Eve looked at the clock. TC would be there in 20 minutes. She couldn’t believe it. She was looking forward to it so much.

Suddenly she heard a buzz. She went to the intercom, and the doorman said, “ A Mr. Russell to see you.”

” Send him up.”

Eve was at the door, when TC knocked on her door.

Eve opened the door, and flung herself into TC’s arms. He was a little startled.

” Eve? Whoah.”

Eve backed up, and looked down..” I’m sorry.”

” Don’t be. I….Well, I never had someone seem like they wanted to see me, the way that you did.”

” I’ve missed you. Come in.”

TC came inside of the apartment. “ It’s nice.”

” Thanks. “

TC saw her luggage. “ You want to go with me to the Vineyard?”

” Of course.”

” I didn’t think that you had the time off from work. “

” I worked it out. I wasn’t going to miss the chance to be with you. I didn’t think I could  miss someone so much.”, Eve said, and then darted her eyes away, almost blushing.

” I missed you too, Eve. So much. Well, since you’re going with me. Let’s take this luggage downstairs and get going. Ok?”

” That would be great.”

They loaded up Eve’s luggage into the Mercedes station wagon and began their trip down to Woods Hole. They discussed Eve’s summer at the Clinic, and how prestigious it was for her. Eve had never had anyone really be interested in her thoughts and observations. TC would glance over to her, every once in awhile, and the look in his eyes took Eve’s breath away. They finally got to the docks, and TC was in line. The man came up to the car, and asked, “ Name?”

” The reservation is under Russell. TC Russell.”

The man checked his list, collected the money from TC and ok’d for them to proceed. They drove the car onto the ferry and parked. Once they were parked, TC leaned over to Eve and said, “ Let’s go up above.”

Eve had never been on a ferry before, so she followed TC. She looked at the rest of the passengers up above. A number of them were families traveling together. Eve saw that they weren’t the only Blacks on the boat. TC found them seats, and then told her he would be back. He returned a few minutes later with nourishment.

” Here’s your hot chocolate, and I thought we could share a sandwich. “

“ Hot chocolate? It’s the summer.”

” True. But, it will get a little chilly on the water, which is why I told you to bring your sweater.”

Eve began drinking her hot chocolate. She and TC sat in their seats, and Eve put her head on TC’s shoulder.

” Comfy?”, he asked.

” Yes.”

” I hope you enjoy your time at the Vineyard. I had hoped that you would join me, but, I couldn’t presume that you would come.”

” I’m glad I did.”

 They sat together, just enjoying the sun and the seagulls, which always were around the ferry during the crossing, when there was a voice:

” TC? TC Russell?”

Both Eve and TC looked up to see a young woman standing there. She wasn’t alone, for there was an older woman accompanying her.

” Hey Ainsley, how are you? Mrs. Bond.”

” How have you been, Thornton? I heard you were at Duke, studying under Dr. Franklin.”

” It’s true, Mrs. Bond. “

” How was it?”, Ainsley asked.

” Fine. It’s been better than I could have ever imagined.”

” So, my dear, who are you?”, Mrs. Bond says, looking directly at Eve.

” Mrs. Bond, Ainsley Bond, this is Eve Wharton.”

” Wharton? Of the Westchester County Whartons?”

” Um , no.”, Eve says, shaking her head.

” Eve is going to be a doctor. She’s a student at Harvard Medical School.”

” Harvard? Then, surely, you know Dr. Winston?”, Mrs. Bond says, still staring at Eve.

“ Yes, M’am. I had him this past semester.”

“ And, how did you do?”

” I received an ‘A’, and an invitation to work in his clinic.”

Upon hearing that bit of news, Mrs. Bond seemed to relax a little in her observation of Eve.

“ Thornton, did you know that Ainsley is finished up at Stanford Law School? She just got the notification – she passed the bar in California AND New York. “

” Ainsley, congrats!”, TC said, as he kissed her on the cheek to congratulate her.

“ Thanks, TC. I begin working in the Justice Department right after vacation.”

“ That’s great.”

“ Yes, a few years there, and I’m sure that she’ll be able to get a clerkship.”, Mrs. Bond replies.

Ainsley rolls her eyes, and says, “ One can only hope. Is this your first time at the Vineyard, Eve?”

“ Yes. I hear it’s lovely.”

“ It has its charm.”, Ainsley says.

“ Ainsley and Thornton have been coming ever since they were born. I’m sure that Thornton will be a wonderful tour guide.”

Eve grabbed ahold of TC’s arm, and smiled while she said, “ I’m sure he will.”

