Lesson Four

Barbara Cooper-Smith Farrington

Originally nicknamed Babs, by her family. But always being very much the equestrian, and usually found wearing jodhpurs and riding boots when left to her own devices, she was soon rechristened ‘Boots’ by the girls at Miss Porter’s School. Fortunately, she was there about the time Jacqueline Bouvier was, so she avoided the noveau riche that flocked there after ‘Jackie’ became Mrs. Kennedy.  Boots was always very glad that she had only sons—after all, they had more choices.  But where could she have sent girls to school?  So, after generations of Cooper-Smith girls being ‘launched’ from Miss Porter’s, Boots ended the tradition. 

She is tall—nearly 5’10”, lithe but muscular—even at her advancing age.  Her hair, stick straight and baby-fine is a beigey blonde that has seamlessly faded to gray—kept cut to just below her chin—in an attempt to widen her long, and pardon the pun, horsey face.  The similarity was strengthened by her enormous brown eyes—and very long, very thick black eyelashes.  As she had passed on through middle age a soft velvet fuzz had appeared on her muzzle-I mean, chin. She had never allowed herself to become tanned—even when it had been considered healthy.  Instead she maintain a peaches and cream complexion that did much to make up for her equinesque features.  And her lips were—although perhaps a bit thin—a pleasant natural color.

She was neither pretty nor ugly—falling in the great chasm of ordinary.  And she was neither smart nor dull—only average.  Although, no Cooper-Smith had ever been considered either ordinary or average—at least not to their face.

Bred, born and raised in Back Bay of Boston, she had managed the transition to Greenwich rather uneventfully.  After all, one horsey, country club set was very much like another.  She had met her husband at a dance at Smith.  Brandon Beresford Farrington was the friend of a brother of one of her dorm-mates.  Each found in the other the qualities which would help them continue their easy, gracious lifestyle—good manners, common values and old money.

She still competed in the odd horseshow—although she hadn’t been truly happy with any of her horses for at least two decades.  She supports many charities—some of which she even helps with—and a few which she actually believes in.  But in general she lives a quiet, life of plenty.

As she trained, practiced and showed horses less and less, she played more and more bridge—but not well.  It appeared that there really was a strategy to the game that was lost to her.  But, both her maiden and married name opened many doors—and afforded her a certain amount of pained tolerance.

Her sons, Brent & Trey—both Harvard trained lawyers—live and work in Manhattan.  So, she and her husband, Brandon, signed the mansion in Greenwich over to Brent (who, according to long standing traditions, would inherit it eventually, anyway) and moved into a smaller but still roomy and elegant home—which still had room for a few horses. Then they bought a pied-a-terre at the Plaza. This extravagance more than made up their exodus from the ‘landed gentry’.

Brandon was the founding partner—well the grandson of the founding partner—of a law firm in Greenwich, and had been wounded when neither of the boys wanted to continue on the line.  But, there was money to be made in New York—and Manhattan lawyers carried a certain panache of their own.

She had moved into the mansion as a bride, and finding it fully functioning—with both staff and furnishings—had virtually ignored it.  A housekeeper, that she had inherited from her mother-in-law, knew what to buy and where; and who to hire and when.  She had even obtained her own replacement and trained her for a number of years before retiring.  And in truth, Boots had barely noticed the change.  Neither she, nor Brandon really paid attention to anything around them—as long as things were where they expected to find them, meals miraculously appeared in the dining room at regular intervals and their every want was anticipated.

The boys had found wives that reminded them—although unconsciously, of course—of their mother.  And Boots had judged them suitable enough—even though Trey’s wife, Cynthia, had graduated from Berkley—in social work, of all things.  But Georgia, Brent’s wife, had taken her in hand, and led her physically to a decent hair stylist and upscale lingerie store—where she had been introduced to a brasserie.

For a very brief time in college, Boots had considered switching from a fine arts degree in English Literature to Journalism.  This had been due to a short article she had written—in protest of the school’s antiquated dress code.  A sorority sister worked on the school newspaper and was looking for an ally in blackballing her ex-boyfriend’s sister from pledging.  She had gushed over the piece and managed to get the editor to print it.  The sub sequential flutter of fame Boots had enjoyed had caused her to think about studying to actually ‘do’ something—but when she discovered that she would need to take both math and science classes she reconsidered. 

At an extremely vulnerable moment one New Year’s Eve, due primarily to an abundance of champagne, she had revealed this brief and secret thought to Brandon.  The next morning he had assured her that he had enjoyed her joke—but that she should probably not mention it again—to anyone.

This was odd in itself, because it was widely known that Boots—as all the Cooper-Smith women before her—had no sense of humor.  But then, neither did any of the Farrington’s.  Trey had taken several drama classes in prep school—until his father took him to see someone about that.  It had only taken half a dozen session to put the boy ‘back on track’. 

Boot’s most guarded secret was that she had ‘made out’ with a Northampton boy, a ‘townie’—not the she’d let anything ‘happen’.  Still it was something she wouldn’t want her sorority sisters to know about.  The shame of it had caused her so much anxiety, her period was late—and she was having night terrors over being pregnant.  Thank God it had arrived, a few days late—but much welcomed—eliminating the need to talk to anyone about it.  From then on she was known as a prude—no one, not even Brandon—after they were engaged—got to first base with her. 

She thinks she should have her hair colored—but keeps putting it off.  She has recently decided that her dull gray hair is silver.  She hasn’t realized that Cynthia has been sending the housekeeper shampoo and conditioner made to create that illusion. 

She knows she should exercise more—but insists to herself that horseback riding ‘is’ exercise and smiles smugly behind her friends backs’ when then go on infinitum over lunch about their weight or how they will need to do an extra hour on the Stairmaster.  After all, black is very slimming and she had a closet of clothes designed to make her look taller and svelte.

