Chapter 3
Stefano and Brad left to play tennis the next morning, and were getting along like old
friends after the relaxed evening before. Daphne had gotten them a guest
membership at her tennis and golf club. The women hung around after breakfast, making
plans. Geoff and Gloria hadn’t come to breakfast, still tired and jet-lagged from the trip.
Geoff liked to sleep late and liked Gloria to stay with him.
Stefano commented to Brad as they drove to the tennis courts, “I’m sorry my sister’s
fiancé is such a bore. We’re all trying to get used to him. It changes things when one’s
siblings get married. We’ve always been very close and we’ve been lucky with
Daphne’s husband, Phillip. My sisters have taken a while to get used to Liz, and Geoff
is going to be tough, with his bragging and sense of entitlement.”
Brad smiled at Stefano and looked relaxed. He liked Stefano, and all the rest of
Sofia’s family. And the undercurrent of Geoff’s snobbishness and subtle racism didn’t
bother him. “Don’t worry, I’m used to it. You can imagine what it was like doing my
residency in Tennessee, and now practicing there. But most of the time, the patients I see
are really great, and eventually they figure out that whatever color I am, I’m a decent
guy and a good doctor and I take good care of them. That’s all that matters. There is
always going to be a Geoff in every group. It’s something you learn to deal with when
you’re very young.”
“You must get tired of it.”
Brad shrugged it off, thinking of Sofia.
“Sofia is such a sweet person,” he commented. “It’s one of the things I love about
her, among a lot of others. She’s so pure and such a good human being, and she’s a
fantastic nurse practitioner and midwife. I don’t think she has the prejudices that are so
common in your world, and even mine. It’s too soon to say anything, but we’ve been
dating for a year, and I’m very serious about her. She’s so innocent, I want to protect
her. I just want you to know that our relationship is a very big deal to me. I want to tell
your mother that before we leave.”
“Thank you,” Stefano said, and smiled at him. “That’s good to know. My mother will
be happy to hear it. You can’t ask for more than that. Phillip is a good guy too. He is
wonderful to my sister, which is all a parent can ask. How will your family feel about
Sofia?” he asked Brad.
“They’ll be shocked,” Brad said sincerely. “Your family has been a lot cooler than
mine will be. They’re very traditional. They expect me to marry one of the Black
women I know and have always dated. I always thought I would too, and then Sofia
came along. I don’t care what color she is, I love her. And I want to marry her one day.
I’d rather it be with both families’ blessing. I think mine will be okay once they meet
her.”
“For God’s sake, have someone dress her decently before she does. She looks like a
homeless person, or like she raided my closet when I was fourteen.”
Brad laughed. “I don’t care about that. I love her just the way she is. And the people
she takes care of don’t care either. She’s the best midwife at our medical center, and
everyone respects her.”
Stefano looked pleased to hear it and then smiled at his new friend and possible
brother-in-law, one day. He had been far more accepting than his sisters had expected
him to be. He wasn’t as uptight and conservative as they thought.
“I just want to make one thing clear,” Stef said to Brad. “When I get you on the tennis
court, I intend to beat the shit out of you. Just because you’re new and a guest doesn’t
mean there’s a courtesy pass, when it comes to tennis. So you’ve been warned.” He
grinned confidently.
“And I don’t care if you are Sofia’s brother, I’m going to beat you until you squeal
like a little girl. There’s no mercy for rich white boys. I’m bigger, taller, stronger, and
older than you are, and I’m going to beat the crap out of you.” They pulled up at the club
then, and they were both smiling. “Is this going to be a war on the courts?” Brad asked
Stefano.
“No, a family feud, which is much more savage and more dangerous and a lot more
fun. Prepare to die, Dr. Jackson. I intend to win.”
They got out of the car, walked into the club, laughing, and headed for the courts,
ready to have some fun.
—
Eloise, Gloria, Geoff, and Sofia drove into the village of East Hampton to go shopping.
