Mamaw set her needlepoint aside and gave Dora her full attention, studying her eldest granddaughter’s face. Of all three women, Dora was the one who could best mask her emotions with false cheer. Had always done so, even as a child. On her wedding day, her father, Mamaw’s only child, Parker, had arrived at the church unforgivably drunk. Dora had smiled as she walked down the aisle with her stepfather instead of her biological one. She’d smiled through the whispers behind raised palms, smiled during Parker’s rambling toast, smiled while friends escorted Parker to the hotel to sleep it off.
Mamaw studied that same fixed smile now. She knew too well the sacrifices Dora had made to present the facade of a happy family. This divorce was striking at her very core, shaking her foundation. Yet, even now, it seemed Dora was intent on giving off the impression that she had everything under control.
“You look very . . . respectable,” Mamaw said, choosing her words carefully. “But isn’t it a bit steamy today for that suit and nylons?”
Dora lifted her blond hair from her neck, to allow the offshore breeze to cool the moisture pooling there. “Lord, yes. It’s so hot you could spit on the ground and watch it sizzle. But I’ve got to make the right impression in front of Cal’s lawyers.”
Bless her heart, Mamaw thought. That suit was so tight. Poor Dora looked like a sausage squeezed into its casings.
Dora dropped her hair and her face shifted to a scowl. “Calhoun’s being flat-out unreasonable.”
“We all knew when you married him that his elevator didn’t go all the way to the top.”
“He doesn’t have to be smart, Mamaw. Only his lawyer does. And I hear he’s got himself a real shark.”
“You called the Rosen law firm like I recommended, didn’t you?” Dora nodded. “Good,” Mamaw said. “Robert will catch that shark on his hook, don’t you worry.”
“I’ll try not to,” Dora replied, smoothing out wrinkles in her skirt. “I still want to set a good precedent, though.”
Mamaw reached up to the collar of her dress and unpinned her brooch. It was a favorite of hers. Small pieces of bright coral were embedded in gold to form an exquisite starburst. Her granddaughter needed a bit of starburst in her life right now.
“Come here, precious,” she said to Dora.
When Dora drew near, Mamaw waved her hand to indicate Dora should bend close, then she reached out to pin the large brooch to Dora’s suit collar.
“There,” she said, sitting back and gazing at her handiwork. “A little pop of color does wonders for you, my dear. The brooch was my mother’s. It’s yours now.”
Dora’s eyes widened as her stoic facade momentarily crumbled. She rushed to hug her grandmother with a desperate squeeze. “Oh, Mamaw, thank you. I didn’t expect . . . It means a lot. Especially today. I have to admit, I’m nervous about confronting Cal after all this time. And his lawyers.”
“Consider it ceremonial armor,” Mamaw replied with a smile.
“I will,” Dora replied, standing erect and smoothing out her jacket. “You know, I’m so tickled I can fit back into this suit. Between Carson not letting us have any alcohol in the house and Harper getting us to eat all that health food, I’ve actually lost a few pounds! Who would have thought?”
A genuine smile lit up Dora’s face, and Mamaw suddenly saw a flash of the dazzling young woman who once had enchanted all who met her with the warmth of that smile. Over the past ten years of an unhappy marriage and caring for a child with special needs, Dora had committed the cardinal sin of a Southern wife—she’d let herself go. But worst of all, her sadness had drained the sunlight from inside of her. Mamaw was glad to see a glimmer of it resurface in her eyes this morning.
“Is Nate going with you?” Lucille asked.
Dora shook her head and grimaced. “I’m afraid not. I just came from his room. I begged him to come with me, but you know Nate when he’s got his mind made up. He barely said more than one word— no. I don’t think he likes me very much right now,” Dora added in a softer tone. “It was like”—her voice choked with emotion—“like he couldn’t wait for me to leave.”
“Now, honey, don’t pay him no mind,” Mamaw said in a conciliatory tone. “You know that child’s still hurting from what happened to that dolphin. It was traumatic for him. For all of us,” she added.
“Carson should be calling with news about that dolphin soon,” Lucille said comfortingly.
