want to find myself in another nursery situation, being told that Daddy knows best only this time Daddy is some lawyer that I’ve never met, some faceless man who’s sitting in the middle of the Atlantic.”
“Now, Clare, no criticism of Daddy Billy,” Buzz warned. She hated this name Billy O’Dare had given himself, she suspected because he couldn’t bear to think of himself as old enough to be a grandfather.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to criticize Daddy Billy,” Clare said quickly, but she knew that this was an important conversation with her grandmother, so she leaned towards Elinor and said, “I’m only trying to be truthful, Gran. I don’t like ‘this ideaf “Adam’s gone to all this trouble Elinor repeated faintly.
“But why didn’t you discuss the idea with us beforehand, if w6’re to be the beneficiaries?” Clare protested.
“I told you. Because Adam knows best, dear. He’s an expert. I pay him to think about these things carefully and decide, and it would be foolish not to take his advice.”
“Miranda doesn’t treat Adam with such deference,” Clare pointed out. She couldn’t understand why her grandmother had never had confidence in her own decision-making, had never trusted her own instincts and judgement.
“Clare,” Elinor said, “please show a little more respect for Adam! I am so sorry, Adam”
“I wish you’d stop treating us like children,” Clare cried.
“You sound just like you did when we were little. Whenever we questioned some decision, you always said, “Because Daddy knows best”I It wasn’t a logical answer then, and it still isn’t. Can’t you see that, Gran? Why do you always say, “Because Adam knows best’T “Because he does,” Elinor said firmly.
“You’ve always taken some man’s advice, and you’ve always managed to produce some good reason for doing so.” Clare wondered whether this was her grandmother’s way of trying to avoid final responsibility for her actions.
“Now, now, Clare,” Buzz said reprovingly.
“You ain’t writing Wuthering Heights.” This was a gentle family joke, used when Elinor became over dramatic
Equally anxious to defuse the situation, Annabel the family peacemaker-spoke up. “I’d also like to ask a question. Could this trust set up awards, burs aries things like that Annabel, who remembered Elinor’s beaming pride when the University of Minneapolis asked her to donate her manuscripts to their library, continued.
“For instance, could the trust use some of this money to set up an annual Elinor Dove prize a literary award on a popular level a really big award that couldn’t be ignored by reviewers who sneer at popular fiction? And how about an Elinor Dove travelling scholarship for the most promising first novel of the year, and a few more similar things that would impress the literary world?” Clare burst out, “You can’t be serious, Annabel! Anything like that would make the literary world see Gran as an even bigger” Buzz stood up.
“That’s enough, Clare! If you can’t behave, you’d better leave.”
“Am I being told to leave the room like a disobedient child?” Clare retorted.
“That’s about it,” Buzz said levelly. Clare’s the one that’s most like Elinor, she thought to herself. Got that same” passionate, extra stubborn, extra strong, and wilful nature.
Nobody spoke. Everyone watched Elinor. In the stormy silence, Elinor croaked, “If you are so dismissive of my work, my money, my advisers, and their plan for the future, then perhaps you would prefer not to participate in it, Clare. You need not be named as a trust beneficiary.”
“That’s okay by ineP Clare’s lips trembled. She was damned if she was going to be manipulated like this. And she certainly wasn’t going to cry in front of Adam.
Adam said reprovingly, “I think you had better apologize to your grandmother, Clare.” Clare stood up and silently left the room. Adam coughed.
“Elinor, do you wish
“Now, Clare, no criticism of Daddy Billy,” Buzz warned. She hated this name Billy O’Dare had given himself, she suspected because he couldn’t bear to think of himself as old enough to be a grandfather.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to criticize Daddy Billy,” Clare said quickly, but she knew that this was an important conversation with her grandmother, so she leaned towards Elinor and said, “I’m only trying to be truthful, Gran. I don’t like ‘this ideaf “Adam’s gone to all this trouble Elinor repeated faintly.
“But why didn’t you discuss the idea with us beforehand, if w6’re to be the beneficiaries?” Clare protested.
“I told you. Because Adam knows best, dear. He’s an expert. I pay him to think about these things carefully and decide, and it would be foolish not to take his advice.”
“Miranda doesn’t treat Adam with such deference,” Clare pointed out. She couldn’t understand why her grandmother had never had confidence in her own decision-making, had never trusted her own instincts and judgement.
“Clare,” Elinor said, “please show a little more respect for Adam! I am so sorry, Adam”
“I wish you’d stop treating us like children,” Clare cried.
“You sound just like you did when we were little. Whenever we questioned some decision, you always said, “Because Daddy knows best”I It wasn’t a logical answer then, and it still isn’t. Can’t you see that, Gran? Why do you always say, “Because Adam knows best’T “Because he does,” Elinor said firmly.
“You’ve always taken some man’s advice, and you’ve always managed to produce some good reason for doing so.” Clare wondered whether this was her grandmother’s way of trying to avoid final responsibility for her actions.
“Now, now, Clare,” Buzz said reprovingly.
“You ain’t writing Wuthering Heights.” This was a gentle family joke, used when Elinor became over dramatic
Equally anxious to defuse the situation, Annabel the family peacemaker-spoke up. “I’d also like to ask a question. Could this trust set up awards, burs aries things like that Annabel, who remembered Elinor’s beaming pride when the University of Minneapolis asked her to donate her manuscripts to their library, continued.
“For instance, could the trust use some of this money to set up an annual Elinor Dove prize a literary award on a popular level a really big award that couldn’t be ignored by reviewers who sneer at popular fiction? And how about an Elinor Dove travelling scholarship for the most promising first novel of the year, and a few more similar things that would impress the literary world?” Clare burst out, “You can’t be serious, Annabel! Anything like that would make the literary world see Gran as an even bigger” Buzz stood up.
“That’s enough, Clare! If you can’t behave, you’d better leave.”
“Am I being told to leave the room like a disobedient child?” Clare retorted.
“That’s about it,” Buzz said levelly. Clare’s the one that’s most like Elinor, she thought to herself. Got that same” passionate, extra stubborn, extra strong, and wilful nature.
Nobody spoke. Everyone watched Elinor. In the stormy silence, Elinor croaked, “If you are so dismissive of my work, my money, my advisers, and their plan for the future, then perhaps you would prefer not to participate in it, Clare. You need not be named as a trust beneficiary.”
“That’s okay by ineP Clare’s lips trembled. She was damned if she was going to be manipulated like this. And she certainly wasn’t going to cry in front of Adam.
Adam said reprovingly, “I think you had better apologize to your grandmother, Clare.” Clare stood up and silently left the room. Adam coughed.
“Elinor, do you wish
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