Summer 1903

My first day back on the rowing team is the day of the Harvard/Yale regatta. My teammates are all gathered around, yet Coach McGee is nowhere to be seen. I scan the crowd, a sea of red on one side, blue on the other, and spot Ben and Raoul; they wave to me. My eyes fall to a small round-faced young woman standing farther along. Her blazing dark red curls bounce up and down as she turns, and my heart skips a beat. She looks just like my mother…except when she glances up I notice her eyes are bright blue, the same shade as the water in the lake behind me. The girl blushes, dropping her gaze as I smile at her. I start over to her, but Coach McGee appears before I have time to approach.

McGee nods to me. "Welcome back, Hockley." I wait for him to hand the megaphone to me and inform the others I've been reinstated as captain, but instead he turns to Chandler. So that's who he chose to replace me? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised…

All I can do is stare at him in disbelief for a few moments. "So you're team captain?" I blurt out before I can stop myself.

Chandler's lips curl into their familiar sneer as he nods. "You seem surprised."

My hands clench into fists. I have to take several deep breaths, but I still feel the blind anger rising. That arrogant little bastard never tires of showing me up, does he? The boat wobbles slightly as I stand, but I pretend not to notice. Before I can think twice, I reach for the megaphone in Chandler's hand. He just laughs, holding it high above his head. I chuckle under my breath… apparently he forgot I'm taller than him. I make another grab – this time I'm able to take hold of the megaphone. Chandler tries to yank it back, but I pull harder. Back and forth it goes until… SPLASH! Several people gasp as we fall overboard, including the pretty redhead.

"You idiots!" McGee scolds. "All this fighting has let Yale take the lead!" He shrugs out of his coat, draping it over Chandler's shoulders; his eyes flash cold fire as he glares at me, yanking the megaphone from my hands. "Now pick up the pace!" I shiver, shaking my dripping hair out of my eyes as I try to ignore Chandler's voice barking orders.

Inevitably, Yale wins; our loss put McGee in a decidedly worse mood. I can still hear him cursing under his breath as I push my way through the throng of Yale students cheering and whooping. "Hockley!" I wheel around suddenly to face McGee, his face contorted in barely veiled rage. "You're lucky I don't kick you off the team after a shameful display like that."

"But Chandler is a-" I start to protest.

"Anthony Chandler is one of the best rowers I've ever had," McGee cuts me off, waving a hand as if to dismiss the matter. "Maybe even better than you," he adds, and my heart sinks. McGee sighs. "One more incident like this and I'll have no choice but to remove you from the team. Is that understood?'

"Why wait?" I demand. "You hardly seem to need me if Chandler's so much better…"

McGee's teeth clench, and I can see a vein bulging in his temple. "Why? Because I can't afford to be a man down because of you... again." I know he must be referring to my injury earlier in the year. "Now I'm the coach, and what I say goes!" I almost laugh at his last comment but force a nonchalant expression just in time. "We're not going to have this problem again next month against Cornell, are we?"

I shake my head, turning away and almost bump into… the red-haired girl. To my horror, she giggles. I had hoped she wouldn't see me like this, soaked and humiliated, but one look in those blue eyes tells me she's seen everything. I feel a hot flush rising to my cheeks as I drop my gaze, hurrying past her. Now I'll never be able to make a good impression on her…

Someone thumps me hard on the back, jerking me from my thoughts. I turn to find Ben standing behind me. "I, uh…" He clears his throat loudly. "Good game." He smiles sheepishly.

Raoul appears at his side, his blue eyes surveying me up and down. "My God, you look like hell!" I chuckle sarcastically. Don't remind me… "You look like you could use a drink." I allow Raoul's voice to wash over me as the red-haired girl catches my eyes. She smiles before disappearing back into the crowd, and I stare after her as she goes. Ben waves a hand in front of my face; Raoul laughs. "Oh, I see," he says as understanding dawns in his eyes. "What's her name?"

"I…" my voice trails off; I hesitate. "I don't know. We've never spoken."

"So let me get this straight," Raoul says incredulously. "You finally fall in love…" His voice becomes stifled with suppressed laughter. "And you don't even know her name?!" He leans against a nearby tree, doubled over with roaring laughter, as I glance back at him. Ben shoots him a warning look. "Sorry, sorry…" Raoul straightens, gasping for breath. "Well, shall we go?" I reluctantly follow Raoul and Ben, though I still can't get the red-haired girl's face out of my mind.

