A Matter of Marine-Chapter Seven: I Can't Even Believe This

The subject of my outrage happens at the end of the chapter, so it'll be awhile before we get there, but just prepare yourselves for it. It's a giant red flag and not at all okay. In the meantime, here's the rest of the chapter:

So, when we left them, Helena the Hunter was reading poetry to Eva and everything seemed great. On a closer look, not so much. Helena the Hunter dressed Eva in a beige dress that didn't really fit, messed up her hairdo, and somehow got Eva to walk with a cane. The suggestion of needing a cane makes Eva walk differently, too. The overall effect, as Rosemary Badger describes it, is that all of it, “made her seem like a candidate for a nursing home where the innmates supped their meals through straws and slept in cots with the sides rolled up.” Helena the Hunter is good at what she does, I suppose.

So, Helena the Hunter walks up to Conrad, quotes a cliché of a poetry line at him (How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.), wraps her arms around him, and kisses him. Marine can't bear to watch this, and really, I can't either. Worth nothing, seeing Eva walk like she needs the cane makes Marine tear up. I'm glad there's someone who consistently cares for Eva. Anyway, Marine asks Eva, quietly, if she's had breakfast. Helena the Hunter overhears and snaps back that, of course, she's had breakfast. While Marine was gone Helena the Hunter had to take care of Eva all by herself. Conrad tells her to calm down and that they only went to get the tree and meats. Helena the Hunter complains about Flora and Annie not being enough staff and how they've agreed that Marine should pitch in. Conrad doesn't agree with this. Oh, this is where Helena the Hunter really lets loose about how difficult it is to care for that old baggage, and Conrad gets super pissed. Seeing that she's crossed the line, Helena uses her one defense: she bursts into tears and falls against Conrad. He doesn't try to comfort her at all. Marine thinks it's best to get Eva and herself away from there. Good plan.

Once Eva's in her room, she starts crying too. Poor thing. All of this drama about her is surely not helping her new found self-esteem. Marine hugs her and does her best to comfort her. Eventually, she looks up and sees Conrad in the doorway. Marine has a feeling that Conrad and Eva would want a moment, so she leaves the room. From her room, Marine calls her aunt to tell her that she won't be there for Christmas dinner. They don't have printed dialogue, so we know it's not an important conversation. After she hangs up the phone, Marine contemplates what Conrad and Eva might be talking about. She can't help but remember Eva walking with the cane and get super pissed about it. Good! Again, I'm glad that one person in this house actually cares about Eva.

Eventually, someone knocks on the door and it's Conrad. Marine asks about Eva and he tells her that she's resting. Then he asks what Marine said to her, as he's never seen her so upset. Marine questions this, but then Conrad walks over to the window and looks at all of the guests arriving, annoyed at how many of them there are. Marine archly reminds him of how they've been focused on Conrad's guests for days now. Although, these folks are Helena the Hunter's guests. He told her not to invite them, but she did anyway. Marine remarks that Helena the Hunter basically does whatever the hell she wants. Then Marine opens her door, telling Conrad to get out.

Then Marine doesn't let him talk. No, really. He walks over to the door and puts his hand on the handle. Before he can say anything, Marine tells him that he'd better go because Helena the Hunter will be wondering where he is. A muscle in Conrad's jaw jumps at this. I wonder if he's realizing that he should stop dating this woman yet. As he walks down the hall, Marine yells after him that she didn't say anything to upset Eva, that she was comforting Conrad's grandma.

Then Marine closes the door and takes a moment to collect herself. She walks back to the window and looks out at the swarm of people. There's about forty out there now. As Marine thinks, “The way Helena [the Hunter] was behaving anyone would think the house, the pool, the whole estate belonged to her.” That is exactly what Helena the Hunter is going for. Conrad is secondary to that goal. Then Marine reflects on how this will probably happen and then Eva and Conrad won't have any peace or happiness anymore. I'm kind of impressed that she's just worried about that and doesn't think about how she wants to marry Conrad instead.

Then Marine reflects on how Conrad can put up with Helena the Hunter's nastiness. She thinks that it's because he loves her, so he'll forgive her for everything all the time. That's not how a healthy relationship works. Anyway, Marine laid herself down to think about this and took a little nap. She wakes up awhile later and looks out the window again. There's Conrad looking debonair and relaxed. Every time he laughs, Marine finds herself making fists. I honestly don't get this one. Maybe it's because he's just being a good host for Helena's friends as well even though he really did not want them there and he's faking the laughter? I'm not sure how Marine would know that, and the text doesn't support this thought. (Can you tell I got a degree in English?) Anyway, whatever. Torturous emotions, blah blah blah.

