As they returned to the terrace, he said to Qwilleran, "Talking to you has been a distinct pleasure. If you ever get down to the Chicago area, I'd like to show you the vehicles on my farm." They both looked up in surprise; Elizabeth had dared to rise from her chaise and was approaching them.
She said, "I forgot to thank you, Mr. Qwilleran, for finding the things I lost on the trail."
"I couldn't help noticing the entries in your book. You must be a botanist."
"Just an amateur. I'm fascinated by plant life. Would you like to see the herb garden I've planted?"
Qwilleran appreciated herbs in omelettes, but that was -as far as his interest extended. Nevertheless, he acquiesced, and she asked her mother for permission to take him away from the party.
The queen mother said, "Promise not to tire yourself, Elizabeth."
On the way to the herb garden near the kitchen door, Qwilleran might be said to amble while the amateur botanist wafted in her long flowing robe. "Herbs thrive in the island sun and air," she said.
He stared blankly at two wooden tubs, a stone planter, and some large, clay pots, holding plants of various sizes, shapes, and colors. Finally he ventured, "What are they?"
She pointed out sage, rosemary, sweet basil, mint, lemon balm, chives, dill, and more, explaining, "There's something mysterious about herbs. For centuries they've been used for healing, and when they're used in food, something lovely happens to your senses."
He asked about the tea they had been drinking. To him it tasted and smelled like a product of the stables. It was Lapsang souchong, she said.
"Do you grow catnip?" he asked. "I have two Siamese cats."
"I adore Siamese!" she cried. "I've always wanted one, but Mother ..." Suddenly she appeared weary, and he suggested sitting on a stone bench near the herbs, which were aromatic in their way.
He asked, "Where do you live when you're not on the island?"
"Mother likes to spend autumn at our farm, the holidays in the city, and winters in Palm Beach."
"Have you always lived with your mother?"
"Except when I was away at school."
They sat in silence for a few moments, but her eyes wandered, and her thoughts were almost audible. She had an intelligent face, delicate but wide-browed.
Speaking like a kindly uncle, he said, "Did you ever think you'd like a place of your own?"
"Oh, Mother would not approve, and I doubt whether I'd have the courage to break away or the strength to face responsibility. My two older brothers have suggested it, but ..."
"Do you have money of your own?"
"A trust fund from my father—quite a good one. Mother is trustee, but it's mine, legally."
"Have you ever contemplated a career?"
"Mother says I'm not cut out for anything requiring sustained commitment. She says I'm a dilettante."
"You do have a college degree, don't you?"
She shook her head sheepishly. He felt she was going to say, Mother didn't think it was necessary, or Mother didn't think I could stand the pressure, or Mother-this or Mother-that. To spare her the embarrassment he stood up and said, "Time for me to go home and feed the cats."
They returned to the terrace, and Qwilleran thanked Mrs. Appelhardt for a pleasant afternoon; he commented that she had an interesting family. She mentioned that tea was always poured at four o'clock, and he was always welcome.
Unexpectedly Elizabeth spoke up. Til drive you home, Mr. Qwilleran, and we'll take some fresh herbs for the cook at your inn."
"Henry will drive our guest home," her mother corrected her.
Flinging the hair away from her face, the young woman raised her voice bravely. "Mother, I wish to drive Mr. Qwilleran myself. He has two Siamese cats that I'd like to see."
Other members of the clan listened in hushed wonder.
"Elizabeth, you're not quite yourself," Mrs. Appelhardt said forcefully, "and certainly in no condition to drive. We prefer not to take chances. You're so sensitive to medication ... Richard, don't you agree?"
Before the elder brother could reply, Jack raised his voice. "For God's sake, Mother, let her do what she wants—for once in her life! If the buggy turns over and she breaks her neck, so be it! It's karma! That's what she's always telling us."
Qwilleran, a reluctant witness to this embarrassing moment in family history, walked over to the daughters-in-law and asked if they had heard about the unsolved lighthouse mystery. Fortunately they had not, so he recounted the story in detail, with a few embellishments of his own. By the time his listeners had speculated on the fate of the lightkeepers, Elizabeth reappeared in culottes, boots, straw sailor hat, and tailored shirt. "The groom is bringing the phaeton around," she said in a voice that trembled slightly.
CHAPTER 13
