by Lynn Steward
After a few more drinks, Andrew laughed out loud and thought of how foolish he’d been the night before. Why was he hoping to meet Collins again? He had no feelings for the man. It was Jack he loved. Others approached him, offering to buy him a drink, but he declined.
“This is what comes of desperation,” he muttered under his breath as he gave the bartender a tip. He left at ten o’clock and went home, where he drank until midnight.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Patti had just arrived home on Tuesday evening when Jack came through the door ten minutes later, placing his briefcase on the floor as he glanced at the day’s mail. It could have been a scene from Ozzie and Harriet.
“Jack? Is everything all right?”
Jack smiled. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Well, because you haven’t been home early in … I mean, you’re so busy at work and . . Never mind. Can I get you anything. A drink?”
“Nothing for me, thanks. I’m going to sit and read the paper.”
Jack kissed Patti and walked into the den where he removed his suit coat and settled on the couch where he leafed through the Times. He checked the headlines before turning to the financial section.
“Where shall we go for dinner?” Patti asked. Normally a decisive woman, she spoke and moved hesitantly, puzzled by Jack’s shift in routine.
“Oh, I don’t know. Why don’t we just eat in?”
“Uh, sure. I’ll get dinner started now.”
Patti opened drawers in the kitchen and removed food from the pantry and freezer, but she couldn’t shake Jack’s sudden normalcy from her mind. Was Jack now having mood swings? She decided that she would insist that he make an appointment with his doctor for a check-up. Meanwhile, she started dinner and an hour later found Jack watching the evening news in the den as if it was what he did every evening.
“Dinner’s ready,” she said.
Jack clicked off the TV with the remote and walked into the dining room. Not once had he complained about being tired.
Their talk over dinner was slightly more animated than usual, with Jack speaking of what had happened at Hartlen Response that day and also about his parents in Houston.
“Dad called this morning and said that he’d like us to fly down in June for the annual family reunion. How does that sound?”
“Sounds great,” Patti said. “I really miss our family and friends. Does this mean you’re less pressured at work?”
Jack smiled. “I thought you’d be pleased. And yes, things have eased up at the office.” Patti listened while Jack continued to talk, but there had been something different about his smile, something that was at odds with his personality. It hadn’t been forced, but neither had it fit in with the energy and flow of his usual conversation. By the end of the meal, Patti didn’t know whether to be more or less concerned about her husband’s behavior.
The evening ended after Jack had watched more television and gone to bed. Patti straightened up, and as she picked up Jack’s coat from the couch in the den, she felt a pill bottle in the side pocket. She removed it and saw that a prescription for Valium had been written for Jack that day by a Dr. Walter Stein. She quickly got the telephone book from a desk drawer in Jack’s study and looked up Dr. Stein. He was a psychiatrist in midtown Manhattan.
Eyes narrowed, Patti looked at the bottle again before sitting slowly on the couch, her mind racing. Things were falling into place. Patti thought it likely that Jack had arrived home early after a session with the psychiatrist. He had apparently filled the prescription on the way home, and the tranquilizer was obviously responsible for her husband’s pleasant but sedate demeanor. But why hadn’t Jack told her he was consulting a doctor?
It was a foolish question. Why hadn’t Jack told her anything about what had driven him to see a psychiatrist? This was final validation, as if she needed it, that Jack was dealing with serious issues. She would talk to him the following morning and pledge her unwavering support for whatever had propelled him to seek professional help. It might be a long road, but Patti had new hope that their lives would finally return to normal.
No, that was the last thing she would do. If Jack had wanted her to know that he was seeing a doctor, he would have told her. The important thing was that he was getting help. She would wait for Jack to come to her, and hopefully she would know in the foreseeable future what lay behind the great mystery of her husband’s altered behavior over the past several months. Waiting would test the limits of her patience since she wanted so badly to help Jack get better. She still feared that he was seeing another woman.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Always punctual, Virginia arrived at Sniffen Court at seven o’clock. As Dana scurried around the kitchen preparing baked salmon and orzo, mother and daughter talked about the store, the news, and how Phil was re-landscaping the Martignetti home in Hewlett Harbor now that spring had arrived. Over dinner, Virginia told Dana that Matthew had selected a thesis topic for his major in marine biology at the University of Hawaii: cetacean migratory patterns. The two women also discussed how well Uncle John was doing now that he lived in Manhattan, having finally moved from his family home in Long Island after the death of his wife two years earlier.
“So what have you been up to?” Virginia asked Dana casually. “Dad and I haven’t heard from you much lately.”
“Keeping busy at work. Going out with friends.”
“When you say keeping busy at work, I assume you mean trying to get your own clothes line while putting off Uncle John’s offer.”
Dana prepared herself for a direct line of questioning. True to character, Virginia hadn’t taken long to get to her point.
“A line of clothing for B. Altman, not myself. Why do you and Johnny have to continually scrutinize everything I do? You can’t even get the facts straight. This is why you came tonight, isn’t it—to discuss my life in light of everything Johnny’s been telling you?”
