Second Wives, Chapter 2
Kathleen took a deep breath before tapping on the door of the former queen of Genovia and her husband. She still wasn't used to working with the dowager Queen and found her a bit... intimidating. Charlotte had assured her that the former Queen could be quite warm once she got to know people personally and so Kathleen pressed on, knocking on the door and holding her breath. Nothing. She knocked again, holding her head higher. This was her job, she had nothing to fear. This time she heard footsteps slowly making their way to the door.
"Good morning", Sir Joseph said as he opened the door and stepped back to let her in.
"Morning, Sir Joseph", Kathleen said with a little bow before walking into the sitting area of Clarisse and Joseph's suite, "Is her majesty awake? I have a pressing matter I must discuss with her"
Joseph smiled at her, before looking away, "Yes, I assumed you would. I suppose most of the palace is whispering about me this morning"
Kathleen shifted uncomfortably. Why would the palace be talking about HIM? Adding to her nerves was the fact that she found Sir Joseph, although old enough to be her father, perhaps even Grandfather, very attractive and charming.
"I was just told by Charlotte to discuss this with her Majesty", Kathleen explained.
"I see. I must say I am surprised, but if Charlotte has put her trust in you with this matter..."
"Well, its not exactly a big deal Sir", Kathleen said with a blush.
Joseph looked at her, surprised, "Not a big deal? I suppose we will have to disagree on that"
"Your wife is beautiful!", Kathleen said then, "I'm sure she will look lovely in either of the dresses for tea with the Duchess tomorrow"
Joseph raised his eyebrows, before nodding with a smile. They were clearly talking about two different issues, "You're here about an outfit?"
"Yes, the alterations must be made"
"Of course", Joseph said kindly, "Let me see if her majesty is up"
"Oh! Please don't wake her!", Kathleen said quickly.
Joseph smiled, "She'll be getting up soon anyhow. She is not normally a late sleeper, but last night... with the ball"
"Of course! She must be exhausted!"
Joseph bit his lip to keep from grinning, "Yes, I believe she is, but all the same there are things to attend to today", he said as he turned away.
"Please! Could you...", Kathleen began, "Could you merely ask her for me? I wouldn't want her to have to rush out here before she has dressed. Could you simply ask her... blue or purple?"
"Blue or purple?", Joseph questioned.
"Yes. If you could be so kind", Kathleen replied.
Joseph had to smile. The girl was clearly terrified of his wife. Not that she had any reason to be. Clarisse had always been more than kind to her staff, but it was true that often times the newer members of the staff found her a bit... imposing. She had a way about her that made one always be on their toes it was true. He, of course, had found this sexy from his very first day in the palace.
"Not a problem", he said, disappearing into the bedroom.
Clarisse lay tangled in the sheets and comforter, her foot and beautiful leg emerging from one side of the bed, his side actually. He chuckled a bit. She really did have huge feet. A fact which she hated, but he found most endearing. She was a flawless beauty, but those feet drove her crazy! He loved them however, as he did all of her. He sighed thinking about what the rest of the day had in store. He made his way over to the bed and sat beside her.
"Clarisse?", he whispered, but she did not reply.
He slid under the covers then and began kissing her neck. She smelt like flowers and champagne. He adored it and kissed her more, for his own selfish reasons as well as his pursuit of waking her. Finally a small moan escaped her lips and her eyelids fluttered open.
"Good morning", she whispered, pecking his lips and turning quickly in his arms in order to spoon herself up again him.
"Good morning yourself", he said, not ready to give up on the attention to her neck.
"Hmm. Last night was wonderful", she said softly, her eyes closed.
"Agreed", he said with a smile.
"Are you in your robe?", she asked half heartedly.
"I am", he confirmed, sliding one hand over her perfect, very unclothed, bottom.
"Well, get rid of it!", she said with a soft deep laugh into her pillow.
He chuckled himself, before asking her, "Blue or purple?"
"What?", she asked, running her foot up and down his leg.
He stopped rubbing her bottom and gave it a little squeeze, "Would you like to wear the blue or purple dress to tea with the Duchess tomorrow afternoon?"
Clarisse laughed, "I don't know! Why on earth would you care?"
"Kathleen asked me to ask you"
"When?", Clarisse asked curiously.
"Hmm, just now", Joseph replied, smiling into her hair.
Clarisse sat up quickly, looking at him, "Is she out THERE?", she whispered, pointing to the door.
Joseph nodded, "Blue or purple?"
"Joseph!", she said with a swot on his arm, as she pulled the covers more tightly over her bare chest.
