Pilar finally arrived with the blue silk shantung dress that Fancy ordered. While Fancy was getting dressed and putting the finishing touches on her makeup, Gwen gave Pilar the soiled dress that Gwen had repaired with the club soda. Pilar had then left without saying a word to Gwen. Gwen preferred it that way. She knew that Pilar did not like her and the feeling was mutual. Pilar may have been appalled at the way Theresa chased Gwen's husband, but it was obvious that Pilar shared Theresa's opinion that Gwen had no right to be Ethan's wife and blamed her for the way Theresa flouted her own moral beliefs.
She turned as she heard Fancy come out of the changing room.
"You look beautiful," Gwen said sincerely. "In fact, I think this is an improvement on the other dress even before it got stained."
"Thanks, Fancy smiled. "Well, I better go find Luis before he wonders if I fell in and drowned."
"You do that," Gwen laughed. "I need to round up Sheridan so we can show everyone around Ethan's new building. You should see some of the amazing things the interior decorator came up with."
Gwen basked in the feeling of companionship she momentarily shared with Fancy and then came back down to earth. She had nearly forgotten that she had to keep Fancy occupied until Sheridan could finish speaking to Luis about her. She saw another waiter catch her eye significantly and walked up to him in Fancy's earshot.
"Where's Sheridan Crane Boothe," she asked him.
"Mrs. Boothe left the party," he told her. "She got an emergency call from her babysitter about her daughter … Katie, I believe … and went home."
"Oh dear," Gwen fretted to Fancy, "I hope Sheridan's baby is okay."
A primitive superstitious part of her worried about Sheridan lying about that little baby so she was genuine in her statement.
"Me, too," Fancy sympathized, her own face mirroring Gwen's concern. She knew that Katie had been premature and babies born too early could have all kinds of problems.
"I wonder if I should forget about the grand tour," Gwen said aloud to Fancy. "Marcel - that's our interior decorator - will be disappointed, but this is a big place with lots of equipment that could be stolen or vandalized. I'd really prefer someone to help me and I don't see Ivy anywhere."
"I'll be glad to help," Fancy offered cheerfully.
"Would you? Oh, thank you, Fancy," Gwen said gratefully as Fancy beamed.
"Give me a minute to find Luis and catch him up to speed on everything and I'll be right back," Fancy told her.
"Okay," Gwen smiled, knowing that one of Sheridan's minions would catch Fancy and tell her the story Sheridan had fabricated to distract her.
In five minutes, Fancy came back.
"I just missed him," she told Gwen airily, "But he told one of the waiters to let me know he'd be taking a police call from headquarters after he used the little boy's room. Which side of the building should we start the tour?"
"Why don't we start in the west wing," Gwen suggested. "The east wing is cooler and by the time the guests finish tromping through this building they won't die of heat exhaustion."
"Fine with me," Fancy said gaily. "Let's go."
Gwen moved to the front of the room and beckoned to Marcel.
"Attention, everyone," Gwen announced. "I'd like to announce that we are taking a grand tour of the Winthrop Family Law Firms that was restored by notable interior decorator, Marcel Laurent. You may have seen some of his work in Modern Architecture and Home Living. Well, now it's time to see how he merged the old and new to come up with the Neo-Classic masterpiece that is now The Winthrop Family Law Firm!"
Everyone applauded and Marcel made a brief speech. The party did a slow promenade around the lobby to view the furnishing choices, the artwork and architecture before gradually heading towards the west wing, the hubbub of the small crowd drowning out the passionate argument still going on between Luis and Sheridan as they headed away from the east wing, heading westward.
Theresa watched as Ethan set a bucket of ice down on the nearby table and propped the chilled bottle of champagne inside. He then poured some into both glasses and handed her one. Uneasily, as she sipped the cool delicious beverage, she looked out the window which was still slightly warm from the sun setting on that side only an hour or so ago. Below, she could see the lights and hear the noise of the carnival and the music of the band playing on the boardwalk.
"You have quite the view from here," she commented.
"That's why I chose this office," Ethan said, sipping on his own glass. "My grandfather's old office is actually on the other side, in the east wing. It's much bigger than this one. But he chose it more from a practical point of view. It was cooler in the summer - the building had furnaces but no central air. Also, he could look down into the street and see what was going on. He felt more in control if he could watch the clients before they came into the building and gauge their real mood before they saw him. He once told me that I would be amazed at how many clients would lie to their lawyers no matter what kind of trouble they were in. Some people would face the chair rather than deal with any kind of personal judgment of their character."
"That doesn't surprise me," Theresa said tartly. "In fact, I can't believe that you, of all people, would be amazed what your clients would do to avoid public disapproval."
"I don't understand," Ethan said, but his words sounded hollow to his own ears.
"I think you do," Theresa said, "But if you want me to spell it out to you, I will. You married a woman you don't love. You're so hell-bent on staying married to her that you broke up our real family to create a fake family with her. You were so determined to validate your union with her you tried to de-legitimize your relationship with me by making me your backstreet mistress. All because the public scandal in Los Angeles when you acted truthfully and honestly for a few minutes was too much for you to bear!"