“ Well, Mother, let’s leave TC and Eve to the rest of their ferry ride.”

“ You WILL come by for dinner while you’re on the Island, won’t you, Thornton?”

“ Yes, M’am. I’ll make sure of it.”

Mrs. Bond nods and she and Ainsley walk away.

“ She seems nice enough.”, Ainsley said.

“ There’s something about her. I’m going to have to find out more.”

“ Mother, it’s none of our business.”

“ Nonsense, Ainsley. Thornton is one of us. I am just looking out for him, as I would hope that my friends would look out for you. We’ll see what the facts are on DOCTOR Eve Russell.”

Watching Ainsley and her mother walk away, Eve put her arms around TC and hugged him. As she nuzzled him, she teased,

“ THORNTON?”

“ Hey. Why do you think I go by TC? I was baptized Thornton Chandler Hayden Russell. There has been a Thornton Russell in my family for over 200 years. There’s also been a Chandler on my mother’s side of the family for just as long. I was the ‘lucky’ one that came along when my parents decided that they wanted me to receive both names.”, TC chuckles.

Eve was silent, and felt a sense of awe, listening to TC talk about his family that way. She had nothing to compare to this. No sense of roots. Her entire life had been based on ‘survival of the fittest’.

Eve and TC spent the rest of the time in silence. She felt a sense of calm as the ferry went across the water to the Vineyard. She and TC broke up the sandwich and threw the bread towards the water, to the seagulls. She could sense the release in tension in TC also, which made her curious. When he told her that it was time for them to go downstairs to prepare to disembarking, he had almost a childlike giddiness about him. Eve followed him downstairs, and they got back into the car. When it was their time to get off, Eve felt TC grab ahold of her hand and kissed it. He had his car window down, and so did she. She was like a newborn babe. She took in all the smells and sounds. She looked at the small roads. She was enjoying traveling slowly down the streets, watching all the vacationers there. There was a mixture of young and old, Black and White, on the streets. Eve looked at the quaint shops, and then, they turned onto an unpaved road, full of houses. Some large, grand even, mixed in with small ones. They were all shingle-style. Finally, TC turned into a driveway, to one of the smaller houses, but, surrounded by a disproportionately large yard.

“ Here we are.”, TC says with a smile. He comes over to open Eve’s door, and takes her hand. As she approached the house, Eve realized that the house wasn’t as small as she thought it was. It was just that the other houses were so big. TC opened the front door and took her inside.

Inside, the decorations were something out of a magazine. She had seen pictures of ‘summer homes’ in Architectural Digest, and House and Garden, but, she all the faces in those magazines had been White. It was elegant, and comfortable at the same time. TC showed her the living room, the dining room, the kitchen, and then, Eve was in shock, as TC said, ‘ This is my mother’s newest pride and joy’. It was a room, totally enclosed in glass.

” She saw it in a magazine, and had to have it. “

” It’s beautiful.”

” Yeah. It’s cloudy today, but, when it’s sunny outside, it’s fabulous for getting a tan. And, perfect for late evening entertaining.”

Eve listened to TC. ‘ late evening entertaining’ – what a phrase.

Let’s go upstairs.

Eve had sort of been waiting for this moment. TC had invited her on this trip; surely he meant for them to become lovers. She had come prepared, and had gotten her birth control prescription renewed just a couple of days ago. She was more than ready to take that step with TC, and couldn’t think of a better or more romantic setting for the two of them. If Eve were to be honest with herself, she was so nervous thinking about it. It was a new step for her: being with a man who could be with her. Julian wanted her, and their relationship was so involved and twisted, with emotions that she wish she didn’t have, but the bottom line was – he got married on her. He couldn’t be WITH her.

And, now, she realizes that she CAN be with a man who wanted to be with her, and wanted what she did.

TC passed a beautiful bedroom. ‘ That’s my mother’s.’ They went to another one, which was very feminine. “ My sister usually stays here.”, and finally a third bedroom, which had two double beds in it, and decorated in a lovely pale blue theme.

” I thought you could take either this bedroom, or my sister’s. My sister’s is closer to the bathroom, but, this one has a deck to it. See?”, TC tool her outside, to where there was a little deck, with two lounging chairs and some beautiful plants.

” Wow. You wouldn’t know this was all here, looking at it from the front. “

” I know. It’s deceptive. The best thing is that you can turn the chairs in the evening, and have an absolutely gorgeous view of the sunset. Even in the day, it’s a marvelous view of the ocean.”

” I think ‘I’ll’ stay here.”

“ Good choice. Well, let me get your bags.”

Eve is looking around the room, and TC is out the door when she calls to him.

