Nantucket (10 page)

“So there was this woman with your child, somewhere in Boston, giving you a guilty conscience,” Andrew had said to him when he confessed years later.

“There still is,” George had said.

“And you married Lydia as penance,” said Andrew.

“That's the way it turned out.”

George had missed the “go and sin no more” part, but he'd done well in law school, let Lydia's mother throw a net over him the following summer, when he did an internship in Los Angeles – “my California experiment ,” he called it – and after graduation brought his bride back to his ancestral city.

Andrew and Cathy hadn't been able to afford the air fare to attend the wedding, but were forgiven. “It was a bit plastic,” George reported.

Sally took the keys off the nail in the kitchen and handed
them to Shiva, mouthing “thank you,” but before he could get Cynthia out the door, the Governor arrived, handed over his orphans and made his getaway. Judy and Janis stood blinking on the porch. Definitely new music.

“Please come in, and have you had lunch?” said Sally.

They had not.

“Which one of you is which?” said Andrew, rallying at the sight of two more good-looking women.

“I'm the red-head,” said Janis, which earned her a laugh from the men. And yes, long legs. She extended her hand to Joe. He introduced himself. “But you're a billionaire,” she said. “You have more money than God, and I'm about to have lunch with you. Gosh.”

“Only if you have good table manners,” said Rosemary, as if it were a joke the red-head was already in on. There was something about Janis that told you she would know which fork to use. It was clear she knew how to handle men.

Andrew studied her covertly. Rosemary was evidently prepared to like her, which made her interesting. Her face and arms and calves were dusted with freckles. You'd have to say she was pretty, though the headline was competence. She was wearing navy blue shorts and a matching polo shirt, looked fit, might have been an athlete once, would undress in front of a man without embarrassment. For half a moment, it occurred to Andrew that there would be vulnerabilities in there too, but the thought disappeared before he could examine it. Anyway, how would he know what went on in this stranger's head?

“I'm Shiva,” said Shiva.

“He
is
God,” said Joe.

“Nice to meet you, God,” said Janis.

More laughter. Sally began to pull extra chairs up to
the table. Everyone sat down. Fresh plates were issued. Food was passed. Cynthia came into the room. She'd been in the bathroom fixing her lipstick or something. Andrew was losing track. “Just to get things straight,” she said without introduction, “is either of you a Supreme Court clerk?”

“She was,” said Janis. “I'm the dumb one. And I know who you are.”

Cynthia gave Janis a smile. She liked being recognised, Andrew realised.

“But you've actually practised,” said Judy, responding to Janis. She mentioned the name of a prominent firm in New York, where Janis had presumably worked, but no one was paying attention to her, which didn't seem to bother Judy at all. “She's heaps older than me, too,” Judy added. She was shorter than Janis, had smooth olive skin, longish black hair and a decent figure, but what drew your attention were her sparkling dark eyes.

“Only five years,” said Janis. “And you went to college early.”

“But you worked before law school,” said Judy.

“That didn't make time stand still,” said Janis.

They weren't arguing, Andrew realised. It was a friendship game. His belief that he could read the situation was returning. He liked these young women. He hoped that wasn't just the wine they'd been enjoying at lunch.

“So what do you two do for the Governor?” said Joe.

“Policy development,” said Judy. The answer was out of her mouth before Joe could finish his question.

“Which is code for whatever he needs,” said Janis.

“Hard job?” said Cynthia archly.

“Depends,” said Janis evenly.

“This is our first day off in a month,” said Judy.

“Would you like us to get you drunk?” said Rosemary.

“Not yet,” said Janis.

“I don't drink,” said Judy. “But maybe I should learn.”

“Would you like to go swimming?” said Joe.

“It's been declared a topless beach,” said Rosemary. A friendly warning.

“No swimming right after eating,” said Sally.

Andrew poured wine for the two intruders. Judy started to reach for her glass but Shiva picked it up and moved it out of her reach. “Thank you, God” she said, which made Shiva laugh. She continued to list slightly in the Indian's direction.

“Judy was up all last night,” said Janis. “She'll probably pass out even if she doesn't have any wine.”

