Lies and Weddings

In the present, Eden arrives in Los Angeles, where Freddy and his sister Daniela host her. She is astonished by the luxury of their daily lives, and she is startled by the knowledge that some people live so lavishly while others suffer in poverty. While dining at a fancy private club, Eden is astonished to catch sight of her father at a table with several celebrities.

Eden gradually pieces together the fact that her father has come to LA in the company of a severely ill patient (Rene Tan) who wanted to see his son (Luis Felipe). Thomas is having lunch with Luis and his entourage; Luis doesn’t seem concerned about his father and quickly invites Eden and Freddy to come and tour his lavish home.

Eden and Freddy arrives at the Tan home in Los Angeles, where “everything about the place reek[s] of excess and lack[s] any modicum of soul” (510). Luis is fixated on showing off his wealth and lives an empty life. After the tour ends, Eden catches up with her father, who (unbeknownst to her) has ensured that she will not encounter Rene Tan. When Eden describes how Arabella is treating her, Thomas is distressed and offers to speak with Francis. Eden doesn’t want Thomas to cause any trouble and suggests that Arabella will eventually calm down. Their conversation is interrupted when Rene suddenly shows up; he has learned that Thomas’s daughter is visiting and is determined to meet her.

Rene begins asking Eden questions about her mother. Eden explains that her mother was named Faye Wang, that she was a Canadian woman of Chinese descent, and that she died of cancer when Eden was young. Eden is horrified to realize that even though Rene is clearly dying, Luis Felipe barely makes any effort to spend time with his father.

When Freddy, Daniela, and Eden struggle to obtain a table at an exclusive LA restaurant, Luis Felipe comes to their aid and invites them to eat with him and his entourage.

Eden grows increasingly uncomfortable with the shallow and self-obsessed conversations unfolding around her. She also rejects Luis’s attempts to lure her into partying with him, flatly telling him that he should spend more time with his father. She states, “he really doesn’t have much longer, and I guarantee you all the money in the world will never bring him back” (558).

Thomas waits anxiously while Rene has a private meeting with his legal team; Rene’s condition is worsening rapidly. When Eden comes in to check on Rene, he addresses her as “Mary,” leaving Eden confused. Rene also asks her to be kind to his son. Later, when she sees Luis going off to a party, she urges him to stay home and spend time with his father because she believes that Rene may die at any moment. Luis refuses to listen to her; instead, he expresses his bitterness over how his father has treated him. As Rene nears death, he asserts that his sister, Mary, has come to see him. He dies moments later, with Thomas by his side.

When Martha arrives in England with Rufus, everything is carefully choreographed to give her the best impression of Greshamsbury. Rufus is confused about where Eden and her father are; he eventually learns him that Arabella has banned Eden from the estate. When he hears the whole story, Rufus decides to follow Eden to LA. Arabella is devastated when she finds out that Rufus has left, although she is appreciative of the care and concern that Martha shows toward her.

Eden attends the wake for Rene Tan, but no one seems particularly grief-stricken, including Luis. Thomas is planning to stay for a few days to help with the legal affairs. Eden is very sad as she makes her way back to Freddy’s home. She is astonished to find Rufus waiting for her there, and the two of them embrace.

Thomas and Luis meet with Rene’s legal team. Luis is surprised and angry to learn that he will have limited access to the vast Tan fortune and that most of it will remain in trust until he turns 35. He is also required to go to rehab if he wants to have access to the fortune, since his father was well-aware of Luis’s problems with substance abuse.

Rufus spontaneously suggests that he and Eden drive from LA to New York together, and she agrees. They stop in the town of Marfa, Texas, where they discuss Rufus’s aspirations as a contemporary artist and potential curator. They begin kissing passionately but are interrupted by an urgent call from Arabella. She has crucial news about Augusta and wants them to return to England.

Rufus rushes back to England, where Beatrice informs him that Augusta caught Max being unfaithful to her during their honeymoon. Augusta has come home to nurse her broken heart. When Rufus subsequently speaks with his mother, Arabella explains her belief that Max was less interested in other women and instead broke up his new marriage when he learned that the Gresham family is broke. Arabella continues to urge Rufus to marry Martha, even though he declares that “the only woman [he] will ever marry is Eden Tong” (640).

Thomas is distressed to receive urgent news from Rene Tan’s legal team: Luis Felipe has hired his own lawyers to do whatever he can to challenge his father’s will. The loans to Francis Gresham are not covered by the conditions governing the other assets, and Luis and his legal team are eager to demand repayment.

After the call, Thomas speaks with Francis and learns that Luis has already been in touch; Francis has naïvely agreed to let Luis come to Greshamsbury to see the estate. Thomas frets that the visit will be a disaster, but Francis is not concerned.

When Luis arrives, he and Arabella immediately begin sparring, and Luis further annoys Arabella by insisting that Eden join the family for dinner. Augusta bluntly explains the tension between Arabella and Eden, which intrigues Luis. As Arabella vents her theory that Eden is secretly pregnant with Freddy’s baby, Beatrice finally blurts out the truth: the pregnancy test belonged to her. She is pregnant due to a love affair with Augusta’s New Age guru, Gopal Das. Luis Felipe begins saying insulting things about the Gresham family, and the situation escalates into a physical altercation between Luis and Rufus. Furious, Luis Felipe demands that all of the loans be repaid within 30 days, or else he will seize the entire Gresham estate.

A week later, Martha, Rufus, and Eden meet for dinner in London. Martha has tried to help Rufus with his financial problems, but Luis’s strict terms have made it impossible. Martha concludes, “He doesn’t want the money—he wants you all kicked out of the house” (674). Eden wonders if she might be able to get Luis to listen to her since he seems fond of her.

Eden goes to visit Luis Felipe at his lavish London residence. She listens patiently as an inebriated Luis vents his bitterness about how unhappy his father has made him. Luis taunts Eden about the impossibility that she will ever be accepted into the Gresham family. He implies that she should side with him instead. Eden eventually leaves Luis to his drunken rage.

Rufus is summoned home. When he arrives, Thomas informs him that Beatrice and Gopal have eloped. His parents have further details: the couple has gone to Venice, where they will stay in one of Martha’s properties and get married. Afterward, they plan to move to Australia. Arabella insists that Rufus go to Venice and stop the wedding. Later, Francis shares the news that Luis has agreed to accept the repayment plan proposed by Martha, but only on the condition that Eden agrees to marry him. Arabella immediately decides that Rufus should convince Eden to accept Luis’s proposal. Francis voices his support for Rufus; the two men plan to travel to Venice to attend Beatrice’s wedding, and they hope that Eden will accompany them.

Rosina reads a newspaper update announcing that Beatrice will be married to Gopal (who is actually a wealthy American from an elite Boston family). The wedding will take place at Martha’s property in Venice. The same article hints that Martha and Rufus might also be engaged. Rosina immediately calls Arabella with questions about this information, and Arabella shares her sorrow and shame that Beatrice is marrying due to an illegitimate pregnancy. Rosina’s reflections on the stigma of an unexpected pregnancy lead to her recollections of Mary Gao, whom she believes to have died due to complications from an abortion. Suddenly, Rosina has an realization that remains undisclosed in the narrative. She mentions to Arabella that she is going to contact Thomas Tong immediately.