The Family Beach House (23 page)

Saturday, July 28

“I called Jennifer at her Portland apartment about five-thirty this morning,” Tilda told the others. “I let her know that Dad's going to be fine. She was going to pack a bag and be on her way.”

It was a little after seven o'clock. After learning that Bill had suffered not a heart attack, as was feared, but a panic attack, albeit a big one, Tilda, Hannah, and Susan had gone back to Larchmere for quick showers and coffee and were now sitting on plastic chairs in a waiting room. Craig and Ruth had spent the night at the hospital; Craig was in his father's room. Adam had only just arrived, leaving Kat back at the house. Sarah, Jon, and Jane were on their way; they would leave for the hospital when Bobby showed up to watch the children. He had forgone his boat that morning to be at his friend's side, and had only just left the hospital for Larchmere.

“Jennifer!”

Tilda hurriedly got to her feet at her approach, as did Ruth and Hannah. Adam stood off to the side, arms folded.

“I got here as fast as I could,” Jennifer said. Her eyes looked puffy—she obviously had been crying—but she was as impeccably dressed as always.

Ruth reached out and hugged her. Hannah gave her an awkward pat on the arm. Tilda gave her arm a squeeze. “I'm sorry,” she said.

But Jennifer didn't seem to hear. She walked over to Adam. “I want to talk to you,” she said. “Away from the others. Now.”

Adam rolled his eyes and half turned away from her. “I said now,” Jennifer repeated. To Tilda's amazement, he followed her down the hall.

Tilda looked from Ruth to Hannah to Susan. “What is that all about?” she asked.

“Payback,” Ruth said. “She's going to ream him for abusing her. Good. Not that it will do much good in terms of Adam's behavior—he'll never change—but at least it should make her feel better.”

What happened between Jennifer and Adam was this.

“What do you want?” he said. “I thought I told you to get lost.”

“Teddy told me that you hounded him about Bill's will at the party last night. How dare you treat people like they're inferior to you, just children to be bossed around, and threatened, and manipulated. And don't you ever again even dream of speaking to me the way you spoke to me the other day. If you even come close I will go directly to the police. Do you understand me?”

“I—” Adam began but Jennifer went on, her voice tight with fury.

“Shut up, Adam, and listen to me. I will never forgive you for trying to stand in the way of your father's happiness, let alone my own peace of mind. Do you hear me? Never.”

Adam attempted a grin. Since Sarah, no one had spoken so angrily to him. He was slightly amused. “I suppose you'll go running to my father and accuse me of all sorts of crimes against him. Isn't that the way you people work?”

Jennifer looked up at this man, the oldest child of the man she loved. How could father and son be so different? She actually felt pity for Adam, along with disgust. What a miserable human being he was! “On the contrary,” she said calmly. “Your father will never hear a word of your behavior from me. It would be cruel, and I'll leave the cruelty to you.”

Jennifer walked back to where the women stood. A nurse came over to guide her to Bill's room. Adam followed her in. Craig was already inside. Craig hugged Jennifer and she hugged him back.

“I'm glad you're here,” he said. Then, he stepped back to let her sit on the bed by Bill's side. Adam stood stiffly by the door.

Jennifer took Bill's hand and smiled down at him. Her smile was a little wobbly but she refused to cry.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Fine. Better. Thank you for coming.”

Of course he sounds so formal,
Jennifer thought.
He doesn't really believe I'm here because I love him so. He thinks I've come back out of courtesy; he thinks I'm paying a courtesy visit to the former partner.
She would have to convince him otherwise.

“Bill,” she said, “believe me, the only reason I left Larchmere was for your sake. I thought it would be better for you if I weren't around for the memorial. Everyone seemed…” Jennifer took a deep breath. She remembered her words to Adam in the hallway. She would not speak badly of Bill's children to him. “I felt that I was out of place. I felt that I was interfering. Well, maybe I was wrong. I'm sorry. I should have stayed by your side.”

There was a moment before Bill could speak. He squeezed her hand and smiled. “No, no,” he said, his voice breaking. “It's my fault for not seeing what was going on, for not shielding you, for not protecting you. I let you down, Jennifer, and I'm sorry.”

Jennifer smiled. “Let's just say our communication skills could use some work. I love you, Bill McQueen, and I will never leave you again.”

“Good,” Bill said. His voice was stronger. “Because I wouldn't want my wife anywhere but right at my side.” He reached into the drawer of the bedside table and took out a blue velvet box. “This is for you,” he said, “if you'll have it. It was in the pocket of my robe when I collapsed. I've had it for about a month but I just couldn't find the right moment to propose.”

Jennifer took the box and laughed. “Nice,” she said. “So you wait until you're in the hospital….” Carefully, she opened the box, and then the tears did flow. She held out her left hand and Bill slipped the ring onto her finger.

“If you don't like it—” Bill began.

“Sshhh,” she said. “Don't even think such a thing. It's a lovely ring and I love it and I love you.”

