Chapter 21 — Porgy & Bess

The play, Porgy and Bess, was sold out. They had great seats in the first row of the mezzanine. Tess was seated between Parker and Richard and felt positively spoiled when Parker handed her a pair of opera binoculars. “Marsha and I picked these up for you yesterday when we were shopping. We all have them.”

“Thank you.” Tess’s voice inflected with genuine gratitude. She wasn’t used to receiving gifts and felt special as she held the small white mother-of-pearl binoculars up to her eyes. Tess smiled broadly as the screen magnified, feeling as if she was on the stage. She settled back in her seat with a sense of belonging. Richard cast a loving glance as the curtain opened.

Tess was immersed in the play when she heard a sob. When she glanced past Parker, trying to make herself as unobtrusive as possible, she could see Marsha handing Marguerite tissues. Even in the dim light, she observed Marguerite shaking, stifling her sobs.

“Marguerite brought up on her family’s old plantation in Charleston,” Parker whispered. “Marguerite had a mammy. And her mammy was like her mother.”

Tess had not thought Marguerite capable of such heartfelt emotion. Sawyer had said she was high society and could be snobbish. Tess’s brow creased with empathy, and Richard was quick to pick up her emotion. “She’s okay,” he whispered, taking her hand. “It happens a lot. We’re all used to it.”

During intermission, Marguerite dabbed at her eyes and Tess hugged her. “I’m sorry you had to see me blubbering,” Marguerite said. “They’re my people—the blacks. My mammy was the sweetest woman that ever lived. After I married Daniel and moved away—I sent her money every month. I had a trust fund, but when she went into the nursing home, Daniel paid for all of it.”

“Stop your blubbering,” Daniel chided. Glancing at Tess, he feigned annoyance. “If she carries on long enough, she knows I’ll go with her to that old run-down plantation. Visiting graves and watching cotton grow isn’t my idea of a good time. But I do it because I can’t stand to see her cry.”

“See how he treats me,” Marguerite said, grabbing his arm and smiling up at him.

Daniel chuckled. He stepped away when an acquaintance came up to greet him.

“That man is a saint,” Marguerite said. “Daniel took care of everything for my Mammy. She never wanted for anything. She liked chocolates, and Daniel sent her a box of chocolates every week. Of course, his secretary, Jenny, is the one that sent them, but Daniel would write a message in the card and sign it. My mammy said those chocolates meant everything to her. She shared the candy with the nurses and told them they were from a man of great importance. She kept the cards and tied them with a ribbon. After she died, we found the candy boxes stacked up in her closet, and the cards were inside. I would not trade my Daniel for any man in the world.” Marguerite paused. “That’s why I could forgive him when he made a huge mistake. Like I said, my Daniel is a saint.”

Tess nodded silently in agreement. She surmised that the huge mistake must have been Sawyer. What a shock it must have been for Marguerite to find out that Daniel had an illegitimate child. Not many men would have brought Sawyer into the family, given him an inheritance, and put money in his bank account.

The lights dimmed, signaling for the play to start. Richard took her arm and led her back to her seat. “A lot of my business associates are here,” he said. “They’re coming by for a cocktail at the hotel. Everyone was asking about my gorgeous companion. They want to meet you.”

Tess blushed. The last thing she wanted was attention. “What did you tell them?” she asked, hoping she could remain incognito. After all, he was married. Surely, they must know Stephanie.

“I told them you’re my date, and you’re off-limits,” Richard said smugly. “They know Stephanie is ill, and the chances of her getting better are slim to none. They think it’s time I moved forward.”

Tess’s head was spinning, worried his friends would think she was a femme fatale. First impressions were important. Richard took her hand and whispered, “Relax and enjoy yourself. I told you before we came, I wanted to introduce you to my friends and business associates.”

“I’m not sure you should be making such announcements—just yet,” Tess said, a shadow crossing her face wondering how he could have made such a leap. She blamed herself for putting herself in such an intimate situation with him at the spa. If she were honest with herself, she wasn’t sure of anything. But she genuinely liked the family. They were all warm and affectionate to her. And she had chemistry with Richard. Still, things were moving too fast. She had not said ‘yes’ to an arrangement with Richard, but everyone was acting as if she was already Richard’s mistress. The pressure was disquieting. 

