A Nantucket Wedding

by Nancy Thayer

  She didn’t have to take the job. She may not even get the job. But this was a summer of changes, and soon she’d have a new element to add to the mix of her frazzled marriage.

  twenty-three

  David had asked Poppy to meet him and Alison for lunch at the Taj, an elegant, posh hotel across the street from the Boston Public Garden.

  “Well, that’s depressing,” Poppy had replied to his invitation. “Are you planning to fire me and you know I won’t make a scene there?”

  David had held back a sigh. “I’m not planning to fire you, Poppy. I only want to talk in pleasant surroundings while I have a good meal.”

  Alison wore a severely cut blue silk dress, high heels, and pearls. David wore his blazer, which he often did, and which always made Alison want to fling herself at him and have sex. There was something about that blazer…But she restrained herself that day as they were shown to a table. While they were being seated, Poppy arrived, six months pregnant and looking it. David rose to kiss his daughter’s cheek. Alison said hello. They made civil conversation while they ordered their meals and a bottle of wine.

  When the waiter left, Poppy folded her hands on the table. “All right. I’m here.”

  “Poppy,” David said, “I spoke with Heather. She told me you don’t want Heather doing the wedding arrangements—”

  “Ha!” Poppy’s laugh was an angry bark. “I knew you would do this. I knew that’s why you wanted this meeting. Dad, you are such a total control freak! Of course Heather shouldn’t be making the arrangements! Alison should! Heather has work to do for the company, the company I could run quite well without your interference.”

  Alison held back a gasp. Glancing from father to daughter, she saw so many physical similarities. The pale skin, thick blond hair—going gray in David’s case—the wide shoulders and long torsos. They radiated the same tension, clearly holding back strong emotions.

  “You’ve conflated several issues just now, Poppy.” David paused to sip his wine. “Shall we discuss the wedding arrangements first, or who’s in charge of the company, or how you intend to cope with being a chief executive officer when you have a new baby?”

  Poppy’s eyes blazed. She opened her mouth to speak.

  David spoke before she could. “Or we could discuss my will. I know you’re concerned about that.”

  Red spots as round as roses appeared on Poppy’s cheeks while the rest of her face went white. “Dad. Come on. That’s harsh.”

  David shrugged. “I’ve always had a will. You and Ethan have always been apprised of its contents. I’ve made some changes. Only recently. I don’t have copies for you and Ethan and Alison yet.”

  “Dad, I didn’t mention your will. I was talking about the wedding, and the company, and for months you said you wanted to retire!”

  “Well, let me finish about the will before we go on to other matters. Poppy, I’m leaving you and Ethan the company and all its assets. The split is seventy-thirty. You will receive seventy percent and have the controlling vote. Ethan, who I realize is not helpful at the moment, could grow up. He could change. Or his experiments with exotic flowers could actually be helpful.”

  “That’s fine, Dad,” Poppy muttered.

  “As for the rest…I am dividing my personal assets three ways, among you, your brother, and Alison. I’m leaving the Boston apartment to Alison and the Nantucket house to you and Ethan and Alison. You know I’ve established trusts for Daphne and Hunter and Canny’s college tuitions. I’m going to do the same for your new child, and also for Alice and Luke.”

  “Dad! Alice and Luke are not your grandchildren.”

  “No, but once Alison and I marry, they will be my step-grandchildren.”

  “And leaving a trust for Canny!” Poppy’s lips tightened. “Her mother can pay tuition—she can practically buy Canny a college!” Her eyes widened. “Is Canny coming for your wedding? Is Esmeralda?”

  “They’ve been invited, of course. They haven’t replied. I doubt that they’ll appear. Esmeralda is so busy with government work.”

  Poppy twisted her hands together, worried. “If you establish college trusts for Alison’s grandchildren, that will take a bite out of your personal assets.”

  “Yes. That’s true.”

  “So that’s less for Ethan and me and Alison when…” Poppy could not say the words.

