The Jewels of Sofia Tate (16 page)

“Oh, well, I think I always knew. I've always been interested in how the economy works: stock market ups
and downs, marketing. What about you? What do you want to do?”

“Don't have a clue,” Garnet replied. “I haven't really thought much about it and anyway, I have two more years to decide. I'm just trying to get through the next few weeks so I don't have to go to summer school.”

“But you must be interested in something,” Dan said, taking a sip of his Coke.

Garnet tilted her head. “I like old things,” she said. “I like restoring antique furniture to how it might have once looked. I like imagining how people used to live and what their hardships might have been. I like history, I guess.”

Dan nodded. “History's interesting. It's good to know what happened in the past to go forward into the future. That's what my grandfather says, anyway,” he said, shrugging.

“Hmm. Never thought of that. Maybe that's why my mother's so stuck in her own search right now. She's been looking for her father,” Garnet explained. “She thought he died when she was small and before my grandmother remarried. Then a few weeks ago, she found out that her parents actually divorced, and now she's trying to find out if her father's still alive. Sometimes when I watch her on the computer, she seems so absorbed, it's like she's paralyzed. Same with
Elizabeth. She won't sell that house until a piece of the past has been found.”

“It's probably because they're older,” said Dan.

“Nah, I don't think so. Sometimes I think I get a little stuck, too.”

“You do? Why?”

Garnet pushed a loose red curl away from her eyes. “I don't know. Sometimes, I guess I wish things would just stay the same. I mean, I know that some things get better with change, but some don't, and that's when I wish I could just coast or go back, you know? Like moving. My mom and I move a lot and I hate it. I hate always starting over. I wish we could have stayed where we were — or move back. I loved Owen Sound.” She dipped a fry into her ketchup and took a bite, thinking of Amy and their fizzling friendship.

“But change is what life's all about.” Dan turned and looked straight at her. “I mean, it's true that some changes aren't so great and you wish you could coast or go back, as you said. But imagine if nothing were ever different. Life would be boring. There'd be no new technology, no computers. We'd still be using the horse and cart. You said before that you like to think about the hardships people had years ago. Well, try to imagine how they lived day to day. Some people call them 'the good old days,' but were they really that good?”

Garnet shrugged. “Not when you put it that way. And anyway, it's not what I meant. What I meant was, some things were good and are worth holding on to. Some things were simpler back then and I like to be reminded of that. Like when my mom and I refinish an antique chair with a good frame. We strip down the crackled layers of paint to see what's underneath, and take out the horsehair stuffing. Then we refinish the wood, re-stuff the seat, and put new fabric on it. You can still appreciate the chair for what it once was and you keep it.”

“Yeah, but don't forget, when you fix up that chair, the frame's the only thing that's still the same. Everything else is new. It's like that old chair's getting a fresh start.”

The ducks came around to circle the lake again and Dan and Garnet tidied up the empty wrappings.

Dan looked at Garnet. “Um, you've got a bit of mustard,” he said, pointing to the corner of his mouth.

Her hand flew to her face and she rubbed the indicated spot.

“Other side.”

She stuck out her tongue and licked her top lip, then rubbed again.

“Gone,” Dan said, but his eyes didn't leave her. Garnet frowned. “Is there anything else?”

Dan gave her a lopsided grin. “Yeah, you've got red all over your face. And it's not ketchup.”

Garnet rolled her eyes and groaned. “I hate it. I wish I wouldn't blush so easily. Another curse that goes with being a redhead.”

“A curse?” Dan said. “I like your hair.”

“Oh, well, uh, thanks.” Garnet lowered her eyes and quickly turned to pick up the soft drink cups. They found a trash can and threw the garbage in.

“Want to go for a walk?” Dan asked.

“Sure.”

They found the trail, shaded by overhanging maples, and began to stroll along. Dan's hand brushed against Garnet's and she felt her heart quicken as he took her hand in his.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Dan spoke.

“Garnet?”

“Yeah?” Her voice sounded strange to her own ears.

