True contentment depends not on what we have; a tub was large enough for Diogenes, a world was too little for Alexander – Charles Caleb Colton
Contentment is the greatest treasure. That treasure was bestowed upon me by Claire with the help of Todd and Amy. Considerable sacrifices were made; and for what. Me? Why did I deserve this? Why did Claire find it necessary to spirit me away; to rescue me, body and soul, from my oppressive father? The others had clearer motives; Amy…Paris, Todd…Claire. But Claire, I could not see what she gained here. All I saw was potential for loss. I just didn't understand.
Whatever her rationale I was exponentially grateful. My heart ached from fullness; there was laughter and kindness and love; sweet, sweet love. Contentment in its most pure form is rare but at that moment it possessed me; for contentment is too ethereal to be possessed. Few moments in my life have been drenched with such joy. My love for Kendall, our moments of passion, oh the things we did……and our wedding day were of a similar magnitude, but I am getting ahead of myself. It is interesting when looking back; blissful moments seem to tumble over one another creating a collage of euphoria where as each occurrence of heartbreak stands isolated its sharp knifelike edges waiting to pierce into your happiness with deft precision.
As predicted, Alexander had not told anyone, publicly, of my disappearance. There were no stories in the papers, no microscope turned toward the search for the missing Cambias heir. As far as the world was concerned I was still at school. In fact he did not even tell Claire. This facade was easy to maintain with everyone at home especially the twins. I had not been home since the winter break so no bells and whistles went off when they didn't see me. Knowing they were completely oblivious made my new situation much easier. Sure I missed them, but I had missed them while at Wilkinson too and at least now I was no longer cut off from everyone.
Each member of the 'team' had a very specific part to play. Amy had a significant role in the ruse; not only did she actually steal me away from campus but it was her responsibility to convince Alexander I had been kidnapped. A note left at school detailed the million dollar ransom and Sunday evening drop-off location and time. There was never any attempt to actually retrieve the ransom as that would have proved foolhardy considering with whom we were dealing. Amy was already out of the country by the time Todd was called in from the field to assist with the drop. A dozen of Chase's men watched vigilantly.
Todd filled us in after the failed drop.
"The old man's eyes darkened and he began screaming for Mathews. I've never seen him loose control like he did. He grabbed Chase's arm and got right up in his face, got real quiet, not sure what was said but Mathews looked scared when Cambias sent him flying over the hood of the limo. Better him than me. Never would have guessed he was that strong! To bad he doesn't have a weak ticker. I would have enjoyed watching him drop dead on the spot. Now that would have been poetic justice."
As planned, suspicions focused on Amy once she did not return to Wilkinson Monday morning. I could only imagine the stories that flowed from the mouths of those adolescent lads; a tinge of jealousy perhaps? Her tiny frame, large doe eyes and the fact that she never wore a bra were the fodder for many of their imaginations. How my father managed to keep this out of the papers is testament to just how much power he wielded.
The orange beetle was discovered at LaGuardia Airport one week after my disappearance. She had flown to Sweden as Amy then, as Lizette, she winged her way to France. Todd's expertise in all things covert proved invaluable. He arranged for a new identity complete with personal history. Outfitted with her new passport and all necessary papers she was able to fulfill a life-long dream, studying couture in Paris. Amy, or should I say Lizette, craved fashion and thanks to Claire would now be able to study and spend time as an apprentice for the likes of Guy Laroche or Givenchy.
What can I say about Todd? Without his assistance this little plot would have decayed with lighting speed. His ability to play both sides kept us aware of Alexander's game plan, allowed us to remain safe. We were well aware of the fact that the search would not stop. Todd's subterfuge allowed us to hide in plain site. Claire continued to go to the gallery and meet Alexander at her other apartment whenever he demanded. Since Todd's duties were not required during their trysts he stayed with me affording Claire peace of mind. Knowledge and brawn were not the only things he brought to the table. His kindness and love offered to both Claire and me made us feel like a real family, a normal family, and that was valuable indeed.
Claire was different away from Alexander. With him she fought to define herself and to not be bullied into silence but alas she remained, eternally, his victim. Separated she was clear, confident, well defined and amazingly funny. We were always laughing. We loved to play games but her frustration was evident when playing cards with me.
"How do you win every time? It's just not fair. Oh well, unlucky at cards lucky at love. Right Todd?" She would say with a broad smile and a pat of his hand.
Much of this inner strength came from Todd. Claire thrived wrapped in his love and affection. There was only one other person who had been as devoted to Claire…her father, Howard. Todd's love was evident with each absentminded brush of her hair, every glance stolen across a room and in the tone of his voice just saying her name. I had never realized love could be so pure so unbounded until I witnessed this pair. Before I bore witness to this committed couple demands, conditions and relentless expectations defined love. None of these existed with Todd and Claire. They trusted each other, felt safe, it is impossible for me to explain exactly how foreign this concept was to me. Seeing them, together, granted me hope…the dream of the soul awake. My heart lifted –
The first few weeks of my disappearance Alexander was too preoccupied to have interest in Claire but by the third week he was ready and waiting. Knowing where she was made my skin crawl but it helped being able to spend time with Todd. I grew to like and admire him. There have been damn few men I can say that about. He had a code and remained true to self. A confidence was kept. A commitment held dear. If there was any one in this world I tried to emulate it was Todd.
Life began to settle into a comfortable rhythm. Several times a week Claire went out. She tried not to let me know where she was going but I knew. On an unseasonably warm April evening Todd and I went for a bike ride in the park. We'd stopped in the long evening shadow of the obelisk.
"Looking at something this old puts things into perspective." Reaching to touch it Todd continued. "Our lives are so short and what we do means so little. Did you know I's more than 3,000 years old? Some say it was stolen out of Egypt by William Vanderbilt; another mogul trying to demonstrate his power, no doubt. But where is that power now? Eventually it was diluted, toppled…just like.." Todd drifted off lost in thought.
"Why does she still go to him after all he's done, Todd? Why? Doesn't it bother you?"
With a guttural chuckle Todd looked at me.
"It does. But it's what she needs to do right now. Don't worry things won't stay this way forever."
"And you know this how?
"We have no intention of keeping you hidden for all time. Claire's father, Howard, had many influential friends, very powerful in their own right. We are working with them to build a case to get you away from the bastard."
"Yeah, like that's gonna happen. You've met my father….ALEXANDER Cambias."
"We just have to locate a few people and BAM! He won't know what hit him."
"What…what have you got on him? Tell me."
"I've said too much already. Anything more must come from Claire. Now I don't know about you but I'm starved. Pizza?"