“I haven’t counted,” Robert admitted, as Jimmy broke away from the line.
“What are you two laughing about, Mr. Davenport?”
“I was telling Ruth about my many conquests, but she refuses to believe me. So tell me, Jimmy, what are you hoping to do when you graduate?”
“I’ll be joining Fletcher at law school. It’s likely to be a tough ride, but with your son to get me through the day, and Joanna the night, I might just about manage it. You must be very proud of him,” said Jimmy.
“Magna cum laude and president of the college council,” said Robert. “We sure are,” he added as he held out his empty glass to a passing waiter.
“You’re drunk,” said Ruth, trying not to smile.
“You’re right as always, my darling, but that won’t stop me being inordinately proud of my only son.”
“But he would never have become president without Jimmy’s contribution,” said Ruth firmly.
“It’s very kind of you to say so, Mrs. Davenport, but don’t forget, Fletcher won by a landslide.”
“But only after you had convinced Tom…whatever his name was, that he should concede and back Fletcher.”
“It may have helped, but it was Fletcher who instigated the changes that will affect a generation of Yalies,” said Jimmy as Annie came over to join them. “Hi, kid sister.”
“When I’m chairman of General Motors, will you still address me in that tiresome manner?”
“Sure will,” said Jimmy, “and what’s more, I’ll stop driving Caddies.”
Annie was just about to hit him, when the maître d’ suggested that the time had come to cut the cake.
Ruth put an arm around her daughter-in-law. “Take no notice of your brother,” she said, “because once you’ve graduated, he’ll have been put firmly in his place.”
“It’s not my brother I need to prove anything to,” said Annie. “It’s always been your son who sets the pace.”
“Then you’ll just have to beat him as well,” said Ruth.
“I’m not sure I want to,” said Annie. “You know he’s talking about going into politics once he’s obtained his law degree.”
“That shouldn’t stop you having your own career.”
“It won’t, but I’m not too proud to make sacrifices if it will help him to achieve his ambitions.”
“But you’ve the right to a career of your own,” said Ruth.
“Why?” said Annie. “Because it’s suddenly become fashionable? Perhaps I’m not like Joanna,” she said, glancing across at her sister-in-law. “I know what I want, Ruth, and I’ll do whatever is necessary to achieve it.”
“And what’s that?” asked Ruth quietly.
“Support the man I love for the rest of my life, bring up his children, delight in his success, and with all the pressures of the seventies, that may prove a lot harder than gaining a magna cum laude from Vassar,” said Annie as she picked up the silver knife with an ivory handle. “You know, I suspect there are going to be far fewer golden wedding anniversaries in the twenty-first century than there have been in the twentieth.”
“You’re a lucky man, Fletcher,” said his mother as Annie placed the knife on the bottom layer of the cake.
“I knew that even before the braces had been removed from her teeth,” said Fletcher.
Annie passed the knife across to Joanna. “Make a wish,” whispered Jimmy.
“I already have, freshman,” she replied, “and what’s more, it’s been granted.”
“Ah, you mean the privilege of being married to me?”
“Good heavens no, it’s far more significant than that.”