Saving Sandy

Chapter 8 - Experiencing 1920s London with Sandy

"No, Eve, you don't have to do that."

She and I were in the room the next morning after Amelia had already gone to class. It was about 7:45, and I had on my—or Eve's—pink dress and warm coat. She held out several bills in her hand.

"I want to. You have not been paid yet, so think of this as a loan. You can pay me back later."

"I was just going to go and tell Sandy not to worry about it. I decided to go through the clothing bin and find some things for Murren."

She shook the money. "No, you will do no such thing. Just take this and pay me back later. You get paid this Friday, right?"

"Right."

"Well, then. Take it all."

I stared at the bills for a moment, then took them. They didn't look like normal bills, though. I read through the cursive handwriting on the front. They were those notes that banks gave out back then—the back then that I was living in. There were three, and they all had "ten" written on them. My browns rose after calculating roughly how much this would be in my time.

"This is a lot of money, Eve, your hard-earned money from your job. You need this for the rent."

"I have enough saved for the rent. And for the hundredth time, you will pay me back. You need warm clothing for Switzerland, and I mean you have to buy trousers, not skirts. Those things will be expensive."

"I already know that."

She planted her hands on her hips. "Well, go on, then. Go and meet my brother and his professor friend."

I put the bills in the coat pocket. "Thank you, Eve."

"You are very welcome." She pushed my back, and I was forced to go to the door. "Now go."

"Okay, okay."

We both laughed at that situation, and I went on down the hallway. Eve had given me close to $600 dollars in cash, basically. I would need two paychecks to cover all of that.

I exited the dorm building and walked into the campus. Several girls were walking around, all bundled up. It was a cold day, and the wind chill made it colder. There was also a cloud cover, and dead brown leaves blew about on the grass and in the air.

"Brr..." I muttered, hugging myself. Those were probably snow clouds. The wind whipped my wavy hair all over my face as well. I should have asked Eve for some type of pin or hat.

I made it into the courtyard and saw, again, a lot of girls walking around, and I saw several of them glancing in one direction. I looked in that direction and saw Sandy there, standing with a rather dashing man who could be ten years older than him. That was his professor friend?

"Gosh, no wonder the girls are staring... Those two are a good-looking pair. It's a good thing that he works at the men's college. The girls would join his class just so they could look at him for an hour or two straight."

I came closer, and that was when Sandy saw me. He grinned, and the professor smiled as well, but more in a polite way. Thank goodness I saw a silver ring on his ring finger.

"Katie, good morning," Sandy greeted me as he wore that long black coat that he wore for church. He looked dang-good in it.

"Good morning, Sandy." I looked at the professor. "And you must be Professor Levi Brunton."

I shook the man's soft, but cold hand. "That I am, and you must be Miss Katie Hearst, the impressive young woman who has summited many mountains. I say, you are a woman after my own heart. I love mountain climbing and have done it on a number of occasions."