I turned back to my reflection and admired my new style. “That’s exactly what I’m going for.”
I powdered my nose, put some rouge on my cheeks and lips and looked in my closet. This would be the last night that I’d see Archie for a while. The pale peach dropped waist was a favorite of mine—I usually wore it with white gloves and a long string of pearls; it was the ideal dress for the occasion but too subdued for my mood.
“Is this too much?” I asked, grabbing the dark navy dress heavy with beading. It was not the most comfortable dress for sitting and dining, but it felt amazing to dance in, layer upon layer of beaded tassels swishing and jumping with every step. Ruthie came out of the bathroom and smiled.
“It’s a lot.”
I held it up and looked in the mirror. The contrast of my pale skin against the dramatic dark beading and my almost black hair was just what I wanted. “It is a lot,” I said. “It’s perfect.”
Ruthie decided on a turquoise hanky-hem dress that was definitely more appropriate for the afternoon-into-evening affair.
Carefully we climbed into the first coach.
“You really like this guy,” Ruthie said in a whisper.
“Who?”
“Archie. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”
“Like what?”
She tapped my knee and laughed. “Excited, anxious, checking in the mirror five times before we left the cabin. You care about this one, that’s all.”
I rolled my eyes.
“It’s a good thing, Olive, it’s nice.”
We spent the afternoon at the Casino—which was actually a boathouse, named not for all the gambling that apparently went on there but rather because it meant “little house” in Italian. The second floor was the men’s billiards room, with a separate card room for women—the owner had originally thought it was unseemly for men and women to engage in such activities together, but we all threw those cautions to the wind and commingled anyway. We went on a boat ride as the sun was setting and then ate dinner at tables set up along the lakeshore. Alberto performed as we ate dessert, and he insisted that I join him for “Ave Maria,” which earned us a standing ovation. I couldn’t believe I was actually singing to an audience with Alberto Ricci.
Later that night, back at the Pines after everyone had said good night and gone back to their cabins, Archie and I stayed up, watching the last of the embers glowing in the firepit.
“You were magnificent today,” Archie said, pulling me closer to him on the wooden bench. “Stunning in every way, and the way you and Alberto sang together, honestly, it was perfection.”
“Oh, Archie, you’re too kind. I think Alberto’s voice can make anyone sound good.”
“I hardly think so, Olive. On the contrary, I’m sure there are notmany who could sing with him and sound halfway decent. You have a beautiful voice.” He kissed me. “And a beautiful smile.” He kissed me again. “And a beautiful neck.” I let my head fall back. “And beautiful shoulders… Olive?” he asked softly.
“Yes,” I said. “Yes.” And he took me by the hand and we walked back to his cabin.
As soon as the door closed behind us, he slowly removed my dress, kissing me softly with each inch of skin he revealed. We moved toward the bedroom, and I urgently unbuttoned his shirt, desperate for us to touch.
“Archie,” I said. “I should tell you…”
But he kissed me again.
“Archie…” He kissed my ear, my neck, my collarbone. “Archie, you drive me wild.”
He picked me up and carried me the rest of the way.
Afterwards we lay in bed, his strong, muscular arms wrapped around me. I felt blissfully stunned. I’d never been with a man before, not like this. The one other time didn’t count; it had been so different, so unwanted. This was how it was supposed to be—this incredible intimacy—this overwhelming rush of emotion.
The only singing I heard as I rushed out of the cabin in bare feet, my shawl wrapped hastily around my shoulders, was the sound of coots and warblers making themselves known well past dawn. OurFolliesgroup would be packing up and moving on to the next camp after breakfast, and I’d promised to meet Alberto on the lake one moretime beforehand. He was staying only a few more days, and then he’d be heading to Philadelphia for a show, then back to Italy.
Archie and I had both slept in, and when I woke, I had to peel myself away, not wanting to leave him sleeping soundly next to me, but eventually I tiptoed out of bed. I climbed into the first boat I saw and rowed out on the lake in hopes of catching Alberto at the tail end of his vocals, just to say goodbye.
“Yoo-hoo,” I called out. The lake was smooth as glass, and there was barely any fog. I could make out the shape of his canoe from a long way off, but there was no sign of Alberto.“Ciao, Alberto,”I called out. Could he have gone for a swim? I wondered. But the water was calm all around, and the air was too cold at that time in the morning.
“Hello,” I called again as I approached. He popped up from lying flat in the canoe with an arm over his eyes.
