"Can we talk, man to man?" Ken says to Oliver while on the ferry to Mackinaw Island for their vacation. Oliver mainly shrugs and Ken sighs. "I just want to remind you that rules still apply, don't give Clara any ammo to innocently gossip. But for the sake of the trip and not being at home, can you find some pretty girl to fancy and promise to write when you inevitably leave and promptly forget about? Not saying you can't hang out with other boys, but just keep it all in groups and watch your sister for me and keep away pesky boys?"

"You want me to flirt with girls while telling me to keep away the boys you're telling me to be essentially be?" Oliver drawls in annoyance.

"I didn't mean it like that, I'm just asking you to watch yourself and watch out for your sister. You're not at home, you're not around friends who you can trust."

"That's right funny because even at home I have to hide away," Oliver snorts.

"Oliver, the only thing we have asked of you is not to give Clara gossip, because she will talk and unfortunately your aunts and uncles aren't as approving as your mother about it."

"So you don't approve," Oliver looks at his father in his eye. "I mean, I knew that, but you just said it yourself."

"You are putting words in my mouth Oliver," Ken groans. "Just do as I say please, and not argue. You can do what you want when you finish grade thirteen and graduate, until then, my word is law."

"Yes sir," Oliver says under his breath. He waits till his father walks away before rolling his eyes.

"What was that about," Rilla asks Ken as he comes over to her, her skirts blowing in the wind.

"Nothing important just reminded him to be good on this vacation and that the same rules apply as they do at home."

"Ken seriously," Rilla looks at him sharply.

"You agreed with it as well, so don't give me that look. The last thing we need is Clara seeing the wrong thing and going to say the worst things." Ken reminds her. "We're here on behalf of the magazine, things need to look proper."

Rilla gives him a look. "Proper as in I am supposed to be some submissive little housewife at your beck and call?"

"You know that's not what I meant Rills," Ken groans. "Look, I don't want to argue and you would be telling Ollie the same thing if we went to see your parents. I just want kids to be on their best behaviour."

"And what about Roe?" Rilla questions him about their quiet heartbroken daughter.

"If she manages to find someone to make her smile, I'll take it as a win," Ken says simply, digging into his pocket for one of his cigarettes and putting one to his lips. Rilla gives him a look and he sighs.

"Oh just smoke it and get it out of your system if you must," Rilla shakes her head. "I am gonna go find the others."

The Grand Hotel is larger and more elegant than Rilla expected, Ken checks them as the kids sit back on the sofa as Rilla holds Clara's hand.

Carl and Marianne managed to come along as well after saving a bit of money for it, it also gave Clara a playmate with Phoebe. They had invited Jimmy and Constance but they declined as Bertie felt a little young for such travel and Connie was already uncomfortable, plus Jimmy didn't want to leave Willow who was busy taking care of Fleur, while also helping out with Bertie and working hours at the ammunition plant. While Shirley and Lillian stayed in Toronto but sent the kids out to the Island for the summer to see their grandparents Aunts and Uncles.

"All right, rooms! One for your mother and I," Ken starts as he holds the keys. "Three of you in another, Clara, Roe you have one bed, Oliver you have another. Uncle Carl and Aunt Marianne will be down the hall from us as well in their room." He explains to them.

"This is amazing," Clara says in amazement looking around.

"Don't touch anything that doesn't belong to you, all of you and do not lose the key either," Ken warns all three of the kids.

"Breakfast is served until ten am, lunch until two, and dinner service is at six pm," Ken tells them. "The same rules apply here, as they are at home, tell us where you are going, and don't go swimming without telling us. Oliver and Rowena, you are more than welcome to hang out with kids your age, Clara, you'll have Phoebe, but there are a few groups for kids your age set up to help you meet other kids, that your mother and Aunt Marianne has arranged for your both If I hear one thing about you being disrespectful, or forgetting your manners, disrupting other patrons of the hotel, or doing things you should not be doing, your backsides will regret it for the rest of the summer."

"Yes Sir, Daddy," The kids say in unison, and Ken nods his head at them.

"If I have nightmares can I still come sleep with you?" Clara asks him frowning.

"Always," Rilla swoops, "we'll just be across the hallway all you have to do is knock."

The bellhop brings their luggage up to their rooms and shows everywhere where everything is, and how to call down for requests if necessary.

"You know I don't care right?" Rowena sits beside her older brother in their shared room for the next ten days after Clara goes across the hall to find Phoebe.

"Don't care about what?" Ollie asks looking down at his hands.

"Your big secret that you and Daddy argue about," Rowena says quietly. "It doesn't bother me, and I don't think you're strange because of it. You're just you, and I would do anything to keep you safe if it came to it. I only ask you not to steal any of my boyfriends."

"Roe, no offence, we have entirely different tastes in boys," Oliver tells her. "Either way, Dad is right I'm just annoyed that he thought I needed the reminder."

