When they walked into the parlor, the Burbanks and Fitzhughs had left. Nancy and Jack sat on the couch with Walter, Kate’s grandmother hovering over him. His father was slumped over, his head in his hands.
“I can’t believe they’re gone. It still hurts. I’ll never be able to get over it.”
“I’m sure Grant can help with that,” Nancy said, wiping the tears out of her eyes. “We are all still heartbroken. Carter is stillsobroken up about it. I’m worried about him, really.”
Jack grunted. “He needs to get over it. He’s only using it as an excuse to screw up.”
“Death is hard for people,” Grant told him seriously. “It’s not something you just get over.”
Jack looked as if he was about to say something but then thought better of it.
Grant knelt down in front of his father. “It’s hard to lose someone you care about,” he said. “I know.”
Walter looked at him sadly. “Yes, I suppose you do.” He squeezed Grant’s shoulder then got up. “I think we’ve exhausted your hospitality, Nancy and Jack.”
“We’re family! There’s nothing to exhaust,” Nancy told him.
“Thank you for having us. It’s… it’s been good to reconnect with people.”
“Always a pleasure to see you all. Remember, I have a few weeks planned in the summer on Martha’s Vineyard. I expect you all to be there,” she told them as she walked them to the door.
“Of course,” Walter replied. His father seemed tired and ancient as Grant steered him to the waiting car.
Once they were back at the estate, Stefan helped Grant put him to bed.
“I think he drank too much,” he told the butler. Grant felt good about where his relationship with his father was heading. Too bad the one he had with Kate seemed to have taken a nosedive.
Chapter 33
Kate
A few days later, Kate and her grandmother drove up to the Holbrook estate. Grant waited in the foyer for them. Margaret wanted to take him to the clubhouse.
“The food is terrible,” she said as Grant helped her into the car, “with some of the worst service you can imagine.”
Kate tried to ignore her grandmother as she chattered on. In the time they’d spent together, Margaret and Grant had turned into coconspirators on the state of things in New Cardiff Township.
“No!” Grant said in mock shock to whatever Kate’s grandmother was complaining about. “Worse than the people at the Hilton?”
“Absolutely,” she said. “But it’s where people go, and you have to meet the Van der Ryes. They only lunch at the club. She meets him there after a round of golf. He’s a terrible player, but he’s so old that he can barely stand up straight, so I suppose you have to give him props for that.”
Kate tried to stifle a smile as she watched them. Grant looked at her softly. She quickly wiped the smile off her face, and he looked taken aback.
She looked at the trees in bloom on the way to the clubhouse. She didn’t really like going there, but for all her grandmother complained, she frequently took a meal, sometimes two with drinks in between, at the club with her friends. The day was beautiful, and the medians were awash in colorful flowers, but Kate wished it were cold and raining to match how she felt on the inside.
The clubhouse was on a hundred-acre property with golfing, horseback riding, swimming, and tennis. The neoclassical building rose on a small hill as the driver brought the car around. Golf carts zipped on the paths next to them, and women in cute tennis outfits walked up to the clubhouse for lunch.
“This is a really nice property,” Grant said as he helped her grandmother out of the car.
“Yes, it is lovely,” Margaret said. “This building is on the National Registry. This is one of the oldest social clubs in the country. They make you dress for dinner, but lunch is more casual. There’s a main dining room and a bar. I hope we are seated at a good table.”
They went inside the immaculate front hall and headed toward the dining room, which had huge windows overlooking the golf course. Grant didn’t want to sit in the middle of the room, and Kate’s grandmother’s normal table was too close to the window for Grant, so they had to sit in the corner. Kate cringed, expecting her grandmother to fuss and complain. But she just patted Grant on the forearm and smiled. Unbelievable.
“I’m glad to see you’ve finally decided that you like him,” Kate remarked.
Her grandmother looked offended.
“I’ve always liked Grant. How dare you!”
