Schuyler Square, Day Six An Officer and a Gentleman

“A proposition?” Nervously, Mavis licked her lips. She couldn’t imagine what kind of proposition someone like Peter Van Husen might have for her. Liar! She could easily imagine all kinds of delightful propositions but common sense told her that the Schuylar Square police department most likely hadn’t sent a police officer out to Schuyler Manor just to fulfill her romantic yearnings. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.”

Looking slightly embarrassed, Peter pulled his eyes away from the lock they had on Mavis’s and glanced around the foyer. “Would it be all right if I came in?”

“Of course,” Mavis said immediately. “Why don’t you go into the living room?”

Mavis led Peter into the pink and gold living room that she had redecorated the previous year. Ron hated the way it looked and claimed it was like sitting in genie’s bottle from I Dream of Jeannie but Mavis ignored his complaints. She knew Ron was more upset about how much it had cost to redecorate than the color palette she'd chosen. “Please, sit down.”

Peter sank into a pink velvet armchair and glanced around the room. He looked decidedly out of place in the totally feminine setting. Odd, Mavis thought, how Ron had never looked out of place in the room. “I’ll get right to the point so I don’t keep you, Mrs. Schuyler.”

“Mavis, please.”

“Mavis. Several people have told me that if I want to get something organized, you’re the person to go to.”

Pleased, Mavis sat up a little straighter. “I do like to do things right,” she agreed. “Why bother to do something at all if you aren’t going to do it right?”

The frank admiration in Peter’s eyes made her blush. When was the last time Ron had looked at her that way? Try never. “Do you suppose I could interest you in helping me plan a fundraiser for the policeman’s retirement dance?”

“The policeman’s retirement dance? I’ve never heard of that. I know about the fireman’s ball, of course.” Schuyler Square’s fireman’s ball was the event of the season. Well, it was just about the only event of the season in Schuyler Square. OK, it was the season. 

“That’s because we’ve never had one before.” Peter’s blue eyes twinkled. “We’re taking a cue from the firemen and starting our own tradition.”

“Um…why?” Mavis asked. Schuyler Square’s police department wasn’t too big. Surely they weren’t having money difficulties—not that Mavis would know. Since she never had money difficulties herself she rarely thought about the fact that other people might have them.

Peter looked surprised by the question. “We want to do something for the police department. Our funding keeps getting slashed year after year. If we can raise money on our own, maybe we can use it to better the community.”

“Oh.” Peter was obviously a do-gooder but Mavis could overlook that. He had so many other charms going for him. 

“So what do you think, Mavis? Can I count you in? I’m in charge of this whole shindig so we’d have to get together on a regular basis.”

Mavis couldn’t think of anything she’d like better. Quickly she ran over the current commitments she had and realized that her list was just about blank.  “All right,” she said. “I think I can squeeze you in.”

Their eyes met again and Mavis felt an odd shiver run up and down her spine, as if she’d just touched a naked wire. Peter Van Husen was making her positively tingle. “I’ll be in touch,” Peter promised.


The sound of someone clipping down the hallway on high heels interrupted them. Mavis wondered who it was. Rosanne never wore high heels. “Mavis! Here you are! I’ve been wandering all over the house looking for you.” The smile vanished from Mavis’s face as her sister-in-law Lynette entered the room. Stopping in her tracks, Lynette stared at Peter, her overly made up eyes widening until they approached the size of saucers. “Well, hello!”

“Lynette, this is Officer Van Husen. He’s leaving.” Good Lord, she had the manners of someone who had been raised in the suburbs.

“What a shame,” Lynette cooed, wiggling her short curvy figure like someone who’d just stepped into a bowl of not quite set Jell-o.

Peter blushed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” He turned to Mavis. “I can show myself out. I’ll be in touch.”

Mavis waited until Peter had left the room before turning to her sister-in-law. Of all the inconvenient times for Lynette to drop in! “What do you want, Lynette?” she snapped.

“My, my, my,” Lynette responded. “I’m sorry if I broke up your visit with that public servant but what I have to discuss is important. You owe me $10,000.”