A Very Good Life (28 page)

His call Monday night was lengthier. He related to Dana that Richard had set up a meeting with a realtor earlier that day and that he had found an apartment in the affluent Corona Heights district that he felt would be perfect. He also enumerated a long list of motions he’d filed at the San Francisco Court House’s civil division. He obviously was detailing his duties for Dana’s benefit.

“And how is that cold of yours?” Brett asked.

“Much better,” Dana replied. “I must have caught it in time.”

“That’s great, honey. By the way, I’ll be home Wednesday night. I arrive in New York late morning, but Richard wants to see me in the afternoon. I should be home for dinner. I can’t wait to see you.”

Dana answered with an obligatory “You, too,” with the call mercifully ending after the quick exchange of “I love you.”

Dana was on the verge of picking up the phone to call her parents—the news wouldn’t keep forever—but she decided against it. She would tell her mother and father about the divorce after she’d seen a lawyer and secured an apartment. If she didn’t wait, her parents would almost certainly recommend scores of names and locations that she should check out. And then there was, of course, all the personal advice she’d receive. That was fine—she knew her parents were concerned for her welfare—but she would be able to better handle a conversation with them once she had taken the initial steps on her own. She would tell them later in the week since she intended to act quickly.

Dana picked up the second call on Monday evening immediately since she knew it would be Andrew checking up on her.

“I’ve got some good news,” Andrew said, “not that any news right now is what might be termed good. Max tells me that Rosamond has a friend named Julien Armand, who owns a carriage house that he’d like to lease quickly since he’s returning to Paris for a special assignment at Sotheby’s.”

“Where is it?” Dana asked. “I made a few calls today, but everything I found is in sixties buildings. I can’t do that.”

“Sniffen Court. Thirty-sixth Street between Third Avenue and Lexington.”

“Sniffen Court! You’re kidding! I purposely walk pass the gated mews and gape every time I’m grocery shopping on Third Avenue. The alley is paved with flagstones and flanked by townhomes.”

“Exactly. They were brick stables and carriage houses built around 1863 and converted to homes in the 1920s. It has a private courtyard, and the style is Romanesque Revival. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places. Do you want to look at it tomorrow afternoon?”

“Of course! Right after lunch. I only wish I could find a good lawyer in the next day or so, but it might take time to get an appointment. Brett just told me he’s coming back Wednesday night, and I’ll have less back and forth with him if he knows I’m serious about a divorce and that he has no chance for redemption with me.”

“That’s the other good news. I ran into Mark today, and immediately thought he would be the perfect guy to provide a reference for a good lawyer. I told him that a friend just received upsetting news and wanted to start divorce proceedings as soon as possible, although I didn’t mention you by name. He said he knew one of the best divorce lawyers in Midtown, and if he made a call you could probably get in tomorrow morning.”

Dana didn’t have to think twice. “Please, get the lawyer’s name, Andrew. You can tell Mark it’s for me, but ask him not to tell anyone.”

“Consider it done,” Andrew said. “I’ll call you first thing in the morning with the address and exact time.”

“You’re the best, Andrew. Where would I be without you?”

“You’d handle things just fine. You proved last week that you can do anything you set your mind to, but I’m glad to help. I just wish you didn’t have to go through all this, and certainly not during the holidays.”

“I feel so foolish,” Dana said. “Last week at the Christmas tree farm, I told you I might be starting a family. This week I decide to get divorced. How could I be so naïve?”

“No need to feel foolish on my account,” Andrew said. “As you know, I have my own set of domestic problems, which I won’t bore you with, but it’s like a soap opera. I suppose we all have a little drama in our lives. It’s nothing to apologize for.”

“You know all the right things to say, Mr. Ricci,” Dana said. “I’ll be waiting for your call tomorrow morning. And thanks.”

“De nada, as the saying goes. Good night.”

Dana had been fighting off tears at odd moments during the past two evenings, but being proactive was helping her cope. Work had been a good tonic, and by the end of tomorrow she hoped she would have taken two of the biggest steps involved in the divorce process. And that was the trick of it all: to keep moving and face forward. Her life was in the future.