Marine finds herself stalking him with her eyes. So, she also notices Helena the Hunter following him around obsessively. You see, he's so dashing that all of the ladies want him, and he knows it. Helena the Hunter is afraid of losing him to some other woman. Oh honey. When you do, it'll be to Marine. Also, I guess they're not in an open relationship, so Conrad has been cheating on Helena the Hunter this whole time. Just so we're all aware.

Eventually, Marine tears herself away from the window and back to her life. She and Eva are now trapped upstairs with nothing to do. Rude. So, Marine looks in on Eva. She's still sleeping. Marine takes a shower, which, the text notes, includes washing her hair. I would have assumed that, but okay... Then Marine looks in on Eva again and finds that she's awake. Eva seems to have forgotten whatever she was upset about, and is now just worried about her hair.

I mean, the hair is important, but can we take a moment here? This is twice now that Eva has magically forgotten something that was deeply upsetting to her. I'm not sure if she's bottling it up, or genuinely forgetting. Neither one is all that good, but you can only really do something for the first one. So, yes, I'm a little worried for her mental health. Either that or her moods are a plot point, so they'll change accordingly. I mean if we want to look at the architecture of the story...

Anyway, Marine suggests that Eva take a bath, and they'll see what they can do for her hair. They can't fix it, and Eva refuses to go through Christmas with unsatisfactory hair. Good for her! She should feel like her wants and needs are important. So, the two decide to go to Palm Beach, a nearby town, to get her to another salon. Eva remembers one there, but Marine wonders if it is still there. Also, Eva is in a much more suitable dress now, because Marine helped her get dressed. They head downstairs and Conrad meets them at the foot of the stairs. He gives Marine a once over and tells her to put on her bikini. They have a nice chair under the biggest umbrella for his grandma. Then he tucks his grandma's hand under his arm, and Marine's under his other arm and suggests they join the party. How is Marine supposed to put on a bikini if she's out at the party? We're saved from this conundrum by Eva remembering that she needs to get her hair done. It looks fine to Conrad. He also likes the dress that she's wearing. You mean the dress that you bought her, Conrad? This is the first time she's worn it, but it fits so much better than all of her old clothes.

Conrad is embarrassed because he, apparently, never thought his grandma would need new clothes. He promises to take her shopping at least once a year. The he looks at Marine. Okay, twice a year. Eva, the realist, asks him how he intends to accomplish that, since he's spread so thin with all of his work all over the place. Then Eva is awesome, “Of course, if I had another grandson and if that grandson were smarter than you then he would find a nice girl like Marine here and marry her and she would take me shopping.” Yes! I love old ladies who speak their minds. I plan on becoming one, eventually. Marine is embarrassed and Conrad takes that as her saying that she would never want to marry into this family. On the contrary, Conrad. On the contrary.

Anyway, Marine tries to cover up her emotions, as always, by being bright and chipper. If they're going to fix Eva's hair, they'd better get going. Conrad says Eva had better take advantage of Marine's services while she's there since she's leaving at the end of the summer. He just loves pissing her off. Because Eva is there, Marine doesn't rise to the bait as much. She just mentions how the end of summer is a long way away, so they'll both have the pleasure of her company for awhile yet. She tries to look scathingly at Conrad, but just manages a “wistful and lonely”. She looks away quickly before he can read too much into it. After all, “It wouldn't do to have him think that it wasn't only Eva who could take advantage of her services!” Oh baby. Then Helena the Hunter has to rush in and ruin everything.

She blows Conrad's disappearance way out of proportion and says the party will die without him. I'm sure that forty or more people noticed when one person left. He tells Helena the Hunter that he was trying to get Eva and Marine to join them. Helena the Hunter is aghast at the very suggestion. Conrad replies, far too bitterly, that they have better things to do and implies that the hairdo is just an excuse. Rude. Very rude. Marine watches him go. Helena the Hunter stays put because she has to be a bitch some more. “I see you're still trying to get him to notice you.” She says she had thought that Marine was using Eva to get to Conrad, but that can't be the case since they spend all of their time in hair salons. Then Helena the Hunter says that Marine's hair is stupid, whips her long, luscious locks over her shoulder and saunters off after Conrad.

Eva offers the highest compliment she can to Marine's hair, “It looks clean and fresh.” Now, my initial reaction is that this isn't a very good compliment. However, Eva was trying to be nice, so she thinks this is good. She must be used to having dirty hair, probably because she's been so very neglected. Oh my goodness, we have consequences for characters' situations. Nicely done, Rosemary Badger.