Eugenia had stayed at the house to talk to the cook and the staff and thought it would be
more fun for the young people to be on their own. She was glad that Brad had gone off
with Stef, so Stef could get to know him one-on-one. He seemed very serious about
Sofia when Eugenia watched them together. Since there was no father around, Eugenia
liked the idea of Stefano getting to know him. Sofia was happy with the warm reception
Brad had gotten, and didn’t seem bothered by Geoff’s supercilious attitude. She was
more tolerant than her sisters.
Gloria was talking about her wedding all the way into town, and everyone else
looked bored. They parked the car, and walked past all the shops of luxury brands, as
Gloria continued to talk about the reception, and finally Eloise turned to her,
exasperated.
“I am so sick and tired of hearing about your wedding. We haven’t seen each other in
ages, is that all you can talk about?”
“It’s a very important time in our lives,” Geoff snapped at Eloise haughtily. “This
isn’t just any wedding. My father is an earl, or had you forgotten?” Eloise had to force
herself not to respond that he never let anyone forget it. Sofia looked like she wanted to
crawl under a rock. He was spoiling for a fight, and Eloise was ready to give him one.
Geoff had clearly thought he and Gloria were going to arrive and be the stars because of
their wedding, and instead Brad had stolen the show, because everyone liked him better.
Geoff couldn’t stand it. And Gloria seemed torn between soothing her future husband’s
bruised ego and allying with her family. It was a hard spot to be in, especially with
someone as pompous as Geoff.
“Why don’t we just all relax for now, and do some shopping?” Sofia said, trying to
calm them all down, when Geoff turned to her with an angry look.
“I hope you haven’t invited Brad to the wedding. Gloria and I don’t even know him,
and my parents might be upset.”
“My mother is hosting the wedding,” Sofia reminded him. “And there’s no reason for
your family to be upset. Brad will be my date, which isn’t up to them.”
“As I recall, your family hasn’t contributed a penny,” Eloise shot back at him,
furious at his intimidating Sofia, who was the meekest and the least aggressive of them
all.
“That’s none of your business.” Geoff snapped at Eloise. “Your sister is lucky to be
marrying into a family like ours. People pay for that honor these days. She’ll have a title
one day thanks to me and my family.”
“Our father is a prince, Geoff,” Eloise said haughtily, “and he’s not much, but he’s
ten times the man you are. Your family are nothing more than pauper aristocracy with
your crumbling estates. They call that white trash here,” she said, and walked away and
into the Balenciaga store. She wanted to see what merchandise they carried here, and
Geoff was left on the sidewalk, speechless with fury, as he turned to Gloria and took it
out on her.
“Your family are a bunch of rude savages,” he said to his future wife when they were
alone. “I’m the groom and I have a say in who comes to our wedding. The final say. I
warn you, if that man comes to our wedding, I’ll walk out.” Gloria knew she couldn’t
do that to her mother, and Sofia was such a gentle soul that no one ever picked on her. It
was an unspoken family rule, which Geoff had just violated by threatening her.
“My mother has the final say about the wedding. Can’t you just let it go?” Gloria
asked him. “Sofia is right. Brad is a good guy and he’s Sofia’s date. Just back off,
Geoff.” She was tired of the tension and comments, and defending him to her sisters.
“He doesn’t belong on our family vacation, none of us know him.”
“This is our family vacation. You don’t get to make the rules.” It was as far as
Gloria was willing to go, and he wasn’t pleased. He expected his future wife to back
him unconditionally, and she wasn’t.
“This isn’t about your parents, it’s about you,” Gloria said and walked into a
bookstore, while he stood fuming outside. He was no match for any of them, but that
didn’t stop him. Gloria was shaking while she pretended to look at the books. She
joined her sisters then to walk into the other high-end stores, and she spoke softly to her
younger sister. Geoff was walking around town alone.
“I’m sorry, Sofia. It’s just a very different culture in England,” Gloria said, making
excuses for him.
