Secret Society

by Robin Roseau

  "I don't believe she liked horses."

  "She adored horses. Did she tell you the story of her sister, Iris?"

  "She had a sister?"

  "Oh dear," Mrs. Shaffer said.

  "She should know," Mrs. Grafton inserted.

  "Of course. Both girls adored horses, and they were fine horsewomen besides, as was their mother. Iris was the younger of the two sisters, and she was twelve, I believe, when she fell from her horse in full gallop."

  "Oh, no!"

  "In those days, a broken neck was fatal," Mrs. Grafton said. She bowed her head.

  "Oh, no," I said again, much more quietly.

  "Mrs. Todd," Mrs. Grafton said, "that is, your great-grandmother, had the horse destroyed and sold the other horses. She made Cadence promise to never ride upon another horse, a promise Cadence kept. One did not break promises to Mrs. Todd."

  "I imagine not," I said. "One didn't break promises to Grandmother Cadence, either."

  "No," Mrs. Shaffer agreed. "One did not."

  "The stable is still here," I said. "And it is in good repair."

  "Yes. You are allowed horses if you like. But you should understand they are expensive to keep. If you choose to pursue a purchase, you would be well advised to seek guidance."

  I nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. I haven't any thoughts on it at this point. I've wondered in the past, but I've never been that curious. Thank you for explaining."

  "Of course." She then discussed a few other expectations, but there was nothing surprising.

  And then she paused. "We understand you have only moved in. You are dealing with your grief and undoubtedly feeling overwhelmed. But we would like to know your intentions."

  "My intentions?"

  "Yes. We know the requirements before you may sell the house."

  I immediately glanced at the lawyer.

  "Your grandmother shared her plans with us," Mrs. Sheffield said quickly. "Ms. Hunt is the epitome of discretion."

  "Of course," I said.

  "Do you know if you intend to remain in the house longer than the minimum required?"

  "I don't know," I replied. "It's a lot of house. It should have a family living here, not one young woman. It feels like..."

  "Go ahead, Ms. Todd. You can safely confide in us."

  "It feels like a waste for one single woman."

  "And have you no plans for a family? A husband? Several children?"

  "I don't know about a husband," I said. "Possibly children. Possibly a wife." Then I waited to see how they would react. I was expecting revulsion expressed in any of a variety of ways.

  "A home like this could prove to be quite attractive to many women," Mrs. Shaffer went on without a blink. "I believe you might consider it a chick magnet."

  It felt a little weird to have such a proper woman use that phrase, and I smiled briefly. "I'm pretty sure I would neither want nor could I afford such a woman."

  "And so, you will stay your seven years and then move? Perhaps you will fill the letter of the conditions your grandmother chose, but not the spirit."

  I cocked my head. I was offended by the suggestion, and I couldn't decide if I should express the suggestion. Then I wondered just how proud Grandmother Cadence had really been if this woman thought I would cheat her wishes.

  "I think perhaps this has been a trying time for me," I finally said. "Perhaps we could visit another day."

  Mrs. Franklin snorted, and I turned my attention to her.

  "Your grandmother taught you well," she explained.

  "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

  "What is it you really want to tell Gladys?" She nodded towards Mrs. Shaffer.

  "I'm not sure the words I'd use have ever been expressed in this house," I said firmly.

  Mrs. Franklin snorted again. "I'm fairly sure they have been. Go ahead."

  "I don't think so."

  "Have I offended you, Ms. Todd?"

  I turned to the woman. "You implied I would cheat my grandmother. Either it was a lie earlier when it was suggested she was proud of me, or... well, I don't know what the or might be. I think you should go." I stood up. No one else moved, but Mrs. Shaffer smiled at me.

  "We're very powerful women," she said instead. "Are you sure you wish to alienate us?"

  "You didn't care if you were insulting me in my home," I said. "I'm not sure I care how powerful you are. I'll show you out." I turned for the door, not watching to see if they were following. From the noise, or lack thereof, not a single one rose from her seat.