“And I just know it will be good news,” Mamaw agreed, ever the optimist. “I’m sure Nate will come around then.”
“I hope so . . .” Dora replied, and hastily wiped her eyes, seemingly embarrassed for the tears.
Mamaw slid a glance to Lucille. It wasn’t like Dora to be so emotional. Dora checked her watch and gasped. “Lord, I’ve really got to go or I’ll be late,” she said, all business now. “Are you sure y’all can handle Nate while I’m gone? You know he can get squirrelly when I leave.”
“I feel sure that three grown women can handle one little boy. No matter how testy,” Mamaw said, arching one brow.
Lucille laughed quietly while her fingers worked the basket.
“Yes, of course,” Dora muttered, digging into her purse for car keys. “It’s just he is particularly difficult now, because he’s all upset about that dolphin, and that I’m going to see his father.”
Mamaw waved Dora off. “You go on and don’t worry about anything here. We’ll all be fine. You have enough to contend with getting your house ready for the market.”
Dora’s eyes narrowed at mention of the house. “Those workmen had better be there or I’ll raise holy hell.”
Mamaw and Lucille exchanged a glance. That was the Dora they knew. Pulling out her keys, Dora turned to go.
“Dora?” Mamaw called, stopping Dora as she made to leave. Dora stopped, turned her head, and met Mamaw’s gaze. “Mind you remember who you are. You’re a Muir. The captain of your own ship.” She sniffed and added, “Don’t you take any guff from the likes of Calhoun Tupper, hear?”
The brilliant Muir blue color flashed in Dora’s eyes. “Yes, ma’am,” she replied with heart, and straightened her shoulders.
The two old women watched Dora rush to her car, load the suitcase into the trunk, and roar out of the driveway, the wheels spitting gravel.
“Mmm-mmm-mm,” Lucille muttered as she returned to her basket weaving. “That woman’s hell-bent on taking her fury out on all the men in town today.”
Mamaw released the grin that had been playing at her lips all morning. “I don’t know who I feel more sorry for,” she said. “The workmen at the house, or Calhoun Tupper.”
Chapter Two
Charleston, South Carolina
Dora sat clenching her hands tightly together in her lap in her lawyer’s office. The air-conditioning was working valiantly against the day’s record-breaking heat, but the two lawyers and Cal had removed their suit jackets and rolled up their sleeves. Dora was the only woman in the room, and she still had her suit jacket on. She was resolved not to remove one shred of her armor. And in her mind’s eye she could see the safety pin holding her skirt together because she couldn’t quite fasten the button. So she sat with her jacket on, chafing at the collar and sweltering with a simmering fury while Cal’s lawyer, Mr. Harbison, went on explaining why the amount they were offering for settlement was exceptionally fair.
It was all she could do not to jump from her seat in frustration and rage. Fair? The amount offered wasn’t enough for her to live on, much less take care of Nate and all his therapy sessions. She glanced at her lawyer, Mr. Rosen, hoping to catch his attention. He had been very clear that she mustn’t engage but simply respond when directly questioned. His gaze was fixed to the pile of papers beside his open laptop and he was busily making notations as the items were discussed.
Frustrated, Dora glanced across the long conference table at Cal, raising her brows in a signal. Her soon-to-be ex-husband sat resolutely looking at his hands. He’d not bothered to meet her gaze when she’d
stepped into the office. Nor did he offer a word, or even a glance of comfort or concern during the entire morning’s meeting. He never once established eye contact. Cal had never been a touchy-feely sort of man, but today at the lawyer’s office he was positively void of all feeling.
She hadn’t seen Cal in the past few months, though they’d talked on a need-to-know basis. When she walked into the office earlier that morning, she’d been surprised to see he’d lost the spare tire around his waist and that he was taking more care with his appearance. He wore the classic Southern seersucker suit and she’d had to take a second look to believe his dapper bow tie.
She kept her rigid posture and blasé expression, but beneath the table her foot was shaking. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearing noon. She had endured a brutal morning listening to the cold recitation of positions from both lawyers. Now they had moved on to itemizing her and Cal’s possessions.
