Cambridge, July 1957.
Eliza and Edward took their seats, and Eliza clutched at her husband's arm as students started to file in and take their allocated seats. "I can't see him sitting down, he mustn't be in here yet." She said.
"He'll be in, in a moment." Edward assured her, as he glanced down at the shiny graduation program in his hands.
"It's a pity Margaret couldn't fly over for this." Eliza said with a sigh. In the four years since Margaret had gone over to England they hadn't seen her once despite their pleas for her to come back over for Christmas. If it wasn't for the fact that Mrs. Gracie, who had, had a stroke three years back, was still sick Eliza would have convinced Edward to go over there for Christmas. Margaret had scraped through a Bachelor of Arts degree, and for the last six months or so she had been "just having fun" as she put it. When, in a rare phone call just before she'd graduated, Edward suggested she find a job or a husband, she'd complained he was old-fashioned. "If I were old fashioned I would hardly have suggested you get a job Margaret. You can't just do nothing with your life." He'd said wryly. "Why not?" Margaret had asked. "Isn't that what Mama does?" Edward had yelled at her for being so disrespectful, and when Eliza spoke to her she was treated to a teary apology. "Sorry Mama, I didn't mean it, really I didn't. I just don't know what I'm going to do yet." She'd said. Eliza had mentioned that there were plenty of things to do in America, but Margaret had laughed. In the four years she'd been back in England her English accent had resurfaced, and she assured her mother she was not planning on coming back to America at the moment. When they'd received the tickets for Ben's graduation Eliza had written to Margaret asking whether she wanted them to send her money to come back for it, but she'd replied that the dates coincided with a trip to Spain she was planning.
"It would have been nice." Edward agreed carefully. In his opinion their daughter was spoilt rotten, but Eliza refused to see it. Edward wondered what would happen when he decided that she was too old to receive an allowance? She was already twenty-one, and he had made up his mind that when she turned twenty-two he would stop supporting her. He was resolute, despite the fact that he knew she would cry and plead, and Eliza would want to give in. There was no way he was spending thousands a year supporting her in England if she didn't want to help herself.
"OH! THERE HE IS!" Eliza cried as Ben walked into the room with a few other graduands. Ben spotted them and gave them a wave. He was, at twenty three a remarkably handsome young man, and his parents couldn't have been prouder of him. In his time at Harvard Law School he'd received excellent grades and also contributed a number of articles to their journal. He already had a job lined up with a firm in New York, which made Eliza sad, but as Edward reminded her it was only a train trip away.
More and more students and guests filed in until eventually the hall was full. To Eliza most of the ceremony was boring, but when she saw Ben line up by the side of the stage she sat up with interest. "Benjamin Archibald Gracie" was called, and Ben mounted the steps, doffed his cap to the chancellor, walked across to the center of the stage and accepted his degree from him, and then walked across to the end of the stage where he shook the hand of the dean of the law faculty, and then walked down the stairs and it was over. Ben had officially graduated.
After the ceremony Eliza insisted on having professional photographs taken. "We'll have to send one to Margaret in England." She said.
"I'm sure she'll appreciate it." Ben said dryly. He agreed with his father's opinion and thought his sister was a spoilt brat. She was busy having fun in England with no intention of getting a job and happily letting his parents support her.
"She was always so proud of you." Eliza argued, with a slight frown.
"Right Mama." Ben said. "Mama- you're going to have to come up to New York and help me make my apartment look livable. It needs some decorating, and you know I've got no idea."
Eliza looked delighted and Edward and Ben exchanged secret smiles. They'd discussed this earlier, wanting Eliza to not feel as though her children didn't need her anymore. They had the photos taken, and then had refreshments with the rest of the gradaunts and their families. When they went home that night Eliza was bursting with pride, and she wasn't even upset about the fact that Ben was moving away.
[A/N. Not the best chapter, but I couldn't leave Ben's graduation out of the story after mentioning his being at law school and all. And as everyone who's been to uni knows, ceremonies can be pretty damn boring! I also always saw Margaret as growing up to be a spoilt brat. Interestingly in my mind she was a bit like Dickie in the Talented Mr. Ripley- off overseas living on his parent's money happily, as this would have been around the same time as the novel was set.]