“Janis says I
submerge
myself in work,” said Judy, leaning further towards Shiva. “‘A bad habit,' she says.”

“Her only bad habit,” said Janis.

“And now you plan to submerge yourself in Shiva?” said Rosemary.

“Oh, excuse me,” said Judy, sitting upright again. “It's just, I finished these briefing papers for the Governor – about zoning changes…constitutional issues…land tax – and then I had an hour to go home and put some things in a suitcase – he only invited us this morning – and the plane ride was too short to go to sleep, and then we went to his famous house, and I thought a nap would be nice, but before we finished unpacking we had to leave, and now I don't know whose house I'm in and I want to put my head down and your husband looks soft. Sorry.”

“I think that sums it up nicely,” said Rosemary. “Go into the living room, Shiva dear, and sit on the couch and put a pillow on your lap and let the poor child close her eyes for
half an hour. She's about to throw up from sleepiness, and that wouldn't be fair to her or Cathy's rugs.”

The two of them went into the living room as instructed. Andrew looked across the table into the next room and saw that Judy had already curled up on the sofa. Shiva was gently stroking her head, brushing the hair out of her face.

“Are you two friends,” said Sally, “or just co-workers?”

“Friends,” said Janis. “Have to be. We share an office that's the size of a small bathroom. She's hopeless and brilliant. The Justice she clerked for says God wants her to be a professor, but she has to get some real world experience first.”

“‘Real world' as in Massachusetts politics?” said Andrew. “Isn't that kind of the deep end of the pool?”

“I'm teaching her to tread water,” said Janis, looking back at Andrew.
We both know all about treading water, don't we
? she seemed to be saying. How could she know that?

“I think school's out,” said Rosemary, looking into the living room. “Has she passed the bar yet?”

“Oh, yes,” said Janis. “In D.C. and in several states. It took me two tries just in New York.” Janis looked around the room. “So God belongs to you,” she said to Rosemary. “Who do the other men belong to?”

“He's mine,” said Cynthia, pointing at Joe without much enthusiasm.

“I'm Cathy,” said Sally. “Andrew and I are your hosts.”

“Thanks,” said Janis, briefly appraising her. “This is quite an imposition. Working for the Governor, we get used to radical changes of plan, but you didn't sign up for this. Do you even have enough beds?”

“We do,” said Sally, appraising her back. Were they competitors or confederates? Andrew often couldn't figure
women out, to be honest.

“Just not enough men,” said Janis.

Rosemary laughed. “So why did you leave your job at a New York law firm to share an office the size of a loo?”

“Politics is more interesting than bond indentures. I think the Governor may wind up in the White House. I want to be one of those people on
West Win
g.”

“Have you slept with him yet?” said Cynthia.

It was a stupendously rude question, considering the circumstances – a younger,
un
famous woman interrogated by a recognisable journalist in unfamiliar surroundings – but Janis batted it back easily. “He doesn't do that anymore,” she said. And what was more impressive: the question went away.

If Rosemary was unembarrassed Venus, Janis was Athena disguised as an American. That wouldn't work, though. Athena was a virgin. Andrew doubted Janis was. Did he hope she was or hope she wasn't? He continued to like the idea that she would undress without embarrassment.

The conversation around the table continued for a while. Sally offered ice cream and strawberries. Joe got up to help her. Rosemary asked Shiva if he wanted some but he signalled from the sofa that he did not. Joe disappeared. Janis said she might go swimming if someone would come with her. No one offered. Part of Andrew wanted to but he couldn't figure out how. The party was losing focus.

“Shiva and I will go get more lobsters,” said Rosemary, “or steak if it has to be that. Those who need naps will take naps.”

Rosemary looked at Andrew and said nothing, meaning that he should go upstairs and do just that.

He didn't argue, but he didn't move.

“What about me?” said Cynthia.

“You could go upstairs and fuck your husband,” said Rosemary blandly. She probably meant it as a joke.

“I've done my bit for today,” said Cynthia. It was a decent come-back, but she looked offended. The rest of the guests politely pretended not to have heard the interchange. There seemed to be a backstory Andrew didn't know.