• • •

Dana looked at the painted chest in the foyer, a manila envelope sitting next to a small lamp and a silver tray for mail. The return address simply said Yorktown Heights, so she knew that it contained the photos developed by Matthew’s friend. It had been waiting for her in the lobby when she arrived home from work.

She slowly picked up the envelope and stared at it. She knew Matthew’s report had been truthful and accurate, but he’d felt it necessary to document the awful scenes. She decided that she would look at the pictures once and then never again unless it became legally necessary. She was on the verge of changing her entire life based on what her brother had seen, and as painful as the images might be, they represented closure and would help her remain calm and resolute when Brett offered his excuses. She would give them to her lawyer in the interest of fully explaining her reasons for seeking a divorce, but would retain the negatives. If she were going to meet with a lawyer the following morning, she needed to have seen the photos at least once.

She undid the clasp and pulled the glossy color photographs from the brown sheath. She looked at the two dozen pictures in less than a minute and replaced them in the envelope, her face expressionless. There was no need to torture herself with the images. She replaced the envelope on the table and went upstairs. There was some housekeeping of a personal nature that needed to be done in the bedroom.

A
lan Rudnick, attorney, was not the typical legal shark Dana had envisioned, but Andrew had assured her when he called her at six-thirty Tuesday morning that Mark’s friend was who she wanted to represent her. She now sat in his office, feeling quite comfortable in his presence. He was a slender man in his mid-forties and had thinning blond hair and pale blue eyes. He wore small rimless spectacles and looked at the photos Dana had brought him as quickly as she herself had the night before. She had told him her story, and he’d made a few notes on his legal pad, but otherwise his focus was on Dana.

“I don’t want to use the pictures unless I have to,” Dana stated. “I simply want Brett to sign papers granting us a legal separation before he begins his assignment in San Francisco.”

Rudnick nodded slowly. “We’ll file for irreconcilable differences rather than adultery, but is your husband likely to do things as amicably as you anticipate?”

“One of his greatest ambitions in life . . .” Dana began before pausing. She couldn’t help but think that one of his ambitions included the very thing that brought her to Rudnick’s office. “His greatest ambition is to make partner at Davis, Konen and Wright. He won’t want a protracted, high-profile divorce jeopardizing his standing with the firm. And then there’s the issue of naming Janice as co-respondent. She’s a member of his firm.”

“And you’re certain that there’s no hope for a reconciliation. Forgive me, but it’s a question I always have to ask.”

“None whatsoever.”

Rudnick picked up a silver pen and made additional notes on his legal pad. “Are you going to seek alimony?” he asked quietly. “You’ve indicated that you’re moving out of your present home, so I strongly recommend that Brett contribute to your support since his income exceeds your own and he’ll be keeping the apartment.”

“Yes. I believe it’s appropriate, and given that he will soon make partner, I don’t think that will be a problem either.”

“Do you have a new residence picked out yet?” asked Rudnick.

“I’m looking at one this afternoon. I want to move as soon as possible. There are too many memories where I am now.”

“That’s quite understandable, and it’s usually the case. From a more practical standpoint, however, someone needs to vacate the current premises for any motion of this sort to move forward.”

Rudnick leaned back and rested his elbows on the arms of his chair, fingertips together. “I anticipate that this will be fairly straightforward given Brett’s professional concerns, although that can never be taken as a given. I recommend that the initial agreement also stipulate that he pay all of your legal fees plus any filing costs. Even in an uncontested divorce, legal fees can be very expensive. Later, when it’s time to partition community property, I think you should ask for a very generous settlement. He can afford it, but we’re not at that stage yet. It’s just something to think about right now.”

“Oh, I intend to,” Dana said.

She was relieved that the “shark” was quiet yet confident.