"Well, she's not coming in HERE"
Clarisse gave him a look, but when he chuckled she couldn't help but smile. He was so handsome when he laughed. Joseph stood and made his way over to the door, before looking back at her questioningly.
"Blue", she replied.
"Excellent choice", he said as he was about to open the door.
"Ah, excuse me! Haven't you forgotten something?", she said to him.
He looked at her confused, before following her gaze down to his manhood, "Oh crap!"
She laughed, pulling the covers over her head when he gave her a look. He waited another moment before he was able to step out and say, "Blue"
"Oh thank you! Have a nice day Sir!", Kathleen replied before retreating from the suite.
Joseph closed the bedroom door and locked it. Clarisse poked her head out from the covers, still laughing.
"You think you're very funny don't you?", Joseph said, taking the phone off the hook.
Clarisse continued to chuckle, until she noticed him shutting off their cell phones and disconnecting the land line, "Oh Joseph, what if we get an important call?"
"Everything can wait for another hour", he told her, he knowing more then her what that meant.
He slid into bed and began kissing her neck once more.
"Please tell me", she told him.
He stopped kissing her and looked to her eyes, "Now? Or would you like to make love once more before you decide you're not speaking to me?"
Clarisse sat up, concerned at what it was he had to tell her.
"Fair enough", he said, sitting up as well, and taking her hand, "I love you more then anything in the world"
"I love you too. Now please tell me what this is all about"
"Yes... well, I guess I should start from the beginning"
"A good place to start, yes"
"The thing is... there is something you don't know about me. About my past"
"You're scaring me a bit darling", she said honestly.
He took her face in his hands and kissed her lovingly, "I never wish to do that, but I would be lying if I said this isn't going to upset you", he lowered her hands from her face then and looked away.
"Please continue", she told him, guarding herself the way she used to. Telling her emotions to not get over excited.
"You are not my first wife"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOO
"Good evening you two!", Catherine said as she placed a kiss first on Nanny's cheek and then on Wilkes'. Robert followed suit, kissing Nanny and shaking Wilkes' hand, before pulling out Catherine's chair.
Catherine was wearing a gold fitted suit, which had a pencil skirt which hugged her perfectly. She wore Gold, pointed sling-back heels, and beautiful diamond drop earrings hung below her hair which was done in the airy feminine way that Robert loved. Nanny had on a black cocktail dress, which criss crossed modestly over her abundant cleavage. Her black peep-toe heels were a bit lower than Catherine's, but not by much, her hair done up in a tight twist, her bangs to the side, with sapphire studs in her ears. Their husbands looked like gentlemen in their suits. All four looked elegant and ready for a nice night out.
"Thank you Robert", Catherine said as she sat, "Oh! Isn't this nice?"
"Very! It's been so long since we have been in Manhattan. We have missed it ", Wilkes replied, looking from his friends to his wife.
"This city is very special to us, having met 'ere... and fallen in love 'ere as well" , Nanny added.
"Well, of course!", Catherine replied, ignoring the fact that Wilkes' hand was a bit too high on Nanny's leg. She found it amusing in fact, since Nanny and Wilkes were usually so modest in public.
"Doesn't Nanny look beautiful?", Wilkes asked the others to Nanny's horror.
"Wilkes!"
"But you DO! So lovely my darling", Wilkes said, kissing her hand and making Nanny blush, "Oh, and you do as well Catherine!"
"Thank you Wilkes", Catherine laughed.
"You both look great", Robert added, picking up his menu, "What are we eating?"
"Mister Romance", Catherine said, pointing to Robert and picking up her own menu.
"Hey, I'm romantic!"
"You have your moments", Catherine replied, looking over her menu, enjoying teasing him.
"Listen lady, I am damn romantic!"
Catherine laughed, not being able to resist, "I bet you a thousand dollars that you WILL sweep me off my feet my the time the weekend is through"
"Oh yeah? Well... What?", Robert began.
Nanny and Wilkes both laughed.
"I am teasing you sweetheart. Of course your romantic! Everyone knows that, and I expect you to live up to that this weekend"
Robert leaned forward, "I can't WAIT to see your face when you see what I have planned for us tomorrow. You'll think you've died and gone to heaven!"
"If you're talking about chocolate chip pancakes Robert..."
"Not pancakes! I'm talking way better than pancakes baby"
"A man of mystery!", Catherine said to the others, who chuckled.
"I can't wait darling", Catherine said, placing a kiss on his cheek.
