The Family Game

Harriet hears from her literary agent, Louisa, that she’s officially a best-selling author, which helps ease Harriet’s homesickness for London. Harriet has been living in New York City for only four months; she’s moved in with her boyfriend of a year, Edward Holbeck. Harriet is happily in love with Edward, even though his family wealth and connections make his life very different than hers. Harriet hasn’t met Edward’s family, though she’s heard about their ruthlessness and wealth. Harriet’s American mother and English father died when she was 11 years old. Louisa asks Harriet how her new novel is going, and Harriet asks for a monthlong extension.

Harriet meets Edward at Rockefeller Center’s skating rink. The city is already all decorated for Christmas. T Edward proposes to Harriet. Harriet is a little embarrassed by the public spectacle of their engagement, but she’s happy to get engaged to Edward. Harriet’s ring is a Holbeck family heirloom. Though Edward hasn’t said much about his family, Harriet has researched them online. John Livingston Holbeck, Edwards’s great-great-great-grandfather, was one of the original American tycoons whose wealth was built off monopolies on communications, shipping, and railways during the Gilded Age. Harriet’s engagement ring once belonged to Mitzi, Edward’s great-great grandmother—the first Holbeck to marry for love.

Edward concedes that now that they’re engaged, it’s time to meet his family. He warns Harriet that his family can be intense, even frighteningly so. The first person she’ll meet is Edward’s sister Matilda.

Harriet is hungover and nervous about meeting Edward’s family. Given their power and influence, they must already know everything about her. When the doorbell rings, she gets paranoid and thinks Matilda is visiting her. Instead, it’s a courier with an envelope from Matilda inviting Harriet for tea the next day at an exclusive members-only club. However, Harriet already has a meeting with her publisher planned for Wednesday at 4 o’clock in the evening, and given that she just asked for an extension on her new book, she can’t reschedule that meeting. Harriet RSVPs with Matilda’s assistant Max, certain that Matilda’s assistant can reschedule the tea. Harriet’s publisher calls to reschedule their meeting. Harriet realizes that her publisher, Greenville Sinclair, is under the umbrella of the company the Laurence Group, a subsidiary of the Holbeck company, ThruComm Holbeck. Someone higher up has instructed Harriet’s publisher to reschedule their meeting so that Harriet can meet Matilda. Matilda is unmarried and the only Holbeck daughter.

Harriet is disturbed by Matilda interfering in her work just to have tea. Harriet is frightened of the power the Holbecks hold, but Harriet doesn’t want to tell Edward about it because this type of control and interference is why he kept Harriet and his family apart. Harriet wants to make her life with Edward work, so she decides to attend the tea with Matilda and not tell Edward anything, even though the whole thing makes her feel uneasy.

Harriet still feels sick, and she knows she should be working, but she makes her appointment with Matilda. She wants Matilda to like her. At first, Harriet finds Matilda cold, but Matilda quickly warms up, and Harriet finds her easygoing and friendly. Matilda notes that it’s not strange to her that Edward has kept Harriet a secret for so long; Edward has had issues with his father, Robert Davison Holbeck, and relationships before. Matilda acknowledges that there have been many claims about how scary Robert Holbeck can be, including never-proven allegations about insider trading, blackmail, and other business dealings. Matilda says she’s happy to meet Harriet because she and the rest of the Holbecks believe that Harriet is different than Edward’s past girlfriends and that Harriet has mellowed Edward out. Matilda explains that, because the family has so much wealth, they are very suspicious of outsiders marrying in for money; it’s part of their survival to doubt others and protect the family. Matilda hopes that Harriet and Edward’s engagement will bring Edward back into the family he has avoided for a long time. Harriet agrees to bring Edward to their family dinner the next day.

When Harriet texts Edward about the dinner, he reminds her that it’s Thanksgiving. Harriet insists it will be a good thing for them.

