Chapter 8
Veronica was packed and ready to leave the apartment on Friday morning.
She had seen Anson for two hours the night before.
He was flying to Washington, D.C., by private jet later that night.
He had two charity events to attend, and meetings with his Armed Forces Committee on Monday morning, so she knew she wouldn’t see him all weekend, and she decided not to tell him about the weekend at the farm until Monday.
She didn’t want to spoil it by arguing with him, or having him forbid her to go.
She’d been looking forward to spending the weekend with her sisters ever since they’d planned it.
She had read two of her mother’s books that week.
She was picking Olivia up on the way. Olivia had gotten a substitute to handle her Friday classes.
She could have driven her own specially altered car with hand controls, but it would be nicer riding with Veronica and chatting on the way, and more relaxing for her.
She’d been busy since they last saw each other.
Isabelle had texted Veronica that she was going to drive herself, after Veronica offered to drive her.
Charlotte and Quinne were both coming after work.
Charlotte had important meetings, and would arrive by dinnertime.
Quinne had preproduction meetings for the new series based on their mother’s book.
The three who were arriving early were going to start dinner before Charlotte and Quinne got there.
Charlotte had promised to bring the wine for the weekend, and Quinne had ordered a cake, the mocha cake their mother loved, from the local bakery near the farm.
It sounded a little strange to admit that they were celebrating their mother’s birthday without her, but it was a good excuse to be together.
When Charlotte told Andy, he thought it was sweet and not weird at all.
It was a way to honor and remember Felicia.
Charlotte was going to ask the others if she could include Andy on Saturday night, but she hadn’t mentioned it yet.
Veronica knew they’d had dinner together several times, but the others didn’t know they were dating, and Charlotte was a little embarrassed to tell them, but they’d had a great time every time they went out.
He had even met Julia, and Charlotte was surprised that she’d been amazingly civil to him.
Everybody liked Andy, and so did she, more than she wanted to admit.
It was all happening very quickly, and so far seemed very promising.
“So how are things with you?” Veronica asked Olivia as they drove to Connecticut. Olivia sighed and glanced out the window for a few seconds before she answered.
“On the surface, great, I guess. What could be wrong? We just inherited a pile of money and a beautiful farm, our futures are secure forever, which they weren’t two months ago, but it seems weird and makes me feel uneasy that suddenly we’re rich women. I feel guilty whenever I think about it.”
“Guilty, why?” Veronica didn’t feel guilty, but she was still surprised. The shock hadn’t worn off yet.
“We didn’t earn it. It just landed on us like manna from heaven.”
“That’s what Mom wanted,” Veronica said gently. “She wanted to make things easy for us. Why don’t you just try to enjoy it?”
“I think I’ll feel better when I get the foundation set up, and I can start putting the money to good use.
Scott is drawing up the papers for me. That way, donors will get a tax deduction for what they give me to help others in need.
” She looked happier as she said it. “Have you seen him again?” Olivia asked, curious, and Veronica shook her head. Olivia meant Scott.
“We had a drink together a few weeks ago. I don’t think Anson would like it. I haven’t seen him since. He advised me about the classes I’m taking.”
“How does Anson feel about that?” Olivia had a feeling he wouldn’t be pleased.
“He doesn’t like it,” Veronica said. “But it’s important to do it.
I want to know what I’m doing when we look over Mom’s contracts in future.
With the body of work she left, it’s serious business, and at eighty-two, Robert won’t be around forever to advise us.
” What she said made perfect sense. Anson had dressed her in head-to-toe Dior and Chanel, but above all she was an intelligent woman, and would have made a very decent lawyer if she’d stuck with it.
The drive to Connecticut seemed shorter than previously. They had a lot to talk about, and Ellen had a platter of her perfect sandwiches waiting for them when they arrived.
After they ate and dropped their bags in their rooms, they went to the grocery store together.
Veronica treated Olivia like a human shopping cart, dropping their more fragile purchases on Olivia’s lap, while they argued harmlessly about brands, and how many chickens to cook for dinner.
