The following day, mother was sure to keep me in sight. Everywhere I roamed, she would accompany. I made an extra effort to increase my activity and by mid-day she announced that she needed a nap. As I was about to make my escape to Three Corners, Beatrice appeared in her place.

"I hope you don’t mind Elizabeth. I was told to keep tabs on you." She said as a matter of fact.

"Mind? Why should I?" I questioned pulling my Jantzen bathing costume from the closet.

"Do you swim Beatrice?" I asked as I removed my robe and pulled the suit on. I then struggled at sliding the matching stockings onto my feet. Opening the chest at the foot of the bed, I grabbed a large towel from the linens.

"No ma’am." She replied.

"Well, I’m going in for a plunge. Would you care to learn today?"

Beatrice gazed about with fright. "I’m sorry, I despise the water."

"I could teach you!" I said pursuing the issue.

"No thanks."

"Well okay then." I managed smirking as I hurried out the doorway.

Beatrice dawdled behind. "I suppose I could wade while you swim your laps."

Darn. I thought as she approached in an excited stride.

It was odd the way Beatrice stood along the beach. She was at least ten years older than I and she appeared out of her element. Her stance was stiff, her face contorted in a sour expression. It then struck me that she was probably never afforded the luxury of play during her childhood.

I watched as one of the other domestics approached with an obvious inquiry of some sort. While Beatrice was explaining the mundane, I took advantage and tore off in a fast swim. The direction, Three Corners. The water was choppy and I did my best to maneuver through.

Once I reached the point where I would no longer be visible, I waved my arm so that Beatrice wouldn’t worry. I could hear her shout my name and once her gaze locked on me, she shook her head in frustration.

I swam a few yards past tree cover before I aimed towards the shoreline. I gazed upon the sand dunes expecting to see Robert waiting, but to my surprise, he was no where to be seen. Bugs began to dive bomb my wet clothing and I shivered from the contrast of heat and cold.

I began to hike the trails at Three Corners. About midway up the mountainous dune, I heard Robert calling my name from below. "Lizzy? Lizzy?"

I headed towards the edge and waved down to him. Though I was too far up, I could sense his grin as he realized I chose to meet him after all.

I perched myself in the shelter of the sand surround to protect me from the spray of wind. Several minutes passed as Robert made his journey up.

He was out of breath by the time he took my side. He grinned revealing a softness as he opened the basket and retrieved a towel. Taking great care, he wrapped it around my shoulders.

"You know, I don’t even know your last name." I announced, as he smirked.

"Robert Wright." He said.

I shivered gazing at his expression. "Mr. Right." I joked.

He shook his head in disapproval. "I have endured countless jokes about my name, everything from ‘right way’ to ‘right handed Robert.’"

"Oh, I’m sorry if I offended you."

"Nonsense. I would certainly enjoy being your Mr. Right except my name is spelled W-r-i-g-h-t."

"I see." I managed laughing.

Robert pulled several dishes of food from the basket. "I hope you’re hungry, I’ve packed enough to feed a small army."

I nodded.

He worked at placing fried chicken onto plates and I enjoyed watching him in his task. I studied him carefully, paying close attention to his face structure and the kind eyes that somehow went unnoticed at our prior meeting.

He was handsome in a worldly way. Although I couldn’t put my finger on it, he appeared to have knowledge years beyond his being. It wasn’t anything he said or did, it was more of an aura.

Finally, Robert pulled a bottle of wine and two goblets from the basket.

As he uncorked the bottle, his eyes locked with mine. "I hope you like a good bottle of wine on occasion, this is imported from France."

I smiled politely, but in truth I never cared much for wine of any sort.

"You don’t drink wine, do you?" He asked replacing the bottle to the basket.

"No." I whispered in a polite tone.

"That’s okay. I’m not much of a wine connoisseur either." We both chuckled in unison.

I sat there gazing at Robert and the more I did, the more an intense feeling overpowered me. "Have we met before?" I finally asked allowing my intuition free reign.

He returned my gaze, smiling sweetly. "In another time, in another place maybe?" He said with a hint of tease to his voice.

"Are you from around here?" I questioned.

"No. I’m just visiting this week."

"I see, where are you staying then?"

"I have some friends that rent a summer home a few acres from the lake. It’s nothing quite as elaborate as your spread, but it will suffice."

I grinned at him and he smiled back.

"About the other night Lizzy." He said as his face flushed with embarrassment.

"The kiss?" I asked as he nodded.

"I hope you didn’t find it too appalling, my forwardness and everything..."
I shook my head yes relishing his discomfort.

"Oh." He whispered mortified. "I’ve obviously overstepped.... I’m sorry about that."

"No need for apologies." I said waving my hand. "It was my first kiss and it will always be remembered."

Robert grinned, his confidence once again restored.

"Have you ever heard of love at first sight?"

I shook my head no but inside it was my dream, my fantasy of romantic notions.

"There was something about you the other evening. When I noticed you strolling the beach in a tantrum-like way, I just had to meet you. So I followed, or tried to follow.... you seemed to have so much energy that I couldn’t keep up." "When you stopped, everything about you appeared to be cursing the world...it was then I was certain you were Elizabeth."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" I asked in a sharp tone.

"You have a reputation for being a bit difficult. I hope I’m not hurting your feelings by my candor. The truth is, many have said you are a bit spoiled."

