Chapter 27
A guarded looking Supriya answered the door. Without preamble she said, “Grant is here with Dorothy.”
Frank and Cassie exchanged a glance and nodded, then began to don their mental armour. Cassie said, “Thank you for letting us know.” She pasted on a smile and allowed Supriya to lead them into the richly appointed condo.
Grant acknowledged their presence with a grunt while he assessed Cassie’s mood and Frank’s protective air. He levered himself out of the armchair and came forward to shake hands. “I’m sorry this is hi and bye, Francis. I have a supper meeting with some investors that I can’t afford to miss. But I am leaving your mother in your care. She’d rather go to the premiere with you.”
Cassie shook his hand politely and said, “I’ll pray that your meeting goes well.”
Grant looked at her in surprise then mumbled his thanks. He shook Frank’s hand then turned to Dorothy and asked in an uncertain voice. “You’re sure about this?”
Dorothy gave him a steely look. “Very sure. And you will stop giving my daughters-in-law a hard time. All of them.”
Grant gave his wife an accepting nod then surprised Cassie by giving her a tentative genuine smile which he repeated as he took his leave from Supriya before walking with Dale towards the door.
Dorothy rose from her chair and surprised Cassie with a welcoming hug. “Cassandra, dear. It is very good to see you again. Is that a new dress?”
Cassie was puzzled by the warmth in her mother-in-law’s voice. “It is. My friend Meghan suggested I visit with a young designer who recently opened a shop in Ottawa. Helen was very happy to have what she called an excellent challenge when I asked her to make some things that were more elegant than sexy for a young married woman – and that didn’t overly emphasize my youth.”
“Well, it’s very flattering.”
Grant called from the entryway, “Have fun tonight, Dorothy.”
“I will, Grant. Try not to fight too much with Elliott. Don’t sign anything until the lawyers can review it. And count your fingers after you shake hands with him.”
“I will.”
“Good luck.”
After the door closed and Dale rejoined them, Dorothy gave Frank a hug and said, “I only know who he’s meeting with because he’s worried about losing his temper. After you made your very public point about Grant’s tactics two years ago I decided to step back from the business side of things, so I don’t go to purely business dinners with him very often, and especially not with sharp operators like Elliott.” She perused her daughters-in-law. “Well, ladies, I should have done this sooner, not that I’ve had much opportunity to speak with you, Cassandra.”
Supriya and Cassie looked at each other in puzzlement. Frank said, “You aren’t making much sense, Mother.”
Dorothy laughed and said, “I suppose I’m not.” Then she said, “Dale, would you please bring me the large case I left in your study?”
She motioned them to have a seat. “Your husbands’ grandmothers both left some personal items that I was directed to distribute to the girls in the family as I saw fit. Bonnie has received her share. Lita knows what she’s getting but they don’t match her current style so she asked me to store them for her until she’s got a permanent address in England. I gave Melissa hers just before she and Robert went back west at the end of August.”
Dale placed an audit bag next to his mother. “Thank you, Dale.” Dorothy leaned over to unlock the case and said, “Your outfit is missing something, Cassandra, so I think you should have these before we go out tonight.” She pulled out two cases. “I was planning to invite you and Supriya to lunch at the Dominion Club tomorrow but Grant already knows my decision and I don’t feel like having yet another argument with him about it.”
She handed a plain aluminum security box, key and USB stick to each of the younger women. “I took the liberty of giving the sapphires to Melissa, the rubies to Supriya and the emeralds to Cassie along with some diamonds, pearls and oddments for each of you but the collections are approximately equal in market value. There is a rope of pearls with matching ear bobs in your case that should go well with that dress, Cassandra. Although … hmm … the Tiffany emeralds might be better. I’ve forgotten the exact shade they are.”
Dorothy sat back down with a pleased look as the stunned women opened the cases to lift out the trays. Cassie said, “Thank you,” in a quiet voice as she extracted six 7 by 15 by 1 inch compartmentalized padded trays filled with jewellery that matched or exceeded the quality of her wedding rings.
Frank looked over Cassie’s shoulder and pointed at a section of one tray that contained a coral and abalone brooch in platinum and pale gold. “Most of these are from Grandmother Murcheson, aren’t they? This was her favourite brooch, wasn’t it?”