"It isn't that simple," Ethan answered. "It's much more complicated than that. You tried to break up our wedding in church by claiming that I was lying before God because I didn't love Gwen. I didn't lie, Theresa. I didn't lie to you when I told you that I love Gwen, too. I never stopped loving her and she never stopped loving me. It's not like we had been broken up for a long time when I met you. Because there was no real closure on the relationship, Sarah … happened … and the rest was history. "
"It is as simple as that," Theresa insisted. "You only got back together with her, because you were angry at me for Julian fathering Little Ethan and my lies about it. Everything that you have with Gwen is a reaction to what you thought you lost with me. Why won't you get that?! If Sarah had lived, do you honestly believe you would still be living happily ever after with Gwen?"
"I don't know what would have happened if Sarah had lived," Ethan said.
"I do," Theresa retorted. "You'd already be done with Gwen, because there'd be nothing for her and 'your public' to hang over your head. You'd be free of your ball and chain because this is the 21st century and divorce is an option. You want to know how I know this? Because I've stepped away from your precious marriage. I even stepped away from the child you stole from me to give to Gwen to hold it together. And guess what, Ethan? You still can't stay away from me, because you love me, not Gwen."
"I admit it would have been easier for me to leave Gwen if Sarah had lived," Ethan conceded tightly.
"And I admit, at first, I was happy when Gwen lost Sarah, because I thought the obstacle to us getting back together had been removed," Theresa said. "Now I'm sorry Sarah died, because the price has been too high for us all. The ghost of Sarah binds you far more tightly to Gwen than a living Sarah ever could. You don't know how many times I've accidentally imagined our lives if Sarah had lived, with Jane having a big sister to play with and Little Ethan having two little sisters to protect-"
"You think I haven't dreamt of that too," Ethan asked. "But the damage is done. You can't un-break something, you just have to either replace it or live without it."
"Jane can never replace Sarah," Theresa stated. "You still have to live without her. Living in misery, without real love and a real family is not going to change things."
"I know," Ethan said. "You're right."
"Then what are you going to do about it," Theresa asked. "Are you finally going to give up this charade of respectability and live the life you want … with me and our family or are you going to continue this farce with Gwen?"
"Theresa," Ethan sighed. "You act like it's just a matter of me telling Gwen I want a divorce, leaving her and taking Jane. It's not as simple as that. I can't leave her with nothing. Especially after she helped me resurrect the Winthrop Family Law Firm."
"What will people think? What will they say," Theresa snarked, rolling her eyes.
"It's more like what will Gwen do," Ethan asked. "Most of the company stock is still in her name. Also, I don't want to leave her with nothing. Divorced and childless."
"She can always adopt," Theresa said matter-of-factly as Ethan stiffened.
"Back when I found out that Jane might be yours, I consulted Gwen's lawyer, Leon Feldman," Ethan mused. "He mentioned a Russian orphanage that was filled with adoptable infants looking for a home and said that, with our money, I could get one far easier than an American adoption."
"Well, then there you go," Theresa said. "You and Gwen could adopt a Russian orphan and then you can get divorced so that Jane can go back to her real home in her real family with her real mother."
"This process can't happen overnight," Ethan warned. "I want complete control of my company, Theresa. It's my baby as much as Ethan and Jane are yours. For that to happen, Gwen and I must part as amicably as possible."
"Ethan, I'm willing to wait … a little longer … but only as long as I know you are really serious," Theresa said. "I love you and I believe we have a future together. But I'm not willing to wait forever. I'm still young and I want more children, but the clock is ticking and we all run out of time sooner than later."
"I guess you'll have to put your wedding plans on hold, then," Ethan said, relieved that Theresa was seeing things his way.
"No, I won't," Theresa said, surprising him. "I'm designing my wedding dress and those of my bridesmaids and I'm still setting my wedding date for the fifth of June."
"June," Ethan gasped, "But that's just a little less than a year away!"
"Yes, it is," Theresa answered. "That gives you almost a year to get control of Winthrop, adopt a baby with Gwen and then leave your marriage!"
"But-but that is a very short time to get all that done," Ethan stammered. "Surely you can change your wedding date - why are you setting a wedding date, anyway?"
"I'm not changing anything for you, Ethan," Theresa answered. "Except my bridegroom … if you are serious about leaving Gwen. I'm getting married on the fifth of June … with or without you!"
With those words, she set her empty champagne glass down on the table, and headed to the door to leave. As she opened it, Ethan came behind her, firmly shut it, locked it and pressed her against it with his full, muscular length, kissing her passionately.
"I am serious, Theresa," he groaned before kissing her again. She kissed him back ferociously. She had planned to leave him with that ultimatum, without doing anything else with him. But what was one more time in the arms of the man she loved just to remind him of what he was about to give up forever? However, as he continued pressing her against the door and kissing her ardently, what imp of mischief compelled her to secretly unlock the door he had just secured?