Chapter 153


 

Three in the morning. And still awake.


William rarely had trouble sleeping with Elizabeth beside him, but tonight was proving to be an exception. She was breathing in the regular rhythm of sleep, her lips curled in a gentle smile. But her worries, now deprived of their original host, had infiltrated his mind. Just when he had thought his life was falling into place, everything seemed to be in disarray.


Georgiana was locked in her bedroom, refusing to speak to anyone and especially not to Rose. Elizabeth was drowning in self-blame. And he had promised to discuss Georgiana’s future—and his possible role in it—with Rose. How was he supposed to tell his grandmother that her services as Georgiana’s guardian were no longer needed? Hi, Gran. Thanks for being our parent ever since Mamma died. But now you’re fired.


He got out of bed and crept from the room as quietly as he could. He had spent many a long night at the piano, and apparently he was about to add to the tally. What to play? Nothing too loud, with Lizzy sleeping just across the hall. But as he reached for the light switch in his study, his stomach rumbled and his appetite roared to life. On their arrival home from dinner, Mrs. Reynolds had done her best to tempt him with a slice of lemon meringue pie. He had refused with thanks, but now ….


Almost before he knew it, he had trotted down the stairs and into the first-floor hallway. He swung around the corner into the kitchen and collided with Rose.


“Gran!” The word sounded a bit like a tiny shriek.


Rose grabbed his arm to steady herself. The tea in her china cup sloshed over the rim, splashing onto her bathrobe as well as the floor.


“I’m sorry I almost knocked you over,” William said. “I wasn’t expecting to find anyone in here.”


“I didn’t hear you coming, so it was a surprise to me, too.” She set her dripping cup on the counter and reached for a towel.


“No, let me.” He grabbed the towel and quickly mopped up the puddle of tea on the floor. But when he reached out to dab at her bathrobe, Rose stopped him.


“It’s fine,” she said. “What brings you down here in the middle of the night?”


“I couldn’t sleep, and I decided I was hungry.”


She nodded. “I couldn’t sleep either.”


“I thought I’d have a piece of lemon meringue pie. Would you care to join me?”


“No, thank you. But … may I keep you company while you eat?”


“Of course; I’d like that.” Her question surprised him—not that she wanted to stay, but that she had asked permission.


He cut himself a slice of pie, poured a glass of milk, and joined Rose at the sturdy oak table in the corner. The night light above the counter lit the room just enough for him to see both his snack and his grandmother’s pensive expression.


“How was your dinner with Joanna Barton?” he asked.


“Very nice,” she replied. “She just got back from Winter Park. I think the change of scenery was good for her; it’s hard, after being married for so long, to suddenly be alone.”


“It must be.” William couldn’t imagine losing Elizabeth even now; after decades together, it would be excruciating.


“She invited me to spend next winter in Florida with her, but of course I wouldn’t be able to go for more than a short visit.”


“Why not?”


Rose fixed a perplexed stare on him. “Because of Georgiana, of course.”


William ate a mouthful of pie, glad for a delaying tactic. He made the most of it, savoring the sharp lemon flavor. It appeared that he had just been presented with a perfect opening to discuss Georgiana’s future, but he needed to tread carefully. “Gran, if you could do it, would you want to spend the winter in Florida?”


She took a long sip of tea before answering. “Most of my friends spend at least part of the winter there. I’ve often thought that after Georgiana goes to college, I might join them. But now is not the time.”


“What if it is? The time, I mean.”


“What are you trying to say, William?”


“What if Elizabeth and I took responsibility for Georgie?”


“How on earth would you do that, with all your travel? Certainly, you can see what a mistake it would be to leave her here alone.”


“I agree, there are things to work out. But ….” He paused, tapping his fork absently against his plate while he sifted through word choices. “You see, the lawyers think ….” It seemed impossible to explain without offending her.


“Go on,” Rose said in a tone of chill command.


“They think it would be best to officially change her guardianship.” He took a quick breath and hurried to add, “Strictly as a symbolic gesture.”


“I see. In other words, this would enable them to tell the court that what happened recently was the former guardian’s fault, and she has been replaced.”


“Of course not. No one is blaming you.”


Rose scoffed, a sound William couldn’t remember ever hearing from her before. “Everyone is blaming me, as well they should. First, I didn’t supervise her enough.”


“It wasn’t just you. Last fall, Elizabeth practically begged me to find out more about Courtney and her family, but I didn’t listen. I made the arrogant assumption that my sister would never get into trouble.”