“I was wondering ...” He stopped and turned to face her. “Would you go to the formal with me?”

Garnet's eyes widened. “The formal? With you?” Had she heard correctly?

Dan nodded. “Unless you're already going.”

“No. I mean, yeah. I mean, okay.” Her head was spinning. “But what about ...?” She stopped herself in
time.
What about Laura,
she was going to say. Why wasn't he asking her? Garnet could only imagine how heads would turn when he, Dan Peters, arrived at the formal with
her,
Garnet Walcott, gawky fifteen-year-old nobody.

Dan looked confused. “What about what?”

“Nothing,” she replied.

“So ... you'll go with me?”

Garnet smiled. “Yeah.”

Dan smiled back and squeezed her hand. Then he gently pulled her to him and bent his head. He brushed his lips lightly against her cheek before pulling back. He looked down at her, his eyes, blue as the sky. He bent his head again, this time kissing her fully on the lips. How soft and warm his lips were, Garnet marvelled as she kissed him back. She felt as though she were floating, and never wanted this moment to end.

Just then, three boys came tearing down the trail on their bicycles, forcing Dan and Garnet to quickly move aside.

“Ooh, smoochy smoochy,” one jeered as he rode by.

“Kissy, kissy,” said another, making kissing sounds before he spat on the ground.

“Get a room!” said the third one. The boys laughed at this as they disappeared around the curve of the trail.

Garnet's face felt hot. “How embarrassing.”

Dan chuckled. “Aw, they're only about twelve. They probably do that every day.”

“How do you know? Do you come here every day, doing this?” she teased.

“No, but I think I'd like to.” Dan grinned and tugged at her hand. “Come on, let's go.”

Garnet's mother took a sip of her morning coffee and set the mug on the table. “I got some news from the detective this morning.”

Garnet looked up from her bowl of cereal and gave a blank stare. “The detective?”

“Yeah, you know. I hired that detective. Sam Braun. I'm sure I told you about it.”

Of course she had. But that was days ago and the only thing she'd been able to think about since yesterday was Dan and going to the formal. “So? Is your father still alive?”

“No,” Garnet's mother replied. “In fact, it's probably good that he isn't. He died years ago during a police chase, if you can imagine. And according to the reports, the police had been looking for him for several months before that.”

Garnet's eyes widened. “Why?”

“Oh, assault, extortion, forgery, theft. No mention of murder, but then again, who knows?” Garnet's mother put her elbows on the kitchen table and held her head in
her hands. “When I started my search, I never dreamt I would find information like this. And you were right, all along, Garnet. My father was a criminal.”

“I was only kidding!” Garnet exclaimed, horrified that she'd been so close to the truth. “When did he die?”

“1952,” her mother replied. “The same year the divorce papers were signed.”

“No wonder Nana never told you. She probably wanted to spare you and tried to forget about it herself.”

Garnet's mother nodded. “I know. But why did she marry such a man? Auntie Janet told me the family didn't like him and warned her against him. Was her love so blind that she ignored all the warning signs?” Her mother held her hands open in question. “Still, I can't imagine how she must have felt, being a war bride in a foreign country and finding out she had such a man for a husband. She would have been too proud to go back to England, yet she couldn't stay with him, either.”

“Poor Nana.”

“I know.” Garnet's mother bit her lip. “And the detective had more.”

“More?” Garnet asked warily, wondering how much worse things could get.

Her mother sighed. “He had a sister. The detective doesn't know if she's still alive. She married and moved around a lot. He asked if I wanted to find her.”

“Do you?”

Garnet's mother shrugged. “I don't know. What if I come from a whole line of criminals? What if that's why she kept moving? Maybe she was trying to elude the police, too.”

“Maybe she just moved a lot,” Garnet said, trying to console her.

Her mother stood up and patted her on the shoulder. “I'm going to have to think about how much further I want to go with this. Right now, though, I wish I'd never found those papers in the desk.” She glanced down at her watch. “Oh my gosh. I'd better run.” She gave Garnet a quick kiss and left for work.

