Once he hit send, he began putting together a plan to bring it all up later in the evening. And as he did so, he once again reminded himself that he had to be good with whatever they said. If they said no, it was a no. He just hoped that enough water was under the bridge and they were ready to let old fears go and move forward.
Chapter 6
Carrington House
Searcy, Arkansas
November 23, 2023
Taylor, Greer, and Rosie arrived at the Carrington's right at 6:00 the next evening. After spending most of the morning with Joules, the family headed to Searcy to spend the afternoon with Aunt Edna.
A powerhouse of a woman her whole life, Edna had all but run Searcy's society for the better part of the last fifty years. In the last few years, she had been forced to cut back her activities. She made a painful move to sell her large home and move into a smaller, more practical one. Buying in The Dominion, a subdivision across the street from the Searcy Country Club, she was able to drive her golf cart over for lunch most days with the other widowed women who regularly met there.
This year, the widows decided to have Thanksgiving lunch at the club and invited Taylor, Greer, and Rosie to join them. It was a wonderful meal and allowed them to visit in relative calm. Taylor found time spent with Aunt Edna challenging. Taylor’s mom had never liked her. There had been bad blood between her mom and Edna and her daughter, Anita, dating back to her mom’s high school days. Whenever Edna was around, Taylor’s mom would always saythat Edna thought she was in charge of the universe. As a child, Taylor had not understood what she meant. As an adult, she totally got it. Beyond that, Taylor never completely got over the fact that it was at Edna's insistence Poppy had returned to Searcy with a love child in tow. An event that led to the demise of her first marriage.
However, it was not fair to lay the blame for her divorce at Edna's feet. She knew her marriage was doomed long before Edna Stone brought Poppy back to town. She also had to acknowledge that her life was a million times better than it would have been if things had turned out differently. But, being with Edna was a bit like having to eat something that previously had made you very sick. Even if the thing you ate was not what made you sick, just the thought of it turned your stomach. That was what Edna was to her. It was crazy because, in some ways, she held Edna more accountable for her divorce than the woman her husband had cheated on her with. Also, being back in the club, which held way too many bad memories, left Taylor feeling vulnerable and fragile. These were two emotions she did not endure easily.
After the luncheon, the family followed Edna on her golf cart, which Rosie insisted on driving, to her house. Taylor and Greer planned to stay with Enda that night and then drive back home Friday. It was only one night. She could do it. Taylor knew that her feelings for Edna were not warranted, and she worked hard to ensure her expressions and actions never gave away her true feelings. Hiding her emotions was something that Taylor was a pro at, even if she had not had to use that particular skill for over a decade.
The evening called for a second Thanksgiving dinner at Poppy's and Bennett’s home. All three of them were stuffed but knew they had to go and try to eat something. As they entered the gate code and made the long, winding drive up to the house, Taylor realized she would never get over the strange feeling of having to ring the doorbell and be a guest in a house she had lived in for almost a decade. While thehouse looked virtually the same on the outside, inside was a different story. Nothing was the same as it had been when she lived there. Gone were all the stuffy antiques and Persian rugs. In their place were comfortable couches and bright colors. It was really a family home. It was a strong metaphor for how each of them had changed and become more comfortable in their own skin once they found their forever homes with the ones they desperately loved.
Though she tried to hide it, Greer immediately sensed Taylor's anxiety as they approached the front door. Rosie, who in the past had raced to the front eager to see Lizzy and Lola, held back. It was as if she, too, could feel her mother's tension.
Laying a soft hand on her back for comfort, Greer groaned into her ear, "It is okay. It is just one meal. We can leave whenever you want."
Taking comfort in his words, Taylor plastered a smile on her face, and all three walked to the door together. They had barely rung the bell when Lizzy and Lola came running, excited to see Rosie.
Hugs and kisses were handed out, and before Taylor realized it, she had been ushered into what had once been her kitchen. Though, honestly, it in no way resembled the formal home she remembered. Everyone seemed to be talking at once. It was obvious that the girls really missed each other, and they escaped to the playroom. Greer, Bennett, and Ben shook hands and headed outside to supervise the turkeys frying. Bennett offered Greer a beer on their way out the back door while she and Poppy seated themselves at the kitchen island. Poppy introduced Ella as she offered both ladies a large glass of white wine. Taylor grabbed it like a passenger on theTitanic, reaching for a life preserver. Ella declined the drink, preferring to stick with water. They spent the next hour getting to know Ella and learning about her life in Napa. It was all small talk and smiles, which was fine with both Poppy and Taylor. Both women were more than impressed with Ella, who seemed very together for someone so young. In addition to helpingrun her family's diner, she also took classes online and worked at a local winery on weekends and holidays. It was very apparent that Ben had not been exaggerating when he said she was brilliant, accomplished, and ambitious. By letting Ella drive the conversion, Poppy and Taylor found an easy peace that did not always permeate their conversations. Ella offered a buffer that helped keep everything light and easy. Taylor decided she very much liked Ella and could see what Ben saw in her.
