Posted on 13 Dec 2023
Category: Top of The Edge, Historical Fiction
Author: Steve Vail
Crossing the street, he looked at his wristwatch - 7:05. He was a good 25 minutes early. He had hoped to arrive before the girls, so as not to be caught off guard by more of their ridiculous antics. If it was only up to him, this meeting would not even be taking place. As soon as he got back to his hotel room from the incident at White Point Garden, Smith made a phone call to his superiors and strongly recommended dropping these two childish girls from the list of qualified candidates, "It's time to find someone else." he stated, "these two simply are not going to work out."
The response from Washington was not at all what he had expected and in his opinion beyond egregious. "...Smith, you are to make an appealing presentation to these two ladies and allow them the opportunity to volunteer... and for your sake, they better volunteer!"
Just as he reached the front door, he noticed a curtain moving, "Someone is in there. It must be them. They're here already?" He shook his head and knocked. The front door opened promptly and he was welcomed by a petite young black woman - a maid he presumed. "Good evening Mr. Smith. Please allow me to show you to the observation deck"
Smith gave a single nod, removed his hat, and entered as the young woman closed the door behind him and proceeded to lead the way. When it was a residence, the Wentworth Mansion had the reputation of being one of the most extravagant and luxurious homes in the Charleston area. Smith could not help but admire the beauty and elegance of the place as he followed the young lady through the house and up the stairs to the final spiral staircase which led them to a small round room that was surrounded by the observation deck.
Cherry and Robyn were standing at the side of the deck that overlooks the Ashley River side of the Charleston Harbor. As Smith and the young lady escorting him approached, Robyn spoke first to the young lady, "Could you do us another small favor? Cherry and I would love to have a nice warm cup of tea." Then she addressed Smith, "Mr. Smith, would you care for a cup of tea?"
"No... Thank you."
"Very well, just a cup for Cherry and me Maryanne"
Maryanne nodded with a smile and exited the deck, but not in the same direction from which she and Smith had entered. She continued to walk around the small room that housed the stairs.
At this point, Smith decided the best way to handle the situation was to allow them to speak first. So, for several seconds the three of them just stood there - Smith looking back and forth at each of them as they looked expressionless back at him. Finally, Cherry and Robyn looked at each other with a smile and turned to once again face the harbor and their backs to Mr. Smith. Smith clasped his hands behind his back as he stepped up and came alongside Cherry who was now between him and Robyn. A dense fog was beginning to roll into the harbor and over the peninsula from the Atlantic. It became obvious to Smith at this point that the three of them were now engaged in a type of game with only one rule - Whoever speaks first loses. So, the three of them just stood there in silence as they watched the fog roll in.
They were still silent when Maryanne arrived back with the tea. When she spoke it startled Smith, but not so that anyone would notice. Her approach had been completely surreptitious.
"Miss Robyn, Miss Cherry, your tea."
Both ladies immediately turned to Maryanne and thanked her as they took their tea from the tray. Smith maintained his silence, as well as his observation of the harbor as he listened to them, conversing so freely now with Maryanne.
"The temperature is dropping, so the two of you need to take care that you don't get too chilled and catch a cold. Especially you Miss Cherry, considering how wet you were earlier. Can I bring you a blanket or something to keep you a bit warmer?" Maryanne asked as she adjusted the scarf around her own neck for a snugger fit.
"Thanks, but no Maryanne I'm quite comfortable for the moment", Cherry replied as she adjusted her own coat and scarf.
"Very well then", Maryanne replied with a single nod of her head, and then departed, again by continuing around the deck as opposed to back the same way she had come.
As Maryanne was leaving, Smith turned to face Cherry and Robyn. After thinking about it for a while he had concluded that it would be best for him to proceed with a great deal of humility and caution.
"Before I say anything else, I believe it to be both appropriate and prudent for me to apologize to the two of you for the complete blunder I made as I attempted to introduce myself to you earlier this evening at the Bandstand - Please accept my apology. If it is agreeable with the two of you, I would like to continue from this point with a clean slate?"
Cherry nodded with a smile and Robyn also smiling replied, "By all means Mr. Smith please do continue."
"My name, believe it or not, is 'John Smith'. To be more exact it is 'John Bartholomew Smith III'. Consequently, many of my associates call me 'Bart'. However, to keep things professional and above-board, I would prefer that the two of you refer to me only as Mister or Agent Smith."
With eyebrows raised and tight grins, they both nodded in agreement.
Cherry broke in mockingly and with an over-the-top southern bell accent asked, "Mr. Smith why would someone from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, want to meet and talk with a couple of li'l ole co-ed college students here in Charleston, South Carolina?"
Smith took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before answering, "Are either of you familiar with the Baruch Family?"
They both responded with quizzical looks on their faces and Robyn tilted her head slightly to one side as she answered, "My father met Bernard Baruch only a couple of years ago. He went on for some time about what a great privilege it was to meet the adviser...", then lowering her voice in an attempt to mimic her father, Robyn continued, "'...to not just one president mind you, but to five different presidents of the United States of America', He was quite proud to have met Mr. Baruch."
Smith nodded and continued, "Belle Baruch, Bernard Baruch's daughter is one of our coastal observers. Are the two of you familiar with her?"
"Yes, we're familiar with her. We even competed against her recently at a horse show in Aiken." Cherry answered.
Then Robyn said nodding with a smile, "I have never met anyone quite like her. She is a fascinating woman and a masterful rider... Wait a minute, you're telling us that she works for the FBI?"
Smith continued without answering the question, "A short time ago, while observing the coastline less than 70 miles north of here, Miss Baruch saw a light out over the surf and deduced that is was an enemy craft. She continued to observe as a man came ashore in a small raft. She followed him to a house a couple of miles from his point of disembarkment. She notified the authorities, who then raided the house and captured an enemy spy ring that had a detailed layout of the Charleston Naval Base with plans to set off bombs at strategic locations within."
Smith could see that he clearly had their attention now, as both ladies appeared to be spellbound. He continued, "A result of our debriefing of the incident was a decision to recruit more coastal observers all along the Atlantic Coastline and especially within fifty to a hundred miles of any military installations." Smith paused briefly before continuing on, "My sole purpose for being here right now is to ask the two of you to consider becoming a part of our coastal observer team."
Cherry was the first to respond, "Why us? I assume you know that we are just beginning our senior year at the College of Charleston, and both of us have a full class load".
Then Robyn asked, "And what part of the coastline are you asking us to observe?".
"I can't really answer your question as to why you are being asked... because I don't know. I can, however, tell you that your names were on a list of names under consideration to participate in this initiative. As for your academic studies, the plan is for you to rotate into the watch schedule, at first just the evenings of every other weekend until after you graduate. Then, if you're still willing, the plan is for you to cover the evenings of every weekend, and maybe even some weekday evenings. I can't reveal the exact location for which you would be responsible until I have confirmation that you do indeed plan to join us. If you need some time to think it over, I can only give you till noon tomorrow."
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