"Fair enough," Rowena says pulling her legs to her chest and sighing heavily.

"Has he tried to contact you at all?" Oliver asks.

"He wrote, and tried calling I just ignored them," Rowena says after a moment. "He didn't even warn me, Ollie, he just did it."

"He probably didn't know how to tell you," Oliver tries to comfort her. "From what I heard he's non-combat."

"That doesn't make up for his choices," Roe says under her breath. "He was the one talking about getting married when he finished college one day, and then he does this?"

"It's not easy sometimes Roe, watching friends and classmates go off with a purpose and you're just stuck here," Oliver tells her quietly.

"Would you go if Mom would give her blessing if the doctors didn't advise against it?" Roe asks him with green eyes piercing at him.

"It would feel like I was doing something," Oliver says shrugging. "I know Mom and Dad…have their thoughts about war."

"Even so they both do their part in the war effort," Rowena reminds him. "Dad is always working or going to Borden and Mom tries her best but it shows as much as they try to keep everything as usual as before. Let us be kids, but we're the ones getting Clara to school most of the week."

"So let's just make use of this time here," Oliver says quietly, "I promise not to steal any boys from you."

"Is it different kissing boys, I mean…I had to subtly teach Robbie not to shove his tongue in my mouth, I can't imagine two boys trying to kiss each other?" Rowena nudges him with a sly smirk.

"I am not answering that, and I didn't need that information either," Ollie makes a face and nudges her so she sways away from him. "Let's get suited up and find the beach?"

Rowena nods grinning and jumps up but pushes him so he falls back on the bed before grabbing her swimsuit that was already laid out so she could race towards the washroom to change first.

"Dad is going to go berserk," Ollie says casually as she comes out in her two-piece black and white polka dot bathing suit that shows off a few inches of her midriff between the high waist of the slightly shirred shorts and bra-like type.

"Mom bought it for me," Rowena shrugged grabbing her towel and rubber swimming cap so her hair wouldn't get ruined.

The beach isn't far from the hotel and they find a group of kids already there getting ready to dive into the clear water of Lake Huron. They introduced themselves and explained they were from Canada on vacation with their family.

"No, I'm not seeing anyone right now?" Ollie hears Rowena tell some boy as she sits in the sand.

"So shouldn't you be, I don't know training or something?" The blonde girl beside him asks. She was pretty enough, but Oliver didn't feel anything towards her.

"Medical reasons exempt me from enlisting, and my parents want me to graduate as well before doing anything with the war." He responds. "I do plan on helping out in other ways if they want me though, beyond combat if possible?"

"Ollie come swim with me!" Clara jumps on him out of nowhere, and he sees the adults and his father glaring down at the young man next to his sister. "What's your name I'm Clara," she says noticing the blonde girl.

"Dorothy, but my friends call for Dot," She says with a smile. "I'll see you around?" She says standing up, and Oliver could only nod his head.

"I thought you said you bought Rowena appropriate swimwear?" Ken whispers to Rilla.

"I did, she is appropriately covered for her ladies her age, they are all wearing a similar style," Rilla tells me.

"That is not appropriate," Ken utters.

"It's beach wear," Rilla rolls her eyes and pats his arm. "Right, Marianne?"

"Acceptable, it even has straps which is even better for her." Marianne tells him grinning.

They spend the afternoon at the shore before changing for dinner, which is set up at a large table for the two families for the first night. It was comfortable for the family-style dinner they offered. While another dining room catered to couples who wanted a more fancy dinner together without children around. The fare was simple but overall cooked well, in a classic American style that they were known for.

"Clara honey you need to eat," Rilla pleads to her youngest daughter. She never had picky eaters, but for some reason, Clara was against the food tonight.

"It doesn't taste good," Clara pouts in her spot making a face.

"It tastes perfectly fine Clara just eat your chicken," Ken steps in for Rilla with a stern voice. The kids were pink from the time in the sun. Dressed up for dinner in the dining room. It feels odd, knowing this country so close to them was not at war as Canada was.

"It tastes strange," Clara shakes her head.

"It tastes bland," Oliver tells her. "I know, it's not quite what we have at home, even Mom when it's her night to cook knows these days to use more than salt and pepper. Try putting some of this on it," he hands her salad dressing.

"Oliver really," Rilla says exhausted but doesn't argue about it if it gets Clara to eat it.
"Is there something wrong?" The black waiter comes by their table.

"We are fine thank you," Rilla tells him.

"I don't like the chicken," Clara speaks up and Rilla who was always big on manners groans. "You look like Mrs. Clarke our housekeeper, she's a good cook, why doesn't the cook make food with flavour."

The waiter holds back a chuckle but nods his head. "There is a dining room that has a more colourful menu that you might enjoy. While I cannot seat you in there with the other patrons, we can bring meals up to your suites."

