Chapter 1

It all began at the rose garden. The Ardley’s home on the north side of Chicago has a plot of land set aside for the planting of roses. A gardener comes to tend it every morning. This small rose garden is not as magnificent as the rose garden of the Ardley’s old Lakewood estate, which was sold years ago by its owner, William Albert Ardley, after all the children of the Ardley clan have grown up, and the estate was left unused for many years but maintenance cost was high. Nonetheless, the Ardley’s current home is still a place of luxury, given that most of the country had just barely survived the era of the Great Depression. With eight rooms total, it can be considered a mansion. Behind the house on the left side there is a private swimming pool. Extending to the right side is a slope of grass that oversees the lake. The rose garden is at the expansive front yard on the left side of the circular driveway, which lies at the end of the extended driveway leading out to the street. It is a tribute to the owner’s nephew, Anthony Brown, who died more than three decades ago at age fifteen from a tragic fox hunting accident when he fell off a horse. It is still early summer, just the end of May. But the Chicago heat has already begun to swell and weigh on everyone. The year is 1940. Anthony Ardley has just finished the last day of his first year at the University of Chicago, and is on his way home for the summer. He is carrying only a travel bag. Most of his personal items at the dormitory are in storage at school. His parents had offered to send a driver to him, but a classmate who lives nearby his home had offered to drive him back. His friend drops him off at the front entrance of his home, and he walks up the extended driveway toward the entrance of his house. Unlike his long ago deceased cousin who he is named after and died before he was born, Anthony has neither a green thumb nor much interest in planting or gardening. His deceased cousin is someone of great importance to his entire family, especially to his uncle Archie and Candy, whom his father adopted. Archie and Candy both grew up with him before he died. The presence of Anthony Brown is felt everywhere for the extended Ardley family. Even his Aunt Eliza, who is not one known for having a compassionate heart, always breaks down a bit whenever Anthony Brown is mentioned. Although he never met Anthony Brown, he had seen photos of him. He knows that he inherited the same golden blonde hair and blue eyes of his father and that Anthony Brown also had. People who knew Anthony Brown even said sometimes that he looks more like the deceased than his own father. But that may be because no one remembered what his father William Albert looked like when he was growing up. On the other hand, Anthony Brown at age fifteen was forever etched into everyone’s memories. As he is now only three years older than Anthony Brown when he passed away, people who knew and loved the deceased could not help but make a comparison and hope to find a shadow of the one they loved and lost. Nonetheless, perhaps of their physical resemblance, or maybe because of the constant reminder of him everywhere as he was growing up, he feels a bond and a connection to his deceased cousin who he never had the fortune to know. And like the rest of his family, he always felt it a good thing to commemorate him and his memories.

So he is alarmed when he arrives home to see someone kneeling on the ground, carelessly cutting off the blooming flowers from the rose garden. It is a teenage girl. She is concentrating on her task and does not notice him walking up to her. Unlike most girls and women of this time, she wears her shoulder length brown hair straight, and some of it is now wet from the beads of sweat on her forehead. She has a dirt mark from the soil on her right cheek, and the summer sun has brought out specks of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her hands and slender fingers are covered in soil too. “Who are you?” Anthony demands to know. “You’re trespassing.” The girl looks up at him, showing neither fear nor concern in her eyes. “Who are you?” she asks him back. “Why do I have to answer to you?” “Because this is my home.” He says. He looks at the rose garden. A patch of it now is in disarray and the beauty of the garden ruined. “What have you done? You just destroyed private property.” The girl gives him a disinterested look, picks up the flowers she had cut off, puts them into a bag next to her and, taking everything, walks away. “Hey! Come back here. I’m not done talking to you,” he calls out after her. But she ignores him and keeps on walking away. Although disturbed, she is gone and there is nothing else he can do. He figures that he will find out who she is later. Maybe she’s a neighbor’s kid. If so, they can warn her parents about it. He walks into his home and finds his Uncle Archie visiting her parents in their living room. His mother, Sophia is the first to see him walk in and she breaks into a smile. “Anthony! You’re home!” she exclaims, getting up from her seat. “Hi Mom,” he says, throwing down his travel bag and walks over to her and gives her a hug. “Welcome back, Anthony” his father says, also getting up to greet him. “Hi Dad,” Anthony says, giving him a hug as well, “Anthony! Long time no see,” says his Uncle Archie. “Good to see you too, Uncle Archie,” Anthony says and shakes his hand. “We were just talking about you,” says his father. “How did exams go?” “Fine. Nothing I couldn’t handle.” He smiles and answers. “What brought you here today, Uncle Archie?” “Came to talk to your father about some potential investment opportunities in Latin America. We think now’s a good time to invest in some of the export activities there. With the war in Europe, there’s a shortage of raw materials over in England.”