  "Ms. Todd," Mrs. Grafton called out.

  I turned, and indeed, not a one had moved except to turn her head sufficiently to watch me.

  "You know, I sat there wondering how Grandmother Cadence would have handled such an insult. And I honestly don't know. I suspect she's rolling over in her grave that I am being so rude. And for that, I'm sorry. But I don't recall her tolerating insults in this home, and I don't believe I will, either."

  "Your grandmother would be rolling over if she heard what Gladys said," explained Mrs. Grafton, "except she would know why she did it. Perhaps you would like to know as well."

  I took two steps back towards them, set a hand on my hip, and said, "I've been here three days. My grandmother has been gone less than two weeks. And you think I'm here because I'm after her money. I never asked for a dime from her. Not one dime. I was at least as shocked as anyone when she gave me the house. I would have been happy with a hug, although she certainly wasn't the hugging type. Now I'd like you to leave."

  "Ms. Todd," said Mrs. Shaffer, "I would like to apologize."

  I looked carefully at her. She didn't look particularly contrite.

  "I wanted to see your reaction."

  "And you probably wanted to see if I would offer some fake outrage while intending to do just what you implied. But I don't have anything to prove to you, and I don't like games."

  Ms. Hunt muttered something along the lines of, "I told you," but I couldn't be quite sure.

  "Please, Ms. Todd," said Mrs. Shaffer. She gestured towards my original seat. "I wanted to see your reaction for myself."

  "As I said, I don't have anything to prove."

  "Ms. Todd," said Ms. Hunt, the lawyer. "Perhaps you will consider the reactions of your uncle and your cousins and understand we might be curious. How would you have reacted if it had been your uncle who had received this house, or your cousin, Katherine?"

  I shrugged. "I expected it to go to my uncle. Mom basically ran away when she was 18, and she never expected to remain in the will after that. I might have been surprised if it went to Kate, but Uncle Pete was never disowned, so giving the house to his only daughter might make sense."

  "Even though you were the one who remained devoted to her?"

  I shrugged. "I never did it for her money. I might have felt cheated in some way if she gave everyone else something and I didn't receive so much as a final kind word, but I don't need her money. I stand on my own two feet."

  "Your business remains young," Mrs. Grafton said. "Surely an influx of cash would help."

  I sighed. "You're trying to talk me into being greedy? Are you hoping I'd offer the house or some of the furnishings to one of you? Is that what this is about?"

  "Oh, no," Mrs. Franklin said. "Quite on the contrary. We simply wish to know your intentions."

  I advanced on them. "You want to know my intentions? Fine. I intend to leave the gate locked the next time Henry comes calling. Please leave."

  "Oh, my," said Mrs. Shaffer. "Now her justified anger with me is spilling more widely."

  "Did she know you were going to come here to insult me?" I asked. "Or perhaps you were insulting my grandmother. I'm not sufficiently sophisticated to know for sure. Frankly, my intentions are none of your business, but if the lot of you represent the type of people living in the neighborhood, then I can't imagine being happy here seven years from now."

  They sat, perhaps stunned at my pronouncement. "Oh, dear,"
Mrs. Franklin said finally. "Cadence never said you were this fiery."

  "She did, however, ask us to watch over you," Mrs. Grafton added.

  "I consider myself sufficiently watched over. You've done your duty. Now, please leave."

  Yes, I had managed to work myself up.

  "Will you tell us why you are so offended?"

  "If you can't figure it out, then you won't understand. But to be clear, no, I have no intention of cheating my grandmother."

  "And so, if you meet some lovely woman who hates this house, what will you do?"

  "Who has time to meet women?" I asked. "As someone pointed out, I'm running a startup company. And I thought the rest of my time would be devoted in continuing Grandmother Cadence's work in the community, but as that would undoubtedly involve encountering the lot of you, I'm not sure what I'll do instead."

  Mrs. Franklin snorted again. "Ms. Hunt, you did indeed tell us. As did Cadence. Please, Ms. Todd. Please sit down and let us start over."

