to hear she'd been stewing over how unsettling she had found the last two weeks working in close proximity to Dr. Baer, how his leaning over her as she tried to concentrate on excising paint samples no larger than the head of a pin had set her fingers to trembling and her heart to thudding, or how unnerving it had been to have him standing only a hair's breadth away scrutinizing the canvas' edge through a microscope as she plied her scalpel. She would have liked to dismiss her awful self-consciousness as the blameless anxiety anyone would feel treating so valuable a painting, but she knew in her heart it was more than professional jitters. Much as she wished it otherwise, she was uncomfortably aware of Dr. Baer, not only as her supervisor but as a man, and could only pray she would grow inured to his nearness in time.
Trev loosened his hold and, leaning back, smiled down at her. "How 'bout we cut out early this afternoon, and spend the evening at my place? I haven't had you to myself in just about forever."
She did like the sound of that, but… "What about Vanna? She'll be expecting me to ride back with her."
"That's where you're wrong. She knows it was always my plan to see you home."
"She… You…" Bonnie's sudden suspicion was amply confirmed by the self-satisfied grin on Trev's face. "The two of you worked all this out between you!" she said, part flattered and part indignant. "You set me up!"
"What can I say?" Trev shrugged, unapologetic. "I'm reduced to drastic measures. So, how about it? Do I reap the rewards of my clever plotting?"
Before Bonnie could answer, the bathroom door lock released with a loud pop, and Vanna was crossing the hall to rejoin them. "We'll see," she said, mock-repressively.
Trev escorted them out of the bedroom wing, and over to the sitting area, where, ensconced in a deep-cushioned love seat, plates balanced on their laps and steaming mugs in hand, Freya's sisters sat enjoying a quiet conversation, while their husbands, seated along the opposite wall, were engaged in a more lively discussion. They broke off speaking to call out salutations, and Bonnie, well-acquainted with and fond of them all, slowed her step to exchange brief greetings before turning the corner into the galley, by which misnomer the family referred to the succession of areas, kitchen and bar, that took up one entire side of the house. They found Freya, resplendent in an aquamarine and gold tunic over tapered capri pants, behind the granite breakfast bar looking dubiously into the half-empty punch cup she held.
"Here they are, Mom," Trev said, interrupting her musing. "Your serving wenches."
"Hmm? Oh! Bonnie! Vanna!" Freya's brow cleared at the sight of them. "Perfect timing!"
Vanna rucked up her jacket sleeves, and stepped forward. "How can I help, Mrs. Wyndham-Pryce?"
"What? Oh, no, my dear! Trev was joking." Freya gestured to the woman in the starched white chef's coat working at the counter behind her. "Bridget and her staff have everything under control. No, I just wanted a second opinion on this punch…"
Trev obligingly ladled out small servings for each of them, and, it being determined that the punch was delicious as constituted, Freya allowed the bowl to be transferred to the buffet table, and set in pride of place among what remained of the breakfast offerings. These included several trays of glossy pastries, fruit-studded muffins, and plump bagels as well as one platter of sliced melon, grapes and strawberries and another of cold meats and cheeses. "Please, help yourselves, " Freya said, motioning to the array. "Lunch won't be served for several hours yet, and you must have had a very early breakfast. There's coffee and tea on the beverage cart, and juice, if you're not quite ready for punch, in the refrigerator."
Against the promptings of her better judgement, Bonnie succumbed to the lure of an iced blueberry danish, and Vanna, who confessed to having been in too much of a rush to do more than scarf down a yogurt before hitting the road, heaped her plate with a healthy assortment of fruits and cheeses. To avoid disturbing his relations a second time, Trev led them through the sliding door opposite the kitchen and onto the deck overlooking the side yard and a shallow inlet of the lake. Café tables and chairs had been set up along the railing, and at one of these, they discovered a noisy group of young people who, upon spotting Vanna, cried out in loud welcome. A great deal of chair-dragging and table-clearing later, the three newcomers were absorbed into their midst.
Shortly after, the Senator returned from his father-daughter canoe trip, looking agreeably tired and in good spirits. As genial host and birthday honoree, he was in constant demand, and so consistently engaged by supporters, friends and family, that Bonnie caught him alone only long enough to give him a hug and wish him many happy returns on the day. "We'll talk later," he promised, as Freya drew him away to greet arriving latecomers.
Between meeting new people and catching up with old acquaintances, Bonnie's morning passed, on the whole, very pleasantly. There were a few awkward moments, such as when Trev's aunts, having commanded Bonnie's company and shooed their nephew off unceremoniously, subjected her to a lengthy interview that, at times, more closely resembled a well-intentioned but no less intrusive cross-examination of her feelings for and intentions regarding Trev, or when, having made good her escape and joined the rest of the young people out on the lawn, she happened upon their daughters, Margot and Dana, who were similarly nosey and disposed to pry. Fortunately, their interest was more casual in nature, and they were easily diverted into talking about themselves.
Finally left to her own devices, Bonnie cast her eye over the sun-drenched slope in the hope of sighting Trev but there was such a welter of activity before her that she could not immediately pick him out. He was not among the guests stretched out on the sun-warmed grass, or strolling along the boardwalk, or competing in, to all appearances, a hotly-contested volleyball game. There were a number of tall, well-muscled blonds diving off the dock and cavorting in the lake's frigid water, but she could tell, even at a distance, that they were all, to a man, Trev's cousins. She spied a canoe heading back toward shore, and had all but convinced herself that Trev was one of the paddlers, when the lazy arc of a bright red ball drew her eye to the bottom of the hill where Trev and Vanna were taking on Emma and her current boyfriend at boules.
"There you are!" Trev said, when she'd made her way down to him. "Were you with Liv and Inga all this time? They weren't too objectionable, I hope?"
"They were fine," Bonnie assured him. "What's going on here?"
"Vanna and I just trounced Mitch and Emma." He raised his hand, palm up, and Vanna slapped hers against it. "This girl here can really play!"
"Beginner's luck," Vanna murmured, modestly. "Would you mind taking over for me, Bonnie? I see someone over there I need to talk to." She turned to go, but paused to lay a hand confidingly on Trev's arm. "You won't forget?"
"No, no. You can count on me."
She smiled her gratitude, and moved off, leaving Bonnie to stare after her. "What was that about?"
Trev waggled his barely-there brows. "Wouldn't you like to know!"