was what Felicity had told Helen last summer. Of course, “self-supporting” was a relative term when someone lived at home without paying rent or mortgage as Coop was doing on the island.
Still, Helen didn’t think Coop had ever caused his parents any serious concern. One summer night, when he was sixteen, he’d gotten drunk with friends and thrown up on the beach in front of Nona’s house, but Mark Cooper had given him holy hell, and Nona, playing the role the Coopers had asked her to play, gave the boy an old-fashioned tongue-lashing which had put the fear of God into him. Helen smiled, remembering how the grown-ups had conspired to terrorize Coop out of his reckless overindulgence in alcohol.
And then Helen frowned as she remembered that she and Worthhad played out many scenes of censure, anger, and threat with Teddy, and with Teddy their condemnations did not seem to work.
The ride was bumpy as Grace sped the convertible along the dirt lane leading up to the house. To the west lay Charlotte’s garden, rows and rows of plants, which might have looked attractive except for the ugly wire enclosure. Charlotte said the fence was necessary to keep the deer out, and Nona didn’t mind; she couldn’t see the area from her living room or from the formal garden, where she liked to spend her summer days. They passed the old barn, which had been converted into a garage and toolshed, with the long new addition of Charlotte’s potting shed added on, the wooden shingles still pale gold, not yet weathered to silver. The driveway circled around a large concrete vase spilling over with ranunculus and pansies. Slate stepping-stones led right, to the boathouse and boat ramp, and left, across the lawn to the mudroom and kitchen. But Nona would be in the living room, so Helen and Worth went under the opening in the high privet hedge and through the formal garden and in through the French doors, where Nona was seated in her chaise by the window.
“Hello, darlings.” Nona held up her arms. She wore one of her trademark tailor-made outfits, silk slacks and a matching silk top with a mandarin collar, toggle closures, and embroidered cuffs. Today, it was coral with white trim. Helen thought Nona probably had thirty of these outfits in a range of colors. They had a simple elegance to them which Nona completed by adding her pearl choker and pearl earrings, just the luminous white of Nona’s hair. The older woman’s face was creased with age, but when she smiled she was young and beautiful.
“Mother. You look wonderful.” Worth bent to kiss his mother’s cheek.
“Thank you. What’s that in your hand?” Sharp-eyed Nona didn’t waste a moment. “You greet me with your cell phone in your hand?”
Worth grinned sheepishly. “I’ve got just one more piece of business to conclude.”
Nona gestured imperiously. “Take it outside. Or into the library. No business in the living room or in my garden.” She held her arms up to Helen. “Honestly. How do you put up with him?”
“Actually, I have no idea.” Helen kept her voice bantering as she bent down to kiss her mother-in-law.
Nona patted the side of the chaise. “Sit here a moment, dear. Let’s catch up. Grace and her tribe have already invaded—”
“I heard that, Mother!” Grace yelled from the hallway.
Nona laughed. “The great-grands are darling, and Mandy and Claus ride herd on them very capably. Mellie, however, as the first woman on earth ever to endure pregnancy, is languishing, and Mee—well, poor Mee is taking this divorce really hard.”
Divorce , Helen thought, and wasn’t sure whether the idea frightened or tempted her. Perhaps a bit of both. Absentmindedly, she said, “Your party will cheer her up.”
Sharp Nona caught something. “You look tired, Helen.”
Helen put her hand to her windblown hair. “Not tired, really, just disheveled.”
“Grace drives that convertible like a maniac. I told her I will never ride in the backseat
Still, Helen didn’t think Coop had ever caused his parents any serious concern. One summer night, when he was sixteen, he’d gotten drunk with friends and thrown up on the beach in front of Nona’s house, but Mark Cooper had given him holy hell, and Nona, playing the role the Coopers had asked her to play, gave the boy an old-fashioned tongue-lashing which had put the fear of God into him. Helen smiled, remembering how the grown-ups had conspired to terrorize Coop out of his reckless overindulgence in alcohol.
And then Helen frowned as she remembered that she and Worthhad played out many scenes of censure, anger, and threat with Teddy, and with Teddy their condemnations did not seem to work.
The ride was bumpy as Grace sped the convertible along the dirt lane leading up to the house. To the west lay Charlotte’s garden, rows and rows of plants, which might have looked attractive except for the ugly wire enclosure. Charlotte said the fence was necessary to keep the deer out, and Nona didn’t mind; she couldn’t see the area from her living room or from the formal garden, where she liked to spend her summer days. They passed the old barn, which had been converted into a garage and toolshed, with the long new addition of Charlotte’s potting shed added on, the wooden shingles still pale gold, not yet weathered to silver. The driveway circled around a large concrete vase spilling over with ranunculus and pansies. Slate stepping-stones led right, to the boathouse and boat ramp, and left, across the lawn to the mudroom and kitchen. But Nona would be in the living room, so Helen and Worth went under the opening in the high privet hedge and through the formal garden and in through the French doors, where Nona was seated in her chaise by the window.
“Hello, darlings.” Nona held up her arms. She wore one of her trademark tailor-made outfits, silk slacks and a matching silk top with a mandarin collar, toggle closures, and embroidered cuffs. Today, it was coral with white trim. Helen thought Nona probably had thirty of these outfits in a range of colors. They had a simple elegance to them which Nona completed by adding her pearl choker and pearl earrings, just the luminous white of Nona’s hair. The older woman’s face was creased with age, but when she smiled she was young and beautiful.
“Mother. You look wonderful.” Worth bent to kiss his mother’s cheek.
“Thank you. What’s that in your hand?” Sharp-eyed Nona didn’t waste a moment. “You greet me with your cell phone in your hand?”
Worth grinned sheepishly. “I’ve got just one more piece of business to conclude.”
Nona gestured imperiously. “Take it outside. Or into the library. No business in the living room or in my garden.” She held her arms up to Helen. “Honestly. How do you put up with him?”
“Actually, I have no idea.” Helen kept her voice bantering as she bent down to kiss her mother-in-law.
Nona patted the side of the chaise. “Sit here a moment, dear. Let’s catch up. Grace and her tribe have already invaded—”
“I heard that, Mother!” Grace yelled from the hallway.
Nona laughed. “The great-grands are darling, and Mandy and Claus ride herd on them very capably. Mellie, however, as the first woman on earth ever to endure pregnancy, is languishing, and Mee—well, poor Mee is taking this divorce really hard.”
Divorce , Helen thought, and wasn’t sure whether the idea frightened or tempted her. Perhaps a bit of both. Absentmindedly, she said, “Your party will cheer her up.”
Sharp Nona caught something. “You look tired, Helen.”
Helen put her hand to her windblown hair. “Not tired, really, just disheveled.”
“Grace drives that convertible like a maniac. I told her I will never ride in the backseat
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