“No, it’s not,” Sofia answered. “There are racists everywhere. Geoff has an
incredibly narrow point of view. And are you really going to marry a man who thinks
like that?” Gloria didn’t answer her, and was quiet for the rest of their foray into the
village. The shops were terrific, and eventually Eloise and Sofia relaxed, and Sofia
found a pair of vintage cowboy boots with graffiti on them that she fell in love with, and
they were her size. She bought them, took off her high-top Converse, and put them on,
and she was delighted with how they looked with her ragged denim shorts. Eloise
smiled when she looked at her. She still dressed like a fourteen-year-old, but their battle
with Geoff had brought them closer together. They both felt sorry for Gloria and thought
she was making a terrible mistake marrying Geoff, and it seemed sometimes that she
was more in love with her wedding than with the groom.
They drove back to the house and sat down to lunch together, except for Geoff, who
said he had a headache, went to their cottage, and did not emerge for the rest of the
afternoon. Gloria stayed with her sisters for a while and then went to check on Geoff.
Eugenia looked at Eloise and Sofia. “Did something happen in town?” she asked,
concerned.
“Just Geoff being Geoff,” Eloise said, helping herself to a fabulous-looking salad
prepared by the chef. “Gloria is crazy to marry him. He’s pompous, arrogant, entitled,
and a racist.”
“But she’s going to marry him,” her mother said in a neutral tone, to mask her
disappointment. “We have to make our peace with it.” She agreed with Eloise and
couldn’t understand what Gloria saw in Geoff. He was insufferable, and she’d end up
supporting him, or her mother would. He didn’t have a job, except an occasional
freelance editing assignment. Eugenia didn’t believe he could write. She knew that
Gloria was paying for everything on her meager salary. Eugenia was paying the rest,
and she couldn’t afford to do that forever. They would have to support themselves if her
business failed. She was planning to explain that to Gloria before they went back to
London. Her theory had always been that if you were old enough to marry, you should
be old enough to support yourself, and your spouse should contribute, not your mother. If
they had a baby, they wouldn’t be able to support it either, since they couldn’t support
themselves without her help. Gloria was twenty-seven and Geoff was thirty-three, and
had never had a job he could live on. He had been living with his parents when he met
Gloria, and had quickly moved in with her.
Gloria had a long history of poor choices in the men she went out with, which
worried Eugenia considerably. This time was no different. Eugenia had somehow gotten
maneuvered into the big wedding that Geoff and Gloria wanted, and it had grown
exponentially into an unmanageable beast. His father being a penniless earl didn’t
warrant it, in Eugenia’s opinion. Geoff was incredibly entitled and so was Gloria on his
behalf. But it would all be over in four weeks and the deed would be done. Eugenia
wasn’t looking forward to it and neither were Gloria’s siblings.
When Brad and Stefano appeared in time for lunch, each one was claiming moral
victory, but the actual score had been a tie, twice, and they were planning to go back to
the club the next day for the final match. They were in great spirits and ate a hearty
lunch, and then everyone lay by the pool all afternoon. The weather was gorgeous. They
swam and dozed in the sun. Geoff never reappeared but Gloria joined them halfway
through the afternoon and said he was asleep. Daphne showed up for a visit with
Tucker. Stef took him in the pool and helped him paddle around. Eugenia was in heaven,
with all five of her children and her only grandchild around her, which was the whole
point of the vacation. Brad was a welcome addition, and he managed to convey his
message to Eugenia that his intentions were honorable toward her daughter. They had a
few minutes alone after lunch when he told her, and she said she was pleased to hear it
and thanked him. She asked him the same question Stef had, about how his parents
would feel about it, and he said that they would adjust in time, because Sofia was so
wonderful no one could resist her, which touched Eugenia’s heart. He seemed like a
very direct, honest guy.
Everyone was relaxed and happy by the end of the afternoon. It was the night of
Daphne and Phillip’s dinner party with some of their friends and neighbors, who were a
pretty important group of hard hitters and well-known, successful people. Eugenia was
touched that Phillip and Daphne had planned the evening for them. Eloise asked her
mother what she was going to wear, and Eugenia said a simple white Hermès summer
dress she’d bought before the pandemic and never had a chance to wear.
