by Cee, DW
“Well, I’ll give you my family history next time we meet, from my four aunts and uncles to the many cousins to the twins. But until then, I bid you good-bye.”
“Please join us for dinner?”
“No thank you, Michael. I’d like to rest and settle in. Plus, I’m sure I have loads to learn from Mrs. Haines.”
Michael sighed seconds before his eyes lit up with what he probably thought were more bright ideas. I shook my head no before he suggested them.
“Tomorrow?”
I shrugged my shoulders to another bothered sigh.
“Good-bye.”
He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed me adieu.
After a long enjoyable talk with Mrs. Haines who told me she’d be back next week, I went up to my room and lay in bed. I needed to sort my head about what had happened before I left home and throw out all that was unhealthy for my well-being.
“We will all miss you, so much, Laney. Why must you be gone for an entire year?”
“Don’t cry, Emily. The kids are getting sad too. I came to say good-bye and to give my love to my favorite twins.”
“Did you see Donovan last night?”
“I saw him…with Kate, and though he told me he’d come see me, he never did.”
“Are you sure he didn’t come by? Maybe it was too late and he left when he realized you weren’t there?”
“I waited all night for him.”
“Oh Laney…”
“I’m such a loser, huh? It’s all right. That was a good way to end. There’s no more hope. I’ll keep in touch, regularly. Don’t worry.”
“You better, or the twins will forget their favorite godmother.”
“James and Ellie? Don’t you forget me the year that I’m gone. I’m sorry I won’t be here to watch you grow, but I’m sure your godfather will love you doubly, in my stead. I love you.”
“I love you, Laney. Be well.”
“Thank you. I love you too, Emily.”
The sound of the heavy knocker against an even heavier wood door woke me up from my daydream. Unaware how long my guest had been knocking, I ran downstairs to greet the person behind the persistence.
“Well it’s about bloody time you answered the door. I’m freezing my bum off in this cold weather.”
“Aleksandra. Don’t you go through snowy winters here? How can you call this cold? I see the sun outside.”
“This is what happens when you’re used to sunny Southern California weather. You become a wimp to cold.”
“Come in. Welcome to my temporary home.” I showed her around Gram’s palace.
“Too much home for one person, no?”
“It’s only for a year.”
“Not if my brother has anything to do with it. He has you settling down in England and having beautiful babies and future heirs to his dukedom, last I heard. He was prattling off his plans to all of us so bloody much that I decided to take refuge in your house.”
I gave an uncomfortable smile.
“I take it you haven’t thought of changing nappies and comparing the pros and cons of dummies vs. thumb sucking?”
That completely dissolved any uncomfortable feelings.
“Are you here to hang out with me till your family dinner time?”
“Yes. However, I’ve been tasked with the duty of bringing you home tonight. Mum is dying to meet you.”
“I’d rather not, Aleksandra. I just met your brother and I made it clear to him that I was not interested in the same way. If I go tonight, he’ll misunderstand, your parents will misunderstand, and eventually you and I won’t be able to continue this friendship.”
“Wow, you have this all figured out don’t you?” She was being sarcastic. “I tell you what, come as my dinner guest tonight. You don’t even have to talk to Michael if you don’t want to. I’ll introduce you to my parents as my friend.” She pleaded. “Please come and satisfy my mother’s curiosity.”
“What is she so curious about?”
“Hello...! You are who she is curious about. Being a future duke, Michael has had his choice of just about every single girl in England, and maybe even Scotland and Ireland and all the other neighboring countries. And trust me, he’s taken advantage of that future title one too many times for my comfort as a woman.” She stopped her train of thought and shook her hands, repeatedly stating, “No no, I promise. It’s nothing to be alarmed about. I just find it annoying when girls throw their bodies and their dignity away where my brother is concerned. Michael is no different from other men; he enjoys the attention.”
“Your brother is quite a catch, though I’ve no idea what all the titles mean—not that it matters much.”
“I think Michael finds that very refreshing about you. But then again you are American. You guys don’t have peerage in your society. You are all a common lot so it doesn’t really matter to you.”
I gave her a gee thanks a lot look.
“I’m not trying to offend you. I’m just stating facts.”
“Uh-huh...”
“In any case, if you stop interrupting me,” she said while giving me her actress set-down stare, which only made me giggle. “Michael has never spoken of marriage. Yours is the only name associated with the future, spoken from the future duke, himself.”
“Are we talking about your father, the future duke?”
“Don’t get sassy with me, Commoner. My grandfather is on a first name basis with the Queen. Why I could have a girl like you thrown in prison for not curtsying to me properly.” Aleksandra used her best granddaughter of a duke voice.
“Well I suppose if you’re going to throw me into prison for not giving you a proper greeting, I have no choice but to follow you to dinner.”
“I knew this commoner had some brains in her. That’s the spirit Laney. My parents don’t bite. Mum is on the jolly side and my father is a bit of a stiff, but we’ll all get along splendidly.”
“Lead the way.”
“Um...one more thing…dinner at our house is usually a more formal affair. Do you have any dresses you can wear?” Aleksandra was apologetic about their antiquated ways.
