Philadelphia, June 1953.
"Margaret?" Eliza asked, knocking on her daughter's door. From the sounds inside Margaret was already awake- the first day she'd been up before noon since she finished school.
"Come in Mama." Margaret called, and Eliza opened the door and walked into the biggest mess she'd ever seen. Clothes were piled everywhere and drawers were open, books were strewn about, and the bed was covered in things.
"Good god Margaret." Eliza managed.
"I'm packing Mama." Margaret said, throwing her mother a dirty look. "Is there something you wanted?"
"Yes, we're going over to your Grandmothers place." Eliza said, threading her way through the mess to where Margaret was standing.
Margaret made a face. "Oh Mama, do we have to?" She said, sounding just like Eliza felt.
But Eliza was firm. "We do. Margaret she's an old lady, when you get back she probably won't be here still. You must do the right thing and say goodbye to her." She told her daughter sternly.
"Mama, Grandmother has never liked me." Margaret complained. "She's only ever picked on me. It's Ben she likes not me."
"Nonetheless you have to do the right thing Margaret." Eliza said, determined that Margaret would do this. Otherwise she'd be the one to hear all about her daughter's terrible manners, and how bad a mother she was. Eliza managed to restrict her own visits to Mrs. Gracie to once a week, visits she loathed. Sometimes, she'd think as she left the house after one of these visits, it would all be easier when the old bat did die. Then she'd feel guilty about it and the next visit she'd try so hard to be polite and then Mrs. Gracie would say something offending again, and she'd have the same thoughts as she left. Mrs. Gracie spent most of her time in bed, but when Eliza came she had someone take her downstairs so she could appear stronger than she really was. Edward often popped in after work when he could.
"MAMA!" Margaret cried, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't want to. She'll only be mean to me."
"Be ready in twenty minutes Margaret." Eliza said, leaving the room.
On her way downstairs she ran into Ben. "Did she cry and carry on?" Ben asked with a grin.
"She wasn't too happy." Eliza said diplomatically.
"Don't know how you put up with her." Ben said with a frown. "If she were my daughter-"
"Well luckily she isn't." Eliza interrupted him. "Anyway she's just excited about England. And she has a point: it's not like your Grandmother has ever liked her."
"No." Ben said thoughtfully. "She never has. Even when we were kids she'd always pick on Margaret for something, but if I did the same thing well that was fine. I guess you can't really blame her for not wanting to go."
"Oh no, I don't blame her." Eliza said quickly. "But she should do the right thing regardless."
"Right, well I'm off to wash my car." Ben said, and he went out the front door.
Twenty minutes later Margaret walked sullenly down the stairs. She was dressed in a skirt and top, a little more conservative than her usual style, and she'd even put on the pearls her Grandmother had given her for her sixteenth birthday, despite the fact that she'd told her mother only old people wore pearls now.
Eliza smiled. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be I guess." Margaret replied with a dramatic sigh. "Can I drive Mama?"
"No I don't think I'm in the mood for your driving today Margaret. I'll drive." Eliza replied. Despite the fact that they still had a chauffeur for when they needed him Eliza preferred to drive herself. When Mrs. Gracie had found out she'd almost had a heart attack. "Eliza you are married to one of the richest men in the state- you don't drive yourself. It doesn't look good." But Eliza hadn't cared. As she told Edward later it wasn't the 1920's it was the 1950's and it was perfectly acceptable for people to drive themselves. Edward had laughed. "I know, but she's just kind of old fashioned." He said.
They drove along the road towards the old Gracie house silently, until Margaret spoke up. "Mama, why do you put up with Grandmother?" She asked.
Eliza was surprised. "Because she's my mother in law." She replied.
"Well it's not like she treats you any better than she treats me." Margaret muttered. "I mean, the way she speaks to you Mama, like you're another one of her servants or something."
"She's always been that way, so I guess I'm just used to it." Eliza replied pulling into the driveway.
"Well I'm glad I won't have to see her once I'm over in England." Margaret said happily.
Eliza bit her lip. 'Don't be silly,' She told herself firmly. 'She's not speaking about anyone else other than her.'
They stopped the car and got out. Margaret adjusted her skirt and top. "You know Mama I was actually going to wear that new skirt I showed you the other day but I thought better of it. Grandmother would have had a heart attack."
