pay attention. You know how important Emma is. And powerful. How many boards do you think she’s on? And she’s a huge patron of the arts.”
“She’s on three boards.”
“She’s an influential member of society,” Natalie said. She sounded calmer now, more in control. “If she doesn’t attend the birthday party, it will be noticed. People will talk, and Mother will be embarrassed.”
“I don’t think Aunt Emma cares what people say.”
“But Mother does,” she snapped. “This is tearing her apart. She can’t stand the rift. It’s terrible that Emma won’t talk to her.”
“I believe it was our mother who started the silent treatment when Emma told her she’d changed her trust. Our mother and father aren’t getting any of her money.”
“Mother doesn’t care about that,” Natalie insisted. “She’s just happy that you and I are still beneficiaries. We’ll both get large sums when Emma’s gone, and I will gladly hand it over to our father to invest. Unlike you, I’m loyal.”
Her sister’s callous and mercenary attitude was making Olivia sick. “Wasn’t the money you got from Uncle Daniel’s trust enough, Natalie? Now you can’t wait to get your hands on more?”
Olivia heard Natalie’s husband, George, in the background telling her to hand him her phone. Then he was on the line.
“Olivia, George Anderson here.”
“For God’s sake, George. She knows your last name,” Natalie said.
“We understand your aunt Emma joins you for dinner every Sunday.”
“When she’s in town,” Olivia said.
“Yes, and you cook for her.”
“I don’t cook, George. We go out.” She knew she was irritating him with her interruptions, and she couldn’t help smiling.
“At one of the dinners, perhaps you could mention your father’s birthday party and request that she attend. Is that so difficult?”
“Apparently it is,” Olivia said.
“Don’t be sarcastic,” he chided. He turned away from the phone. “There’s no reasoning with her, Natalie.”
Her sister came back on the line. “Who cares who started the silent treatment. Emma needs to do the right thing and call Mother,” she said in a near shout. “And by the way,” she continued on a rant now, “shame on you, Olivia. Do you realize how cruel you’re being to the family? If you don’t show up for the party either, how would it look? It wouldn’t just be hurtful, it would be disloyal.”
Olivia muted the phone. “Natalie wants to know if I realize how hurtful I’m being to the family.”
Jane put her hand out, palm up, and wiggled her fingers. “Let me talk to her. Come on, give me the phone.” Jane’s face wasn’t pale now. In the space of a few seconds, her complexion turned bright pink. “I’ll set the record straight.”
Olivia smiled. Jane had always been her champion. She hit the mute button again and said to Natalie, “Aunt Emma has a mind of her own. You know that.”
“But she’ll do anything for you because she feels . . .”
Natalie had suddenly stopped. Olivia’s determination not to get pulled into an argument flew out the window. “She feels what?” she demanded angrily. “Go ahead, say it.”
“Okay, I will,” she said defiantly. “She feels sorry for you. She always has, ever since you got sick. Why do you think she moved to D.C.?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because she loved me and knew the rest of you had pretty much written me off.”
“We did no such thing.”
“Emma wanted me to have a home to go to when I was released from the hospital. And she wanted me to have at least one visitor when I got out of isolation.”
“You do like to dredge up the past, don’t you?”
Olivia closed her eyes. She couldn’t do this anymore.
“Natalie, do me a favor.”
“What?”
“Stop calling me.”
She didn’t give her sister time to argue. She disconnected the call, dropped her phone into her purse, and turned to Jane to tell her what Natalie wanted.
“Why is she so
“She’s on three boards.”
“She’s an influential member of society,” Natalie said. She sounded calmer now, more in control. “If she doesn’t attend the birthday party, it will be noticed. People will talk, and Mother will be embarrassed.”
“I don’t think Aunt Emma cares what people say.”
“But Mother does,” she snapped. “This is tearing her apart. She can’t stand the rift. It’s terrible that Emma won’t talk to her.”
“I believe it was our mother who started the silent treatment when Emma told her she’d changed her trust. Our mother and father aren’t getting any of her money.”
“Mother doesn’t care about that,” Natalie insisted. “She’s just happy that you and I are still beneficiaries. We’ll both get large sums when Emma’s gone, and I will gladly hand it over to our father to invest. Unlike you, I’m loyal.”
Her sister’s callous and mercenary attitude was making Olivia sick. “Wasn’t the money you got from Uncle Daniel’s trust enough, Natalie? Now you can’t wait to get your hands on more?”
Olivia heard Natalie’s husband, George, in the background telling her to hand him her phone. Then he was on the line.
“Olivia, George Anderson here.”
“For God’s sake, George. She knows your last name,” Natalie said.
“We understand your aunt Emma joins you for dinner every Sunday.”
“When she’s in town,” Olivia said.
“Yes, and you cook for her.”
“I don’t cook, George. We go out.” She knew she was irritating him with her interruptions, and she couldn’t help smiling.
“At one of the dinners, perhaps you could mention your father’s birthday party and request that she attend. Is that so difficult?”
“Apparently it is,” Olivia said.
“Don’t be sarcastic,” he chided. He turned away from the phone. “There’s no reasoning with her, Natalie.”
Her sister came back on the line. “Who cares who started the silent treatment. Emma needs to do the right thing and call Mother,” she said in a near shout. “And by the way,” she continued on a rant now, “shame on you, Olivia. Do you realize how cruel you’re being to the family? If you don’t show up for the party either, how would it look? It wouldn’t just be hurtful, it would be disloyal.”
Olivia muted the phone. “Natalie wants to know if I realize how hurtful I’m being to the family.”
Jane put her hand out, palm up, and wiggled her fingers. “Let me talk to her. Come on, give me the phone.” Jane’s face wasn’t pale now. In the space of a few seconds, her complexion turned bright pink. “I’ll set the record straight.”
Olivia smiled. Jane had always been her champion. She hit the mute button again and said to Natalie, “Aunt Emma has a mind of her own. You know that.”
“But she’ll do anything for you because she feels . . .”
Natalie had suddenly stopped. Olivia’s determination not to get pulled into an argument flew out the window. “She feels what?” she demanded angrily. “Go ahead, say it.”
“Okay, I will,” she said defiantly. “She feels sorry for you. She always has, ever since you got sick. Why do you think she moved to D.C.?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because she loved me and knew the rest of you had pretty much written me off.”
“We did no such thing.”
“Emma wanted me to have a home to go to when I was released from the hospital. And she wanted me to have at least one visitor when I got out of isolation.”
“You do like to dredge up the past, don’t you?”
Olivia closed her eyes. She couldn’t do this anymore.
“Natalie, do me a favor.”
“What?”
“Stop calling me.”
She didn’t give her sister time to argue. She disconnected the call, dropped her phone into her purse, and turned to Jane to tell her what Natalie wanted.
“Why is she so
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