“I guess that decides it then. I don’t have any dresses here as they’ve all been shipped. I guess I’ll come over for dinner another day.” Formal dinner attire sounded lame to me, so I was relieved I didn’t have to go tonight.
“Wait! Before you think you’re getting out of this dinner, we can make a pit stop. Lucky for you, we live right by Harvey Nics and I brought along Michael’s credit card. Do you like to shop?”
“Am I a woman?”
“Let’s go. Michael says if I can convince you to have dinner with us, I could even buy something for myself with this credit card.”
“Michael looks like a brother who would let you use his credit card regardless.”
“Don’t tell him I said this, but he is fantastic. A sister could not ask for more in an older brother.”
We went to Harvey Nichols department store and there was no doubt in my mind that I would find something I’d like to wear.
“Laney!” Michael pulled me into his body and I could feel genuine affection from the arms that swallowed me. At this immediate moment, I prayed God would teach me to return this kind of affection ten-fold.
“Laney is here with me...!” Aleksandra unraveled us.
I heard a jovial high-pitched voice walking our way. “Oh my darling!” I got another loving hug from a vivacious woman I assumed was Michael’s mother. “You are beautiful! How divine to finally meet the girl who will give me cherubic grandchildren.”
“Mum. We just met Laney today,” Aleksandra spoke on my behalf. “She already believes we belong in the loony bin. Between you and Mikey, she’ll shut her door and never come out.”
“Always the actress, Rubes...don’t be so dramatic...” Michael spoke to his sister with the same dramatic flair. He put an “O” to my mouth when he kissed my cheek, put his arms aro
und my waist and pulled me toward his father. “Don’t be afraid of The Stiff, Love. His austere voice,” his own tone went super bass when he said the word ‘voice’ “is much worse than his bite. He’s a pussycat deep inside.”
“All right.” I laughed. “I’ll do my best not to be intimidated by the deep voice.”
I’d never been in love before—well OK...outside of my one-sided love affair with Donovan Taylor, which was probably more infatuation than love. But if I were ever to fall in love, I wondered if it would feel like my heart did now. This golly geez wonder of “he likes me,” or this feeling of fullness, and almost completeness. All these new flitting emotions were a welcome—even if they eventually turned into fleeting ones.
“What’s that look?” Michael asked. “That’s one I haven’t seen before. I don’t have that one committed to memory, yet.” A man who wanted to know me in every possible way, even by way of a temporary visage...this man was like one from a fairy tale. “Well?”
“Wonder...appreciation...hope…”
“Cryptic, but positive,” he said and kissed my cheek one more time, steps before reaching his dad.
“Father, I’d like to present to you Laney Reid. Laney, this is my father, Michael Bennington.” I expected the title, rank, and serial number to be spelled out, but that’s all I got. “Oh, and this is my mother, Elizabeth Montague Bennington.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Bennington. Thank you for inviting me to your family dinner.”
His mother was the first to speak. “You should call me Lizzy, and Michael goes by...” She thought about it for a while and said, “Michael.” The whole family, but Mr. Bennington laughed.
Michael whispered in my ear, “I told you my father is a bit of a stiff. Don’t let him frighten you. Once you get to know him, he’s a top bloke. He just needs to thaw out a bit.” Then he did it again and he kissed me, only this time it was a loud smack on my ear.
I returned his kiss with what must have been a not very complimentary look, because next thing I knew, Michael chuckled and took a half step away from me and whispered loudly, “Sorry. Couldn’t resist.”
“Laney, you are so darling. I am thrilled you are here tonight. Michael was down in the dumps earlier when he thought you wouldn’t join us for supper. I see my daughter worked her magic.”
“I’m happy to be here, Mrs. Bennington. I believe Aleksandra and I will become very good friends in the near future.” I winked at my English friend. She winked back and went over to her father, put her arms around him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Daddy, please don’t scare away my new friend with your scowl. I love everything about you and granddad except for your inherent scowls. Please do try to smile more tonight.” She teased him.
I already loved the Bennington family dynamics. They were able to have fun with one another, tease one another, and laugh with one another. This was the English version of the Reid family.
“So Laney, where did you do your studies, and what will you be doing in the future? Michael tells me that you just finished at the Uni?”
“Yes I did Mr. Bennington. I graduated yesterday in fact and left for London right after. I am fortunate enough to spend a year here, and I hope to decide what to do about my future during this time.”
Mr. Bennington’s expression didn’t change. He also didn’t look very impressed with me either—not that I was an impressive person.
“What do you hope to accomplish while you’re here for the year?”
“Daddy...” Aleksandra tried to argue but Mr. Bennington’s hand went up and stopped her. It wasn’t done in any mean way, nor was it intimidating, but Aleksandra respected her father’s wishes.
“To be completely honest with you Mr. Bennington, I don’t really have any plans this year. I needed, wanted, and asked for a year away from home. And...I got it.” I asserted both myself and my decision.
Mr. Bennington’s one eyebrow slightly lifted in disapproval. I could tell my assertion did absolutely nothing to put me in his favor. “That doesn’t sound too productive. You are going to waste an entire year doing…nothing?” Once again, the disapproval was there.