She has a small alcove on the far side of her dressing room, probably originally meant for shoes, and Boots—well, she had never been a ‘shoe hound’.  There she has a very old, worn armchair and ottoman (chintz and goose feathers old) tucked in there, with a floor lamp and a small table.  And stacked in all the other available space are piles of paperback romances and notebooks of her own romance novels.  No one—not even the housekeeper—is allowed back there.  She keeps it locked tight.  Brandon, in fact, thinks it is a closet where she keeps her jewelry.  She sneaks in there and indulge in an alternate universe wherever she can.

The contents of her purse would reveal everything and nothing about her.  A starched linen handkerchief with a narrow lace edging-for show; an old, well-used large linen man’s handkerchief-for practical purposes; an old-fashioned black silk coin purse with several $20. bills, along with some quarters, nickels and dimes; a titanium American Express card; a tiny address book—with the numbers for several ferriers, her personal shopper at Barney’s and her OB/GYN—in that order.  A Philly Steak Station customer card—only two more before she gets a free sandwich. And lastly, a rejection letter addressed to a PO Box at Grand Central Station to a Ms. Sarah Cooper.

She attends the opera and symphony regularly, but doesn’t really care for them much.  Her favorite songs are ‘show tunes’ and she never misses the opportunity to go to one—although she insists it’s for her grandchildren’s ‘cultuization’.  She listens to the show tune channel on the satellite radio in her car—and sings along.  Sometimes she forgets with others around…but they just pretend not to notice.

In public she eats lots of chicken and fish—but stops whenever she’s able to for Philly/cheese steak sandwiches.  No one asks about why she needs for wet wipes in her armrest of her car in Connecticut and she bribes the limo driver with his own sandwich.  Her drink of choice is freshly brewed coffee in the morning and Diet Mountain Dew the rest of the time—although she orders club soda with lemon when she’s out.

Email survey Boots took:



1.What is your occupation right now?  Socialite matriarch

2.What color are your socks right now? beige

3.What are you listening to right now? ‘Oklahoma’

4..What was the last thing that you ate? Chicken

5.Can you drive a stick shift? Yes 

6.Last person you spoke to on the phone? Her daughter-in-law

7.Do you like the person who sent this to you? no!

8.How old are you today?70

9.What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Polo and horse shows

10.What is your favorite drink? Diet Mt. Dew

11.Have you ever dyed your hair? Once , in the eighties

12.Favorite food? Philly cheese steaks

3.What is the last movie you watched? ‘video of ‘West Side Story’

14.Favorite day of the year? Christmas

15.How do you vent anger? I go horseback riding

16.What was your favorite toy as a child? Horse figurines!

17.What is your favorite season? Fall

18.Cherries or Blueberries? Cherries

19.Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?  No

20.Who is the most likely to respond?  No one-I’m not sending it out

21.Who is least likely to respond?  Same answer as #20

22.Living situation? Married

23.When was the last time you cried? When my granddaughter was born

24.What is on the floor of your closet? Seventeen pairs of boots.

25.Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to? I’m not sending it

26.What did you do last night? Went to the symphony

27.What are you most afraid of? The day when I can’t ride

28.Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? chesse

29.Favorite dog breed?  Welsh Corgies

30.Favorite day of the week? Sunday

31.How many states have you lived in? three

32.Diamonds or pearls? Pearls

33.What is your favorite flower? Black-eyed Susans.







  What kinds of foods does she like?

Philly Cheese steaks & Diet Mountain Dew 

  What does he do to unwind?

Officially-ride or play bridge----Truly-read or write romance novels

  Does she have any hobbies?

Horse-back riding/Bridge/Romances

  How does he decorate his home?

She didn’t—but everything is tasteful and old

  Any religious or spiritual beliefs? If so, what?

Congregational—but secretly she says the Rosary

  Optimist, pessimist or realist?

Officially, realist—but secretly the eternal optimist

  Does she dress for style or comfort?

Stacy, her personal shopper, does her best for both

  What irritates him?

People who talk at the theatre, opera or symphony

  What kind of art catches her attention?

Italian Renaissance painters

  Is he allergic to anything? 

The sulfites in red wine

  Easy or hard to embarrass?

Easy 

  Any habits for idle hands? Nail biting, fidgeting, etc?

Not really—unless she’s really nervous about something and then she picks at her cuticles

  Like to dance, or wild horses couldn't drag him on the dance floor?

Likes to dance—but never does because Brandon doesn’t 

  Any addictions?

Horse-back riding and romance novels—only that’s a secret 

  What kinds of things would they take offense to?

People being rude to servants

  Any phobias?

Morbid fear of pigeons

  Are they sensitive to changes in weather?

The heat fatigues her

  Who do they trust? Why?

Even after fifty years, she trusts her husband implicitly 

  What are they like when they get sick? Tough? Whiny?

She has a husband and two sons—she’s stoic-they were always whiny

  What kind of music do they love? hate?

She hates improvisational jazz 

  What makes them laugh? Ticklish?

Watching dogs playing  -  No

  What kinds of movies/shows/books/entertainment do they like?

Romantic comedies/P.G. Wodehouse/Broadway musicals

  Do they like kids/animals?

She loves her children, grandchildren and most animals (not reptiles)

  What do they take pride in?

Her family history and heritage

  What do they notice about the opposite sex/same sex?

Well spoken men & soft spoken women

  What's their astrological sign?

Scorpio

  What's their sleep schedule/habits like?

She claims to need a lot of sleep-and goes to her room early (Brandon is a terrible snorer-and she’s had her own bedroom for years) and sneaks to her hidey-hole to write

  Do they have a favorite color/item?

Crimson