“As did I. And then I overreacted; to use Georgiana’s own words, I imprisoned her and made her feel like a criminal. Eleanor told me I was being too strict, as did you. Even Richard made a few pointed remarks. Elizabeth tried to intervene as well, employing a great deal more tact than the rest of you.”


William ignored the implied criticism; at least it was paired with praise of Elizabeth. “You were strict because you felt responsible.”


“I was strict because I was  responsible. Are you certain that you’re ready for this? You’ve never been a parent; you have no idea what it’s like to be entrusted with the life of another human being.”


“I know, and it makes me nervous. But Lizzy thinks we can do it, and I trust her instincts.”


She nodded slightly and sipped her tea. “She managed to gain Georgiana’s trust under very difficult circumstances. But I still question that either of you understands what you’re offering to do.”


“Look, Gran, I agree that there are things to work out, including the impact of my travel schedule. But are you willing to discuss it further, with Elizabeth and perhaps Aunt Eleanor, too?”


Rose sighed. “I’m willing to discuss it. That’s all I’ll say until I hear more.”


“Of course.” He finished his pie, and then decided to press his luck. “And, Gran?”


“Yes?”


“There’s something else.”


She raised her eyebrows, staring at him over the rim of her teacup.


“About the wedding.”


She set down her cup and lifted her chin. “Is there a problem I’m unaware of?”


William sighed. “I hate big events. You know that.”


“Yes, you’re uncomfortable around strangers. But the guests will be people you know.”


He scoffed before he could stop himself. “They might be people whose hands I’ve shaken a few times at parties, and perhaps we’ve exchanged a couple of words about the weather. But I don’t know them.”


“Nevertheless, they are part of our social circle. You need to remember that a wedding isn’t just for the couple; it’s also for the families and their connections.”


“Maybe it should be just for the couple.” William heaved a sigh, staring up at the wood-beamed ceiling. “Gran, I am so happy to be marrying Elizabeth. But I shudder at the thought of standing in a receiving line for hours while 300 strangers parade by … or whatever ungodly number the guest list is up to by now.”


Rose shrugged. “You might enjoy it more than you think. I had a large wedding, and I was apprehensive beforehand, but it was a magical day.”


“We’re different people, Gran. You enjoy socializing, and you’re good at small talk and remembering names. I’m nothing like that.”


“Then what are you proposing? Going down to City Hall with two witnesses?”


“Of course not.” He squelched his annoyance with some effort. One of her techniques during arguments was to scatter straw men in her opponent’s path. “I’m looking forward to celebrating with friends and family. But as for the other guests ….”


“We have social obligations, William. You know that.”


“Yes, I do. But must we use the most important day of my life to discharge those obligations?”


“And there’s something else to consider. You are marrying outside our social circle.”


He sighed loudly. “Gran, we’ve been over this.”


She placed a hand on his arm. “Hear me out. I admit, I was wrong about Elizabeth at first. She is going to make you a good wife, and I think you’ll be happy together. But if this wedding seems small and low-key, people may assume that the family disapproves of your choice. And that will have unfortunate consequences, especially for Elizabeth.”


This was true. Elizabeth was already nervous about mixing with far wealthier people than she had ever known; she didn’t need the additional challenge of their dismissive attitudes, should they suspect that she was an unwelcome addition to the family. He stared at his empty plate in silence.


“What does Elizabeth say about all of this?” Rose asked. “She hasn’t voiced any concerns to me.”


“Of course not. She respects you too much, and she’s trying to be the perfect, accommodating granddaughter.”


Rose smiled—a faint smile, but it lingered, softening her expression. “It was the same way before my wedding; my mother and future mother-in-law made most of the decisions, and I just smiled and went along with everything.”


“Didn’t you hate that?”


“No. I trusted that they understood what was appropriate and would choose accordingly. And I loved the result of their planning; I thoroughly enjoyed feeling like a princess on my wedding day. But are you saying that Elizabeth agrees with you, and wants a small wedding?”


“She isn’t opposed to a big wedding the way I am. She’s much more like you when it comes to socializing. But when I asked her to describe the perfect wedding, it bore very little resemblance to the one you’re planning. She talked about casual clothes, a beach, a group of congenial friends … everything simple and relaxed.”


“And you would like that as well.”


“Yes.”


Rose stared at the table, frowning, but then looked up. “Very well. I will speak with Elizabeth about this. However, I’m not certain what changes can—or should—be made, with the wedding less than three months away.”


“I understand. Thank you, Gran.”


“Is there anything else I’ve done that you’d like to criticize before we go back to bed?”


