Small World (18 page)

‘Dear, dear Lucy,’ she purred. ‘She’s so sweet.’

She shot a quizzical glance at Roger.

‘Doesn’t she just make you want to gag?'

Roger, loosening his tie, and trying to ignore seismic hunger pangs, sensed he was on shaky ground.

‘She’s . . . cute,’ he said, covering himself with a word with notoriously broad shadings.

‘Fat ass.’ Dolly pronounced. ‘Peasant.’

It was unclear to Roger whether she meant her daughter-in-law or himself. Either way, he decided it was safer not to dignify it.

isn’t it typical, though. Men. My son, marrying a woman so completely opposite to his mother.’

He didn’t know Lucy Douglas well enough to be sure, but thought that the set of her spine was not very different from Dolly’s. And the two women had shared Nick Weiler, which indicated at least a taste in common. The thought of Weiler irritated him. Dolly, telling him about that old fling, had called the museum director The Widow’s Comfort.
Don’t be jealous, darling, it makes your face red. Besides, that was practically before you were born.

Roger took off his jacket and hung it on a chair, humming noncommittally. The less said, the safer.

Bitch lets the old man raise the children. No wonder their manners are wretched. She’s out having a good time. On my money and Harrison’s death bounty. And everyone thinks she’s a saint. Too good to screw other people’s leavings, and all that.’ Dolly was working up a good head of steam.

‘She’s really pissed at you,’ Roger ventured. ‘Aren’t you afraid she’ll cut you off from the kids?’

Dolly, lighting a cigarette, laughed.

‘No, silly. She’s so
fair.
Totting up points for a halo. And she feels guilty because she killed Harrison.’

Roger, just putting his feet up on the couch, almost fell off. This was a whole new version of events that had been so much historical newsprint to him.

‘I thought he was killed when his plane crashed.’

Dolly sank onto the couch at his feet and grew quiet. Roger sat up, drawing close to her, preparing to receive a confidence with the proper attention.

They were so young,’ she said at last, ‘when they got married. I didn’t like it, of course, but they were of age. Well, before you could say hi ho Silver, they had one child and another one on the way. I mean, I
love
my grandchildren. There are days I go on living just for them. But I knew what the responsibility would do to Harrison. He did take after his father. He felt trapped. And he had to prove he was one of the men. That’s why he insisted on being a test pilot. And she wouldn’t say a word to him. Said he had to work it out for himself. Worked out fine for her. She’s got a nice fat pension from the government.’

Her left hand, passing wearily over her brow, trembled slightly. Roger could see she wasn’t putting it all on, she was upset. He didn't really know what to do with a weeping woman and hoped just quietly holding her would be enough.

Nor did he know what to do with this embarrassment of family history. Lucy Douglas had struck him as a nice enough woman. It must have something to do with the age-old enmity between mothers and their sons’ wives. Weiler going from Dolly’s bed to Lucy's, however indirectly, was a kind of re-enactment of the loss of the son to the daughter-in-law, a nasty little fillip to a stereotypical family tension. Probably both women deserved some points for staying on civil terms, until today. But Dolly was too tender to take any kind uncle advice on the subject from him.

He fumbled for words. ‘Hey. You’ve got the dollhouse back and you’re quits with Lucy about it. You can do what you want to now. You ought to treat yourself to a good time.’

Dolly sat up, blew her nosed, and sighed eloquently.

‘Have a nice dinner,’ he suggested. ‘A little champagne.’

‘I guess I deserve that,’ she conceded.

With visions of dinner dancing in his head, Roger hugged her close and kissed her chummily on the forehead. Maybe he was learning something from her. Getting smoother, as well as thinner. Wasn’t life grand?