She followed the long itemized list as the lawyer droned. But when Cal’s lawyer began divvying up the Muir family antiques, Dora sat straight in her chair and blurted, “No!”
The room immediately went silent as the three gentlemen turned their heads toward her.
“There must be some mistake,” she said. “We are not divvying up the family antiques. Cal and I have already agreed that he would get his family furniture and I would get mine.”
Mr. Harbison offered her a benign smile. “I’m afraid, Mrs. Tupper, that wouldn’t be equitable.”
“I don’t . . .” She stopped when Mr. Rosen placed a hand on her arm.
“You see, all your possessions are considered communal property,” Mr. Harbison continued.
“No, they most certainly are not,” she barked at him, feeling her face color. “I don’t care if it’s equitable, communal, or whatever you want to call it.” Her voice was rising. “My family furniture is mine and he can’t have it. We’ve already discussed this and agreed.”
Cal’s face mottled. “Dora, we may have discussed it, but it was premature. It’s clear that’s no longer fair.”
Dora’s eyes narrowed. “Because now you know how much some of my pieces are worth. You went and had the furniture appraised. I can read the report.”
“If it were just a few hundred dollars . . .” he said. Cal tapped the papers in front of him, a slight flush rising in his cheeks. “But the Chippendale chairs and sofa, and the Empire chests . . . Those alone are worth over one hundred thousand dollars! The silver is worth another thirty.”
Dora lifted her brows in acknowledgment. Their value had been a pleasant surprise, but she couldn’t bear the thought of selling off pieces of her lineage to the highest bidder.
“This is not about the money. I don’t want to sell my furniture. It’s been in my family for generations. And it’ll go to Nate after me. We’re only the caretakers for the next generation. We don’t sell.”
“We do when we have to,” Cal said succinctly. “And with the costs of Nate’s therapy and the fact that the house you wanted has turned out to be a money hole, we have to now.”
“Those expenses are not new,” Dora fired back. “And let me remind you that you wanted that house every bit as much as I did. You saw the potential profit. But you never thought we needed to fix the house up before. You wouldn’t let me do anything. It was good enough for us to live in. Suddenly we need the money to make all the repairs and update the appliances?”
Mr. Harbison cleared his throat, entering the fray. “Mrs. Tupper, I realize this is an emotional subject. The repairs are minimal, just enough to make the house marketable. In the end, the purpose is to bring in a better price, for both your sakes.”
Tears threatened and Dora pinched her lips to stop them from trembling. The men in the room shifted in their seats and exchanged glances in a manner that seemed to say, What could we expect? She was a woman, after all. She couldn’t handle the proceedings without a display of emotion.
Of course she was emotional! These men were dispensing her personal possessions with the same nonchalance as if they were divvying up potatoes. And she was getting cheated in the bargain. Dora remembered Mamaw’s words— You’re a Muir. The captain of your own ship —and bridling, she turned to Cal’s lawyer with resolution. She was not accepting Cal’s ultimatum.
Dora delivered a hard look to Mr. Harbison. “Let me make my position clear. I don’t care what price the house brings in. Nor do I care what the value of my possessions are,” she said, making an effort to speak in an even voice. “I’m not parting with my family antiques. They belong to my family. I’ll have my grandmother write a letter to that effect. Y’all know Marietta Muir well enough that she’ll make certain nothing leaves the family’s hands.” She sat back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap. “That’s all I have to say.”
Mr. Harbison’s lips tightened in acknowledgment of the truth in that statement. He shot a glance at Cal, who stared at Dora with barely concealed frustration.
“Very well, Mrs. Tupper,” Mr. Rosen said in a conciliatory tone. He adjusted his spectacles and addressed Cal’s lawyer. “I suggest that we discuss this matter with our clients individually and meet again. We can consult our calendars and pick a date at a mutually convenient time.”
Dora resolutely looked at her hands during the uncomfortable time it took the lawyers to tidy up the few remaining details. She felt battered by the ordeal, refusing to look up for fear that now she’d meet Cal’s wrathful gaze. When at last the gentlemen began rising to their feet, Dora joined them. She reached for her purse and, muttering something about powdering her nose, hurried from the room before she had to face Cal again.
