Part 5 (1/2)
”What prompted the move?” asked Lucy.
”Oh, we've lived in Connecticut for most of our marriage, that's over forty years.”
”Remarkable,” said Lucy.
”Not so remarkable. It's easy to stay married when you're in love,” said Roger, beaming across the table at Helen. ”She's every bit as pretty as the day I married her.”
”Oh, Roger,” protested Helen, her cheeks turning pink. ”You're embarra.s.sing me.” She turned back to Lucy. ”Isn't he impossible?”
”I think you're fortunate to have such a loving relations.h.i.+p,” said Lucy, feeling she was in danger of losing control of the interview. ”So why did you leave Connecticut?”
”Oh, our house burned down,” said Helen, with a little shrug.
”That's right,” agreed Roger, b.u.t.tering a scone. ”Total loss.”
”Oh, my goodness.” Lucy was shocked. ”That's terrible.”
”When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade,” said Helen, brightly. ”We decided to look at it as an opportunity. When you've lost everything, you see, at first it's very terrible. You're shocked. The photos, the artwork, the antiques, all turned to ashes.”
”We were quite serious collectors,” said Roger. ”We had an early Warhol, a Basquiat... .”
”I never liked those much, dear. It was the Wyeths I hated to lose,” said Helen.
”For me, it was the antiques. That G.o.ddard highboy... .”
”Brown University had just made inquiries, too. They wanted to buy it.”
”Buy it!” hooted Roger. ”They wanted us to leave it to them.”
”Doesn't matter now,” said Helen, with a sad smile. ”It's gone.” She took a deep breath and straightened her back, taking a sip of tea. ”It's all gone, but we decided not to look at it as a loss but to move on. We'd always wanted to live on the coast-I just love Maine, you see. And if I can't have a Wyeth landscape on my wall, I can have one right outside my window.”
”That's a wonderful att.i.tude,” said Lucy. ”Can you tell me how you met?”
”I was in London, modeling,” said Helen. ”It was the Swinging Sixties.”
”I wasn't swinging, I was at the London School of Economics. I call it the Slogging Sixties.”
”We met on a double-decker bus,” said Helen. ”The bus swerved 'round a corner and I lost my balance. I landed right in his lap!”
”Talk about luck! This beautiful girl lands in my lap. I took it as a sign that she was meant for me.” Roger finished off his scone and reached for a tiny square of chocolate cake.
”So you married and came back to the U.S. and settled in Connecticut?” asked Lucy.
”More or less,” agreed Roger.
”Any children?” asked Lucy.
Helen shook her head sadly. ”It just never happened, it's my one regret.”
Roger was looking over the remaining cakes, deciding between a lemon curd tart and a mocha mini-cupcake. ”I know you feel that way,” admitted Roger. ”But I think-no, I know-we were spared a lot of heartache. Think of the Westons.”
Helen turned to Lucy, her blue eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g over. ”Their daughter was killed in a car crash.”
”And even when there aren't any tragedies, children do tend to test a marriage,” said Roger, choosing the mini-cupcake.
Helen dabbed at her eyes with a lace-trimmed handkerchief. ”We've had good times, haven't we, Roger?”
”You betcha,” said Roger, reaching across the table and covering her small pink hand with his larger speckled one. ”It's like that old song: 'I Got You, Babe.' ”
”You certainly do,” said Helen, leaning toward him and smiling.
The two remained gazing into each other's eyes until Caitlin returned. ”How's everything?” she asked.
”Just lovely,” said Helen.
”Good, I'll be back with the check,” said Caitlin.
Lucy reached for her bag. ”This is on my expense account,” said Lucy. ”I can't thank you enough... .”
”Nonsense.” Roger's voice was firm. ”Call me old-fas.h.i.+oned but I couldn't let a lady pay for me. Besides, I'm the one who ate all the food!”
When Caitlin returned, Roger s.n.a.t.c.hed the little plastic folder from her. ”I'll just sign,” he said. ”We're guests here.”
Caitlin pressed her lips together and leaned forward, whispering in Roger's ear. Suddenly Roger's face flushed beet red. ”That's absurd. I never heard of anything like that. What sort of establishment is this?”
”I'm just following orders,” she said, looking extremely uncomfortable.
”I'm sure it's a misunderstanding,” said Roger, scribbling on the bill and snapping the folder shut. ”Here you go. I'll take it up with the management later.”
Caitlin shook her head, refusing to take the folder. ”Cash only, those were my instructions.”
”Can't you see I have guests,” protested Roger. ”I'll take it up with the manager later.” He practically tossed the folder at her. ”Now off you go, like a good girl.”
Caught off balance, Caitlin s.n.a.t.c.hed the folder out of the air and walked off, scowling.
”I'm so sorry about that,” said Roger, turning to Lucy. ”I don't know where they get their help these days.”
”From right here in town,” said Lucy, who sympathized with Caitlin's predicament and hoped she wouldn't get in trouble. ”She's in my daughter's cla.s.s at school.”
”Well, I'm afraid she's going to learn a hard lesson. There's no tip for that girl.”
”It wasn't her fault, Roger,” said Helen. ”It's just a misunderstanding. I'm sure you can straighten it out with the manager.” She paused, beaming at him. ”You always do.”
Roger turned to Lucy. ”You know what they say: Behind every successful man there's a good woman. I don't know what I'd do without my Helen. I don't deserve her.”
”Of course you do, Roger. It's I who don't deserve you.”
”No, dear, you are the glue that holds us together.”
”No, Roger. You are. It's your strength. I'd be lost without you.”