Chapter 1

After the events of the last year, I needed a summer respite. Grandfather's death and aftermath had taken its toll. Dealing with Brooke's rape had been traumatic. It seemed I had lost most of those close to me. Living in New York seemed to be was mostly having to deal with business affairs much more complex and complicated than I was prepared to handle. I wasn't proud of the way I used women. I had complicated Dorothy's life and fought not to ruin it. In addition to all the business responsibilities, I had to deal with the emotional responsibilities of Dorothy having another child. Most of the women I cared about, like Carolyn, had moved on. I depended far too much on the Lauders and Thornton. I seemed to be grasping at straws.

Saturday, I drove an Impala Super Sport to get Becky Hall for the Junior League event. I figured that if Becky didn't like being picked up in a Chevrolet, she could stay home. Carolyn and Hank were to come from the apartment in the limo. I hadn't been on a real blind date since the DKE Sweetheart Cathryn, had fixed me up during my first year at Alabama. I was a bit nervous. I trusted Nancy Hebb, but some of Brooke's friends were very status and wealth conscious. I didn't want to waste time with people who I couldn't stand.

Don't be stupid, it's a dinner charity event, not an engagement announcement. Loosen up and have a little fun.

Becky lived near Fort Salonga. The house was an older, two story former vacation house with a beautiful view of Long Island Sound. A very attractive woman about Brooke's age opened the door. She had engaging smile.

"Welcome. I'm Becky Hall." She held out her hand.

I took her hand. She reminded me of a younger Carolyn; attractive, but not beautiful. I said, "Rob Jenkins."

Becky said, "Come in. Would you like something to drink before we go?"

"I'm driving. I better skip the drink. Nice place." The hardwood floor gleamed. There were a few oriental carpets, but not much furniture. The interior looked clean and calm, very Billy Baldwin.

Becky said, "It's not like your house, but I like it. It's larger than I need, but I find the water peaceful."

"I know what you mean. My grandfather and I sat on the porch and looked at Mobile Bay a lot of evenings. It was very calming. My house here on Long Island has been in mother's family since before the War Between the States. When I'm there by myself, I really feel very alone." I looked out the large picture window at the Sound. "The sunset across the Sound must really be something."

Becky said, "You're not at all stuffy." She continued as I frowned. "I thought you might be stuffy and too young. I haven't dated in a while. I was afraid I'd look foolish."

"I'm proud to be with you, but I don't want to embarrass you."

She smiled. "We can't disappoint Nancy, can we?"

"I'm not disappointed; as long as you aren't, the others don't much matter!"

Becky said, "Let's go."

We walked to the car, and I opened the door for her. Becky was very nicely built, big breasted with muscular legs. She was dressed very conservatively, but her figure couldn't be hidden. Her dress went to her knees and no cleavage showed.

I smiled and walked around and got in the driver's side. She gave me a hard, questioning look.

I said, "Sorry; you remind me of a woman I work with in Alabama. She's not comfortable with how attractive she is either."

Becky looked offended. "Nancy said you were really nice. I'm not use to someone being so direct and mocking me. What did Nancy say about me?"

"Just that I'd like you. I apologize; I didn't mean to offend, and I certainly wasn't mocking you. Nancy also said she would put fun people at our table, and I got carried away, jumping the gun being playful. Please forgive me."

Becky asked, "I thought it was a company table? The people aren't from your company?"

I was glad she had changed the subject and didn't seem so irritated with me. "I've never met the others. Nancy invited them to be our guests. I know the hosts at the table next to us. Carolyn and Hank are very nice. She works with entertainers' accounts at our bank, and he's an artist's agent. I went with her to a New York City Chapter Junior League function right after I met her. She is a friend of Brooke, my sister in law."

Becky nodded, "I doubt if I know them. Working with artists must be interesting work. I took dance lessons in high school, but I wasn't good enough to go on. I wish I were artistic."

"I kind of know what you mean. Last summer I took classes at Juilliard. I can't carry a tune in a bucket and have almost no instrumental talent. I tried to learn to be a good listener and to appreciate talent. I have a relative who is a full-time student at Juilliard and goes year around. She got me interested in taking a jazz seminar. She invited me to the weekly parties she gave which attracted a wide variety of mostly students, but also included dancers, actors and differing kinds of performers. I enjoyed the people and the jazz seminar, and got to go to events with people I met. It's a lot more fun if you know someone performing. This summer I'm taking a couple of continuing ed broadcast journalism classes at Columbia. It's interesting, but not nearly as much fun as the jazz seminar. Do you play an instrument?"

