“I know. But Brandon was never as smart as you. He was never as good and decent, not even as a child.” Nora sighed. “I guess I thought that if I just paid enough attention to him he might become a better person. But that doesn’t make sense. I see that now.”
“I know you did what you thought was best,” Hayley said reassuringly.
Nora pointed to the book Hayley still held. “The book,” she said. “It looks old. Where did it come from?”
Hayley ran her finger across the embossed title on the front cover. “A friend.”
“This friend must care very much for you,” her mother said gently.
Hayley’s voice trembled when she replied. “I believe he does.”
“And you care for him?”
Hayley nodded.
“Is he from around here?” her mother asked.
“No,” Hayley told her. “He’s from very far away.”
“Love,” Nora Franklin said, “is always the strongest bridge over great distances. Believe that, Hayley.”
Hayley wiped tears from her eyes. “I’ll try,” she said. “I’ll try.”
Chapter 128
It was a rainy afternoon, perfect for staying indoors and doing nothing more taxing than flipping through fashion magazines or, as Hayley was doing, sitting on the living room floor dangling a toy for the cats.
Amy, curled in an armchair, had decided not to tell her mother or Hayley about the time she had witnessed Cressida slap her husband. She had done enough damage to the man by repeating his wife’s cruel criticisms. The least she could do was to spare him the further humiliation of being known as a physically abused husband.
“Will Prior sent me a text asking if I’d meet him for coffee tomorrow,” she said now to Hayley.
“Are you going to meet with him?” Hayley asked.
Amy nodded. “I am. I want to hear what he has to say.”
“It could be unpleasant,” Hayley pointed out. “Cressida is a nut, but she is his wife. Do you want me to come with you in case you need reinforcements?”
“No,” Amy said. She was not afraid of Will Prior. “Thanks, but I’ll be okay. I just can’t help but think about the children. My mom says children are resilient, but I wonder if one day Jordan and Rhiannon will rebel against their parents in some spectacular, destructive way.”
“I guess no one can know how a child will react to his past as he grows into adulthood,” Hayley said. “Maybe he’ll embrace it wholeheartedly, maybe he’ll reject it entirely, or maybe he’ll pick and choose what examples of his parents’ behavior to live by.”
“Well, I hope that Jordan and Rhiannon manage to forget the lessons Cressida’s been teaching them. But even if they do, the fact remains they missed out on so much love and warmth, and if you don’t get that when you’re little, how do you know what to look for when you grow up?”
Hayley sighed. “That’s a question I’ve been asking myself all my life. In Jordan and Rhiannon’s situation, I could see how their father’s affections might become suspect at some point. They could turn against him for not having better protected them from a toxic mother.”
“I guess we’ll just have to hope for the best. Anyway, I’ve decided I’m going to report my experience with the Priors on the nanny websites. I’m hoping my story might spare someone else from being caught up in their weird dynamic.”
“Good for you,” Hayley said forcefully. “Women have to stick together in ways that make a difference. And speaking of women sticking together, I have something to tell you, though you’re not going to believe it when you hear it.”
Amy smiled. “Don’t keep me in suspense!”
“My mother, the long-abused Nora Franklin, finally stood up to my father, and in a pretty spectacular way.” Hayley went on to relate what had happened when she and her mother had discovered Eddie Franklin tearing apart Hayley’s bedroom.
“You’re right,” Amy said when Hayley had finished speaking. “I don’t believe it, except that you’re not a liar so I have to believe it.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say I’m not a liar. I lied to Ethan about plenty of things.”
“That’s different,” Amy said firmly. “You were desperate. You weren’t really you.”
“I’m not sure that excuses me. Anyway, when it was all over, my mother encouraged me to take all the money I have saved and get away. She said that handling my father was her responsibility. And she apologized for not having been able to protect me before now.”
“This is amazing,” Amy said. “It’s like your mother has been reborn or something.”
