I glanced at her and said, “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t happy to be here.”

“I know.”

I said to her, “Your mother, too, is very happy.”

“I know that. We speak or e-mail twice a day.”

Of course.

To put the ball in her court, I said, “Well, I’m getting married for the second time, and you haven’t been married even once.”

“Dad.”

We chatted about her job and caught up on other subjects.

Carolyn, as she did every summer, had spent a week in London in August, and this was our time together each year, except for when I came to New York for funerals, weddings, and business trips. So she said to me, “I guess I’m not visiting you in London this year.”

I smiled and replied, “No. But your mother and I are going to London, maybe very soon, to move me out.” Carolyn likes London, so I asked, “Why don’t you come with us?”

She replied, “I don’t think I can get away on short notice, but thanks.” Then she suggested, “Why don’t you keep your London flat?”

I thought about that, and it wasn’t a bad idea, depending on future finances. But I wasn’t sure if Susan would be in favor of that. In any case, I might be using the flat myself if the Stanhopes got their daughter back. I said to my daughter, “That’s an idea.”

As we approached Stanhope Hall, Carolyn asked me, “How are Grandpa and Grandma?”

“They’re wonderful.”

“I got your e-mail.”

“Good.”

“So? How are you getting along with them?”

“Not bad, actually.”

“Are they happy for you and Mom?”

“I thought you were in daily contact with your mother.”

“We haven’t spoken much about that.”

“Well, let’s save that for when Edward gets in.”

I’d gotten my new remote control from one of the security men – the company was called All-Safe Security, which seemed redundant – and he’d also given me the new pass code, with the wise advice that I shouldn’t be giving it out to a lot of people I didn’t know. I love dealing with overtrained underachievers. Yes, I am a snob.

Also, of course, in situations such as this, the line between the guards and the guarded becomes blurred, and the distinction between being protected and being a prisoner with a pass is very subtle.

As the gates swung open, the All-Safe Security guard (ASS guy) stepped out of the gatehouse-guardhouse, and he actually recognized me from thirty minutes ago and waved me through. It helped, too, that I had the remote control and the same car I’d left in.

Carolyn remarked, “Mom mentioned about the guys at the gates.”

“No big deal.”

She dropped that and asked, “Are Grandpa and Grandma home?”

I wish they were. I said, “They’ve decided to stay in a cottage at The Creek.”

“Why?”

They’re assholes. I replied, “They thought they’d be more comfortable there, and they wanted to take some work off your mother.”

Carolyn didn’t respond.

I really needed Carolyn and Edward to have positive feelings toward Gramps and Granny. I mean, these kids are amazingly nonjudgmental about those two, and as far as I knew, Edward and Carolyn actually liked Count Dracula and his wife. But we were at a critical juncture here, and we were all sharing the same zip code, if not the same house, so we needed to remind the children of how much they loved G amp;G. Plus, someone needed to brief Edward and Carolyn on the financial facts of life. And that was really a job for Susan. I suppose I could be present at this talk, but it wasn’t my money. Plus, I might say something that could be misconstrued, such as, “Your grandparents are scum-sucking pigs.”

Anyway, I said to Carolyn, “We’ll see Grandma and Grandpa tomorrow night at the funeral home.”

Carolyn asked about another one of my favorite people. “How’s Grandma Harriet?”

“She’s very well and is looking forward to seeing you and Edward.” And, hopefully, you’re both in her will.

To say something nice about Harriet, she is fond of her only two grandchildren. She’s not huggy-kissy, but she keeps in close contact with them, and she’s sort of a mentor to Carolyn, instructing her granddaughter on the finer points, for instance, of recycling the kitchen garbage into tasty snacks for illegal immigrants from San Picador, or wherever they come from. Edward is a bit of a challenge for her, but if she can get him to start shutting off the lights, then she’s done a good thing for Edward and the environment.

But beyond the brainwashing, I think she sees Edward and Carolyn as her opportunity to make up for her failures with John and Emily. And that, too, is a good thing.

As I continued up the tree-lined drive, I asked Carolyn, “Does it feel good to be home?”

She replied, without inflection, “Yes.”

Carolyn actually never cared much for God’s Heaven on Earth, or its inhabitants, or its country clubs, cocktail parties, lifestyles, reactionary politics, or anything about it. Susan and I did, however, make her go to the Debutantes Ball under threat of being grounded for the rest of her life.

She asked me, “Are you happy to be home?”

“It’s good.”

I parked the car in the forecourt, and we went to the front door, which I unlocked. Carolyn, perhaps putting this together with the guards at the gate, asked, “Why are you locking the door now?”

I replied, “Republican fundraisers have been walking into people’s houses and writing big contribution checks to the GOP.”

Although Carolyn doesn’t get or appreciate my humor, she did laugh at that.

Susan was upstairs, but she heard us coming in, and she hurried down the steps. Mother and daughter embraced and kissed, and I was smiling.

We went into the kitchen, where Sophie was laying out some fruit, cut vegetables, and to-die-for yogurt dip.

Susan had a bottle of champagne on ice in a bucket, and I popped the cork and poured three flutes of bubbly. I actually don’t like the stuff, but Susan and Carolyn have champagne taste, and I filled my glass and toasted, “To the Sutters.”

We touched glasses and drank.

The weather had cleared a bit, so we went out to the patio and sat at the table.

Susan and Carolyn were current with each other on all the news and happenings, and I realized I was a few months behind Carolyn’s life. I did know that Cliff got dumped, and now I heard about Stuart, her Petrossian date, who also had champagne taste and hopefully the money to afford it.

I wasn’t exactly bored, but I did change the subject to work, and Carolyn said, “Dad, you can’t believe the things I see, read, and hear every day.”

I thought I could. Well, Carolyn was seeing some of the dark side of American society, and this was good for a young lady raised at Stanhope Hall. Susan had never had much exposure to the underbelly of life, but Carolyn had, and with any luck, she knew better than to have an affair with a married Mafia don.

We avoided the subject of G amp;G, knowing we should save that until Edward showed up.

The portable phone rang, and I took it. It was the ASS guy asking if we were expecting an Edward Sutter, who had arrived by taxi.

I replied, “I believe that’s our son.”

“Just checking.”

We went out to the forecourt and waited for Edward.

A few minutes later, a yellow cab pulled up, and Edward jumped out with a big smile on his face.

Susan ran over to him, and they hugged and kissed. Then it was Carolyn’s turn – ladies first – then my turn. Edward gave me a tight hug and said, “Dad, this is really great.”

“You look terrific, Skipper. Good tan.”

So we all stood there, together as a family for the first time in ten years. I could see that Susan appreciated the moment, and I was sure she thought about her role in why it had taken us ten years to be standing here together, as well as why this moment was close to a miracle. In fact, I could see she was getting emotional, and I put my arm around her and showed the kids what a great and sensitive guy I am.