"I took piano lessons until I finished high school. I don't play much now."

After a lull, she asked, "Do you work in the City?"

"I'm here over the summer. I was in Vietnam, so college was interrupted, now, I'm in college in Alabama."

Becky said, "That must be different. Nancy told me you were related to Brooke. I'm sorry she moved."

I nodded. We arrived at a banquet facility before I found out more about her. We parked and went into the hall where the Junior League event was held. Around the outside of the dining area, silent auction items were on tables. Beside each item was a bid card. Becky and I found our assigned dinner table, got a couple of glasses of wine, and walked toward the auction tables.

I said, "The company has a car and driver here. If you feel uncomfortable with me driving you home, we can get a ride with them."

Becky said, "I'm sure you'll be fine."

We greeted Nancy. I winked at her, "I'm not mad at you at all. We're going to bid on some items."

Nancy said, "The ones with the minimum bid on the card are on consignment. The ones with the minimum bid written in red, I purchased at a nice discount. I hope they all sell."

We left Nancy and walked among the tables. They had some very nice things. I put in bids on a number of the previously un-bid red items. Most of the red items were very nice. Becky bid on a few items. I saw Carolyn and Hank, who were looking at items.

We went to Carolyn. I said, "Carolyn Cappleman, may I introduce Becky Hall."

Carolyn said, "Rob, you know better than that." She looked at Becky, embarrassed by my introduction. She continued, "We're close friends, as well as I work for him. We can talk later, if you want to know about him." Hank joined us. She continued, "This is Hank Minkin."

I said, "You two can talk later. Nancy said they needed bids."

I bid on several cases of wine that had a red figure on the bid card and some items I could give as gifts. There was a lot of wine. It looked like high quality wine from New York State vineyards. I bid on a Gibson Folksinger acoustical guitar and sets of men's and women's Ping golf clubs. I bid ten percent more than the red figure on all the items. It simplified determining an appropriate bid amount.

When we had come in, I noticed a poster that listed donors. Wallingford Bank was listed as paying for the pre-dinner wine. I knew that people bid more after a couple of glasses of wine. Brooke's donation yielded larger donations. Becky and I had a second glass as we looked at the items.

After we finished looking at the items and bidding, we returned to our table and met the others at the table. They were an attractive group, who ranged in ages between my age and Becky's.

One of the women said, "Thank you for inviting us to your table."

"You're most welcome. It's our table now." The people at both tables introduced each other. The husbands at our table were an accountant, an insurance agent, an engineer and a teacher. Three of the women stayed at home with a child. The other woman worked part-time as a librarian. Becky didn't say anything about work. They were a lively group, and we talked about the items up for bid. I liked the people. The accountant knew about Jenkins Bank and the law firm, but he was the only one.

I noticed that Carolyn's table had older women than ours. None were as attractive as Carolyn.

We had an enjoyable dinner. Becky was a skilled hostess. Everyone at our table seemed to have a good time. The food was average banquet fare.

While the hall staff bused and cleared the dinner tables, most people made a last visit to the tables with the items up for bid. I noticed a number of my wine bids were still high. I wasn't high on the golf clubs, but was on the guitar. I bid on the few remaining orphan red items. I didn't bid on any services.

Becky had been outbid on a small sailboat. I said, "We have a place on Martha's Vineyard and a sailboat. If you'd like, we can fly up and take her out sometime."

Becky asked, "You have a plane?"

"An Aero Commander 680 FLP, she is a twin engine, and a very safe plane with all the instruments on her. I love to fly her. Are you a pilot?"

Becky said, "No, and I haven't even sailed much."

I wrote a bid for the small sailboat.

Nancy started the awarding of bids by going to the table farthest from the main table and working toward the main table. The more expensive items were close to the main table. They closed the bidding at the table and announced the winning bids, table by table. You could bid up until the table next to it was closed. Becky and I sat at our dinner table, but some people stood near the items they wanted. A few items were the objects of bidding wars. The atmosphere was fun, and I sensed the competition for items was more playful than serious.

I won the bids on a total of twelve full cases of wine, which drew comments from Nancy every time she called my name for a case. I also got a dozen terrycloth bathrobes and beach towels in early bidding. The guitar was in the middle group of tables, and I was happy when I won the bid. I also won the bids for ten or twelve small items, like Cibas figures and small jewelry items.

