Into the Woods (31 page)

"I thought you said eating on the sailboat was uncomfortable. The ocean -rocked too much. You weren't even fond of eating on the yacht anymore," I reminded her.

"We'll find calm waters," Kirby said. It was as if he had become her mouth, answering everything for her, speaking for her.

"I hope you do." I said. "Otherwise she might throw up."
"Grace!" Mommy cried. "We're having breakfast."
"I'm not. I'm finished.'" I said.
I
rose.
"See you later," Kirby said, still holding that handsome smile.
"Whatever," I said, and left them. Almost before I reached the stairs
I
could hear them laughing. I went up to my room and debated getting dressed and taking a ride to the bookstore in the mall. After I showered and fixed my hair I paused at the window and looked out. I saw Kirby and Mommy moving toward the dock. He had a towel around his shoulders and wore only an abbreviated bathing suit and sandals. She was in one of her expensive sailing outfits she had rarely worn. Even from this distance
I
could see how trim he was. Mommy leaned on his arm, and when he said something, she laughed, and they hurried like two teenagers down to the dock and the sailboat.
I got dressed as quickly as I could, suddenly eager to be anywhere else.
.
After that. Kirby Scott became Mommy's constant escort. If he didn't stay overnight he was there by noon the following day, and they were off to do things together. Whenever
I
asked her about him, and especially asked about his age, she told me not to be so concerned. He was just a distraction.
"But what does he do?" I pursued. "He seems available to do anything you want anytime you want, and he doesn't look old enough to be retired."
"He's between things." was all she would say and leave it as cryptic as that.
I couldn't deny he was one of the best-looking men I had seen, and when he put on his tuxedo to take her to some extravagant Palm Beach charity event he looked strikingly handsome. Whether Mommy had been invited to something or not, she now made it her business to find out what was happening, where it was being held, and then, if it was a charity event, bought tickets for both of them, no matter what the cost. It was apparent to me that what she wanted was to be seen with him. Maybe it was her way of getting back at the stuffy social crowd. I thought, but I could actually feel Mommy slipping away, sinking into him. I had nightmares in which he was made of quicksand and she could not pull herself out. and
I
could not pull her out, either.
One day while I was shopping for some things I needed, the Carriage sisters approached me as
I
was leaving the mall. They were together so much I was beginning to wonder if they were joined at the hip.
"Oh. Grace, dear, how have you been?" Thelma asked in a syrupy sweet voice, "Brenda and I were just talking about you and your mother. We were worried."
And we were worried about you, Mrs. Carriage. Not hearing from you for so long.
I
mean." I said in a voice a pound of sugar sweeter than hers.
"Yes, well, we've been so busy with it being the season and all. What I meant was, we were worried about your mother." she corrected, her voice sharper now.
"My mother?"
"We heard she was being escorted by that Kirby Scott just about everywhere she goes these days." Brenda said.
"Oh, you know Mr. Scott?" I asked her.
"We know of him, dear," Thelma replied, pursing her lips which were so overladen with lipstick she looked as if she possessed a second set
overlapping the first. "We do not know him. He's escorted many wealthy women in Palm Beach.
I
hope she's not thinking of him in any sort of serious light," she added, "He is a man of little means and. I'm afraid, little character. Any woman with means should be cautioned."
"I'll let her know your advice," I said, still holding the smiling mask over my face.
"I wish you would," Thelma said, not
retreating. She pulled her shoulders back and shook them like a hen.
"And what about you, dear?" Brenda asked. "What have you been doing with yourself? Are you in college again?"
"Not yet.
I
have so much to do these days. it being the season and all." I said. "Nice to see you both and how little you bath have changed and how much you know about everyone else's business. Goodbye." I said. and walked off. leaving them looking after me. their mouths moving to bring up the words choking their throats.
I had put on a good performance. but I was literally shaking so hard it took me a few moments to get hold of myself so I could drive my car home. If the Carriage sisters had the nerve to say all those things right to me, it was obvious people were talking about Mommy. What was Mommy doing? Why had she gotten so involved with such a man? It was one thing to have a lover but another thing to have one with whom you were proud to be seen. How did she think this was going to raise her status in the snobby social world?