Summerville, South Carolina
The afternoon sun was lowering as Dora drove along the shaded streets of Summerville, South Carolina. Sunlight dappled through the thick foliage, and summer flowers burst in brilliant colors wherever she looked. Dora always felt at home in the historic district where beloved Southern traditions were reflected in streetscapes, parks, and gardens. She never tired of glancing dreamily at the charming raised cottages, the classic Greek Revivals, and sweeping Victorian homes. Cal’s family had lived in Summerville for generations, but it was the timeless quality of these historic homes in this district that ultimately prompted her to settle here.
Dora had thought herself so clever to “steal” her large Victorian at an auction ten years earlier. The historic location was very desirable and boasted one restored home after another. A house down the block from hers sold for a staggering sum. It had caused a ripple throughout the neighborhood and a flurry of renewed pride of ownership. She and Cal had been so young when they’d moved into the house, so full of hope, so sure they were on the cusp of change and poised for prosperity.
They had been so naive, Dora thought with a stab of sadness as she passed the town square framed by quaint shops that, in the spring, came alive with the azaleas that gave Summerville the moniker “flower town.” She passed St. Paul’s church, where she’d volunteered in the Women’s Mission; the quaint Timrod Library, which she’d helped to support through fund-raisers and where she’d spent hours with Nate while she homeschooled. This was her community, her home . . . yet driving through the winding roads she knew so well, she felt like a stranger.
She’d spent years developing her network of friends in her church and community. People she’d thought she could count on when the chips were down. Yet once she and Cal received Nate’s diagnosis of autism, it altered the nature of her friendships.
One by one, her so-called friends grew uncomfortable with Nate’s behavior. The children ignored him and the mothers stopped inviting her to bring Nate over for play dates. For her part, she’d stopped trying as well. Eventually, she simply dropped out—of volunteering, school activities, and entertaining. Instead, Dora dove heart first into therapy and homeschooling for her son. Only the parent of a child with a disorder would understand that kind of commitment.
Dora took a long, steadying breath, focusing on the present. Non
e of that mattered, she told herself. None of them mattered. She’d managed well enough on her own, didn’t she?
Dora glanced at the coral brooch on her lapel. The sight of it comforted her, like a mental hug, reminding her that there were others who did care and who did matter—Mamaw, Lucille, Carson, and Harper. She felt her shoulders soften as she let go of the hurt and rejection that she still harbored in a place deep within. She had created a world of self-sufficiency. Her mother, Cal, the women she’d surrounded herself with were takers, not givers. When the time came that she needed help, they’d disappeared. But perhaps now, she thought with a glimmer of hope—with them—she could begin a give-and-take.
She turned on a road that led away from the park and arrived at the long driveway to her house. From the street entrance, she saw the house the way strangers might as they drove past. The white Victorian peeked out from the cloak of green foliage like a shy bride, enchanting with its charming red pyramid roof trimmed with elaborate bric-a-brac. Unfortunately, it turned out to be more of an old Miss Havisham.
Behind the veil of distance and foliage, the house revealed its turpitude and age. Decades of peeling paint, the crumbling brick foundation, porch pillars tilting under the weight of overgrown vines could not be clouded over with daydreams. She pulled in front of the old house and turned off the engine. She sat in the stifling heat and stared at the large white Victorian. She didn’t feel a shred of the old excitement. Instead, despair spread through her bloodstream. Dora no longer saw what could be. Everywhere she looked, Dora saw the rot that festered from foundation to roof and the realization that no amount of effort on her part could save it.
The comparison to her marriage was too obvious and too painful to ponder.
Heart weary, she reached for the bag of groceries, the chilled bottle of white wine, and the box of fried chicken she’d picked up on the way home from the lawyer’s office. Dora felt exhausted and utterly depleted, barely able to make it up the brick stairs to the front door. After a brief struggle with the lock, she pushed open the door and was met with a wall of musty heat. Her heart sank and her shoulders slumped.
Lowcountry Summer eBoxed Set Page 33