  "What do you mean about my grandmother?"

  "We all have relatives who are after us for money," Mrs. Franklin replied.

  "I don't," Claudine muttered, hearing a brief laugh. But she looked at me. "But you will."

  "You will, someday," her grandmother said.

  "Your grandmother was quite impressed how you never asked for money," Mrs. Franklin continued. "Indeed, you turned it down whenever it was offered."

  "Most of us have one or two relatives who are smart enough not to ask," Mrs. Shaffer added.

  "Maybe they're proud of making their own way through life."

  "But have you actually done that?" she asked. "Your grandmother didn't help?"

  "Yes, she helped. She helped me find my first job." I looked at Mrs. Grafton. "And she helped when I was creating Guerrilla Girl." I cocked my head. "Unless she was behind all my clients."

  "Only one or two," Mrs. Grafton assured me, "and you know which ones. I, for one, have been well served by our arrangement. I regret Cadence's passing for many reasons, and the fact you no longer require the home I offered you is one of them."

  My anger deflated at that. She had helped me when I needed it. "Oh god," I said, covering my mouth. I'd been so amazingly rude to her.

  "Ms. Todd," she said quickly, "if you are about to apologize, don't. Instead, if you regret your words to me, then you'll sit and let us start over." Then she smiled. "But you can remain mad at Gladys if you want."

  I slowly returned to my seat, but I couldn't look at Mrs. Grafton.

  "Ms. Todd," she said. "Perhaps we can move past the last few minutes. We were testing your mettle. Perhaps that was rude of us, but we wanted to know."

  And so I nodded, but I still didn't look at her, and I didn't say a word.

  "These are excellent scones," said Ms. Hart.

  "Thank you," I said quietly.

  "I would still like to know your intentions," she continued. "And I am curious what you will do if you do meet a nice girl who doesn't care for this house."

  I sighed. "As far as I am concerned, I made a promise three days ago when I moved in. I don't break my promises to Grandmother Cadence. I don't know what the future will bring, but this is my home now, and it will remain my home for at least the next seven years. After that, we will see. That is too far away to plan. I still think it's too big for one person."

  "Perhaps it will grow on you," she suggested.

  "I'm fairly certain this house has grown enough." I earned a smile for that. "I had intended to continue the various work I did for my grandmother, although I'm sure I won't be involved in quite the way I was before. Nor do I know if I am welcome."

  "Good," she said. "That is what we hoped to hear. You are, of course, too young to chair any of the committees, but we hope we can count on you."

  "If you've forgiven me," Mrs. Shaffer added. I considered her for a minute, then nodded. "Excellent. So we can count on you?"

  "You can count on me," I said. "Yes."

  Then we sat quietly for a minute or two. I stared down at my lap.

  "Ms. Todd," Ms. Hart said. I looked up at her. "Your grandmother was a dear friend to all of us. I do not use that term frivolously. When she told us she was ill-"

  "You knew?" I interrupted. "She didn't tell me."

  "She didn't want you to worry. When she told us she was ill, we were all stricken. I don't use that word lightly, either. At some point, we begin to expect our friends to die, but that doesn't actually make it easier."

  My lips tightened, but I nodded understanding.

  "We are heartened to learn her faith in you is deserved," Ms. Hart continued. "We are heartened to know you honor her memory and her spirit." She paused. "And I hope you really have forgiven Gladys. She has the most cause to be protective of Cadence."

  "Why is that?"

  "Because they were lovers."

  I stared for a good five seconds before I burst out with, "What?"

  "It was a long time ago," Mrs. Shaffer said. "She was a little younger than you are now. I was a little older."

  "Grandmother Cadence was gay?"

  "Quite so, and perhaps now you understand why your little proclamation didn't generate the response you expected."

  I looked at her carefully. "You were really lovers?"

  "We were."

  "What was she like?"

  "A lot like you. Very serious. Very committed. Very intense. We never stopped loving each other, Ms. Todd."

  "Do you mind telling me what happened?"

