CHAPTER 6: A NEW START
"My god! Is that Nan?", Joseph asked as the group from Genovia entered
The Plaza after their long trip.
"My goodness it is!", replied Clarisse, looking over her sister who
was sitting on a love seat in the lobby of the hotel. She had lost
weight, her hair was now a solid grey, which was very becoming on her.
It was done up in a classy french pleat and every hair was in place!
Her outfit was a updated version of her former look. She had on a
fitted blue silk blouse and a black pencil skirt, which showed her
curves. She seemed to have carefully applied her make-up and had
ditched her granny shoes for classy pumps.
"Aunt Nan!", Mia shouted, excited to see her great Aunt who she had
grown quite close to.
Nanny heard Mia and hurried over to meet the group as they approached her.
"You've arrived! Oh, I'm so glad your here", Nanny said wrapping her
arms first around Clarisse and then around Charlotte and Mia. Joe
moved over and gave her a kiss as well.
"We have missed you Nanny!", Clarisse exclaimed.
"And I have missed you all! For sure, sure, sure", she said giving her
sister another hug, "And...I have some good news for you! A
businessman on our floor is leaving the Plaza in a weeks time, as he
has wrapped up his business here in the city. So, it seems you will
have a suite to live in! He was friendly with Kay and when he heard my
sister wanted a residential suite he asked Mr. Salamone, the manager
of The Plaza, if he might sign his lease right over to you and he
agreed. So, you bypass the waiting list and get a suite right away!"
"Oh, that's wonderful Nan. Thank you! Do you know how many bedrooms it has?"
"Four, just like ours. It should be quite spacious"
"Wonderful! So, tell me...why did you not tell me about your new look?"
"What? Aww, my stars, stars, stars. No, I just lost a few pounds is all."
"How many? You look great! You also changed your hair I see and I love
these new clothes"
"Aww, well thank you Clarisse! I'm still not as small as you for sure,
sure, sure. I still have a bit extra here and there. I lost about
forty pounds or forty-two to be exact"
"That's a lot! I hope you are eating enough and as for the extra here
and there, it seems to be in all the right places. I'm envying those
curves of yours"
"Well, I am eating enough for sure, sure, sure. I just gave up a few
things and I exercise every day. I took up yoga as well", said Nanny
shyly, she was not entirely comfortable with compliments, even from
her dear sister, "Well, Shall we go up then? Eloise is dying to see
you all!"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
At dinner that night the group all caught up and the group from
Genovia were already feeling much more relaxed then they had in a long
time. Eloise had informed them all that Kay would be coming home from
Paris tomorrow. She also told them all about who should be avoided at
The Plaza and who they should get to know and still others who were
absolutely divine !
They had gotten three rooms for the next couple weeks, while they
waited for their suite to be ready. After dinner Shades and Joe
decided to go downstairs to the bar to get a drink while the ladies
opted to stay upstairs in Nanny's suite, since Eloise was asleep in
her room. It wasn't long before Nanny, Charlotte, Mia and Clarisse all
sat on the sofa cozy together, sipping their wine and having some good
old fashion girl talk.
"I did miss my girls! For sure, sure, sure!"
"We missed you too Nanny", said Charlotte patting Nanny on the knee.
"You know what we should do?", asked Mia with a grin, "Play truth or dare!"
The other three all started to moan in disapproval, but they all
finally gave in.
"Ok", said Mia excitedly, " I want Aunt Nan to go first since we have
not seen her for a while, well Charlotte has, but anyway...Aunt Nan,
truth or dare?"
"Oh my stars. Aww, well...truth I suppose"
"OK, hmmm. Ok. Did you give yourself this make-over... for a man?"
"Mia, that's rude!", said Clarisse, but since Charlotte just laughed
she decided to relax and see what Nan's answer was.
"Well, I would have to say...Kind of"
"What!", they all cried at once, laughing.
Nanny tried to change the subject by asking who was next, but the
others weren't going to let her off the hook so easy. She finally
confessed that she had been taking some classes since Eloise would be
going to school in the Fall and she might be going back to teaching.
The instructor for the course was a man about her age who she admired
very much. He was English, refined, a little shy, very intelligent and
quite handsome in her eyes. The others cooed as she gave them more
details, which embarrassed her a bit, but she continued anyway, happy
to be talking about him.