Virginia brushed off the remark. “And when you say you’re going out with friends, you mean Mark Senger, who’s behind all of this.”
“Behind all of what?”
“The horseback riding and the boutique. Most of all, avoiding a job that would be perfect for you.”
“You mean a job that would be perfect for you, but let’s take one thing at a time. There’s nothing wrong with horseback riding. Millions of people around the world ride, even children. Would you rather I ride a motorcycle?”
“Horseback riding isn’t safe! That’s what’s wrong with it! You used to be afraid of dogs, and now you’re on top of a thousand pound animal? It doesn’t make sense, Dana. I’ve been reading about this sport, and did you know that it’s even more dangerous when you take it up later in life?”
“I just turned thirty, not sixty. I don’t know what you’ve been reading, Mom, but that’s ridiculous.”
“No it isn’t. When you begin as a child, you’re more confident and gain experience over the years, which helps avoid accidents as an adult. Even Reader’s Digest agrees. Falling from a horse can cause serious brain injury, Dana. Why can’t you two just ride bicycles in the park?”
“People fall off bikes, too. And Claremont Riding Academy has excellent riding instructors. My instructor taught Mark’s daughter, who happens to be a champion show jumper. She boards her horse in Muttontown.”
“Really?” Virginia mumbled, shaking her head. “She boards her horse in Muttontown?”
“Yes. You remember Muttontown, We visited—”
“I do, but I don’t know too many young girls who have their own horse. She must be spoiled. How many children does Mark have?”
“Just Amanda. She’s a freshman at Cornell, and she’s a very good student. She’s studying to be a veterinarian.”
“Oh, this keeps getting better. An only child with her own horse.”
“Mother, I’m not going to listen to this any longer. You haven’t even met Mark, and you’re saying unkind things about his daughter. In addition, you’re not r
especting my feelings or my judgment.”
“Dana, I always respect your feelings,” Virgina said, “but, yes, I’m questioning your judgment. I think you’ve gotten too serious much too quickly with this man.”
Dana leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms defensively. “This man is someone I’ve known for almost four years. We’ve often worked together at the store, and Mark and Andrew are always in the middle of one project or another. He’s president of his family’s company Senger Display, and B. Altman has been an account for more than ten years. He grew up on the Upper West Side. He’s forty-two and he’s divorced. We’ve only been dating about a month and I’m still getting to know him, but what I know so far, I like.”
“A month? And he’s already taken over your life and decision-making?”
Fuming, Dana said nothing.
“I’m sorry,” Virginia said, sipping from a glass of water. “I’m not giving you a chance to talk, so tell me more about him.”
“He’s smart, witty, and we share a love of film and literature. And it’s important to me that he’s interested in my career. Is that so bad?”
“That’s it? You’re head over heels for this man because he’s interested in your career? I think you’ve been managing your career just fine on your own. Frankly, I think if Mark were really helpful, he’d be encouraging you to take advantage of the opportunity to work with Uncle John. How many young women get a chance like that?”
“I want to make it on my own, Mother. Mark understands that. Frankly, he understands me better than anyone else.”
“Time will tell. In the meantime, there’s more to life than work. How long has he been divorced?” Virginia asked. “Is he like you—just ending a relationship?”
Dana shrugged. “I don’t really know, Mom. It’s never come up.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? That’s not a trivial detail, Dana. How could you not know? What do you two talk about, for heaven’s sake?”
Dana wanted to end the conversation, but this was her mother, not Johnny, and she was sitting in Dana’s kitchen. Dana steeled herself for more of her mother’s interrogation.
“When Amanda is not in school, she lives with her mother and comes to visit Mark on weekends sometimes. In all the years I’ve worked with him, I’ve never heard him talk about his ex, so I imagine that they divorced a long time ago. I’m sure it’ll come up in conversation one day. I didn’t want to give him the third degree, and he showed me the same consideration. And what difference does it make? Neither of us is married now. Anyway, I trust him. It’s not like he was a blind date.”
“I know the past year has been difficult,” Virginia admitted, “but he’s older. With a daughter in college, do you think he’s going to want to start a new family at his age? If you married him at some point in the next two years, will he want a newborn in his mid-forties while his daughter graduates from college? You’re not thinking clearly. Don’t you want a family?”
“Like I said, we just started going out, and when you meet him, you’ll understand. He’s the type of man who’ll never grow old. Anyway, was I supposed to ask him about having children on the second date?”
“No, but you can put two and two together.”
“I’m getting aggravated, Mother. Right now, our focus is on the birth of B. Altman’s British Shop of private label merchandise.”
“But according to Johnny, it’s a long shot. You have no idea if B. Altman will accept this … this boutique thing you’re pursuing. And it’s inconsiderate to keep Uncle John waiting.”
“Mark and I think this thing, as you put it, will be successful. Besides, Uncle John says I can consider his offer for as long as I want.”