“Oh yea?” Anthony says. “What else have you all heard about the war over there? I’ve been busy with exams this last month and haven’t kept up.” “Not going good,” says Archie. “It’s expanding throughout the continent. Gosh. I feel like we just went through all this. Can’t we just all live happily ever after? Wasn’t the last time bad enough?” His parents nod in silent agreement. Archie is especially outspoken against the war because his brother Alistair died as a soldier fighting in the Great War about twenty years ago. “Well, as long as they keep to their own and keep us out of it,” he continues. “I am strictly an isolationist.” “But Candy and Terry are over there in England,” says Sophia, a worried frown on her face. “The war’s expanded to England now?” Anthony asks. “Seems like it. The Germans are noe dropping bombs over there." Says his father, who prefers to go by the name Albert, his middle name. The mood in the room suddenly becomes somber. “Oh, by the way, when I was coming in,” Anthony says, changing the subject, “there was a girl messing with our rose garden. Did any of you see that? Maybe we should find out which neighbor’s kid she is.” “That’s not a neighbor. That’s Tessa. Tessa Graham. She’s staying with us,” her mother says, smiling again. “Staying with us? Why? Who is she?” “You don’t remember?” Archie asks. “She’s Candy and Terry’s daughter. You met her when Candy and I took you to Lakewood eight years ago when you were ten. She brought Tessa along too.” “I did? I met her?” Anthony tries to remember. Now that Archie mentions it, he vaguely remembers that there was a little girl with them on the trip to Lakewood that summer. The little girl was quite adorable, and he remembers her running around the Lakewood estate along side Archie and Candy. But his memories of the little girl are hazy, and he remembers much more the stories that Archie and Candy told him about his deceased Uncle Alistair and his deceased cousin Anthony Brown. “You know Tessa,” says Albert. “Candy always mentions her in her letters.” “I don’t know,” Anthony says, skeptical. “From the way Candy describes her, doesn’t sound anything like that one I just met out there. That one is kind of rude. Why is she staying with us anyway?” “Candy and Terry think it’ll be safer for her to be in America until that war blows over.” Albert says. “And they’re right. Tessa came just two months ago. Good thing she did, now that London is not safe anymore.”

“It can’t be easy for her,” says Sophia. “She’s still young. She’s in a foreign country, away from her parents and living with people she doesn’t know very well.” “I don’t know about that,” Albert disagrees. “If she’s anything like her parents, she won’t be fazed by any of this.” “I for one hope she’s not too much like that father of hers,” Archie says. “But she’s been quite good to Alistair so it looks to me she’s more like Candy. But I wish she and Katherine could have been friends.” Alistair is his son, who is now ten and whom he named after his brother who died in the Great War. Katherine is his daughter, who at fourteen is the same age as Tessa. “I think she’s probably more worried about her parents’ safety now more than anything.” Says Albert. “Anyhow, Anthony, do try to make her feel welcomed and at home. We all should try,” says Sophia. “Of course.” He answers, as he wonders if maybe he had been too confrontation to the girl before. “But why was she picking flowers from the rose garden?” “She takes them to the hospital. She visits patients there every week. I think it’s something that she and Candy used to do every week back in England.” His mother told him. Anthony starts to feel a bit of regret now that he hadn’t been friendlier earlier. He decides that when Tessa returns, he will properly introduce himself again. “Archie, why don’t you and Annie bring Katherine and Alistair over this Sunday? With Anthony home now, we can have a nice family reunion.” Sophia suggests. “And maybe it’ll be a chance for Tessa to get to know everyone better.” “That’s a great idea, Aunt Sophia. I’ll let Annie know.” Archie says. “How about we make it a pool party?” Anthony suggests. “We can even invite Alistair and Katherine’s friends to join.” “That sounds like a good idea,” Sophia says, “and also a good chance for Tessa to meet more new friends. Archie, what do you think?” “I’m all for it,” says Archie. “It’s all set then.” Sophia smiles. She is delighted that her son is home. He brings so much life into their lives. Since he went off to college, everything has been too quiet around. She thought that having Tessa in the house would liven things up. And as she doesn’t have a daughter herself, she had hoped to do more mother-daughter type activities with her. But Tessa is unusually quiet and difficult to understand for a girl her age, and shows no interest in normal teenage girls’ activities. Sophia hopes that it is just because she is still adjusting to her new life here, and that she will become more open and at ease over time. When Tessa comes back, she doesn’t announce her return to anyone. Quietly she takes a book from her room and goes out to the back of the house to the slope overseeing the lake. She lies down on her back on the grass, enjoying her solitude.

