The dark golden lashes fluttered then closed tight, accompanied by a relieved sigh as she settled against the coolness of the wrought iron bench, her entire body figuratively melting into it when she relaxed, her head easing backwards. It had taken a few minutes to find this spot deep inside the vastness of the Hotel gardens, a short distance from her cottage, but considering the privacy, considering she had not seen a single person in a while, the longer walk had been worth it. However, just as she felt settled, her eyes opened again, this time looking skyward, and a smile caught on her lips. The Big Dipper of John Nash’s world appeared to surmount the velvety blue-black canvas...that was until she caught sight of the Southern Cross so familiar to the Australians or Jack Aubrey, all of which left her wondering – for the millionth time – how such things were possible, things that defied physics and nature.
“What a fascinating modern age we live in,” Adalia softly quoted, closing her eyes again and releasing yet another sigh. In the background, barely audible, the cacophony of voices remained, accompanied by occasional laughter intermingling with the compact disc now playing something upbeat, truly American and recognizable. Take Five. Dave Brubaker. She caught herself humming along as her left foot began to tap time. At the rate she was going, she would be completely spoiled before she actually started her job! Right this moment she felt more a guest than a new employee.
Tina had been right though. Finding some solace in the garden was exactly what she needed, an escape from the overwhelming claustrophobia of the people pressing in on her, the imagined heat of their bodies nearly pushing her to the edge of exhaustion. For a while, the evening had become as bad as a kitchen preparing meals at the most popular restaurant in town on the Friday night before the Kentucky Derby! Considering serving the public was her career – as well as a passion – she welcomed snatches of time such as this.
Too bad it would not last.
So enjoy it. Vacation’s nearly over, so take this as it comes. That’s what Mom and Dad always say. And I’m the one that decided to become a chef. If I’d wanted something less exciting, I would have become a librarian or something.
Her mind started drifting again, and she cocked her head to one side, imagining herself in that beautiful new kitchen with her staff at the ready, her favorite Wüsthof Classic Santoku knife poised in one hand with the same grace as a conductor and his baton. The clanking of pans, the shouts of orders, the sizzling and blending and grinding, the whipping and tinkling of wire against copper…each sounded blended, lifted, softened and rose…her own symphony…
“Oh! Oh I...Excuse me.”
Adalia did not jump at the sound, but her eyes quickly opened and she grew alert on realizing she was not alone. A tall figure was in front of her, hidden in shadows, and although the appearance should have been quite ominous, she heard herself saying, "What? Oh."
"Hello," and immediately removing the Akubra from his head, he ran a hand through his hair.
"Hello," she repeated, propping herself up with both hands.
"Sorry – thought I was alone. Didn’t know anyone was about."
A-boot. The accent was immediately recognizable and unmistakably Australian, but the voice....
"Uh...no...no...you’re...you’re fine," she responded lightly, shifting and running a hand over her face in order to become more cognizant. "Really...honest...you are....I...uh...I thought I was alone too."
"I was...Well, I suppose you were until..." The next idea amused him, and chuckling he added, "Well...until I stumbled my way in here." The words caused Adalia to smile. "At any rate...g’day to you."
"G’day." Adalia returned the greeting, hoping that any hint of a faux Australian accent did not emerge, but she felt more comfortable each time she said the phrase. The voice again – soft-spoken, well-educated when one listened carefully to the inflections, and most certainly one of the brothers.
"And you must have had the same thing in mind that I did...getting away from the crowd, I mean. It was starting to get a bit much in there. Good party and all, can’t deny that..."
"No. Tina was sweet to throw it for me."
"That’s a fact...She’s good at that sort of thing. But when you get that many of us together, well sometimes…sometimes it gets to be a bit much. Every time we have one of these housewarmings, everybody wants to get close to the newcomer like they were the Queen herself! Then they jostle the new person around...want to make sure we all meet them...and it doesn’t help when they’re someone like...well...like our new chef and all. Like you."
Somehow, even in the darkness, she caught sight of his broad smile as she replied, "Yeah."
“Everybody has to meet you. It’s a requirement.”
Adalia smiled again. “Yeah.”
"So you’re Adalia Rabinovich." He didn’t ask it; he spoke it as if assured of the answer.
