Chapter 14
“Interesting church,” ventured Cassie.
“Which part? The building, the service or the people?” Frank had an incipient grin that he was trying to quell.
“All three. It doesn’t look much like a church from the outside but when you get inside it feels like a church, if that makes any sense.” She considered the converted grocery store with the almost bare walls and the stage in one corner of the square worship space. She and her grandmother had usually attended the Saturday evening services at the very traditional and ornate St. Patrick’s in downtown Toronto. But both buildings had a sense of peace about them.
Frank said, “I think Jesus keeps his promises to the people that love him and he really does send the Holy Spirit to be with them. I got the same feeling from the bible church that the Menzies attend.”
“So did I and I think I’d like to make that our church home in Ottawa. Anyway, the service here was good. I liked the music and I liked the sermon today. I’ll have to think some more about what it means to pray for your enemies and forgive them.”
Frank nodded, remembering that she had some people who had truly trespassed against her. “It’s hard to do sometimes.”
Cassie shrugged. “I know. I mean, I love my Mum and all that, but she’s never really thought about anyone but herself. Maybe someday I’ll understand enough to forgive her.”
Frank was silent for a moment, thinking it was hard to believe she was only seventeen. “Maybe you will. I keep forgiving my father and then he does something to get me angry with him, again, and then I have to pray until I can forgive him, again. But I won’t let him steamroll me the way he does everyone else.”
Cassie smiled. “No, I don’t suppose you take well to being bullied. After Granny died I was a real mess and I got used caving in because I didn’t have the energy to fight back but when I ran away from Gord I told myself that I would never be a doormat again.”
Frank gave her a quick look of understanding as he pulled up at a red light. “You’re pretty awesome, Mrs. Ellis.”
“You aren’t so bad yourself, Mr. Ellis.”
They drove on in comfortable silence.
As they neared his parents’ South End neighbourhood he commented, “We’re almost there.”
Cassie stiffened in her seat and said, “Thanks for the warning.”
Frank sighed and said, “I’m not looking forward to this either.”
Cassie said, “Well, I’m going to answer their questions truthfully. Your family has more than enough money to hire an investigator to get a report on me.”
Frank pursed his lips. “I hadn’t considered that. It would be something Dad would think to do. Marcussen isn’t a common name is it?”
“Not in Canada. I think all of the Marcussens in Canada, at least the ones that use the same spelling, are related to me in some way. If someone wanted to track us down, it would be fairly easy. Mum’s still listed as Penny Marcussen in the directory. She’s the only Marcussen in Ottawa.”
Frank pulled into a wide semicircular driveway and took a deep breath as he parked. He leaned over to give Cassie a quick kiss for courage, surprising her somewhat. Then he got out of the car and came around to hand her out.
Cassie drew a deep breath and said to herself, “I am Frank’s wife. I belong here.” She gave him a sunny smile as he opened the door to take her hand and she leaned against him as she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm.
Frank gave her a warm look and laid his free hand on top of hers and said, “Let’s do this.”
As they approached the front door a middle aged woman in a housekeeper’s uniform opened the door and gave them a genuine smile. “Welcome back, Frank. Is this the newest Mrs. Ellis?”
“Yes, Geraldine.” He turned to Cassie and said, “This is the housekeeper, Mrs. Geraldine Dunphy. Geraldine, this is my bride, Cassie.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Cassie shook hands with the housekeeper, feeling the now familiar sense of unreality as she was shown into the opulent house.
Frank whispered, “Geraldine’s about my only ally here. I think she either likes you or likes the fact that my Dad won’t. She must have been very curious about you because this is normally her day off.”
Cassie whispered back, “At least she didn’t look at me like I’m a kid.”
Frank gathered her into a brief hug and murmured, “Trust me. You look nothing like a kid.”
Cassie took his hand for comfort as they continued further into the house. Geraldine paused at a set of double doors and smiled indulgently as she waited for them to catch up. She opened the doors and called in, “Mrs. Ellis? Francis and his wife have arrived.”
Cassie grinned up at Frank’s face and said, “You didn’t tell me about that part, Francis.”
Frank tried to glare at Cassie’s teasing but turned it into a shrug.
As they entered the long parlour, an elegantly attired woman with Frank’s eyes and bearing rose gracefully from an armchair. She gave Cassie an assessing glance but seeing the fond look on Frank’s face, put on a polite hostess smile and said, in a muted New England accent, “Welcome to the family, Cassandra. I must say it was a bit of a surprise when we got the photos but Francis has always known his own mind and when he makes a decision he wants everything to happen as quickly as possible.”
Cassie shook hands with her mother-in-law and as they were about to take a seat on the sofa, Bonnie’s daughter Sophie rushed into the room. She got about halfway in before she realized that she should use her company manners and slowed down to a restrained walk.
