[legendsport]

Washington, DC: September 9, 1921:

"So, Frederick, what do you think of Capital Academy?" Claudia asked. Fred Barrell, his brother Danny and Clyde Hinzman were sitting in the kitchen of the ever-increasingly crowded Georgetown townhouse, eating breakfast.

Fred, who had decided to move to DC in order to face better baseball competition at Capital, shrugged in a typically teenaged way and said, "It's okay. I miss Tommy and my friends in Georgia, but otherwise, no complaints."

"I suspect having Daniel and Clyde here helps," said Thomas Potentas as he entered the room.

Fred shrugged again - it was one of his favorite gestures. "Sure," he replied without much enthusiasm.

Claudia sat across from Danny, her earnest and open gaze locked on Freddy, who sat beside Dan. She told Fred, "It is good that you're here. Daniel has been moping all summer."

Danny's brow beetled as he exclaimed, "That's not true!"

Clyde, looking to kiss up as usual (in Danny's opinion, at least), piped up with, "Yeah, it's true."

Dan shot him a warning look that said, not too subtly, to not expound any further.

Fred, however, hadn't seen the look - and probably wouldn't have cared if he did - and asked Claudia, "So how are things with Powell?"

Danny inwardly groaned. The last thing he wanted to hear discussed at the start of a school day was Claudia's courtship with Powell Slocum. The guy was too old for her for one thing. Besides, Danny would be 17 soon... and that was just a step away from manhood. He had long dreamed of turning 18 and confessing his feelings to Claudia. And now Slocum was messing it up.

"Oh, Mr. Slocum is fine. His team... the Cannons?... they are on a... how do you say it?" she looked at Danny.

"Road trip," he said morosely.

"See? He is moping like this all summer," Potentas noted from the counter where he was steeping his tea.

"Busybody," Danny muttered under his breath. Clyde, apparently hearing him, shot him a glance. Danny grimaced and looked down at the table, embarrassed.

"Coach Beckmann has asked me to join the football team," Fred told Claudia. "But I don't think I'll do it. Pop suggested I get comfortable with the school before committing to any sport other than baseball."

Beckmann had practically drooled over the prospect of having Freddy catch for Capital. As a freshman in Georgia, Fred had terrorized opposing pitching. Beckmann felt that even with the step-up in quality, he had himself a bona fide star in the making. Meanwhile Danny had struggled in his sophomore season the past spring. Rufus had asked Jack to call and talk with him, and Jack had explained his own struggles as a pro, stuck behind a "better" player, which is what Danny had also experienced. Beckmann had promised that Danny would be a regular for the 1922 season and Danny was determined to make sure that happened. In the meantime, he was playing football - and playing it well. Beckmann suggested that he might have more Joe Barrell in him than Rufus Barrell. Danny felt that he could be both, and told the coach as much.

Clyde spoke up again, "I'm going to try out for the baseball team, too, Claudia."

Claudia smiled and Danny felt a clench in his chest. "That's nice, Clyde. I am sure you will do well."

"Pfft. He doesn't know what he's doing. We found that out back at the farm when we visited in July," Danny said.

Claudia's smile vanished and she sharply said, "That is unkind, Daniel. And also untrue. Mr. Slocum himself told me that he would help Clyde."

Danny sputtered, "What?"

Claudia primly noted that Slocum had made the same offer to both Danny and Fred. "I still do not understand why you would not accept his help. He is very talented at baseball, is he not?"

Fred unhelpfully said, "He sure is. He just had his 3500th career hit last month. The guy is the best hitter who ever lived."

Clyde, in his typically worshipful way, responded, "Well... I think Max Morris..."

That started a discussion on the relative merits of Danny's two least favorite baseball players. He frowned and spooned oatmeal into his mouth. He had hoped that having Fred around would help (particularly with Clyde who insisted on following him around) but it seemed like nothing was going to lift the cloud he'd been living under. And Slocum would be back in a week, and probably the first place he'd show up would be at their doorstep.

The doorbell rang. Potentas looked up from his tea and said, "That will be Miss Berger."

Claudia stood up. She was wearing her nurse's uniform. Miss Anna Berger was the nanny and looked after James so that Claudia could return to work. Like Claudia herself, Miss Berger was originally from Germany. Also like Claudia, she ran the household with stiflingly Teutonic efficiency. Still, Danny had to admit that Miss Berger, who was perhaps 19 years old, was attractive too. Maybe he should start paying her some attention... see if that made Claudia jealous. He smirked at the thought.

His reverie was broken when Claudia returned with Miss Berger... and Emily Talbot. Danny nearly gasped in surprise.

"Miss Talbot is here," Claudia pointed out unnecessarily.

"Hello, Dan," Emily said. "Did you finish that book?"

Danny flushed. He had completely forgotten about the book. Crome Yellow by Aldous Huxley. He'd borrowed it largely because Emily had told him how good it was. Danny wasn't much for reading, but already despondent about the "Claudia situation" as Clyde put it, he'd borrowed it just to have something about which to speak with Emily. She at least had the advantage of being his own age, unlike Claudia or her handmaiden Miss Berger (Danny's teenaged mind briefly flashed on Claudia & Miss Berger as Viking maidens and promptly - and visibly - blushed).

"Uh... I haven't finished it, sorry," he told Emily, hoping she hadn't noticed his blush.

She frowned and shook her head. "I must return it to my mother," she said. Her father worked in the British embassy (he was an 'undersecretary' or something - Danny's brain tended to lock up when a pretty girl was speaking to him). One of the things Danny liked best about Emily was her charming English accent.

"Sorry," he said again, feeling like a dolt, and stood up. "I'll go get it," he finished and left the kitchen.

Clyde poked Fred in the ribs and whispered, "Your brother and his girls..."

Fred gave him a skeptical look and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Clyde smiled and then leaned over and began whispering. Fred's eyes widened as he listened.