"His name is Wilkes Thompson. He is a superintendent of schools by day
and he teaches the occasional refresher course in the evenings. He
used to be a college professor. I went to my first course about six
months ago. He was the instructor. He was so charming that I kept
signing up for his classes. I have been to three now. I am starting
another one next week, on "Seizing Opportunities in A Child's
Imagination". I needed to take several classes to keep up with my
degree you see. I only needed the three, but I'm taking this one
just...for me. It sounds very interesting!"
"Plus you get to see more of the Hottie teaching the course right?",
said Mia as the others laughed.
"Awww, Well I admit that is part of it as well. Not that I would call
him a hottie, I mean I certainly find him attractive...very
attractive, but its not as if he lifts weights or...Well, it doesn't
matter. He doesn't know I exist anyway"
"Have you ever talked to him?", asked Charlotte, who was a little in
shock that Nanny, her Nanny, would ever be attracted to a man...or
flush just talking about a man the way she was now.
"Well, no. There are a lot of people in the classes and it is rather
easy to disappear into the crowd. We hand in papers at the end of each
course and he has left some comments on those, but I doubt he puts a
name with the face. I wanted to talk to him, but, I am rather a
coward. I thought if I boosted my self esteem I would manage to say
hello to him and maybe even ask him to have coffee with me...that's
why I started loosing weight, but then I liked the way I looked and
felt so I kept up with it. Then I needed some new clothes, so I
decided to get some that were a bit nicer and change my hair a bit to
go with it"
"And you look great! Although I think you always looked great. So WHY
haven't you talked to him?", Mia persisted.
"Yeah", Charlotte added softly.
"Its hard for me I guess, well, that and there is always this awful
woman, Mrs. Daniels, hanging around him. She is the kind of woman that
marries for money, apparently she is a educator as well, although I
can't imagine her working a day in her life"
"So Mr. Thompson is wealthy?", Mia asked.
"That's what I 'ear. He drives a newer Jaguar, so he certainly might
be. I could care less about that. I just think he's...well, to quote
Eloise, divine...but its useless, that Mrs. Daniels takes all his
classes and she will never let me get a word in"
They were all silent for moment. Mia suddenly getting a big smile on
her face asked, "Are there any more openings in the next class?"
"Well, I assume...why?"
"I will take it with you! I'll get that Mrs. Daniels lady out of the
way and you can finally talk to him. I need to DO something anyway, it
might be a good career path for me. I do need to find a job at some
point. Maybe I'll teach. I majored in foreign affairs, but I minored
in Education"
"I remember, you had the same major and minor as Charlotte. Oh Mia,
thank you, but I don't know if it is such a good idea", said Nanny
reluctantly.
"I think it's a wonderful idea", Clarisse added.
"Well", Nanny said smiling a bit, "I don't suppose it would hurt you
to take a class, even if our little plan doesn't work"
"Oh it will work", Mia said laughing, the others all joined her.
"Alright, Alright. Isn't it someone elses's turn for Lord's sake!"
"Clarisse, truth or dare?"
"Truth...I don't do dares"
"Alright... What will you do here in New York that you could never do
in Genovia?"
"Well, aside from the obvious. I want to, I don't know ... wear sweat pants"
The others laughed.
"I'm serious! Well, ok maybe not out of the house, but I do want to
dress more casually now that I have the freedom to do so. I want to
cook too, I want to learn that is. I want to drive my own car and I
don't want to have staff at all! Ok, maybe a cleaning lady can come in
a couple times a week...I'm not sure I could ever get used to doing
toilets...but I want a normal life, truly! I told the others on the
airplane Nan, so now I will tell you...I do not want anyone here
knowing I was a Queen. I will not be using my title. I want to be
known as Clarisse or Mrs. Delgado and that is it! This is a new
chapter and I am going to do it right!"
"I didn't know you took Joe's name, MRS. Delgado!"
"Yes, well I just changed it before the move...I rather like it!"
"Well all I have to say is, you go girl!", said Mia, "...But you said
all you will answer to is Clarisse or Mrs. Delgado, I can still call
you Grandma right? Oh and does Joe know you'll be cooking? I still
remeber that grilled cheese you made for me one night in at the
palace. It tasted like burnt erasers"
"Very funny darling. I don't dare ask how you know what aburnt eraser
tastes like. Now I believe YOU are next. Truth of dare?"