Nick Weiler found them on the screened porch at the back of the house, sitting around an oil-cloth-covered picnic table. Lucy’s father rose to shake Nick's hand eagerly. Laurie, in wispy summer pajamas, jumped up to kiss him. On Lucy’s lap, Zach grinned and held out one hand, palm up, to reveal a muddy-looking ball of dough. Nick bent to kiss him and was surprised by a sudden very strong smell of fruit. It was as strong as the rush of belonging that overcame him coming into their presence and for a moment he was disoriented by his own confused emotions. Lucy always smelled of wood and varnish and paint and never wore scent that he knew. But of course it was too strong for any perfume. He wrinkled his nose and Lucy laughed at him. it’s the dough,’ she explained. .

He accepted the lopsided ball that Zach still held out to him and sniffed. Lemon, for sure, and strong enough to dry his mouth.

‘Smell this,’ Laurie ordered, and thrust an inch-long bruised worm of dough at him.

‘Banana!’ he exclaimed.

‘And cherries, and coconut, and a bunch more.’ Laurie showed him a paper plate on which half a dozen mounds of the same grayish dough were lumped. It was like sniffing a fruit salad. ‘Amazing. Is it edible?’

Lucy shook her head, it’s not toxic, but it’s not very nutritious either. I don’t think it would cause any more than a case of the trots.’

‘Is this going to make your fortune, competing against the commercial play doughs?’

Lucy started. ‘Good heavens, I never thought of it. It’s just for making miniature foods. I guess I wouldn’t trust little ones to keep it out of their mouths.’

‘I made a grapefruit,’ Zach announced. ‘Want a bite?’

‘Gobble, gobble,’ Lucy said, picking it up. She palmed the minute ball of dough, it was great.’ it’s bedtime,’ her father put in.

Laurie groaned theatrically. After a second’s intent study, Zach produced a fine imitation.

‘It is,’ Lucy agreed, ignoring their objections, in to brush your teeth and wash your mugs. I’ll be up in five minutes to tuck you

in.’

I'll ride herd.’ Mr. Novick picked up Zach and slung him over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. The boy squealed delightedly.

Careful, Pop,’ Lucy warned. She looked at Nick, i’m afraid he’ll hurt his back again, heaving that kid around. But I can’t stop

him.’

Her father grinned, showing his perfect false teeth. ‘No, you can’t. Come on, Laurie.’

For a brief, awkward moment, Nick and Lucy found themselves alone together on the porch. Lucy suddenly found a great interest in the dough. She fell to, packing it into small plastic containers. Nick examined his hands nervously, deciding not to offer any help. If he got in the way, it would only irritate her.

i’ll show you finished pieces of fruit later. There’s some in the workshop.’ She lined up thecontainers on the table. ‘I have to say goodnight to the kids. I’ll be right back.’ She was gone through the door into the kitchen.

Nick was suddenly more depressed than he’d been in weeks. Coming here was like falling off a wall. He’d been comfortably perched for days and now he was going to crash again. And she could hardly stand being in his presence.

He dropped into the old porch swing with its musty-smelling pillows and stared at the sky. It was clear, if the heat had not much lessened from its strength in day. He didn’t mind. In the city, the heat drove up the gate, as the tourists galloped into the big cool marble tombs of the public buildings.

She came back with a tray, bearing lemonade in an old-fashioned glass pitcher and tall glasses clinking with ice cubes. She didn’t sit down immediately but stood leaning against the porch screen, studying him by the low, buzzing lights.

'How are you, Nick?’

He shrugged. ‘Getting along.’

There was an edge in her polite laugh. ‘Aren’t we all?’

He cleared his throat. ‘You look wonderful.’

'Thank you.’ Her voice was very low, and to his surprise,

pleased.

He hesitated and then plunged. ‘Are you seeing anyone?’

She cocked her head. ‘Yes.’

His stomach turned like a dry leaf in autumn. ‘Don’t be so goddamned smug about it,’ he blurted.

‘Oh, Nick.’ She turned her back and considered the night sky. ‘Never mind,’ he said finally. ‘What did you want to see me for?’

She turned back to him, presenting a face that was suddenly tired and strained.

‘Dolly was here today.’

‘She picked up the Doll’s White House yesterday. Then she came here today?’

‘Ummm.’ Lucy fidgeted. ‘Well, she fired me.’

