“Her engagement ring is to be held for Jason DiSantos until such a time as he marries.”
There was a murmur of approval.
“And, finally, her tea service and set of bone china is to go to you, Rosanne.”
Rosanne smiled slightly, eyes still on the window.
“Now, in terms of Mrs. Goldblum’s estate,” he said, consulting his paper again. “She has left two hundred thousand dollars to her son, Daniel, and she has also set up a trust for you, Rosanne, and you too, Jason, of ten thousand dollars a year for ten years. This is to commence in the new calendar year.”
“What?” Rosanne said, turning to look up at the lawyer. “What are you talking about?”
“I also have an immediate gift for you, Rosanne and Jason, from Daniel Goldblum on behalf of his mother, of ten thousand dollars each.”
“So it won’t be subject to taxes,” Sam murmured to Rosanne. “That’s why the amount is ten thousand.”
Jason went over to sit on the arm of the chair next to his mother. “But I don’t get it,” Rosanne said, clutching her son’s hand. “What was she doing, robbin’ banks? Where did this money come from?”
“I was about to ask the same thing,” Sam said, confused.
“A large portion of this money is from a settlement Mrs. Goldblum reached with the owner of this building,” Thatcher explained.
“Settlement for what?” Rosanne said.
“To move out of this apartment by July first of this year.”
Rosanne looked to Cassy and Cassy looked, openmouthed, at Attorney Thatcher. “Is that why Tarnucci was at your office that day?”
He nodded. “The open market value of this apartment has been estimated at three to four million dollars. Mr. Tarnucci had approached Mrs. Goldblum some time ago. And until recently she had not been interested in relocating.”
There was a stunned silence and then Rosanne burst out laughing. “She knew she would be gone by July. That’s why she made the deal.”
Is that why Emma had refused treatment? Cassy wondered. To obtain a significant inheritance for her son and Rosanne and Jason?
“I hasten to add,” Attorney Thatcher said, “that Mrs. Goldblum told me she was looking forward to moving.”
“I bet she did,” Rosanne said, making people half laugh and half cry.
“There was no fraud perpetrated!” Thatcher insisted.
“Of course not,” Cassy said, “and no one is saying there was. I’m sure at the time Emma was planning to move into a senior’s residence. Isn’t that right, Sam?”
“Probably the one on West End at Ninety-sixth Street,” Sam said, backing her up.
“I think I remember her saying something about that,” Jackson said.
“Please continue, Attorney Thatcher,” Cassy encouraged.
It took a moment for him to sort himself but then Attorney Thatcher said to Rosanne and Jason, “She set up this trust because she wanted very much to assist you in the next phase of your lives.”
“This will really help out with school,” Jason said.
“Yes,” Rosanne said quietly.
“I don’t know if everybody knows,” Amanda said, “but Jason got accepted early decision at University of Pennsylvania.”
“From Little League to Ivy League. Well done, Jason,” Althea said.
Others extended their congratulations.
“She wanted to make a difference in your life,” Attorney Thatcher said to Rosanne.
“Like she hadn’t already,” Rosanne said quietly.
“Gran was the best,” her son agreed.
Cassy and Jackson started for home in the damp, cold wind. “Jack,” Cassy said after a few paces, “I don’t want to do this anymore. Go on like this.”
Jackson stopped walking, pulling the collar of his coat up higher. “What are you talking about?”
She turned to face him. “I want a divorce.”
They stood there for a long moment, eyes locked, strands of her hair whipping in the wind. “No divorce,” he finally said, shaking his head. “Out of the question.”
“I’m not doing this anymore,” she said. “Not one more day.”
He jammed his hands into his pockets before looking at her again. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I want my life back.”
He shut his eyes a moment, vigorously shaking his head, and reopened them. “You’re just gonna blow up DBS? What are we supposed to tell my family?”
“The truth. That you and I have been living separate lives for years.” It was starting to rain, but neither made any move to seek cover.