"Well, I guess I will keep with the trend and say truth"
"Ok. Let's see. Ah, I know. Do you happen to have a terrible crush on
my very handsome husband's very handsome son?"
"Mario? What kind of question is that Grandma? Everyone that has ever
met that man has a crush on him. He has the biggest dimples I have
ever seen and a smile that has likely killed"
"Not to mention that butt, now THAT he inherited from Joe", Charlotte
added, surpising the others.
"Charlotte!", they all cried laughing hysterically.
"Well", Clarisse said still laughing, "I think you might be right
there Charlotte. I remember the first time I saw Joseph's naked
behind. He had gotten out of bed and was heading for the bathroom and
the site was so beautiful I thought I might cry!"
They all busted out laughing once again at this last statement.
"Alright, alright! I think you've had enough wine by the way Grandma.
Ok, Charlotte's turn! Truth or dare?"
"I'm too tired for a dare. We had better stick with truth"
"Ok. Now Charlotte, since these two clearly don't now how this game
is done, we the younger generation will have to save the day! So my
question for you is this...WHAT is your BIGGEST, DEEPEST, DARKEST
secret? One that you never thought you would tell? I'm not talking
about stealing cable when you were in college. I mean a SECRET"
The smiles faded from Clarisse and Nanny's faces and each placed their
glass down.
"I...Well, I don't think I have any secrets Mia"
Clarisse and Nanny both relaxed, until they heard Charlotte continue...
"Well, that's not true. I do have one, but it is the biggest one I
will ever have in my life and its not, well, its not a easy thing and
I am not sure I should talk about it"
"Charlotte", Nanny began, "Do NOT feel like you have to talk about
what I think you are refering to. This is just a game for Lord's
sake!"
"Yeah Charlotte, I'm sorry, I didn't think... It's ok", Mia said, a
little embarrassed.
"It is NOT ok! I wish everyone would stop making me feel like what I
did was ok. To tell you the truth I would like to talk about it, but I
feel like I'm not allowed to!", Charlotte admitted as tears rolled
down her cheeks.
"Awww, Charlotte, now now my darling girl don't cry", Nanny soothed as
she moved her arm around her, "Of course you can talk about it! You
absolutely have that right. Do you really want to?"
"Yes. I do. I know that you know and I suspect that being Nanny's twin
and the situation with getting me the job
at the Genovian embassy, well I assume Clarisse knows. Mia is one of
my dearest friends and I would like her to know too"
They all waited in silence for Charlotte to find the words.
"The truth is Mia... I have a... a daughter. I'm a mother", she finally said.
Mia's mouth dropped open and all three sat paralized with shock, Mia
by the news and the others by the fact that the words had actually
been spoken. They were so deep in their shock that didn't hear the
suite door open and the footsteps of the three who entered.
Joe and Shades had run into Kay in the lobby on their way to the
elevators. They had recognized her from when their paths had
previously crossed. Kay explained to them that she had taken a earlier
flight and was on her way up to surprise Nanny and Charlotte,
presumably Eloise would be sleeping at this hour. The three boarded
the elevator, going up to the 16th floor and entered Nanny's suite
just in time to hear Charlotte continue...
"It's Eloise you see. Eloise is my daughter. I'm her birth mother"
Mia's mouth remained open and Nanny's jaw dropped even lower when she
saw the three who had just entered staring in disbelief, Scott and Joe
by the news and Kay by the fact that the revelation had been made.
Nanny's stare made the other three ladies on the couch turn to meet
the gaze of the three who had entered. All eyes were then on
Charlotte.
Shades had heard her! She had wanted to tell him on her own,
privately. What would his reaction be? Would he hate her for keeping
such a thing from him? Would he no longer be interested in her since
she was now a mother and not a loyal one at that? Would he think her
trash after hearing the details of the child's conception? She was
about to speak his name, to urge him to go with her someplace quiet so
they could talk privately, when a small voice was heard from the other
direction of the suite...
"Aunt Charlotte? WHAT did you say?"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
After the shock of the situation wore off a bit, Clarisse, Joe and Mia
left for their rooms to give the others some privacy.
Kay, Nanny and Charlotte immediately hustled themselves into a corner.
They talked it over and realized they had no other choice then to tell
Eloise the truth. Nanny left Kay and Charlotte to take Eloise aside.