Eloise looked at Sofia then. “Let me lend you a dress,” she said, pleading with her,
and Sofia grinned.
“I was going to wear cutoffs and combat boots. That should be okay, don’t you
think?” Eloise groaned, and Sofia laughed, teasing her. “Okay, you can lend me a dress,
but nothing too fancy.”
“I promise,” Eloise said, relieved. Sofia was a beautiful girl, she just didn’t care
what she wore. She had better things to do, and Eloise respected that. But she wanted to
see her looking really pretty and well dressed, just once. The dress would be black of
course, since it was all Eloise had with her, and all she owned. Whatever Liz wore
would inevitably have gold or rhinestones or glitter on it, but Eloise was feeling
benevolent about her. She was smart, and a decent person, and she loved Eloise’s
brother, so her flashy taste and penchant for stilettos and rhinestones could be forgiven.
The one who couldn’t be forgiven was Geoff, who had managed to alienate the entire
group with his high-handed attitude. But they all promised Eugenia that they would
behave at Daphne’s party that night, no matter what Geoff said or did. They didn’t want
to upset Daphne or Phillip, and they were all curious about what the party would be
like. Daphne had gone to check the last details with the caterer, and they were invited
for eight o’clock.
They went to the party in two cars and arrived punctually. Eugenia saw to it that
Geoff and Brad did not go in the same car, which suited them both and kept tension to a
minimum. The difference in their manners and personalities was even more of a
problem than a question of race. When they got to Daphne’s house, they were amazed by
the trouble she had gone to. There were four tables for eight on the patio, with a view of
the pool all lit up, and extensive grounds and flowerbeds around them. There were
lanterns strung up which shed a soft light on the tables, candles and flowers on all the
tables, and candles floating on the pool like lilies. And everyone was relaxed and happy
as the evening began.
The guests arrived promptly, handsomely dressed men in blazers and white pants,
and women in cocktail dresses. Daphne was wearing a white and gold brocade tent
which encompassed her enormous girth, and her husband looked proud of her. And
Sofia looked lovely in the dress Eloise had loaned her. It was a simple black strapless
column that showed off her flawless figure and bare shoulders, and Sofia admitted she
liked it a lot. Eloise told her she could keep it, if she promised not to wear combat
boots with it when Eloise wasn’t around.
The group mingled until nine o’clock, and Eugenia noticed that a number of women
were wearing her cocktail dresses. She enjoyed talking to Daphne’s friends, and before
they sat down to dinner, a very attractive man came over to compliment her.
“You have a lovely family,” he said kindly. She guessed him to be a little older than
she was. In fact, he was sixty, and his name was Patrick Hughes, which rang a bell but
she couldn’t remember why. He was very soft-spoken and understated, in white jeans, a
white shirt, and a well-cut blazer. He had short gray hair, and an air of quiet confidence
about him. She could tell from experience that he was an important man. They talked
about the fashion business for a few minutes, and he said he knew very little about it. He
said he was in commercial real estate, which sounded innocuous to her. The only guests
Eugenia hadn’t met and didn’t want to were a flashy couple that someone had brought as
their houseguests. They looked pure Vegas. He was wearing a white western-style shirt
and white jeans with white alligator boots, a Stetson, and a diamond rope around his
neck. His wife was Russian, in her very early twenties. She was covered in expensive
jewelry and wearing a skintight minidress that barely covered her, and carried a white
mink wrap she didn’t need but wanted to show off. She was wearing silver platform
sandals with six-inch heels that Liz would have worn in a minute. She was a strikingly
beautiful girl who looked like he had rented her for the evening, but she was his wife.
All the other women looked at her with thinly veiled disapproval, and stood closer to
their husbands. As it turned out, she was twenty-two and he was sixty-five.
Eugenia and Patrick were amused by her. “I don’t know who he is, but I can tell you
she’s not one of my clients. I’ve never made a skirt that short,” she said, and he laughed.