“Don’t expect a total revolution just yet,” Hayley warned. “She might easily backslide, and I wouldn’t blame her if she did, not after all the years she’s spent being subservient to my father.”
“She’ll need encouragement. Maybe my mother can help in some way. I can tell her what happened, can’t I?”
“Yeah,” Hayley said. “Maybe if your mom can just, I don’t know, have coffee with her. Some small gesture of friendship might go a long way at this point.”
“Sure. So, are you going to leave Yorktide?” Amy asked.
“I haven’t given it any real thought yet,” Hayley admitted. “I mean, I’d have to go someplace where I could get a decent job, or else why bother. And I’m not sure I can walk away from my mother, not when she’s only just begun to assert herself.”
“Don’t be mad at me for saying this,” Amy began, “but maybe you’re just as stuck as your mother is. Leaving home means you’d have to change. You’d have to start thinking about your own life as most important, and that will be hard to do. But Hayley, you have to try. You can’t let fear stand in your way.”
Hayley didn’t say anything for a very long moment but sat staring down at the cats, who, tired from their exertions, were lying on their backs, airing their furry tummies. Amy began to worry that she had gone too far with her version of tough love, but then Hayley raised her eyes and smiled a tentative smile.
“Maybe I should leave town,” she said. “Maybe I should have faith in my mother’s ability to cope without me. And maybe I should have faith in my own ability to cope without her.”
“That’s the spirit!” Amy suddenly snapped her fingers. “I have a brilliant idea! I told you that I’m not going to Boston. Why don’t you take my room in the apartment? I’m sure the other girls won’t mind, and it will save them the hassle of trying to find another roommate. As for a job, I know you can find something. There are always jobs in big cities.”
Hayley nodded. “Okay,” she said. “Why not? I’ll do it. If you’re sure your friends won’t mind.”
“I’ll talk to them today,” Amy promised. “I can totally vouch for you being the most responsible person I know.”
“Thanks, Amy. You’re a good friend. And Boston isn’t too far away, so I can easily come home if my mother needs me. Not,” she added quickly, “that I’ll be making excuses to come home. At least I’ll try not to be.”
“Good. So, do you think your mother will forgive your father for all the stuff he’s put her through?”
“I expect she already has,” Hayley said. “And maybe one day I’ll be able to forgive him. Let’s see if he gets his act together now that my mother has found her voice.”
“What about Brandon?” Amy asked. “Do you forgive him for all the trouble he’s caused?”
“I’m not sure how to answer that,” Hayley admitted. “I don’t think he had all that much of a choice when it came to being a good person. My mother thinks he was born with some innate deficiencies of character, and growing up in a home like ours certainly didn’t do him any favors.”
“I can’t pretend I ever liked him,” Amy said. “Still, I don’t think he’s evil or anything.”
“Probably not. But can you forgive someone for behavior they aren’t sorry for? Can you forgive someone who doesn’t want to be forgiven, someone who doesn’t think he needs to be forgiven?”
Amy laughed. “I don�
�t know the answer to those sorts of questions, Hayley.”
“Does anyone?” Hayley asked with a grin.
Chapter 129
When Leda had finished telling Vera about how Amy had stood up to the great Cressida Prior, Vera raised her fists in the air. “Good for Amy!” she cried. “I knew she had it in her. Well, to be honest I wasn’t quite sure, but I’m glad she proved herself stronger than I gave her credit for. I’m glad she proved me wrong.”
“Me too,” Leda admitted, pouring boiling water into two teacups. “There’s another thing. Will Prior asked to meet her, and she agreed.”
Vera frowned. “You think that’s such a good idea?”
“I don’t know. Part of me thinks she should have refused. But I understand her need for closure. Maybe Will can shed some light on what went on this summer.”
“I hope so,” Vera said, bringing her cup of tea to the kitchen table. “I’d like to strangle that Cressida Prior for what she put Amy through.”
