‘Thank you but no, I really don’t care to see where you want to build your house,’ Susannah said tartly.
‘You could sure use some manners, Susannah Olsen,’ Silas said, raising his eyebrows and taking a big gulp of his punch.
More couples joined the dance floor as the Portland band took it up a notch. Susannah dreaded Silas asking her to dance. Her attention was caught by one couple: clearly summer visitors by their attire. The girl had black hair, as shiny as a beetle’s shell, and was wearing a red polka dot dress with a full skirt. As she danced, the skirt lifted, revealing layer after layer of petticoats, and slim legs in tiny black slingbacks. The girl’s lips were painted scarlet and she was throwing back her head and laughing as she danced. Susannah was transfixed by her gaiety. To this girl, the island dance was just one jolly night on her summer holidays. Maybe tomorrow she would leave the island for another year, back to her big house, an urban life full of culture.
Susannah was so lost in her fantasy, she didn’t notice Silas’ hand on her arm. Before she could resist, he was leading her towards the floor. Kate waved over at her, grinning madly. No way. She couldn’t dance with this guy. But before she could stop him, he had one hand on her waist and was waltzing her on the dance floor. Susannah had danced many, many waltzes around the kitchen at home with Kate. Their mother had first taught them when they were little. Turned the radio up loud and clapped her hands as the two girls twirled faster and faster, breathless and swept away by their perfect rhythm. But now Susannah kept tripping over her feet, stepping on Silas’ toes. Thank goodness she was wearing ballet pumps and not heels. But it was just too intimate to be that close to Silas Young. She could smell the faint whiff of fish under his scent of soap. He had clearly scrubbed himself a thousand times, his skin was so raw-looking on his cheeks, but the smell of the fisherman still lingered in every pore of his skin. Every time she tripped, she could sense annoyance build in his body, his grip even tighter on her hands. She wanted to scream at him to let her go; it felt as if they were two clumsy bears waltzing around the dance hall. Everyone could see how ridiculous she and Silas were.
A flash of Kate in Matt’s arms, shimmering with delight in her pale organza as if a fairy princess. Her sister was completely ignorant of Susannah’s embarrassment. Not one dance, but two and then three; on and on Silas took her around the dance floor, and not one other boy stepped in and asked to dance with her. Every other time Susannah looked over at Kate, she had a new partner, although Matthew managed to get rid of them in between each dance.
At last, Silas tired of dancing. Susannah excused herself, saying she needed to powder her nose as Silas loped off to the drinks table for some more punch, the bulge of a liquor bottle in his pocket. She knew full well he’d be tipping the whisky into his fruit drink like all the boys did.
Pushing open the terrace doors of the Weaver hotel, Susannah stepped out into the soft summer night, breathing out a massive sigh of relief. Thank goodness she’d escaped for a few moments. The sky was filled with stars, surrounding a narrow crescent of silvery new moon. She searched for the true steady glint of the North Star, beckoning to her. She didn’t know why, but just staring at the North Star gave her hope. Made her feel she had possibilities, a future beyond the rocky shores of Vinalhaven.
She wished she could go home right now, but she couldn’t leave Kate with Matthew Young. She had to mind her sister, even if it meant putting up with Silas.
The terrace door opened and out tumbled Rachel Weaver, along with one of her New Hampshire guests. A boy with clean-cut features, and expensively dressed in contrast to Silas.
‘Oh, hello, Katie’s Susie,’ Rachel said, her eyes glittering. She’d clearly been drinking. ‘What are you doing hiding out here?’ Before waiting to hear Susannah’s reply, she continued. ‘This is Arthur Gravell of the Gravells of Vermont.’ She swung her arm dramatically, indicating the young man, who smiled at Susannah. His eyes, too, were squinting with alcohol.
Susannah had never heard of the Gravells of Vermont, but politely thrust out her hand. Arthur shook it with limp fingers, looking her up and down and making her feel cheap without saying anything.
‘So, Susannah, this will interest you because Arthur is at Harvard, and that’s where you want to go, right? That’s what Katie told me.’
Susannah coloured with mortification. How could Kate have divulged her secret to Rachel Weaver? Especially since their own mother didn’t know.
‘No, no, that’s not true,’ Susannah denied.
‘But Katie said you don’t want to find a husband, you want to go to college,’ Rachel said, her tone sickly sweet.
‘I wouldn’t recommend it,’ Arthur told her. ‘Harvard’s not a place for women.’
Susannah felt a flare of outrage at his comment. ‘What do you mean?’ she said, her voice low with annoyance.
‘Why, it needs such focus and dedication to undertake studies at Harvard,’ he said glibly. ‘Girls are too easily distracted. They don’t have the aptitude.’
Rachel cuddled up to Arthur. ‘So what are we good for, Arthur?’ she said.
‘Well, taking care of the men,’ Arthur said happily. ‘Behind every great man, there’s always a good woman.’
Susannah didn’t dare herself to speak. She almost preferred Silas to this arrogant prig. At least Silas didn’t think he was better than her.
‘There have been many great women who didn’t need men to
