They got to the hotel just before dinnertime, and Alexandra insisted that she come upstairs and meet the girls and Margaret, and finally after some protest that she wasn't dressed properly, it was late … when in truth, she was scared to meet Alexandra's family, what if they hated her? … she finally went upstairs with her. They looked like two girls returning from camp, slightly disheveled, but relaxed and happy, and Alexandra opened the door to the suite with her key, and heard Hilary gasp as Axelle ran toward her.
“Hi, sweetheart … look who I brought! …” She acted as though Santa Claus had come home with her, and Axelle stopped in her tracks and stared at the tall, dark-haired woman who was openly crying.
“Who is she?”
“She's my sister,” Alexandra said as she began to cry too, and reached out for Hilary's hand. “We haven't seen each other for a long, long time. And we have another sister named Megan … but she couldn't come tonight. This is your Aunt Hilary.” She spoke in a gentle voice and Axelle went to her cautiously as Hilary opened her arms and began to sob. All she could do was whisper the words of long ago. … “Oh, Axie …”
Marie-Louise came next and kissed her solemnly, and even Hilary could see how much they resembled each other. It was like having a daughter of her own, and they held hands as Alexandra introduced her to her mother.
“Maman, this is Hilary … Hilary, this is my mother. Margaret de Borne …” And suddenly all three of them were crying, and Margaret took Hilary in her arms, like another daughter.
“How are you? Are you both all right? I've been so worried about you!”
Alexandra smiled and wiped her eyes, and Hilary did the same, and looked down at the girls with a grin. “Aren't we a mess? But I haven't seen your Mommy in a long, long time …”
“Why?” It was all a little confusing for the girls, and Alexandra sat down with Axelle on her lap as she looked from her to Marie-Louise to Hilary and her mother.
“A lot of very sad things happened to us a long time ago, and we never saw each other again after I was five years old, just a little younger than Axelle. And Hilary grew up in a lot of very sad places. And we missed each other very much, and we just couldn't get together till now.”
“Oh,” Axelle said, as though it all made sense to her now, and Marie-Louise nodded. And then Axelle added something important of her own. “We went to the Bronx Zoo yesterday, and then we saw the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall!” And everyone laughed, as Margaret ordered champagne for all of them. And when Alexandra put the girls to bed, Margaret told Hilary quietly how relieved she was that the meeting had gone well for them. She admitted that she had been very worried.
“Alexandra loves you very much.” Hilary comforted her, surprised by how much she liked her. She was a woman with warmth and courage and style, and a wonderful sense of humor. “She told us all about you and her father. Nothing will ever change what she feels for you, and what you did for her. In her heart, you will always be her parents.”
Tears rolled down Margaret's cheeks at the words, and she patted Hilary's hand gratefully and then asked her a question. “And Henri? Did she mention him?” Hilary nodded. “He hasn't called since we left. He took all of this very badly. It was a great shock to him, and I think she was wrong to have told him.”
“She wants to be accepted as she is, I think. That's very important to her. And I can't disagree. He'll have to adjust. Just as we have.” She sounded matter-of-fact.
Margaret smiled ruefully at her. “You don't know her husband.”
“What's all this about?” Alexandra had just come back from putting the girls to bed, in spite of their protests that they wanted to stay up with their aunt, but she had promised them that they would see her the next day. “The girls want to have lunch with you tomorrow, by the way. Are you free?”
“For you? Hell, yes!” Hilary grinned. She could hardly wait to show the girls around the network, take them out to lunch, and to “21” for dinner. She was suddenly an aunt, and amazed at how much she liked it.
They made their plans for the following day, and Margaret smiled as she listened to them, and kissed Hilary as she would her own daughter when she left. And then she looked deep into Alexandra's eyes.
“You're happier, aren't you, sweetheart?”
Alexandra nodded. “Yes, I am. It meant a lot to me to meet the two of them … even more than I thought it would. I'm so glad we came.” She threw her arms around Margaret and held her tight. “And I'm so glad you came with me.”
“So am I.” The older woman had to fight back tears again. They had all cried a lot in the past few days. And then Alexandra told her about Megan. “What a shock for Mr. Patterson.” She looked horrified.
“It was. I thought it might kill him. Megan's staying with him for a few days. She doesn't think he'll live more than that.” It was sad to think about, but maybe Hilary was right. He had done what he had wanted to do, and now he could go in peace, holding the hand of his daughter.
Chapter 32
Their lunch with the girls the next day was great fun, and Margaret insisted on leaving them alone with the children. She said she had some errands to do on her own, and she wanted some time to herself, and Hilary and Alexandra had a marvelous time with the girls. After some major juggling, Hilary even managed to take the afternoon off, and they went to the park, and then the Plaza for tea. And over the girls' heads, as they munched on petits fours, Hilary and Alexandra mused about what it would have been like if their parents hadn't died, and they had gone on living the good life in New York, living on Sutton Place, their father a star, and doing things like taking them to have tea at the Plaza.
“I guess we'll never know, will we, Axie? But this isn't so bad.” Hilary smiled as they strolled outside and crossed the street to the Pierre where Alexandra and the girls were staying. She had dinner with them that night at the hotel, and when she went back to her apartment she was exhausted. She was not used to children, and as delightful as they were, they were much more tiring than a day at the office.
The phone was ringing when she got inside her front door and she was surprised to realize that it was John Chapman. Megan had called him an hour before. Arthur had died peacefully in his sleep, and the funeral was in two days in Connecticut. Megan was staying for that and then going back to Kentucky.
“I thought you'd like to know. I'd be happy to drive you out.” She thought about it for a long moment and then shook her head in the quiet apartment.
“I don't think so, John. I don't think it's my place to be there.” Although she had a suspicion Alexandra would go, but that was different, because Alexandra herself was very different.
“Are you still angry?”
“Maybe not. I'm not sure yet. And in any case it's over now. I just don't think I need to be there.” It was honest in any case, and John was embarrassed at how grateful he was for a reason to call her, even this one.
“How was the weekend?”
“The happiest in my life. It was wonderful. I spent the whole afternoon with my nieces today. They're terrific, and so is Alexandra. So is Megan …” And then with embarrassment, “Thank you for everything you did to bring us together, John.” She was much more grateful to him than to Arthur.
“Mr. Patterson made it possible. All I did was find you.” … and think about you day and night … and worry about you and your sisters … and spend sleepless nights … “I was wondering if … if you'd like to have lunch sometime? Like maybe later this week, after I get back from Connecticut….” He felt like a fifteen-year-old kid and he laughed. “This probably sounds crazy, but I miss you …” His voice trailed off and what he had said had touched her. She seemed so open suddenly to tenderness and pain and other people's feelings. And she sensed something very powerful and warm coming from him, and it aroused a host of new feelings in her. The weekend had given her something she'd never had before, not in thirty years. Love. And she was like a flower that had just been watered.