Leda joined her friend. “I don’t think that would do Amy any good,” she pointed out, “but there is a way you might help. Do you think you might find a place for her in the new restaurant? I know she has no experience, but she is a hard worker when she’s given the chance to be.”
“Does she want to work for me?” Vera asked.
“She mentioned talking to you about a job. But I don’t want you to feel compelled,” Leda added hastily.
“Do I ever? No, I’d be glad to give Amy a real chance, not that mentor nonsense Prior tried to unload.”
“Amy seems pretty clear about a lot of the dynamic Cressida established between them. I think she made a very big stride toward adulthood this summer.” Leda took a sip of her tea. “So,” she went on. “Have you seen Margot since the party?”
Vera busied herself rearranging the shortbread cookies she had brought from the restaurant on the plate Leda had provided. “Yeah,” she said finally. “Once or twice.”
“And?” Leda prompted.
Vera shrugged. “And, you know.”
“No,” Leda replied patiently. “I don’t know. And stop fiddling with those cookies.”
“If you must know,” Vera said with a put-upon sigh, “we’ve been to dinner and for a walk on the beach. And we’ve talked on the phone. But only a few times. And we text. That’s all.”
Leda smiled and reached for a cookie. “Now we let Nature take its course.”
Chapter 130
Hayley brought an empty coffee cup to the dishwasher, checking to see that the twins were still eating their Cheerios and milk and not tossing the cereal around the room. Being with the sisters had gotten her to thinking about Amy’s questions regarding Hayley’s feelings toward Brandon, and she had come to acknowledge that it really would be a good thing to allow more compassionate feelings to take the place of her usual criticisms and judgment. And maybe once compassion became a habit she might find the determination to offer her brother a more tangible form of help. It would be up to him to accept or to reject that help, but offering it might be the right thing to do.
“Good morning!” Marisa came into the kitchen wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words THIS IS WHAT A FEMINIST LOOKS LIKE. She hadn’t mentioned Ethan after her last conversation with Hayley, and for that Hayley was grateful.
“Another perfect summer day,” Marisa commented, smiling at the girls and pouring herself a cup of coffee.
“We learn to enjoy them as much as possible,” Hayley said. “In the dead of our long winters, summer seems such a distant memory.”
“Speaking of long winters, I’ve been wondering what your plans are after we’ve gone back to Connecticut,” Marisa said, sitting on one of the stools at the countertop. “If you don’t mind my asking.”
“I don’t mind,” Hayley told her. “I’m going to Boston. It’s a last-minute decision.”
“Where will you live?” Marisa asked. “There are some lovely neighborhoods in the city but also just outside. The T makes it really easy to get around.”
Hayley had only been on the T once. Marisa didn’t need to know that. “I’ll be sharing an apartment in Allston,” she said, “with a few of my friend Amy’s friends from school. The rent is manageable, though I need to find a good-paying job pretty quickly. You know from my résumé that I have experience cleaning houses.” Hayley smiled awkwardly. “There are always people who need help cleaning their houses.”
“I might just know of something that would be of more interest to you,” Marisa said. “My friend Jillian Roseveare is a professor of medieval literature at Boston University. She’s starting a year-long sabbatical come the fall, and her plans are to undertake the research for a book she’s planning to write. I know she’s been looking for a research assistant. I could give her a call and suggest she talk to you. What do you think?”
What Hayley thought was that she might faint. And then she laughed a bit wildly. “But I know almost nothing about research methods,” she said.
“You’ll learn,” Marisa said robustly. “If Jillian is willing to give you a chance, would you be willing to take it?”
“Yes,” Hayley blurted. “Of course.”
“Good. I can’t say the money will be great, and you’ll probably need a second job to make ends meet. But I think the experience would really benefit you going forward.” Marisa smiled kindly. “Teachers at YCC talk. I know you were an excellent student. I know you didn’t want to leave school. And I suspect you want to continue your education at some point. Am I right?”
