Protecting Her(34)

“How is everything?” I ask.

“It’s delicious,” Pearce answers, even though I wasn’t really asking him.

His parents say nothing, but they’re eating their meal so it can’t be that bad.

When they’re done, I say, “Would everyone like dessert? I made carrot cake.”

Eleanor dabs her napkin over her lips. “Before we have dessert, we have some news to share.”

Holton sits back and folds his arms over his chest. He’s sitting next to Eleanor and across from Pearce. His eyes are on Pearce.

I’m getting a bad feeling about this.

“What is it, Mother?” Pearce asks.

“Would you like to tell them?” she asks Holton. “Or should I?”

“I don’t want to tell them at all. You’re the one insisting on sharing our personal lives with them.”

“Pearce is our son. This is something he should know.”

Holton says nothing. He seems annoyed.

Eleanor continues. “Your father saw his physician earlier this week and some tests were run.”

“What kind of tests?” Pearce asks her.

“Tests on his lungs. He’s had issues with coughing recently and was coughing up blood.”

“Eleanor!” Holton says. “Not at the dinner table.”

“I am only trying to explain what led you to go to the doctor.”

“I have cancer,” he blurts out.

The room goes silent. Pearce and I are staring at Holton. He looks so healthy and fit on the outside. I can’t believe he has cancer.

Pearce sits up straighter. “Father, I’m very sorry to hear that. What kind of cancer?”

“Lung cancer. And that’s all you need to know.”

Eleanor looks at Pearce. “Your father will be starting treatments next week. He will be taking a leave of absence from work, which means that we need you to take over at the office while he’s gone.”

Pearce’s shoulders slump in disappointment. I feel the same way. But I know Pearce will agree to it. Holton is awful to him, but Pearce is a good son.

“Of course,” Pearce says. “I’ll tell Jack first thing tomorrow.”

“How long is the treatment?” I ask.

“Ten weeks,” Eleanor says. “After that, they’ll run more tests and go from there.”

“Stop giving them details,” Holton says. “It’s none of their business.”

“Well.” Eleanor smiles at me. “Perhaps it’s time for dessert.”

“Um, yes, okay.” I get up and start clearing the plates. I guess the discussion is over.

Pearce helps me clear the table, and as he follows me into the kitchen, I hear his father say, “She has him doing kitchen work? A Kensington should NOT be touching dirty dishes. Why don’t they have a maid?”

“Rachel, come on.” Pearce goes past me and I realize I stopped walking when I heard Holton’s remarks.

“I’m sorry about your father,” I tell Pearce as we set the dishes in the sink.

He nods. “Yes, that was very surprising.”

“I hope he’ll be okay.”

“He’ll be fine. He has excellent doctors.”

“How do you feel about going back to the company?” I whisper, so his parents won’t hear.

Pearce sighs. “It won’t be temporary. If I go back, I’ll be going back for good.”

“You can’t go back and work for Jack?”

“No, my father won’t allow it. I’ve worked for Jack long enough. It looks bad for a Kensington to be working for someone else instead of the family business.”

“So you knew you’d go back there someday? Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“I assumed you knew. I’m their only son. They have no one to take over when my father retires.” He picks up two of the dessert plates I have sitting on the counter. I plated the cake before dinner. “Let’s go or they’ll wonder what’s taking us so long.”

During dessert, Holton talks to Pearce about work, and it becomes just like last week’s dinner, where Eleanor and I just sit there and listen. Afterward, I invite them to stay and talk in the living room, but they decide to leave. Holton probably isn’t feeling well. Even though I don’t like him, I do feel bad for him.

I also feel bad for Pearce. Going back to Kensington Chemical. The stress. The long hours. The weekends. I was getting used to seeing him all the time. But I guess that’s over now.