"That's better", Robert said, squeezing her hand, "Now what shall we have? I want steak"
"Oh let's please, please, please not rush through dinner!", Nanny pleaded , "Maybe we can 'ave some wine first? Wilkes and I did 'ave one glass while we waited for you, but lets try a bottle of something nice all together before we eat"
"Yes, Nan's right. Tonight is a treat, let's not rush it", Wilkes agreed.
"Fine with me", Catherine said, placing down her menu and picking up the wine list.
"I don't know... I mean it sounds nice to linger, but I'm starving!", Robert complained.
"I'm sure you'll make it if we wait thirty minutes to eat!", Catherine pointed out.
Robert grumbled, but placed down his menu, mumbling under his breath, "Thought the point of coming to a restaurant was to eat food"
Catherine rested her hand on his knee, sliding her chair over a bit to give him a brief kiss on the lips, "Thank you Robert", she said, lingering close to him, and his complaining ceased.
"I feel a bit guilty", Nanny admitted, placing down the wine list.
"It's alright Nanny. I'm not that hungry. I'm just a complainer by nature", Robert offered.
"That's not news to anyone at this table", Catherine informed him, to which he gave a playful growl which made Catherine chuckle.
"No, no, no... I meant Clarisse and Joseph", Nanny explained, " 'ere we are all enjoying ourselves. 'appy and in-love... and poor Clarisse and Joseph"
"Yes. We, er... saw the news", Wilkes added.
"Oh! Yes, well... that", Catherine said, placing down the wine list.
The waiter came then, and since no one else seemed to care much, Wilkes ordered two bottles of wine that sounded good from the list.
"Are they alright? 'ave you spoken with Clarisse?", Nanny asked.
"I have", Catherine admitted, "Oh, Nanny I don't know. It's a bit of a mess"
"It sounded like it on the news... not that we believe everything we hear", Wilkes quickly added.
"It's pretty much all true", Robert pointed out.
"Robert!", Catherine scolded.
"Well it is!", Robert pointed out.
"Perhaps the facts are more or less accurate, but they are making it look quite different than it actually is! Then again that is always the way with the media isn't it?", Catherine said, reflecting.
"It's true then? Joseph was married before Clarisse?", Nanny asked.
"Yes", Catherine confirmed.
"And this first wife... well the news had said... wants money", Wilkes stammered.
"Yes, Wilkes. She apparently is quite in debt and suing them for funds that she says Joseph owes her"
"Oh my Lord! Poor Clarisse!", Nanny said then.
"Poor Joseph is more like it!", Robert pointed out, "Clearly she's a gold digger pure and simple"
"I would have to agree", Catherine said.
"This must be very 'ard for them both" , Nanny said sadly.
"I am sure. Especially the way the media is painting it. The real issue however is the fact that Joseph never told her about the marriage! It was a long time ago of course, but can you imagine? I am a bit disappointed in him about that I must admit", Catherine admitted.
"Clarisse must be disappointed as well", Nanny said sadly.
"Pissed off might be a better term", Robert said, "I can't blame her. I like Joe. Like him a lot, but that's pretty low"
"Well...", Nanny said, as Wilkes shifted uncomfortably beside her, "I am sure 'e 'ad 'is reasons!"
"I'm sure, but still...", Catherine replied, "I just can't believe he would not tell her!"
Nanny took Wilkes' hand then, and a made a decision to confess something to their friends which she wasn't sure she ever would, "Wilkes was married. Before 'e married me that is. 'e didn't tell me until after we were married as well, but we got past it. So you see there is 'ope for them"
Robert and Catherine looked back at the other couple, surprised.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Robert!", Catherine scolded.
"I know it's surprising, but it is not what it sounds like... not really", Nanny began.
"Allow me to explain Nan. It is my, er..., skeleton in my closet, after all", Wilkes said, patting Nanny's hand before turning to the other couple, "It was over three decades ago. A very brief union, which was only for... er, well business purposes. You see my company was still young and it needed myself and my partner, Emily Goldstein, to stay here in the United States. I was not a citizen however, and we knew if I did not stay the company had a far lesser chance of survival, and so we were married... but only in the legal sense. We did not live together or anything of that nature"
"You were MARRIED to Emily?! The woman who comes to your dinner parties with her husband?", Catherine asked.
"Yes", Nanny and Wilkes said together.
"She's been married to 'er second 'husband for thirty years", Nanny added.
"You never told Nanny you had been married before? But WHY?", Catherine asked, "If I may ask of course..."
"Of course. Well, I suppose I should have...", Wilkes began.
"No, you definitely should, should, should 'ave", Nanny commented, just as the waiter came and filled all their wine glasses with their selection. After the waiter left Nanny took two rather large gulps of wine, and added, "But as I 'ave said I am over it"
"Looks like it", Robert said sarcastically, under his breath.
