It was a good thing he was holding her close, because now she felt her knees weaken. “Yes, you may,” she said, and then his mouth was against hers, his lips warm and tender. It was everything she’d ever dreamed it would be and yet not nearly enough. She marveled at how natural it seemed and felt elated to realize that this was just the beginning. They could kiss like this for the rest of their lives. The other part, the married intimacy, was something she was not entirely clear on, but with John, it could be only an expression of love. And then someday, besides having each other to count on, they’d have a family and a home. A few minutes ago, she’d dreaded her life after John left for school. Now she saw the years ahead unfolding in beauty like rose petals come to bloom.
She was still kissing John when they heard the sounds of a boat scraping onto the shore. They pulled apart, and she froze, listening. She was alarmed to hear footsteps on the path coming in their direction. She whispered to John, “We’ll be discovered together.”
“Don’t worry, Alice,” he said, not even lowering his voice. “We are engaged to be married, and we have your father’s consent.”
Alice stepped back even farther and smoothed her hair. If they left right now, darting through the trees away from the path, they might be able to avoid whoever was coming. It was no doubt another couple wanting privacy for lovemaking, which would not put them in a position to judge Alice and John, but still, she worried for her reputation. Until now, it had been completely untarnished.
“Maybe we should go,” she said, motioning to one side. “We could circle around to the path and go unnoticed.”
“I am not scurrying in the grass like a rat being hunted,” John said, taking her hand. “We will leave the same way we arrived. There’s no cause for alarm, Alice. We’ve done nothing wrong.”
Alice listened as the rustling got louder, a feeling of dread building. When Pearl and Frank came into the clearing, she gave a sigh of relief. Oh, thank goodness it was them and not one of the chaperones. A second later, when Frank angrily opened his mouth, her sense of ease drained away, replaced by alarm.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Frank yelled, pointing a finger at John. “I know what you are.”
Alice caught the slight slur in his words. Frank had been drinking. Pearl held a finger up to Frank to indicate he should wait.
“We’ve been looking for you,” Pearl said, her eyes darting nervously from Frank to Alice and John. “I can’t believe you left the dance. Father will not be pleased to hear this.”
Alice had spent years smoothing over arguments between her sisters and was very good at it. Distraction was often the key. She let go of John’s hand. “Frank! Pearl! You’ve come just in time to hear the good news. John has proposed, and I have accepted. We are engaged to be married.”
“Engaged?” Pearl sounded more irate than congratulatory. She folded her arms. “No. You can’t be engaged. Father is not going to allow such a thing. And where is your ring if you are engaged?”
John straightened up. “Alice does not have a ring yet, but I will be getting one for her soon.”
“Soon?” Frank laughed in a mean way. “I have a ring at home I was ready to give you, and this fellow offers you nothing, and you think that’s better than me?”
“Father will not be pleased,” Pearl said. “You sneaking off like this and agreeing to marry John. He’s not even from Pullman.”
“Father has already given his permission,” Alice assured her. “John asked him earlier.”
John spoke up. “I spoke to him one day at the mill, and he gave us his blessing.”
“His blessing?” Frank said, becoming enraged. “He’ll take it back after he finds out who you really are.” He turned to Alice. “Did you know he’s a Negro, Alice? And that his father is in prison for killing a man? I bet he didn’t tell you that. I’ve known your family my whole life, and I know your father. He would never let you marry a man beneath you, especially one with Negro blood and a murderer for a father.”
“Frank!” Alice said, shocked. “I don’t want to hear you say such things.”
“It’s true,” Frank said. “All true.” He reached behind him, and when his arm swung forward, Alice shivered at the sight of the gun, now aimed right at John. “My uncle in Gladly Falls told me all about you, John Lawrence Robinson. You got yourself a grandpappy black as coal. There’s no use denying it.”
Alice said, “Frank, put the gun down.”
But Frank kept going. “Your daddy is a jailbird, and you and your mother are servants in some rich person’s house. You aren’t fit to lick my boots, and you think you can have Alice?”
John took a step forward. “Frank, I think you need to face facts, my friend. It’s a hard truth, but Alice is not interested in your affections. She and I are in love, and we’re going to get married. When you sober up, you’ll see your way clear in all this.”
Frank staggered forward, but his outstretched arm still had the gun aimed at John. “Sober up? You use big words, college boy, like you think you’re better than me, but you’re nothin’.”
John held his hands out. “I never said I was better than you.”
Alice spoke through gritted teeth. “Put the gun down, Frank, before someone gets hurt.”
“Oh, I’m counting on someone getting hurt. And his name is John Lawrence Robinson. You don’t believe me, Alice? You don’t think I know what I’m talking about? I can prove all of it.” Frank’s words came out in a bellow.
“You don’t need to prove anything to me,” she said. “John told me all of this already. It doesn’t matter about his father or his great-grandfather. He’s the one I love.”
“You love him? Him?” He waved the gun back and forth. “That’s an insult to all decent men.”
“Frank,” John said, “can you put down the gun and shake my hand? We can solve this like gentlemen and talk it through. And if you don’t want to shake my hand, you can punch me if it will make you feel better. Just put down the gun.”
He was, Alice realized, trying to jolly Frank out of his anger, but she knew Frank well enough to know he would not be swayed that easily.
She pulled on John’s arm. “Let’s go,” she said. “It’s getting late. We can row back, and you can drive Pearl and me home. We can talk tomorrow if you want, Frank. I’m getting tired, and I want to go home.”
Both men were locked in a stare and didn’t waver. “Put away the gun, Frank,” John said, stepping forward with his hand outstretched. “You’re scaring Alice.”
“Looks like I’m scaring you too.” He waved the gun again.
Pearl went up to Alice and slipped her hand through the crook of her elbow. “Let’s take the boat back to the dance and let the gentlemen settle this themselves. It’s getting late.”
Alice wasn’t going anywhere without John. “This has to stop, Frank. I am in love with John, and we are going to get married. There is nothing you can do about it.”
Frank shook with anger. “Nothing I can do about it? That’s where you’re wrong, Alice.” He cocked the gun. “You will never marry him.”