Rosemary asked Janis if she could get Judy upstairs so Shiva could come with her to the lobster monger. Janis said she could if Shiva would help her.

“Is ‘lobster monger' a word?” said Cynthia. She was trying to rejoin the group, Andrew decided.

“It's two words,” said Rosemary.

Before anyone could do anything, however, there was another phone call. The ringing was coming from the living room. Andrew got up quickly and felt briefly dizzy. Shouldn't have had wine at lunch. For some reason it was important that he stop the ringing. Mustn't let it alarm Judy. They had to get her upstairs without fully waking her. She was important to their plans in some as-yet-undisclosed way. He went towards the sound but there wasn't a source. Judy was stirring like a sleeper having a bad dream. It wasn't the sound the landline made. Shiva reached between the sofa cushions and extracted a mobile phone. He handed it to Andrew. Andrew recognised the phone as Cathy's. She'd insisted on having a red one – so she wouldn't lose it, she said. Like she was the commander of a nuclear missile site, Andrew had once told her, and the President had to be able to get her within five rings. It was a movie from the '50s they'd seen on television once.

The ringing stopped. It wasn't the President. The message on the screen said it was Eleanor. Andrew handed the phone to Rosemary.

Joe reappeared. “I'll help you,” he said to Shiva, who still had Judy's head in his lap. He picked Judy up in his arms and carried her upstairs without difficulty. “Can you bring her bag?”

“I'll bring it,” said Rosemary.

Andrew realised that would give her a brief opportunity to get Joe's views regarding his long walk with Shiva. What a clever woman she was. One had to acknowledge that Lady Rosemary was not a
nice
woman, but she was certainly skillful, both in and out of bed.

7

Andrew woke up with a start, lying on a bed that was supposed to have Cathy in it. Or some woman, at least. He was alone. It felt like late afternoon. He lay still to let reality crystallise. He got some of his best ideas that way.

He'd fallen asleep with his running shoes on. Rosemary had refused to let him dry dishes and insisted he go upstairs. It was as if his mind had been unable to cope and had simply shut down. His mind now seemed to be engaged again, which was reassuring.

Cathy hadn't gone to Germany. The evidence for this was that Eleanor was calling her. And she hadn't called the landline because she still wasn't talking to her father.

Andrew hadn't answered Cathy's phone when Eleanor called because he didn't know what to say to her. If Cathy hadn't gone to Germany, where was she? And why had she run away? Perhaps he didn't want to answer those questions.

Andrew hadn't told Sally that Eleanor had called because he thought he maybe had a better chance of finding out what Sally was up to if she didn't know he knew she'd lied to him about Cathy. Rosemary was certain Sally was “up to” something.

If he did confront Sally, she would presumably say Cathy had told her to tell him she'd gone to Germany, quote, so as not to worry you any more than necessary with important guests coming unquote. But was he supposed to not care about his daughter? It was getting complicated.

The important guests were all over the place. As Andrew was going upstairs, Sally had announced she was taking Rosemary and Joe to the whaling museum. She had called and learned it was going to close at five, and Joe wanted to see it. They could go to the store afterwards and buy steak. Its business was so heavily weekend oriented that it stayed open late on Saturdays. Cynthia had said she didn't approve of whaling and would Shiva please take her for a walk? Andrew assumed the Governor's overworked staff members were taking their own naps. He would have checked on them, or at least on Janis since Judy was presumably sound asleep, but that was something only the hostess could do.

There was nothing to be done about his office being moved – or what that portended – except pray that Joe and Shiva decided they liked each other. So far the signs were good, though Andrew wished Cynthia would stop flirting with Shiva, despite Rosemary's insistence that it would turn out to be helpful. If Joe decided to care, the deal could collapse in a heartbeat.

Andrew's own heart rate jumped at that thought, and then he felt tired again. They say if you are only in the shallow first stages of sleep, when you wake up you don't think you've been asleep. So maybe he'd gone back to sleep and what came next was a dream. It felt like a memory though.