Sorrento Girl Read online

  ***

  After a much-needed time of rest in her room, a change to evening clothes, and some time spent exploring and marveling at her new surroundings, it was time for Ann to meet her aunt downstairs.

  “Hello, darling. I have someone I want you to meet!” Aunt Rose waved to Ann as soon as she stepped into the Fireside Room. A tall, handsome man stood beside her. Ann approached the couple, and leaned toward her aunt to kiss her cheek. Rose beamed as she turned and placed her hand through the crook in the man’s arm.

  What was that sparkling diamond doing on her aunt’s left finger?

  Three

  Ann slept late the next morning. A soft pink hue of late summer sunlight spilled across the bare wood floor. The other bed—still empty. Saturday. The rest of the women would arrive today. What would it be like to live with so many women? Perhaps it was like having sisters. She and everyone else would also be meeting their House Mother, Ms. Patrick, and presumably, learning about coed life at the Sorrento. Her aunt had warned Ann that she’d have to get used to strict rules.

  The news of her colleague’s release from her teaching position had concerned Aunt Rose, but she’d seemed determined to hold off on any worry regarding her own job until she’d learned more. She hadn’t known about the “Anti-Nepotism” resolution, and as far as she knew, she’d be teaching again that fall at UW.

  One thing was sure. Aunt Rose was happier than Ann had ever seen her before. She was in love with Dr. Gary Francis, her new husband. They were both professors at UW, a situation that was alarmingly similar to the one Ann had read about the day prior. They’d fallen in love while studying at Oxford. After a whirlwind European romance and a short visit with his family in New York City, they’d decided upon a quick courthouse marriage there. Ann had been surprised at the sudden wedding, but she liked Dr. Francis. He was intelligent, charming, and sweet—perfect for Rose. Ann had always enjoyed a good love story, especially now that it involved her aunt. Hopefully Rose’s job would be safe. Taking that away from her would be like removing part of her identity.

  Breakfast was in an hour. Ann had cooked all the meals for her father and herself for the past five years. Cleaning, gardening, shopping, and laundry were chores she had done on her own while her father worked long hours as a foreman with the Northern Fruit Company. Now, she would be provided three meals a day on fine china in a beautiful dining room on the top floor of the hotel, and a maid would clean her room and do her laundry. What wasn’t there to enjoy about this new life?

  Ann opened the small closet and took out a pale green cotton day dress with tiny white polka dots. The room already felt warm. The short sleeves would be perfect for today. She didn’t have very many clothes to choose from, but she was an accomplished seamstress, and what she did have, she hoped, would help her fit in with the other girls.

  After dressing and tidying the room, Ann was almost ready to go upstairs for breakfast when someone knocked on the door.

  “Hi. Are you Ann?” asked the girl in the hallway.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Helen West. I guess we’re sharing this room? So nice to meet you!”

  “Helen! I’m pleased to meet you too. Come on in! Have you had breakfast yet? If not, you’re just in time.”

  Helen was followed into the room by two bellhops, each carrying a large trunk. “I’m famished!” she said dramatically.

  She handed each bellhop a coin before they left, then spun around, arms outstretched, before she flopped on the nearby bed. A petite girl with delicate features, Helen wore a bright smile and a jaunty navy beret. Her red hair was pulled into a chignon. The white drop waist dress she wore had navy buttons running the length of one side. It was somehow smooth and unwrinkled, in spite of her travels. Her appearance was chic and her manner confident. But it was Helen’s exuberant spirit that told Ann she was probably going to be a fun roommate.

  ***

  Four women sat on the two beds in Ann and Helen’s room later that evening, listening to Nora read aloud from the Seattle College Co-Ed Code they’d received earlier that day. Nora Andrews and Peggy Monroe lived across the hallway. Nora was from Tacoma, like Helen, and Peggy came from Olympia. Like Ann, Helen was planning on being a teacher, and Peggy and Nora were both planning on becoming nurses. They’d been at the same table for breakfast, and they’d hit it off as friends. The rest of the day had been spent in a meeting with Ms. Patrick, their House Mother, exploring the nearby campus, and unpacking their belongings.

