Chapter 5 The Media Play
Chapter5 The Media Play
The Mother of the Groom
“Hi, dear.”
“Hi, Mom,” Chase said, for once at a normal volume, not in a hushed tone that suggested he was in a car heading somewhere
downtown with his boss. “Do you have a sec?”
“Yes,” said Abigail. “I’m glad you called; I have very exciting news about the engagement party. But you go first.”
“I wanted to let you know that Penny’s mom’s old friend Simon Fox will be joining us for the party. You know, the British
guy I told you about? He’s in New York for business, so I hope you don’t mind if Penny invites him.”
Mind? My goodness, she was thrilled. A real-life British lord at her drinks party. He would understand the concept of drinks
and mixed nuts only. She had wanted to keep it tight—time-wise and money-wise. Plus, she could show him which properties in
the neighborhood the British had burned to the ground during the Revolution. How exciting! “Of course not. We’re delighted
to have Penny’s godfather ,” she said with a wink. Could he be Penny’s real father?
“Mom, please, please, don’t make a big deal of this.”
“Of course not. It’s our secret. But I am looking forward to meeting Lord Simon Fox. Do you know who else will want to meet him? My special guest, Bernadette Caruso. She was my roommate at Ethel Walker. Then I went to Bryn Mawr and she went on to Barnard and Columbia J school and then the Times , of course. Now she’s the Aunt B, the wedding guru. Her coverage of society weddings is sublime. She’s old school when it comes to weddings, but new
school when it comes to media. Aunt B is going to be at the party. Do you know who she is?”
“Yes, Mom. You’ve mentioned her a million times. And every woman I know has quoted Aunt B about something since we started
telling our friends we’re engaged. It’s like they memorize her columns,” Chase said with a mix of admiration and bemusement.
“Will she be there in a professional capacity? Is she covering the engagement party?”
“I don’t know exactly. I think she’s thinking about covering the wedding, so she’s surveilling the party to make sure it’s
up to her standards. At least she still has standards, not like the New York Times , which doesn’t even print the names of the parents and grandparents in the ‘Vows’ section anymore. Who are these people getting
married in a barn? We don’t know.”
“Mom, please don’t say stuff like that out loud this weekend.” Chase laughed.
“You know I won’t. I just miss the old days when lineage mattered. But Bernadette does live right up the coast in Niantic.
A Fair Harbor wedding would be an easy trip for her.”
There was a substantial pause on the other end of the phone. Chase was making calculations, which was literally his job. Every day, he maneuvered the mayor of New York to this meeting or that meeting. One interview over another. To lunch with this donor instead of coffee with that advocacy group. Every minute was a considered choice, and now his mother was offering up an unexpected option of her own: coverage. He decided to tread carefully. No reason to put his foot down just yet. “Remember, Mom, this is Penny’s wedding. And she wants to make it significant for her and her mom, so that may mean California.”
“It’s your wedding, too. And Connecticut is significant to you and to me. Plus, wouldn’t an article about your tasteful wedding
benefit your career?” Abigail wasn’t naive about her son’s ambitions. His comment about running for office had been top of
mind over the last two weeks. Well, not quite top of mind. Roping in Bernadette and scouring the RealReal for designer mother
of the groom dresses at a bargain were number one and number two. And ordering the monogrammed cocktail napkins and securing
a decent bartender for the party were numbers three and four. But supporting her son’s future, even if it did include working
for a loudmouth like Timmo Lynch, was in the top five of her concerns. “And don’t pretend you don’t know that. Penny’s in
public relations, so she gets it, too. Tell her Aunt B will be there and I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.”
Another pause. “You didn’t pitch Aunt B on the British lord connection, did you?”
“Of course I didn’t,” she snapped. Of course she had. Vaguely. In her note to Bernie, she referred to Lord Fox as a beloved
godfather and dear family friend, possibly more. “The point is that Bernie’s coming as are many other lovely and socially
prominent people who want to meet Penny and wish you both the best. Think of the party that way and you’ll both enjoy it.”
Chase was silent for a beat. “Sounds good, Mom. Penny and I appreciate your effort.” Now he was back in chief of staff mode.
“We’re looking forward to dinner Friday night with Penny’s mother. And what time should Sarah pick you up at the train station
on Sunday? Have you made your plans?” She tried to keep her voice light and breezy but she’d be furious if they hadn’t thought
through the train schedule. The party was an efficient ninety minutes. Being late wasn’t an option. They had to be there before
guests arrived and stay until they all left.
“Penny booked a car. We’re leaving the city to be there in plenty of time. She said her mother really doesn’t do public transportation.”
A car! For the whole evening! The expense seemed outrageous. She could have ordered the beef tenderloin platter or the mini
crab cakes, maybe both, with the cost of the car service from the city. The waste. When the quiet car on the train seemed
fine. Still, Abigail managed to zip it. “How lovely. It’s drinks and nuts at the party. But I’ve some sandwiches and salad
for all of us after the guests leave.”
“Oh, that’s okay. We’re headed back into the city for a late dinner with Simon. Penny’s people eat late, especially in the
summer. She always says there’s on time and Greek time. I’m learning.”
Abigail tried not to sound deflated, outdone by European sensibilities. Did she still have time to cancel the order for the
Caesar salad with grilled shrimp from Nutmeg? She hoped so. “We have so much to learn about Penny’s family, don’t we?”
“I gotta go.” Chase’s standard sign-off.
“Bye. See you—” The phone call ended. “Friday.”