The door to Bill's room slammed. Adam was gone.

Craig quietly slipped out after him. “I thought I should give those two lovebirds some time alone,” he said to his brother, who was very red in the face.

“I think Dad is mentally incompetent. Someone not mentally competent isn't considered capable of contracting marriage. That's the law.”

“He had a panic attack, Adam, not a psychotic break.”

“We'll see what my friend John has to say about it. He's a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. I'm going to give him a call today. He'll give us a break on a complete psychological evaluation.”

Craig struggled to keep his temper. “No one is having my father ‘evaluated.' Don't be ridiculous, Adam.”

“Don't tell me I'm being ridiculous!” Adam shouted. “Do you know what's at stake here? Do you?”

“Uh, our father's happiness?”

“Who gives a shit about his happiness! I'm talking about the house, the money, the—”

A nurse suddenly appeared. He was large. His neck was covered with tattoos. “Sir,” he said to Adam, “if you can't keep your voice down, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”

Cool,
Craig thought.
The hospital has bouncers.
He watched his brother stalk off down the corridor. And he felt a stab of sorrow.

The house was very quiet. It didn't occur to Adam to wonder where his children were.

He went straight up to the second floor. He felt he had not shaved properly that morning and was eager to examine his face in the bathroom mirror. Nothing irked him more than a sloppy shave.

He passed the door of the room he was sharing with Kat. It was closed. He thought that Kat might still be asleep but then he became aware of noise from within, a dresser drawer closing, and he opened the door.

“What are you doing?” he said immediately.

Kat, whose back had been to the door as she stood by the bed, turned and gasped. “You startled me,” she said.

“What are you doing? Why is your travel bag on the bed?”

Kat reached deep down for every bit of confidence she possessed. “I'm sorry, Adam,” she said. “I can't do this.”

“Can't do what? What are you talking about?”

“I can't marry you!” she cried, frustrated with his inability to see, to hear, to listen.

Adam closed the door to the bedroom behind him. “What do you mean you can't marry me?”

“Just what I said. I can't marry you. I'm leaving. I'm going home.”

Adam took a step closer to Kat. “Look, what's this all about? Close that bag and talk to me. What's gotten into you?”

Kat's blood rushed just a tiny bit. He was a sexy man. He was handsome. Were his looks all that she had fallen for? The thought shamed her. She took a deep breath and a half step back.

“Nothing's gotten into me. It's just…I…I thought I loved you but…and then there's the kids, Cordelia and Cody…and I feel so uncomfortable here, with your family. I need to leave, Adam. I'm sorry.”

Adam chuckled in that annoyingly patronizing way he had perfected. “Kat, don't be ridiculous. I demand you stay and get this nonsense about leaving out of your head.”

“You demand?” Now Kat was angry. “I'm not your kid, Adam. You can't order me around. I don't love you anymore, you lied to me about wanting a family, and I'm not marrying you and I'm going home. I've already called my parents.”

There was a dead, scary silence. Kat wondered who would hear her if she screamed. She desperately hoped she would not have to scream.

Finally, Adam spoke. His voice was hard and cold. “Then I want my ring back.”

Kat, stunned, clutched her left hand in her right protectively. “It's mine,” she said. “You gave it to me.”

“Under the condition that you marry me. Now, give it to me.”

He took another step toward her. Kat felt menaced. Instinctively, she retreated a step, then jerked the ring off her finger and threw it at him. It hit the floor by his feet.

“You idiot!” he hissed. “You could have damaged the diamond! I'll never get my money back if it's damaged!”

The loud sound of a car's horn made Kat reach for her bag. “That's my ride,” she said. She did not meet his eye as she dashed toward the bedroom door.

Adam followed her down the stairs and out the front door.

Teddy and Tessa Vickes were there in their old green Cadillac.

“Mr. and Mrs. Vickes are driving me to Portsmouth,” Kat said as Teddy got out from behind the wheel of the car. “I'll get a bus back to Boston.”

Teddy nodded curtly to Adam and helped Kat stow her bag in the trunk. “You ready?” he said kindly to her.

“Yes. Thank you.” Kat climbed in the backseat and Adam saw Tessa Vickes turn to give her an encouraging smile. No doubt, he thought sneeringly, she would also have a bag of home-baked cookies for Kat.

Adam stood, rigid. He watched the old green Cadillac pull off and head down the driveway to Shore Road. He watched the woman who had promised to be his wife leave him. She did not turn to look back at him. His hands were clenched at his sides. When the car was out of sight he became aware of children's laughter, followed by the booming laugh of a man. It was coming from the direction of the guest cottage. His children. He remembered now that Bobby had been sent to Larchmere to watch them. He knew he should go and fetch his children from Bobby's care. Instead, he went back inside, up the stairs, and into the room he had once shared with Kat Daly. He lay down on the unmade bed.