"Well I guess fashion these days is very different to what it was a few years back. When I was your age dresses came down to our ankles at least. We couldn't show much skin, we couldn't wear pants like you've done on occasions." Eliza said as they walked up towards the door. "And another thing- we had very strict rules of how to act in society. Some of the things kids your age do these days.."
The door was opened by the butler, a new one since the old one had retired a few years back. He smiled at the two of them. "Mrs. Gracie is in the sitting room- she was expecting you of course."
"Of course." Margaret muttered, and Eliza shot her a look clearly warning her to behave.
Margaret smiled politely. "So how is my darling Grandmother today? Her usual sweet self?"
The butler looked confused and Eliza hissed "Margaret!"
They went into the sitting room. Mrs. Gracie was seated in the armchair closest to the window and she looked if anything, older than she had last week. Eliza often marveled that she was still alive, but as she knew perfectly well the woman was very stubborn, and probably not likely to let God take her until she was ready.
"Hello Mrs. Gracie." Eliza said hurrying forward to kiss her quickly on the cheek.
Mrs. Gracie just nodded and then she turned to Margaret, who was still standing near the doorway. "Well aren't you going to come in and say hello to your sick old Grandmother?" She demanded of her.
Margaret bit her lip and smiled. "Of course." She hurried over to kiss her. "How are you Grandmother?"
"How do I look?" Mrs. Gracie replied. "So- off to England in two days?"
"Yes," Margaret enthused. "I began packing this morning. I am so excited about it. It's going to be great to be home."
Eliza couldn't help but wince at the word 'home' and Mrs. Gracie's sharp eyes caught it. "I would have thought you would have considered America home by now." She said.
"Well not really." Margaret admitted. "I was born in England, and it will always be home."
"How extraordinary." Mrs. Gracie muttered. "And your parents accommodating this whim of yours too."
"It's not a whim." Margaret protested. "And my parents just want me to be happy."
"Spoilt." Mrs. Gracie declared. "Always have been, always will be. In my day children didn't get everything they wanted handed to them on a silver platter. In fact in my day women didn't even go to college. You should be thinking about finding a nice man and settling down and getting married."
"You've got to be joking." Margaret burst out shocked. "I intend to finish college before I even think about getting married. This is 1953 Grandmother- things are a bit different now."
"I'll say." Mrs. Gracie said curtly. "In my day children had manners- especially when they spoke to their elders."
Eliza wished that she hadn't made Margaret come, but she'd known it was the right thing to do. Now she spoke up. "We can't stay long Mrs. Gracie. I promised Margaret I'd take her shopping to get some new clothes for England, and I also promised I'd buy her some album as a going away present."
"Clothes and music these days." Mrs. Gracie moaned. "It's terrible. The clothes look like harlots, the music sounds like noise."
Margaret opened her mouth, but caught her mother's look and closed it.
"Yes, well I guess when you've got children you've got to move with the times." Eliza said. "And to be honest I'm getting rather used to some of that music since Margaret's been home."
Mrs. Gracie snorted. "So the next thing you know you'll be coming to visit me dressed up like a teenager today- although I think even your skirt is a bit too short." She said.
Eliza glanced down at her mid length sensible skirt and shrugged. "Well we better run." She said.
"Anxious to go?" Mrs. Gracie asked, her eyes piercing.
Eliza wanted to agree, instead she stood up. "I'll be back next week as usual." She said.
"Can you tell Ben I'd like to see him? He's been so busy lately he doesn't even come to see me like he used to." Mrs. Gracie complained.
"I'll tell him." Eliza promised. She gave Mrs. Gracie another quick kiss on her cheek and nodded at Margaret to do the same.
"I'll write to you from England Grandmother." Margaret promised as they were leaving.
"Don't bother." Mrs. Gracie said. "I won't be here much longer."
Margaret didn't know what to say to that, and glanced at her mother in shock. Eliza didn't know either, so they just left. As they were walking to the car Margaret broke into a dance. "Thank god I'll never have to go through that again. England here I come!"
Eliza had to smile at her daughter's excitement- even though she wished she wasn't going. But Margaret was nearly eighteen, it was 1953 and it was no big deal, she told herself as they got in the car. Even so, the fact that Margaret was going in a few days still made her heart ache.
