Marie never returned home and hasn’t spoken to any of her family in years. She needed a complete escape. After a few years of odd jobs, she contacted the attorney who handled the adoption. He knew of a possible position. Marie answered a request for a personal assistant.
Nathaniel heard her story before. However, when Marie shared it with her nurse, it helped her move through her continued grief. Nathaniel reveled in Marie’s daily progress as she shed layers of dark veils. He couldn’t be sure, but he hoped, the therapy combined with his support helped his new love learn to live again.
He was unable to help Sharron; he couldn’t bring her back. Therefore, in order to resurrect Marie, no holds were barred. Of course, Nathaniel Rawls had a tendency to show support in unusual ways. He wanted Marie to know there was nothing he wouldn’t do to aid her recovery. At the same time, he had investigators working to find her daughter. The source of her past anguish was easily located.
Marie’s father owned a small business in upstate New York, a car dealership. Nathaniel wondered if an unwed daughter were truly such a great disgrace in 1981 or if it were the allegations of incest that her family feared. As he devised the demise of the family owned business, Nathaniel brought Marie’s father’s greatest fear to reality. The day Nathaniel showed Marie the paper work, in fact giving her rights to the now defunct car dealership, he wasn’t sure how she would react.
Marie couldn’t believe Nathaniel’s gift. Strolling the paved stones through the estate’s gardens, she listened to his deep rich voice and inhaled the spicy scent of autumn. The summer flowers were sleeping, replaced with orange and yellow mums. The various shades of green in the distance were transforming to vibrant shades of red and brown. It seemed as though the nearby hillsides were ablaze with flames, leaving waste in their wake.
Although the world was settling in for the slumber of winter, Marie felt herself coming back to life, enjoying a springtime rejuvenation in the middle of autumn. The journey was draining, yet with each accomplishment she regained strength. Knowing it was the isolating depression that drained her energy, she worked daily to distance herself from the darkness, filling herself with increased vitality.
Marie never thought of herself as vengeful. But every evening as she was forced to eat at the same table as Samuel Rawls, her skin crawled and thoughts of revenge surfaced from recesses unknown. It was the one injustice she willed herself to endure, for Nathaniel. He wanted his family together.
In time, she came to realize the unease she felt during the strained performances of cohesiveness made Samuel more uncomfortable. Especially each time she addressed him or his wife by their first name. At times Marie would do it repeatedly, just to watch the muscles in Samuel’s neck tighten. His unease soothed her. It seemed as though she did have a bitter revengeful side she’d never explored. Surprisingly, each opportunity to inflict discomfort on Samuel or Amanda fueled her rejuvenation, as much as Nathaniel’s love and support.
Now, as she held the ownership papers to a closed, bankrupted car dealership, Marie stood dumbfounded. “I don’t know what to say. Why did you do this?”
His eyes intensified, the blackness overtook the already dark brown, “Because they hurt you. I want them to share in your pain.” He pulled her closer. “I would make them take all of it, if I could.”
There’d been a time she would have argued his reasoning. No longer. She’d experienced pain and loss. She’d been hurt. This feeling of revenge filled places within her soul she’d assumed destined for emptiness. Her smile unknowingly appeared sinister. It was a new sensation; Marie couldn’t control the unfamiliar feeling or its outward manifestation. She could, however, thank the man who obviously welded unknown resources to present this unexpected treasure.
Marie gripped the papers and flung her arms around Nathaniel’s neck. She stretched out her toes and lifted her face higher. As he always did, he leaned down to accommodate. “Thank you! No one has ever done anything like this for me.” She kissed his lips, as her body pressed against his.
Gently he pushed her away, he wanted to see her face as he delivered his final gift. “That took care of your parents. Are you not curious about your uncle?” The mention of the man brought a shadow of sadness across her gray eyes. “Marie, I don’t intend to upset you. I thought you should know – he had a relapse with cocaine.”
“Is he... dead?”
Nathaniel smirked. His expression was like none she’d ever seen. If it had been directed at her, instead of a reflection of others, she might be afraid. But his expressions couldn’t scare her. She trusted him with her whole life. “I considered that,” he said, “but decided death was too easy. He is serving a sentence for robbery and attempted murder. The police report suggests he performed those acts in an attempt to score more money for drugs.”
Marie considered the implications and searched Nathaniel’s eyes for clues.
He added with a smirk, “Unfortunately, he drew the short straw of penitentiaries. His facility is under federal investigation for a highly unusual number of inmate murders. I believe his imprisonment will be difficult. It’s doubtful he’ll reach the end of his sentence.”
She absorbed his words. The last she’d heard of her uncle, he was clean. “But I thought I heard...”
“Your parent’s recent financial woes must have contributed to his downward slide.”
She once again molded into his warm embrace. The autumn breeze held a hint of the impending winter. The coolness brought clarity to everything. She’d just received the gift of revenge – of vengeance – as redemption for the wrongs done unto her. Nathaniel had done all he could to restore her world to its proper place. “Thank you, Nathaniel, I love you.”
He inhaled the sweet scent of her flowing auburn hair. “I love you, too. I’m still looking for your daughter, but so far I’m hitting dead ends.”
Marie placed her head against his sturdy chest. Her words were strong and filled with conviction, “I would like you to stop looking.”
He didn’t pull her away. Instead he held her tight; sensing the strength in her voice wouldn’t be reflected on her face. “Are you sure? Money can open closed files. It just takes time.”
She looked up at him, her strong-willed stance now moistened with tears. “I am sure.”
He didn’t ask for further explanation. If she wanted to offer, he’d listen. Although he wanted Marie to see her daughter, Nathaniel Rawls decided this wasn’t his call. He would continue the investigation, but he wouldn’t supply her with the information until she was ready.
Marie wanted to ask about one last perpetrator. She wanted to ask what punishment Samuel would receive, but she didn’t. Perhaps that was her battle to fight. Each dinner, each time she asked him to pass the salt, or stepped on the grand staircase, she shot a shell into his camp. As long as she had Nathaniel’s protection, her defenses were impenetrable.
Nathaniel returned to his home office, as Marie retired to his suite. She hadn’t stayed upstairs since recovering from her accident. He expected it to feel wrong, having her in the suite he’d shared with Sharron, but it didn’t. Sharron hadn’t been there for years. During her absence, his grand master bedroom suite became nothing more than a showroom for opulence, an empty space occupied by the best of everything, yet void of anything.
Now, when he entered the suite and found signs of cohabitation, he felt it was once again a home, a refuge. Sometimes he’d find Marie resting on the sofa in front of the large fireplace. With warmer weather she might be enjoying a rest on the adjacent terrace. The scent of vanilla and flowers lofted from his attached bathroom as lotions, gels, and perfumes filled his countertops and Sharron’s dressing table. His closet glowed with colors, dresses, and filmy blouses, where for so long he’d only seen suits in shades of gray and black. He smiled with each welcomed intrusion.