I went home prepared to argue with her about it. She had been seeing Kirby for months and months now He was certainly not, as she had told me, a distraction anymore. She had even forced me to go out with them on my birthday, a day
I
had hoped would be special for just the two of us. The truth was. he was there now for every unique occasion in our lives these days. Sometimes I felt he was paying mare attention to me and resting his gaze on my face more than he was on Mommy's. Twice at events I had let Mommy talk me into attending with her and Kirby, he had asked me to dance and held me so tightly I was embarrassed. One time
I
was sure he was sexually aroused, and it made me very nervous. He was always touching me, taking an opportunity to kiss me, and too often, if not on the lips, close to them. Mommy seemed oblivious to it all. I had tried to ignore it and buried my head in the sand.
I
had to bring her to her senses.
Unfortunately, when I arrived home I could hear from their laughing voices that he was with her.
I
would have to wait for a better opportunity. Intending to ignore them and go up to my suite, I headed directly for the stairway, but one of the maids came hurrying out to tell me my mother wanted me to come to the den immediately. Reluctantly I did. They were both at the bar. They had music playing and were clinking glasses of champagne when I entered.
"Grace, honey, we've been waiting for you. We swore we wouldn't open another bottle of champagne until you got home, didn't we, Kirby?"
"Absolutely, but that was two bottles ago," he said, and they both laughed, pressed their foreheads together, and kissed.
I thought I was going
to
heave up the light lunch I had just eaten.
"I'm tired. Mommy. I'm going upstairs," I said.
"Wait, wait!" she cried. She poured another glass of champagne and held it out toward me. "Join us in a toast. honey."
"A toast? For what?" I asked, not moving any closer. Little bells of warning tinkled around my heart.
She held out her hand, palm down, as a way of replying. The new diamond ring picked up the light coming through the patio doors and glittered.
"Kirby and I are engaged," she said. But don't worry." she added quickly. "We're not going to have one of those extravagant Palm Beach weddings and put you through all of that. No, we're going off to get married. Probably to the U.S. Virgin Islands."
I stared for a moment. When
I
didn't respond immediately, she pulled her hand back as if
I
had slapped it.
"Well, you could say something nice, like good luck or something. Grace, instead of just standing there and staring at us."
"Good luck," I said, turned, and ran out of the room. I pounded up the stairs as quickly as I could, their silly laughter frill of champagne bubbles resounding behind me.
A good hour or so later I heard both of them coming up the stairs, giggling and laughing so loudly it was impossible not to hear them.
I
peeked out my door and saw Kirby scoop her into his arms and carry her the remainder of the way.
"Just like Clark Gable in
Gone with the Wind
!" he cried, and she laughed again.
A short while later it was very quiet in the house.
I
lay in my bed, sulking and thinking until
I
finally dozed off, but not so long afterward awoke when I heard someone knocking on my door.
"Who is it?" I called, annoyed.
"It's me," Kirby said. "May I speak to you for just a minute?"
"No."
"Please." he pleaded. "Just a minute."
There hadn't been all that many times he and I were alone, and despite his good looks I was grateful far that. but I didn't see how I could avoid it forever, especially now.
"What do you want?"
I
asked,
He opened the door slowly and peeked in, "Hey, how are you doing-?"
"Just peachy keen," I said.
He nodded. He was in his shirt and pants. barefoot. His shirt was opened at the collar, and his hair was tousled. Usually his hair was perfect. He was an immaculate dresser, never appearing unkempt, even if it was just to be an appearance in front of me,
"I
know you're upset." he said.
"Oh, do you?"
"Yes. Your mother has brought a new man into your life and so soon."
"You're not in my life. You're in hers." I told him.
"Now don't be like that. Grace. Once your mother and
I
are married you'll be just as much a part of my life as your mother will be.'
I wanted to say, hope not." but something made me hesitant. Perhaps it was better not to banter with him.
