Page 27 of Air Affair

“Miss, I just wanted to let you know that Evelyn is here. She wanted me to ask if you wanted to go for a drive,” her maid, Kelly, said through the door.

“You can come in.”

Kelly tucked a wisp of red hair behind her ear as she entered and closed the door behind her. Rory had a special place in her heart for her maid. The two of them were nearly the same age, and on more than one occasion, Kelly had helped her out of sticky situations. It was good to have a friend in this big, cold household.

Offering a sympathetic smile, Kelly said, “I heard you and your father had words.”

“I’m afraid so,” Rory admitted. “I refuse to marry Edward after what he did to me, but Father refuses to take no for an answer. It’s put me in quite a foul mood.”

Kelly patted her shoulder. “You know, you always feel better after spending time with your friends.”

It was true. A drive with Evelyn would be just the thing. “Tell her I’ll be down in a minute,” she said. She finished addressing her letter and put a Jenny stamp on it. “Would you mind posting this?”

“Of course, Miss.”

“Thank you, Kelly. You’re a doll.”

There. Now she was free.

Kelly hurried off with the letter, and Rory checked herself briefly in the mirror, powdering her face and putting on fresh lipstick. Even with her friend, she wanted to put on a brave face.

Downstairs, she found Evelyn in the front parlor, staring out the window.

“Come to take me for a drive?” Rory put her hand on Evelyn’s shoulder, and her friend turned and folded her in a hug.

“I heard through the grapevine how things have gone off with Edward. I thought you could use some cheering up.”

“Smashing,” she said, a wide grin on her face.

“I was thinking we could drive out to the racetrack and put a few of the horses through their paces. What do you say?”

Even better. Riding meant going out to Belmont Park. Maybe she would see Hank. Her heart sped at the thought. Not that she could do so much as say hello with Evelyn in tow. Much as she trusted her friend, she wasn’t ready to share the secret of Hank with anyone yet.

“You are my favorite person in the whole wide world. Did you know that? I’m not dressed for riding. Give me a moment.”

Upstairs, she put on khaki pants with a buttoned front panel and ballooning fabric at the thighs, tapering to a slim fit for her calf. On top, she wore a collared white shirt with a red and brown striped silk tie. Donning calf-hugging riding boots, a knee-length flared khaki jacket, and a camel-colored cloche hat, she was ready.

Out front, she found Evelyn standing beside her Le Zebre sports car, cheerfully telling curious passersby about its horsepower and top speed. It drew the eye, distracting even from the imposing façade of the mansion.

“You want to drive?” Evelyn asked her with a sideways smile.

“Ooh! Thank you,” she said with glee, catching the keys Evelyn tossed.

She climbed into the leather-upholstered driver’s seat, she turned the ignition key, and a doorman turned the crank in front. The engine caught, and the long, polished, burgundy snout of the car roared to life. She loved this sound almost as much as the engine of a Jenny.

Pulling out into the street, she floored it, and they barreled down Park Avenue, terrifying pedestrians and motorists alike. Turning on Fifty-ninth Street, she sped toward the Queensboro Bridge, then zoomed over the soaring steel cantilever structure into the smoky wilds of Queens. Free of the city’s traffic, she sped up, pushing forty miles per hour. She whooped with glee, and her friend joined her.

They arrived at Belmont Park in thirty-eight minutes, their shortest time yet. She absolutely hadn’t been thinking about Hank the whole way there. He barely crossed her mind. He definitely wouldn’t be in that hangar she was staring at avidly, heart thundering.

Shaking herself, she got out of the car and said, “Thank you so much. That was exactly what I needed.”

“Thank heavens. I find so many problems can be solved by irresponsibly fast driving.”

“So do I. Let’s go find some horses to ride until we’ve forgotten all of our cares.”

As they passed the enormous barn doors of the hangar, she lingered for a moment, looking at the airplanes and surreptitiously checking for a certain pilot with dark hair and sinful eyes. All she saw was a couple of mechanics going about their business. One of them waved to her as she passed. A Jenny flew overhead, coming in for a landing on the main racetrack. Her stomach clenched for a moment at the thought that it might be Hank.

She hurried to catch up to her friend. As they waited in the stable for their horses to be saddled, she tried to ignore the sounds of the plane landing outside. She was tempted to run out to see if it was him, but she stayed put, joking absently with Evelyn.