Anthony only realizes that she is home when he goes to take a late afternoon swim before dinner. His parents had built the pool especially for him. In high school, he was a swimming champion. For two years he was captain of his academy’s swim team as well. He also competes now on the University team, usually with very good results. On his way to the swimming pool, he sees Tessa lying on the grass. He decides to take a minute to re-introduce himself. “Hello there. You’re Tessa?” he says, standing next to her and towering over her. He thought she would get up, but she doesn’t and merely glances at him. So he crouches down to her. “I’m Anthony,” he says, smiling and making an effort to be friendly. “Oh. So you’re Uncle William and Aunt Sophia’s son,” she says. “Yes. I heard you’ll be living with us for a while.” “I guess so,” she says, her voice indifferent. “Sorry about before,” he says. “I thought you were one of the neighbors’ kids and was trespassing.” “Apology accepted,” she says flatly. He did not expect her to say that. He wasn’t really apologizing to her. It was just a polite way to break the ice. He thought she would know that. And now, it is as if he did something wrong and is apologizing to a kid. He feels somewhat miffed, but holds his tongue. “What are you reading?” he asks her. “A book,” she says. He is beginning to feel like he’s talking to a wall. He looks at the book lying next to her on the grass. The title of the book is “Demian”, written by German author Herman Hesse. What an unusual book for a girl to read, he thought to himself. Definitely not a book of choice for even the older girls he meets from nearby women colleges at university social functions. More popular with them would be something Jane Austen or Edith Wharton, or Charles Dickens if they like something more substantive. Or poetry by Wadsworth or Emerson. “I’d prefer to be alone if you don’t mind,” she says. Now he feels peeved. He is trying to be nice, and her attitude is still curt and unfriendly. “Ok, suit yourself,” he says, and walks away toward the swimming pool. He has agreed to welcome her at his parents’ request. He’s tried, and it’s not his prerogative to waste time befriending a brooding teenager. Chapter 2

It is a festive Sunday afternoon at the Ardley residence. Archie, Annie and their children Katherine and Alistair have come for the pool party that Sophia and Anthony suggested earlier in the week. Katherine has invited two of her friends from school, Lilith and Isabelle, both of whom are upperclassmen and a couple of years older than her. Alistair too invited his best friend Peter. The Jamesons, who are the Ardleys’ neighbors, are there as well. Brandon Jameson is Anthony’s university classmate who drove Anthony home several days ago when the school year was over. Albert, Archie and Mr. Jameson are in the living room enjoying brandy. Their wives and older sons are at a table by the pool, enjoying cold summer drinks and talking about the boys’ past year’s studies in college. Alistair and Peter are playing in the pool, while Katherine and her friends are seated at the recliners by the pool chatting. Tessa lies on a recliner next to the girls. Her Aunt Annie had introduced her to Katherine’s friends and suggested that they may enjoy each other’s company. Out of courtesy, the girls greeted each other with casual friendly welcomes. But by the looks of them, Tessa knew straight away that their chance of becoming friends is none. The older girls are both wearing expensive designer swimming suits, and whenever they are near Anthony or Brandon, they would become self-conscious and subtly shift their bodies, as if they are posing. Katherine is not wearing a bathing suit but a floral sundress, and pays no attention to Anthony or his friend. But she is eagerly trying to please her friends, laughing at everything they say and following them around. Tessa herself is wearing a simple top and shorts, and looks out of place next to the dressy threesome. And Tessa guessed correct. As soon as they are outside by the pool, Katherine and her friends immediately began gossiping about their classmates, they ways their classmates are spending the summer, and other people and events with which Tessa is unfamiliar and uninterested. Instead of attempting to join their conversation, she closes her eyes and decides to enjoy basking in the summer sun. Even though she is surrounded by people, she thought that as long as everyone leaves her alone, an afternoon like this lying by the pool outside, with refreshing cold drinks and delicious prepared food readily served, is not a bad way to spend the afternoon. She feels like she is drifting off to sleep. Her afternoon of peace is suddenly disrupted by a loud sound of a splash in the water, followed by the screechy yells and screams of Katherine and her friends. While Tessa was half asleep, Anthony has decided to take a swim. As he stands on the edge of the pool preparing to dive in, his golden hair shining under the radiant sun, Katherine’s friends take notice of the young man whose tall, fully toned physique is as beautiful as if Adonis has come to life. His reputation as a swimming champion is well known within his community. And when he dives in and swims several laps in flying speed, the girls scream in delight, cheering him on. Startled by the commotion, Tessa awakes and opens her eyes just in time to see Anthony swims his last lap. When he climbs out of the pool, his body still only halfway out of the water, he turns his head to wave at the girls who are still cheering for him, before joining his friend Brandon who is sitting on the edge of the pool across from them. After that, Katherine’s friends begin fawning about him in adulations. “He is such a dream!” Katherine’s friend Lilith swoons. “Katherine, do you know if he has a girlfriend?” “I don’t think he does,” says Katherine. “But even if he does, she can’t be that important because he hasn’t introduced her to the family yet.”