 

It was a little after noon. Tilda, Hannah and Susan, Ruth, and Jennifer were in the kitchen, having arrived a little earlier from York Hospital. Bill was being kept for further observation but his doctor, a man who had treated Charlotte, too, had promised that he would be home either that evening or the following morning. Craig had stayed on, washing up in the men's room and grabbing a sandwich from the cafeteria. He swore he would return to Larchmere some time that afternoon, at least to change clothes. Jon and Jane, with their mother's blessing, had gone to meet some old friends. Sarah had taken her children to Jackie's, Too for lunch. Nobody wanted to scare them unnecessarily so their routine was proceeding as normally as possible.

Tilda and Hannah could not stop apologizing to Jennifer and asking for her forgiveness.

“I'm sorry for not being more accepting,” Tilda said.

“Me, too.” That was Hannah. “And for not standing up to you that night when Adam was such a jerk about your business.”

“And I should never have snapped at you when you asked me about the spa in town. I felt so awful about that.” That was Tilda, again.

Jennifer laughed and held up her hands. “Enough! All is forgiven. Let's start over.”

“Fine by me,” Hannah said.

Tilda nodded. “Thank you.”

Susan asked for a closer look at Jennifer's engagement ring. Jennifer put out her hand. “It's an Edwardian style but the ring itself is new. Bill said he helped design it!”

“Dad?” Hannah said. “A jewelry designer? Wow. He really has got a new lease on life!”

Ruth, who had been opening a chilled bottle of Prosecco, sensing a celebration in the air, said, “I say we have a nice lunch, just us gals.”

“I'm starved!” Susan put her hand to her stomach. “I forgot to eat breakfast in all the excitement.”

“Me, too,” Tilda said. “I know there's dried pasta in the pantry. And we've got excellent tomatoes and a bag of frozen peas. And there are fresh herbs in the garden. And there's a ball of fresh mozzarella, if Craig didn't eat it. You know how much he loves it. How about I make a big cold pasta salad for lunch?”

“I'll get the Miracle Whip,” Susan said, heading for the fridge. “If no one objects. I'm addicted to the stuff.”

“And let's have some of this Prosecco.” Ruth held up the bottle. “I think we could all use a glass.”

Jennifer laughed. “Or two!”

Adam came into the kitchen as Ruth was pouring out glasses of the sparkling wine. No one had seen him since he had stormed out of the hospital that morning. He looked angry and cold and strange.

“What's wrong?” Tilda asked. “You look upset.”

His voice was expressionless. “Kat's gone,” he said. “She broke the engagement.”

Tilda and Hannah shared a look of guilt. Susan, in an attempt to hide her smile, turned toward the sink.

“Oh,” Tilda said. “I'm sorry.” Silently, she regretted that now she would never find out just who Kat had met the night she and her siblings had gone to dinner at The Front Porch. Had a mystery lover had anything to do with Kat's defection?

Hannah nervously cleared her throat. “Yeah. Me, too.”

“It's for the best,” Ruth said, turning to put the bottle in a bucket of ice. “I'm sure.”

“Teddy Vickes and his wife took her to the bus station in Portsmouth. You know the mouth on Tessa Vickes. The whole freakin' town must know by now.”

Jennifer continued to say nothing. Her placid expression hid the fact that inside she was laughing at his obvious embarrassment.

Adam looked pointedly at Jennifer now. “I won't be around for dinner tonight,” he said.

“Okay,” Ruth said. No one asked him where he was going or when he would be back. Tilda supposed he needed some solitude. That, or he just couldn't stand the sight of his family any longer.

 

Craig sat on the cushioned guest chair by his father's hospital bed. He was tired but didn't want to sleep. He sipped his third cup of coffee since noon and considered buying a chocolate bar from the vending machine in the cafeteria. He wanted to comb his father's hair—it was uncharacteristically messy and it made him look old—but he felt too shy to attempt it.

Bill stirred and opened his eyes.

“Hey, Dad.” Craig put the cup of coffee on the bedside table and went over to his father. “How are you feeling?”

Bill shifted to a sitting position and Craig helped him adjust the pillows behind his back.

“A little embarrassed, to tell you the truth.”

Craig smiled a little. “Since when are you such a macho guy? Everyone is vulnerable at some time.”

“Be that as it may,” Bill said, “I'm sorry I caused everyone such worry.”

“You were just paying me back for all the worry I've caused you over the years.”

There was a moment of fairly awkward silence. Bill toyed with the edge of the sheet. “Thank you, Craig,” he said suddenly.

“For what?”

“For taking charge when I passed out. Ruth told me all about it. And for staying with me all last night. You didn't have to do that.”

Craig felt an acute mix of embarrassment and pleasure. He thought that he might cry. “I wanted to stay. Really, it was no big deal, Dad.”

“It was a big deal to me. Thank you.”

Craig cleared his throat, patted his father's arm, and sat back down in the cushioned guest chair. “You'd do the same for me.”

Bill looked fondly at his son. “Yes,” he said. “I would.”