Part Three

Peggy was surprised to hear a voice say "Good morning" as she took her seat on the ferry at 5:15 a.m. It had become her favorite seat, on the left side, with a view of Seattle across the Sound as the boat made the turn out of Eagle Harbor.

She looked around. Raoul was smiling at her. He had greeted her for the first time! Peggy sat down in bewilderment, and tried to quiet the butterflies flitting in her stomach. She fought the urge to take out her little mirror and check her face and hair. It seemed silly for a fiftyish widow, okay late-fiftyish, to be worried such things. But Raoul made her feel like a young woman.

"Good morning," she said. "I'm Peggy."

"I'm Raoul. Very nice to meet you." He made a little wave that substituted for a hand shake. Still smiling, he then leaned a little closer from his bench in the next booth. His motorcycle leathers creaked, and she spotted a colorful tie beneath his dark leather jacket. He held his Thermos in the air, looking like he was about to pour himself a cup. "I got a chuckle out of you and Kel yesterday," he said. "I was thinking, ol' Kel's got himself a new victim."

Peggy smiled. "Oh, he was all right. Since I'm new I don't mind getting caught up on the local gossip."

"Don't worry, he'll be back to give you another earful. He makes his way back to this side of the boat about every few days." Raoul then settled back and opened his Thermos.

By 5:35 they were half way across the Sound. For the first time in many days Peggy saw sunlight on her morning crossing: a shaft of brilliant orange light broke over the Cascades and spilled onto the calm surface of Puget Sound. There was also a mist in the air; it clouded the city a bit, but the overall effect was bright and colorful, with hints of purple and blue and gold in the air. It was a good day to be out, Peggy thought.

"I was curious about something," said Peggy. "What are you drinking?"

"Tea," he said.

"I knew it. I guessed you were a tea drinker."

"Oh, really? Please tell me how you came to that conclusion," said Raoul, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Just a hunch. That's all. You seem, I don't know, like a tea drinker." Peggy laughed at her confusion. "That's a piece of logic isn't it?"

"A fine piece of logic. In the legal profession we thrive on such reasoning. So you just moved to the island. Where from?"

"Ballard."

"Ah, Ballard. A great old neighborhood. I was in Magnolia for many years."

"I love Magnolia."

"When I went on walks I could see Bainbridge Island, and it looked peaceful and quiet. After about ten years I said, 'why not move there?'"

"I just moved three weeks ago after about twelve years in Ballard. I work downtown, but I'm thinking of changing my schedule to four days a week."

"If my schedule permitted, I would certainly do four days instead of five," he said.

Peggy then reached for a novel she had been reading. She didn't want to be like Kel, giving people an earful when they were trying to enjoy some quiet time. Raoul unfolded his newspaper and leaned back against the window and sipped his tea, oblivious to the spectacular light that was unfolding around him.