Nick sat bolt upright. ‘What?’

‘She took delivery of a piece I’d finished. The last big one, really. And then she canceled the work on the grounds and the accessories. The things we hadn’t finished.’

‘Hoo. Cool bitch, isn’t she?’

Lucy nodded. ‘I thought she’d be so excited about the stinky dough.’

‘Stinky dough? Is that what you call it?’ Nick laughed in spite of himself, i’m sorry. You have my sympathy.’

‘That’s what Zach calls it,’ Lucy explained the name. She sat down abruptly, next to him, and leaned back against the nearly shapeless cushions. She went back to the subject of her dismissal by Dolly, it’s a little like getting divorced must be. Relief, and frustration at not making it come out right, all mixed together. We’ve never been close, but we’ve gotten along. Now it’s going to be painful every time she comes to see the children.’

Nick settled back to look at her. He wondered if that’s as much as how she felt about him, too. Wisps of her hair fell against his shoulder as she leaned into him.

it makes me angry to have her treat you badly, Lucy, but you’re better off without her. It’s a bloody shame you can’t be rid of her entirely. If I were you, I wouldn’t knock myself out to give her access to Laurie and Zach. She’ll just make trouble.’

‘That’s true enough. Everything you’ve said. She’s very bold when it comes to my kids. Likes to tell me what a lousy job I’m doing, in front of them if she can. But she’s not the only miserable mother-in-law in the world, I’m sure.’

‘Still, you can carry patience and goodwill too far. She’ll take advantage of you. Be careful.’

Lucy smiled. ‘I think I can handle her.’

‘Now you can get on with something else. I know you want to do other things. What about the museum shop ideas we talked over, a hundred years ago?’

Lucy leaned forward intently. ‘I want you to see something I’ve been working on in odd moments. In the workshop. I think it’s something that Pop and I may be able to produce in enough quantity to keep up with the shop. At a reasonable price, of

course.’

‘I knew you could do it, if you put your mind to it.’

‘Well, I’m tired to making expensive playthings for rich women, Nick. I’d like to make children’s toys. Pop’s got a project of his own. He wants to build a simple sturdy dollhouse he’s designed that can be added to with increasing sophistication. He’s really hot to go but he doesn’t like to get in my way. And he feels he has to take care of Zach for me.’

‘Zach will be doing half-days at kindergarten this fall, won’t he?’ Nick asked.

She nodded. ‘That’s five mornings or afternoons, depending on which set he’s assigned.’

‘And the year after that, he’ll go full days, right? It sounds ideal to me. Your father could start gradually.’

‘So it’s possibly a good time. He’s scared, you know.’

Afraid of failing?’

‘Partly. More, I think, of succeeding, and of the changes it means. He’s got a comfortable little rut; his life is settled. It’s hard to take chances'.’

She looked away from him. Nick sensed then she was talking about herself as well.

‘Whatever he does, Zack is going to start school. He’s going to keep on growing and so is Laurie. They’re not going to need your father the way they have.’

‘Or me, either,’ Lucy added ruefully.

‘Has he ever thought, do you think, that you might marry

again?’

This time she looked him straight in the eye. ‘He hasn’t seemed concerned one way or the other. He’s always pleased when I’m going out with someone.’

Perhaps he knows you better than I do. Knows something I don’t know.’

Lucy grinned. ‘Maybe he’s just generous.’

Nick glanced upward, to the upper stories of the house. ‘He hasn’t gone to bed, too?’

No, just watching television and trying to stay out of our way. He was really pleased when I told him you were coming over tonight. I think he likes you, or something.’

Nick laughed. ‘Has anybody ever told you you’re something of a tease?’

She ignored him. ‘I want to ask you if Dolly said anything to you that would indicate why.’

‘That’s changing the subject but, if you mean why she fired you, no. She never mentioned you at all. I just assumed she would see you, since she was in the neighborhood.’

‘Umm.’ Lucy bit her lip. ‘What did you make of the fellow she was dragging around after her?’