A Matter of Marine-Chapter Four: Conrad Loses His Shit

Conrad derails Marine's plan of taking Mrs. Wright to Manly to go shopping by offering to drive them both there. Marine argues that they don't know when they'll be done shopping, and Conrad says he'll wait in the car for them if he has to. Mrs. Wright suggests that they go shopping in Sydney, which is where Conrad is going. Helena the Hunter clearly doesn't want Marine to agree to this, but Marine agrees. So, Helena the Hunter runs off to get ready since she's just now decided that she's going. She doesn't want to leave Marine alone with Conrad...and his grandmother. Le sigh.

Anyway, Marine and Mrs. Wright get settled in the back of the car and eventually Helena the Hunter and Conrad walk into the garage. Conrad, ever the gentleman, opens Helena the Hunter's door for her, and then sits in the driver's seat. So, no one talks for a bit, until Helena the Hunter starts word vomiting all over the car. I don't know what she's talking about, because Marine doesn't pay attention to it, but it scarcely matters. It's not even a conversation; it's just Helena the Hunter babbling out a monologue.

While they're driving, Marine worries over what she overheard in the kitchen, and comes to some of the same conclusions I did. Then she sees Conrad watching her in the rear view mirror. He raises his eyebrows to question why she was frowning. Marine blushes and firmly looks out the window for the rest of the drive. Finally, they get to Conrad's office and he parks his car. Marine wonders what Helena the Hunter will do while Conrad's working and she and Mrs. Wright are shopping. Really? As soon as Helena the Hunter invited herself along, I figured she'd be shopping with them. Hooray.

So, they decide that one o'clock will be plenty of time for them all to meet back at the car and Marine and Mrs. Wright start walking away. Conrad asks Marine why she doesn't invite Helena the Hunter along. Helena the Hunter simpers and says that, really, if they don't want her, it's fine. She'll just go shopping on her own. Sniffle sniffle. So, of course, Marine has to invite Helena the Hunter along with them. Now Conrad is pacified. He smiles at Helena the Hunter and reminds her not to spend too much money. She'd told him she was saving up. Helena the Hunter pouts, says she'll remember, and then complains that it's hard to watch her spending when others have money to burn, and she looks at Marine and Mrs. Wright. All right, jerkface, Marine does not have money to burn, and Mrs. Wright is probably more financially responsible than you. Also, does it really matter if you're hanging with people who buy things if you're just window shopping? Neither Marine nor Mrs. Wright would be mean about that, but Helena the Hunter isn't genuinely upset, anyway, so whatever. Her manipulation works, and Conrad gives her fat stacks to spend. Oh, her response is awful, “'Oh Conrad!' she squealed delightedly, 'I didn't mean for you to give me money. I have ten dollars and...'” He cuts her off to say it's an early Christmas present. Ten dollars? She's got more than that. Also, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger....

Also, we get the benefit of Marine's practiced eye telling us that Helena the Hunter's shoes and purse would cost a small fortune each, and her clothes are also really pricey. Clearly, she's not hurting for cash. Anyway, Conrad offers his grandmother some money, which she politely declines. Marine is thinking that Conrad is being dumb with his relationship with Helena the Hunter. Then he turns to Marine. She gives off the attitude that no way will she take spending money from him. He quietly asks her to make sure his grandmother pays for everything. Then they do one of those things where Marine reacts to Conrad reacting to what she was thinking, leaving her embarrassed. But, while Marine is defiantly staring into Conrad's eyes, everyone and everything else drops away and she almost drowns in his eyes until Helena the Hunter snaps out something. She physically separates Marine and Conrad, while angrily reminding Marine that she wanted to go shopping and Conrad has work to do. Oh. Right.

Conrad wanders away and the knives come out. Only metaphorically, unfortunately. Helena the Hunter is mad that Marine is flirting with Conrad. Marine replies by saying that Helena the Hunter has dollar signs over her eyes. Then Marine repents her actions, gets Mrs. Wright a bit more settled, and politely asks Helena the Hunter what kind of shopping she would like to do. Helena the Hunter snaps out that she's not going shopping with them, especially not Mrs. Wright, the slow old biddy. Thank goodness Mrs. Wright's attention is distracted by a fallen hair clip. She's the one character with redeeming qualities in this novel. Well, Marine is okay when her interactions don't involve Conrad.

Anyway, Helena the Hunter stalks off, and at her pace there's no way they can catch her. Marine decides that it's more important that she look after Mrs. Wright anyway and they go on their merry way. The important thing is that Mrs. Wright finally gets to go to a hair salon. She hasn't been in months and she used to go weekly. After her appointment, her hair is all kinds of pretty. Marine compliments her, and, glowing, Mrs. Wright tells Marine that she can call her Eva. I was wondering if I'd have to refer to her as Mrs. Wright for the whole book. Marine says it would be nice for Eva to be able to have her hair done once a week like she used to. There's a hair salon closer to her place, and Marine has a car so they can make this happen.

Then they swing by Marine's aunt's shop, where Eva gets more compliments. Marine impulsively kisses Eva's cheek, and she starts tearing up with happiness. Good. She should be feeling happy. She's a sweet lady with, I hope, a hitherto untold mastery of some sort of martial art. Anyway, Eva and Marine stay for tea and cakes. Marine's aunt asks her niece how things are really going. Marine decides not to let on about the bit of conversation she heard and instead replies that they're better than they were. Which is mostly true. Oh, some backstory that Marine learned: Conrad's dad was Eva's only child. His wife died after giving birth to Conrad, which turned Dad to drinking and gambling and the company suffered. That's probably why Conrad is working so hard to make it better.

