The jet was midsize, generously spaced with seating for ten, a large galley, large restroom, tables and closet space. The cabin was beautiful, the seats wide and comfortable. And Grace could tell from the glitter in Troy’s eyes that he was loving it. “This is shit-hot,” he whispered to her.
Hmm. He isn’t put off, she thought. Well, that was a good sign.
She wanted to tell Troy about the pregnancy test, but she didn’t dare. Not now, not at the onset of four days with her mother. The second they had this visit behind them, the moment they had some time alone that wouldn’t be interrupted by her mother’s needs, she would tell him. But the last thing she wanted was for Winnie to find out before she settled things with Troy. She had to know how he wanted to deal with this situation. What if he didn’t want it? What if he didn’t want her anymore? What if everything collapsed because she had screwed up the plan?
The captain came into the cabin and introduced himself to Winnie, saying a brisk hello to the others. “We’re ready if you are,” he said.
“By all means,” Winnie said.
“Our flight time should be just slightly over an hour,” he told her. “If you need anything at all, press your call button.”
“Thank you,” she said.
Once they were airborne, Winnie and Virginia had a little meeting. Virginia had her notebook out and made a list from Winnie’s comments. There were many details. Alex, Winnie’s driver, had left them at the airport and was driving the car back to San Francisco. A car service had been arranged to pick them up when they landed. Dinner at the house was being prepared and the guest rooms were freshened. There were people Winnie wanted called, household maintenance she wanted done, bills paid. Mikhail pulled out a deck of cards and started playing solitaire. And before long Winnie stopped dictating and nodded off.
“Are you all right?” Troy asked her.
“Sure. Fine. I just have very mixed feelings about going home. A part of me wants to see the place once more but...” She shook her head. “A part of me is afraid I won’t be able to leave.”
“Because you love it?”
“No, because I’ll be trapped somehow.”
“Don’t be irrational, Gracie. You can do what you want.”
“That’s always been hard,” she said. “Doing what I want instead of what my mother wants.”
“Yes, but now you’ve had some practice.”
Just over two hours later a black Cadillac SUV was passing through the iron gates into a Nob Hill neighborhood filled with large old houses fronted by manicured lawns and beautiful landscaping. Their driver pulled into a circular drive and right up to the front entrance of a rich-looking manor house. The driver parked and raced around to help Winnie get out. He was quickly replaced by Virginia on one arm and Mikhail on the other while Troy assisted the driver with the luggage.
“If you’ll help me get it inside, I can manage it from there,” Troy said.
“Be happy to, sir.”
When he passed through the big double doors Troy found himself not in a house but in an impressive courtyard with durable outdoor furniture scattered around, an outdoor sofa and two overstuffed chairs in front of a beautiful hearth. There were two sets of tables and chairs, vines climbing along the walls, small trees, flower beds lining the courtyard, hanging and standing pots filled with plants and a couple of decorative statues.
He brought a couple of suitcases into the courtyard, Grace brought his and her own inside, the driver assisted him with the rest, most of which must have belonged to Winnie. She traveled well, but she didn’t travel light. “This is fine,” Troy said. “I can get it from here.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He walked with Grace through the next door, into the house, and he stopped inside the massive foyer with marble mosaic floor, wide curving staircase and huge formal sitting room opposite the staircase. He looked around in awe.
Winnie was four steps up the stairs, grasping the rail on one side, Virginia on the other, Mikhail close behind her. Then she stumbled back a step and Mikhail steadied her. Troy gasped and whispered, “Jesus.” He left the suitcases where they sat and went to them.
“Winnie, here,” he said, brushing Virginia out of the way. “Let’s do this, it’s safer.” He swept her up in his arms and told Virginia to lead the way.
“Leave those bags, Gracie. I’ll come back for them.”
But she followed him, pulling her own bag up the stairs. It made her so proud, the way he stepped up to the plate and carried Winnie to her bedroom. He asked her where she’d like him to put her down and she pointed to the chair beside the veranda. He even bent over and moved the footstool for her feet.
“Thank you, dear boy,” she said.
He glanced around the room briefly, and his eyes settled on the big four-poster bed. “Winnie, you’re not going to be able to get in and out of that bed by yourself.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll stay in the adjoining room,” Virginia said. “I’ll be able to help her.”
“It was where I stayed when my husband was ill,” Winnie said. “Grace?” she called, looking past Troy to where Grace stood in the doorway. “Grace, I’m so tired. I might have to miss dinner. I hope you won’t be offended.”
“Of course not. Let me put my suitcase away and I’ll come and help you undress and get into bed.”
“Virginia can help me—”
“Let me, Mama. I’ll be right back. Troy, let me show you where we’re going to be.”
“I’ll bring up your luggage, Winnie,” he said. “It’ll just be a couple of minutes.”
Grace led the way down the hall to the room that was hers when she lived in this house. She was a little surprised—not a thing had been changed. It looked the same as the day she left. Out of curiosity she opened the walk-in closet and everything was there. She’d even left a comb and brush on the dressing table in the attached bathroom. She hadn’t exactly expected Winnie to turn it into a sewing room or anything, but this was almost a shrine. There was a special case for her trophies, medals and ribbons. And there were many.