“Cass, shit, listen, this is crazy. We’re not gettin’ a divorce. You’re just upset over Emma. When you calm down you’ll remember that we’re a team. With a lot of people depending on us. You just turned fifty-three for chrissakes, this is no time for you to pin your hopes on some forty-year-old dyke. You’re gonna get killed.”
“This isn’t about Alexandra. It’s about me, Jack. Me. I can’t remember being me since I was about six. Dammit, Jack, I want my life back. And I’m going to have it back before it’s too late.”
42
The Stewarts
“COME, CHILDREN, we’re crossing the street,” Amanda suddenly said, veering off the sidewalk as the rain started.
“Amanda, what the heck—?” Howard said, holding the umbrella and hurrying to catch up with her.
“I don’t think the Darenbrooks should be interrupted,” Amanda said, glancing over to where the couple appeared to be in some sort of face-off. Jackson was shouting but Cassy was standing her ground, hands in the pockets of her raincoat, her hair getting soaked.
“Oh,” Howard said, grabbing the back of Teddy’s slicker as he charged by.
“Hey!” his son protested.
“Put your hood up,” Howard told him.
“Oh, let them go, Howard,” Amanda said. “I’ll put them straight in the tub.”
The children ran ahead, stomping happily through the puddles and looking up, holding their arms out to the rain.
“So you think the Wren School’s the one,” Howard said, taking his wife’s arm.
“I think so. Don’t you?”
“Yeah. I guess.” He looked at her. “Are you sure you’re still up for the great financial review today? It’s been a long day as it is.”
“Oh, yes,” she assured him. “I’m anxious to see where we are.” She made a face. “I’m afraid I’ve already busted the budget before we’ve even set it, Howard. I sent a check for five thousand to the Riverside Park Fund in Mrs. Goldblum’s name.”
“That’s not the five thousand that will break us.”
“I suppose not.” The children had run over to see a golden retriever puppy that was being walked.
“I wish Madame Moliere didn’t look so happy about the prospect of leaving us,” Amanda said.
Howard laughed and she joined in. “You thought she’d be heartbroken and she can’t wait to ditch us.”
When they reached the apartment they hung up their wet coats and Amanda herded the children to their rooms to check in with Madame Moliere and start the baths running. Howard went back to change and supervise Teddy’s bath while Amanda took on Emily’s. Afterward they parked Madame Moliere, Grace, Emily, Teddy and Ashette in their bedroom with a fire in the fireplace and the movie Swiss Family Robinson. “The real one,” as Howard called it, with John Mills.
“So, are you ready?” Howard asked Amanda, standing outside the study doors.
She nodded.
Howard pushed the door open and they both stood there a moment, taking in the piles and piles of papers that were stacked around the study.
“Oh, my,” Amanda said.
43
Cassy
CASSY HEARD THE key in the door and got up from the couch where she had been dozing. She was in Alexandra’s apartment at The Roehampton, on Central Park West, and it was nearly one-thirty in the morning. She had not been sure if Alexandra would make i
t back to New York tonight. She’d been in Alaska working on a story for DBS Magazine on the Arctic Reserve.
“You made it,” Cassy said, walking into the foyer.
“I had to,” Alexandra said, putting her bags down. “I wanted to find out why you were here.” As she straightened up her eyes moved appreciatively over the silk negligee Cassy wore. She smiled. “Hi.” They kissed. “So what’s going on?” Alexandra said.
“We don’t need to talk about it tonight,” Cassy said, watching her hang up her coat.
Alexandra gave her a doubtful look and pushed the large suitcase with her foot next to the door. The housekeeper would go through it, wash or clean whatever clothes Alexandra had used, and then repack so it would be ready at a moment’s notice for her next trip. “The mystery deepens,” Alexandra mused, heading across the living room to enter the master bedroom.
“Are you hungry?”
“Not at all. On the layover in Chicago we had a steak.” Alexandra opened a closet door and slipped her shoes off. “So what’s going on?” she asked again, glancing over.