"When did you finally tell her?", Catherine asked, shocked at all the marital revelations the last couple of days.
"About a month after we were married it came up", Wilkes said, taking a sip of his own wine, "The thing of it is... I had no intention of keeping anything from Nanny. I just simply did not think to tell her. As I said, to me it was business"
"Did you sleep with her?", Robert asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.
"Robert!", Catherine said, but secretly she was wondering herself. Emily Goldstein was an extremely attractive woman, even now in her sixties. Catherine did not see how any man who worked with her day in and day out, especially one who was married to her, could not want a physical relationship with Emily.
"No, absolutely not!", Wilkes answered.
"Sorry", Robert replied.
"Tosh, tosh. It's a natural question. However, I assure you the answer is no. I was never interested in Emily in that way"
"Not even once? She's very attractive!", Catherine commented.
"Catherine!", Robert said, teasing her.
"Oh shut up!", she replied, but realizing she was being ruse to Nanny, mouthed the words "sorry" to her, which Nanny waved away.
"As I said, no. She was my business partner. It would have been a bad idea. In addition to that, while lovely, she has never been my type. The desire was never there"
"We apologize", Catherine began, "It really wasn't our place to..."
"Oh Wilkes!", Nanny interrupted, jumping off her seat a bit and throwing her arms around him, before giving him a long kiss.
"Damn! Maybe I need to admit to having had another wife I never told you about", Robert said to Catherine.
"Don't even JOKE about that", Catherine replied.
"Excuse me", Nanny said, sitting back down and wiping the lipstick from Wilkes' mouth.
Wilkes sat there with a confused smile on his face. He wasn't sure what had just prompted his wife's behavior, but he certainly wasn't complaining.
"You see, I 'ad always wondered...", Nanny explained, seeing everyone eyeing her, "Wilkes 'ad told me it was simply a business arrangement, but still I 'ad always wondered if the normal intimacies of marriage 'ad gone along with that"
"You have ?!", Wilkes asked, surprised, "You never said anything... you never asked... I assumed you knew that when I said "business" I meant no, er... you know. Hanky panky"
"Oh Wilkes! I wanted to believe that, and I did mostly... 'owever, there are times when I looked at Emily and I 'ave wondered. You WERE married after all... and I was too, too, too afraid of the answer to ask"
"NEVER Nan! I would have told you! It was a technical title and nothing more... I do regret that you are not the first woman I can call my wife, just as you wish you could say I was your one and only husband, but I was young and what's done is done"
"Oh Love! You know I 'ave made my peace with it! And I should 'ave known you never would 'ave 'ad a relationship of that nature with 'er, even if it was the past, and not inform me"
"Of course not! I adore you Nan"
"Oh! I know Willie and I you! For sure, sure, sure! "
Wilkes kissed her hand and held onto it as he turned to their friends, "I hope you two do not have ill feelings towards me due to my, er, past"
"None of our business", Robert said holding up his hands.
"I agree", Catherine added, "But I am glad that you two have moved past it and are fine... of course your situation is a bit different from Joseph's. That was certainly not a business arrangement! I still have no idea why he would not have told Clarisse about his first wife, but I suppose she can shed more light on it when she comes for a visit next week. If she feels she wants to talk about it that is"
"Clarisse and Joseph are coming? Oh, 'ow nice! I 'ad not realized", Nanny said to Catherine.
"She just informed me this morning that she would like to come for a visit, while things cool down I suppose", Catherine replied, "But she's coming... alone"
"Oh NO!", Nanny replied.
"That doesn't MEAN anything!", Catherine was quick to say, "Joseph has to deal with things in Genovia and Clarisse has the time and so she would like to get away from this all for a bit."
"I don't buy that, but I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens", Robert said, picking up his menu, "Am I allowed to look at food now?"
Catherine sighed, looking over her menu, thinking it odd that as of a couple of days ago she had believed she was the only one of the three women who was a second wife, and now it turns out they all were. She had to admit to herself that she had always been a little jealous of Nanny and Clarisse, to be the man you love's first wife, later in his life seemed to say something. That he never needed marriage before he found his spouse... She still believed this was the case for Wilkes, but Joseph... Catherine wasn't sure what to think about Joseph. Not that it mattered that he had been married before. Robert had, and she knew he didn't love her any less, but the mystery of why Joseph had kept it from Clarisse was going to bother her until she found out what the true reason was.
"Steak it is", She heard Robert say.
"Yes, for myself as well", Catherine said, placing down her menu.
TO BE CONTINUED...