"I'm sure we will manage, she eats perfectly fine at my parents who live off similar style taste pallets," Rilla tells him.

"Do you have anything to make it spicy? I like spicy?" Clara asks him and the black young man thinks for a moment before nodding his head, before stepping away from the table and coming back with a small bottle.

"Just use a little bit, it's quite powerful," he tells her and is relatively impressed when Clara takes a bite of her chicken and doesn't flinch.

"Better," she tells him with a nod of her head. "Though I don't know why your cooks are afraid of spices or flavour."

"Clara," Ken warns her quietly.

"It's all fine Sir," The waiter says with a smile."It is my job to ensure everyone is happy during their stay, no matter how young or old."

The days pass quickly and slowly at the same time and after breakfast, Ollie and Rowena would take up to spend the days with their new friends. While Clara and Phoebe did their days with supervised activities. The women went shopping and Ken worked, writing out key points and facts about the hotel and took photos of the island. Writing about the ban on automobiles and how they still used horses and carriages for main transportation.

They all met up in the mid-afternoon after lunch for family time of course, where he went into the family photographer and took photos of the children for their albums. What Ken wasn't expecting five days into the trip was Rowena running up to him as he sat out of the deck with his notebook.

"Dad, where is mom?" Rowena comes up to him in a panic.

"Out with Aunt Marianne why what is wrong?" He says looking her over.

"Damn it," Rowena curses and Ken raises an eyebrow.

"Rowena, don't swear, " Ken warns her. "What do you need help with?"

"I went to the little pharmacy because I needed some things and the lady refused to sell me what I needed," She says trying not to give too much info.

"Not helpful," Ken gives her a look of just telling me what is going on.

"I wanted to go swimming, but I can't without things…lady things," Rowena says going bright red.

Ken groans, ears going red himself. He prefers not to think about such female things, and he has never bought them as Rilla always did that herself. "Bring me to the shop," he says resigning to the fact he would have to do it.

Rowena takes his arm and leads him through a labyrinth of small shops in one corner of the hotel, stalking over to the counter.

"This is my dad, can I please have the tampons?"

"Really sweetheart he could be anyone," the counter lady clucked her tongue.

"Well, considering I delivered her myself, I surely hope she is my natural daughter," Ken drawls. "Just give her what she asked for please."

"Sir, surely her mother would be more appropriate, most girls her age do not use such things, most don't until they are married"

"Trust me, her mother doesn't care and you don't want her coming here," Ken warns her. "We don't care, and I'd rather buy her these than have to buy her new shorts or dress because she ruined all her clothes. Though surely it is not your place to judge or police hygienic purchases? If they are asking for such things they are experienced in what it entails to use?"

"You would be surprised sir," The lady's eyes narrow.

"Really because the marketing campaigns that go with advertising for the lady's magazine I publish once a month would speak otherwise?" Ken says raising an eyebrow. "So just tell me how much they are," Ken growls.

"I have it," Rowena says plunking down coins and trying to drag him away as he counted out the money she left on the counter.

"Thirty-five cents!" Ken exclaims. "for that small package! There better be three dozen of whatever they are in there."

Rowena rolls her eyes and grabs the box. "I'll be lucky if they last the week," she tells him truthfully. "Thanks, Daddy," she kisses his cheek and races off.

"If she needs anything, just give it to her, if I have to come back here with her again, I won't be happy," He says before turning on his heel and leaving the small shop, receiving a strange look for being on the ladies side of the building.

He goes back to the porch finding his spot still unoccupied. Then again the hotel pertained they had the longest porch in all of North America, so there was plenty of seating in and out of the sun.

"How was your morning?" Rilla asks finding Ken lounging in his seat with iced tea in hand, dressed in a light green floral rayon summer dress that reminded him of other pretty green dresses as he moved to let her sit on the edge of the wooden chair.

"Well, I accompanied Rowena into the depths of ladies' wear to the pharmacy counter because the woman refused to sell her tampons so she could go swimming," Ken tells her gruffly sitting down beside her.

"Pardon?"

"Oh you heard right," Ken tells her. "Then she argued with me, and even tried to say that I wasn't Rowena's father and that her mother surely would have an issue."

"Seriously, dear lord," Rilla growls shaking her head. "It's a summer resort what is she supposed to do, sit and look pretty. It's a sanitary protection, their only requirement for such things is to have a cycle, yet these women gasp in horror because they think a compressed piece of cotton is going to destroy their daughter's virginity which is ludicrous."

"Pretty sure she tried that tactic as well," Ken says shaking his head, Rilla laughs and moves his hat in front of them and kisses him with a touch more privacy before returning it to his head.

"Marianne is going to take Clara and Phoebe to the beach and the older ones are somewhere..." She whispers and Ken grins looking up at her as he gathers his things and takes her hand catching her meaning.