Chapter 52

Martha and I sat there speechless as Elizabeth fled the room. I turned and held her in my arms.

“Are you still sure you did the right thing?”

She looked up at me. “Yes, Marcus, I did the right thing. It may cost me her friendship, but I still believe it was the right thing to do. I think Elizabeth will come to realize that, but even if she doesn’t, I would still do it again.”

I didn’t know what to say; I just held her for a few minutes, until it was apparent Elizabeth was not coming back any time soon. I suggested it might do us both good to take a walk on the beach, and she readily agreed. We probably walked for an hour or so, until my knees started bothering me. When we returned to the house, Elizabeth and the Jeep were both gone. We assumed she had gone to see Janice Grant. Since there was nothing useful to do, we each found a book in the library and settled down waiting for Elizabeth’s return.

As it happened, Henry and Amanda returned before Elizabeth. We tried to explain exactly what had happened. It was particularly hard for Amanda to understand, since she was not even aware of the offer from Edisto Hall. Henry, on the other hand, did not seem to be particular surprised by Elizabeth’s reaction.

“I’m terribly sorry to have caused this problem,” Martha said. “You know how much Elizabeth means to me, and I wouldn’t hurt her for anything in the world, but I did what I thought was right. I realize it forced her to make a decision she was more comfortable not having to make, but I don’t believe you should approach life by ducking all the tough decisions.”

Henry put a comforting arm around her shoulder. “For what it’s worth, Martha, I agree one hundred percent. I agreed with Elizabeth she had no choice but to fulfill the contract she had signed, but I was not comfortable with the way the she used it to avoid making a difficult decision. It’s really my fault for letting it go. It is one of the most important decisions she’ll make in her life, and it shouldn’t be based on happenstance.”

“I would agree, but for a different reason,” Amanda said. “I’m glad you got her out of the contract, because I think almost certainly she will take the job at Edisto Hall. I can’t imagine a better position to have. It’s a very prestigious school, one of the best in the entire Southeast. And I confess to a selfish interest in having her here. God knows, it’s impossible these days to keep your children from being scattered to the four winds, but I would love to at least have Elizabeth close by.” She paused, looking at Martha, and then thought about what she had said. “I’m sorry; I must seem awfully insensitive. I forgot for a moment that if she stays here. the loss is yours, and I know what wonderful friend you’ve been. I wish there were some way we could share her.”

Martha smiled at her. “A mother never has to apologize for being a little selfish about her children. It comes with the territory. It’s a real blessing when one of our children happens to be a neighbor so we get to see him and the grandchildren all the time.” We sat around quietly chatting, pretending we weren’t concerned about Elizabeth and her long absence. But once the sun began to set, Martha and Amanda were both obviously uneasy. I was starting to get a little concerned myself. Only Henry seemed completely relaxed.

I know she’s a big girl, and I don’t have to keep track of her,” Amanda said finally. “I just wish I knew where she was.”

Henry laughed quietly and patted her arm gently. “It’s all right, Amanda; I’m pretty sure I know where she is, and she’s fine. I haven’t gone looking for her, because I wanted her to have time to think. But I reckon she’s had enough time for now, and she must be getting hungry. Why don’t you get those nice fresh shrimp we picked up on the way home ready to boil, and I’ll go get her. If you want to serve them warm, don’t put them on until we get back, because she’ll probably want to talk for a while too.”

Henry put on his favorite Sullivan’s Island Volunteer Fire Department Fish Fry hat and headed for the door. On his way out, he said over his shoulder, “I’ll be very surprised if she isn’t right across the island, sitting on our dock.”

“I didn’t know that you had a dock,” I said to Amanda.

“Oh, we don’t, actually. The dock is across the island on the Inland Waterway and belongs to a friend of ours. But it’s a pretty safe bet Henry and Elizabeth have spent a lot more time there than the owner. Whenever I couldn’t find the two of them, they’d be over there crabbing, fishing or just talking for hours on end. Elizabeth and I have always gotten along just fine, but there is no question she and Henry have a very special relationship. And I don’t mind, because I think it’s been good for both of them.”

It took a while, but sure enough, the two of them showed up smiling and holding hands. Elizabeth immediately made up with Martha, much to my relief. The shrimp took just a few minutes to boil, and the salad and the other fixings had been ready for a while. We quickly sat down and devoured that huge bowl of shrimp. I hadn’t forgotten a thing from that first lesson Elizabeth gave me. I had also taken every possible opportunity to practice my new-found skill. I think this time I even gave Elizabeth a run for her money, although I doubt any other creature alive could put away shrimp faster.