They all now sat inside the restaurant at a table for them all, Lyra and Madeline getting along quite well chatting amongst each other excitedly.
"You mustn't be so surprised dear, one could not forget a scandal like that no no. Don't worry, I won't mention it to the girl. She's innocent in all of it" Clarice swirled her martini in the air, swirling the drink before taking a sip.
It was noon which was early for alcohol however Clarice Davis was on another level of living life to the fullest within her age bracket she did frankly as she pleased unfazed by what others may think.
Marisa held her breath with nervousness and unease. She glanced towards Lyra who sipped her water with two hands like Marisa had taught her before talking once more with Madeline about some story of playing on the ground of Jordan college. In the light Marisa held her gaze towards her daughter, catching the dimples in her smile and expression which mirrored Marisa.
She had to do it, sacrifices had to have been made to be where she was now. She couldn't have kept her, no matter how much she had wanted to. How much she had regretted it afterward.
Marisa then glanced back towards Mrs. Davis within thought softly speaking.
"For years I have atoned for my past, I have been loyal to the magisterium and the authority ever since. I swear my intentions and my project are genuine"
"For some reason, I believe you, the details of your proposed project are proof of that. You will find with me dear, I will not hold your sin against your daughter. While some will hold you in discontent for your past, no one can fault you for taking responsibility for being a mother. It is one of the authorities' gifts to us all. I love my own children, especially my dear Madeline….. At the heart of it, I think it is all quite genius using the girl. As a reminder to strive to live within a world without sin" Clarice Davis then picked the olive from her martini off its pick, consuming it, before sighing and looking back at Marisa.
Marisa hid her surprise and shock well with a deceptive charming smile upon her face, she was relieved Mrs. Davis seemed to be favorable towards Lyra. With Marisa's luck, she seems to believe having the girl around was all to prove the importance of her research. In many years Marisa Coulter had never had such luck for such important things to just simply come together in her favor.
The only problem is that Lyra would be gone within two months back to Jordan College. Mrs. Davis among the other potential backers all would think Marisa had stepped up and taken responsibility for her child. Marisa's mind began to drift her eyes going left to right as she kept her head down on how she could pull off this illusion. With the girl, she could procure all the funding she needed and if the girl suddenly left within two months when Asriel returned for her she would be ruined. She needed to do something.
"I do appreciate that Lyra doesn't deserve to suffer for my sin. She deserves to live in a world without sin where she can grow up and live peacefully. A world in which all children including her are safe" Marisa spoke passionately about it, surprisingly some feelings surfaced for Lyra in a way in which she had never thought of for the girl.
Suddenly with Lyra in her life once more, she surprisingly found herself thinking for another person other than herself.
"I wholeheartedly agree…...now what shall we have for lunch?" Clarice then turned to Madeline with a warm smile showing her the menu of the restaurant and helping the young girl pick out her meal.
Lyra having been taught to be self-sufficient began to look at the menu herself to decide on a dish, Marisa seeing Clarice interact with her granddaughter with a spark in her eyes then turned her attention towards Lyra.
Her child, her daughter.
Lyra struggled to support the heavy tall menu within her grasp as she attempted to read and look at the dishes available. Pan on her shoulder squinting and making hmm sounds as if indecision. Marisa then turned towards her little girl and grabbed the menu, taking the weight of it effortlessly in her hands, holding it in front of Lyra. Lyra, noticing, looked towards Marisa in surprise.
"Let's see, what would you like to eat darling?" Marisa asked Lyra softly making eye contact with the little girl who nervously looked Marisa in the eye. Marisa then with her fingers tucked Lyra's hair behind her eyes away from her eyes so the little one could see.
"I don't know. What can I eat?" Lyra asked nervously, having never eaten at a restaurant before, especially having to choose what she ate. Usually, Lyra ate whatever the cooks at Jordan had made for each meal for all of the scholars.
Lyra's response tripped Marisa up for a moment before she schooled her expression before smiling towards Lyra with a soft look in her eyes.
"Anything you like" Lyra smiled softly in return looking into Marisa's eyes which every time the little girl does Marisa's heart spurs some kind of emotion.
"Ok"
Lyra looked back at the menu as Marisa then began to talk about the dishes available and which ones she loved herself. Lyra ended up ordering the same dish as Marisa believing her word that it must be good if Marisa herself loved it. When Lyra said that so innocently it made Marisa happy and pleased that her opinion was valued so highly by someone let alone her child.
The four ladies enjoyed their lunch talking amongst themselves having a grand time, Mrs. Davis asked Lyra questions about what the little girl liked and to get to know her. She was dying to see and talk to the daughter of Marisa Coulter to gather more insight into the private glamorous elusive woman.
Lyra gushed about Marisa after being asked if she likes living with her mother, she spun the tale of how they went out for walks and shopping which pleased Mrs. Davis and Madeline. Madeline then spurred into a story of a day when she and her mother went shopping as well and that afterward they had gone to the park and that it was so much fun.
"What's a park?" Lyra innocently asked.
"Surely you have been to a park before Lyra, hasn't your mama taken you?" Mrs. Davis asked, confused by the girl's question.
