"Trifle? My, my, we are out to make a good impression on our new little guest, aren't we? No, thank you, Merilyn. It's always been too rich for me.
"So," she continued turning her attention back to me. I sat. "Do you have any idea of how lucky you are?"
I glanced at my grandmother. Something in her eyes told me that Victoria knew absolutely nothing about the truth.
"Yes," I said. "Not being born into all this, I'm hardly one to take it for granted."
My grandmother laughed. It was the first full and sincere laugh I had heard in this house.
"I believe the expression is touche, Victoria," she told her. "This happens to be a very bright young lady."
"Really?" Victoria said dryly. "How did Megan ever become involved with such a person?"
"Megan does her own good charity work from time to time, which is something you should think about, Victoria. Working like a Wall Street businessman all day and all night is not all there is, you know. It doesn't leave you any time for any sort of social activities, charitable or otherwise."
"We've had this discussion ad infinitum, Mother, must we have it again in front of a stranger?" Victoria said in a tired voice.
Merilyn brought Victoria a cup and saucer and poured her some coffee.
"Will there be anything else, Mrs. Hudson?"
"No," my grandmother said sharply. She kept her gaze locked on my Aunt Victoria, who sipped her coffee and peered across at me.
Did she know everything anyway? She looked smart enough to figure it all out, I thought. It made me very nervous.
"My daughter Victoria," my grandmother said, "has taken over my late husband Everett's business enterprises. Usually, she only visits me to have me sign documents or lecture me about the cost of things, especially this home."
"I don't see why you insist on keeping all this, Mother," Victoria said with a wide gesture. "You're by yourself. You don't need the overhead heating and air conditioning all this space, and keeping it clean, and these grounds--"
"I think I'm the best one to decide what will be over my head and what will not," my grandmother fired back. "Besides, what will become of all my money if I simply accumulate interest upon interest and dividends, Victoria? It will only be left for you and Megan an
d her children to squander."
"I don't squander money, Mother. I'm only giving you prudent advice. I'm not after any
inheritance or trying to make it bigger."
My grandmother shifted her eyes back to me and in them I saw her skepticism.
I couldn't help but be fascinated with how the really rich talked among themselves. Despite their wealth, money seemed to be an ever present concern, a subject that found its way into every discussion. I tried to imagine a similar conversation about inheritances between Mama and me or Beni or Roy. It nearly made me laugh out loud.
"So," Victoria said putting down her coffee cup, "what do you and Megan hope to accomplish with this bright but poor young girl? Is she back to her causes, her days of protests and rebellion?"
"Why don't you ever call her and ask her those questions yourself, Victoria?"
"She never bothers to call me," Victoria replied, slipping into whining, which suddenly made her look younger. It wasn't hard to see there had been some significant sibling rivalry. Would I get into the middle of all that now? "Whenever I send them any
information about the business, she has one of Grant's accountants call me."
"Megan was never one to understand or care about money," my grandmother said.
"I wonder where she gets that from," Victoria mumbled.
"That's enough," my grandmother snapped. "Rain has lots of time to smell the dirty laundry. She doesn't need it waved in her face her first night here."
"Oh, excuse me, Rain," Victoria said, smiling and bowing her head with about as phony a grimace as anyone could muster, "I didn't mean to upset you." She turned to my grandmother. "Where is she sleeping?"
"In Megan's old room."