CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

"Can the baby go and play in the dry grass?" Tom asked Helen.

"Hmm." Helen thought for a moment and then turned to her sister, "What do you think Meg? Would it be okay?"

Margaret's thoughts had been focused on the sewing that she was presently doing.

"What was that? Oh, I haven't the slightest idea," she said.

"Well, Tom ... If you promise to watch the baby very closely and make sure he doesn't get hurt, you can take him into the dry grass to play."

"He loves that child, doesn't he," commented Margaret.

"Yes, he does. And he takes such good care of him."

It had been a little over a year that Margaret and Helen had been living at Howards End. She had not left because no other suitable living arrangements seemed to present themselves. The lifestyle of the countryside was becoming more and more a part of her. She worried over the care of the house both in the summer and winter, and especially worried when there was a storm, for she feared that the big Elm tree might fall on them.

"My goodness! What's taking them so long in there?" asked Helen. "It's such a beautiful day. I wish Henry would come outside to enjoy it, instead of locking himself away in the house for so long. Is he sick?"

"He has hay fever and he's extremely tired from working so hard all of his life," Margaret explained. "Now he hasn't the energy to enjoy his old age. Even so, he's begun to like the countryside more and more."

"I have to say that I've completely changed my mind about Henry. I like the way he worries about everything."

"He likes you too and the way you don't worry," answered Margaret.

"Why did he invite the whole family here today?" asked Helen.

Margaret, however, did not answer. She seemed a little nervous. Helen went on talking.

"It seems that I've decided never to marry. I always dreamed that I would one day find a man to spend the rest of my life with, but it will always be a dream. I try to keep Leonard in my mind, to remember him. I feel so guilty for what happened to him. But I can't hold on to his memory. He's disappearing more and more every day ... You seem so happy with Henry now. I just wonder what's wrong with me. Why can't I have the same kind of life?"

"People are very different from one another. Society puts all kinds of expectations on people, but what society doesn't realize is that not everyone is suited for the same kind of life. You don't want to be married and I don't want children, but people expect us to have both. Just forget about all that. It's not important. And you need to let Leonard go too."

"Thank you, Meg. Thanks for making me happy again. This time last year, I thought that all hope was lost, but you pulled my life back together again, and Henry's too. You're wonderful! A Hero!"

"I only did what needed to be done. You and Henry were not well at the time, and Howards End was available and furnished ... it was just the obvious thing to do. I had no idea that we would end up making this house our long-term home."

"It's such a great house! But London is starting to spread its ugliness closer and closer, I'm afraid," said Helen, pointing far beyond the trees, where the decaying roof of a factory building could barely be seen.

Then the front door opened and Helen quickly got up and, picking up her child, walked out into the fields. The person who came out of the door was Paul, the youngest of the Wilcoxes.

"My father would like for you to come in now," he said with obvious anger in his voice.

Margaret got to her feet and followed him into the house. She knew what the family had been discussing. When she entered the dining room, she saw her husband seated with Evie at his side, holding his hand, while Dolly was seated next to a closed window. All of the windows were closed because of Henry's sensitivity to grass.

"Well, we must all come to some kind of agreement," Henry began, "I don't want this to be a problem between all of you years later. So, what do you say?"

"Do we really have a choice?" asked Paul under his breath.

"Absolutely! Just tell me that you want Howards End and I'll give it to you this very moment."

No one said anything. Henry was retiring and Paul was taking over the rubber company and now needed to live in London. Evie had her own family in another part of the country, so the house was of no use to her. And Dolly's Charles had two more years in prison, after which, the family planned to move to another part of England.

"Fine, then. Howards End will be my wife's," Henry announced.

Margaret remained silent. She could not believe that she had won this house from the family. It amazed her.

"And, after I die, all of my money will be shared only among my three children and their families. My wife will not get any of it. That is what she wishes, by the way. She, too, will be giving half of her own income to you. However, after her own death, Howards End will be given to that young man playing out in the fields there: her nephew, Helen's son."

Paul, again said something under his breath, but no one could hear it clearly. Then everyone got up to leave.

"Goodbye, daddy," said Evie, kissing her father's hand.

"Goodbye, dear."

"Goodbye, Mr Wilcox," Dolly joined in, adding, "It's interesting that Howards End should become Margaret's, after all. I mean, after your first wife leaving it to her."

Evie let out a little cry of shock and then quickly walked out of the room. Paul also said his goodbyes, and Dolly followed after him. Then it was just Margaret and Henry in the house.

"What was Dolly talking about, Henry?" she asked, putting her arms around his waist.

"Well, it seemed that my wife enjoyed your company during those last few weeks before she died. She wrote a letter to me, indicating that Howards End was to be given to you. However, not knowing if she knew what she was doing, I put the letter aside. At the time, I never had any idea that you would become such an important part of my life. I hope you're not angry."

Margaret felt a brief moment of discomfort, but then let it go, saying, "No. Everything's fine."

Then Helen, with her baby, came rushing into the house from the field.

"Well, there you all are!" cried Helen, joyfully.

"It's so beautiful out there! They've finished cutting the entire field," she said with excitement, "This year's hay is sure to be better than ever before!"

(end of section)