I
thought, I turned my face away, hoping he would take that as a signal and leave, but he didn't. He came farther into the room and sat at the foot of my bed.
That took me by surprise and even made my heart pound.
"I
wish you would leave," I said. "I'm tired. and I want to get some sleep."
"In a minute.
I
just want to assure you that I have your and your mother's best interests at heart.
I
know she has suffered some terrible disappointments in her life, and she feels very alone, very lost now I want to end that and do my best to bring back happiness. She's a wonderful person and deserves it, and so do you."
"You make us sound like refugees," I said.
He laughed and then looked serious again. "We're all refugees from some emotional crisis or another in our lives. Grace. I'm no exception, and in time
I
hope you and I can grow closer and develop enough trust to tell each other about things we really feel and really think. I know from what your mother has told me that you're going through a tough time. You're not sure what you want to do with yourself, and I want to do all I can to help you decide.. You're too talented, too intelligent, and far too beautiful to waste away, even in a place as beautiful and luxurious as Jaya del Mar." He had such a steely-eyed, sincere look in his eyes I had to look at him without doubt and sarcasm.
He stood up. "That's all I wanted to say, Grace. Basically what I'm asking you to do is give me a chance. Don't base your opinion on anything but what I do and say. Okay?"
I nodded.
"Thanks." he said. smiling. He hesitated a moment. and
I
thought in that moment he was deciding whether or not to come
to me to kiss me or something. He decided against it and just nodded and retreated, "I hope the day will come when you will call me Daddy, too. Sweet dreams," he said, and closed the door softly.
Call him Daddy? I felt as if some creature had crawled into my heart and was tearing it away.
Kirby Scott was in our lives.
The
question was for how long and how deeply.
.
There was a short article in the Palm Beach Shiny about Mommy's engagement and, as the journalist wrote. "Fast on its heels. elopement. The bride and groom were said to have pronounced their vows in a chapel on the U.S. Virgin Islands. Specifics are hard to come by."
There was then a reference to Mommy being the widow of "the recently deceased Winston Montgomery."
Most of the article was then about Winston, and toward the end there was a small mention of Kirby Scott having been married three times previously. Mommy never mentioned that to me. and
I
wondered if she even knew,
Even though the article was far from flattering. Mommy had it cut out and placed in a scrapbook containing any and all other times she had been mentioned in the paper.
I
was astounded by how she ignored the sarcasm and the criticism and saw only something wonderful in such gossip. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her. "There are none so blind as those who will not see." something she had often said to me. but I knew she would just laugh it off or wave her hand at me and tell me I was being too serious or too silly. To her they meant the same thing now
The week Mommy went away to elope was strange for me, especially every time I thought about why she had gone off. I suppose in the back of my mind
I
always believed she would marry again. After all, she was far from being an elderly widow. But
I
envisioned her marrying a man like Winston, someone substantial. mature. Maybe
I
was looking for another father figure. Maybe I had no right to decide whom she would marry again, just as
I
didn't want her to decide whom
I
would marry_ . And then there was the question of why it should be all right for a man to marry a woman so much younger than he was but not right for a woman to marry a man so much younger than she was If anyone should hate double standards, it was we women.
Anyway, there was no question she was enjoying her holiday with Kirby. She called only once, right after they performed whatever ceremony they had planned.
"I'm now Mrs. Kirby Scott," she announced over the phone. "Don't expect me to become Grace Scott," I said before she could even suggest it.
"I
don't expect that. Grace. I expect you to become Grace Somebody someday, but not Scott, unless you happen to meet a man as exciting as Kirby who happens to be a Scott, too. Are you all right? Anything new?"
"Nothing's new. Mom. I'm fine. Have a good time." I said, and we hung up. I didn't hear another word from her until the day they returned, which wasn't like her. She loved calling me from hotels and from yachts whenever she and Winston were away. She knew I was surprised about not hearing from her.
"We had such a wonderful time I lost track of time," she began when they arrived, the servants carrying their dozens and dozens of purchases up to their suite. I was sitting on the rear loggia, reading. She hurried out to me.
"I