Love Comes Calling Read Free

humiliated enough in my life to know how it felt, and Griff didn’t deserve that. The sooner I could get to Hollywood, the better! I’d been thinking about it since the summer of my freshman year, when I realized college wasn’t for me. Being pinned—and then leaving Griff behind—was one thing I didn’t wantto have to regret when I left. I just had to figure out how to get enough money to buy my train ticket.
    â€œThis one or this one?” Mary was holding up my drop-waisted orchid satin dress and my maize Chelsea-collared chiffon.
    â€œNeither.” I stepped beyond her and pulled my white tennis jumper from its hanger.
    She grabbed it from me. “You can’t wear that !”
    â€œGood grief! I’ve got the play tonight. Besides, I’ve already told you he’s not going to pin me. And even if he did, I’ve known Griff for . . . a long time. It’s not as if he hasn’t seen me in a plain old skirt and sweater. Or nothing at all, for that matter.”
    Mary’s eyes grew wide, and Louise looked at me as if I’d suddenly sprouted horns.
    I might have laughed, but I couldn’t resist the temptation to give them the person they so obviously imagined me to be. I smiled a long, slow, smoldering smile as if I were the actress Theda Bara. And then I gave a languorous shrug of my shoulder as I prowled toward my bed, throwing in a shimmy for good measure.
    Mary gasped. “You didn’t.” She turned to Louise. “She didn’t! She couldn’t have; she wouldn’t, would she? You don’t think they’ve—”
    I broke into laughter. Peals of it. I couldn’t help it. “No, I never—! I was talking about when we were babies . Our families have gone to the shore together every summer for practically forever.”
    Louise blushed so bright she looked like a strawberry with that green hat on her head. “I wasn’t thinking that .My goodness! How could you even . . . but . . . you almost . . . you seemed so vampy there for a second. I never quite know what to think about you, Ellis. You might want to pretend to be Mary Pickford once in a while or people might start to wonder . . .”
    Our own Mary was looking at my tennis jumper, nose wrinkled. “Honestly! You’d think you weren’t even an Eton, with clothes like that.”
    Which is what I said whenever I went home on the weekends. But Mother only sighed and talked about whether my old things were still serviceable. “Just think how many orphans can be fed and clothed with the money you’re thinking of spending.” I undid the buttons on my skirt and let it drop to the floor, and then I pulled my blouse off over my head. “Do either of you actually know when this pinning is supposed to happen?”
    â€œNow.”
    â€œNow!”
    â€œSure. Just as soon as the boys get done with class.”
    â€œBut he can’t! Tonight’s the play.” And I had to head over to the theater soon . . . where Griff would eventually be meeting me. I’d just have to make sure he didn’t catch me between here and there alone. I pulled the tennis jumper on over my head and tugged the skirt down smooth.
    There was a knock at the door.
    The girls shouted “Come in” while I shouted “Go away!” Two voices beat one, for Irene Bennett opened the door and thrust a tall glass jug in our direction. “Just look what I bought!”
    If she weren’t still standing in the door, I would have slipped around her. “Looks like a very nice jug, Irene.”
    â€œIt’s not just a jug. It’s a jug filled with grape juice .”
    I pulled her into the room so I could get around her. “Why don’t you go drink it somewhere, then?”
    â€œBecause, look: right there. Read what it says.”
    I obliged her. “‘Warning. If left in a dark place,