Bicycle Built for Two by Alice Duncan

beer. Good God, but this woman was an
infuriating baggage. He held on tight and marched her to a table in
the middle of the outdoor beer garden. “Sit,” he commanded,
pressing her into a chair.
    Kate looked around, her fury transforming to
bewilderment, if Alex read her face aright. “I’ve never been in
here before.” Her voice was low, as if she didn’t want to be
overheard.
    Alex sincerely hoped he was right about
that. He didn’t want her hollering at him, especially not in a
public restaurant. “They have delicious sausage sandwiches with
sauerkraut.”
    “Sauerkraut?” She squinted at him for a
second before her expression eased. “Oh, yeah. Sure. I know what
that is. Mrs. Schlichter used to give my ma that sometimes. It’s
some kind of sour cabbage, isn’t it? German?”
    He nodded. “German, Polish, Prussian. I
suppose they all make it over there.”
    “Ah.”
    Alex waved at the waiter who had served him
a couple of times before. The portly man smiled broadly as he
waddled over to Alex and Kate. He bowed to Kate, who stared at him
as if he were something new to her. Which he might be, Alex
perceived suddenly. Where she came from, she probably didn’t get
bowed at every day in the week. He spoke to the waiter. “Good day
to you, Herr Gross. Lovely day, isn’t it?”
    “Ach, ya!” Herr Gross’s voice was as loud as
Kate’s had been minutes earlier, but much more friendly. “Anotter
beer for you, Herr English? And for the lady?”
    Alex glanced at Kate. He noted with some
surprise that she seemed to have shrunk in her chair. It struck him
all at once that she was uncomfortable here, in this very
commonplace restaurant, and he felt a stab of pity. Because he
couldn’t imagine feeling out of place anywhere, much less a
restaurant, he smiled at her, trying not to come across to her as
patronizing, although that was probably beyond his power. She
perceived everything as patronizing, when it came from him. “Miss
Finney? Would you care for a glass of beer?”
    Her eyes grew huge, until they reminded Alex
of the sapphire-blue crystal Christmas ornaments his parents had
bought one year when they traveled through France. “Beer? Are you
out of your mind?”
    Alex recollected Kate’s father, and cursed
himself. Because he didn’t want to make a scene, he asked, keeping
his tone pleasant, “Would you prefer lemonade?”
    She opened her mouth, and Alex braced
himself to receive a splash of vitriol. But Kate only cast one
apprehensive glance at the jovial Herr Gross, looked away again
just as quickly, and said, “Yes, please.”
    Alex smiled at the waiter. “One beer and one
lemonade, please.”
    “Ya, ya. And will you be having another of
our delicious sausages and kraut, Herr English?”
    “Yes, please.” Alex glanced at Kate. She was
looking around the restaurant as if she expected to be attacked by
marauding Huns any second. He opted to decide for her. “And one for
the lady, please.”
    With a last exuberant bow, Herr Gross went
away to fetch the provender. Alex watched Kate with mounting
curiosity for several seconds. Although he’d rather shocked himself
when he’d first started hauling her away from her booth, Alex was
glad now that he’d done it. If he’d known how easy it was to get
her to shut up, he’d have taken her to a restaurant sooner. Folding
his hands, he placed them on the table, leaned over slightly, and
spoke to Kate in a soft voice.
    “Now, Miss Finney, perhaps we can hold a
conversation without shouting at each other.”
    He saw her lips tighten, but she still
looked nervous. “I won’t shout.” Actually, she’d lowered her voice
until Alex could scarcely hear her. Another jolt of sorrow for her
circumstances went through him. He thanked God he’d been born of a
good family in respectable circumstances, and wondered why he’d
never thought to do so before.
    “Thank you,” he said. “And now I’d like to
clear something up, because I want there to be no