“Well, don’t take advantage of him because he’s like family. They have a business to run. Did you know that they’ll be carrying a younger line of eveningwear? Johnny wanted you to attend a meeting to get your opinion of Francis’ new sketches, but he couldn’t reach you in time.”
Dana was ready to explode when she realized how much Johnny was sharing with Virginia, but she calmly said that she would take that into consideration. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Uncle John or Johnny.
“Everything you say confirms my suspicions more and more, Dana. It’s Mark and the boutique that’s preventing you from making smart choices.”
Dana rose from the table and began clearing dishes, with help from her mother.
“I don’t deny that what I’m doing is a risk, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take. I didn’t ask Brett for a divorce just to jump into another marriage. I now have the time I need to focus on my career, and even though I may not need him, I’m glad to have Mark on my side. He gives me a lot of confidence, and I’m becoming more assertive. We really are a good match, Mom. You’ll see.”
Virginia was still concerned, but she said, “Parents never stop worrying about their children—you’ll find that out on your own some day—and I felt that I had to get all of this off my chest. Can you understand that?”
Dana finished putting the last utensil on the drain board, turned to her mother, and put her arms around her. “Yes, I do. I love you, Mom. All I’m asking is that you and Johnny back away a bit and give me some breathing room. I won’t keep Uncle John waiting for an answer forever, but I’ve got to see how this private label idea plays out. As for Mark … “ Dana raised her eyebrows and looked her mother in the eyes. “You’re going to have to trust that I know what I’m doing.”
The two women hugged again and Virginia gathered up her things as Dana got Wills ready for his evening walk. They left Sniffen Court, and Virginia quickly found a taxi to take her to Penn Station. “Stay in touch, Dana. And as Uncle John might say, pray. God will steer you in the right direction.”
Dana smiled. “I know, Mom. Don’t worry. I still go to church. Does Dad know what time your train gets in?”
“Of course. Give him a call and tell him I’m on my way.”
When Dana returned, she straightened up and looked at the secretary in her living room. She hoped another letter from Father Macaulay would arrive soon. She’d told her mother the truth. She was indeed anchored by her faith, but she felt more than a little comfort knowing that she had such a wise advisor who kept her in his thoughts and prayers.
She also believed, however, that God helped those who helped themselves. She would stay the course and continue down the paths she’d chosen in the past weeks. It went beyond just taking care of herself, as Father Macaulay had suggested. It was a question of being true to herself and following through on the goals she set.
That would never change.
Chapter Thirty-Four
The telephone was ringing when Dana arrived home on Wednesday evening. If it were her mother or Johnny calling to lecture her again or ask probing questions about her relationship with Mark, she would tell them she was busy and would call back another time. She wasn’t going to deal with their intrusions indefinitely. She was relieved, however, to hear Mark’s voice on the other end of the line.
“Honey, how would you like to come with me to Muttontown this weekend?” Mark asked. “We can stay at Judd’s—he has a wonderful old stone house that you’d love—and the trails are beautiful.”
“But I’ve only had one lesson,” Dana replied. “I don’t think I’d be the best riding companion.”
“Let me be the judge of that, and besides, you need the practice. The next gait to master is the trot, and I can show you that. Frank’s great, but wouldn’t you rather take lessons from me?”
Dana laughed. “Well, if you put it that way, how can I refuse?”
“You can’t. Just being around Judd and his stables will give you a leg up—pardon the pun—with your riding. And we get to have a relaxing weekend in some pretty gorgeous country. Very romantic, I might add.”
Dana thought back to the previous weekend and hesitated. “Wait a second. Didn’t you tell me that Amanda was going to start spending more time at Judd’s beginning this we
ekend after exams are over?”
“That’s right. Amanda will definitely be there. She’s usually at Judd’s whenever she has time off from school, but even more so when the competition is looming.”
“I’m not sure,” Dana said. “I know you told me that she’s willing to give our relationship a chance, but isn’t this pushing things a bit? We only just met last week. Maybe she needs more time before seeing me again. Besides, Muttontown is obviously a special place for you two, just like Claremont.”
“It is, but I want it to be a special place for you and me as well. Trust me on this. Judd has a big home and lots of acreage, so there’s plenty of room for all of us. I don’t see any reason why Amanda should object. We’ll certainly see her, but she’ll be working on her jumping with Paul most of the time. We’ll probably have a couple of meals together, but otherwise she’ll be absorbed with Pepsi and her riding. And remember, she has to get used to the idea of our being together. This is the perfect opportunity since we can all be in the same location without having to force her into any social interaction with us.”
Dana didn’t have to think for long. “I guess that makes good sense. It eases her into accepting our relationship in a more casual way. Okay, I’m in. I’ll go.”
“Excellent. Pack casually, but be sure to bring your breeches and boots. I’ll arrange to have a car take us out there and bring us back late Sunday night. I hate driving in traffic and the Long Island Expressway is bumper-to-bumper from now till Labor Day. By the way, Irwin says that he’ll have your samples ready sometime next week.”
“Have I told you how wonderful you are?” Dana asked.
