Page 10 of Summer on Lilac Island

“The doctor is coming, the doctor is coming!” Eloise exclaimed the next day, peering out through the damask drapes. “He’s

turning into the driveway now.”

Eloise left her window perch to continue tidying up the house that Georgiana had spent the last forty-eight hours sullying

with mismatched socks, crumpled napkins, and nearly empty Diet Coke cans. The worst of it had been dealt with but a general

sense of disorder remained. Eloise refolded the blankets on the couch and straightened picture frames on the mantel.

“Why do you still have so many photos of Dad around?” Georgiana asked, footsteps plodding down from the loft. “You always

say you’re going to get rid of them.”

Eloise bristled, staring fondly at the images of the four of them: her, Gus, and the girls. Gus’s hand slipped around her

waist like it was his favorite habit. She was meticulous about turning the photos away from the sunlight, so they hadn’t faded

much. “I don’t want to erase the past.”

“You can’t pretend it’s the present either.”

The words scraped. “I’m not pretending.” Eloise turned away from the mantel to face her daughter.

Georgiana bore the air of someone who, after a long and arduous trial, had come to terms with her fate in the gallows.

She was dressed in a crop top and frayed jean shorts that barely skimmed the tops of her thighs, if that could be called being dressed at all.

Eloise didn’t think so. “Tell me that’s not what you’re wearing. ”

Eloise could practically hear what the islanders would say when they saw Georgiana out like this. She wanted to save her daughter

from the criticisms, and herself too.

“There was no time to steam my ball gown, I’m afraid,” Georgiana bemoaned.

“Don’t be smart with me.” Eloise reached for the heap that was Georgiana’s hair, tucking the bangs behind her ears. Too short

to stay, they flopped back down into her eyes.

“I’m not being smart,” Georgiana said. “I’m being stupid. You’ve made that very clear.”

Not for the first time, Eloise wondered if this setup was a mistake. But Dr. Kentwood was already here. There was no backing

out now.

Tugging at Georgiana’s shirt, Eloise tried to bring it down to cover her belly but to no effect. The scrunched fabric immediately

recoiled to its prior position.

That’s when Eloise saw it. Dark ink spilling out from under her daughter’s shirt. “What’s that?” Eloise asked.

Gigi pulled her shirt up above her rib cage, revealing a flower tattoo the size of a palm, defiling her smooth skin. Eloise

yelped.

“It’s a tattoo,” Gigi said, clearly enjoying the reaction. “Do you like it?”

Eloise wanted to give Gigi a good lecture, but James might hear from outside. She shoved one of her cardigans into her daughter’s

hand. “Put this on. Please.”

The clopping of hooves came from the gravel driveway.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Georgiana muttered, stealing her own glance out the window. “What’s he doing showing up on a fucking

horse?”

“Georgiana,” Eloise said sternly.

“Can’t you ever just call me Gigi?”

Eloise winced. She resented how her daughter’s name had been defiled. It was Gus’s fault, really. Toddler Rebecca had come up with Gigi when she could only babble her sister’s name. Gus had adopted it. Eloise had not.

“Georgiana is a beautiful name,” Eloise said. “And there will be no swearing in my house.” She never had to scold Rebecca

like this. “You’re always complaining about how you wish guys would put more effort into dates.”

“Not this kind of effort. Why didn’t he ride his bike or walk like a normal person?”

“I thought you didn’t want someone normal,” Eloise said. “Being escorted on horseback would be many girls’ dream.”

“And other girls’ nightmare.”

“Then don’t go.” Eloise knew Georgiana was too intrigued by Eloise’s upcoming date with Mr. MacDougal to renege, and Eloise

found she was relieved that the plans were still on track. She had enjoyed the author’s vibrant demeanor over the phone, and

after consulting with Deirdre, she’d called back to accept the invitation for tomorrow night.

“I can’t cancel now,” Gigi said. “It’s not a good look. I’ve got my reputation to worry about.”

“Because that’s always been your primary concern around here.” The residue from Georgiana’s high school days lingered like

a greasy film. The way she had run off with that scoundrel and worried Eloise sick. The way she’d never apologized, even to

this day.

Focus on rebuilding from the present, not rehashing the past , Eloise reminded herself. It was a line from one of Pastor Kevin’s sermons that had resonated, so she’d written it down and

tacked it on the refrigerator.

Georgiana made to exit the side door, reaching for the handle.

“Don’t you dare go out there,” Eloise warned.

“Why not? Is it an open-fire zone?” Georgiana said dryly.

“The gentleman always comes inside to collect you,” Eloise said. “Did you forget everything I taught you?”

“Tried to.” Georgiana slouched onto the floral slipcover couch. “And here I await collection from my suitor. How modern.”

“Not everything old-fashioned is evil,” Eloise said.

“Arranged marriages are.”

“It’s not an arranged marriage,” Eloise said, exasperated. “It’s just one date.”

After all she had done for her daughter over the years, this seemed like a very small ask. But of course Georgiana didn’t

see it that way. Eloise was the villain in the story Georgiana had written about their family. The stick-in-the-mud mother

who needed to control everything and everyone. And to make matters worse, Gus was the hero, the misunderstood good guy. He

did play the part quite convincingly. Eloise should know, given how frequently she, too, cast him in this role. How difficult

it was for her to release him completely.

The doorbell chimed. After waiting a moment to preserve the illusion that she hadn’t been spying, Eloise opened the front

door.

The doctor was there, dapper as a daydream. Tall, dark, and handsome, with a jawline strong enough to cut granite. Which it

would have to, Eloise knew, given the composition of Georgiana’s heart, or at least its outer casing.

“Dr. Kentwood!” Eloise ushered him inside, embarrassed the house wasn’t much to see. He’d grown up in a ritzy Detroit suburb,

she’d heard from Deirdre. But he had that humble way about him, like he was familiar with taking out the garbage and weeding

the yard. “So lovely of you to stop by.”

“Because this is such a coincidence,” Georgiana said under her breath. “Not a premeditated scheme at all.”

Blood boiling, Eloise shot her a firm behave-yourself-young-lady glare behind the doctor’s back. “I’d like to introduce you

to my elder daughter, Georgiana.”

Dr. Kentwood wiped his riding boots on the doormat. “Pleasure to meet you.” His voice was deep and melodious.

“The pleasure is all mine, Dr. Kentwood,” Georgiana said. She dropped into a deep curtsy.

Eloise winced, eager to get them on their way before Georgiana had a chance to ruin things more. “Be back by ten,” she said,

shooing them out the door. “Have fun.”

“Oh, we will, Mother.”

All Eloise wanted was for her daughter to get some normal, small-town dating experience and to get to know a good man who

might actually treat her as she deserved. But apparently these ambitions were too lofty, as Georgiana seemed set on turning

the whole date into a parody.

Despite her misgivings, Eloise’s spirits ascended as she watched them go. She was reminded of her first time out riding with

Gus, back when they were fifteen. He’d been trying to tout his maturity (he was two years older) and win over her parents,

only to bring Eloise back with a sprained wrist after his horse, Bucky, had lived up to his name. But it had still been one

of the best days of her life. Gus and Georgiana were natural-born firebrands. Like Eloise, Dr. Kentwood seemed like more of

a stickler for rules.

Perhaps the match might have some hope yet.