Chapter 18
Thalia
NOLAN HAWTHORNE SR'S New York City townhouse was both grand and understated. It was built during the gilded age, and the old man had maintained the style and only modifying it to meet current day standards. The townhouse was to be the stage for the annual Hawthorne family thanksgiving dinner. It would be the first time I attended. I couldn't make it last year, because I was taking care of my mother. This year, I had no excuse.
All of Nolan Hawthorne's children were there except three. Ivy, who, according to Carey ran away from the family and chose to do it on her own sans the family fortune. Her name was banned from our lips. Levi was at Cambridge working on his Masters, and Raine, the youngest of the family, was at boarding school. The rest, Nolan Jr, Carey's oldest brother, Ty and Seb, Carey's youngest brothers were here.
Nolan Sr sat at the head of the table, while Jacqueline sat on the other end. Carey sat next to Jacqueline and I next to him. Beside me was Seb. On the other side, Nolan Jr sat next to his father and Ty next to him. The two Nolans had been preoccupied with each other ever since we arrived, and whenever I caught snippets of their conversation, it was always business related. Ty and Seb had their own thing going on while Carey forgot I existed. Jacqueline was content simply observing people around her and occasionally fishing complements for the food.
"Wonderful food," Ty said to Jacqueline. Seb snickered. Jacqueline beamed. "Thank you, Ty. I love cooking for all of you." if she caught the mocking tone in Ty's voice, she didn't show it. The food was good, but it wasn't because of her cooking. Three chefs in the kitchen were busting their balls to make this meal.
"And you Thalia, you look like you're enjoying your food?"
I was in the middle of grabbing a bowl of stew and felt like I was a glutton caught at the buffet. I flashed my best smile. "It's amazing. You did great work."
"Thanks. The menu is my mother's. She's Greek. You've been eating a lot. Are you eating for two perhaps? Your belly looked a little…" She made a curving gesture at her stomach.
Was my stomach that big? I had gained a little weight after losing a considerable sum when my mother died. I was only gaining the weight I had lost not much more. Beside me, I felt Carey stiffen and turned to him. He was probably thinking about the deal I made with his father. I glanced at Nolan Sr and he seemed oblivious to our conversation. His head was leaning over to his eldest son and listening intently to what he was saying.
"Uh… There's no baby. Yet." I flashed a weary smile.
"Oh." Jacqueline looked a little disappointed. "You look a little round, I thought it had something to do with a baby." Heat crept into my cheeks. "You should be careful you know," she continued, "one donut a day and you will find yourself in the plus size section of the clothing store. Your people especially tend to balloon at the hips."
Carey slammed the table bringing everyone to silence. "Leave my wife alone."
Jacqueline choked. "I was simply stating facts darling, I didn't mean anything by it."
"Her body is perfectly fine the way it is. Now can you get off her back?"
"Carey?" she sounded wounded.
"Jacqueline." Carey's voice was hard and unyielding.
The silence deepened. You could hear a pin drop. I had hard time chewing the food that was already in my mouth in case I made too much noise. All eyes were on Carey and Jacqueline. All waiting to see who folded first.
Jacqueline's mouth widened into a tight smile and she leaned over to me. "You look like a million bucks darling. I was only wondering when we will see the first of the next Hawthorne generation."
"There's already one child around," Ty muttered. Few heard him or everyone did but they all pretended not to. They must be talking about Ivy's child. All I knew, and most of it was from Darcy, was that Ivy cut herself off from the family and had a child soon after. Darcy doesn't believe she had the child after, but before. She thinks Ivy was cut off from the family because of an affair she had with an employee of the family. But the father of the child was either too poor or too chicken shit to take care of the baby. Whatever the case, Nolan Sr pretended the child did not exist.
"I hope you're trying," Nolan Sr boomed, "Time's ticking." His gaze landed on me for the first time that day. Was he threatening me? It certainly sounded like a threat even though he was chuckling as he spoke.
"There's still time," Carey said, his tone as steely as it was when he was addressing Jacqueline.
Nolan Hawthorne seemed to begrudgingly pull back. We were soon forgotten as the conversation around the table moved to other topics. I leaned over to Carey and whispered, "Thank you."
"It wasn't for your benefit." He didn't turn to face me. His gaze was solidly on his plate. "I don't want them harassing me about a child I am never going to give them. They need to know that."
"Well, thanks anyway."
Carey and I didn't speak after that. My attention turned to Ty who seemed more than happy to talk to me about anything and everything regarding his degree. Ty and Seb were both majoring in architectural design and planned on opening a firm together after they were done with school. Out of the four brothers present, Ty and Seb were the ones their parents cared the least to interfere in their lives. I don't think I remember Nolan Sr asking after them.
After we finished lunch, we moved into what I could best call a sitting room. There was a large fireplace in the middle of the wall. Above it was a Picasso painting. Picasso was one of the few artists I could recognize, and just like the rest of the townhouse, this room was reminiscent of Old New York. Mahogany panels, red sofas and oak, bow legged tables.
