weather vane was a man alone in a rowboat.
“Anyway,” Livia said, “Greyson’s sacrifices are completely superficial. They’re not any kind of real loss. They’re just symbolic of loss. You know, like giving up chocolate for Lent or rending garments or something. At least what Teddy’s doing is genuinely hard.”
“Would you look at the size of this place,” said Winn. “I’m surprised. Jack comes from a fine old family. This is … it’s showy.”
Construction debris was strewn around: rolls of wire, crumpled wrappers, twine, tape, pipes, buckets crusted with cements and sealants. Two beige portable toilets stood a discreet distance away. “The house is poorly designed,” he said, pointing up through the windshield. “It must be a swamp up on that roof after a big rain. You see? I can pick out at least two spots where water will pool. They’ll have leaks. They probably already do. Shake is tricky. If you don’t cover the nail holes properly, you get leaks.”
“Fine,” said Livia. “The Fenns have made a mockery of roofs. They join the army just to bug you, and they design their houses to really get under your skin.”
“You disagree?”
“I don’t want Jack Fenn to drive up and find us sitting here staring at his house.”
“It’s a ridiculous house. I’m telling you. Look at that roof. Millions of dollars just to have leaks.”
“Dad, people like living by the ocean. Why shouldn’t they have a nice house if they want?”
“So you think people should have everything they want even if what they want is an ostentatious eyesore?”
“I don’t think it’s an eyesore.”
“This house is an eyesore.”
“I don’t know—to each his own. We could have built a house like this if we wanted to, right? It’s just not our style.”
Leaning forward with his chest pressed to the steering wheel, craning to see the roof, Winn was gratified by Livia’s use of “our,” that she was including herself in his aesthetic of quality, longevity, and simplicity. Since their childhood he had told his daughters he was going to give away all his money before he died, and they should make or marry their own if money was what they wanted. Better that than letting them feel the same disappointment he had after his parents died, when he discovered his inheritance was little more than untenable expectations. He had done well enough, but he was thankful for the way a certain degree of gentle dilapidation could be made to suggest old wealth. Shabbiness of necessity was easily disguised asmodesty and thrift. Not that having a simple, hard-won summer-house instead of this castle by the sea would qualify him as shabby by most standards.
“Right?” Livia persisted. “We just do things differently. You aren’t a fancy house kind of guy.”
“What do they need such a big house for?” he said. “Is Teddy going to have a thousand children?”
Livia drew the Duffs’ flowers up onto her lap. “That’s the last thing I want to think about, assuming he lives long enough to have children.”
“Don’t be dramatic. He’ll be fine. Anyway, the girl’s not going to have any.”
“I can’t even wrap my head around … what if I was his only chance?”
The premise, simple enough on its surface, gave way beneath Winn’s consideration, dropping him into a feminine thicket of improbable hypotheses and garbled cause and effect. He clapped her knee. “Now, listen. I don’t want you thinking this army business has anything to do with you.” He drove around the oval and back down the driveway. Livia was obscured by pink and orange flowers and curls of green, leafy things, a tiger in the grass.
“What if Teddy and I get back together?” she said.
“I don’t think that’s very likely.”
“Thanks a lot!”
“Do you think you’re going to get back together?”
“I don’t know. I’m just saying.” She pulled the vase even closer to herself. “What would you have done if I had been born like
“Anyway,” Livia said, “Greyson’s sacrifices are completely superficial. They’re not any kind of real loss. They’re just symbolic of loss. You know, like giving up chocolate for Lent or rending garments or something. At least what Teddy’s doing is genuinely hard.”
“Would you look at the size of this place,” said Winn. “I’m surprised. Jack comes from a fine old family. This is … it’s showy.”
Construction debris was strewn around: rolls of wire, crumpled wrappers, twine, tape, pipes, buckets crusted with cements and sealants. Two beige portable toilets stood a discreet distance away. “The house is poorly designed,” he said, pointing up through the windshield. “It must be a swamp up on that roof after a big rain. You see? I can pick out at least two spots where water will pool. They’ll have leaks. They probably already do. Shake is tricky. If you don’t cover the nail holes properly, you get leaks.”
“Fine,” said Livia. “The Fenns have made a mockery of roofs. They join the army just to bug you, and they design their houses to really get under your skin.”
“You disagree?”
“I don’t want Jack Fenn to drive up and find us sitting here staring at his house.”
“It’s a ridiculous house. I’m telling you. Look at that roof. Millions of dollars just to have leaks.”
“Dad, people like living by the ocean. Why shouldn’t they have a nice house if they want?”
“So you think people should have everything they want even if what they want is an ostentatious eyesore?”
“I don’t think it’s an eyesore.”
“This house is an eyesore.”
“I don’t know—to each his own. We could have built a house like this if we wanted to, right? It’s just not our style.”
Leaning forward with his chest pressed to the steering wheel, craning to see the roof, Winn was gratified by Livia’s use of “our,” that she was including herself in his aesthetic of quality, longevity, and simplicity. Since their childhood he had told his daughters he was going to give away all his money before he died, and they should make or marry their own if money was what they wanted. Better that than letting them feel the same disappointment he had after his parents died, when he discovered his inheritance was little more than untenable expectations. He had done well enough, but he was thankful for the way a certain degree of gentle dilapidation could be made to suggest old wealth. Shabbiness of necessity was easily disguised asmodesty and thrift. Not that having a simple, hard-won summer-house instead of this castle by the sea would qualify him as shabby by most standards.
“Right?” Livia persisted. “We just do things differently. You aren’t a fancy house kind of guy.”
“What do they need such a big house for?” he said. “Is Teddy going to have a thousand children?”
Livia drew the Duffs’ flowers up onto her lap. “That’s the last thing I want to think about, assuming he lives long enough to have children.”
“Don’t be dramatic. He’ll be fine. Anyway, the girl’s not going to have any.”
“I can’t even wrap my head around … what if I was his only chance?”
The premise, simple enough on its surface, gave way beneath Winn’s consideration, dropping him into a feminine thicket of improbable hypotheses and garbled cause and effect. He clapped her knee. “Now, listen. I don’t want you thinking this army business has anything to do with you.” He drove around the oval and back down the driveway. Livia was obscured by pink and orange flowers and curls of green, leafy things, a tiger in the grass.
“What if Teddy and I get back together?” she said.
“I don’t think that’s very likely.”
“Thanks a lot!”
“Do you think you’re going to get back together?”
“I don’t know. I’m just saying.” She pulled the vase even closer to herself. “What would you have done if I had been born like
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