They agreed on two, and the teenage boy at the checkout stand carried their purchases to the car for them when he saw Olivia in the chair, juggling the bags on her lap.
Ellen put it all away for them when they got home.
And they picked up the birthday cake Quinne had ordered at the local bakery.
The sisters were well organized, some of them more than others, a trait they had inherited from their mother.
Veronica and Olivia were relaxing in front of the fire in the living room when Isabelle arrived.
She looked rough. Veronica knew why and Olivia didn’t.
She was shocked by how thin and pale Isabelle looked.
Only Veronica knew that Ian had moved out.
“Have you been sick?” Olivia asked her, and Isabelle shook her head.
“No, just busy with the kids.” Veronica knew it wasn’t true, and Olivia didn’t challenge her, but Isabelle looked noticeably worn out and was very quiet. She went to her room shortly after she arrived, to unpack her things and settle in.
“She looks terrible,” Olivia whispered to Veronica, after their younger sister left the room. “Things must be worse with Ian.”
“Kids that age are very wearing, that’s why I don’t have any,” Veronica said smugly, and Olivia laughed. “I guess we both got lucky on that,” she said with a grin, but she was worried about her sister.
The afternoon drifted by. Veronica went for a walk with Olivia rolling beside her. They’d gone to find Isabelle in her room before they went out and she was sound asleep on her bed.
“Poor thing,” Olivia whispered, as they closed the door softly and left for their walk.
By the time they got back it was dark outside, and Quinne arrived, happy to see them. Isabelle was awake by then, and had come downstairs looking better. She had called the sitter and the children were fine. And Quinne was excited to see them.
Olivia put the chickens in the oven and Isabelle set a pretty table for them. Charlotte arrived while they were all talking and laughing in the kitchen. She smiled when she saw them.
“Mom would love this, wouldn’t she?” They all agreed as she opened the wine she’d brought and handed each of them a glass.
“I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks,” she said, and they wandered into the library and made themselves comfortable on the chairs and an ottoman, and the couch facing the fire.
They were quiet for a minute, thinking about their mother, paying silent tribute to her, and Charlotte spoke with a sigh.
“If Mom were here, I’d be arguing with her.
I was such an idiot with her. I hated admitting it when she was right.
And she always was, dammit, or most of the time.
” She wondered what Felicia would think of her budding friendship with Andy, and had a feeling she would like it.
It was nice knowing that. She had had to reach the age of forty-two, and her mother had to die, in order for Charlotte to understand that what motivated Felicia more than anything was wanting them to be happy, and she had devoted her life to that.
They had all noticed that Charlotte seemed more relaxed and happier than she had been in a long time.
She didn’t have any wars to report. She wasn’t furious with anyone, wasn’t angry at an employee or a friend, and said that Julia had been adorable ever since their trip to Paris.
They had turned a corner in their relationship and Julia was a pleasure to be with at the moment.
And Charlotte had been on good terms with Sean when he went back to college.
Olivia and Veronica finished preparing the dinner, and Veronica told them about her classes at Columbia. She looked excited and happy when she talked about them, and Charlotte looked at her questioningly.
“How does Anson feel about that?” she asked her, and Veronica paused before she answered.
“He’s not happy about it.” She didn’t want to lie to her sisters.
“Maybe he feels threatened by it,” Quinne suggested.
“I think so.” Veronica sighed.
“Have you told him why you’re taking the classes?” Olivia asked her. “Because of Mom’s books, and the contracts we’ll have to approve. You’re already a lawyer. You can translate them to us so we understand them.”
“I haven’t gone into detail,” Veronica admitted.
“I haven’t told him about the Morgan Reed books.
He still thinks she just edited them, not that she wrote them.
I said that I wanted to understand her contracts better, but he has no idea the magnitude of her career. It’s a lot to tell him all at once.”
“Have you told him about the farm?” Charlotte asked then, and Veronica sighed again.
“Yes, and no. I said that we had inherited a farm, after I spent New Year’s here, but he has no idea that it’s an estate like this one. He thinks it’s some dumpy little farmhouse she left us.”
“It sounds like you’ve left a lot out,” Charlotte said quietly.