William cringed. “Gran, please don’t see it that way. It’s just ….” His voice trailed off and he shrugged; he had no idea how to finish the sentence.


She sighed and shook her head. “I apologize; my remark was inappropriate. But I’ve been the recipient of rather more honesty than is comfortable over the past few days.”


“We all love you, Gran, but so much has changed ….”


“And I need to do a better job of accepting the changes and trying to adapt. This past week has offered ample proof of that.”


She stood—with some difficulty, William noted—and reached for his plate and fork. “No, Gran,” he said. “You go to bed; I’ll take care of it.”


He took their dishes to the counter. While the sink filled with hot water and soap suds, he looked behind him and saw Rose still standing there, eyebrows raised. “I’m even more impressed with Elizabeth than before,” she said, with an undeniable twinkle in her eye. “Nobody in this house ever managed to teach you to wash a dish.”


He grinned. “Nobody in this house ever tried.” He retrieved a dishtowel hanging nearby. “Want to dry?”


With a smile, she stepped forward to take the towel.


divider

The next morning, William sat with Rose, Elizabeth, and Eleanor in the library. Georgiana, whose dark mood had suddenly cleared for reasons William didn’t understand, was in her bedroom listening to “True Colors” over and over. She had played it for William after breakfast, explaining its importance.


“I think Mamma sang Sinatra to me,” William had replied jovially. “Want to come downstairs and listen to some of his albums?”


Georgiana had responded with a symphony of fake retching noises and then replaced her headphones over her ears without further comment.


“All right,” Rose said, after they served themselves from Mrs. Reynolds’s sumptuous tray of coffee, tea, and warm muffins fragrant with cinnamon, “we need to make some decisions.” Georgiana and her lawyer were scheduled to meet with the social worker supervising her probation that afternoon.


“First off,” Eleanor said, “are we all in agreement that Georgiana will go to therapy?” Elizabeth had confessed to William that she had asked Eleanor to raise that subject, to make sure Rose wouldn’t be a roadblock. In their previous discussion of therapy, Rose hadn’t had a chance to express an opinion.


“Does she need therapy?” Rose asked. “She seems to be recovering quite well on her own.”


“I know it might seem that way,” Elizabeth said, “but her emotions are all over the place. I really think an objective listener could be helpful. And remember, the lawyers said the court might order therapy in any case.”


“Very well,” Rose replied. “I can’t say that I understand, but I won’t stand in the way.”


“And are we all willing to participate in her therapy if the therapist feels it would be helpful?” Eleanor asked.


This came as a surprise to William. He heard Elizabeth’s quick assent, but he and Rose stared at Eleanor. “Group therapy?” he asked. “Really?”


“Jane told me it’s not uncommon in ‘troubled teen’ legal situations,” Elizabeth said. “It might not be necessary, but I think we should all be willing to do whatever will help her.”


William cleared his throat. “I admit, I’m not comfortable with the idea. But if Georgiana needs me to participate, I’ll do it.” Elizabeth, who sat beside William, gave him a warm smile and squeezed his hand in response.


Rose looked truly horrified. “And we would be expected to bare our souls on a stranger’s couch?”


“I know it sounds awkward,” Elizabeth replied, “but if Georgie needs us to do it ….” She finished with a smile of entreaty.


“I will agree to discuss the matter further, should the need arise,” Rose said. “That’s the best I can offer for now.”


“And I will remind you of that promise, should the need arise,” Eleanor shot back. “Now, to the other issue. William filled me in on the phone this morning, and I think the change of guardianship makes sense.”


“From a symbolic perspective, or a practical one?” Rose asked.


“Let’s start with the symbolic,” Eleanor replied. “A change of legal guardian signals to the social worker that we recognize the need for other changes.”


“Exactly,” Elizabeth said. “The lawyer thought it might make a big difference. He’s trying to keep the court from … placing her elsewhere.”


Rose inclined her head. “It seems wise to take the lawyers’ advice. Then we’re all in agreement, at least in terms of the legalities?”


The assembled group nodded their heads.


“That moves us on to the practical perspective,” Rose said. “I’ve been thinking about this since William spoke to me last night. Perhaps it is time for me to pass the torch—to retire, as it were—but only if we have a workable plan for Georgiana’s welfare. Clearly I’ve been doing an inadequate job of caring for her—”


“Oh, no, please don’t say that!” Elizabeth shook her head vehemently, nearly jumping to her feet.


Rose held up a hand, and Elizabeth fell silent. “You needn’t try to spare my feelings. Every one of you has tried to talk to me about the situation. And I see now that I’m out of touch with her world and her life. There’s no point pretending otherwise.”