There are only half as many people in the crowd for our next regatta against Cornell. My heart sinks; I'm sure the pretty redhead won't be among them… she was probably a Yale supporter anyway. I start to turn away when I catch sight of auburn curls in the mob, then a flash of blue and there she is! The race isn't scheduled to start for another five minutes; now's my chance… I can feel my heart hammering against my chest as I approach her. "I'd hoped I would see you again." I take her dainty gloved hand in my own, pressing it to my lips; her sapphire eyes widen. A sudden horrible thought occurs to me: what if she's already someone else's girl? "So, are you here for anyone in particular?"

She nods, and I have to quickly drop my gaze to hide the emotion in my eyes. I should've known… The girl giggles as she replies, "My brother."

I can't help but laugh along with her. "Well, he's very lucky to have you." I pick a blue wildflower growing nearby, the exact shade of her eyes, and hand it to her. "My name's Cal Hockley."

She gently strokes the flower's petals. "I'm Helen Ch-"

"Hockley!" a voice from behind cuts her off. I wheel around to find Coach McGee staring me down. "What the hell do you think you're doing? We're waiting on you!"

I'm only vaguely aware of the sound of a gun firing behind me, signaling the start of the race. My head jerks up, but all I can see is Helen's bright blue eyes as they meet mine. "Good luck," she whispers. Chandler is shouting commands into the megaphone, but his voice is drowned out by the thought of her, making it nearly impossible to pay attention to the race at hand. Her name echoes again and again in my mind… Helen…

A sudden deafening roar of applause rises, jerking me violently back to reality. I sigh; we lost again… I'm sure McGee will never let me hear the end of this! But… as I look around, the Cornell boat is nowhere to be found… but that means… We won? How did that happen?

My eyes scan the crowd to find Helen jumping up and down, cheering wildly as she waves a small Harvard pennant. I can't help but laugh at the stark contrast between her and the other spectators clapping in a dignified manner. I smile as she approaches, expecting her to congratulate me, but she just brushes right past me. I stare after her as she throws her arms around, not me, but… Anthony Chandler. "Congratulations! " she squeals, kissing his cheek. I have to turn away; I can't watch this anymore…

I have to take several deep breaths as my hands clench. It's taking every bit of restraint I have not to walk up to Chandler and beat him to a bloody pulp. That son of a bitch doesn't care anything about her; he's only using her to deny me! And Helen… I thought she didn't already belong to another man. Why would she lie to me like that?

My father is already waiting in the parlor when I return home. "Good afternoon, Caledon," he greets me, but I ignore him; I'm too distracted by the thought of Helen and Chandler together. My head bows, though I can still feel his cold dark gray eyes on me. "I take it Harvard lost again?"

"I, uh…" I stammer. "No, actually we won."

My father settles back into his chair. "Then, to what do I owe the displeasure of this melancholy mood? It wouldn't be over some girl, would it?" I gape at him; how does he know that?! "Don't act so surprised. I know the signs, Caledon…" He coughs loudly. "So, will I be expecting grandchildren any time soon?"

Just what kind of girl does he think she is? What kind of man does he think I am? I open my moth to say something back to him but stop myself just in time. "Oh, I see…" My father's eyes change as realization hits him. "She doesn't know." He chuckles under his breath. "Well, don't wait too long. I won't be around forever."

I turn away so he won't see me roll my eyes. Different girl, yet still the same heir lecture… the one he's given me with every new girl I've met since I was sixteen. I stare aimlessly out the window at the darkening sky as the vision of Helen holding onto Chandler replays in my mind. "What if she doesn't…?" My voice trails off as I feel my throat tightening. Why am I pouring my heart out to him, of all people? It's not as if he'll care…

"NONSENSE!" my father roars; the sudden harshness of his tone makes me jump slightly. I feel his hand resting atop my shoulder, but I don't look back at him. "You're handsome, charismatic, wealthy… the sort any woman in her right mind would fall for." All I can do is stare blankly as he disappears down the hall. Did my father actually just pay me a compliment? My mind dismisses the matter as I once again stare out the window. What if he's wrong? What if she doesn't return my feelings? Or worse, what if she chooses Chandler over me?

In what seems like only the blink of an eye, the last regatta of the season – and my last day on the Harvard rowing team- is here. Helen smiles sweetly to me as I spot her in the crowd, but I can't return her smile with suspicions attaching my mind. She giggles slightly as I kiss her hand, but her smile fades as she notices the look in my eyes. "Helen, may I speak with you in private?"