  Nora continued reading. “Part 4, Gentleman Callers …” She took a deep breath. “Young men may be entertained in the public spaces of the Sorrento after 3:00 p.m. except on Saturday and Sunday when the hour shall be 1:00 p.m. Gentlemen callers are expected to leave the residence by 7:30 p.m. on all evenings on weekdays, on Friday, and Saturday at 11:00 p.m. and on Sunday at 10:30 p.m. No student shall try to evade these rules by entertaining callers outside of the residence or in the gardens at any time before the afternoon calling hours. Gentlemen are to be received in the public areas only.”

  Helen laughed as she listened to Nora’s reading of the code. “What happens to the evaders?”

  “Doesn’t say …” said Nora.

  The conversation brought Ann’s thoughts back to the professor at UW and to her aunt’s recent marriage, so she told her friends about it.

  “Why would she want to work now if she’s married to a doctor?” Peggy asked in a tone of surprise.

  How should she respond? Ann didn’t know these women very well. She chewed her lip and fidgeted with her sleeve as she considered her answer. Peggy sprawled across one end of the bed. “So, tell me, ladies, what do you all think of Ms. Patrick?”

  Ann sighed with relief. Apparently, Peggy’s first question was rhetorical because she’d moved on to another before Ann could defend her aunt’s decision to work.

  “I don’t think she’s someone you’ll want to cross. Evasion might be your best bet!” Nora laughed.

  Ms. Patrick was a stern woman of indeterminate age and who reminded Ann of a hawk. The woman’s small black eyes seemed to notice everything. Her hair was pulled severely off of her thin, tight face into a low bun, and she had worn a long black wool skirt and a buttoned-up black blazer in spite of the heat that day. She never smiled. Though the women lived in a hotel, off-campus, their status as coeds meant Ms. Patrick would supervise them. She also lived at the hotel, and she would be watching their comings and goings, reporting directly to the dean.

  “Ms. Patrick can’t stop us from having fun this year!” Helen grinned.

  They all hoped she was right.

  ***

  On Sunday morning, the friends went to Mass together at St. James Cathedral. Ann watched the people around her to know when to sit, stand, and make the sign of the cross. She didn’t understand how everything worked, but she liked being there. Though different from what she was used to, in many ways, she felt the same peace and the warm sense of belonging she’d often felt when she and her father attended the little Presbyterian church together in Wenatchee. Soaking in the beauty of the sanctuary—the soaring ceilings, the exquisite stained glass windows, the soothing refrains of prayers, and the sweet honey-scented beeswax candles—Ann released a deep sigh of contentment.

  The choir sang “Adore te Devote” in Latin as the congregation went forward for the Blessed Sacrament. Ann recognized the melody and remembered the words in English that she had learned as a child. As she stayed behind alone in her pew, she prayed it silently.

  I devoutly adore you, o hidden Deity,

  Truly hidden beneath these appearances.

  My whole heart submits to You,

  And in contemplating You, it surrenders itself completely.

  Sight, touch, taste are all deceived in their judgment of you,

  But hearing suffices firmly to believe.

  I believe all that the Son of God has spoken;

  There is nothing truer than this word of Truth.

  ***


  Later that afternoon, Ann double-checked the address on the letter she had received from Mrs. Delzer and headed up Spring Street to meet her new employer. The Victorian-style home that matched the address was large and imposing. A child’s tricycle was parked on the carved pathway that led through the front garden, softening the initial impression one might have of such a place. Ann had agreed to meet with Mrs. Delzer and her family before officially becoming their “mother’s helper” tomorrow.

  This job was a kindness extended to Ann on behalf of Aunt Rose, a friend of Mrs. Delzer. Ann would earn a little money to help with expenses, and Mrs. Delzer would have some extra help each afternoon taking care of her children.

  Not sure whether to go to the front or back door, Ann paused in the garden.

  Just then, a woman stepped out onto the porch, spotting her. “Hello there! Are you Ann?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I’m Ann Brooks. I’m here to see Mrs. Delzer.”