“I can tell you who he is. Austin Wylie, a very big-deal Texas oilman, whose
multibillion-dollar fortune supposedly comes entirely from oil, but I have my doubts
about that.”
“Really? That sounds intriguing,” Eugenia said with a smile.
“He’s made some very big deals,” and as he said it, the oilman himself approached
Eugenia and asked to speak to her alone. Patrick Hughes looked amused and slipped
away discreetly. Eugenia was shocked that Austin Wylie wanted to speak to her, and she
noticed that Geoffrey, her future son-in-law, was deep in conversation with Wylie’s
wife, and standing very close to her. She seemed to be enjoying his company, more than
anyone else would have.
“This isn’t the place to talk,” Austin Wylie said to Eugenia in a low voice. “My wife
is looking for a company to invest in. She was very excited to meet you tonight. She
loves your clothes. I’m wondering if you would be open to having a conversation with
me about it, at another time. Just to hear what I have in mind. We have to keep our
women happy,” he said with a dazzling smile, as she tried not to stare at the diamond
rope around his neck. He was a good-looking man with a masculine craggy face, but his
accessories reminded her of Liberace. “Would you be willing to give me your number?
I’d like to call you and have a serious conversation. Just the two of us, not Natasha of
course.” Eugenia didn’t know what to say, but it suddenly occurred to her that he might
be the answer to her prayers, if he was looking for an investment to amuse his wife.
Eugenia couldn’t imagine a collaboration with her, given how she was dressed. But as a
silent partner in her business, anything was possible right now. She was desperate, and
Austin Wylie’s money was as good as anyone else’s, maybe better. They weren’t
distinguished or elegant, but he obviously was worth a fortune, which Patrick Hughes
had confirmed.
“Of course,” she said, still taken aback by his interest and direct inquiry. He handed
her two of his business cards then and a gold pen, and asked her to put her number on
the back of the second one.
“I’ll call you,” he assured her, as she handed him the card back with her number on
it. “Soon,” he said, and walked across the patio to rescue his wife from Geoff. He was
practically salivating standing next to her as she thrust her breasts toward him, and they
were almost touching. She saw that Gloria had noticed it too and didn’t look pleased.
The couple left the party a few minutes later, having only come for cocktails with their
weekend hosts, since Daphne hadn’t had room for two more guests at dinner, when they
asked her. She rushed over to her mother then.
“I’m sorry, Mom, was that man hitting on you? We don’t know them. They’re
houseguests of people we hardly know.”
“He wasn’t hitting on me, it was just business. Apparently his wife loves my
clothes.”
“What does she do, cut them off to make them crotch-length?” Daphne commented.
“The dress she’s wearing is actually Chanel couture,” her mother informed her. “I
recognize it. It’s a tunic meant to be worn with see-through pants. She forgot the pants,
though,” Eugenia said, looking amused.
“She’s young enough to be his granddaughter, and she looks cheap,” Daphne said
with disapproval.
“True,” Eugenia agreed with her, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, and she was
rapidly becoming a beggar. If Austin Wylie wanted to invest in Eugenia Ward, or
Princess Eugenie, or both, she wanted to hear what he had to say, if he called her. She
wondered if he would.
“I sat you next to one of Phillip’s good friends tonight. He’s an incredibly nice man.
He’s had some tough times in the pandemic,” Daphne said, and then hurried off to speak
to the caterers and tell them it was time to sit down. It was nine-thirty, and a few
minutes later Eugenia found herself seated next to Patrick Hughes, who seemed happy to
see her. The man on her other side was a neighbor of Daphne and Phillip’s whom
Eugenia had met before, so she guessed that Phillip’s good friend who had had a hard
time in the pandemic was Patrick, and they had that in common, although she didn’t say
so.
“What did Wylie want, if it’s not indiscreet to ask? I saw him hand you his card.”
“He says he’s looking for an investment for his wife, and she loves my clothes,”
Eugenia said simply, and Patrick nodded.