“But we’re not blameless either,” Eleanor retorted. “I’m the one who shielded her from consequences the first time she shoplifted, which enabled her to do it again. And, yes, I tried to get you to lighten the restrictions on her, but until a few days ago I didn’t really get in your face about it. And worse yet, I never sat down with Georgie to really talk to her. I let her push me away.”


“So did I,” William added. He had been too busy with his own life, and too uncomfortable with her chilly silences and outright disdain, to give his sister the love and attention she deserved.


“And I was too wishy-washy when I talked to you,” Elizabeth said. “I should have given stronger warnings. Instead, I beat around the bush, making suggestions for things she could do, places we could take her, stuff like that. I’m sorry.”


Rose shook her head. “You have nothing to apologize for. You were trying to be … William, what did you call her last night?”


“I think it was ‘the perfect, accommodating granddaughter.’”


“Precisely. You had just come to live in this house and we barely knew each other. You could never have gotten ‘in my face,’ to quote Eleanor.”


“Assigning blame doesn’t help anyone,” Eleanor said. “We would all do things differently if we could change the past, but we can’t. Let’s focus on doing better from now on.”


“I agree,” Rose said. “And in that case, what is the answer? The lawyers suggested that William and Elizabeth become her guardians. Certainly, they’re the two people Georgiana seems most comfortable with at present, and they’ve said that they’re willing.”


Eleanor set down her coffee cup. “I’ve talked to Robert, and we would also be willing. However, Georgie would probably need to move in with us to make it work.”


“There’s an issue where William and Elizabeth are concerned: all of William’s performing trips.” Rose eyed Elizabeth. “You’re planning to go with him, are you not?”


Elizabeth smiled at Rose. “I hope so, at least some of the time, though if I get a teaching job my mobility during the school year will be limited. We were thinking that Georgie could travel with us sometimes, especially during the summer. But there’s no question that we’d need some help.”


“Robert and I would be happy to have Georgie stay with us while you’re gone, or even to stay with her here if that would be better. So in a way we’d be sharing the responsibility.”


“That sounds perfect,” Elizabeth replied. The smile that passed between the two women convinced William that they had already discussed this scenario.


“And let’s not forget, Mom will still be here,” Eleanor added.


“But only some of the time.”


William knew what Rose meant, after their conversation the night before. The others received her comment in silence, staring at her and waiting for an explanation.


“My friend, Joanna Barton, invited me to spend next winter with her in Florida. Other friends have asked me to spend the summer with them in East Hampton or Newport—perhaps even around the time of the Newport Jazz Festival, though that might be too much for me these days. It’s never been possible, so I’ve always declined with thanks. But if Georgiana doesn’t need me, I may accept some of those invitations.”


“Georgie will always need her grandmother,” Elizabeth said. “For example,” she continued with a mischievous grin, “to take her to tea at the Plaza now and then.”


“With a better result than the other day,” Rose replied, and the two exchanged a knowing smile.


“Gran, I’m so sorry,” William said. “It sounds like we’ve taken advantage of your willingness to sacrifice yourself for the family.”


“There’s no need to apologize,” Rose said. “You know how important the family is to me. I have no regrets about the way I’ve spent my time.”


“What if the court is concerned about all of William’s travel?” Eleanor asked. “Can they refuse to transfer Georgie’s guardianship?”


“Why are you all talking about me?”


They all looked up, startled, to see Georgiana leaning over the railing above them. William sighed; they had forgotten that the library, with its gallery connected to the second-floor family room, was no place for a private talk.


Elizabeth glanced at the others for tacit permission and then called out, “Come down and join us. You’re right; this concerns you, so you should be part of the conversation.”


They fell silent while they waited. At last, Georgiana appeared in the doorway, peering into the room but making no move to enter. She appeared to be surveying the available seats, and it seemed that none were to her liking. William, operating on a rare flash of insight, crossed the room to refill his coffee cup. He hoped that she might take his seat beside Elizabeth, and she did precisely that. He settled into an armchair closer to Rose.


Elizabeth glanced around again; it became clear that the others were deferring to her. The night before, she had remarked that the family seemed to consider her the Georgiana Whisperer; he almost smiled at this proof of her statement. “Georgie, we’ve been talking about your legal guardian.”


“That’s Gran.”


“Yes. But we think it might be time for a change. How would you feel about that?”


“Who would it be?”


“There are a couple of possibilities.” She glanced at Eleanor.


“Georgie, your uncle and I would be happy to become your guardians.”


“Would I have to move in with you?”


