off at the train station on the way home, so she could go back to Philadelphia, and she congratulated her son-in-law again and told him how proud of him she was. And then Jenny and Bill went home and collapsed on the couch with a look of relief. Azaya called Jenny almost the moment they sat down. One of her clients was panicking over a fabric that had gotten lost on the way from France, another wanted to know if she could go to Milan with him the following week, and she’d had at least a dozen calls with questions that needed immediate responses. Twenty minutes later she was back on the couch with Bill, where he sat staring into space, and then he turned to look at her with saddened eyes. It had been an extremely difficult two hours, for an event that should have been meaningful and fun.
“For all their pretensions about good breeding and impeccable pedigrees, I think my family are the rudest people I’ve ever met. I’m sorry, Jenny, I won’t subject you to them again. And your poormother.” Bill was the only person at the table who had spoken to her at all. The others had acted like she didn’t exist.
“They’re still angry you married me,” Jenny said matter-of-factly. It didn’t surprise her anymore.
“I would have died of boredom if I’d married Julie or Georgina. Even my brothers look bored to death with them.” Jenny had noticed several times that both women had an edge to their voices whenever they spoke to their husbands. She had the distinct feeling that all was not well in their worlds, particularly Tom’s. Julie had snapped at him and made nasty comments in his direction several times. Bill and Jenny, on the other hand, had held hands through most of the lunch. They both needed the support, especially in light of the hostility directed at them almost nonstop. Jenny had barely eaten, it was so stressful, and Bill had had a Bloody Mary and several glasses of wine, which he never did at lunch. But it had been the only way to get through it. He realized now more than ever that Jenny was his family. His parents and brothers no longer were. Their relationship had deteriorated so badly, over their objections to his marriage and his new career path, that there was just no bond between them now. When he was with them, it felt like six against one. They were no longer his allies and showed no compassion for him or Jenny. He was sorry she had made the effort to invite them to lunch.
Jenny went to make some business calls then, and Bill opened the mail. He frowned as he opened the last letter, read it a second time, and then sighed as he folded it, put it back in the envelope, and went to slip it into his desk with the other one from the same source. He didn’t mention either letter to Jenny when she came back to theliving room an hour later. She said that Azaya was coming over in a few minutes with some fabric samples she had to look over for a client, and with mail. She could see that Bill was troubled and assumed that it was from their unpleasant time spent with his family.
Azaya arrived half an hour later, and Bill said he was going for a walk. It gave Jenny time to work, and as soon as he left the apartment, Azaya turned to her with concern.
“How was it? Were they all right?” She knew that Jenny’s relationship with Bill’s family was strained, and how nervous she had been about the lunch.
“It was awful,” Jenny said honestly, putting off their work for a few minutes. “They’re so nasty to him, they ignored my mother completely, and they hate me. It’s so hard on him. They’re so unbelievably rude. And so mean to him because of me. You’d think that after all this time they’d give it up. I guess they never will.” She was sad about it but put it out of her mind while they did their work. She chose the fabrics to suggest to the client, signed several letters, and looked over some files, and an hour later Azaya left. She was perfectly capable of handling their clients while Jenny took
“For all their pretensions about good breeding and impeccable pedigrees, I think my family are the rudest people I’ve ever met. I’m sorry, Jenny, I won’t subject you to them again. And your poormother.” Bill was the only person at the table who had spoken to her at all. The others had acted like she didn’t exist.
“They’re still angry you married me,” Jenny said matter-of-factly. It didn’t surprise her anymore.
“I would have died of boredom if I’d married Julie or Georgina. Even my brothers look bored to death with them.” Jenny had noticed several times that both women had an edge to their voices whenever they spoke to their husbands. She had the distinct feeling that all was not well in their worlds, particularly Tom’s. Julie had snapped at him and made nasty comments in his direction several times. Bill and Jenny, on the other hand, had held hands through most of the lunch. They both needed the support, especially in light of the hostility directed at them almost nonstop. Jenny had barely eaten, it was so stressful, and Bill had had a Bloody Mary and several glasses of wine, which he never did at lunch. But it had been the only way to get through it. He realized now more than ever that Jenny was his family. His parents and brothers no longer were. Their relationship had deteriorated so badly, over their objections to his marriage and his new career path, that there was just no bond between them now. When he was with them, it felt like six against one. They were no longer his allies and showed no compassion for him or Jenny. He was sorry she had made the effort to invite them to lunch.
Jenny went to make some business calls then, and Bill opened the mail. He frowned as he opened the last letter, read it a second time, and then sighed as he folded it, put it back in the envelope, and went to slip it into his desk with the other one from the same source. He didn’t mention either letter to Jenny when she came back to theliving room an hour later. She said that Azaya was coming over in a few minutes with some fabric samples she had to look over for a client, and with mail. She could see that Bill was troubled and assumed that it was from their unpleasant time spent with his family.
Azaya arrived half an hour later, and Bill said he was going for a walk. It gave Jenny time to work, and as soon as he left the apartment, Azaya turned to her with concern.
“How was it? Were they all right?” She knew that Jenny’s relationship with Bill’s family was strained, and how nervous she had been about the lunch.
“It was awful,” Jenny said honestly, putting off their work for a few minutes. “They’re so nasty to him, they ignored my mother completely, and they hate me. It’s so hard on him. They’re so unbelievably rude. And so mean to him because of me. You’d think that after all this time they’d give it up. I guess they never will.” She was sad about it but put it out of her mind while they did their work. She chose the fabrics to suggest to the client, signed several letters, and looked over some files, and an hour later Azaya left. She was perfectly capable of handling their clients while Jenny took
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