Apologies for absence

I’ve been away from Blogland because I’ve had a lot to think about. Tom was his usual self on Saturday but I drank my way through the evening and it was okay. Poor Philippa, who was driving, and is also the one who most finds him difficult to deal with, was nearly in tears by nine-thirty. We’d heard all about his latest business ideas (which need to be good because his empire is close to crumbling) and all about his various children and their various talents and ailments, and we’d had to listen to how our choice of Christmas Eve as a wedding date was a bad idea because astrologically speaking it wouldn’t bode well for our future together….
Then he shocked us with this:
“It isn’t lost on me that your relationship started while you were both working for me. For that reason, I feel a kind of responsibility towards you, and for that reason I think I should shoulder part of the expense. So I wanted to see you tonight to let you know that I want to pay for your wedding.”
We were stunned. Philippa sat quietly and looked like she was about to say something regretful, so I leant forward and said “That’s incredibly good of you but really isn’t necessary. You have six children of your own, three of whom are daughters, I really think you’d be better putting the money aside for their weddings.”
He smiled and said “If my daughters get married it will be a simple, natural ceremony with very little pizzazz. And I already have enough put away to cover any costs I might incur. And besides,” he said to Philippa, “You’ve made the company far more profitable with your efforts than I could ever have done on my own. This is my way to pay you back and say thank you.”

“Why can’t he just give me a pay rise?” said Philippa on the way home. I could tell she was pissed off because she never speeds and always drives so carefully, and yet she had me gripping the seat for dear life as we screamed around the country roads. 
It was so hard to know what to do. It was a lovely gesture but could have been nothing more than a power move on his part. We don’t need the contribution, but if we let him shoulder some of the cost we can have a nicer holiday afterwards. I don’t have a problem taking the man’s money but obviously it’s more complicated for Philippa. 
In the end we reached a compromise. Tom is going to give us a cheque which he THINKS will be towards the wedding, but we’ll add the money to our ‘house deposit fund.’ That way, as Philippa so eloquently put it, “We can enjoy our honeymoon without feeling indebted to that lunatic.”
Families, eh?

RC 8-10-15