"Margaret?" Eliza asked, knocking on her daughter's door. From the sounds inside Margaret was already awake- the first day she'd been up before noon since she finished school.
"Come in Mama." Margaret called, and Eliza opened the door and walked into the biggest mess she'd ever seen. Clothes were piled everywhere and drawers were open, books were strewn about, and the bed was covered in things.
"Good god Margaret." Eliza managed.
"I'm packing Mama." Margaret said, throwing her mother a dirty look. "Is there something you wanted?"
"Yes, we're going over to your Grandmothers place." Eliza said, threading her way through the mess to where Margaret was standing.
Margaret made a face. "Oh Mama, do we have to?" She said, sounding just like Eliza felt.
But Eliza was firm. "We do. Margaret she's an old lady, when you get back she probably won't be here still. You must do the right thing and say goodbye to her." She told her daughter sternly.
"Mama, Grandmother has never liked me." Margaret complained. "She's only ever picked on me. It's Ben she likes not me."
"Nonetheless you have to do the right thing Margaret." Eliza said, determined that Margaret would do this. Otherwise she'd be the one to hear all about her daughter's terrible manners, and how bad a mother she was. Eliza managed to restrict her own visits to Mrs. Gracie to once a week, visits she loathed. Sometimes, she'd think as she left the house after one of these visits, it would all be easier when the old bat did die. Then she'd feel guilty about it and the next visit she'd try so hard to be polite and then Mrs. Gracie would say something offending again, and she'd have the same thoughts as she left. Mrs. Gracie spent most of her time in bed, but when Eliza came she had someone take her downstairs so she could appear stronger than she really was. Edward often popped in after work when he could.
"MAMA!" Margaret cried, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't want to. She'll only be mean to me."
"Be ready in twenty minutes Margaret." Eliza said, leaving the room.
On her way downstairs she ran into Ben. "Did she cry and carry on?" Ben asked with a grin.
"She wasn't too happy." Eliza said diplomatically.
"Don't know how you put up with her." Ben said with a frown. "If she were my daughter-"
"Well luckily she isn't." Eliza interrupted him. "Anyway she's just excited about England. And she has a point: it's not like your Grandmother has ever liked her."
"No." Ben said thoughtfully. "She never has. Even when we were kids she'd always pick on Margaret for something, but if I did the same thing well that was fine. I guess you can't really blame her for not wanting to go."
"Oh no, I don't blame her." Eliza said quickly. "But she should do the right thing regardless."
"Right, well I'm off to wash my car." Ben said, and he went out the front door.
Twenty minutes later Margaret walked sullenly down the stairs. She was dressed in a skirt and top, a little more conservative than her usual style, and she'd even put on the pearls her Grandmother had given her for her sixteenth birthday, despite the fact that she'd told her mother only old people wore pearls now.
Eliza smiled. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be I guess." Margaret replied with a dramatic sigh. "Can I drive Mama?"
"No I don't think I'm in the mood for your driving today Margaret. I'll drive." Eliza replied. Despite the fact that they still had a chauffeur for when they needed him Eliza preferred to drive herself. When Mrs. Gracie had found out she'd almost had a heart attack. "Eliza you are married to one of the richest men in the state- you don't drive yourself. It doesn't look good." But Eliza hadn't cared. As she told Edward later it wasn't the 1920's it was the 1950's and it was perfectly acceptable for people to drive themselves. Edward had laughed. "I know, but she's just kind of old fashioned." He said.
They drove along the road towards the old Gracie house silently, until Margaret spoke up. "Mama, why do you put up with Grandmother?" She asked.
Eliza was surprised. "Because she's my mother in law." She replied.
"Well it's not like she treats you any better than she treats me." Margaret muttered. "I mean, the way she speaks to you Mama, like you're another one of her servants or something."
"She's always been that way, so I guess I'm just used to it." Eliza replied pulling into the driveway.
"Well I'm glad I won't have to see her once I'm over in England." Margaret said happily.
Eliza bit her lip. 'Don't be silly,' She told herself firmly. 'She's not speaking about anyone else other than her.'
They stopped the car and got out. Margaret adjusted her skirt and top. "You know Mama I was actually going to wear that new skirt I showed you the other day but I thought better of it. Grandmother would have had a heart attack."
