son, and I had to fight to keep from crying in the wrong places. I had the feeling it was the way things should be, if David would let them be that way. And he wouldn’t be shunted off like that, either. He would be home with us, where a son that young belongs. Do you know he was bundled off to boarding school when he was
eight!
”
“That’s reasonably customary here, Jenny,” Jason said.
“It may be customary, but it’s inhuman.”
“Maybe he likes it,” George said.
“He has to. He hasn’t much choice. Afterward there were buns and lemonade and I told him he was wonderful in the part. And I sang some of the songs with them, with my son and his friends. We practically got a whole new version going. They applauded us. I hugged him. It was the first chance I had. I held him in my arms. I … held him … close to me.”
She wiped her eyes and smiled brilliantly and said, “So then I told him turnabout was fair play. I’d come to his opening, so he had to come to mine. His eyes got as big as saucers. He went running to his father and told him they were invited to my opening night. David was very surly about it. He said that Matthew was supposed to spend the first week of his holidays in Canterbury with his Aunt Beth, and then come to London for three days promised him with his father. David took me aside. He wanted to know what made me think I could break my promise about just seeing the boy once. I told him that I was not asking—Matthew was. So the Donnes, father and son, are to have the best seats in the house on Friday, George.”
“Can do.”
“Better do. And David was very sour on the way in. Quarrels and silences. But I do not give a damn. I wanted to see David between now and Friday. I begged him. I humbled myself. But he said no. He is a tiresome man. But on Friday night I’ll sing to those two.
How
I’ll sing to them!”
Jason’s phone woke him at six on Tuesday morning in his room at the Dorchester. It was Wegler phoning from California, his voice slightly distorted but audible.
“Figuring the time difference, Jase, I thought this would be a good time to catch you. How are things going, my boy?”
“I would say they are going about as you expected, Sid.”
“Now that isn’t the happiest news in the world, is it? You remember who is picking up the tab for you, Jase. The last thing we want is to have that lovely lady, that fine property, endangering herself and a lot of other people who depend on her. I can feel a little better about this whole thing if you assure me that you are talking to her like an uncle. She respects your opinion, you know.”
“I think the time for that kind of talk would have been about three or four months ago. Right now the best thing to do is to try to keep it from getting out of hand.”
“Is she already in touch with him?”
“Yes. With both of them.”
“How is she reacting? What is her mood?”
“Sid, I would say her mood is manic. I would say she is in a highly emotional condition. After all, it is just about the most basic emotional situation you can think of.”
“Is Kogan nervous?”
“We’re all nervous, Sid, and the best we can do is stand by her and help her as much as we can.”
“I would hate to think that you would get a little emotional about this yourself, Jase, and help her make a damn fool of herself and ruin everything she has spent so many years building.”
“I’m doing what I can, and Kogan is doing what he can. But we have a very delicate situation over here right now, Sid.”
“Haven’t I been telling you that?”
“You didn’t tell me that Sam Dean was going to be here, nosing around.” He waited for a few moments. “Hello? Sid?”
“I’m still here, my boy. That came as a blow. Does Sam Dean have any kind of a clue?”
“Not yet. But he has the idea something is wrong.”
“Who gave him that idea?”
“He has a sixth sense for knowing when something is wrong. He came here from Athens. He was
eight!
”
“That’s reasonably customary here, Jenny,” Jason said.
“It may be customary, but it’s inhuman.”
“Maybe he likes it,” George said.
“He has to. He hasn’t much choice. Afterward there were buns and lemonade and I told him he was wonderful in the part. And I sang some of the songs with them, with my son and his friends. We practically got a whole new version going. They applauded us. I hugged him. It was the first chance I had. I held him in my arms. I … held him … close to me.”
She wiped her eyes and smiled brilliantly and said, “So then I told him turnabout was fair play. I’d come to his opening, so he had to come to mine. His eyes got as big as saucers. He went running to his father and told him they were invited to my opening night. David was very surly about it. He said that Matthew was supposed to spend the first week of his holidays in Canterbury with his Aunt Beth, and then come to London for three days promised him with his father. David took me aside. He wanted to know what made me think I could break my promise about just seeing the boy once. I told him that I was not asking—Matthew was. So the Donnes, father and son, are to have the best seats in the house on Friday, George.”
“Can do.”
“Better do. And David was very sour on the way in. Quarrels and silences. But I do not give a damn. I wanted to see David between now and Friday. I begged him. I humbled myself. But he said no. He is a tiresome man. But on Friday night I’ll sing to those two.
How
I’ll sing to them!”
Jason’s phone woke him at six on Tuesday morning in his room at the Dorchester. It was Wegler phoning from California, his voice slightly distorted but audible.
“Figuring the time difference, Jase, I thought this would be a good time to catch you. How are things going, my boy?”
“I would say they are going about as you expected, Sid.”
“Now that isn’t the happiest news in the world, is it? You remember who is picking up the tab for you, Jase. The last thing we want is to have that lovely lady, that fine property, endangering herself and a lot of other people who depend on her. I can feel a little better about this whole thing if you assure me that you are talking to her like an uncle. She respects your opinion, you know.”
“I think the time for that kind of talk would have been about three or four months ago. Right now the best thing to do is to try to keep it from getting out of hand.”
“Is she already in touch with him?”
“Yes. With both of them.”
“How is she reacting? What is her mood?”
“Sid, I would say her mood is manic. I would say she is in a highly emotional condition. After all, it is just about the most basic emotional situation you can think of.”
“Is Kogan nervous?”
“We’re all nervous, Sid, and the best we can do is stand by her and help her as much as we can.”
“I would hate to think that you would get a little emotional about this yourself, Jase, and help her make a damn fool of herself and ruin everything she has spent so many years building.”
“I’m doing what I can, and Kogan is doing what he can. But we have a very delicate situation over here right now, Sid.”
“Haven’t I been telling you that?”
“You didn’t tell me that Sam Dean was going to be here, nosing around.” He waited for a few moments. “Hello? Sid?”
“I’m still here, my boy. That came as a blow. Does Sam Dean have any kind of a clue?”
“Not yet. But he has the idea something is wrong.”
“Who gave him that idea?”
“He has a sixth sense for knowing when something is wrong. He came here from Athens. He was
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