” TC, where will you be?”

” Upstairs.”

” Upstairs?”

“ Yep.”, TC comes back and leads her up a backstaircase. Eve is in awe. There are two large rooms, extending the length of the house, and a bathroom in between. One is a bedroom, with 4 Queen Sized beds fittng easily in it, and appropriate bedroom furniture, and the other one, is a living room. Though it’s the top  of the house, it’s quite breezy. And, there are large skylights in both rooms.

” This is nice.”, Eve says.

” Yep. My mother wanted more room for visitors, and came up with this. It’s totally comfortable up here; even during the hottest time of the summer. The cross ventilation, plus the shading from the nearby trees, and it feels terrific. “

“ So, you’ll be up here?”

“ Yes. I didn’t want you to think that I had assumed anything, Eve. I would never insult you like that.”

Eve suddenly felt ashamed, and looked down to the ground. “ Thank you, TC. You’re so considerate. “

” Well, let me get your bags.”

They went downstairs, and Eve settled in her room, once she got her luggage. She unpacked – leaving the birth control pills locked in her suitcase in the closet, and went to sit on the loungechair and enjoy the air.

“ So, are you hungry?”

” Just a little bit.”

” Well, I hate to admit this, but, I’m a little low on funds. But, never fear. It will be ok.”

” TC, I have money.”

” Nonsense. I invited you. I know what to do. But, you’ll have to keep yourself occupied for a few hours. I promise when I return, I’ll have dinner for us. OK?”

Eve smiled. “ Fine. I have a book to read.”

“ Well, there’s fixings for lemonade or iced tea in the fridge. You can go take a swim in the ocean, or sit out on the beach. You don’t need to worry about locking the door. Everybody knows everyone. See you in a few hours.”, TC said, kissing Eve on the cheek and leaving her room, and out of the house. Eve decided to change into a one-piece bathing suit, with a Diane Von Furstenburg wraparound skirt. She went into TC’s sister’s room. She looked at the pictures of the family. The room radiated a confidence and comfort to it. Then, she went to TC’s mother’s room. The furniture was a bit more expensive. She saw pictures of the family: TC with an older couple that must have been his parents. The entire family. Individual pictures. All in what Eve knew were sterling silver frames. She opened up the closets and the drawers, and though things were sparse, everything there was expensive and elegant.

Eve looked at the pictures of TC’s mother when she was a young woman. She had to admit to herself that there was a similarity in their physical features.

She walked down the stairs, and  stood at the top of the first flight, looking down at the open space. Taking in the home really, for the first time. She walked into the kitchen, and took down the pitcher, and made some lemonade. Taking her glass, book and towel, she went out through the living room, to the wraparound porch. His mother had a beautiful garden below, and in another corner, was a large open barbeque pit.

Eve had settled in, and was reading her book, when she the hair on the back of her neck went up, because she sensed something. She looked up, and was startled.

” Oh, my. I didn’t intend to startle you, Dear. I just came to check up on you.”

” Do I know you?”

” Oh, where are my manners? My name is Harriet DeJoine. I’m Thornton’s Godmother. I saw you pull up together, but, when I saw him leave in his car alone, I just came over to see if there was anything that you needed?”

” No. I don’t need anything.”

” Do you and Thornton have dinner plans?”

” Yes, we do.”

” Well, I’ll forgive him tonight, but, tell him that I expect him for brunch tomorrow at 11 sharp.  I didn’t get your name…”

” Eve. Eve Wharton.”

“ It’s nice to meet you, Eve. Now, I understand that you’re a student at Harvard Medical?”

” Yes.”

“ Third or fourth year?”

” I’ll be entering my fourth year.”

” And, where did you attend college?”

” Wellesley.”

“ I see.”

“ So, you know Julia Weston, then.”

” The librarian? Yes. I worked under her for  4 semesters.”

” Did you pledge at Wellesley?”

” There were no sororities on campus.”

” True. But, there’s a Boston chapter.”

“ I was too busy with pre-med. It took up a great deal of my time.”

” And, where exactly are you from, Eve?”

” I was raised in several places on the East Coast.”

” Oh, so you traveled? Why so much?”
“ Because of my family. “ Before she could ask another question, Eve responded, “ That you for coming Mrs. DeJoine. I’ll tell TC that you stopped by. I thought I might take a swim before he returned.”

” Do be careful, Dear. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, now would we?”

Eve smiled at her and made way down to the beach as fast as she could. As she came up for air after hitting the water, Eve realized that she hadn’t told the woman that she was at Harvard Medical School. That information had been supplied by others.