“I don’t know if you’re looking for investors, and there’s certainly plenty of money
there. I’d just be very careful. I’ve always had an odd feeling about where his money
comes from. I don’t know him well, but his name comes up from time to time on
proposals I see. He tried to buy a commercial building from me a few years ago, and the
deal fell through when we wanted more detailed information from him, as part of our
due diligence. He vanished, which seemed smoky to me. It was a prime piece of real
estate and he didn’t care about the price, he agreed to it immediately. He’s certainly in
the big leagues,” Patrick commented.
They talked about other things then, art and travel, and Europe. He seemed like a
very straightforward, low-key person and she enjoyed talking to him. They were both
sorry when the dinner ended and they got up from the table.
“I don’t want to interfere with your plans, but I wonder if you and your family would
like to spend a day sailing with me. I have a boat here, and I’d love to have you all on
board. We’ve got all the water toys to keep everyone happy for a day sail.” The
invitation seemed warm and genuine.
“We’re a big group, there are ten of us.”
“The more the merrier. I’m very fond of Daphne and Phillip, and the others seem just
as much fun and just as charming.” It was a very appealing invitation, and she cautiously
agreed. “How would tomorrow be, if the weather cooperates? It’s supposed to be a
nice day, with a light wind, and if not we can motor, throw anchor for lunch in a cove
somewhere, and swim, waterski, whatever they want to do.”
“That sounds irresistible,” she said with a smile, and he looked delighted.
“I’ll work out the details with Daphne. I’ll send a van for you with one of my crew.
The yacht club is very near here,” he said, and a few minutes later he left, and Daphne
mentioned the plan to her before they went back to their house.
“That was sweet of Patrick to invite us on the boat,” she said.
“Is it safe for you?” her mother asked her.
“As long as I don’t fall overboard.” Daphne laughed, and the family left in the two
cars they had come in, Eugenia and Eloise with Gloria and Geoff in one, and Sofia and
Brad, Stefano and Liz in the other. Eugenia told her group about the invitation on the
way home.
“I can’t go, I get seasick looking at boats,” Geoff said immediately.
“I thought the British were first-class sailors,” Eugenia teased him a little.
“My ancestors were generals, not admirals. There is some belief that the Duke of
Wellington is a distant relative. I’d rather stay home and read by the pool,” he said
coolly.
“I’ll stay home with you,” Gloria volunteered immediately.
“You don’t need to. I can fend for myself for a day. I can go to the beach and take a
walk, or stay here. Have fun with your family. It will be a nice change for you,” and a
relief for them if he didn’t go.
Eugenia was just as happy he wasn’t coming, but she would be sorry if Gloria
wasn’t there to enjoy it. They were still debating it when they got out of the car and
headed to their house.
“I hope he doesn’t come,” Eloise whispered to her mother as they walked into the
main house.
“Me too,” she whispered back. “It’s too bad for Gloria if she doesn’t come.”
“It’s her choice, Mom,” Eloise reminded her.
“It was a lovely evening, wasn’t it? Daphne did a beautiful job putting it together.”
“Who was that weird guy I saw you talking to, with the diamond necklace and the
white croc boots and cowboy hat, with the woman who looked like a hooker? She had
an accent.”
“He’s a Texan named Austin Wylie. The woman is his wife, she’s Russian.”
“They stood out like overdecorated Christmas trees,” Eloise said wryly. “And
who’s the guy with the boat? He looked nice, if he was the man sitting next to you at
dinner.”
“He’s a friend of Phillip’s. It was kind of him to invite us.” Eugenia had enjoyed
talking to Patrick, he was very personable and easy.
“I hope the boat is big enough for all of us,” Eloise said, kissing her mother, and
headed to her room to watch a movie in bed. It helped her fall asleep at night.
“We’ll see tomorrow,” Eugenia said, thinking of Austin Wylie, and wondering if he
would call her about the investment. If he did, it was really the answer to her prayers.
She was still thinking about it when she fell asleep. She didn’t care how weird the
couple looked, she needed his money