Dorothy Ellis became a doting grandmother in a flash and bent down to hug her as the rest of the family came strolling behind. George flung himself into an armchair with an exaggerated show of boredom. Jan came forward to give her noticeably smaller grandmother a hug before taking her seat on the long sofa as near to her aunt as she thought polite. Bonnie and Gray greeted Dorothy and took their seats as Grant Ellis made his grand entrance.
“Ah, I see everyone is here.” He turned to Frank and Cassie. He examined her critically from top to toe and pronounced, “Well, at least she’s pretty enough, Francis.”
A look of annoyance crossed Dorothy’s face as Frank and Cassie bristled. Frank swallowed his retort and said, as pleasantly as he could, “Father, I’d like you to meet…”
“Yes. Yes. She’s Cassandra Marcussen Ellis, I presume. You did send pictures.”
Bonnie said, “Father, there’s no need to be rude.”
Grant looked at his daughter with surprise at her temerity. Then he said, insincerely, “I’m sorry. I have other things on my mind.”
“Mother said you have business in Toronto. Will you be back for the Captains’ Dinner?” Frank hoped that his business would take all week.
Grant motioned for everyone to sit as he poured himself a sherry, then he said, “It’s only two days this time. There’s a shareholder who’s holding out on me. I need their eight percent to set the wheels in motion for a takeover but they’re balking. I’m going to…”
Frank interrupted. “Dad, I don’t either need or want to know. And if it’s insider trading or undue influence you’re going to be using as a tactic, you really don’t want me to know because my professional ethics would force me to alert someone.”
Grant caught the warning look from his wife. “Okay. We don’t talk business.”
Dorothy said, “Francis said he met you recently.”
Cassie said, “That’s right. We met outside a bar and got to talking. The next thing I knew we were married.”
Frank said, while looking fondly at Cassie, “It was one of the best impulse decisions I’ve ever made.”
Dorothy had a mildly skeptical look but changed the subject and asked, “So what is your major, Cassie?”
Cassie smiled and said, “I haven’t decided yet, Mrs. Ellis.”
Dorothy and Grant looked at each other in surprise. Grant said, in a superior tone, “So, Francis, I suppose she’s taken one of
those gap year things that stretched out?”
Cassie was getting a bit tired of Grant not acknowledging her presence. “I haven’t taken any time off school, Mr. Ellis. But because I’ve changed catchment zones, I will have to enrol in a new school to finish high school. So I have plenty of time to decide on my major. At the moment I’m leaning towards a business degree with an emphasis in marketing although the community college in Ottawa has a very good practical program in marketing that focuses on graphic arts and advertising.”
Frank added, “She told you she hadn’t decided.”
Grant finally truly looked at Cassie with a mixture of shock and disgust. “High school? But that would mean…”
Cassie squeezed Frank’s hand for support. “I turned seventeen in May. Believe me, both my mother and I were surprised when Frank said he was my fiancé. But Mum gave permission when she saw how serious Frank was.”
Frank decided to change the subject before his parents could say something stupid. “I had an opportunity to buy into a small accounting firm in Ottawa and I decided it would be a good move for me, so I’m going to be moving to Ottawa at the end of next month. It’s a better fit for us than if I continued at Alawen and kept working all of that overtime. It wouldn’t be fair to Cassie. I know that I’ll have to work some extra time until I’m comfortable with the business and I’ve got some good juniors on board but I don’t want to work very much overtime after we start our family, whenever that happens. And I’d like to bring Cassie on board if she wants to, once she gets her marketing degree. She’s been a great help so far and I think it will just get better as she gains knowledge and experience.”
Bonnie frowned. “You didn’t mention a new job when we had supper last night.”
Frank looked sheepish. “Last night was more about Jan’s birthday and introducing Cassie. Sorry I forgot to mention it.”
Dorothy recovered from her surprise and said, “What sort of firm, Francis? I mean, what do they specialize in?”
“I met Anne Menzies at the church I visited in Ottawa. She mentioned that Charles Petitclerc, her accountant, wants to retire in the near future and is trying to cut down to half time. He mostly handles estate and tax planning but he also administers several charity trusts and foundations, including one that’s directed by Anne. I’ll have to get my public trustee license before Charles finally retires. And there is the usual audit work as well.”
Grant snorted and muttered loudly, “You don’t stay rich by giving money away.”
Frank said, “That’s neither here nor there, Father. It’s their business what they do with their money. The Menzies use Charles as a buffer so that they don’t have to deal with all of the requests for funding themselves. I’m going to have to say no an awful lot, apparently. Not much different than what Mother and I already deal with at the fundraisers we attend.”
“You still won’t do your duty to the family and come to work for me?”
“Not if I’d have to report you to the TSX every other week. You won’t take my advice, so I can’t afford to work for you.” Frank gave his father a false smile. “Sorry.”
Gray began to say something when Geraldine came in to announce that lunch was served.
As a courtesy to the children, there was only a soup course, an entrée and a dessert but even that took far too long. Grant served wine to the adults, pointedly omitting Cassie, who was just as glad to skip it. Frank watered his one glass and offered Cassie a sip who admitted that it was okay. Frank looked up to see Grant glaring at the judgement of anything in his cellar as merely okay.