“Will you be comfortable in here with me?” she asked Troy.
“Will it upset your mother?” he asked. “Us sharing a bed?”
Hmm. He isn’t put off, she thought. Well, that was a good sign.
She wanted to tell Troy about the pregnancy test, but she didn’t dare. Not now, not at the onset of four days with her mother. The second they had this visit behind them, the moment they had some time alone that wouldn’t be interrupted by her mother’s needs, she would tell him. But the last thing she wanted was for Winnie to find out before she settled things with Troy. She had to know how he wanted to deal with this situation. What if he didn’t want it? What if he didn’t want her anymore? What if everything collapsed because she had screwed up the plan?
The captain came into the cabin and introduced himself to Winnie, saying a brisk hello to the others. “We’re ready if you are,” he said.
“By all means,” Winnie said.
“Our flight time should be just slightly over an hour,” he told her. “If you need anything at all, press your call button.”
“Thank you,” she said.
Once they were airborne, Winnie and Virginia had a little meeting. Virginia had her notebook out and made a list from Winnie’s comments. There were many details. Alex, Winnie’s driver, had left them at the airport and was driving the car back to San Francisco. A car service had been arranged to pick them up when they landed. Dinner at the house was being prepared and the guest rooms were freshened. There were people Winnie wanted called, household maintenance she wanted done, bills paid. Mikhail pulled out a deck of cards and started playing solitaire. And before long Winnie stopped dictating and nodded off.
“Are you all right?” Troy asked her.
“Sure. Fine. I just have very mixed feelings about going home. A part of me wants to see the place once more but...” She shook her head. “A part of me is afraid I won’t be able to leave.”
“Because you love it?”
“No, because I’ll be trapped somehow.”
“Don’t be irrational, Gracie. You can do what you want.”
“That’s always been hard,” she said. “Doing what I want instead of what my mother wants.”
“Yes, but now you’ve had some practice.”
Just over two hours later a black Cadillac SUV was passing through the iron gates into a Nob Hill neighborhood filled with large old houses fronted by manicured lawns and beautiful landscaping. Their driver pulled into a circular drive and right up to the front entrance of a rich-looking manor house. The driver parked and raced around to help Winnie get out. He was quickly replaced by Virginia on one arm and Mikhail on the other while Troy assisted the driver with the luggage.
“If you’ll help me get it inside, I can manage it from there,” Troy said.
“Be happy to, sir.”
When he passed through the big double doors Troy found himself not in a house but in an impressive courtyard with durable outdoor furniture scattered around, an outdoor sofa and two overstuffed chairs in front of a beautiful hearth. There were two sets of tables and chairs, vines climbing along the walls, small trees, flower beds lining the courtyard, hanging and standing pots filled with plants and a couple of decorative statues.
He brought a couple of suitcases into the courtyard, Grace brought his and her own inside, the driver assisted him with the rest, most of which must have belonged to Winnie. She traveled well, but she didn’t travel light. “This is fine,” Troy said. “I can get it from here.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He walked with Grace through the next door, into the house, and he stopped inside the massive foyer with marble mosaic floor, wide curving staircase and huge formal sitting room opposite the staircase. He looked around in awe.
Winnie was four steps up the stairs, grasping the rail on one side, Virginia on the other, Mikhail close behind her. Then she stumbled back a step and Mikhail steadied her. Troy gasped and whispered, “Jesus.” He left the suitcases where they sat and went to them.
“Winnie, here,” he said, brushing Virginia out of the way. “Let’s do this, it’s safer.” He swept her up in his arms and told Virginia to lead the way.
“Leave those bags, Gracie. I’ll come back for them.”
But she followed him, pulling her own bag up the stairs. It made her so proud, the way he stepped up to the plate and carried Winnie to her bedroom. He asked her where she’d like him to put her down and she pointed to the chair beside the veranda. He even bent over and moved the footstool for her feet.
“Thank you, dear boy,” she said.
He glanced around the room briefly, and his eyes settled on the big four-poster bed. “Winnie, you’re not going to be able to get in and out of that bed by yourself.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll stay in the adjoining room,” Virginia said. “I’ll be able to help her.”
“It was where I stayed when my husband was ill,” Winnie said. “Grace?” she called, looking past Troy to where Grace stood in the doorway. “Grace, I’m so tired. I might have to miss dinner. I hope you won’t be offended.”
“Of course not. Let me put my suitcase away and I’ll come and help you undress and get into bed.”
“Virginia can help me—”
“Let me, Mama. I’ll be right back. Troy, let me show you where we’re going to be.”
“I’ll bring up your luggage, Winnie,” he said. “It’ll just be a couple of minutes.”
Grace led the way down the hall to the room that was hers when she lived in this house. She was a little surprised—not a thing had been changed. It looked the same as the day she left. Out of curiosity she opened the walk-in closet and everything was there. She’d even left a comb and brush on the dressing table in the attached bathroom. She hadn’t exactly expected Winnie to turn it into a sewing room or anything, but this was almost a shrine. There was a special case for her trophies, medals and ribbons. And there were many.
“Will you be comfortable in here with me?” she asked Troy.
“Will it upset your mother?” he asked. “Us sharing a bed?”