She nods, taking hold of my arm as I lead her away from the crowds into a nearby forest. I allow her voice to wash over me as we walk along. "…I grew up in Pittsburgh with my brother," she rambles on. "We live in my grandfather's old house. He's-"

"What a coincidence! I was born in Pittsburgh," I interrupt her before I can stop myself. "My father moved us to Philadelphia when I was still a baby." I don't understand… why am I telling her all this? She giggles, making me smile sheepishly. "You were saying…"

"My grandfather's in the steel industry and…" she continues. Strange… why have I never heard of him? "Oh!" she exclaims as if a sudden thought has dawned on her. "Cal, I have the most wonderful news!" Her brilliant blue eyes light up as they gaze into mine. "I'm going to college this fall… in Boston. I wanted to be close to my brother and…" Or closer to Chandler, a nasty voice in the back of my mind taunts me. Helen's eyes darken. "Cal, aren't you happy?" I feel her hand caressing my cheek. "We'll see each other every day…" A faint gunshot goes off in the distance, and my heart drops. I'd forgotten all about the regatta! "Oh, no!" Helen cries. "I've made you late!" She tries to run back toward the lake, but I gently grab her arm; she stares wide-eyed back at me.

"It doesn't matter." I force a smile. No use going back now; the regatta's already started. What's McGee doing to do about it anyway? Kick me off the team? It was my last day anyway. I sigh, trying in vain to work up the nerve to tell Helen how I feel about her. "Helen…" I'm shocked by how weak and timid my voice sounds. "What were you doing with Anthony Chandler?"

"You saw that?" I nod. How could I not have? She was all over him! "I…uh…" Her eyes cloud as she drops her gaze. "He's-"

Helen gasps suddenly as a nearby bush rattles. She grabs onto me as someone jumps out at us; I inwardly groan as I immediately recognize that rat-face… Anthony Chandler. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" he shouts.

I laugh mirthlessly. So McGee's not just one man down this time, but two? I'm sure he'd expect that of me, but not his golden boy Chandler! "I think a better question would be: why are you spying on us, Chandler?"

He casts me an insolent sideways glance. I wait for his snide remark, but she just rushes to Helen's side. "Helen, what are you doing here? With him?" His tone softens as he tries to take her hand; she just clings even tighter to me. "Don't you know he's a Hockley?"

Helen's face falls, and I feel a dull anger rising. "Get out of here, Chandler!" I say through clenched teeth. He just glares icily back at me for a few moments before turning away. My eyes dart from his retreating back to Helen's crestfallen face; everything starts to make sense. "That's your brother?" Tears flood Helen's bright blue eyes as she nods slowly. "Why didn't you tell me?" I realize the harshness of my tone only after seeing a lone tear spill down her pale cheek.

"I-I knew who you were t-the first time I saw you, e-even before I learned your name," she manages to choke through her tears. "I knew i-if I told you, y-you'd never…" Her voice is suspended by sobs, though I already know how she'd finish that sentence: love me.

I feel her tears dampening the front of my shirt as she buries her face in my chest. I stare past her as my hand entwines in her hair, and my conflicting thoughts rise. She's the sister of my archnemesis… but she's so unlike him! She lied to me… because she loves me. My arms are still wrapped tightly around her as my hands ball into fists. I want to go after Chandler for upsetting Helen, after my father for hating this family so strongly, aster Aaron Chandler for whatever he did to wrong my father in the first place. I want to attack them, make them pay for all they've done, but I know I can't… Helen needs me now.

"Helen…" I gently cup her face in both hands as her sobs eventually die, tracing the tearstains on her cheeks. My voice trails off as I tilt her face so that her eyes meet mine; one look in those eyes and I'm at a sudden loss for words. Before I can stop myself, my lips brush against hers. I half-expect her to pull away, but she doesn't; just kisses me back, deeply and passionately…

We're both gasping for air as we break apart. Helen starts to turn away, but I grab her hand as an idea dawns on me. I reach into my coat pocket for a pen and scrap of paper to take down the address of the bar where Ben, Raoul and I spend most of our time. "Meet me at this address tonight…" Helen give me a small peck on the cheek; I know it's now or never. "I love you, Helen," I whisper in her ear before she turns to go. She glances back, blowing me a kiss, and I know she must feel the same… I can see it in her eyes. She turns away with a small smile, and I stare after her as she disappears into the shadows.