"Well I guess fashion these days is very different to what it was a few years back. When I was your age dresses came down to our ankles at least. We couldn't show much skin, we couldn't wear pants like you've done on occasions." Eliza said as they walked up towards the door. "And another thing- we had very strict rules of how to act in society. Some of the things kids your age do these days.."
The door was opened by the butler, a new one since the old one had retired a few years back. He smiled at the two of them. "Mrs. Gracie is in the sitting room- she was expecting you of course."
"Of course." Margaret muttered, and Eliza shot her a look clearly warning her to behave.
Margaret smiled politely. "So how is my darling Grandmother today? Her usual sweet self?"
The butler looked confused and Eliza hissed "Margaret!"
They went into the sitting room. Mrs. Gracie was seated in the armchair closest to the window and she looked if anything, older than she had last week. Eliza often marveled that she was still alive, but as she knew perfectly well the woman was very stubborn, and probably not likely to let God take her until she was ready.
"Hello Mrs. Gracie." Eliza said hurrying forward to kiss her quickly on the cheek.
Mrs. Gracie just nodded and then she turned to Margaret, who was still standing near the doorway. "Well aren't you going to come in and say hello to your sick old Grandmother?" She demanded of her.
Margaret bit her lip and smiled. "Of course." She hurried over to kiss her. "How are you Grandmother?"
"How do I look?" Mrs. Gracie replied. "So- off to England in two days?"
"Yes," Margaret enthused. "I began packing this morning. I am so excited about it. It's going to be great to be home."
Eliza couldn't help but wince at the word 'home' and Mrs. Gracie's sharp eyes caught it. "I would have thought you would have considered America home by now." She said.
"Well not really." Margaret admitted. "I was born in England, and it will always be home."
"How extraordinary." Mrs. Gracie muttered. "And your parents accommodating this whim of yours too."
"It's not a whim." Margaret protested. "And my parents just want me to be happy."
"Spoilt." Mrs. Gracie declared. "Always have been, always will be. In my day children didn't get everything they wanted handed to them on a silver platter. In fact in my day women didn't even go to college. You should be thinking about finding a nice man and settling down and getting married."
"You've got to be joking." Margaret burst out shocked. "I intend to finish college before I even think about getting married. This is 1953 Grandmother- things are a bit different now."
"I'll say." Mrs. Gracie said curtly. "In my day children had manners- especially when they spoke to their elders."
Eliza wished that she hadn't made Margaret come, but she'd known it was the right thing to do. Now she spoke up. "We can't stay long Mrs. Gracie. I promised Margaret I'd take her shopping to get some new clothes for England, and I also promised I'd buy her some album as a going away present."
"Clothes and music these days." Mrs. Gracie moaned. "It's terrible. The clothes look like harlots, the music sounds like noise."
Margaret opened her mouth, but caught her mother's look and closed it.
"Yes, well I guess when you've got children you've got to move with the times." Eliza said. "And to be honest I'm getting rather used to some of that music since Margaret's been home."
Mrs. Gracie snorted. "So the next thing you know you'll be coming to visit me dressed up like a teenager today- although I think even your skirt is a bit too short." She said.
Eliza glanced down at her mid length sensible skirt and shrugged. "Well we better run." She said.
"Anxious to go?" Mrs. Gracie asked, her eyes piercing.
Eliza wanted to agree, instead she stood up. "I'll be back next week as usual." She said.
"Can you tell Ben I'd like to see him? He's been so busy lately he doesn't even come to see me like he used to." Mrs. Gracie complained.
"I'll tell him." Eliza promised. She gave Mrs. Gracie another quick kiss on her cheek and nodded at Margaret to do the same.
"I'll write to you from England Grandmother." Margaret promised as they were leaving.
"Don't bother." Mrs. Gracie said. "I won't be here much longer."
Margaret didn't know what to say to that, and glanced at her mother in shock. Eliza didn't know either, so they just left. As they were walking to the car Margaret broke into a dance. "Thank god I'll never have to go through that again. England here I come!"
Eliza had to smile at her daughter's excitement- even though she wished she wasn't going. But Margaret was nearly eighteen, it was 1953 and it was no big deal, she told herself as they got in the car. Even so, the fact that Margaret was going in a few days still made her heart ache.