"That’s right. The new chef that everyone wants to meet....And..." She shifted her line of sight, hoping to get a better look at his features, but he seemed to be purposefully standing now so that he remained in darkness. "And I’m sorry. Have we met? You...you are..."
He chuckled again, although the sound this time was nearly poignant. "Someone you wouldn’t know, even if I told you my name."
"You might be surprised." Why would he say that about himself?
"I would definitely be surprised, Miss Rabinovich. More than you could know."
"Miss Rabinovich....You don’t have to call me that, you know. I’m Adalia to everyone."
"Adalia then."
He seemed about to say something more, but instead, appeared to purposefully walk several feet away, the shadows engulfing him more until Adalia speculated as to why he was being so secretive. She searched her memory, trying to recall if any of the brothers had some physical abnormality that would keep them hidden away from possible embarrassment. Once, a long time ago, she recalled that there had been a movie proposal in which the Creator would have played the role of deformed acrobat or trapeze artist, but the project died for one reason or another, so as far as she knew, ‘tentative characters’ did not populate the Point. So that left the ones currently in residence...and now she wondered...
Wondered what? Oh! I know what I’m thinking. He’s like the Phantom of the Opera; doesn’t want me to know; wants to stay mysterious. Okay...I’m game. You just have me wondering...
"It’s been a long time since I've been out here."
The words caught Adalia’s attention. "I’m sorry?"
"It’s been a long time since I came out here,” he repeated. “A long time....We...Well, most of us anyway...Some of us...we leave the gardens for the guests staying at the Hotel. Makes sense I suppose – they were created with them in mind. Like this..." and he indicated – with long fingers – the deep-pink petals of one rose that was catching the smallest amount of moonlight. "It came...I guess it was about seven years ago, maybe six. A young woman came here for Bud and this showed up ahead of her."
Adalia sat forward. "Really? Is she...?" She wondered if he meant Darcy.
"No...she's not here anymore. She came back quite a lot, and then one day she just...stopped. I think Tina and some of the others tried to contact her, but we never heard from her again." He shrugged. "As I said, it was a long time ago. Feels like it anyway. Lots of water under the old proverbial bridge. They come...and they go....Not all of them of course, but sometimes...it’s very fleeting I suppose; like a dream, like...as if you’re trying to catch gossamer and it slips away...just...like..." and the fingers made a motion, as if he was causing something to disappear, "that. You don’t even see it coming many times and..." She saw his shoulders relax as he exhaled, and she realized how important this subject obviously was with many of the residents. After all, she and Savannah had only just discussed it.
"I'm sorry. I was starting to ramble, wasn't I?"
"Were you?" She found herself paying close attention, hanging on all his words, fascinated by what he had to say.
"All that about fragility and gossamer..."
"Oh. Well...no, I...no, I didn't think you were rambling. I thought it was...I don't know. Poetic?" Poetic. Like Lachlan? No...I don't think this is Lachlan. He was inside with Lisa and he....
"Was it?" She detected surprise in his question. "Ah...all right then. Sometimes I think I'm only making sense to myself."
"I know the feeling," she empathized; pausing as the man was heard catching his breath, as though about to respond.
Instead, clearing his throat, he said, “But all that over there...” and he nodded in the opposite direction, “...it came right before Tina did. John will tell you he remembers when it appeared, even if he wasn't expecting her then. That's the English gardens."
“The English...Oh my...Wisteria,” Adalia whispered, and standing, she found herself drawn to the blossoms, only now recognizing how stunning they were, one bower resplendent in white, while another was crowned in sprays of purple. “I didn’t even know these were out here. I love wisteria."
"Do you?"
"My mother's grown it in her garden since before I was born. I used to love hiding in the arbors so I could read, and the wisteria..." She reached up, permitting her fingertips to caress the softness, surprised when none of the petals fluttered away. "The wisteria was always so...I just always had good memories of it...as if it was...I don't know....Protecting me? Sounds silly..."
"No." His answer was reassuring.
"That's good of you to say."
"We all need hiding places...well...secret places. You were a child then, but believe me, I think sometimes that after you're an adult, you need a place even more."
"Then I'd better find a good location before it's taken," she joked, and she heard him chuckle. "Anyway I digress...I loved it, the wisteria. That and lavender. We had so much lavender..."
