Morning-Noon-and-Night - By Sidney Sheldon Page 0,35

sir. I'm so sorry about what has happened." you. Are you set up here to take care of all of us?' 134 Goh, yes. I think we can make everyone comfortable. ' I in my old room?' Clark smiled. ' right.' He turned to Woody. 411m pleased to see you, Mr. Woodrow. I want to -' Woody grabbed Peggy's arm. ' on,' he said curtly. ' want to get freshened up.' The others watched as Woody pushed past them ' took Peggy upstairs. The rest of the group walked into the huge drawing room. The room was dominated by a pair of massive Louis XIV armoires.

Scattered around the room were a giltwood console table with a molded marble top, and an array of exquisite period chairs and couches. An olu chandelier hung from the high ceiling. On the walls were dark medieval paintings. Clark turned to Tyler. ' Stanford, I have a message for you. Mr. Simon Fitzgerald would like you to telephone him to tell him when it would be convenient to arrange a meeting with the family." is Simon Fitzgeraldt Marc asked. Kendall replied. ''s the family attorney. Father has been with him forever but we've never met him." presume he wants to discuss the disposition of the estate,' Tyler said.

He turned to the others. ' it's all right with all of you, I'll. arrange for him to meet us here tomorrow morning." w;ll be fine,' Kendall said. 135 ' chef is preparing dinner,'Clark told them.'Will eight o'clock be satisfactory?",' Tyler said. ' you." and Millie will show you to your rooms.' Tyler turned to his sister and her husband. ''ll meet down here at eight, shall we?' As Woody and Peggy entered their bedroom upstairs, Peggy asked, ' you all right?"'m fine,' Woody snapped. ' me alone.' She watched him go into the bathroom and slam the door shut. She stood there, waiting.

Ten minutes later, Woody came out. He was smiling. ', baby."."

"Well, how do you like the old house?"'s ... it's enormous."'s a monstrosity.' He walked over to the bed and put his arms around Peggy.

"This is my old room. These walls were covered with sports posters - the Bruins, the Celtics, the Red Sox. I wanted to be an athlete. I had big dreams. In my senior year in boarding school, I was captain of the football team. I got offers of admission from half a dozen college coaches." one did you take?' He shook his head. ' of them. My father said they were only interested in the Stanford name, that they just wanted money from him. He sent me to an engineering school where they didn't play football.' 136 He was silent for a moment. Then he mumbled, ' could'a been a contenda .. She looked at him puzzled.

"Whaff He looked up. ''t you ever see On the Waterfront?' 6NO. t ' was a line that Marlon Brando said. It means we both got screwed." father must have been touih.' Woody gave a short, derisive laugh.

"That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said about him. I remember when I was just a kid, I fell off a horse. I wanted to get back on and ride again. My father wouldn't let Ine..You'll never be a rider," he said.

"You're too clumsy."' Woody looked up at her. ''s why I became a nine-goal polo player.' They came together at the dinner table,,strangers to one another, seated in an uncomfortable silence, their only connection childhood traumas. Kendall looked around the room.

Terrible memories mingled with an appreciation for its beauty. The dining table was classical French, an early Louis XV, surrounded by Directoire walnut chairs. In one comer was a blue-and-cream. painted .

French provincial comer armoire. On the walls were drawings by Watteau and Fragonard. Kendall turned to Tyler. ' read about your decision in the Rorello case. He deserved what you gave him.' 137 ' must be exciting being a judge,' Peggy said. ' it is." kind of cases do you handlet Marc inquired. ' cases - rapes, drugs, murder.' Kendall turned pale and started to say something, and Marc grabbed her hand and squeezed it as a warning. Tyler said politely to Kendall, ''ve become a successful designer.' Kendall was finding it hard to breathe. '." fantastic,' Marc said. ' Marc, what do you do?"'m with a brokerage house.", you're one of those young Wall Street millionaires.", not exactly, judge. I'm really just getting started.' Tyler gave Marc a patronizing look. ' guess it's lucky