London store.”
Derek was flabbergasted when he heard this, although his expression was unreadable when he said,
“I sincerely hope you didn’t tell your mother that.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Oh, dear…she must have been terribly upset.”
Chloe bit her lip and nodded again.
Derek took hold of her hand, tucked her arm through his, and started to walk on toward the river.
A silence fell between them.
Eventually, Derek broke the silence when he murmured, “I am quite certain that it hurt her very much, Chloe, hearing this from you.”
“I suppose so,” she mumbled.
“I don’t understand you!” he exclaimed, sudden irritation rushing to the surface. “Why London? You could learn as much in New York. And there’s no one smarter than your mother. Being at the Fifth Avenue store with her would please her no end; I know that for a fact. It wouldn’t do you any harm either.”
“I think I would learn a lot more about stones and designing jewelry in London. The showrooms are bigger, so are the workshops, and there are many other kinds of craftsmen there, as well as lapidaries—silversmiths, goldsmiths. Anyway, Gideon would teach me better than anyone. He’s Power of a Woman / 115
one of the greatest lapidaries there is, and he’s the Crown Jeweller, the only person allowed to handle the Crown Jewels of England.”
“Yes, yes, I know all that,” Derek exclaimed irritably. “But look here, Chloe, you could work at Jardine’s, be it in London or New York, after you’ve graduated. I’m the last person to stop you from chasing your dream; didn’t I just say that to you?
Nevertheless, won’t you consider going to university? For yourself, for your mother, and for me too, but mostly for yourself. It’s so important for your future, whatever career you choose ultimately.”
There was only the slightest hesitation before she said, “I’ll think about it, Grandpa.”
The two of them walked on quietly, without speaking, lost in their own thoughts, still heading in the direction of the river that flowed past the house at the bottom of the gardens.
Derek was truly dismayed about his conversation with Chloe, and genuinely upset for Stevie. Knowing her as well as he did, he realized how terrible she must be feeling, hurting inside. Oh, the young, how carelessly cruel they could be with their rash words, usually uttered without a single thought. And no hurt ever intended, of course. Selfish youth . But then, hadn’t he been selfish when he was young? When he thought he knew it all, believed he had all the answers?
He was sixty-eight years old now, and in so many ways he felt as though he knew nothing, had 116 / Barbara Taylor Bradford
learned nothing, in spite of the multitudinous experiences in his life. The longer he lived, the less he knew, or so it seemed to him. He was always telling Blair that nothing surprised him anymore, because he always expected the worst. Yet he was constantly being surprised. Chloe had just done that.
They arrived at the summerhouse, which stood under the willows close to the river’s bank. Derek marched purposefully up the steps, saying over his shoulder, “Let’s sit in here for a few minutes; it’s nice to watch the wildlife on the river from here, and we’re protected from the wind. Anyway, I need a rest; that was quite a long walk.”
Dutifully Chloe tramped after him up the short flight of steps and joined him on the wooden bench where he had seated himself.
Slowly she unwound her scarf, pulled off her knit cap, and sighed as she ran her hands through her hair, pushing it away from her face.
“All the troubles of the world on your shoulders, eh, Chloe?”
She shook her head.
He looked at her intently and realized that she was on the verge of tears. Reaching out, Derek put his hand on her arm and murmured gently, “Now, now, what’s all this?”
“Nothing, nothing, Grandpa,” she said, shaking her head, and then she flicked her fingers across her eyes,
Derek was flabbergasted when he heard this, although his expression was unreadable when he said,
“I sincerely hope you didn’t tell your mother that.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Oh, dear…she must have been terribly upset.”
Chloe bit her lip and nodded again.
Derek took hold of her hand, tucked her arm through his, and started to walk on toward the river.
A silence fell between them.
Eventually, Derek broke the silence when he murmured, “I am quite certain that it hurt her very much, Chloe, hearing this from you.”
“I suppose so,” she mumbled.
“I don’t understand you!” he exclaimed, sudden irritation rushing to the surface. “Why London? You could learn as much in New York. And there’s no one smarter than your mother. Being at the Fifth Avenue store with her would please her no end; I know that for a fact. It wouldn’t do you any harm either.”
“I think I would learn a lot more about stones and designing jewelry in London. The showrooms are bigger, so are the workshops, and there are many other kinds of craftsmen there, as well as lapidaries—silversmiths, goldsmiths. Anyway, Gideon would teach me better than anyone. He’s Power of a Woman / 115
one of the greatest lapidaries there is, and he’s the Crown Jeweller, the only person allowed to handle the Crown Jewels of England.”
“Yes, yes, I know all that,” Derek exclaimed irritably. “But look here, Chloe, you could work at Jardine’s, be it in London or New York, after you’ve graduated. I’m the last person to stop you from chasing your dream; didn’t I just say that to you?
Nevertheless, won’t you consider going to university? For yourself, for your mother, and for me too, but mostly for yourself. It’s so important for your future, whatever career you choose ultimately.”
There was only the slightest hesitation before she said, “I’ll think about it, Grandpa.”
The two of them walked on quietly, without speaking, lost in their own thoughts, still heading in the direction of the river that flowed past the house at the bottom of the gardens.
Derek was truly dismayed about his conversation with Chloe, and genuinely upset for Stevie. Knowing her as well as he did, he realized how terrible she must be feeling, hurting inside. Oh, the young, how carelessly cruel they could be with their rash words, usually uttered without a single thought. And no hurt ever intended, of course. Selfish youth . But then, hadn’t he been selfish when he was young? When he thought he knew it all, believed he had all the answers?
He was sixty-eight years old now, and in so many ways he felt as though he knew nothing, had 116 / Barbara Taylor Bradford
learned nothing, in spite of the multitudinous experiences in his life. The longer he lived, the less he knew, or so it seemed to him. He was always telling Blair that nothing surprised him anymore, because he always expected the worst. Yet he was constantly being surprised. Chloe had just done that.
They arrived at the summerhouse, which stood under the willows close to the river’s bank. Derek marched purposefully up the steps, saying over his shoulder, “Let’s sit in here for a few minutes; it’s nice to watch the wildlife on the river from here, and we’re protected from the wind. Anyway, I need a rest; that was quite a long walk.”
Dutifully Chloe tramped after him up the short flight of steps and joined him on the wooden bench where he had seated himself.
Slowly she unwound her scarf, pulled off her knit cap, and sighed as she ran her hands through her hair, pushing it away from her face.
“All the troubles of the world on your shoulders, eh, Chloe?”
She shook her head.
He looked at her intently and realized that she was on the verge of tears. Reaching out, Derek put his hand on her arm and murmured gently, “Now, now, what’s all this?”
“Nothing, nothing, Grandpa,” she said, shaking her head, and then she flicked her fingers across her eyes,
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