  “That’s me. Well, aren’t you pretty? Come on up to the porch, dear. We can talk out here where it’s quiet before I take you in to meet the children.” Mrs. Delzer was different than Ann expected, a welcome contrast to the severity of Ms. Patrick. Shoulder-length blond waves framed her young face. Tall and willowy, she wore a pink silk bias-cut dress with a belted waist and puff sleeves. The porch was elegantly furnished with rattan furniture and soft green cushions. Large terracotta pots with red geraniums and a fat gray tabby resting on a wide windowsill provided a touch of homey comfort. “Please, sit down,” said the young mother. “Lemonade?”

  “Yes, please, and thank you.” Ann smiled and made herself comfortable in a nearby chair.

  “Your timing is good. Three of the children will be in school this fall, and I no longer require a full-time nanny. I just need someone to help me around the house and keep them busy between school and supper. Your aunt told me you’re going to school to be a teacher?”

  “Yes, ma’am, that’s right.” The two women sipped lemonade and talked. Ann learned that Mrs. Delzer had been a history major at UW before meeting her husband, and Aunt Rose had been her professor. After a while, the discussion returned to the job at hand. Ann would be paid twenty-five cents an hour, and she would work ten hours each week— more when Mr. and Mrs. Delzer needed an evening sitter.

  “Margaret and Billy, the twins, are the oldest. They’re eight. David is six, and Sally is four. David is deaf. Did Rose tell you?” She hadn’t. “Do you know any sign language? It’s okay if you don’t. You’ll learn—and the children will help you. Are you ready to meet them?”

  Ann eagerly nodded. “Oh, yes!”

  Mrs. Delzer set her glass down and stood. “Come with me. They’re in the parlor right now, listening to the radio.”

  Inside the house, Mrs. Delzer led Ann through the front hallway to the parlor. All four children were quiet and sprawled out on a Persian rug in front of a console radio. The youngest boy, who must have been David, was coloring, and the other three were listening to The Lone Ranger.

  Mrs. Delzer introduced the children to Ann, using signs as she spoke. They were adorable, and Ann was taken with their sweet charms.

  Mr. Delzer, a tall skinny man, wearing a crisply starched suit, who had been reading a newspaper in a wingback chair near the window, stood and shook Ann’s hand. “How do you do?”

  “Excellent, sir. Thank you.”

  Mr. Delzer quickly returned to his paper, nodding to Ann. He was aloof, but Ann was used to men like him. The children asked if they could take Ann on a tour of the house, and Mrs. Delzer went into the kitchen to begin dinner.

  “When are you coming back?” Sally’s blue eyes sparkled as she twirled a blond curl around her finger and hopped up and down on one foot.

  “Tomorrow!”

  “I start school tomorrow.”

  “So do I. I hope we all have a good first day!”

  Four

  “Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.” Aunt Rose paused. “Do you know who said that first?”

  “Amelia Earhart?”

  “Yes, dear.” Rose paused. “This is a temporary setback, not a failure. Let it be a challenge for you. If you want to be a teacher, you can do it. If you want to be a wife and a mother, you can do that too. If you want to be a teacher, a wife, and a mother, all at the same time, try your hardest! Don’t let what happened to me scare you. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

  “It’s a stupid policy.” Ann let out a deep sigh. “I understand there aren’t enough jobs to go around, but what will they do now? Put a man in your place who isn’t as qualified? You’re the best! How does this help anyone? How does this help the students? I heard the hospital now has a crisis on its hands, a shortage of nurses because the county fired all the ones whose husbands had jobs. They didn’t think that one through very well,” Ann said in a bitter tone.

  School had been in session for a week now, and it was Ann’s first day off. She was having lunch with Rose at a diner across the street from the Sorrento. Ann wanted to cheer up her aunt, who’d lost her job, much to their horror—but it was Rose who was encouraging her niece.

  “No, they didn’t think it through very well. Now, tell me about school!” Rose said, changing the subject.