“He’s so good looking and he’s a such a great athlete too. Katherine, can’t you get him to come over and talk to us? On no wait! Don’t do that. If he comes over I wouldn’t know what to say! I might die!” Isabelle babbles on, flustered. On and on they went on like this about him. Dear God! I’m so sick of this, Tessa thinks. They sound like all the silly women who fancy her father and always shamelessly look for ways to meet him and try to seek his attention. If there is anything that pleases her about her move to America, it is the chance to be away from all that. And yet, here she is, stuck watching this type of ridiculous behavior again. And what are they fawning over anyway? She glances at Anthony, and thinks, this man-child who gets all riled up over flowers and the rose garden. She has seen so many similarly good looking young men come and go while growing up with the London theater community. There are plenty of them anywhere. Why all this fuss? These girls are so provincial! I can’t take this anymore, she thinks. Seeking an escape, she notices that Alistair and Peter are now out of the water, and are seated in another table by themselves playing marbles. She gets up and joins them. Seeing Tessa leaving the girls for Alistair and Peter, Sophia lets out a sigh. “She doesn’t seem to mix very well with the girls,” she says. Annie too stares over at Tessa’s direction. Tessa has just said something that made Alistair and Peter laugh. The three of them look to be having a good time. “Maybe she’s more of a late bloomer,” she comments. “Perhaps the other girls are a bit more mature,” says Mrs. Jameson. “Give her some time. Soon enough she will lose interest in playing games with children.” A little while later, Katherine comes over to Tessa and the young boys. “Tessa, can we talk?” she asks, her voice friendly. “Ok.” Tessa looks at her, making and effort to be nice, and says. “What about?” “Mother and Aunt Sophia said that you will be coming to school at our academy in the fall.” “I guess so. If it’s what they decided.” “St. Mary’s Girls Academy is a great school. The daughters of all the important people in Chicago go to school there.” Tessa does not say anything to that. She cannot fathom why Katherine is telling her this. “Lilith and Isabelle are two of the most well-liked students there,” says Katherine, her eyes full of admiration. “Lilith’s father is a senator, and Isabelle’s family owns the biggest bank in Illinois.” “Good for them,” Tessa says. “They really like Anthony,” Katherine whispers to her, as if sharing a secret. Tessa is now perplexed. What do all these have to do with her? “They want to know if you can invite them over from time to time during the summer when

Anthony’s home.” For a minute, Tessa thinks she heard wrong. How ridiculous. Did Katherine really just ask her to be a pawn in her friends’ frivolous little scheme? “If you can do that, they’ll be really thankful to you and we can become good friends with them,” Katherine continues, not noticing Tessa’s appalled expression. “No.” Tessa says firmly. “That’s so ridiculous.” Katherine is shocked at Tessa’s negative response. The thought of anyone not wanting to please Lilith and Isabelle has never occurred to her. “Tessa, please! Think of it as a favor to me?” “I said no! I’m not doing anything this stupid.” Tessa says. Annoyed, she quickly gets up and walks back into the house. Alistair and Peter, not understanding what just happened, stare at them in surprise. Katherine looks glum. “Oh dear,” says Sophia to her friends. While conversing with the ladies, she saw out of the corner of her eyes Tessa walking unhappily away back into the house, and Katherine looking slightly dejected. It seems that the two girls are not getting along very well at all. “Anthony,” she calls out to her son who is sitting near her with his friend Brandon by the edge of the pool. “Could you please go see if Tessa is alright? Looks like she’s upset about something.” “Sure, Mom,” he says. He grabs his pair of shorts and shirt from a recliner behind him and throws them on. His shirt still unbuttoned, he goes inside the house and sees Tessa heading out of the front door. He goes after her. In the driveway, Tessa is mounting her bike, ready to leave. “Tessa!” Anthony yells out to her. She halts her bike and looks back at him. “Is everything alright?” he asks her, his voice concerned. “Yes. Everything’s fine. Why?” “Mom thought you looked upset.” He looks at her, observing to see if she is upset. “No. I’m fine.” Tessa blinks and looks directly back at him without showing any trace of emotion. “Where’re you going?” he asks. “I’m heading out.” Tessa says. “You can’t leave! This party was planned for you.” “Is it now, really?” she says. “I thought it was planned for you to show off.” “What are you talking about?” “C’mon! Don’t deny it, swimming champ. You just want everyone to cheer and rave about how good you are.” Tessa says with a devilish smile on her face.