At the cocktail party in Daniel’s suite, Richard’s friends and business associates treated her with respect. Tess didn’t know what Richard had told them, but they accepted her. She mingled easily with natural grace and composure, comfortable with herself and Richard’s friends. They were from all walks of life: attorneys, NFL football players, judges. Richard insisted on telling everyone she was a schoolteacher and owned a bed and breakfast in Brier Hill, Ohio. She tried to draw the conversation away from herself, but they wanted to know all about her. 

Only one woman brought up Stephanie. She was an older woman, the wife of a judge. She was speaking in a whisper to Marguerite, and Tess had overheard their conversation. “She’s very much like Stephanie: educated, has a country estate, a horsewoman. And I think she likes us: Stephanie didn’t.”

“Yes, we’ve noticed the similarities between Tess and Stephanie,” Marguerite agreed in a low voice. ‘I think that men often gravitate toward the same type of woman. They wear the same size clothing, and have the same interests, but the two are as different as night and day. Tess is a school teacher—a competent young woman. We all agree that she’s a perfect match for Richard.”

“It must be difficult for you, Marguerite,” the woman said. “Being Stephanie’s mother and watching Richard with another woman.”

“The psychiatrist says that Stephanie may never get better,” Marguerite said wringing her hands. “Of course, she could not have a child. Their marriage is in a shambles. They must separate.”

“What a shame,” the woman said, her mouth downturned. “What will happen to her?”

Marguerite took a long swallow of champagne and said, “No one knows. It’s like she lives in another world.”

A shiver ran through Tess. It sounded as if everyone in the family had abandoned Stephanie. Tess told herself that she must help Stephanie. Even though Stephanie had given her free rein to start a relationship with Richard, she was wary. Stephanie was under duress. Tess had an uneasy feeling that she’d met a foe, not a friend, when she met Stephanie.

As the evening drew to an end, Tess realized she had made several friends. Six couples wanted to make reservations at her bed and breakfast, and several of Richard’s friends had extended social invitations to them as if they were already a couple. She could see that Richard was pleased, and she was cautiously optimistic. Her life would be empty without Richard and his family. And without Sawyer, she would be all alone. Richard seemed to sense her indecision. He took her hand and squeezed it. Then he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly.

He led her to a window. She looked out at the glittering lights and tall skyscrapers and felt Richard put his arm around her waist, pulling her close. “It’s a magnificent sight,” she said.

 It seemed as if her life had changed overnight—from a dirt road in Brier Hill County to standing here on Billionaire’s Row with Richard in the city that never sleeps. She’d had champagne and caviar in a place where the most powerful met. “But you must remember, I’m a country girl at heart. The city is a pleasant change, but I’ll be ready to go home tomorrow.”

“I know who you are, Tess,” Richard said. “You never have to come with me to the city if you don’t want to. But please come from time to time. You’ve enjoyed the weekend, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Tess said. “But it’s a guilty pleasure. I saw the prices on the menu.”

“Don’t concern yourself,” Richard said. “It’s business and pleasure. Daniel and I worked in a business meeting. It’s an expense—a tax write-off. You don’t have to come often—now and then. We’ll make it work.”

It was clear to Tess that Richard was already planning their lives. She was surprised that he was willing to adjust his life and business for her. Make it work.

Sawyer had never talked about their future. Everyone had told her he would not commit to her, but Tess couldn’t allow herself to believe it.

There was a vast difference between the two: Richard’s life was highly orchestrated. And Sawyer was a plain and simple man who took one day at a time. It took little to make Sawyer happy: a sunset, a piece of apple pie.

Tess was becoming her own woman. Could she be the woman who ran in elite social circles beside of a man like Richard? Was she enough? Would she lose herself in the process?

Tess looked up at Richard and said, “I’m not sure, Richard. I’m not sure of anything.”

“Trust me,” Richard said. “Everything will work out. I’m falling in love with you. You need time to catch up. It will happen. I promise.”