Chapter 28 - New York 2008

“ZOE, ARE YOU dipping or can you talk?”

“I'm up to my ass in lemongrass ganache, but I can talk—fast. Where are you?”

“Home, but not for long, I have something to tell you.”

“Finally!”

“What ‘finally’? I haven't said anything.”

“You're going to see your grandmother.”

“You're not supposed to kill my moment like that. You're supposed to be shocked, and in awe of my growth as a person, and then you're supposed to be supportive.”

“I'm shocked, I'm awed, I'm supportive, and I'm dipping ganache. Before I lose four dozen truffles, where are you meeting the old girl?”

“She lives in Mount Kisco and I'm taking the train out there today. I said I'd rent a car but she said no, the train was easier and her driver would pick me up at the station. She has a driver. She probably has a whole staff. George said—George was her conductor—I told you about him—”

“Carrie—”

“George told me she sold her apartment in the city and her country place—that was where my father died—and moved to Mount Kisco after she retired, and she—”

“Carrie, you're rambling.”

“I've never met her. She's my grandmother and all I know about her is she was famous and my mother was angry at her for thirty-five years.”

“And now you're going to Mount Kisco to find out why. The sound you hear is me clapping—figuratively speaking.”

“I'm going to be picked up by a chauffeur. She probably has a big stupid car and she makes the poor man wear livery. The whole staff probably wears uniforms. Who has a staff of servants in Mount Kisco, for God's sake?”

“You're regressing.”

“She's going to be pretentious and pushy …”

“Or not.”

“Mother would hate it if she knew I was doing this.”

“Carrie, this is a good thing.”

“Easy for you to say.”

LU LAWSON'S CAR wasn't big and stupid. To non-car-savvy Carrie it looked like every other vehicle on the road, except maybe even a little smaller. And Lu's driver wasn't in uniform; he was wearing jeans that were a little muddy, and a sweatshirt. He confided that in addition to his driving duties, he also took care of Ms. Lawson's lawns and gardens. His wife did the cooking and the daily cleaning, but they didn't live in. They had been with Ms. Lawson since she moved to Mount Kisco thirty-five years ago. His name was Dan and his wife was Cecile.