Kay embrased the child and explained to her that a long time ago Aunt
Charlotte had a baby and yes that baby had been her, Eloise. Kay
explained that a bad man didn't want her to be born so Charlotte had
to hide in Paris with her. Then when Eloise was born they came back to
The Plaza and Nanny became her mostly companion!
Eloise looked confused, but not too upset, she had even smiled a bit
at the idea of having to hide out in Paris. Charlotte took this as a
tiny bit of hope that her daughter wouldn't hate her or be scarred for
life. She took Eloise on her lap then and smoothed her hair a bit. She
told the child that she loved her as much as any mother could love
their child, but she had been too afraid to raise her on her
own...because of the "bad man". She told her she knew she would be
safe and happy and loved very much by Nanny and Kay and that she knew
she would still get to see her, so it seemed like a good plan. Then
she told her, "I am so sorry Eloise!"
Eloise was quiet for a moment and they all watched as the six-year-old
pondered the information that had been given to her.
Nanny then took Eloise and offered the child her point of view. She
told her although Kay had not been her birth mother, she still loved
her as a mother would and had even formally adopted her when she was
born, which meant she WAS her mother. She went on to tell her that
adopted mothers don't love their children any less and that
Charlotte's mommy, her Grandma Marsh had adopted Charlotte and had
loved her ever so much. The others knowing Charlotte had been adopted
were not surprised by this information.
"So since Charlotte is your mommy who had you and Kay is your mommy
who adopted you...it's like you get two mommies! Unlike most ordinary
children who just get one"
At this, Eloise had a wide grin on her face and she jumped up onto the
couch and began jumping up and down.
"Oh boy, Aunt Charlotte is my other Momma! How absolutely divine! It
IS all a little confusing...for Lord's sake, but I must say it makes
sense...I have always known that I, Eloise, was not a normal child.
It's also terribly sad in a way isn't it? ...But don't worry Aunt...I
mean Momma Charlotte. I am not cross with you. Nanny says that
sometimes people do things they simply never would do otherwise out of
fear, for Lord's sake! So you see, I understand and actually I think
it's rather divine since Momma Kay lives mostly in Paris now. She will
still visit me all the time like always or she will miss me too, too,
too much! While she is here we can do fun things like always and you
can spend time with Mr. Shades! Then, when Momma Kay has to return to
Paris, I will still have you Momma Charlotte and Nanny of course"
"Well, Eloise...", Nanny began cautiously, "Charlotte still has a very
important job in Genovia and a life there. She won't be staying Pet"
"Oh", said Eloise sadly, loosing herself in thought as she sat on the couch.
"Eloise", Charlotte asked quietly, "Would...Would you really like me
to stay and live here with you?"
Eloise face beamed, "Oh, everly so much!"
"Well, then I think that can be arranged", she said. Delighting
Eloise. Then talking to the group she added, "It is time I were a part
of her life. She has two mothers, one of them should be here. I don't
mean any offense by that Kay, you have been wonderful and so have you
Nanny, but now its my turn"
The ladies looked relatively pleased, although surprised by the
outcome of the recent events. All eyes then fell on Shades, who did
not look so happy. Nanny and Kay told Eloise they would tuck her back
in and after giving Charlotte a big hug and kiss and receiving a "I
love you" from her birth mother, Eloise gave into bed time. Leaving
Scott and Charlotte alone.
"So you are going to live in New York now?", Shades started, " You
know Charlotte most people would check with their boyfriend before
deciding to move to another Country, but then you are not most people
are you? I don't know what upsets me more, the fact that you never
trusted me or loved me enough to tell me this, or the fact that you
have been lying to me for years! Maybe it's the fact that I never knew
you at all! God Charlie, who ARE you? You know, I don't have a family,
just you and Joe. I feel like I just lost my best friend and the
person I wanted to live the rest of my life with"
"You didn't loose me Scott. I'm right here! I want to be with you too,
your not working in Genovia any more and Joe is here. You could move
here too if you wanted to. I AM sorry I never told you about Eloise,
but it was very painful for me and I just wasn't ready"
"I see. Well, I think I need a little time...apart I mean. I hope you
don't mind if you stay here rather then our room downstairs. I will
have someone bring your stuff up in the morning"
The two stared at each other a long while before Shades spoke again.
"I'll see you around Charlie" ...and was gone.
...TO BE CONTINUED