“Lavender pretty much grows everywhere at the Point. Tina, Kath and Savannah's store use a lot of it in their...uh...is it aromatherapy?"
"Aromatherapy, yes."
"That's it. Well, you'll be glad to hear that lavender grows everywhere around these parts. You’ll see it eventually – can’t miss it."
"I've seen a bit of it, the Point I should say, but not as much as I'd like."
"I suppose not, not when you're packing and unpacking and settling in. That's coming along I suppose?"
"Settling in? Oh yes, yes it is, thank you for asking."
"The carriage house looks bonzer really. You've managed to get a good deal done in such a short time."
"Nice of you to notice. Sometimes it's hard to be sure."
"Well, Tina set you up with a good location. You have some privacy even being here close to the Hotel, but you feel more like you have your own home, and not a flat. Makes it more..."
"Intimate?"
"Intimate, that's it....And you're convenient to your kitchens."
"I like that." He didn't immediately reply, so she went on. "What you just said."
"About the convenience?"
"No...about them being my kitchens."
"You're the new chef, Miss...Adalia. Of course they're yours."
I know one thing...he knows the right thing to say...but most of all he means it. It's not an act to flatter me. He seriously means it. This was why Adalia was becoming more confused as to the identity of her companion. He seemed too mature to be Johnny or Dominic; there was something that made her know this was not Arthur either.
Oh my...This can't be Kim. I mean think about it -- for real? Kim? Kim?! I just saw him inside, and okay...he was more mellow than he has been...More...what? Discrete? I didn't feel like he was being as slimy, but I don't remember....
She could not recall Kim following her, but she was not for certain. Most importantly, there was the momentary sense that not only was this man a fascinating enigma; he was actually making her wish this conversation could last a little longer.
"When does Tina expect you to start work?"
Adalia shook her head, realizing that she had been drifting in thought, trying to sort out the identity of the man before her. "I'm sorry. What was that again?"
"When will your holiday be over?"
"My holiday," she giggled. "I guess it is sort of that, isn't it? Well, the bulk of my unpacking is done. I've had some time to relax. I told Tina I'd be ready to start next Thursday."
"In time for the weekend." There was whimsy in his words.
"Yeah...isn't my timing just perfect?" They both laughed, and she listened again to the sound, pondering once more if this was Kim. "No seriously, I'm ready for work. I'm not a workaholic by any means and I’m in a high pressure job, but I know how to relax..."
"Glad to hear it....Doesn't do anybody good to stay stressed all the time."
"Exactly."
"But when you have a job...a career you love..."
"Yes..." she agreed before he had finished.
"You don't mind going back."
"I never have, but I'm fortunate. I did find something I loved."
"So did I."
He's a what? What did Tina tell me? A salesman? An efficiency expert? Deals in improvements? Why do I keep waiting for him to throw me a sales pitch when I'm not looking!? What am I saying? He's been throwing me a sales pitch since the second we met!
"You mentioned that you did see some of the Point?"
"Oh yeah, yeah I have. Tina's shown me around..."
"She's a good guide all right."
"Oh most definitely. You can tell how much she loves this place."
"Well, she's found a lot to love here. I suppose that's something she wants to try to share with everyone."
"Understandably. Seriously, if I hadn't gotten the job...I honestly wondered if I wouldn't mind living here anyway."
"Hmm." Her admittance seemed to make him more interested, evident again from his stance. "You would have relocated here, perhaps?"
"Well, at least thought about making this my 'weekend' home, whenever I had a weekend off. Chefs don't ordinarily work a typical 9 to 5, Monday through Friday schedule."
"True. But back to what you were saying. It wouldn't be the first time someone came here part-time and stayed. Many of the ladies started that way...visiting on weekends and during their vacations...and then a few decided to make it more permanent. Not all of them of course; it's difficult making that sort of commitment."
"I guess." She sighed, wondering why this stranger made her so comfortable. "It was hard enough for me, and I'm only changing jobs. I can't imagine the ones that gave up...well...old lives...you know...what they've always known for...well...for..."
"Something that might be or might not be real?"
"So I'm not..."
"You're not the first one to think all of this, no...." He moved again, Adalia hoping this would reveal more of his face, but it had not helped. "So when Tina's been occupied...?"
