Free Music in the Night by V. C. Andrews

reputation.
"You and Cary have been born with a gift. That
gift is your family name. You've inherited literally
hundreds of years of highly valued reputation. It will
open doors for you, gain you respect, and place you
high on the ladder of status, but you have a big
responsibility, Laura, and that responsibility is to
uphold the respectability, the value of our family
name.
"Because of that," she continued, "there is a
magnifying glass over you and your actions." She
flashed a cold smile. "Up until now, you have done
nothing even to slightly tarnish our family name, and
I'd like to keep it that way. I want you to immediately
end this acquaintance. These people are not up to your
standard," she concluded. "I intend to discuss it with your father before the day is over as well," she said.
She sat back, obviously waiting for my reaction. For a moment I thought the words would get
caught in my throat and my voice wouldn't work.
Despite the silvery, soft breeze blowing in from the
ocean, I felt as though I had fallen into a furnace. My
face was flushed, my heart, although pounding,
seemed to have sunken in my chest, the thump, thump,
thump barely felt through my body. I shook my head. "I don't know what you've been told, Grandma,
but it's all a mistake. Robert Royce is a very, very nice
young man, Grandma. He--"
"He comes from a family of innkeepers," she
said, practically spitting out the words, as if they were
bitter in her mouth. "Do you know what an innkeeper
is, Laura? How they started to be? These are people
who had nothing, no family name, no reputation.
Practically destitute, they open their own homes to
strangers, clean up after them, wash their toilets and
sinks, serve them food, cater to the wishes of
complete and utter strangers, and worst of all, they
contribute, are responsible for the pollution and destruction of the Cape.
"Fine homes, beautiful landscapes are all being
marred by these . . . these motel and hotel chains. Anyone who can afford the price of a cheap bed can come here and enjoy what we, who built this, who founded it, created and made elegant. You have no business consorting with someone of that ilk, Laura. I absolutely forbid you to continue seeing this . . . this
person. He will only bring you down."
"Please, Grandma," I said, choking back my
tears, "don't talk like that:'
She tightened her lips.
"You must get a hold of yourself, Laura. You
must become mature, strong, beat down any foolish
little lusts and remember who you are.
"Unfortunately," she said with a deep sigh,
"we've already had a terrible time maintaining our
family honor because of my sister and your Uncle
Chester, but that has been remedied. We don't need
something else to disgrace us and weaken our family's
reputation."
"Remedied? Your son has left the family. We're
not permitted to mention his name in your presence. I
don't understand all of it, Grandma. You never talk
about him, but don't you ever miss him?"
"He made a choice and one that is unfortunately
best for everyone," she said sternly. "I'm not here to
discuss the dead. I'm here to discuss you, the living." "The dead?"
"Laura," she said firmly, "do you understand
what I've been trying to tell you?"
"No, Grandma, I don't. I just met Robert. I like
him. He's been very nice to me and we had a
wonderful time at the school dance. I didn't agree to
marry him . . . yet," I said, and her eyebrows rose so
fast and so high, I thought they might leave her face. "You would never marry such a person," she
stated, her fear and anxiety deepening the lines in her
face.
"I don't judge people by their bank accounts,
Grandma," I said. I meant it as a matter of fact, but
she pulled her head back as if I had reached across the
gazebo and slapped her.
"I don't either, Laura. That's the point I'm trying
to make and the point you're missing. Many of these
so-called nouveaux riches are resort businesspeople.
They have money, but they don't have class or
reputation. They never will, no matter how fat