  “I like my classes—they’re interesting. There’s a fall “Floral Informal” with an orchestra and dancing tonight at the Olympic Hotel. I hope I don’t have to dance—I don’t know how to.” Ann took a sip of her iced tea. “ I’m going with a few of the girls on my floor. They call us the Sorrento Girls around the school. I think it’s funny.” She paused. “Some of them seem to be here just to get a husband.”

  “Ah— yes. I’m glad you’re placing a high value on your education.” Rose smiled. “So, what are you going to wear?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I was hoping to get your opinion.”

  “Do you have time for a quick browse through Frederick and Nelson?”

  ***

  The shopping trip was more than a browse—which was usual with Rose. She loved fashion almost as much as she loved teaching history. She had closets full of beautiful clothes at home.

  Ann was ensconced in a dressing room on the second floor of Seattle’s most elegant department store with sales girls bringing dresses back and forth for her to try on.

  She pulled an emerald silk party dress over her head and gazed in the full-length mirror. The short-sleeved dress with the stylish fishtail skirt fit perfectly. Ann didn’t want to know the cost—it was probably more than what she could afford. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever worn.

  “This one is stunning.” Rose grinned and her eyes twinkled. “We’ll take it!”

  Ann felt a mix of delight and guilt. “Aunt Rose, I can’t ...”

  “My treat, dear. I insist.”

  Feeling like Cinderella, Ann thanked her aunt. How would she ever repay the woman for her kindness?

  ***

  Nora and Peggy crowded into Helen and Ann’s room as the four women excitedly got ready for the first social event of the school year. Nora, very much resembling Mae West with her glossy blond curls, tried on a pair of Helen’s low-heeled dancing shoes to see if they felt better than the ones she had been wearing. Peggy looked pretty— her dark hair freshly set in a loose finger wave in the front with an intricately braided chignon in the back. Woefully nearsighted but vain, she had decided to leave her eyeglasses in her room that night.

  Helen sat in front of the mirror and powdered her nose while warning Nora about the pain she would likely feel in her feet if she decided to go with the borrowed shoes. “Those shoes are a pair of torture devices!”

  Ann was ready and wearing the new emerald dress. The girls had raved about how flattering a fit it was for her. She felt good, though she did have a slight touch of nerves. “I don’t know how to dance!”

  “Let’s practice then.” Nora slipped off the shoes. “We can teach you. Turn on the radio!”
r />   Ted Weems and his orchestra were playing “What a Day!” over the airwaves, and the girls laughed as Helen began doing the jitterbug, grabbing Ann’s hand and pulling her up from a chair. “Just move to the music and have fun! Here—left foot forward, right foot forward, left foot forward, step back with your left foot …”

  ***

  For the second time that day, Ann caught a ride downtown. This time, with a group of carefree coeds, squeezed into the back of a Buick Eight belonging to Joe McMurry, a senior science major. Outside, it was a crisp but clear evening. Ann had only seen the Olympic Hotel from the street, until now, but she’d admired its beauty. The Olympic was newer and even more grand than the Sorrento. She couldn’t wait to see the inside.

  Inside, Ann surveyed a scene of merriment. From the Spanish Ballroom’s soaring high ceilings hung impressive sparkling crystal chandeliers. Large arched windows ran along the outer wall, giving a view of the city outside. Floral arrangements decorated tables, and a sweet perfume filled the air. A ten-piece orchestra was playing “Over the Rainbow.” It was magical.

  Spotting an empty chair at a table near a window, Ann introduced herself to the group of students already seated. She recognized the woman sitting directly across from her, the one with a permanent air of boredom from her math class. Even a glittering party like this couldn’t bring a smile to Eunice’s face. Next to Eunice sat an equally unenthusiastic man who must have been her date. The others—two women and one man—were in high spirits.

  “Sit down, join us! I’m Paul Lewis.” He stood up and pulled out the empty chair next to his for Ann, smiling broadly.

  The two unfamiliar women eyed her coolly, and each nodded her way before returning to their conversation. Eunice said an uninterested hello and introduced Ann to her date, Kenny. He waved toward Ann, then signaled a nearby waiter to come to the table..