Hayley nodded. “Yes,” she said, her voice quavering. “It’s my dream.”
“Then why not start making that dream a reality? Let me call my friend, and if she’s already hired someone I’m sure there’s some other academic we know in desperate need of an intelligent, hardworking assistant.”
Hayley swallowed hard. “I don’t know what to say. Working in academia would be like a dream come true. Thank you.”
Marisa got up from the stool and put a gentle hand on Hayley’s arm. “I like you, Hayley,” she said. “We all do. The girls will miss you. I’ll miss you. You were a great help to me this summer. Without your good care of my children I wouldn’t have been able to teach the class at YCC. And teaching is something I really enjoy.”
“It was my pleasure. It’s all been . . .” Hayley took a steadying breath. “It’s all been such a good experience.”
“Even getting to know Ethan?” Marisa asked softly. “I don’t believe all is lost there, Hayley. I really don’t.”
Before Hayley could protest, Layla picked up her bowl of Cheerios and dumped it over her head. Lily started to scream with laughter, which set Layla off as well, and neither Hayley nor Marisa could resist joining in.
“I’ll get a washcloth,” Hayley gasped.
Marisa hurried to the broom closet. “And I’ll get a mop.”
Chapter 131
It was with some degree of curiosity that Amy had agreed to meet Will Prior that afternoon. After all, he was not entirely innocent. He had stood by while his wife mistreated an employee working in their home. He didn’t seem to care that his wife largely ignored their children. And what about his wife’s drug use? There was no way he could be ignorant of Cressida using drugs unless willfully. Denial might be a normal reaction to an unpleasant or stressful situation, but at bottom it was also a supremely selfish reaction.
With a steadying breath, Amy pushed opened the door to the coffee shop. There were only a few people inside apart from the baristas. A woman with pure white hair cut in a sleek bob sat at the counter that ran along one wall of the café; she was reading a hardcover book and sipping a large cup of tea. A young man with a small child in a stroller sat on a cushioned bench that ran halfway down the opposite wall. He was drinking from a tall paper cup while the child studied intently the plush rabbit in his hands.
And then there was Will, seated near the back of the shop at a table for two. Amy wondered who was watching the children. As Amy approached
Will she noted for the first time an overall weariness in his bearing. No doubt it had been there all along, but Amy, blinded by the flash that was Cressida Prior, had failed to notice.
“Thank you for coming,” he said.
Amy nodded and sat at the table.
“What would you like to drink?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Amy said. “I’m fine.”
Will cleared his throat. “This is probably too little too late,” he began, “but I would like to apologize for my wife’s behavior this summer.”
“Why did she want me to spend so much time with her?” Amy asked, leaning forward. “My job was supposed to be to care for the children, not to be her personal servant.”
“There have been other young women,” Will said with a shrug. “She tries to groom them to follow in her footsteps and to be her friend but . . . it never works out. She chooses girls who are obviously. . . unworldly.”
Amy felt slightly sick to her stomach. “You mean vulnerable,” she said.
Will nodded.
Amy recalled the day Rhiannon had mentioned “the other one,” and now much more became clear. “And yet you let her do it all over again,” she said, “manipulate another young person into turning against people she holds dear and giving up things she enjoys just so . . . just so Cressida Prior can have a personal plaything?”
Will’s expression darkened. “I can’t really stop her, can I?”
Amy thought about that for a moment. She supposed Will was right. One adult might have the right to tell another adult how to act, especially if the second adult was behaving in a manner that most people would find objectionable, but what power did the first adult have to compel the second adult to change her ways? Not much.
“She treats you like dirt,” Amy blurted, the sound of Cressida’s hand cracking against Will’s cheek loud in her memory. “She ridicules you in front of your children. How can you put up with it? Don’t you see that by treating you disrespectfully she’s teaching the children that it’s okay to have no concern for the happiness and dignity of others, even the happiness and dignity of their own father?”
The Summer Nanny Page 37