She didn’t know where to begin. “Why don’t you get ready for bed. You look tired.”
Alexandra frowned slightly, unbuttoning her blouse and taking it off. She slipped off her skirt and pulled off her stockings, the last with impatience, and tossed all the garments into the hamper. She left the bedroom in her underwear and reappeared holding two large glasses of water. She gave one to Cassy, put the other on her bedside table and went into the bathroom. Keeping the door ajar she talked about her trip while Cassy turned the bed down. The she slipped off her negligee, put it on the foot of the bed, and slid under the sheets. When Alexandra emerged she was wearing a white silk nightie. “Bed never looked so good. I don’t think I’ve slept more than three hours since I left.” She climbed into bed and drank some of her water. Then she reached to turn off the bedside lamp.
One of the loveliest aspects of Alexandra’s bedroom was how the gentle glow of city lights shone up through the window panes. Although the original steel casement windows had been replaced with energy efficient ones, the replicas still cast an alluring pattern across the ceiling.
“Come here,” Alexandra said, pulling Cassy over to lie in her arms. She took the clip out of Cassy’s hair and combed it out with her fingers. “So what is this all about? Why are you here?”
For some reason Cassy felt like her news would be anticlimactic. She settled in closer, feeling Alexandra’s collarbone against her cheek. “I told Jackson I wanted a divorce. And I left him.”
At first there was no reaction. And then Alexandra sat up, nearly throwing Cassy off. “You did what?”
“I’ve got my things in the East End apartment.” Cassy could only see the outline of Alexandra’s head because the window was behind it. After several moments she added, “You’re making me nervous, Alexandra. You’re not saying anything.”
“Because I can’t believe it. After all this time.”
“I know.”
“It’s going to take awhile for this to sink in.” Alexandra shifted slightly. “Are you scared?”
“No.”
“I think I might be,” Alexandra admitted.
Cassy sat up, propping herself with her arms. “Every day I stay in that marriage another little part of me dies. And that’s the part I have finally come to realize is the best part of me.”
“I don’t know if that’s true.”
“I know,” Cassy told her. “It’s the part of me that loves and trusts. And it’s the part of me I want to focus on you.”
“My God,” Alexandra said softly. “I just can’t believe it.” Then she climbed out of bed. “Hang on.” Cassy saw her shadow glide across the bedroom and a few seconds later the hall light came on. Alexandra was gone for at least ten minutes. “I couldn’t find the stupid combination,” she said when she returned. “Shield your eyes because I need to turn on the light.”
Cassy covered her eyes as the bedside lamp came on and Alexandra crawled back onto the bed. She pressed a small box into Cassy’s hand. “I had it fitted for your right hand, for obvious reasons.”
Cassy blinked, looking down at the box.
“It’s been in my safe for months. To be honest I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get up the nerve to give it to you.”
Cassy opened the box. There was a large blue sapphire anchored between two diamonds, set in platinum. It was stunning. Not showy but eye-catching, not overstated and yet they were clearly excellent stones.
“The sapphire was my grandmother’s,” Alexandra explained. “The one who raised me on the farm. My grandfather gave it to her but she never wore it because she was terrified of losing it. So, she kept it in a safe-deposit box at the bank. She said I might need it someday for seed money if there was crop failure. She grew up in the Depression.” Alexandra reached to take it out of the box. “I chose the diamonds.” She slid it onto Cassy’s right hand. Alexandra brought the hand up to her lips to kiss it once. “It’s perfect.”
“It is,” Cassy managed to say, her eyes blurring with tears. She tried to blink them back.
“I know you’ve had just about every diamond ring a woman can possibly own—” Alexandra began.
“Shh,” Cassy said, putting a finger against Alexandra’s mouth. After a moment she lowered her hand. “I will never treasure anything more than I will always treasure this.” She smiled. “Because you had faith in us, didn’t you? And in me. That someday I would do it.”