Marine thanks Eva for the compliment and asks if she wants something to eat there or at Palm Beach. Eva, wisely, chooses Palm Beach. I had forgotten how early they started this day. They must be talking about lunch. I forget that people wake up this early if they don't have a pressing reason to. Anyway, the two head over to Palm Beach where they find several salons, although not the one that Eva went to. They have to wait for an appointment here, so they grab some lunch. When they're done eating, Marine loses herself in thought. It's about how Conrad always misunderstands what she does. Eva asks Marine what's wrong, and Marine says something about the time of year. She doesn't follow up with any reason summer or Christmas is depressing to her, so I have to assume that she is lying without conviction.

Eva, of course, doesn't believe this and asks if it's because of what Helena the Hunter said. Eva advises Marine to ignore the bitch. That's what Eva does. Marine replies that it isn't Helena the Hunter, although she admits that Helena the Hunter is hard to deal with sometimes. Instead of talking about why she's unhappy, she talks about how Conrad seems unhappy. Here we find out some more about the guest situation. Both Helena the Hunter and Conrad invited guests to their soiree. Helena the Hunter is a model (Oh. If we learned this earlier, I had forgotten), so all of her friends are artsy. Helena the Hunter has friends? Actual friends? I don't believe that. Eva finishes by saying that Conrad should be happier once his guests arrive. Marine apparently hadn't figured out that they both had guests coming to this thing. Oh, then we get this bit from Eva.

She's talking about how opposites attract, but she doesn't think that Helena the Hunter is right for Conrad. Also, she thinks that Helena the Hunter might just be a golddigger. Marine pretends to be shocked. Eva continues by saying that she doesn't think Conrad loves Helena the Hunter either, but that he “hasn't bothered to take the time to get rid of her.” Excuse me? With someone as high maintenance as Helena the Hunter, it would be way easier to get rid of her than to keep putting up with her shit. I mean, she would throw a hissy fit when you broke up, and she'd be super pissed about it for awhile, but if you don't hang with her crowd anyway, would it really matter?

Marine, meanwhile, is super happy about this news. If there's no love between Conrad and Helena the Hunter, then there's hope for her and Conrad to get together! Oh, but even thought Helena the Hunter isn't right for Conrad, neither is Marine. They're from two different worlds. It would never work. Yadda yadda. She really doesn't know that she's the main character in a romance novel.

Anyway, Marine and Eva had driven into Sydney and let themselves be talked into dinner with Marine's family. Eva was the center of attention, telling tales of Christmases long past. Marine had called the house and told Flora that they would be late getting back because of their dinner. Yeah, like she's going to pass that message on. When they do get back sometime after nine, the music is really pumping. I'm not sure how they're going to sleep, even on a different level of the house. Also, there's a billion people there and it's hard for Marine to find parking.

They make it inside and, oh hey Conrad. Oh, you and Helena the Hunter weren't hanging out in the sun room for some alone time? You were just hanging out by yourself? I knew he didn't actually want to have this party. Oh, also, Conrad was super worried about them, but, of course, shows it by being super pissed off. He yells at Marine, asking why she kept Eva out so late. Eva argues that they had a great time. Conrad snaps back that everyone was worried about them (read: just him). He'd been up and down the road looking for them to see if they'd gotten in a wreck and he was just about to phone the police. Marine tries to apologize, but he won't hear it. He gives Marine some more anger and Marine mentions how she had called Flora and told her they would be staying in Sydney for dinner. Conrad wants to know who with. Marine is tempted to tell him they ate with some charming gentlemen in an expensive restaurant. I almost wish she would have. She tells him the truth, though, which is really a better plan.

Now Conrad's anger is gone and he looks “heartbreaking vulnerable”. Then Marine understands what kind of strain he must have been through. Also, Marine doesn't blame Flora for not passing on her message; she blames herself for not insisting that she speak with Conrad. I totally blame Flora. She's trying to get Marine and Eva out of the house for Helena the Hunter, so she didn't forget. It was definitely on purpose.

So, remember how I was counting up Conrad's abusive behaviors? He seriously steps over the line on this one: “I don't want you on the road the holiday season. The roads are crowded with drunks this time of year. If you must go somewhere then I will drive you.” Oh. Hell. No. What, are there constantly drunk people driving on these roads all day for several weeks? This one is devious because it almost seems like genuine concern. Really, it's a power play. There's nowhere Marine can walk to from Conrad's house. If she wants to get away, it'll pretty much have to be by car. Now Conrad is taking that away from her. Incredibly not okay. The scene continues...