  “When I die,” David finished for her. “That’s true. But still, you and your family will be well provided for. As for English Garden Creams, you will be the engineer of its future success or failure.”

  “If,” Poppy said, “you ever allow me to take the reins for the company.”

  “Ah. A new topic of conversation.”

  At that moment, the waiter appeared, setting their plates down in front of them, smoothly introducing each dish. For Alison, Bay of Fundy salmon. For Poppy, a spring green omelet with vegetables and goat cheese. For David, steak frites.

  David raised his wine glass. “Bon appétit.”

  Poppy ignored her food. “Dad, you said when you got married, you’d turn the company over to me. To my management. I have some really good ideas for change that I’d like to implement, and I don’t want to have to spend time explaining them to you or arguing about them. You’re either the CEO or I am.”

  David cut a bite of steak and took a moment to enjoy it. “Excellent,” he announced. “Poppy, Alison, have some frites. I won’t be able to eat them all.”

  “You’re stalling,” Poppy said.

  David put down his knife and fork. “My darling and beloved daughter, do you really think it’s wise to take over the operation of our company by yourself? Now? Heather has informed me that you’ve missed a tax deadline, and botched a few contracts, and unfortunately lost an account.”

  “Oh, Heather!” Poppy huffed. “And it wasn’t an important account.”

  “All our accounts are important. The point is, Poppy, I’m still here, still capable, and still willing to continue to head our company while you take the time to enjoy your baby. And we can gradually make the transition from me to you with less stress on both of us. We can work together.”

  With much of the fight gone from her voice, Poppy grumbled, “You said you wanted to step down.”

  “I did. I know. And I meant it. But as you know, Alison doesn’t mind waiting a year or so for our honeymoon travels, and that year will give you and me time to make this very significant adjustment to our lives. Not to mention to the company.”

  Poppy bit her lip. For just a flash of a moment, Alison thought Poppy might put her thumb in her mouth. She looked like a little girl who’d been caught making a few minor mistakes, and Alison could only imagine how Poppy’s chagrin was wringing David’s heart. How in the world could an important company be run by a family? Alison wondered.

  The same way a family was run, she decided, by a world of schedules and teamwork, laughter and anger, misunderstandings and kindnesses, by hard work and hurt feelings and forgiveness, all held together by love.

  “I could do that,” Poppy at last conceded. “I’d like to do that, really. It is hard with a new baby.”

  “So, we’ll give ourselves a year?”

  “Agreed.” Poppy extended her hand and David shook it.

  For a while they all paid attention to their food, which was delicious. The wine was soothing. Alison felt the atmosphere around their table changing, as if storm clouds were rolling away, as if the sun was shining again.

  “But,” Poppy said.

  Alison wanted to roll her eyes, but kept staring down at her plate.

  “I still don’t think it’s right for Heather to be doing the wedding arrangements.”

  “That’s not up for negotiation,” David said calmly. “It’s underway. It’s done.”

  “Fine.” Poppy sulked for one last time, and then heartily dug into her
omelet.

  Throughout lunch, Alison’s phone had been vibrating almost constantly.

  “I’m got to check my phone,” she told David and Poppy, and took up her purse and went down the hall and into the ladies’ room.

  Jane had called and left messages several times. Alison clicked on the most recent message.

  Jane sounded rattled; she was talking fast. “Mom? Mom, I’ve been trying to reach you. I’m about to board a British Airways flight to Manchester and then I’ll take a train to Wales. A mountain rescue group has called to tell me Scott’s missing. They think he might have fallen. Listen, I talked to Felicity, she knows everything I know. I’ll phone you both when I have anything new to report. Love you.”

  Alison’s heart jumped in her chest. No, she thought. Not Scott. He was reserved and quiet, but Alison thought Jane and Scott had a satisfying marriage. Adrenaline kicked into her bloodstream. Fight or flight. But what could she do? Nothing. She couldn’t dismiss this problem and pretend everything would be fine, and she could do nothing to solve the problem, she couldn’t fly over to Wales and search an entire mountain.

