Chapter 14: Home Sweet Home

Liam

BY THIS TIME, I shouldn’t have been surprised to see Erich in Grandmother’s apartment. He’d played tennis with us this afternoon and it was completely reasonable that he should be invited to dinner. It seemed, however, that I saw him more and more often in her company.

“Let’s sit,” Grandmother said. “I’m eager to hear how school is going this fall. Cook fixed game hens for us this evening.” Cornish game hens are among my favorite treats but I was worried about how messy they could be. I wasn’t very good at stripping the meat from the bones with a knife and fork. I didn’t need to worry about that right away as we had a yummy Greek salad to start with. I do like feta cheese and Cook serves it with a large slice on top, not crumbles.

Grandmother got us right into telling about our school projects and guided Meredith and me in comparing the experience of Elenchus and Green Hill with the University. I could see right away that it would be a different experience.

“Seriously?” I asked Meredith. “You have a class with a hundred people in it?”

“It’s not unusual for lectures to combine three or four groups that then have follow-up classes in smaller classrooms. I guess it saves the lecturer having to repeat the same lecture four times.”

“It will be very strange for me to sit and listen to a lecture without being able to respond. How do people learn anything?”

“The smaller follow-up classes often have more discussion, but they are usually led by a senior student and not the lecturer. The professor is the authority on the subject and the discussions are to be sure we understand what he said.”

“It will be a new experience for you, Liam,” Grandmother said. “At Elenchus you are encouraged to question and even challenge your instructors. That is not the norm for mass education. Undergraduates are expected to listen and recite. It is assumed that the instructor knows what he or she is talking about. At the master’s level, you are expected to demonstrate that you not only have learned what you have been taught, but that you have a mastery of the subject and understand it thoroughly. Only at the doctoral level are you expected to contribute to the body of knowledge or to disprove something from the canon.”

I was at a loss for words and could only hope that I’d survive the lectures. I still wasn’t sure how I was supposed to learn in that environment. I contemplated it through the remainder of my salad.

The main course of game hens with wild rice was served. Grandmother immediately attacked her bird with her fingers and tore off a wing, freeing the rest of us to use our fingers as well. Grandmother called it “delightfully messy.”

“And how goes your other task, Meredith?” she asked.

“It’s generated some interesting responses. I’m afraid people are somewhat reticent to discuss renting to people as young as we are but as soon as they see the Cyning name on my business card, they become inappropriately helpful.”

“Would you believe, Grandmother, that one rental agent who had rudely dismissed Meredith at first suddenly discovered a twelve-room penthouse with quarters for my staff. The inquiry Meredith put out was very specific regarding our needs and that was way out of line.”

“I believe you will need to purchase something,” Erich said. “We ran into the same thing with your father and with your grandmother.”

“You had this problem, Grandmother?”

“Oh, yes. Even though it might have been less a problem with Erich as my assistant than if I had a young woman, he met with much the same kind of prejudice. He was told a property was in a respectable building and they weren’t going to lease it to him for his lover. Then when they heard the name Barone, they fell over themselves with several ‘discreet’ properties we could have.”

“Your father ended up simply living here and having me drive him to the University until he felt it was too much bother and established his first business. He didn’t continue his schooling after that,” Erich said.

“I can’t believe they thought Grandmother was your lover!” I said.

“Well, I was, dear. You can’t blame them for that.”

Fortunately, Meredith was there to shove a piece of chicken into my open mouth. I nearly choked.

“You would think he would know by now,” Erich said. I offered Meredith a bite and found her mouth in a similar state of gaping. My body was suffering from far too much stimulus. I turned to look at her and she simply shrugged her shoulders.

“But you were married to my grandfather, weren’t you?”

“Yes. My parents felt I was damaging their name, so they arranged a marriage to William Cyning. It was my negotiating skills that made the situation tolerable. And William was a good man whom I came to love. But I explained to him up front that where I went, Erich went. I would otherwise be a faithful wife, but he needed to understand that was part of the deal.”

“And he agreed to that?”

“You need to understand that your grandfather was also a product of his times and that the marriage was arranged against his will as well. There was some thought that classes could be inherited like British nobility if both parents were of the same class. It was a most stimulating negotiation and set us both on the path of accepting each other.” Grandmother looked down at the bones in front of her. We’d all stripped our birds completely. But grandmother was not finished. “Part of our agreement was that we would have children only with each other. I’m happy to say your father was the product of that union, so don’t imagine that Erich might actually be your grandfather. Your father also was proof positive that classes don’t breed true.”

“Yet, here I am,” I sighed.

“Cook set our cheese and coffee in the sitting room,” Erich said. “Regina, may I escort you?”

“As always, Erich. As always.”

