A Nantucket Wedding(41)

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The next morning when her cell buzzed, Felicity was still in bed. Noah had gone to work and Felicity was letting the children watch cartoons on her computer.

“Hi, Filly,” Jane said. “Listen, are you going to the island this weekend?”

“I hadn’t planned on it.”

“The Nantucket weekend forecast calls for sunshine, high seventies. You should come. Bring Noah.”

“I don’t know if Noah can get away.”

“Tell him Scott’s coming. The guys get along fairly well, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know, to be honest. They’ve never spent much time together. But if Scott’s coming, then I think Noah will be more likely to come…let me talk to Noah tonight and get back to you.”

“Come anyway with the children,” Jane said. “Please?”

Felicity couldn’t help feeling a rush of pleasure that her sister wanted to see her children. “I will.”

Felicity threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. Suddenly the day seemed brighter. She was foolishly pleased that Jane wanted to see her and the children this weekend, and even more complimented that Jane thought Scott would like to see Noah. Scott and Noah were as alike as A and Z, Scott so stiff and judgmental, Noah so earthy-crunchy, but maybe the island could work some magic. Certainly Jane had been warmer to Felicity when they were on the island than she had been in a long time.

    As Felicity showered, she decided she’d take the kids to the Children’s Museum today. It would be crowded, but the kids loved the exhibits and they could work off some of their energy.

She sang in the shower.



* * *



—

Noah didn’t like her to phone him at work, so she waited until he came home to talk to him about Nantucket. As usual, he didn’t get home until the children were in bed, but she had kept his dinner warm. She sat at the table with him, sipping a mug of green tea, when she brought up the idea.

“This weekend?” Noah said. “Sorry. Can’t.”

“Oh, sweetie, you work so hard. It would do you good to have a little fun in the sun.”

Noah took another bite of his macaroni and cheese with lobster—one of his favorite meals. He sipped some wine. “I thought I’d put it on the calendar. I guess I forgot. Ingrid’s birthday is Saturday, and we’re taking her out to dinner.”

Felicity bit her tongue. After a moment, she said, “Oh, well, then I should stay home, too. I’ll get a babysitter.”

“No need. Spouses aren’t invited.”

“Spouses aren’t invited,” Felicity echoed. “Why not?”

“Because you all would be miserable and bored while we make inside jokes and talk about work. You and the other wives shouldn’t come. You don’t get what we do. You don’t understand how important it is.”

“But I do—”

“And I’m aware that you don’t like Ingrid, so why would you even want to attend her birthday party?”

“I’ve never been unpleasant to Ingrid!”

    “No, but it’s clear that you don’t like her.” Noah leaned forward. “Be honest. Do you like her?”

Felicity toyed with her mug. “All right, fine. I don’t. Because she’s a woman who gets to spend so much time with you. More time than I get most weeks.” She looked up at Noah. “I guess I’m jealous.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

Felicity waited for her husband to elaborate, to tell her there was no kind of competition at all, but Noah simply finished his meal, tossed back the last drop of his wine, and set his napkin on the table.

“Noah, stop.” Felicity seldom spoke this way to her husband. “Don’t dismiss what I’m saying. I don’t mean I’m worried about you doing anything…romantic…with her. I mean that the children hardly ever get to spend time with you. I hardly get to spend time with you.”

“You shouldn’t be jealous, Filly,” Noah said, and his voice was softer. “Ingrid is a workhorse, and that’s all. She’s also a stockholder, so she has a lot to gain if we can get this off the ground and go public. The time I spend with her is all about work. You know, I’ve told you, these first few years will be crucial. Nothing less than saving the planet is at stake here.”

Felicity bit her lip so she wouldn’t smile. She loved Noah, she admired and adored him for his idealistic goals. At the same time, she found him slightly, maybe even embarrassingly, naïve. Noah took several science-oriented magazines, and from time to time Felicity read an article. She learned that he was not the only scientist working on “green food,” and certainly not the most highly esteemed. She learned that the problems facing the future needed more than green food for the planet to be saved.

But after all, what did she really know? Noah attended a great many scientific conferences. He had to be as aware of his competition as she was. She knew she should prop him up, not bother him with minor issues.

“You’re right, Noah. I do understand. But I wonder—couldn’t you come to the island some weekend? I’ve read that a vacation is helpful, even necessary. It allows the mind to rest and reboot. You haven’t had a vacation for months.”