“That would probably make sense. Would you like that, or would you rather stay here?”


“You have a cool apartment, and you and Uncle Robert are really nice, but I think I’d rather stay here.” She turned to Elizabeth. “Can you be my guardian?”


“Will and I would be happy to do that, if that’s what you want.”


“Yes.”


“Bear in mind, this doesn’t mean you get to do everything you want.” Elizabeth adopted an exaggerated severe expression, pointing her finger at Georgiana. “Young lady, you’re going to have rules to follow and places you can’t go, and things you’re required to do.”


Georgiana nodded, unfazed by Elizabeth’s tongue-in-cheek warning. “That’s okay.”


“And Aunt Eleanor will be contributing some extra rules; this is going to be a group effort. Like they say, it takes a village to raise a child.”


“I’m not a child.”


“Okay, it takes a village to raise a Georgiana. And when Will and I are out of town, if Gran is away, you’ll need to go stay with Aunt Eleanor and Uncle Robert.”


“That’s okay; it’ll be like a sleepover.”


“You might even occasionally stay with Richard and Charlotte.”


“Cool!” Georgiana practically bounced up and down on the sofa.


“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” Eleanor muttered, wringing a snicker from William.


“So I take it you’re on board with this plan?” Elizabeth asked.


“Totally!”


“You say that now; in a month you’ll probably hate us, and you’ll be begging to have your grandmother back in charge.”


“No way.” Georgiana flinched and covered her mouth. “I’m sorry, Gran. I didn’t mean that.”


Rose’s tiny, sad smile filled William with sympathy. “Yes, you did, but it’s all right.” Her expression changed to her usual neutral one and she spoke with authority. “Then it’s settled. We’ll tell her lawyer to start the process of changing guardianship.”


“And as long as we’re all flexible, we can make this work,” Eleanor said, rising to her feet. “If we’re done for now, I need to go; I have a lunch meeting.”


She said her farewells and departed. Rose glanced at the others. “Now, if you’d excuse us, I’d like to speak to Elizabeth alone.”


William stood and reached out his hand to Georgiana, pulling her to her feet. “Let’s go upstairs. You can play me something.”


He exchanged glances with Elizabeth; he had warned her to expect a conversation about the wedding. She blew him a kiss as he departed, earning an eye roll from Georgiana.


When they reached the foot of the steps, Georgiana stopped and turned to face him. “So you’re going to sort of be my dad now.”


“I guess.”


“And in a way, you sort of already were. Or that’s how I thought about you sometimes.”


He was surprised by the wave of emotion her statement evoked. “I tried to do my best to replace the parents you never really knew.”


“And Lizzy will be sort of like my mom.”


“In a way, yes.”


“And she’s already my sister; we agreed on that. But is Gran going away? That’s what it sounded like. I couldn’t hear everything from upstairs, but I thought I heard that.”


“She’s not going away for good, but she might go to Florida for the winter, or do other things like that.”


“Why doesn’t she just go to Pemberley for the winter?”


That was what William would have done in Rose’s place, but as he had pointed out the night before, they were different people. “Her friends are in Florida, and she likes to be with them.”


“Yeah, that’s true.”


“So you’re okay with all of this?” he asked. “This is going to change things.”


Georgiana nodded. “I know, and that’s good. But there’s one other thing. I sort of mentioned it to Lizzy, but I knew I’d have to talk to Gran about it. Though, come to think of it, if you and Lizzy are my guardians, I guess it’ll be your decision.”


“Go ahead.”


“Can I go to a new school next year? I don’t want to go back to Chapin.”


“Well, it’s the middle of the spring semester, so—”


“Yeah, I know. I have to go back for the rest of the school year. It’s going to be so awful, but at least it’ll be over soon. But next year, please?”


“You’ve been there for ten years.”


“I know. But, please, can’t I go someplace new? Maybe even public school? Roosevelt is nearby and it’s supposed to be good.”


“We can talk about it.” Public school was out of the question, but perhaps they could find a private school that would be a better fit. Or perhaps by then she would have changed her mind.


“Instead of playing the piano, can we try to work on Mamma’s diary again?” she asked.


“Of course.”


“I’ll go get it. I’ll meet you in your study.”


He watched her race up the stairs as though pursued by demons. They had made little progress with the diary and he doubted that would change, but he understood her excitement. For both of them, just the sight of Anna’s bold handwriting wove a thread, albeit one of gossamer, connecting them to their mother.


I’m going to take better care of her from now on, Mamma. I promise.


Next chapter

divider

I’d love to read your comments! You have several ways to comment: