An Ever Fixéd Mark (5 page)

Lizzie forced those thoughts from her head,
even as her exhaustion lacked the strength to fight their
doggedness. She tried to think of something else entirely and went
back to her day at the Fulton House. She liked working there. Even
though she only managed to guide three people through the house at
the end of the day. It was still an opportunity to bring strangers
through a place she loved. She couldn’t explain her affection for
the two hundred year old home. She really didn’t care about the
wallpaper and furniture. She was fascinated by Margaret and John
Fulton and their political activism. Although… didn’t that letter
from Harriet imply that Margaret thought politics less interesting?
Or maybe that was Harriet trying to be clever. Lizzie shut her eyes
and laughed thinking of Paula’s disapproval for her speculation. It
was difficult to not speculate about Harriet. There was so little
to know of her… just to imagine what she was thinking when she sat
for that portrait or stared out her window…

Lizzie felt very very tired. She knew she
was obligated to finish her tour. She wanted to lie down, but knew
Paula would be upset if she decided to take a nap on one of the
beds. Not that Lizzie would want to sleep on one of those beds. The
mice liked to scurry across the linens. Lizzie saw a mouse as she
continued talking about Mr. and Mrs. Fulton in the dining room.
Mrs. Fulton liked to give dinner parties. She was very fond of her
friends and grateful to those who supported the belief that the
United States should not be at war with England.

Mrs. Fulton’s favorite dish was roasted pork
with potatoes and carrots. Lizzie looked at the dining room table
and was startled to find all the dishes were dirty and in need of
clearing. She didn’t want Paula to come in and tell her she hadn’t
cleaned the room properly. Lizzie collected the plates and brought
them into the kitchen. She noticed the fire was dying and went to
add another log. She pushed it into the coals and watched the flame
lick around it. She sensed someone in the room and wondered if it
might be Harriet’s Mr. Chester. She turned quickly and saw Ben. He
smiled at her and crossed the room. She put down the iron and let
him pull her into his arms for a long passionate kiss.

Chapter Four

Lizzie scraped the remaining guacamole into
the container, catching a splatter she licked off her finger. She
attached the lid and collected the other containers to put in the
refrigerator as Andrew entered the kitchen with two martini glasses
and a shaker.

“Why are you hiding in my kitchen?” he
scowled, setting the glasses down to fill them.

“I like the kitchen.”

“There’s a party in the living room,” he
gave her a glass.

She looked at the pile of dirty dishes by
the sink and sighed. “Yes, go enjoy it. I’ll clean up so you can be
with your friends.”

“They are your friends, too, Lizzie,” he
held the glass until she took it.

“I have a thing about dirty dishes. You know
I do. I even dream about them.”

“Oh really?” he laughed over his green
drink.

“I dreamt I was washing them at the Fulton
House,” she smirked and took a sip. “Mmm, a triumph.”

“The pear vodka.”

“Goes nicely with the cheese,” she saw the
abandoned goat cheese spread and decided one more cracker wasn’t
going to hurt her.

“I liked that mushroom thing you
brought.”

“We can add it to our list,” Lizzie set down
her glass to bring the empty guacamole dish to the sink and run
water over it.

“Christmas parties are a good niche for
catering,” Andrew savored his next swallow. “You must know some
doctors’ wives that could hire us.”

“Andrew, we aren’t… if we ever have a
business…” Lizzie sighed hopelessly and went back to her drink. She
didn’t know any doctors with wives. The only doctor she really knew
was Dr. Chiang. She wasn’t likely to hire her to cook for a
Christmas cocktail party. Not that it was a real possibility. They
only really talked about it after parties. The idea went out with
the trash the following morning.

“So what did you think of Paula’s date?”
Andrew proved her thought true with the rapid switch of
subject.

“She was nice,” Lizzie fingered the stem of
her glass. “Quiet.”

“She’ll be good for Paula.”

“I think this was their second date,
Andrew,” Lizzie rolled her eyes and took another piece of
cheese.

“You know Bob,” Andrew tilted his head
towards the living room where Davis and the remainder of the guests
were sitting. “He’s available.”

“I’m not looking.”

“He’s available tonight.”

“I have someone I can call for that,” Lizzie
went to the drawer she knew held the foil and saran wrap.

“Why don’t you want to get serious with the
surgeon?” Andrew annoyed her. She glared at him as she lifted the
foil out to cover up the cheese platter. He was too drunk to
justify anger.

“He’s boring,” Lizzie shrugged.

“Most of the straight ones are, lovely.”

“Not all of them,” Lizzie bit her lip hoping
his swallow of martini would blur his hearing.

“Oh?”

Lizzie shut her eyes quickly to regain
composure. She focused on the platter and quickly covered it.
“Just, um, he’s not the only one right now,” Lizzie hastened to put
the platter in the fridge. She was relieved when Davis entered the
room.

“Are you having a little party in here?” he
took the martini shaker to fill his glass. “Or are you making
Lizzie play housekeeper again?”

“I can’t get her away from the dishes,”
Andrew laughed.

“Lizzie, come on, we can do the dishes in
the morning,” Davis took her hand.

“It is morning.”

“Exactly. You don’t have to worry. He isn’t
going to show up this late,” Davis looked at her directly.

“That’s not…” she gave up and took her
glass. Going back and talking to Davis’ friends … and Will’s … was
a lot easier than having to explain to Andrew that she was thinking
about another man who didn’t care much for her. She took a quick
swallow of Andrew’s vodka drenched martini. “Let’s go have some
holiday cheer.”

*****

“
Did you have a good
Christmas?” the nurse, Polly, asked as she hooked the bag on the
stand.

Lizzie shifted her head slightly to avoid
seeing her blood leave her arm. “It was crazy, but pretty good.
Yours?”

“A lot of food,” Polly smiled. “Are you
still running, Lizzie?”

“Yeah. I’ve been pretty disciplined since
Thanksgiving,” she leaned her head back.

“Good for you. Good for your blood. I’ll be
back in five minutes,” Polly glanced at the bag and moved to the
next donor.

She shut her eyes for a few minutes, once
again contemplating the option the hospital gave for the afternoon
off after donating blood. The days got busier as the gala
approached. She completed all her required tasks for the day, but
there were still plenty of details that could be completed before
five. She opened her eyes and met the glance of Dr. Chiang standing
in a discussion with Polly. Lizzie remembered she had to tell the
cardiac chief that Gerard Fulton was coming to the gala, but didn’t
have the energy to speak with her blood draining from her arm. The
doctor offered a friendly smile and turned back to Polly before
leaving the room.

Polly came back to check on the blood bag.
“Dr. Chiang is very pretty,” Lizzie avoided looking at the needle
Polly took from her arm.

“She is lovely,” Polly agreed. “She has many
admirers.”

Lizzie was surprised the blood could still
rise to her cheeks. “She’s Chinese?”

“Mm hmm,” Polly put the gauze inside her
elbow and propped it up over her shoulder. “Do you want some
cookies?”

“I think I’ll rest a bit and then get lunch
in the café.”

“Sounds good. Thanks for coming, Lizzie. We
always appreciate it,” Polly smiled again, validating her decision
to come to the blood bank. She felt badly she skipped December, but
was determined to make it back in March, when the required eight
week wait was over.

*****

Lizzie lifted a tray and glanced over the
shoulders of the staff in front of her to see what options were
available. She saw her favorite salad was already gone. She wasn’t
interested in the overcooked pasta or soupy chili. She bit her lip,
wondering if Polly’s cookies might have been a better option after
all.

“Hey,” a warm breath whispered in her
ear.

“Hi,” she broadened a grin before turning to
Eric’s dark eyes. Maybe she would take the option to not return to
the office. She set her tray down and picked up a packaged turkey
sandwich. “Are you just starting your shift or nearing the end of
it?”

“In the middle,” Eric grabbed a sandwich
without a tray. “But I’ve got time for lunch.”

“Do you have a surgery today?”

“With Kate Chiang,” Eric beamed.

“That’s great,” Lizzie wondered if that had
anything to do with her presence in the blood bank.

“What have you got going on this weekend?”
Eric stepped ahead of Lizzie and paid for her sandwich. It was
sweet… but… different from his usual attention.

“I have to go to a funeral tomorrow,” Lizzie
found a table with four empty chairs.

“Oh geez, I’m so sorry,” he sat across from
her.

“A friend of mine from high school lost her
father this week,” Lizzie pulled apart the plastic carton of her
sandwich. “I didn’t know him very well. But she was a good friend…
and I spent a lot of time at their house when I was younger.”

“How did he die?”

“Heart attack,” Lizzie let herself reveal
the empathetic sorrow she felt at the news of Sara’s dad. No matter
how many years since they were best friends or the differences that
came between them in those years, Lizzie still felt the grief of
losing Joseph Miller.

“Does that mean you have to drive all the
way out there?”

“Out there?” she laughed and found the
levity of conversation again. “It’s just over an hour. Not much
more than driving to New Hampshire.”

“I don’t go to New Hampshire either,” he
shook his head, with a knowing grin. She suspected his questions
had more to do with her availability in the Cambridge area than
Coldbrook or New Hampshire. She could easily be back by the
evening… except she hoped someone else might be at the funeral. He
did like Sara for all those years. If he was a decent guy, Ben
would demonstrate his sympathy for his former crush. Lizzie knew it
was awful that she was excited to go to a funeral because she
wanted to see him. And yet… it was a chance to see him and prove if
he had a shred of decency.

She took a bite of her sandwich and met his
knowing grin. He was so attractive. She appreciated his runner’s
frame even more when he was wearing scrubs. She liked the fact he
was letting his black hair grow out from its weekly cropping. His
dark skin was so smooth and so lovely… why did she want to hesitate
an invitation with Eric just on the off chance she would see… and
it wasn’t even appropriate to think something would come from an
encounter at a funeral.

“Well, it is supposed to be cold this
weekend. But if you are up for a run…”

“Hello, Eric,” Dr. Chiang came behind
Lizzie. “Have you had a chance to review for this afternoon?”

“Yes, Dr. Chiang,” Eric shifted his eyes and
softened his confidence in deference to his superior. Lizzie saw
his awe with her beauty and felt slightly jealous.

“Hello Lizzie,” the doctor greeted,
prompting Lizzie to turn around. “Richard tells me that Gerard
Fulton is attending.”

“Yes,” Lizzie nodded quietly.

“Well, whatever charm you possess to lure
him here, we shall have to use to get him to fund my new center,”
Dr. Chiang grinned.

“I’ll do what I can,” she looked back at her
sandwich, aware of Eric’s observation.

“Eric, stop by my office after lunch,” Dr.
Chiang touched Lizzie’s shoulder briefly. “Lizzie.”

“Who’s Gerard Fulton?” Eric asked after
Lizzie ate some of her sandwich.

“He’s a man with a lot of money,” Lizzie
pulled the bread off the second half and debated if she wanted that
much turkey.

“You know him?”

“Hardly,” Lizzie shook her head. “I just
work at a museum about his family.”

“Why is there a museum about his
family?”

“Because they have a lot of money. And
they’ve had a lot of money for centuries,” Lizzie didn’t bother to
explain the politics or the artistic accomplishments of the
Fultons. She doubted that Eric really cared about such things.

“Do you think he’ll give us money?”

“Who knows?”

“Then maybe Chiang will hire me
permanently,” Eric grinned and looked at his watch. “So, Lizzie, if
you want to go out for a run on Sunday, you know how to find
me.”

“I do,” she bit her lip and watched him head
towards Dr. Chiang’s office. She hoped there would be a reason she
wouldn’t have to make that call.

Chapter Five

Lizzie sat in a pew with her cousin. It was
a long time since she sat inside St. Mary’s. Probably not since
another funeral… or wedding. She was once a devout Catholic… but
not since she left Coldbrook and went to college. She scanned the
crowd for Ben before the mass started, but was able to push him out
of her mind when she resolved he wouldn’t be there. That the
important part of the morning was to support Sara and her
family.

“Hey, so how was Christmas?” Jack whispered
as the crowd moved slowly towards the back of the church to share
condolences with Sara’s family.

“It was…” Lizzie looked up and saw Ben
further down the line. “It was fun. It would have been more fun if
you and Jen were there. How was Jen’s family?”

“Less rowdy.”