Harriet is still sick. She’s been researching Edward’s ex-girlfriends online to figure out what it was about them that the Holbecks rejected. She can’t figure it out because Edward’s ex-girlfriends were socialites, women from wealthy families, and famous actresses. Edward suggests that Harriet’s illness might mean she’s pregnant. They buy a pregnancy test and confirm that Harriet is pregnant. They go to the doctor, who confirms that Harriet has been pregnant for eight weeks. Harriet is happy and relieved that her writer’s block can be attributed to growing the baby. Edward is worried that Thanksgiving dinner with his family will be too stressful for her, but Harriet thinks they should still go because they’ll need to be on good terms with his family as they start their own.

Edward prepares Harriet for the Holbecks’ Thanksgiving dinner. The guests include Edward’s father; his mother; Matilda; his younger brothers, Oliver and Stuart; their partners; Nancy, the general counsel of ThruComm Holbeck; the family nanny, Nunu; Marty, the COO of ThruComm Holbeck; and Marty’s dog, Grog. Harriet is glad that Oliver and Stuart’s partners will be there too, but Edward explains that because he is the first-born son, who he marries is more significant. Edward will one day inherit the companies his father established, so whomever he marries is part of the narrative of that business.

The Thanksgiving dinner is held at the Holbecks’ impressive Upper East Side townhouse. Edward grew up at The Hydes, the family estate in upstate New York. A butler brings them to a living room where the family has gathered, minus Robert. Edward’s mother, Eleanor, is the first to greet them. Harriet meets Fiona, Oliver’s wife. Fiona is a stay-at-home mom, and Oliver works in the family business because Edward separated from the business to create his own company. Harriet meets Nancy and Marty. Harriet meets Stuart and his wife, Lila, a former model and an actress. When Harriet meets Oliver, she notes that he looks older than Edward even though he’s four years younger. Robert enters the room and Harriet senses the air and energy change. Robert is an overwhelming presence and very attractive.

When Harriet refuses alcohol at dinner, Stuart says he’s also in Alcoholics Anonymous. Matilda explains that Harriet has been sick. Harriet doesn’t want to tell anyone else that she’s pregnant yet. Harriet sees Nunu with Stuart and Oliver’s children. Lila explains that Nunu is not the same nanny that raised the older Holbeck children and alludes to a situation with someone named Bobby.

On her way out of the bathroom, Harriet sees Billy, one of the children, waiting for her. Billy is upset and explains to Harriet that the other kids want Billy to sleep in Bobby’s room that night, which scares him. Billy shows Harriet Bobby’s room. Harriet checks the room and the closet for a sign of Bobby, assuring Billy that there’s nothing wrong with the room.

After dinner, Robert asks to speak to Harriet privately in his study.

Robert asks Harriet if she loves his son. When she says she loves Edward more than anything, Robert tells her not to quantify love because what can be counted can be managed. Harriet is overwhelmed by her attraction to Robert; he looks so much like Edward but there’s something else about him that is attractive. Robert tells Harriet that he’s read her books and enjoyed them. Harriet writes fictional horror and thrillers. Robert calls Harriet a clever girl, which sounds like a put down, even though it’s presented as a compliment. Robert brings up Harriet’s dead parents and explains that he also lost his parents; his mother when he was seven years old and his father soon afterward. Robert was brought up by his grandparents, Alfred and Mitzi. Robert tells Harriet that he did a full background check on her and approves of her to join the family.

Robert gives Harriet a tape recording, which he explains is part of his story and has the potential to be a thriller novel. He wants Harriet to listen to his dictation of his story and figure out if it can be made into a thriller, a genre Robert likes because all mysteries get answered in the end. He asks Harriet to keep the tape a secret between the two of them for now.

On the car ride home, Harriet asks Edward to tell her the story of Bobby. Bobby is dead, but he was the eldest Holbeck son. Harriet is surprised that Edward never told her about a dead brother, but also that no online information about the Holbecks has ever mentioned Bobby. Bobby was 20 years old and attending Columbia University when he died. Bobby had been a doting brother, and Stuart, who was 12 years old at the time, took Bobby’s death the hardest. Bobby died from a mixture of unprescribed drugs. The Holbecks used all of their influence and power to keep his death out of the news. Harriet and Edward kiss, but Harriet conflates Edward with Robert. She figures that her desire for her fiancé’s father is due to the pregnancy hormones.

Harriet researches Bobby Holbeck and finds only one small obituary. She has a sudden inspiration to write and begins a new story.