elaborate big deal of getting the old lady seated in one of the chairs, then conferring with Rollo in a low, unintelligible murmur. I decided that it was time for me to stop waiting for permission to sit down. So I went to the window-seat at the bay windows that fronted onto the street. I gazed out imploringly. Where the hell was my lawyer? He was late, that’s what.
Every time I sneaked a peek at the others from under my lowered lashes, they glanced away, which meant they’d been sizing me up, too. I couldn’t help thinking that we looked like a fairly ghoulish family oil painting. First, Rollo Jr., who’d loomed so large in the family lore, sounding so vaguely diabolical and threatening that I’d expected him to be tall and shadowy, lean and mean. I was completely unprepared for a paunchy, rather dissolute-looking, somewhat pathetic aging-playboy type with overly wavy graying hair, and bags under the eyes, his stomach hanging over his belt, altogether looking a bit like, well, actually like Elvis in his later “fat” years as seen in those old record-collection commercials. He was decorously attentive to his mum. Great-Aunt Dorothy was a little birdlike lady with silver hair teased into the bubble shape that women of her generation favor. She seemed dainty but not fragile, with one of her tiny bird-claw hands clutching a silver-topped walking stick. I could see how she might indeed have been a formidable sister-in-law to Grandma and Great-Aunt Penelope. And finally there was me, little Penny Nichols, trying to appear all grown-up, but probably looking as if I was waiting to be interviewed for a job I knew I wouldn’t get.
Jeremy and his associates entered just seconds later. It felt like an eternity, but technically I suppose they were spot-on time.The atmosphere in the room changed tangibly.There was no mistaking the shift in power, revealing that Jeremy’s team was in charge of this meeting. He introduced me to Harold, the senior partner, an older gray-haired guy with confident gray eyes. Then Severine, their French legal expert, an attractive woman in a bold white silk suit and white pumps, with huge brown eyes and shiny dark hair pulled into a perfect twist; she looked to be Jeremy’s age and had the confidence that comes first from being a French female and second from having enough expertise to impress her male colleagues. Rupert, the younger guy who’d let me in, was told that he could go back to the office, once it was clear that all the necessary papers were here. He gave me a bashful smile, as if his lesser importance had suddenly been revealed to me. All in all, a good team to look after my mother’s interests, I thought.
Jeremy politely introduced me to Great-Aunt Dorothy and Rollo. Now that I was being formally presented, Rollo looked up with a blameless expression and said, “Yes, of course,” with a tolerant kind of nod. His mother, forced to acknowledge my presence at last, gave me a wide smile of exaggerated delight, as if she’d just been presented with a new parlor maid.
Subtly but forcefully, Jeremy and his team took over the glass-topped table with their papers, and put three chairs behind it, where they sat. Severine settled in with the calm attitude of one who will participate only if called upon. Grudgingly, the other lawyers withdrew to the remaining chairs in the semicircle. One was empty, which made it mine. Jeremy saw me hesitate, and gave me an infinitesimal but reassuring nod.Then Harold began to read the will aloud, starting with a preamble about where Great-Aunt Penelope resided, the date, et cetera.
The entire roomful of people seemed collectively to be holding their breath. I dutifully listened closely to the legalese and, for my mother’s sake, tried to figure out exactly what was going on, and to be a good representative of her interests.Yet I couldn’t help it—what fascinated me about Great-Aunt Penelope’s will was the same thing that fascinates me about history
Every time I sneaked a peek at the others from under my lowered lashes, they glanced away, which meant they’d been sizing me up, too. I couldn’t help thinking that we looked like a fairly ghoulish family oil painting. First, Rollo Jr., who’d loomed so large in the family lore, sounding so vaguely diabolical and threatening that I’d expected him to be tall and shadowy, lean and mean. I was completely unprepared for a paunchy, rather dissolute-looking, somewhat pathetic aging-playboy type with overly wavy graying hair, and bags under the eyes, his stomach hanging over his belt, altogether looking a bit like, well, actually like Elvis in his later “fat” years as seen in those old record-collection commercials. He was decorously attentive to his mum. Great-Aunt Dorothy was a little birdlike lady with silver hair teased into the bubble shape that women of her generation favor. She seemed dainty but not fragile, with one of her tiny bird-claw hands clutching a silver-topped walking stick. I could see how she might indeed have been a formidable sister-in-law to Grandma and Great-Aunt Penelope. And finally there was me, little Penny Nichols, trying to appear all grown-up, but probably looking as if I was waiting to be interviewed for a job I knew I wouldn’t get.
Jeremy and his associates entered just seconds later. It felt like an eternity, but technically I suppose they were spot-on time.The atmosphere in the room changed tangibly.There was no mistaking the shift in power, revealing that Jeremy’s team was in charge of this meeting. He introduced me to Harold, the senior partner, an older gray-haired guy with confident gray eyes. Then Severine, their French legal expert, an attractive woman in a bold white silk suit and white pumps, with huge brown eyes and shiny dark hair pulled into a perfect twist; she looked to be Jeremy’s age and had the confidence that comes first from being a French female and second from having enough expertise to impress her male colleagues. Rupert, the younger guy who’d let me in, was told that he could go back to the office, once it was clear that all the necessary papers were here. He gave me a bashful smile, as if his lesser importance had suddenly been revealed to me. All in all, a good team to look after my mother’s interests, I thought.
Jeremy politely introduced me to Great-Aunt Dorothy and Rollo. Now that I was being formally presented, Rollo looked up with a blameless expression and said, “Yes, of course,” with a tolerant kind of nod. His mother, forced to acknowledge my presence at last, gave me a wide smile of exaggerated delight, as if she’d just been presented with a new parlor maid.
Subtly but forcefully, Jeremy and his team took over the glass-topped table with their papers, and put three chairs behind it, where they sat. Severine settled in with the calm attitude of one who will participate only if called upon. Grudgingly, the other lawyers withdrew to the remaining chairs in the semicircle. One was empty, which made it mine. Jeremy saw me hesitate, and gave me an infinitesimal but reassuring nod.Then Harold began to read the will aloud, starting with a preamble about where Great-Aunt Penelope resided, the date, et cetera.
The entire roomful of people seemed collectively to be holding their breath. I dutifully listened closely to the legalese and, for my mother’s sake, tried to figure out exactly what was going on, and to be a good representative of her interests.Yet I couldn’t help it—what fascinated me about Great-Aunt Penelope’s will was the same thing that fascinates me about history
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