Chapter 16
Hannah enjoyed the rest of the week shadowing Natalie. Spencer mostly ignored them and focused on his own work. He was very busy, though, so Hannah couldn’t fault him for that. Friday morning she sat in with Donna as she met with a woman who was getting a divorce. It was a messy one as she’d been married for close to thirty years. And the wife was the one who wanted the divorce.
“Are you sure that you and Alan can’t work things out? Divorce is an expensive and permanent solution to what could be a temporary problem. You could try counseling,” Donna suggested. She turned to Hannah and added, “Christine and I go way back, at least twenty years, right?”
“At least that,” Christine agreed. “And we’re done. We’re long past the counseling stage. We tried that a few years ago. It helped for a month or two and then we fell back into our old patterns. We just grew apart.” She grinned. “And I met Ron.”
“Ron? You didn’t mention anything about another man on our call.” Donna sounded surprised.
“I thought that would be better told in person. We’re in love. He’s a little younger than me.” She almost giggled when she said it.
Donna raised her eyebrows. “How old is he?”
“Thirty-eight. He’s my Pilates instructor. We just have so much in common. It couldn’t be denied.”
Hannah smiled. If she wrote this as a storyline her editor would tell her it was too far-fetched. Christine was almost twenty years older than her boyfriend. It wasn’t unusual when it was the man who was older, but it was rare to see it the other way around. Hannah immediately wondered if Christine was rich and then felt guilty for the thought.
But Donna didn’t hesitate to bring it up. “Does he have any idea how wealthy you are?”
“I don’t think so. We’ve never discussed it. He does know where I live and that I intend to keep living there once the divorce is final.”
“So, he’s seen your waterfront mansion on its double-sized lot, with its dock and private beach? That has to be worth at least four million, I would think?” Hannah was a little shocked at Donna’s bluntness, but figured as her friend she probably had a good idea of the value, and as Christine’s lawyer, she needed to know.
“Five, actually. I just had it appraised last week. Alan wants to keep the lake house in New Hampshire. That’s fine with me.”
“How is Alan doing with all of this?” Donna asked.
“I think he’s relieved, to tell you the truth. He wants to get on with his life, too.”
“Is he seeing someone?”
“Not that I know of. He’s just been spending a lot of time with his former college roommate, Brian, who moved back to Chatham. The two of them have been inseparable. Brian just got divorced a year ago, so they’ve been catching up. Alan will be fine.”
“Well, at least you’re not wanting to kill each other like some of my clients. Divorces are stressful enough without constant fighting.”
“Oh, Alan and I get along just fine. We just don’t want to be married anymore.”
Donna asked a series of questions after that, jotting down information about all of Christine’s assets and how they wanted to split things up. When they finished, Donna told Hannah she’d be right back and went to walk Christine to the door.
“Nice to meet you, Hannah,” Christine said pleasantly. She then turned her attention back to Donna. “I’ll be seeing you at the gala Saturday night, right?”
Donna stopped short. “Oh, shoot. I forgot all about that. I bought those tickets so long ago. Bill and I won’t be able to make it. We’re actually going off-Cape to a wedding.”
“Oh, too bad. It’s going to be more over-the-top than usual this year. Be sure to give your tickets to someone who can enjoy it.”
“Of course.” Donna walked her out and then returned a few minutes later.
“So, that wasn’t your typical divorce, but I suppose it’s good for you to see the unusual ones, too. There’s generally more bitterness and regret. Sometimes even violence. Frankly, I wouldn’t mind having more like this one. I don’t remember the last time I saw Christine so happy.”
“I hope it works out for her,” Hannah said.
“Hmm, the odds are against it, but you never know. She’s happy now and that’s a good thing. All right, let’s head back to our desks.” They left the conference room and as soon as Donna saw that Spencer and Natalie were off the phone she walked over to their desks.
“Do the two of you have plans Saturday night?”
“No plans,” Spencer said.
“I am heading off-Cape to see a friend,” Natalie said. “Why, what’s going on?”
Donna looked at Hannah. “What about you? Are you free Saturday night?”
“I am.”
“Good. The two of you can take my tickets for the Chatham Gala. It’s at the Chatham Bars Inn and it starts at six with champagne and appetizers on the lawn. It’s a charity thing, for a good cause, the local animal shelter, I think. Christine runs it every year and she said it’s going to be the best ever this year.”
“Is it a dinner?” Spencer asked.
“It’s a five-course wine dinner and a silent auction. The tickets are already paid for. Bill and I always go but we’re double-booked this year. One of his nieces is getting married. So, will the two of you go?”
“Together?” Hannah said. She couldn’t imagine that Spencer would want to go to an event like that with just her.
Donna gave her a funny look. “Yes, of course together. The tickets are already paid for. Just go and have fun. It would be a shame to waste them.”
“Okay, thank you,” Spencer and Hannah both said at the same time.
Natalie looked back and forth between the two of them and her eyes glimmered with mischief. “Great, it’s a date then. You guys are going to have a blast.”
Spencer looked unsure about that. But he smiled. “It sounds fun. Hannah, I can swing by and pick you up at twenty to six, if that works.”
The Chatham Bars Inn was less than a mile down the road from her aunt’s house. “Sure, that’s perfect.”
Natalie invited Spencer and Donna to join them for after-work drinks, but Spencer already had plans with friends and Donna had dinner cooking in her Crock-Pot.
“We want an early night tonight as we’re heading out first thing in the morning. Bill’s niece lives in upstate New York,” she explained.
Since it was just the two of them, and Hannah had told Natalie earlier that she had nothing to wear for the gala, they decided to do a little shopping first before having that after-work drink. They walked down Main Street to one of Natalie’s favorite boutiques, If the Shoe Fits.
“It’s not just shoes, though their shoes are fabulous. They have some interesting pieces there and you might find a good dress. If not, definitely shoes,” Natalie assured her.
Hannah found both. They walked into the store and as soon as she entered, a dress displayed on the wall beckoned to her. It was cocktail length in a rich shade of shimmery gold. It was sleeveless, and had a high neckline that came to her collarbone. It tied in the back and the dress fell in a straight line. It was simple and very flattering. And Natalie found the perfect pair of dressy sandals to match. They had a kitten heel and the cut was both elegant and fun at the same time, as there was a fluff of cream-colored threads that swished when she walked.
“You look gorgeous!” Natalie said as Hannah walked back and forth in the shoes. The material of the dress was so soft. She was starting to feel excited about this event. Even though it wasn’t a real date, it would be fun to dress up and enjoy a delicious dinner. Hannah had looked up the event information online and the wines were all from a top California winery and there was a different wine to match every course.
“Okay, this is perfect. Now I don’t have to spend tomorrow shopping for something to wear. I’m ready for a glass of wine at the Squire.”
Natalie laughed. “I am so ready, let’s go.”