Every couple at our tables bought at least a six bottle pack of wine. We laughed and talked about the bid items. One of the items was a weekend at a house in the Hamptons. It went for a nice sum. No one at our tables bid on it, but a couple of people said they would have liked to have won it. After the bid was awarded, I said to the people at our table, "I'd like to invite everyone out for a weekend at Southampton. I'll provide a babysitter there. We have a pool, but no boat. We can cook out on the beach and grill near the pool. It's the best deal here."

One of the women said, "Being your guest here was a nice enough deal. We'd like to go if anyone else is interested. Thank you for the invitation."

When I won the bid on the boat, Becky said, "You have a boat now."

I said, "I think it's probably too small for the ocean. It's more of a dingy. It'd be about right for the Sound though."

Becky said, "I'll buy the boat from you."

"I've raised my price too much to sell her, but you could keep her for me. I'll have her delivered and maybe some time, I can give you sailing lessons."

She smiled and nodded.

I got Carolyn's attention, and she came over to my table. "I've invited the people at our table to come to the Southampton house for a weekend. Would you and Hank like to join us? Invite the people at your table if you wish."

Carolyn said, "Sure. We could come up on a Saturday morning, stay over Saturday night, and leave Sunday afternoon? Is that what you had in mind?"

I looked around; everyone nodded.

Carolyn told the others, "It's a large house on the ocean and very nice. You'll have a good time. I had a couple of get-togethers with old college friends there. Let's find a good weekend." The five women got their calendars together and selected the second weekend in July.

Nancy came over. "Is anyone at this table sober? I noticed wine was a popular bid item at this table." She looked at me. "Thanks for helping out. I appreciate it."

"Glad I could. You picked nice people for the table. I had a good time. We should get a group together at Roselawns some time. It's sad, the house seems so empty."

Nancy said, "Some late fall weekend an event in the greenhouse would be fun? I'll call you."

I nodded. I won't be there in late fall, but I won't go into that now.

I loaded six cases of wine in my car for Roselawns, and Carolyn's driver took the other six cases back to the apartment in the limo. I had a wine stash for Tuscaloosa and could take some to Eunice. Most of my 'gift' items went in the limo for the apartment also. I took the Folksinger and a couple of gifts for Maria and Marietta and put them in the backseat of the Chevrolet.

On the way to Becky's house, she asked, "Did Nancy tell you I was divorced?"

"No, she didn't. I know divorces can be painful and understand if you would prefer not to come to the weekend at the Southampton house. There are enough bedrooms for you to have privacy, but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

Becky said, "Let me think about it." We didn't talk more for the few minutes it took to get her home.

At her door, Becky said, "Thank you for a most pleasant evening."

"May I call you?"

Becky hesitated then smiled, "Please do."

She went in the house, and I turned and left. I drove back to Roselawns, took the wine out of the trunk and put it in the garage. The guitar and gifts went into the house.

Maria and Marietta had the lights on in their rooms over the garage. I phoned them, "Are you up? I have something to show you."

Maria said, "We'll be right over."

They came into the family room. Marietta said, "A guitar; wow."

I asked, "Do you play?"

Marietta said, "A little." Maria shook her head. Marietta asked, "You decided to learn to play?"

"I took lessons for a while; not jazz. I thought I'd try a little jazz. You may use her if you like."

Marietta said, "Thanks. Did you have fun tonight?"

"The people were very nice. I invited the people at my table, as well as Carolyn and Hank, to come to the Southampton house on the second weekend in July. I may need some help that weekend."

Maria said, "No problem."

Marietta said, "Are you going to need help this weekend?"

"No, Erin can handle this weekend. You can have your friends over."

Marietta smiled and nodded. "We'll have to teach you a song to play for your friends for the weekend."

"I was thinking that I'd take the guitar in case someone else plays."

I was surprised when Maria asked, "Would you like company tonight?"

I asked, "Marietta, would you mind if Maria stayed with me tonight?"

Marietta shook her head. She asked, "Can I take the guitar to my room?"

"Sure, but first I have something for you both."

I gave them each a Cibas figurine. Marietta got a rabbit, and Maria a burro.

Marietta asked, "These aren't cheap things are they?"

"They're not really expensive, but I like them. I got them at the charity auction."

Marietta kissed my cheek. "You didn't have to do this."

Usually I hooked up with them in their rooms over the garage, most often in Maria's. Her bedroom was larger and had a king size bed. The three of us were usually in bed together. Maria and I went to my bedroom. I tried not to think of Becky.

Maria said, "I could tell you liked the new woman. I thought you might need someone."

"She was interesting. She's about Brooke's age and very nice."