  She did the only thing she could do. She closed her eyes and bowed her head and prayed.

  When she returned to the dining room, David rose and helped settle her chair.

  “Jane phoned. Scott’s missing. She had a call from a mountain rescue team. She’s flying to Manchester now.”

  David put his hand on Alison’s. “How can we help?”

  “I don’t know,” Alison told him. “I can’t think.”

  “Whenever something frightening happens to me,” Poppy said, “like when my friend had a lump in her breast, or when Hunter fell out of a tree and broke his arm, I scrub the bathrooms. Seriously. It’s like a bargain with fate. I do something I really hate doing like cleaning the toilet, and I feel like I’m tilting the balance of destiny back toward what’s good.”

  Alison managed a smile. “What an unusual way to cope, and oddly, I can understand your logic.”

  “Let me tell you, it’s worked every time. Plus, my toilets are spotless.”

  “Maybe I’ll try it,” Alison said weakly.

  “You should. I hope it works for you.”

  Such a strange superstition, Alison thought, and she was grateful that Poppy had offered this advice to her. Poppy had opened up a bit, had showed that she wanted, in her own way, to help. Someday, Alison hoped, she and Poppy would laugh about it.

  Until then…“Well,” Alison said, “I think I’ll go home and scrub some toilets.”

  * * *

  —

  Felicity had considered feeding the children early and bundling them off to the den to watch a movie so she could have some time alone with Noah. But often the children were unintentional buffers for the adults. Noah didn’t swear as much with the children around. Felicity didn’t cry.

  So she served the vegetable lasagna and the green salad and whole-wheat rolls to her entire family, and she was glad, because Noah was in a dark mood and the children, in their silly ways, made him smile.

  She’d prepared cups of fresh fruit for dessert.

  “Alice. Luke. You may take your fruit into the den, and you may watch The Lego Movie, but you must use your fork for the fruit, and you must absolutely use napkins. No wiping fruit juice on your shirt, okay?”

  The children would have promised anything for a movie, Felicity was well aware of that. This meant she’d have time to talk seriously with Noah; she supposed she should be thankful to Ingrid for bringing the first DVD into the house.

  “Let’s go into the living room,” Felicity suggested. “I have some good news and some bad news.”

  Reluctantly, Noah rose from the table. “I’m not in the mood for this.”

  “The bad news is that Jane had a call from a mountain rescue group in Wales. Scott’s gone missing. They’re searching the mountain for him, and Jane has flown to the UK.”

  “Huh.” Noah shook his head. “That’s too bad. I kind of liked the guy.”

  “No past tense yet, Noah! Mom and I are keeping in touch with Jane, as much as we can while she’s traveling and not always in an area with a cell tower.”

  “I hope they find him,” Noah said. “I always thought he took too many risks. Maybe he’ll learn he’s not a superman.”

  Felicity took a deep breath. “Okay, now for the good news.” She took her husband’s hand and pulled him into the living room. They sat at opposite ends of the sofa. Felicity cocked her head and smiled at Noah. Noah stared at the wall.

  “Noah, drumroll please—I’ve got a job!”

  Her words surprised him so much he actually turned and looked at her. “What?”

  “I’ve got a job, Noah! At the Small Steps Preschool. I’ll work forty hours a week, so I’ll be home with the children after their school. I’ll make fifteen dollars an hour, so that’s six hundred dollars a week, which means twenty-four hundred dollars a month!”

  Noah frowned. “Why would you do that?”

  “Why would I take a job?” Felicity was so proud of herself, so happy, she nearly bounced. “Because that way I can help you, Noah! That means you won’t have to worry about almost two thousand dollars a month—that’s twenty-four thousand dollars a year you can invest in your company!”

  “Oh, Felicity,” Noah said. Rising, he went to the window and looked out, keeping his back to her.