Alexandra nodded. “Yes, I did.”
Cassy took Alexandra’s face to hold in her hands. “I love you, Alexandra Waring. And I always will.”
44
Doing the Books
THE STEWARTS’TREK through their trail of long and twisting finances took some time. Amanda took care to keep any unpleasant observations to herself because Howard was doing a fine job of beating himself up. When their accountant arrived, Amanda could see that her husband wanted to crawl into a hole, he felt so ashamed about their predicament. But as uncomfortable as the process was, the Stewarts laid it all out, the personal and the professional, every single outstanding bill, every single expense and every single asset.
Their situation turned out to be both better and worse than they had thought. The better part was that all taxes were current (“I’m a screwup, not a crook,” Howard snarled at the accountant), all the insurance was paid up and the agency’s retirement accounts were pristine. The worst part was coming to realize that instead of the “around twelve thousand” Howard thought they spent each month as a family, the actual amount turned out to be more like twenty.
“That can’t be right,” Howard said at the same time Amanda gasped, “That isn’t possible!”
Oh, but it was.
“The numbers don’t lie,” their accountant said. “Add your expenses up yourself.”
And so once they stumbled through their horror to see where the money was going, gradually a plan of action began to materialize. What expenses would stay, what would go. First, there was no question, the Woodbury house had to be sold. If they were lucky and found the right buyer, they might still get out of it relatively unscathed. The cars would be sold. The horses would be offered to Daffodil Hill to use for lessons in exchange for board until Amanda made up her mind what she wanted to do. Madame Moliere was leaving and Amanda would look for day care for Grace so she could finish her book.
The monthly check from Amanda’s trust was established as the new baseline of the family’s income. Everything in the household had to come out of that. And everything Howard made was going to go toward paying off whatever debts they had. If they absolutely had to, they would take out a line of credit against the apartment, but Amanda was very much against this. And, in the end, Howard came to agree.
“So here is the situation,” Amanda told the children one night after dinner. “Daddy and I miss each other so much we want to live together all the time.”
“We miss Daddy, too,” Emily said.
/> “Well, that’s what we wanted to talk to you about. Daddy and I want to live here, on Riverside Drive, all the time. Which would mean you will be attending a different school in the fall. A school here in New York.”
The kids looked at each other, baffled. “What about soccer?”
“You’ll play soccer here.”
“But what are we going to do in the summer?” Teddy asked. “We don’t have a pool here.”
“You’ll go to day camp, and then we’ll go to the country, all of us, for a vacation.”
“What country?” Teddy wanted to know.
“Maybe Maine or Nova Scotia, somewhere on the ocean.”
“But what about our friends?” Emily asked, her lower lip starting to tremble. “What about Sweets and Maja?”
While Howard felt like hanging himself Amanda explained that the horses were going to stay with Jessica and they would visit them. Emily started to cry and buried her face in Amanda’s lap.
“So we’re going to be city slickers again?” Teddy asked his father.
“Yes, sir,” Howard said.
“We’ll all be together,” Amanda said, stroking Emily’s hair, “every day and every night. Ashette, too.”
“Where are we going to keep the canoe, Dad?” Teddy asked.
“Oh, we’ll find a place.
“I’m not sure I can take this,” Howard said later, holding his wife in bed. “I can’t believe what I’ve done.”
“What we’ve done is save our marriage,” she said. “If this hadn’t happened who knows where you and I would be.”
For a while Emily could not be consoled. She told her friends, her pony and her teachers in Woodbury that all was about to be lost forever and ever. (“Who does she remind you of, Amanda?” Amanda’s mother had laughed.) But while Emily bemoaned her losses, Amanda was celebrating the soon to be lifted burdens of the gardener, the housekeeper, the pool man, the handyman, the oil man and all those other people who ratcheted up the costs of country living.
And while Amanda dreaded some of the hoops they were going to have to jump through to sort out their finances, she welcomed the new sense of partnership with Howard.
Riverside Park Page 29