Bonnie kept steering the conversation towards the art society and the Neptune Theatre and the Captain’s Dinner. Frank asked after some mutual friends his mother mentioned in passing. Cassie remembered Meghan’s advice and asked Dorothy a number of follow up questions about her involvement in the art society and the relations on the Murcheson side of the family.
Grant sat at his end of the table making snide comments here and there while polishing off most of the second bottle of wine. Finally, after an awkward hour at the table, everyone rose and started to drift back to the parlour where Geraldine had set out tea and coffee for the adults.
Cassie sat next to Frank on a settee and was about to pour some tea when Grant said, “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable watching television with the rest of the children, Cassie?”
Various gasps were heard in response. Cassie smiled sweetly and said, “I believe my place is with my husband, sir.”
Frank stood. “I didn’t expect either your approval or blessing, Father, but Cassie is my wife and I’ll thank you to remember that.”
Ignoring Cassie, he walked in front of Frank and shook a finger at him. “Well, I don’t approve, Francis. There’s only one reason I can think of that would get you to propose to her and these days you don’t have to marry the woman. There are ways to take care of unwanted babies. And they cost a lot less than divorce settlements. Even child support payments would be cheaper. You should talk to your friend Stephen about how to minimize the damage before too long. She is not fit to be an Ellis.” Grant was drunkenly belligerent and Dorothy looked like she wanted to sink through the floor.
Bonnie and Gray tried to say something but were interrupted by a coldly furious Cassie rising to her feet. “You, Mr. Grant Ellis, are a miserable drunken bully. The last time I checked I was a real human being who understands English very well. If you have something to say to me then you should be grown up enough to speak to me directly. It’s no wonder your son doesn’t want to work for you if this is an example of how you treat people.” Visibly shaking with adrenaline-laced fury, she turned to Dorothy and said, in a glacially polite tone, “Thank you very much, Mrs. Ellis, for a lovely lunch. I hope we can have a longer conversation when there are fewer distractions.” Then she looked daggers at Grant and said, “Good day, sir.” Then she tucked her purse under her arm, turned on her heel and stalked off towards the front door. As she passed the vestibule she caught the approving smile of Geraldine in the mirror. The last thing she heard before she slammed the front door was Frank’s voice saying, “Father, you owe her an apology, a real one.”
———
Frank rolled down the window as he pulled to the curb and called, “Cassie, sweetheart. Slow down.”
Cassie turned and marched towards the car and climbed in. “Is that typical of your father’s behaviour?”
Frank said, “Unfortunately, yes.” Then he leaned over and gathered her into his arms and lowered his head towards hers for a brief kiss. “Are you all right?”
She pulled his head down the rest of the way and murmured, “I am now.” She kissed Frank with passion but when he moved his hand to cup her head and deepen the kiss she started to panic and Frank immediately loosened the embrace. “Sorry, Cassie. I forgot.”
Cassie nodded nervously. “It’s fine, Frank. I think I needed to be wanted after those awful things your father said.”
Frank nuzzled her hair and said, “Me, too. I didn’t expect him to take it quite so far. Or that quickly.” He sat back in the driver’s seat and said, “After you left he really let it all out and used some awful language about my sanity, all of which I’d heard before and could ignore. Bonnie tried to intervene but Father was on a roll. Mother and Gray went to the family parlour to make sure the kids were okay because they’re still pretty gun shy when grownups fight. So, I waited until he ran down a bit and said that I had to catch up with you to make sure you were okay.”
Frank sighed. “He got wound up again and said some truly horrible things about you. You were right. He did have an investigator look into your situation in Ottawa. The only thing they got wrong was your age. The investigator must have heard last year of school from a neighbour and assumed it was fourth year of university rather than last year of high school.” He shook his head. “When he finally ran down he asked me to choose between him and you.”
Frank looked into Cassie’s eyes and said, “It was the easiest deci
sion I’ve had to make this month, dear heart. I chose you. I quoted Matthew chapter 19 at him – ‘for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife: and they two shall be one flesh.’ You are my wife, Cassie and we are one in the eyes of the law and of God. My first loyalty is to you and will always be to you, not to that miserable bully.”
Cassie’s heart lifted at his words and the hope he offered. Her unacknowledged love for Frank found fertile soil and she felt the roots grow stronger and entwine with his.
Frank sighed and said, “But he’ll probably corner you at the yacht club with a cheque and the name of a divorce lawyer.”
Cassie got a wicked grin and said, “He can try. You’ve already given me enough money to last me a lifetime if I’m careful with it.” She pulled his head back down to hers and gave him a tender kiss. “I suppose he could give me more money, but he can’t give me you.”
Frank gave her a tender look and said, “But I can, my dear Cassie, any time you want me.”
She sat back in the seat with a very smug expression as Frank pulled away from the curb.