Dorothy smiled. “Yes. Mother was almost as fair as Cassandra and she preferred emeralds. Grant’s mother had some Spanish blood so I thought her favourites would be better for Supriya.” She shrugged. “I decided that the pieces should go to the people they suited. And Mother always said that they should be worn. They are works of art and the makers should be honoured by displaying them on the proper occasions. They aren’t investments to be hidden in a vault and never seen. We have more than enough of those.”
Cassie set the trays from her case in a row on the coffee table. A necklace of antique gold set with brilliant emeralds caught her eye. She held it up to her neck and said, “Does this go with my dress?”
Dorothy eyed her critically. “It goes very well but the question you should ask yourself is ‘Do I feel prettier wearing this?’ Or more confident or more powerful or whatever trait you need to enhance for that event.”
Cassie pondered that for a second then said, “I think this will make me feel more like I belong to the Ellis family.”
“Then it’s the perfect piece for you this evening.” She gave Cassie a warm smile.
“Frank, would you?” Cassie unhooked the clasp and handed him the ends.
Frank fastened it and stood back to admire his wife. “It looks just right with that dress.”
Dorothy said, “I’m sure if Mr. Tiffany were here, he’d agree.”
Cassie asked, “Tiffany?”
“Yes. Louis Tiffany himself. Cornelius Vanderbilt commissioned this piece from him for my grandmother’s eighteenth birthday. She was his goddaughter.”
Frank asked, “It is insured, surely?”
Dorothy looked like she wanted to roll her eyes. “Yes, my cautious accountant son, it’s insured. The temporary policy expires in thirty days or so. I’ve included a full inventory with photos on the USB key and I had two appraisals done but you may wish to get another appraisal before you insure them in Cassandra’s name.”
Dale smiled. “I’m sure that our wives are dying to know so I’ll ask the gauche question. What is all of this worth?”
“The raw value of gold and jewels is just over a million for Supriya’s set and just under nine hundred thousand for Cassandra’s. But the Tiffany emeralds might fetch as much as four million at auction by themselves. There is a Fabergé ladies watch in Supriya’s collection that should sell for two million although it does not keep time properly. If you needed to sell them, I expect Sotheby’s could get between five and eight million for each collection. They’re each insured for seven as long as you take reasonable precautions.”
Cassie and Supriya both looked stunned. Dorothy looked smug for a moment then rose and gave each of her daughters-in-law a gentle embrace. “Welcome to the family, Cassandra.”
Frank held out the matching Tiffany earrings and a Cartier watch adorned with emeralds and diamonds for Cassie to wear then said, “Why now, Mother?”
“Because I finally realized, after Grant’s disgraceful performance as we were leaving the summer home after your birthday dinner, that it is not my place, nor Grant’s, to decide who you marry. It is my place to support you as well as I am able. The Ellis and Murcheson families have a long and proud history of being c
aptains of industry in the Maritimes and New England. You and Dale and Robert have decided that your wives are worthy of bearing the next generation, God willing, therefore they should look the part. People expect that we conduct ourselves with a certain panache and that we will be generous with our time in support of our communities. The people that matter will judge your wives by those standards.”
She turned to Cassie. “You have consistently dressed the part of an Ellis, even in your school uniforms, Cassandra, although the uniforms make you look ridiculously young in the photos Francis sent me. These baubles are part of the show we are expected to put on, so use them that way. It will remind some people that you are not to be trifled with.”
Cassie finally recovered a little and said, “That sounds like what my drama teacher said when I was in a period play in Grade 10. She said, ‘Remember, you are not wearing a costume. You are wearing clothes. If you let the clothes wear you, then everyone will know that you’re faking it.’ We couldn’t afford much but Granny always made certain that what we wore was tasteful, modest and clean, even if it was sadly out of date. And I made certain that I wore it with pride.” She smiled. “Some of my neighbours in Vanier would sell their souls for all of this,” she indicated the jewellery and her new dress, “but that misses the point. If you don’t feel like you belong then it’s just a costume.”
Frank took her hand and kissed it. “Well, I told you I belong to you. This just proves that Mother believes me.”
Cassie gave Frank a fond smile. “We belong to each other, dear husband,” she said, almost believing it for once.
Supriya sighed and Dorothy beamed at them while they gazed into each other’s eyes and, for a moment, the rest of the world seemed to disappear.