At least this time we did not overindulge in wine and cognac, though I was sorely tempted. We paused outside Meredith’s door and I turned to her.

“Meredith,” I began. She placed a finger to my lips.

“It is too soon to speculate on that, Liam. We’ve a lot of new information to digest. I don’t believe your Grandmother hired me with the intent that I should become your lover. You... We both have a great deal to learn at the University, not the least of which is our studies.” She reached up and placed a soft kiss on my lips and then withdrew immediately. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” I responded.

I had a lot to think about. My grandmother had told me she was my valet’s lover. But the subtext was that a relationship with my personal assistant and mentor was not unacceptable. I wondered how my parents would feel about that. But it was also clear that many people had a special tutor who had helped them along the road to maturity. Erich had been my father’s valet and mentor until Father started into business. Jack Lenova had become my father’s personal assistant when it became clear his class was Promoter. But the shift was not one that heralded a failure of any sort. It was simply to gain an assistant who was more capable of dealing with the demands of that class. I knew my father respected Erich.

Already, I couldn’t imagine a time when I would want an assistant other than Meredith. But did that mean I wanted to be her lover? On a very base level my mind screamed, “Yes!” But I could recognize my own hormones driving me and could have screamed the same thing about Hana. Meredith was right: It was too early to contemplate that.

Still, the thought kept me awake and after a restless hour in bed, I rose and put on my robe. I removed my carefully concealed pack of cigarettes from my desk drawer and went down to the patio to have a smoke. I watched the stars and contemplated my life. Eventually, I fell asleep there.

“This is exactly the position I was in when I decided not to return to the University,” my father said, startling me awake. I quickly tried to conceal my pack of cigarettes, but to no avail. “Can I hope that you have been considering joining me in the business? I believe you could rise rapidly in your grandfather’s arms company. And frankly, I’d welcome you there.” He reached for my cigarettes and helped himself to one. It was too early in the morning for me to indulge in that particular vice. Father was in his swimming trunks and despite the chill was obviously headed for the pool.

“I hope I’ll always be of help to you in the business,” I said. “But I confess, I have no love for it that would drive me to quit school and come to work.”

“I thought not, but I had to check.” He crushed out his cigarette after only a few puffs. “Join me for a swim?”

“I’m not dressed for swimming,” I said.

“What difference does that make?” He tossed off his robe and stepped out of his trunks. “It’s a great way to wake up in the morning.” He dove into the pool and after a moment’s hesitation, I stripped off my pajamas and dove in after him. I wasn’t convinced of its being a great way to wake up, but I was certainly awake!

Meredith

IT WAS AN INTERESTING WEEKEND. Liam and I spent a good share of Sunday studying. I also took down the details from the calls on my answering machine and learned how to access it remotely. Not having a phone in my dorm room made the process awkward but at least I could find out if an agent had a unit I was interested in.

Regina Cyning took me aside for a few minutes and told me she had placed a substantial sum in a drawing account for Liam and me. She handed me a checkbook and encouraged me to shop for something we could buy instead of rent. Liam and I went through the classified ads Sunday and circled one or two that I would follow up on. Monday morning, we rose early and I dropped him at Elenchus as I continued on to the University.

It was a busy day. I returned the call from Carolyn Dubois and she was as pleasant to talk to as her phone message had sounded. I accepted her party invitation for Liam and me, stressing that we were trying to maintain a low profile and to please not make a big thing out of introducing Liam.

I called several real estate agencies and faxed our specifications. Two called back and I arranged appointments.

The first real estate agent I met with professed to know just what I needed and had the perfect property to show me. The agent met me at the gate—yes, gate—to the mansion she was selling. I groaned inwardly. The agent chose to show what she thought we could afford rather than what we specified we wanted.

“Now, I know you can’t mention names, dear, but this is exactly the property a Leader needs.” She’d obviously done a lot of research to discover who I was representing. I’d worked out the wording with Mrs. Cyning. This was precisely what we’d tried to avoid. “Not only is it convenient to the university—only two miles—it will make a fine addition to the family estate. It would not surprise me if the family came to stay here on occasion, even after college is left behind. The house has twelve bedrooms, a library, a study, formal dining room, formal living room, and casual lounge. I looked up all the available information made public and I know this is perhaps smaller than your client is accustomed to but generally has the same amenities. Lacking the stables, of course. There is an ordinance forbidding livestock in the city limits. You will find there are quarters for the maid, attendant, cook, and other essential staff, while I’m certain you would find the lovely apartment above the carriage house suitable for your own dwelling. The utmost discretion is desired and this would be perfect with an office, small suite, and a large bedroom. I have a decorator standing by who could have the entire property up to your standards in two months.”