Jackie snuggled into her Egyptian Cotton sheets and surveyed her Grandmother's elegant guest bedroom which had become her own sanctuary. Ah, how she had missed the thoughtless ease and luxury that came with wealth. It had been so easy to fall back into the spoiled princess patterns from the good old days before her father's fall from grace. Now such evils as budgeting, laundry and selling cheese were all a bad dream. A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… oops, she was slipping into an Eric-ism. Ruthlessly she stepped on this train of thought which could lead her back to memories of her old life.
Still, luxury did not equate with indolence, not in her grandmother's stately Long Island mansion. It was time to get up and join the aged relative for breakfast. Changing into a Donna Karan leisure suit, Jackie made her way to the morning room to find her grandmother dining on Eggs Benedict while reading the business section of the New York Times.
"Jaclyn. Please try to remember breakfast is served at 8.00 am, not 8.05," Elise reprimanded without looking up from her newspaper.
Mumbling an apology, Jackie served herself a small portion of scrambled eggs from the silver chafing dish as a maid hovered nearby with condiments. Suddenly she flashed back to eating scrambled eggs in a different kitchen, one where a middle-aged lady with an unusual laugh would press food upon her, while the balding head of the family would grumble about running a feeding trough for an orphan asylum.
Shaking the unwanted nostalgia, Jackie bent her mind to the present. "So, Grandmother, what is on the agenda for today?"
"As usual, my secretary will supply you with a schedule of your appointments."
"Yes, I know the usual things – piano lesson, dancing lesson, hair appointment – I meant are we attending any social events today," Jackie explained.
"Why, yes, I believe Jason will be escorting you to the Darracott's soiree tonight," her grandmother replied.
Jackie pulled a face which fortunately Elise failed to see. Jason Featherstone had been a constant caller at the Mansfield-Jones residence since Jackie's coming out partytwo months ago. He was handsome, urbane and, as the sole heir to the Featherstone Beauty Lotions fortune, indecently wealthy – so not my type, Jackie thought. He was all too aware of how these three factors made him one of the most desirable bachelors on the New York social scene, and his arrogance tended to set Jackie's teeth on edge.
"Actually, Grandmother, I was thinking it would be nice to stay in tonight," Jackie attempted.
The newspaper descended, revealing a wooden countenance. "Stay in?" Elise repeated, as though it was some new hippy jargon no civilized person would use.
"Well, I have been out of the house for the last five nights running," justified Jackie. "Come on, it will be fun. We can relax on the couch, order in some pizza and watch Charlie's Angels together," Jackie finished with a winning smile.
Elise paused, trying to choose which of these ridiculous suggestions she should attack first. In the end, she decided not to dignify them with an argument. "You will be going to the Darracotts, Jaclyn. Jason will collect you at 7.30 pm – please do not be tardy."
Jackie felt the coldness of Elise's rebuff and fought not to let it affect her. The warm grandmotherly soul who had sympathised with her long distance two months ago had morphed back into the icy disciplinarian Jackie remembered from family reunions and anniversaries. Craving love and approval, she diligently followed her grandmother's rules and schedules and was occasionally rewarded with a half-hearted compliment such as "Yes, I knew that dress would suit your figure – that one you wanted needed some height to carry it off". Once she had even scored a "very good" when her grandmother supervised her ballroom dancing lesson. But it was a far cry from the close family relationship she had hoped she might have when she stepped off the plane at La Guardia and was greeted by her grandmother's chauffeur.
Jackie tried again to reach the shrivelled up organ that once was her grandmother's heart.
"As you wish, Grandmother." A pause. "So… what will you be doing today? Bingo at the Senior Citizens Centre? Lawn bowls? Arguing with waiters, perhaps?" Jackie inquired, searching through her knowledge of senior activities. She suddenly realised she had always been so preoccupied with how she spent her time she had never wondered how her grandmother spent her day.
Elise raised scornful eyebrows at Jackie's guesses, although her rusty sense of humour activated a slight tic on one side of her mouth as she suppressed a smile.
"Hardly" she drawled. "I will be in the same place I am from 9 to 6.00 pm 6 days a week – the Glow Cosmetics offices."
"Glow Cosmetics" exclaimed Jackie. "You work for Glow Cosmetics?"
"Work for? Of course not, silly girl. I own Glow Cosmetics. Mansfield-Joneses are not employees," scoffed Elise. "Where did you think the family fortune came from?"
"I guess I never really thought about it," replied Jackie. "It was always just there."
"You will find in this life that there is always somebody paying the price for all the fine things you enjoy. Just make sure it is not you."
"But Glow Cosmetics! That is one of my favourite brands. I mean, some companies say their mascara is waterproof and their testimonials are so convincing that you buy it and then you go to the movies and see Love Story and when you walk out you look like a panda bear. But the Glow mascara saw me through both The Way We Were and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!"
"Willy Wonka? I did not know that was a sad movie."
"There is a girl in it who eats some gum and she becomes… fat," Jackie explained with a shudder.
"Say no more."
"This is wonderful! I own Glow Cosmetics!"
"Er, yes, well actually, I own…"
"Oh, please, Grandmother, this is no time for possessiveness. We are family! Oh, I have to come into work with you today and take a tour of my company. Do you have a product testing section? Because I think I could really make a contribution in that area – I can spot a dud eyeshadow from 20 paces. Oh, I have to go and tone down my make-up so as to have a blank canvas to work on. I will meet you at the car in 15 minutes!" And with a return of her old energy, Jackie tore upstairs to re-do her make-up.
"Jaclyn, what about your schedule? I have not given you permission to change your plans," her Grandmother called after her, but she may as well have reprimanded the wind. And when Jackie's eager clean face greeted her at the Rolls Royce 30 minutes later, for some strange reason she found she could not dash her hopes. She was slowly learning a truth many had struggled with before her – Jackie Burkhart was irresistible.