I eyed him with contempt.

"I’ve gone and hurt your feelings, I’m sorry. I don’t feel that way at all. It’s just the other night something happened to me Lizzy. I met a woman expecting to hit rock but instead I struck gold!"

"Is that what this is about then? You’re after my families fortune?" I asked suddenly enraged.

"Money? Is that what you think this is about?" He laughed as if I had fallen mad.

"No. I assure you, money is the last thing that I care about here."

"What are you after then Mr. Wright?" I demanded.

He grinned sheepishly. "I’ve come a long way, just for you Lizzy."

"Just for me?"

"Yes. I’ve traveled the world in search of my one true love. I’ve gone to countless socials, met with royalty on several continents and yet when I return to the states for the summer, I meet up with someone practically in my own back yard."

"What makes you believe I feel the same towards you?" I asked in a tease.

Robert smirked revealing an intense sparkle in his eyes. "Because you are here eating lunch with me on this fine day."

"You forget that on Saturday I will become Mrs. Donovan Winslow. I will be headed for England next Monday. To my new home, and my new stature as a socialite of Europe."

"Do you really want that?" Robert asked with curiosity.

"What do you think?" I replied with a snide tone.

"I figured you were none too thrilled about the entire arrangement. Who would be? Have you ever met him, this Donovan Winslow?"

"No, but we’ve corresponded through letters."

Robert laughed. "What do you think of Mr. Winslow’s personality then?"

"I’d rather not speak ill of my future husband."

"Would it surprise you to learn that I know Donovan rather well. In fact, I came here this month to attend your wedding?"

"You are a friend of Donovan’s?" I said feeling a burst of regret.

"We attended the university together and we go way back."

"Oh isn’t this great, you were sent here as a test!" I managed bolting from my sitting position.

"No, you’re not correct in that assumption, I assure you Lizzy. I followed you the other night to introduce myself. I wanted to see what Donovan was getting into. For the past year he spoke of you, shared some of the letters you had written. You seemed absolutely dreadful, but then I saw you on the beach and I realized that you were nothing like you pretended to be. There was such a verve within you! A person that was not too proper to tear off without shoes, not too engrossed in society to roll around in the grit of the earth. I loved that about you right off. Fell in love with everything including those dreadful letters that revealed nothing about the true person you really are."

"I am at a loss Mr. Wright." I whispered.

"The truth is, if you wed Donovan Winslow on Saturday, you will be making the biggest mistake of your life!"

"You think I don’t realize this fact?" I snapped.

"Run off with me instead Lizzy, we could have such a fantastic life together!"

"So are you proposing?" I asked shocked by his audacity.

"Yes, I suppose I am."

"What about your friendship with Donovan?"

"I think he will forgive me, perhaps even thank me... eventually that is."

I smiled at him with amusement. "My parents would disown me Robert. They’ve been planning this union for some time. They’ve gone to great lengths to make this happen. I need to follow through with the life they have planned for me, no matter if my heart is telling me otherwise."

"So, you’re still going to marry him?"

I nodded my reply watching the disappointment register on his face.

"How can you commit yourself to someone you have no love for?"

"I’m still working on that issue and believe me when I say, it’s tearing at my soul." I managed surprised that I was speaking the absolute truth.

"Don’t do it Lizzy! Don’t allow your parents to bamboozle you into something you know is wrong!"

"Elizabeth!" I heard Beatrice calling from the shoreline.

"Elizabeth, you must come home!" She said in desperation not knowing where I had disappeared to.

I flung the towel to the ground as Robert rose to stand along with me. He reached his hand into mine, tugging me forward into his embrace. Everything about our meeting was improper, a gentleman would have gone to the trouble of an escort. We were alone with nature all around us.

He brushed his lips to mine and my heart melted to his. I love you, I thought.

My feet carried me straight towards shore and about midway down, I tripped. My body rolled like a barrel and I stopped three inches from Beatrice’s feet at the base of the great dune.

"Miss Fenmore!" Beatrice said outraged at my dissent.

I stood up and rubbed the sand grains from my eyes. I gazed back to steal one final look at the man that laid claims to my heart. Beatrice followed my stare and gasped in horror.

"What about Donovan Miss Fenmore?" She whined.

I shrugged my shoulders as we began to walk back to the summer home.

When we reached the path from the beach to the entryway, I managed, "you must promise me to keep this a secret Beatrice." Beatrice shifted her weight in discomfort, her reluctance apparent.

"Beatrice!" I demanded.

"I have an obligation to tell your parents the whole truth, after all, I am in their employment."

"You can tell them." I said observing her expression of relief. "Next week when I'm on board ship half way across the ocean, you may speak the truth.

It will be honesty, but it will not matter at that point."

"So you still plan on marrying Donovan?"

"Yes, I do."

"I am relieved. I thought you were going to mess up your future for that of a commoner."

I nodded understanding her concern. "I made promises that I intend to keep, isn’t that what life is about?"

"Indeed." Beatrice replied.

"So, you’ll keep your promise then?"

"Okay ma’am." She agreed with hesitation.

I spent the remainder of the day penning intimate thoughts within my trusty journal. Words flowed as if connected to the pen. Ink smudged and ran but that didn’t stop my determination to put meaning to Robert Wright, my mister right.