Proserpina
That morning, I was busy with my work but by late afternoon, I was beginning to worry.
There had been no message from Paddy.
*
There was an unspoken rule in my home; all my children had to call me once in the day to let me know they were well. Read safe.
At first Claude had been irritated as I had known he would be : he was a rebel, forever chafing at the bit.
‘Why?’ he had questioned me belligerently,’ No one else has a stupid rule like that in their homes. Don’t you trust us? It is like you are keeping tabs on us…’
Jumping to her feet indignantly, Ria had cut him short.
“Would you rather have Mumma ask Pappa to install a tracker on you?’ she snapped.
Claude fell silent. The kids knew that I was asking them, but I had not involved Lucien in this.
They were all at home, in my bedroom, for the eldest children were leaving for college the next day.
Piers interrupted him when Claude had opened his mouth to reply to Ria,
His grey-blue eyes behind his spectacles were authoritative as he held up a hand to silence Claude.
‘Look, Claude, you know that we are not just any run of the mill family. There is so much that has happened to our parents, to us,’ here, he turned to look at me and placing an arm around my shoulders, he said in a firm voice,
‘I do NOT want Mumma to be upset. So I am perfectly okay with it. If she wants me to cal and let her know that I am safe, just once in the day, I do not think anyone here should make a fuss about it.’
His eyes had circled the room, stopping on Paddy, who had nodded, before shifting to Claude. And the twins had glared at Claude till he lowered his eyes shamefacedly and nodded.
Gradually, he had come around to the idea and now, he would call me before he went to bed, or sometime in the evening before he began his partying.
*
Piers had not been able to return the previous evening and I worried for him. I feared that Susie was not the right person for him. Piers needed someone who would stand up to him as well. She was just so placid and unfortunately, completely dominated by her politician father. When my eldest son had called me in the morning, he had sounded tense and unhappy. Knowing him, I had not asked any probing questions But my heart ached for my eldest-born son.
*
Paddy always called me in the morning, if he happened to be out of the house, which was rare. But this morning, when I checked his basement apartment, I had been mildly surprised to see that the bed was unslept in. He had not returned at night. Immediately, I called Beston.
The Head of Security, Antony Beston, at our mansion had been with us for years.
He seemed a little surprised as well.
‘Ma’am, I shall ask about Paddy.’ he said in his usual soft, polite way and I replaced the phone, twisting the pretty ring around my finger unconsciously.
Where was Paddy?
*
Ria reached home for breakfast. She had asked for a car to be sent in the morning and accordingly, her father had sent his men to pick her up. One small part of her was disappointed to see that it was not Philippe who had arrived but then she knew that he had a lot on his hands. Pappa was not an easy man to please and he had so many irons in the fire…
As she entered the house, she was met by her mother who wanted to know where she had been although it was evident that she knew about how Ria had thrown out Britney.
Settling in the large warm kitchen, Ria wrapped her hands around a steaming cup of coffee which Beatrice helpfully placed before her as she murmured,
‘I wanted to make sure that the awful woman would never come near you again, Mumma.’ And she tilted her head defiantly to look at her mother. With a start, she realised that her mother was practically glowing. Slowly, she noted the ring on her mother’s lovely hand, the chain that Pappa had…no wait, this had to be a new one. Mumma had thrown the first one back at Pappa..
Enquiringly, she looked at her mother who flushed lightly.
Ria laughed out loud. Her parents were priceless; she thought and threw her arms around her mother, hugging her tightly. They still remained as in love with each other and as crazy about each other as they had years ago and she loved them for it.
*
Schwartz
He turned as Danielle stormed out of her room. they were heading for the airport, at least, she was but Schwartz knew she was irritated, agitated even because Lucien’s bas*ard son had been brought to the Club.
The fellow was crass and boorish.
And Dani, true to herself, had kicked him in the bal*s. Schwartz chuckled. She was fuming because Grace’s flight had been delayed. Now she was storming over to the airport to receive her lover.
*
Suddenly, as she stood talking to him, waiting for her car, running her hand through her short spiky hair, one of the guards appeared with a group of people behind him.
“Dani!’ cried the familiar voice of Grace and Schwartz and the woman beside him turned a the same time.
It was Daniele’s slim and beautiful Ethiopian wife and she was rushing forward, having dropped her bag unceremoniously on the floor.
Grace was running to them, laughing, arms outstretched as she cried,
“I wanted to give you a surprise, baby!’
Danielle had swiftly moved to her and the women stood, their arms around each other, kissing ardently.
“Baby,’ crooned Grace, laughing and crying at the same time.
Schwartz grinned and looked away; it was a private moment. And then he noticed the other people with Grace.
*
A couple of teenagers, one who was an open-mouthed boy, and the other an inquisitive-looking teenaged girl, around twelve, he judged. His gaze moved to the woman beside them and their eyes locked on each other. A fiery red-haired woman, she looked so much like his late wife Fionella that Schwartz felt as though someone had kicked him in the gut. The woman was looking around herself, obviously ill at ease and then, her gaze rested on him, slightly disparagingly. Schwartz felt piqued. Who was this woman to judge?
Yes, this was a gentlemen’s Club alright.
He scowled at her and she glared back at him, her small chin set mutinously, plump lips thinning in distaste.
‘Dirty Mafia man,’ Maja muttered under her breath, totally unimpressed by the opulence of the building and the tall, handsome man who was staring at her in annoyance.
*