having anything to do with a man to being the recipient of the kindnesses of two.
“So, Mr. Clark,”
“David, please.”
“So, David, what is going to happen here with this case? Despite your generosity, you were clearly negligent. What are the potential repercussions?”
“I was arrested and released on my own recognizance. A hearing will be scheduled in which you will be asked to testify, I’m sure. You speak your peace. A judge decides my sentence. I may lose my license. I may spend some time behind bars. It just depends on the judge. It may affect my association with the bar.”
“And what if I don’t press charges?”
Jacob’s eyes shot darts at her. Was she serious or was she taunting one or the both of them?
Again, she smiled over David’s shoulder.
“It’s a hypothetical question. I’m just curious.”
“The truth is, Maggie, may I call you Maggie? The thing is, I broke the law. This isn’t a civil case. Your testimony might or might not weigh in on the judge’s decision. If you, then, chose to, you could file a civil suit against me and collect damages beyond what you will receive from the insurance company.”
“I see. Very interesting.”
She smiled like the Cheshire cat. She was milking this.
“Do you have children, David?”
“I do. They are, of course, grown and on their own. I have two boys and a girl. I am still waiting on grandkids. They seem to be dragging their feet. I believe it is some sort of retribution for something I did to them as teenagers. Who knows?”
Maggie chuckled.
“Mine are the opposite. They breed like little bunnies. I have a brood and they are producing their own broods as fast as they can.”
“I guess that must be a tribute to the way you raised them. They must like family if they want their own.”
“No, they are just bent on showing me how to do it properly. They seek every opportunity to point out my inadequacies by correcting them in their own households.”
“What a terrible thing to say.”
Jacob was gaining some insight into Maggie’s assessment of her life as a mother. He wasn’t sure if she really felt she didn’t do the kind of job he esteemed her to have done, or if this was another attempt at self-deprecating humor. Either way, he felt it was in poor taste for her. He squinted one eye to let her know.
“It was part humor, part truth. I do have one child that tells me time and again what a terrible job I did and how much better she could have done and will do with hers.”
“And your husband?”
“Two exes. The stories behind those marriages are too weird for color television.”
Maggie was bringing out all the charm and wit she had been storing for so long in that trunk of safety.
“Well, David, it was lovely to see you again. I’m almost glad you ran into me, but not really. I need to rest now. Would you mind showing yourself out? I have given the butler the day off.”
“No, of course. I’ll be off then. You rest and maybe I could stop in again tomorrow. Same time?”
“With pink grapefruit?”
“Pink grapefruit it is!”
“Oh, this has got to stop,” Jacob muttered under his breath. “I must find a way to nip this in the bud!”
He could no longer refrain from speaking out.
“You don’t have to respond in any way that will make the staff suspicious, but I would just love to know what is going on in that little calico head of yours. I have watched over you your entire life and you have always been so humble and most of the time so beaten down and now I am looking at this person who has become almost too self-assured. You are playing with someone whose gross negligence put you in the hospital. What am I missing? Oh, yes, I know. I am missing Margaret. Have you seen her?”
Maggie’s face turned downward and tears began to trickle at first and then came the great deluge.
“Oh, Margaret, I am so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
She did not speak. She only stared at him through red, puffy
“So, Mr. Clark,”
“David, please.”
“So, David, what is going to happen here with this case? Despite your generosity, you were clearly negligent. What are the potential repercussions?”
“I was arrested and released on my own recognizance. A hearing will be scheduled in which you will be asked to testify, I’m sure. You speak your peace. A judge decides my sentence. I may lose my license. I may spend some time behind bars. It just depends on the judge. It may affect my association with the bar.”
“And what if I don’t press charges?”
Jacob’s eyes shot darts at her. Was she serious or was she taunting one or the both of them?
Again, she smiled over David’s shoulder.
“It’s a hypothetical question. I’m just curious.”
“The truth is, Maggie, may I call you Maggie? The thing is, I broke the law. This isn’t a civil case. Your testimony might or might not weigh in on the judge’s decision. If you, then, chose to, you could file a civil suit against me and collect damages beyond what you will receive from the insurance company.”
“I see. Very interesting.”
She smiled like the Cheshire cat. She was milking this.
“Do you have children, David?”
“I do. They are, of course, grown and on their own. I have two boys and a girl. I am still waiting on grandkids. They seem to be dragging their feet. I believe it is some sort of retribution for something I did to them as teenagers. Who knows?”
Maggie chuckled.
“Mine are the opposite. They breed like little bunnies. I have a brood and they are producing their own broods as fast as they can.”
“I guess that must be a tribute to the way you raised them. They must like family if they want their own.”
“No, they are just bent on showing me how to do it properly. They seek every opportunity to point out my inadequacies by correcting them in their own households.”
“What a terrible thing to say.”
Jacob was gaining some insight into Maggie’s assessment of her life as a mother. He wasn’t sure if she really felt she didn’t do the kind of job he esteemed her to have done, or if this was another attempt at self-deprecating humor. Either way, he felt it was in poor taste for her. He squinted one eye to let her know.
“It was part humor, part truth. I do have one child that tells me time and again what a terrible job I did and how much better she could have done and will do with hers.”
“And your husband?”
“Two exes. The stories behind those marriages are too weird for color television.”
Maggie was bringing out all the charm and wit she had been storing for so long in that trunk of safety.
“Well, David, it was lovely to see you again. I’m almost glad you ran into me, but not really. I need to rest now. Would you mind showing yourself out? I have given the butler the day off.”
“No, of course. I’ll be off then. You rest and maybe I could stop in again tomorrow. Same time?”
“With pink grapefruit?”
“Pink grapefruit it is!”
“Oh, this has got to stop,” Jacob muttered under his breath. “I must find a way to nip this in the bud!”
He could no longer refrain from speaking out.
“You don’t have to respond in any way that will make the staff suspicious, but I would just love to know what is going on in that little calico head of yours. I have watched over you your entire life and you have always been so humble and most of the time so beaten down and now I am looking at this person who has become almost too self-assured. You are playing with someone whose gross negligence put you in the hospital. What am I missing? Oh, yes, I know. I am missing Margaret. Have you seen her?”
Maggie’s face turned downward and tears began to trickle at first and then came the great deluge.
“Oh, Margaret, I am so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
She did not speak. She only stared at him through red, puffy
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