Garnet pulled the collar up on her jacket. Not even the drizzle could dampen her mood today, she thought, as she headed downtown after school. Last night, upon hearing that Dan had asked her to the formal, Garnet's mother had whooped and hugged and kissed her, then reminisced about memories of her own formal in a decorated high school gymnasium before telling Garnet to start looking for a dress. Garnet could still scarcely believe she was going. The formal would not be in their school gymnasium, but in a hall called
Bingeman's. A flutter went through her whenever she thought of it.

But as she walked along King Street, peering into the store windows, she wondered where Dan had been today. She hadn't seen him at all. Not between classes, which wasn't that unusual, but not even in the cafeteria at lunch.

A window display with mannequins dressed in formal wear caught Garnet's attention. She read the sign above:
MARISA'S
. She pushed open the glass door and heard a bell tinkle.

“Hello. Is there anything I can help you with?” the tall sales clerk purred before baring her teeth in a fake sales smile — the cue that this store would be expensive.

“No, just browsing,” Garnet replied as she walked over to the nearest display. She tugged at the skirt of a lime green dress, being careful not to glance at the tag, and pretending that the price of the designer dress was of no consequence to her, all the while aware of the clerk's eyes on her. But Garnet refused to be humiliated. Anyway, she really was “just browsing.” She had no money with her and if she did happen to find a dress she liked, she would come back with her mother another time.

The truth was, being an only child, Garnet had a better-than-average clothing allowance that she rarely
took full advantage of. Her mother had a penchant for stylish clothing herself, and always let Garnet buy what she wanted. Sometimes on their shopping trips her mother even urged Garnet to try on more for “just in case” occasions. In addition to her mother's income, Garnet's father sent support payments and, of course, now they had the inheritance from Nana. However, until now, clothing had never seemed that important to Garnet. It was only something you wore.

“Well, let me know if there's anything I can show you,” said the sales clerk.

“Sure,” Garnet said. She tried to ignore the clerk, who continued to hover nearby, rearranging the perfectly aligned stack of folded sweaters as she kept an eye on her. Garnet had just spied a strapless lilac gown when the phone rang. The clerk returned to the cash desk to answer it and Garnet saw her chance. She pulled the dress down and held it up to herself in the mirror, then reached for the price tag. Her jaw dropped. Eight hundred dollars. Even with a generous budget, she doubted her mother would agree to that. She returned the dress to the rack and looked up through the storefront window.

To her surprise, she saw Dan walk by ... with Laura. Only Laura looked different. Her eyes were red and slightly swollen, as though she had been crying. Garnet hurried to the window and watched as they crossed the
street and continued up the other side. Where were they going, and what were they doing together? She pushed open the door and stepped out of the shop.

The rain was coming down harder now. It trickled down Garnet's neck and made her shiver as she stood at the corner and waited for the traffic light to change. She pulled up her hood. Across the street, Dan lifted his jacket above his head and held it over himself and Laura in an attempt to keep them both dry. Then the dark clouds burst open and drenched everything. Everyone scurried for cover, ducking under the store eaves and canopies as sheets of rain pelted them.

Garnet heard Laura shout something, her voice halfway between a laugh and a scream as they reached Dan's car, parked on the street. They both howled with laughter as they jumped inside, wet hair plastered to their heads. Dan started the engine and pulled away from the curb. They never even saw Garnet.

She shoved her hands into her pockets and started to walk home. So, he was still seeing Laura. Then why had he asked Garnet to the formal? She remembered Dan's cancelled plans on Saturday when he had arrived late at Elizabeth's house. Family crisis, he had said. Probably more like a date crisis, Garnet decided. Did Dan and Laura have a fight? Had he asked Garnet to the formal on the rebound?

What an idiot she was. How could she have been so stupid as to think that she even stood a chance with someone like Dan Peters? Like a fool, she had let him kiss her and had even kissed him back when all she had been was a diversion. Garnet wiped the rain from her face with the back of her hand. How could she have been so taken in?