"Oh...well...someone else has always been good enough to give me a mini-tour. I haven't been neglected."
"Good."
"Lachlan's promised to take me up one day and show me the view from the air. He claims there's nothing else like it."
"That is a definite must-do, and if you ride, get out and see the Point that way. It's a slower pace, of course, but you'll get a very different view of life ‘round here."
"I hadn't even...That's a great idea."
"So you ride?" he inquired.
"Yes, yes I do. Since I was a kid. I don't get to do it as much as I used to of course, but...Lord...I have missed it."
"I'm sure they can hook you up with a good mount, depending on what you need."
"Fantastic," she said enthusiastically, wondering how soon she could do so.
"Talk to Maximus -- of course; Cort rides...and East. So does Jack."
"I remember that from the novels."
"There's also Egan, don’t forget him, but we so rarely see him and NormaJean. He's a beaut of a rider though, maybe the best we have 'round here...when he's around of course."
"Well, that's something else to take into account....Uh...do you...ride?"
"Sometimes."
So much for getting a clue from that response. "Anyway...I nearly forgot Captain...well, Jack Aubrey. He's given me permission to come down to the Surprise when I have time, and he'll give me a personal tour."
"He's impressed with you then. He only gives special invitations when he likes you."
"Well, I think everybody's been quite nice; very helpful. But as far as me seeing a whole lot of the Point, no, not yet..." Now he'll offer to show me around, take me to dinner, spend an evening at the Tavern...and God knows where he thinks that might lead if I give him an opportunity. He’ll want me to organize that dinner around the bottle of wine now instead of one or two years from now….
"Did Tina show you the kitchen gardens too?"
"The kitchen...? Oh! Oh right, yes she did. The ones out behind the main kitchens, right?"
"That's it. Annabella helped with that."
"Annabella did?"
"She was always telling us how proud she was of her kitchen herbs; made it so much nicer to have them right at hand when she needed them, instead of having to go to a market."
"Oh that's right! Tina was telling me...I'm sorry...I've got so much to remember right now. I honestly think that if my head wasn't attached..."
"Don't apologize. I know the feeling," he mused. All this time he had remained the best of listeners. Although she could still not fully see his features, there was something in his stance: his hands and hat behind a straight back, the manner in which he stood, aware of his surroundings but concentrating on her. Amazing how she could tell so much from the simple movements of his body. "You have so much to learn, and you're afraid of …."
“Screwing up?”
“Something along those lines,” he agreed.
"How did you guess?" she laughingly asked.
"It wasn't difficult. You're not the first one to come here and wonder...Well...wonder..."
Wonder if they had screwed up in the biggest way possible. But what emerged was "I'm glad someone understands my confusion. So...tell me..." Adalia stammered, trying to figure the best way to ask again what made her the most curious. "You've been so nice...listening to me and all, keeping me company when you wanted to be alone yourself...and you know...well...I wonder....I wonder if I might..." I wonder if I might know your name….
“We have magnolias too,” and she followed the line of his finger so that she would notice the large creamy blooms suspended in the trees above them, forcing their way from the dark emerald leaves enveloping them.
And he managed to skirt that question, didn't he? Adalia nearly laughed out loud.
"This is so...It really makes me feel at home. I know that Indiana isn’t a part of the South, not like Kentucky, but Kentucky considers itself the gateway to the South. I’m right across the river from Louisville and...well...they always call southern Indiana the ‘sunny side of Louisville.’”
“’The sunny side of Louisville,’” he repeated. “That’s bonzer.”
“Plus that…my mom is a Kentuckian by birth, so magnolias...wisteria...”
“It’s as though all this was created for you,” he commented in all sincerity.
“Even if they have been here for years. Just nice knowing they are here....I'm glad...I mean...at least I'll have a place to come when I need some peace..." Isn't that right...Kim? For if it was Kim, then nothing was as it had been; this man -- Her Stranger as she now chose to call him -- made her feel more welcome than she believed possible.
"You'll have the whole of the Point for that. Well, once you finally see more of it.”
Bending her head slightly to one side and casually crossing her arms, she heard herself say, “Sounds like you might be the right man for that sort of job” before she could stop. “Oh...I’m...I’m sorry.”