We were served alcoholic beverages, I chose what Carey chose, bourbon on ice, awful choice. The drink was smooth down the throat and clearly tasted expensive. Expensive gasoline. I sat down on one of the plush sofas, nursed my drink and pretended to look at something important on my phone.
"You know, I've just now realized that you and I have ever rarely spoken to each other. I should rectify that. You're family after all."I turned to see Nolan Jr sitting next to me. He had a glass of bourbon in his hand, though he didn't seem to be struggling with it as I was. He looked friendly and relaxed.
I don't think I consider myself that yet. It feels awkward after all to call myself one of them when I spent so many years on the outside looking in. I darted my gaze around the room. Seb, Ty and Jacqueline were talking in a circle together. Carey huddled in the corner of the room with his father. "It doesn't feel like it," I said to Nolan Jr.
He followed my gaze and chuckled. "We can be a little cliquey sometimes, but trust me, we are a warm bunch once you get used to us. Well," he cocked his head to the side, "My father and mother excluded."
I giggled, and he did the same.
"You know, I didn't think Carey would finally do it, but I am glad he did."
I took a sip of the awful drink, not fully taking in what he was talking about. "He did what?"
"Marry you?"
"Huh?"
"Your long term will they or won't they was excruciating to watch as an outsider."
I almost choked on my drink. "My relationship with Carey was nothing of the sort."
Nolan Jr rolled his eyes. "Don't act like you two haven't been blue balling each other ever since you were teenagers."
I shook my head refusing this reality that never existed.
He tilted his head to the side. "Come on. I know you would explicitly choose to clean his room just so you could tempt him. And my brother didn't have to go to school using the same route that had your school when it took him ten more minutes to get to school."
"That's not what--" I tried to formulate a rebuttal, but I couldn't think of one. I had no idea that it was Carey who had specifically chosen that route. "I thought my father asked him."
"Your father asked my father if he could drop you off closer to your school. Not at the school. But what did you two do in his room when we went there."
"But I didn't ask to clean his room. I just cleaned whatever happened to be on the roaster."
Nolan Jr, smiled as though realizing something for the first time. "That little fucker." His gaze went to Carey. "So he had your duties changed as well. I had no idea my brother was that down bad."
My cheeks warmed, and it was not because of the bourbon.
"Looks like he finally got the balls to claim you."
I felt like an imposter. Carey was forced to marry me. Nolan thinking the opposite made me want to correct the record. At least he of all people would understand the situation we were in. "Carey and I didn't… We are not. Your father…"
"Forced the union. I know. He brags about it a lot. But trust me, no one makes Carey do what he doesn't want to. Including my father."
"I don't know. Your father can be domineering."
"He is a force unto himself, that is true," Nolan glanced at Carey and his father. "He has always had his sights on Carey becoming president, it's fucking wild."
"Do you think Carey wants it?"Carey turned his gaze on us and his eyes narrowed.
"The career my father has planned for him ever since he won first prize in a debate competition in the second grade?" Nolan shrugged. "You know him better than me."
I laughed. "Me?"
"Your lives have always revolved around one another."
"Me and Carey?" The mere idea sounded ludicrous on its face. Carey and I rarely spent time together outside of those trips we made to school. Carey made it a point of avoiding me. He went so far as to make sure his friends didn't speak to me. Hell, for all of Nolan's assumptions that Carey somehow influenced my duties so I could clean be the one to clean his room, Carey and I rarely spoke during those times.
"That's probably what my father saw."
"I think you and your father, not only have similar names, but similar delusions."
It was Nolan's turn to laugh."If you think your husband hasn't been obsessed with you ever since the first day he saw you, you are the one who's deluded, sister-in-law."
"What's so funny?" Carey materialized in front of us. A slight scowl on his face. He was glaring at Nolan.
"Nothing. Just me and my little sister-in-law getting to know each other."
He glared at Nolan, and some brotherly telepathic communication passed between them. Nolan raised his hands in mock surrender and got up. Smirking at me, he said, "See?"
I had no time to decipher what he could mean by that because Carey then said, "Father wants us in his study."
"You and me?" I asked hoping he was talking to Nolan.
"Who esle."
"What were you two talking about?" Carey asked as we made our way to the study.
"Nothing." I couldn't exactly tell him we were talking about him.
"It didn't look like nothing." Carey sounded angry. His footsteps were large and I had to run a little to keep up pace.
"He was being friendly that's all."
"He can be friendly with anyone else and not my wife." His tone was harsh and surprising.
"Carey he's your brother."
"Who is also a womanizer who sniffs around anything in a dress."
I was too shocked with his behaviour to even respond. Nolan's smirk came to mind. He could not be right. No. It didn't make any sense.
Carey's father was already there when we got to the study. He was perched on the side of his desk looking even more domineering than ever despite his frailty. "You two are shirking your duties," he said as soon as Carey closed the door. I had barely made two steps across the threshold when he began speaking.
"If this is about the campaign, dad I told you I can't start now. The time is not right."
"I am talking about her!" he pointed at me. Specifically, my stomach. "Why does she not have a baby bump!"