To anyone who did not know the backstory, it seemed like every other family holiday - nice, sweet, and routine. It was anything but. Taylor wondered how much Ben had shared with Ella about his family and its unusual dynamic. Over time, they all managed to develop a family bond that spoke to the power of forgiveness. The adults had forged enough of a relationship over the years that the girls did not feel any of the awkwardness that the adults worked so hard to overcome. After all, families come in many packages, and this one comes wrapped in a lot of hurt, anger, and pain. Over time, those things fade, but the memory of how it felt in those hurtful moments could, and did, still linger in the recesses of the subconscious.
For Taylor and Bennett, it was not so hard. They had been family all of their lives. They had faced unbelievable tragedy together. They shared a bond that even divorce could not break. It was so strong that it also forced the people who loved them to put aside their hurt feelings and embrace the others out of affection. That was how this motley crew of wives, husbands, ex-wives, ex-husbands, and lovers had become a makeshift family. A family with buried secrets that had refused to stay hidden. So, for all those reasons, each year, for one meal, they all sat down for a big family Thanksgiving. More than that would have been too hard. But anyone can get through one meal a year. And, it gave the girls all something they would otherwise not have had, cousins of a sort. So, for their girls, they all made the sacrifice.
After a glass of wine, Taylor began to relax. Greer's beer chilled him, and he was actually laughing and conversing with Bennett without it feeling forced. With everyone working together, dinner went on the table promptly at 7:30. It was a noisy affair with lots of joking and storytelling. It was almost 9:00 PM when Poppy began serving pecan pie with ice cream. As everyone was finishing up their dessert and proclaiming they were never eating again, the doorbell rang.
It was Maryanna, the Carrington's long-time housekeeper. Bennett and Poppy did not have a live-in maid, as they had turned the maid's apartment into Poppy's studio. However, Maryanna had been helping Poppy since before Lizzy was born. She knew Poppy would have an awful mess to clean up. So, after celebrating with her family, she came by to help clean up the kitchen. Normally, Poppy would have refused, but for once, she was grateful for the help.
After dinner, the girls decided it was time to put on their pajamas and watch the parade that they recorded earlier that morning. It had already been decided that Rosie would spend the night there as Edna's house only had one guest room. The girls rarely got an opportunity to spend time with each other. Before racing up the stairs, all three launched a campaign to convince Ben and Ella to join them. Neither Ben nor Ella were overly interested, but the girls wore them down.
Just as Ben and Ella were about to head upstairs behind the girls, Bennett stood and asked, "Ben, would you and Ella mind hanging back for just a moment? I have something I need to talk to you and the others about."
Poppy immediately shook her head, "Bennett, I am not sure this is the best time." She instantly knew what he was going to discuss and was desperate to put it off as Ben and Ella resumed their seats at the table.
Walking over to Poppy, Bennett took her hands and kissed her forehead to reassure her. Then he calmly said in an almost pleading voice, "I am under the gun here. Jameson wants an answer tonight. I want to do this in person. Please understand." Bowing her head, Poppy resigned herself to the fact that her reprieve was over.
Both Taylor and Greer exchanged a look of bewilderment. They were having trouble following what was happening. It appeared that they had stepped into a family drama that did not involve them.
Wanting to get out of a sticky situation in which he felt they did not belong, Greer stood and said, "It looks like you have some family issues to discuss. We'll kiss Rosie good night and get out of your hair."
Rising to accompany him, Taylor added, "Thank you both for a wonderful dinner. It was nice to visit and catch up and…"
Whatever she was about to say next was cut off by Bennett saying, "No, this involves you as well. Please sit back down. I need to tell you something, and I am sorry for the timing. I hope it does not ruin what has been a really nice visit."
"Oh, that sounds ominous," replied Greer.
"It is," replied Poppy before she could stop herself. Poppy and Greer exchanged a look while Bennett shot her a look of frustration. Poppy shrugged but did not respond.
Taking a deep breath and then blowing it out as he began formulating his words, Bennett blurted out, “You know how I won that big case." Of course, they did. Greer and Taylor had both congratulated him on it earlier in the day. "Well, the publicity from that case has garnered some interest."
