Riley: “Trust me, he wants Ivy grade.”
Peyton/Grayson: “You’re not Ivy.”
Riley: “I am by blood.”
Peyton/Grayson: “That’s not even athing.”
Lexi: “Will both of you shut up? He’s married.”
Riley: “Oh.”
Peyton/Grayson: “Damn.”
Riley: “Still, I get dibs.”
Holly would check in on the family and then confirm service timing with Greta. Lord knew Sissy would want photo ops first. The door to the Captain’s Suite where Sissy was staying was open. Holly was about to knock when she heard them.
“What’s going on? You’ve been out of sorts all day. Everyone is downstairs waiting.”
It was Mr. Sutton. Holly stepped back away from the threshold.
“Nothing’s going on,” Sissy insisted. She paused. “It’s just a lot.”
“I’ll tell you what’s a lot: the cost for this whole weekend. Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“Yes. I guess?”
“You guess?” Mr. Sutton was silent a moment. “Is there something I’m missing here?”
Mrs. Sutton chimed in, her voice soothing. “She’s overwhelmed, Earl. Perfectly normal. She just needs a minute.”
“I’ll tell you what I need. A stiff drink.”
Holly turned down the hall just before Mr. Sutton emerged and headed in the opposite direction for the stairs. Only then did Mrs. Sutton’s voice rise. “Honey, if this has anything to do with that boy…”
“It’s not about him. It’s about me. I just don’t know anymore.”
“Whatdon’t you know? Harold adores you. We put a down payment on the house in Greenwich. Do you not want these things?”
“It’s not about Harold or the stupid house.”
“Then what?” The desperation and frustration in Virginia Sutton’s voice wafted into the hall. Holly needed to get out of there. “What is it?”
Silence followed as Holly tiptoed by the door, praying no one would see her.
“It’s nothing, Mom,” Sissy said, finally.
“Then finish your face and get down there, please. Before your father has a stroke.”
All evening Holly kept her eyes trained on the couple like a Secret Service detail. Eventually Sissy joined the remains of cocktail hour. She stunned in a simple white silk sheath as she made the rounds greeting guests and kissing cheeks.
“Isn’t she everything?” Linus gushed. “I want to adopt her.”
He had no idea what Holly had overheard and there was no time to tell him.
Harold made a short toast to his bride-to-be; his golf score made it into the speech but nobody seemed to mind. As the sun dipped low across the water, the dining room filled with gold. Glasses clinked. Laughter emanated. Dinner was resplendent.
Francine and Bee tiptoed in through the back kitchen door, as promised, both dressed up. “You look lovely,” Holly told them.