“I’ll hold on to these,” Rudnick said as he gathered the photos and put them back in the envelope. “It’s good insurance. Give him one of my cards and tell him to contact me when he gets back from the coast. Such a request usually has a sobering influence on the other spouse. It will demonstrate that you mean business. Does he, in your estimation, pose any threat to you when you make your wishes known? It’s another question I have to ask.”

“No. He’ll try to talk his way out of it, but that’s about all.”

“They all do, Mrs. McGarry. Try to keep the conversation short and to the point. Ask him to spend the night at a hotel or with a friend.”

Dana nodded.

“That’s all I’ll need for now,” Rudnick said, standing and walking around the side of his desk and extending his hand. “Please call if you have any questions, day or night. My answering service will notify me if you run into any trouble. I’m sorry that you need my help, but you’ll get through this. I’m here if you need me.”

Dana shook Rudnick’s hand and left. Sitting in the lawyer’s office had been surreal. The life she and Brett had so carefully planned had dissolved in a matter of minutes. She’d never anticipated taking such action, but she knew she was doing the right thing. She left Rudnick’s building and headed for B. Altman.

• • •

Dana arrived at her office and had time to work on additional events the store was staging for the holiday season before she met Andrew at Sniffen Court after lunch. Although the carriage house was small, Dana immediately fell in love with its charm. Armand’s living room had a wall twelve feet wide with original lead-paned windows rising to the full height of the twenty-foot ceiling. The windows afforded a view of some of the other brick carriage houses that would be covered with ivy in the spring. While there was no formal dining room, the kitchen opened to an eating area with a banquette and a stone fireplace.

On the second floor, an open landing lined with bookshelves and leading to the master bedroom overlooked the living room below. A sitting area off the master bedroom gave a view of the small landscaped roof deck. An additional bedroom was on the main floor, and there were two more fireplaces: in the living room and the master bedroom.

“Max told me that Julien originally planned to lease it completely furnished, but he’s willing to put many of his items in storage. I told Max that you would probably want to bring your antiques and oriental carpets.”

“It’s perfect,” Dana said as she walked to the wall of windows in the living room and gazed absently at the flagstones in the alley outside the front door.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Andrew said.

“Tell Max that I’ll take the house,” Dana said. “It’s just that life was normal when Brett left a few days ago. How could things have turned around so quickly?”

Andrew heaved a sigh and approached Dana, standing by her side. “I’ve known you for a long time, Dana. Brett allowed the marriage to drift during the past several years, and when people do that, it’s asking for trouble. To be honest, I’m surprised he didn’t stray earlier.”

“But I believed he loved me,” Dana said, brushing away a tear.

“I’m sure he does,” Andrew countered, “but relationships need to be nurtured, and while I know he’s busy, he’s just not able to give you what you need. If he could find time for Janice, he could have found time for you. He made his decision, and now you’ve made yours.” Andrew paused for a moment to allow his words to sink in. “If you don’t mind my saying so, I think you’re making the right one.”

Dana turned and hugged her longtime friend. “Yes, I am. And you’re right. This has been coming on for years. It’s time to move on.”

“You said Brett gets back tomorrow?”

“Yes. Late evening.”

Dana and Andrew walked back to the store, neither saying a word. Dana had wanted to see a lawyer and find an apartment, and she’d done both. She now realized that the third and most important step needed to be taken when Brett walked through the door on Wednesday night. She would have to tell him that their eight-year marriage was over. It wasn’t going to be easy.

W
ednesday at B. Altman passed uneventfully for Dana. She went through the motions, but her mind was constantly rehearsing the words she would use when Brett arrived home that evening. How did one broach such a matter? How did you tell a husband that he was going to be excised from a marriage forever with almost surgical precision? By the afternoon, however, Dana realized that the most direct way was the best. It would have been a different matter if she had decided she didn’t want to wait for Brett to give her more attention, or that he was simply an irritant she could no longer bear. In such a case, her announcement would come out of the blue, but he had made her decision easy. He was having an affair, and the matter was black and white as far as Dana was concerned. She left work an hour early since she wanted to be home before Brett arrived. His eyebrows were going to be raised by what he found in the apartment.