her surroundings into a magical world. She and Phillip’s father never had a lot of money but were comfortable enough and had never lacked for anything; nor had their son. They were satisfied with what they had. Her circumstances had altered considerably three years before, from the insurance policy her husband had left her that she had known nothing about. It had dramatically changed her bank account, but not her life. She still enjoyed doing all the same things, and had never felt deprived by their lack of fortune. She intended to leave most of the insurance money to Phillip one day. She was careful and responsible with it, and hoped it would be useful for him, perhaps to start an art consulting business or a gallery of his own. She had mentioned it to him several times, but he wanted his mother to benefit from the money first. He thought she should travel, enjoy herself, and see the world. But she was too busy painting, and still studying, to venture far from home. “I’m having too much fun to go anywhere!” she would say, laughing at him, with her big bright blue eyes, and nearly unlined face.
She was still energetic, lively, and beautiful at her age. She was blessed with a youthful look and spirit. It was easy to see why her husband had been in love with her till the end. She was an enchanting woman full of mischief and charm, with a mane of once pale blond hair that was now snow white, and she often wore it loose down her back, as she had all her life.
By contrast, her older sister by four years, Winnie, was her opposite in every way. They were the yin and yang of life, but best friends nonetheless. While Valerie had never been concerned with the absence of luxury in her life, Edwina, Winnie, had thought of nothing else, and, like their parents, had worried about money and the possible lack of it, since she was a young girl. Born the year after Pearl Harbor, Valerie came into the world on the cusp of a more prosperous time. Winnie was born in 1938, nine years after their family had lost everything in the stock market crash, and she was a child in the years of the Depression and remembered their parents’ constant discussions about money. Their family had had a considerable fortune, and both their parents came from aristocratic ancestors, but lost almost everything they had. Winnie’s answer to their financial insecurity was to marry a young man from a wealthy family, and she had lived in extremely comfortable circumstances all her adult life. And when her husband died ten years before, he had left her a considerable fortune, and she still worried. Valerie had simply never cared about money, and always thought that whatever they had was enough.
Winnie and Valerie both remembered their father as a kind, though serious and somewhat chilly and austere man. He was a banker and was conservative about money. Losing their fortune had sobered him, and Valerie’s recollection of him was of his being at the office most of the time. And her memories of their mother were of an ice-cold woman, whose approval she could never win, no matter what she did. They had had an older sister who died of influenza in Europe at nineteen, whom Valerie didn’t remember, as she had died a year after Valerie’s birth. Winnie, on the other hand, insisted that she had some vague memories of her, and made excuses for their mother’s coldness by saying she had never recovered from their sister’s death. She would never speak of her first daughter as the younger girls were growing up, and they had rapidly understood that the subject was taboo, it was just too painful for her.
Winnie had been born when her older sister was fourteen, and her arrival had come as an awkward surprise to her parents, which her mother had grudgingly adjusted to. But Valerie’s birth four years later was simply too much for their mother. She was forty-five years old and seemed embarrassed to have a baby at that age, rather than pleased. Valerie had felt unwelcome
She was still energetic, lively, and beautiful at her age. She was blessed with a youthful look and spirit. It was easy to see why her husband had been in love with her till the end. She was an enchanting woman full of mischief and charm, with a mane of once pale blond hair that was now snow white, and she often wore it loose down her back, as she had all her life.
By contrast, her older sister by four years, Winnie, was her opposite in every way. They were the yin and yang of life, but best friends nonetheless. While Valerie had never been concerned with the absence of luxury in her life, Edwina, Winnie, had thought of nothing else, and, like their parents, had worried about money and the possible lack of it, since she was a young girl. Born the year after Pearl Harbor, Valerie came into the world on the cusp of a more prosperous time. Winnie was born in 1938, nine years after their family had lost everything in the stock market crash, and she was a child in the years of the Depression and remembered their parents’ constant discussions about money. Their family had had a considerable fortune, and both their parents came from aristocratic ancestors, but lost almost everything they had. Winnie’s answer to their financial insecurity was to marry a young man from a wealthy family, and she had lived in extremely comfortable circumstances all her adult life. And when her husband died ten years before, he had left her a considerable fortune, and she still worried. Valerie had simply never cared about money, and always thought that whatever they had was enough.
Winnie and Valerie both remembered their father as a kind, though serious and somewhat chilly and austere man. He was a banker and was conservative about money. Losing their fortune had sobered him, and Valerie’s recollection of him was of his being at the office most of the time. And her memories of their mother were of an ice-cold woman, whose approval she could never win, no matter what she did. They had had an older sister who died of influenza in Europe at nineteen, whom Valerie didn’t remember, as she had died a year after Valerie’s birth. Winnie, on the other hand, insisted that she had some vague memories of her, and made excuses for their mother’s coldness by saying she had never recovered from their sister’s death. She would never speak of her first daughter as the younger girls were growing up, and they had rapidly understood that the subject was taboo, it was just too painful for her.
Winnie had been born when her older sister was fourteen, and her arrival had come as an awkward surprise to her parents, which her mother had grudgingly adjusted to. But Valerie’s birth four years later was simply too much for their mother. She was forty-five years old and seemed embarrassed to have a baby at that age, rather than pleased. Valerie had felt unwelcome
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