"Ma'am? There's a package that's been delivered for a Lorelai Gilmore." She looked at the maid who seemed to be shaking as she spoke.
"Does it have a middle name on the package? Since there are three Lorelai's in this family, hopefully the sender knew what they were doing." Trix huffed at the inconvenience of someone not properly addressing a package.
The maid paled at the thought of there being more than one of this woman she stood in front of considering Mrs. Emily Gilmore was more than enough to deal with daily. The maid looked down at the heavy package in her hands at the shipping label, "It's addressed to a Mrs. Lorelai B. Gilmore." The maid was afraid to look up at the old woman because she was far worse than her employer.
Trix sighed and extended her hand, "That would be me. I have no idea how someone knew I was here. I just got here yesterday." Trix didn't expect the weight of the package once it was placed in her grasp and it caused her arm to sink drastically. The bulky package peaked her interest and despite having guests, she had to open it. "Excuse me, Ladies. I am highly interested in finding out what this package contains. No better time than the present to open it." Trix opened the package without a second thought and was greeted by a note.
There are things you don't know about your daughter-in-law. Things that will shock you once revealed. You should ask Emily about the contents of this box.
Shock must have registered on her face because her friends asked what was wrong. Trix picked up the note and quietly passed it to the woman closest to her. They were all intrigued about the contents. Trix picked up the first manila envelope; it was light unlike the overall package. She pulled out the contents and was confused, "What in the world?" Trix laid the contents on the coffee table in front of her. Three pictures all dated sometime in 1958. "It's Emily! She's with a different man in each picture."
Mrs. Deerborne's voice shook as she asked, "When was Emily born? She couldn't be more than a mere child in these pictures!" All four women were staring at the pictures in shock.
"She was born February 28, 1942." Trix replied without thought, "That would make Emily sixteen in these." Her hand shook as she lifted one of the photos from the table. It couldn't be Emily. What was she doing with these much older men at such a young age? Trix wanted to know what the other envelope contained. One by one, Trix opened and removed the contents of the next five envelopes; each containing more photos than the last. Trix didn't know what to say. She was in shock at what lay before her on the coffee table-hundreds of photos of Emily with various men over the course of six years. Trix picked up the last photo in the sixth envelope and just stared at it. "It's Richard," she whispered to the women in the room, "with Emily." The photo was labeled January 1963. "That can't be right! Richard told me he met Emily in April of 1963." She was confused and growing rapidly concerned.
Before anyone could voice their opinion of what the pictures implied, Richard's voice could be heard bellowing in the front entryway. "Emily, I'm home!" There was a pause. The four women remained silent as they listened to Richard's footsteps approach the living room. They watched as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs and shouted, "Emmy? Where are you, Emmy Girl?"
"Richard." Trix could hear the strain in her voice as she said her son's name. He turned and looked at the women in the living room. "Oh. Hello, Trix. Ladies." He smiled, "Have you seen Emily? She's always here when I get home and I have something important to tell her." Trix noticed that he seemed eager to see his wife and that he must have good news.
Before she could reply, Richard saw the stacks of photos covering the coffee table. "Well it'll just have to wait. What are you ladies up to?" He walked over to the table and grabbed a photo. Trix watched his face as the contents of the photo registered. Richard looked down at the table; Trix watched as anger, sorrow, and shock showed on her son's face.
"Where did you get these?" He looked up at his mother. "Where did you get these, Mother? Tell me!" He had never yelled at her before and his rage terrified her.
"A package was delivered not too long ago addressed to me. There was a note that said that there are things I don't know about Emily. I opened the various envelopes and found these pictures dating from 1958 to 1963. The last photo is of you and Emily dated January 1963." She looked at her son and couldn't read the expression on his face so she continued, "You told me that you met Emily at a Yale function in April 1963. Yet, this photo states otherwise. What is going on, Richard? And who are all of these men Emily is with in these photos?" Trix dreaded the answer she was going to get from Richard. She had an idea what these photos were about, but hoped she was wrong.
Richard let out a deep breath, "I lied to you. I didn't meet Emily at Yale. I met her at a hotel restaurant in January 1963. The manager was getting ready to call the police to have a woman arrested for solicitation in his hotel. She was trespassing and apparently well known by all of the hotel managers. I stepped in stating that I was sorry for being late and that it wouldn't happen again. I asked if there was a problem and stated that she was my fiance." Richard paused. He had kept that secret for nearly thirty-eight years and now it was time for the fall out.
Trix was shocked, "What? You married a prostitute? How could you lie to me?" She could do nothing but stare at her son. She had never expected this when it came to Emily. She knew that the girl was hiding something but not this.
"Mother, when I stepped in and helped, I never expected to fall in love with her. I took her to dinner and then drove her home. I knew what she was and I can't explain why I did what I did. I have never thought much about all of this when it came to Emily. She did what she had to do to survive." Richard knew that this wasn't what his mother wanted to hear, but it's all that he could think to say. How does one tell their Mother that the woman she's hated for nearly forty years sold herself to survive? Richard snorted, "You know you've hated her from the moment you met her which is why I never told you about all of this. I fell in love and knew I couldn't live without her. She may have had to do what most women in our social circle would never dream of doing, but that doesn't mean she's worthless or damaged goods."
Trix and the ladies had no response to Richard's words. They were in shock at what they found out. There was silence in the room. No one wanted to break it in fear of what would be said. Suddenly, the sound of the front door opening broke the silence. "Richard? I am so sorry! I meant to be home before you got here, but there was an issue with an artifact one of the DAR ladies acquired for the auction. I had to go in and authenticate it because apparently no one else has the knowledge or degree to do so in all of Hartford. What utter nonsense!" Emily walked into the living room without looking up from the paperwork in her hands, "Darling, I honestly don't know what these women think they're doing. They wouldn't know their ass from a hole in the ground." Richard snorted at this which caused Emily to look up, "Oh!" Emily jumped, "I completely forgot that you were having guests over, Mom. Pardon my language." Emily glared at Richard.
Trix watched Emily as the girl noticed that Richard was holding something and just staring at it. Emily looked at Richard and then to the contents of the coffee table and paled. "Richard?"