I decided at this point that I didn’t need to explain myself to Mr. Bennington or anybody else. This wasn’t me trying to be rude or disrespectful. I just didn’t see the need to explain to everybody I came across, why I was here. It was really no one’s business but my own. There wasn’t only one way to live life and if people didn’t want to give me the allowance to be myself, then I didn’t need them in my life. No mold was going to hold me or shape me. I firmly believed in doing what made me feel comfortable, of course not at anyone else’s expense.
As it was, I was not in Mr. Bennington’s favor, and of course, my cell phone rang loudly. But even this loud sound didn’t cut through the strong hum of disapproval.
I opened my clutch and it was Dad. “Please forgive me for not having turned off my phone during dinner, but would you excuse me and allow me to speak with my father? I haven’t talked to him since I left home and only now are we able to reach each other.” I got the slightest of nods, which I think equaled an approval. I started to get up from my seat, but Michael held me down and gestured for me to take my phone call right here.
This had to have been the height of bad manners, and I could see Mr. Bennington’s hard image turning into a block of cement. There was a slight sense of panic when Michael held onto me. I knew better than to answer a call at a dinner table, but every ring was keeping me further away from my father, whom I desperately wished to speak to tonight.
“It’s all right, Love. Go ahead and talk to your dad.” The phone was probably on its last ring before it went over to voicemail. Michael accepted the call and reassuringly put it to my ear.
“Hello?”
Hearing my dad’s voice brought on a wave of emotion. If it was difficult leaving my family yesterday, it was brutal talking to them today. Already, I wanted to give up and go back to the comforts of home.
“Hi, Daddy! Is your surgery done?”
“Laney! My beautiful baby! Daddy misses you so much already. How do we go a year without seeing each other?”
“I know Daddy. I feel the same way. I miss you, Mom, and the whole family too. It’s going to be very hard.”
“Come home, Baby. Just use your return ticket and we can have your belongings shipped right back. The house is too empty without you.”
I got really emotional listening to my father’s voice crack when he told me how empty the house felt. That same emptiness was in my heart as well.
“Daddy, we’ll see each other at Christmas time. I want you, Mom and Doug to come visit me for Christmas.”
“You’re not coming home?” Dad was shocked to hear that I had no plans of going back to my old life until it was time to start school.
“No Daddy. But you, Mom and Doug can come visit me here.”
My senses came alert when I heard Mr. Bennington clearing his throat with even greater disapproval. “Daddy I need to call you back. I met some friends at the airport and I’m having dinner with their family right now. I am behaving like an ill-mannered guest talking to you. But I wanted to hear your voice and tell you how much I love you and miss you.”
“I love you too, Baby. Call me when your dinner is done?”
“Yes, Daddy. Bye.”
As soon as I got off the phone, I looked around and four pairs of eyes were on me.
“Sorry,” I whispered, unsure how many more notches I’d fallen with my five-year-old conversation with my father.
Mr. Bennington was again the first to speak. “You left your father when he is ill and had surgery?” Maybe it was time to clear the air and try to win Mr. Bennington’s approval, somewhat. I could feel Michael’s nervousness by the way he unconsciously tightened his hand around my shoulder or arm with every disapproving remark. He was nervous for me, for himself, for us....
For Mi
chael and Aleksandra, who neither spoke a word against their father, but pleaded my cause with their body language, I decided to cooperate.
“My father is a surgeon and the Chief of Staff at the hospital. When I asked if he was done with surgery, it wasn’t his surgery or better put, he is not the patient, but the doctor.”
Comically, there was a collective sigh of relief from the three other Benningtons.
“So your father’s a doctor?” Mr. Bennington asked with a teeny tiny bit of approval.
“Daddy, he’s not just a doctor. He’s a surgeon.” Aleksandra stated with pride.
“And the Chief of Staff at the hospital.” Mrs. Bennington tried to fast-forward my cause.
“And your mother?” The Q&A continued.
“She used to be an interior designer, but she decided to stay home and raise my brother and myself when we were born.” Then I decided to give him my entire family’s bio in a nutshell. “My father comes from a family of five boys, and he is second in the family. His brother above him, Uncle Robert, was also a doctor, but now he’s retired. Uncle Robert’s oldest son, Jake, is a heart surgeon and works at the same hospital as my dad. We all live on the same block and my three other uncles, who are businessmen, have homes on the same block as well. My brother is in his last year of business school, and after I spend an entire year lollygagging in London, I will go back to the States and either enter film school or med school.” That was definitely a mouthful and an earful.
“Film school?”
“Med school?”
Of course the first question came from Alexandra, and the next was spoken by Michael.
Finally, Mrs. Bennington had a question. “How does one decide between film school and med school? Those are two very different schools.”
I smiled at her because she had a smiling face. Mrs. Bennington had one of those “yes” faces that made me think of my own mother who also had a “yes” face. “I graduated with a double major in chemistry and English, and I couldn’t decide which graduate school I wanted to go to, so I applied to both med school and film school.”