Eliza and Edward took their seats, and Eliza clutched at her husband's arm as students started to file in and take their allocated seats. "I can't see him sitting down, he mustn't be in here yet." She said.
"He'll be in, in a moment." Edward assured her, as he glanced down at the shiny graduation program in his hands.
"It's a pity Margaret couldn't fly over for this." Eliza said with a sigh. In the four years since Margaret had gone over to England they hadn't seen her once despite their pleas for her to come back over for Christmas. If it wasn't for the fact that Mrs. Gracie, who had, had a stroke three years back, was still sick Eliza would have convinced Edward to go over there for Christmas. Margaret had scraped through a Bachelor of Arts degree, and for the last six months or so she had been "just having fun" as she put it. When, in a rare phone call just before she'd graduated, Edward suggested she find a job or a husband, she'd complained he was old-fashioned. "If I were old fashioned I would hardly have suggested you get a job Margaret. You can't just do nothing with your life." He'd said wryly. "Why not?" Margaret had asked. "Isn't that what Mama does?" Edward had yelled at her for being so disrespectful, and when Eliza spoke to her she was treated to a teary apology. "Sorry Mama, I didn't mean it, really I didn't. I just don't know what I'm going to do yet." She'd said. Eliza had mentioned that there were plenty of things to do in America, but Margaret had laughed. In the four years she'd been back in England her English accent had resurfaced, and she assured her mother she was not planning on coming back to America at the moment. When they'd received the tickets for Ben's graduation Eliza had written to Margaret asking whether she wanted them to send her money to come back for it, but she'd replied that the dates coincided with a trip to Spain she was planning.
"It would have been nice." Edward agreed carefully. In his opinion their daughter was spoilt rotten, but Eliza refused to see it. Edward wondered what would happen when he decided that she was too old to receive an allowance? She was already twenty-one, and he had made up his mind that when she turned twenty-two he would stop supporting her. He was resolute, despite the fact that he knew she would cry and plead, and Eliza would want to give in. There was no way he was spending thousands a year supporting her in England if she didn't want to help herself.
"OH! THERE HE IS!" Eliza cried as Ben walked into the room with a few other graduands. Ben spotted them and gave them a wave. He was, at twenty three a remarkably handsome young man, and his parents couldn't have been prouder of him. In his time at Harvard Law School he'd received excellent grades and also contributed a number of articles to their journal. He already had a job lined up with a firm in New York, which made Eliza sad, but as Edward reminded her it was only a train trip away.
More and more students and guests filed in until eventually the hall was full. To Eliza most of the ceremony was boring, but when she saw Ben line up by the side of the stage she sat up with interest. "Benjamin Archibald Gracie" was called, and Ben mounted the steps, doffed his cap to the chancellor, walked across to the center of the stage and accepted his degree from him, and then walked across to the end of the stage where he shook the hand of the dean of the law faculty, and then walked down the stairs and it was over. Ben had officially graduated.
After the ceremony Eliza insisted on having professional photographs taken. "We'll have to send one to Margaret in England." She said.
"I'm sure she'll appreciate it." Ben said dryly. He agreed with his father's opinion and thought his sister was a spoilt brat. She was busy having fun in England with no intention of getting a job and happily letting his parents support her.
"She was always so proud of you." Eliza argued, with a slight frown.
"Right Mama." Ben said. "Mama- you're going to have to come up to New York and help me make my apartment look livable. It needs some decorating, and you know I've got no idea."
Eliza looked delighted and Edward and Ben exchanged secret smiles. They'd discussed this earlier, wanting Eliza to not feel as though her children didn't need her anymore. They had the photos taken, and then had refreshments with the rest of the gradaunts and their families. When they went home that night Eliza was bursting with pride, and she wasn't even upset about the fact that Ben was moving away.
[A/N. Not the best chapter, but I couldn't leave Ben's graduation out of the story after mentioning his being at law school and all. And as everyone who's been to uni knows, ceremonies can be pretty damn boring! I also always saw Margaret as growing up to be a spoilt brat. Interestingly in my mind she was a bit like Dickie in the Talented Mr. Ripley- off overseas living on his parent's money happily, as this would have been around the same time as the novel was set.]