“I do not!” Anthony denies, irritated. “And you can’t talk to me that way.” “Why not?” Tessa says, defiant. “Because it’s rude. And because…because I’m your uncle, your senior.” On hearing that, Tessa cracks up laughing, leaving Anthony fuming with his face red. “That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” Then her expression suddenly changed and a stern look appears on her face. “Don’t pull rank with me. The uncle thing is nonsense and you know it.” She mounts her bike and rolls away, calling out, “Bye!” Anthony watches her back until she disappears out of his sight. He has never met any girl so impolite and arrogant before. The thought of being in the same house with her all summer long is beginning to give him a headache. Tessa peddles her bike at maximum speed, wanting the sensation of the wind to blow away everything unpleasant around her. She peddles until she feels her legs burning and cannot go on anymore, and then slows down and coasts along the road. Eventually, she comes upon a seclude spot where there is a small hill that overlooks the lake. She discovered this place weeks ago, and has been coming here often. On the top of the hill is a large tree. She has spent many hours sitting beneath its shade, lost in her own thoughts. She wishes that she is back in London. She misses her parents, and she worries about them constantly. Reading news about the war is dreadful. She has nightmares of bombs dropping on top of her home with her parents in it. Although the Ardleys have a telephone in their home, cross-country phone calls are difficult. Her parents send telegrams sometimes, and her mother sends letters regularly. But she worries that it will be years before they can see each other again. She sits alone for a long time, not wanting to return to the Ardleys. She knows that all her aunts and uncles are trying hard to make her feel at home, but their lives are so different from hers back in London. She misses following her father to rehearsals, and spending time with actors and actresses, many of whom are eccentric and lead interesting lives that do not conform to social norms. She misses the weekly hospital visits with her mother to see lonely patients on her mother’s day off, and watching her mother magically cheer up even the saddest and most depressed people. When the sun sets over the horizon, a person approaches her and sits down next to her. To her surprise, it is her Uncle William. “Beautiful sunset isn’t it?” he asks her. “How’d you know I’m here?” she asks. “You forget I’ve lived in this area a lot longer than you have. There is no corner within ten miles of where we live that I don’t know.” He says. “But, you are your mother’s daughter,” he says, looking around and behind them until his sight is focused on the branches of the big tree next to them. “This is where Candy would be too if she is here and is looking for a place to hide. Except she would be up on that tree and not sitting down here.”

Tessa smiles. Despite her misgivings about being in America, she really likes Uncle William. He has a way about him that makes everyone feel understood and at ease. And he doesn’t try at all to pressure her to adapt to a new way of life like everybody else. “Your Aunt Annie and Uncle Archie mean well. When you get to know them better, you will find out for yourself that they are very good people.” Albert says to her. “I know.” Tessa answers. “I really like Alistair. He’s a fun kid!” Tessa says. It is obvious from her voice that she adores Alistair. “But not Katherine?” Albert asks. Tessa thinks for a while, and says, “I don’t dislike her. It’s just…we’re very different, is all.” They sit in silence. Now that the sun is almost gone, the temperature has become slightly cooler. A balmy breeze blows past them as the sun continues to descend and the evening twilight begins to overtake the sky. Suddenly, Tessa voice pierces the silence and opens up to Albert. “Katherine’s friends, they like Anthony,” she looks at Albert and says. “They want me to invite them over all the time so they can be around Anthony.” Albert and Tessa look at each other for a moment, and then both of them break out into laughter. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” Albert says, reassuring her. “Come. I’ll drive you home.” He gets up and holds his hand out, offering to help her up. Tessa takes his hand and lets him pull her up. Tessa is glad that she finally feels like she has a friend on this side of the Atlantic.