  She waited quietly. She waited for him to thank her.

  Finally, her husband turned to face her. “Felicity,” Noah said, “twenty-four thousand dollars a year is nothing.”

  It was like being hit in the chest. “What?” Felicity stood up. “It most certainly is something! It means groceries and the mortgage paid and clothes for the children and—”

  “Oh, Felicity.” Noah crossed the room and took his wife in his arms. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you, of course it’s something, and I’m amazed that you would do this, that you would try to help me…” His voice broke.

  Felicity pulled herself away from his embrace. She needed to see his face. And yes, Noah had tears in his eyes. Her heart dropped. Had he already slept with Ingrid? Something had changed.

  “Felicity, for what I’m trying to do, for Green Food, that amount of money is a pittance. I need money in the hundreds of thousands. I need millions.”

  “Oh.” She felt like a fool. The truth was, she’d never paid attention to anything he’d said about the cost of building his company. She’d been overwhelmed with trying to get Alice to relinquish her pacifier and toilet-training Luke. She’d been paying close attention to the household allowance Noah gave her, and checking out online recipes for one more thing to make with chickpeas and tofu. “I didn’t realize,” she said finally. “I’m sorry.”

  Noah dropped his arms and turned away. “No, I’m the one who should be sorry. I was so certain of my idea—and I still am, I believe it will happen—but it’s taking longer, it’s more complicated, than I expected. I was thinking months. Now I’m thinking years for development and testing.”

  “I see.” Felicity did see—Noah’s shoulders were shaking. Was he crying?

  Gently, she put her hand on his back. “Well, you’ve got years. We’ve got years.”

  Noah shook his head. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a handkerchief and nosily blew his nose. “I’m so afraid, Felicity. I’m terrified of failing. Every day I live with the fear of failure, and I know I’ll never be able to give you and the kids a really nice house, I’ll never be able to take you all on a vacation to Disneyland. I’m sorry Mark is dead, but I’m glad he’ll never see what a failure I am. I don’t have a secure job like Scott, and Jane makes as much money as he does and they don’t have to spend it on child care.”

  “Noah, you told me it will be a long process, getting Green Food—”

  “I didn�
�t get the NIH grants.”

  “Ah. I see. Well, I’m sorry, Noah. But you’ll get other grants.”

  “Will I?”

  “Of course! If you didn’t get those grants from NIH, that wasn’t because you don’t have a brilliant idea—you do!—it was because so many other scientists have applied for a bunch of other things. Science is competitive. Everyone wants to invent cheap fuel and cures for diseases. You know that, you told me that.”

  Noah pinched the bridge of his nose and took a long breath. “I could use a drink.”

  “Wine?”

  “Scotch.”

  Felicity saw how red Noah’s face had gotten, and how shiny it was with tears. She went through to the dining room and reached to the top cupboard in their cabinet, the one too high for Luke to reach even if he stood on a chair. Taking down the Glenfiddich, she poured the golden liquid into a cut glass tumbler—a wedding present, part of a set they seldom used. After a moment’s thought, she poured herself a bit as well. She returned to the living room and handed the drink to Noah.

  “Thanks.” Noah had regained his composure. His voice was under control. Almost cold. He tossed back the drink. “Look. I don’t want to worry you. We’re not in danger of folding yet. But we’re not ready to move on to the next step, either.”

  “I see.” Felicity sank into a chair across from him. “I get it.”

  “Then you get why I hate being around David Gladstone and his crew, with their summer house and their boats and their preposterously ostentatious wedding. It makes me feel small and hopeless in comparison.”

  “Noah…”

  “That’s why I like being with Ingrid. She understands the problems, and still she idolizes me. She has the scientific background to understand what I’m doing. When Ingrid tells me we’re going to succeed, it means something. Can’t you understand? I can’t give up Ingrid and still be around your super-achieving family. I’ll feel like a loser.”