Marine tells Conrad that she can drive herself, thanks. She's never been in an accident. Conrad basically tells her that means nothing and says that he's just thinking of his grandma's safety. Yeah right. Oh, and furthermore that she not go on the roads until after the new year. Marine tells him point blank that he's being unreasonable. She goes through a defensive driving course each year, for some reason, so she's probably a better driver than he is. Then she takes a dig at how Conrad was speeding so heavily earlier that day. Then Eva loses just about all the respect I had for her: “Eva tugged at her arm. 'Conrad's right, Marine,' she said. 'The roads are dangerous this time of year. It's best not to be on them unless it's an emergency.'” Ugh. She had no problem going out to get her hair done and staying at dinner, but now that there's a conflict, Eva can't stand up for herself or Marine. She was doing so well, too! Also, it really rankles that she says they shouldn't drive unless it's an emergency, but the offer is that Conrad will drive them whenever they want. Eva is saying that she thinks even less of Marine's driving than Conrad did.

Oh, and then Conrad says that Marine should emulate Eva's common sense. No wonder Eva has so little self-esteem. Every time her interests collide with her grandson's, she folds and he praises her for it. He, Flora, and Annie are about her only interactions, so with such conditioning it's a wonder she voices opinions that might be contrary at all. For example, what she was saying about Helena the Hunter earlier this very day.

Anyhow, Conrad tells Marine not to argue with him. He wants something and it's going to be that way, and that's final. Marine, do us all a favor, slap him, pack your things, and leave. Please? Oh, take Eva with you if she's willing. Marine's way of thinking about this gives me a bit of hope for her, because she, “wasn't about to give up her freedom so easily. Nor was she about to allow this overbearing, arrogant brute of a man to dictate to her.” Damn right. That's the other thing. Being able to drive isn't just about a way out, it's also day to day freedom. That's why this is such an awful thing. Then Marine gives Conrad an ultimatum, which might not have been the smartest thing. She tells him that unless he takes her keys away, he's not going to stop her from driving.

Then we have a whole exchange about how her keys are in her purse, not her car, and Conrad tells her to give him her keys. Her response? “'Don't be ridiculous,' she snapped. 'You have no business demanding my keys.'” So very, very true. Conrad tells her that she can give him the keys, or he'll take them from her. Marine takes a glance at Eva. She's liking this argument. Marine is puzzled because most of the reason she wants to keep her mobility is to get Eva out and interacting with folks. I think it's because no one really stands up to Conrad and she likes that Marine will. Well, to a point. Marine offers a compromise that she won't drive unless she tells him first. Conrad won't budge. He demands her keys again. Very angry, she finally gives in. I would never have handed over those keys. He would have had to fight me for them, and when abuse becomes physical, it's easier to show the signs to the police that you call soon afterwards. Of course, this is all assuming that Conrad doesn't break you too badly and/or keep you away from a phone. This is scary stuff and there is no easy answer, but in this particular instance, I think Marine should have said no and walked away. I don't think Conrad would have actually attacked her and she could have barricaded herself in her room, or in a first story room, slipped out the window, and driven away, hopefully before Conrad realized what was going on.

Then Conrad gives Marine back her purses, wishes them goodnight, and looks triumphant. Bastard.

So, signs of abuse in this chapter: 1) controlling behavior. Here's a direct quote from the website I'm using for this, “As this behavior progresses the situation will worsen, and the abuser may assume all control of finances or prevent the victim from coming and going freely.” Well that one certainly escalated. I wonder if Conrad will let Marine leave when the summer is over, or if she'll have to escape. 2) Isolation. Conrad taking Marine's keys also isolates her from friends and family pretty completely. As the website says, “The abuser may block the victim's access to use of a vehicle, work, or telephone service in the home.” Well, that certainly came true too. Do you see why I was so very pissed off about this? It's a huge deal and it's incredibly not okay. I was kind of kidding earlier when I said that Marine needed to get out, but now I'm serious. This is not a good situation, and Marine needs to get herself and Eva out. Eva's position is not a poisonous, but it is still not at all healthy and neither of them can stay in this house.

All right. My predictions for the next chapter: Marine will call the cops on Conrad and they will dismiss her concerns about him being abusive because she's just a woman and he's a very powerful man. Wait, that one seems a little too much unlike fiction. Let's go with this: Marine's parents continue their battle against the dark forces that want to control the earth, but they realize that they will need some help. It is time for them to find their master. She would be an old woman by now, but they know she would still have her skill and at the very least be able to give them advice to help them defeat their foe. So it is that they board an airplane back to Australia to see Eva Wright and beg for her help. You thought I couldn't connect those two alternate plot lines, didn't you?

Oh, for the curious or concerned, here's the website I've been using to list abusive behaviors: http://www.newhopeforwomen.org/abuser-tricks They have a toll-free 24 hour crisis hotline number as well 1-800-522-3304, although they recommend 911 if you're in immediate danger, which, if you're reading my blog I really hope you aren't. But also just in general. This stuff is all things you hope you never need, but someday you might.