Then Marine's aunt asks if they can come to Christmas dinner. Eva is delighted by the invitation, but a little unsure about adding two more for a meal. Marine tells her aunt that if they can, they'd be delighted to make it. After this, Eva is chatting with Marine's cousins and Marine buys her Christmas presents for people. She tells her aunt that she hadn't told Eva about that possibility, but it's good for Eva to hear the invitation because, even if they can't make it, she'll know she was invited. What a great day. Well, let's head back to the car for a nice drive back up the coast and... Oh, hello Helena the Hunter. Why are you crying? Sigh. Damn it. Conrad thinks it's Marine's fault.

After the awkward car ride home, Helena the Hunter runs inside and Mrs. Wright, wanting to avoid her grandson's mood, doesn't tarry either. Conrad tells Marine that he wants to see her in his study. Marine replies that she thought he might and that she'll be there in half an hour. He grabs her wrist, painfully so, and demands that she go there right that instant. Marine replies with “A half hour!” Conrad's not used to being told no. Eventually, he lets go of his death grip on her wrist, and she explains that she wants to get Eva settled down for a nap, and then she'll meet with him. Stop trying to prevent her from doing her job, Conrad. He's super mad and sticks his hands in his pockets. As he fumes, Marine reflects that she's very glad his hands are in his pockets. Don't worry, I'll do a tally of his abusive behavior at the end of the chapter. Anyway, then they get stuck staring at each other again. Conrad is still pissed, but I guess he doesn't look away while Marine is getting all moony over him. Finally, Conrad agrees that he'll see her in his study in half an hour.

Eva is already in her bed, so she doesn't take long to get to sleep. Then Marine takes a bath and puts on a halter dress. Then she tries to make herself calm down and heads to Conrad's study. She opens the door and checks him out for a bit, although the reminder of his strength is kind of disturbing in this context. He's facing the window, so she hurries into a chair. He turns around and she sees that he's not mad. Marine is relieved and starts smiling, which makes Conrad mad all over again. ...okay. He's holding a slide rule in his hands, and he breaks it, scaring Marine. He smiles at her fear and throws the pieces away one by one. Why is she in love with him again?

She's sitting in a chair. He walks to the front of his desk and leans against it, his feet almost touching hers. Can we talk about the imbalance of power just in their positioning? Conrad is higher than Marine and can move more easily. This is not a good sign. Conrad tells us Helena the Hunter's side of the story, which is true, but not the whole truth. He accuses Marine of making at dig at Helena the Hunter for accepting that money from Conrad. Conrad asks Marine if she's going to deny saying that. Marine replies that she did indeed say that, and that she's not going to elaborate. I mean, I guess it's good not to get whiny about this, but still, this way Marine's remark seems unprovoked. Oh, and then this happens. “She didn't see him move. There was more of an impression of something blurring in front of her before she was lifted from her chair...he snarled, his fingers digging into the soft, bare flesh of her arms.” Seriously? This girl has got to be covered in bruises. Also, a super terrible way to treat your employees. It's law suit worthy.

Oh, Conrad also accuses Marine of making a rift between Helena the Hunter and Eva. Conrad's grip loosens and Marine twists out of his grip. She puts the chair she'd been sitting in between them. Her first good move in this encounter. I wouldn't have sat down. Marine tells Conrad that there was already a rift between Helena the Hunter and Eva, and also that Helena the Hunter didn't plan on going shopping with them anyway. Then the phone rings.

Conrad takes the call, and it's work related. He's trying to open a cylinder, so Marine helps him get the blueprint out. She holds it open while he makes calculations on it. Even after the phone call, he's still writing things on the blueprint. At one point, he looks up and seems surprised to see her there. He apologizes for ignoring her, but tells her it wasn't rude because there's a problem with his work site. Hm. Maybe. Anyway, she asks if she can help, and he replies that she can stop stirring up trouble. Marine doesn't rise to the bait, this time. On her way out, she tells Conrad that Eva had just gotten her hair done and she was sad Conrad didn't notice, so he should say something about it at dinner. Conrad asks what she said, and Marine tells him it was nothing. Then she wonders why she wants to annoy him when before she wanted to help him.

Oi vey. So, let's count up abusive behaviors. 1) Controlling behavior. Conrad didn't let Marine drive herself and Eva shopping. He insisted on driving them. This one could be argued, but with his other actions, I'm going to count it. Oh, this can also be counted as Isolation. 3) Hypersensitivity. If Helena the Hunter and truly been hurt and crying the whole way home, then yes you need to talk to Marine about it, but not the way he did. 4) Breaking or striking objects. When Conrad did confront Marine in his study, one of the first things he did was break something. 5) Any force during an argument. He picked her up and shook her. Need more be said? Oh, also the instance where he grips her wrist way too hard when they first get home from Sydney. So, Marine needs to get out. And possibly get Eva out as well.

My prediction for future chapters: Eva will finally grow tired of Helena the Hunter's manipulative ways and challenge her to a duel. Helena the Hunter will think this won't be hard, and she'll try to weasel her way out of it once they're actually fighting and she sees Eva's skill. Conrad will walk in on Eva holding Helena the Hunter at knife point, and misunderstand. He'll demand the truth, and Eva will demand it from Helena the Hunter as well. Then, finally, Marine will have the chance she needs to escape and make sure that Eva will be well cared for in her absence.