  "It was a different time. We were quite secretive." She looked down. "It grew too difficult for me, and I ended it." She looked up. "I cannot say that was a mistake. I wouldn't have had my own children otherwise."

  "I wouldn't be here, either."

  "Actually, you would. Do you remember your grandfather?"

  "No. Well, maybe. I remember someone."

  "That is rather indistinct."

  "I was two when he died."

  She smiled. "Do you remember this person's name?"

  "I think... Charlie?"

  "Charlie is not dead," she said, her smile broad. "Your grandfather, well, I don't know who your grandfather was. Your grandmother never told any of us."

  "Wait. What?"

  "But Charlie is alive and well. We'll introduce you sometime. She'd love to see you again."

  "She? No, we're not thinking of the same person. This was a man."

  "Charlie passed as a man back then. She went through a phase. She never could make up her mind. This year Charlie was a man; two years later she'd attend an event, and you've never seen a more sensuous woman."

  "I think she's a he again," Mrs. Hart said.

  "Not as of last week," Mrs. Shaffer said. "Perhaps you have seen him more recently?"

  "No, no, it appears you have."

  "Charlie was my grandfather?"

  "Well, of course not. But Charlie was the person your grandmother called her husband, for a number of years."

  "What happened?"

  "They had a fight, and they were both too stubborn to apologize. I told them they were each being fools, but they didn't listen to me."

  "I-" I didn't know what to say.

  "And here, you thought you were dealing with a sufficiently overwhelming situation, and we have added to it." Mrs. Shaffer offered another smile. "Perhaps in some time you would like to learn more about your grandmother."

  "I would, but you're right. It's too soon."

  "For me as well," she said. She finished her tea. "Well, we've taken enough time today." She rose to her feet, and the rest followed. "But we'll be in touch about the Christmas pageant."

  First Year

  The better part of a year passed. I helped with the Christmas pageant, and right on its heels, a New Year's Eve celebration. I helped decorate the West Hollow park as well as the Broadwater greens, and then helped after Christmas to take the decorations down. When Mrs. Gruenwald broke her hip, I joined the rotation of people who stayed with her, one of twelve d
ifferent women, all of us sharing the load so it wasn't a burden to any. It was easiest for me, because she didn't actually require much attention. I could bring my computer with me and work from her house nearly as readily as my own.

  I joined another rotation to read to residents in our local retirement home. I decorated eggs for the retirement home and hid plastic eggs, filled with treats, in the village green, then wrangled bunnies while the children searched for the eggs.

  After that event, I was invited into a book club. The entire club consisted of nearly thirty women, but only ten or fifteen would attend each week, the meetings rotating from house to house, some inside West Hollow, the rest spread around Broadwater.

  For Memorial Day, I served as a chauffer, driving a number of people from their homes to one of the cemeteries, then standing by when they laid their flowers or wreaths or just their tears on the grave of a past loved one.

  Again I helped to decorate for Broadwater's Independence Day celebrations and donated baked goods for a school fundraiser.

  And then for that, I called Mrs. Shaffer. We made small talk for a few minutes before she said, "You didn't call about this."

  "No. I called for advice."

  "Of course."

  "There is a fundraiser for the school."

  "I recall."

  "There is both a bake sale and a silent auction."

  "I recall that as well."

  "I am authorized to give small gifts from the house for charitable purposes. I have already verified with Ms. Hunt that this would qualify. But I do not know if I should."

  "And why shouldn't you?"

  "I don't know. Which is why I'm calling you."

  "Perhaps you should accept a small delegation tomorrow afternoon to help you pick something."

  "I'll make scones."

  "Not this time. We won't stay long. Is 2:00 all right?"

  "Two is perfect."

  And so the next day I received a small delegation consisting of Mrs. Shaffer, Mrs. Grafton, and Ms. Hart. They accepted my welcome, declined my offer of refreshments, and then Mrs. Shaffer began to rub her hands. "We should pick the perfect donation. Something tasteful, but expensive."

  "But not too expensive," Ms. Hart said.