"Of course, she has" Mrs. Coulter tried to convince Mrs. Davis as she nervously looked between Mrs. Davis and Lyra hoped her gaze towards Lyra would have the girl go along with her. However Lyra was only a child and naive, so she spoke only the truth.
"No, never"
"Oh dear, well we'll have to remedy that today won't we. Don't you agree, Marisa?" Mrs. Davis looked at Marisa pointedly, taken aback the child had yet to experience playing at a park let alone not knowing what a park was, to begin with.
Madeline excitedly chirped in "Oh yes please! Can we go?" Mrs. Davis eyed Marisa with light scrutiny to see if the woman would go through with going to the park. As if to judge if she was serious about spending time with Lyra and being her mother. Therefore seeing if she was truthful and faithful about the repentance of her sin.
Marisa saw no other way out without making the woman doubt her, she had to agree especially to secure the woman and her husband's funding. Marisa then turned to Lyra with a wide grin upon her face, a twitch hid in the corner of her eye. As she was nearly made a fool for never having taken her child to the park before in her life, it was embarrassing.
"Yes, we shall go to the park after lunch. Won't that be fun Lyra?"
Lyra smiled and nodded excitedly, Pan's was excitable under the table doing circles under the watchful eye of the golden monkey. To Lyra, if Madeline was excited then it must be enjoyable and fun.
"Yay!" Madeline cheered with a victory along with Lyra, happy to be going to the park as did any child.
Marisa smiled in a pinch with a hidden annoyed undertone that went over everyone else's heads, going to the park would take up a portion of the day when the time could be suited to do other tasks. She had far better things to do other than going to a germ-infested park where children ran free. The golden monkey huffed under the table, displeasing very low growling as he shook his head to shed his disgust.
Marisa's mood changed however when she saw Lyra was happy and smiling.
Perhaps going to the park wouldn't be so abhorrent.
"Madeline stay with Lyra and don't go so far where we can't see you!"
"Yes, grandmama!" Madeline and Lyra giggled as they both ran off together to play among the grass, flowers, and playground for the children in the center of the park.
Marisa attempted to hide her disgust upon her face at the sight of the park, especially the public park bench that Mrs. Davis was gesturing to follow her in sitting down upon. Marisa produced a handkerchief and proceeded with disgust and disdain to wipe the bench as if to clean it of filth and germs before sitting upon it. Placing her purse on her lap not trusting the public bench with her designer handbag, she clutched it upon her lap holding the handles in her hands. Clarice sat down delicately as she kept her eyes every second on Lyra and her granddaughter as if she were a hawk daemon. Her actual daemon was a hare that hopped underneath the bench watching as well.
The golden monkey sat upright and alert on the side of the bench at a distance from Mrs. Davis's daemon, his tail swishing, and curling as he watched the children running around the park with anxiety. There were so many little humans and young daemons running loose throughout the park. He growled in frustration that he couldn't keep his eyes on Lyra and Pan as she and Mrs. Davis's granddaughter played and ran around happily.
Lyra was amazed and in awe at the park and everything around her, she ran in circles for a full minute full of energy before running off with Madeline once more giggling as loud as little children did when excited and happy.
Marisa along with her daemon was overwhelmed a bit as they were very much out of their element in this new environment. Marisa glanced around noticing the various mothers surrounding the edge of the park and occupying the other benches shouting for their children and talking in sickly sweet voices amongst themselves about their precious angels.
It unnerved Marisa Coulter, she had always rolled her eyes and held concealed disgust for crooning mothers who fawned over their children as if their whole lives solely revolved around them. At social events, they would go on and on about how their child had achieved something academically and or some so mundane ordinary. Marisa always scoffed at the pointlessness of it all. She had never understood.
"I do hope Lyra will be around to see Madeline again, they seem to be getting along quite well"
Madeline and Lyra were currently scaling the playground and climbing about looking for a chance to go down the giant slide where other children were lining up to have a go. Madeline smiling jumped up and down while Lyra clapped in excitement seeing the other children having fun going on the slide.
"Hmmm oh yes, I believe Lyra would love that. She seems to like her company, we could arrange for the two to see each other once again in the future"
"Oh good, Madeline will be happy. I'll have to tell my daughter later today…..You know Marisa, out of all the outcomes of today I did not expect it to turn out the way it has. For that I am glad. I must confess the other ladies had tried to convince me that I would be wasting my time having lunch with you today. I am far glad they were all wrong. You have my funding and support" Mrs. Davis smiled softly towards Marisa as the two women made eye contact, Marisa surprised at Mrs. Davis's words.
Marisa smiled pleasantly at the outcome of events, pleased she had secured the first bit of funding and backing she would need to conduct her study.
"I am pleased you have given me a chance, despite what others have said about me. I have found people always will talk however it is up to the person to prove them right or wrong"
"I quite agree dear…... I also do believe my granddaughter is a good judge of character. Your daughter seems to be such a sweet girl" Mrs. Davis lightened the mood from talk of vindictive housewives that had spread falsehoods and rumors about Marisa.
"Thank you. Yes, she does, doesn't she? My Lyra"
Mrs. Coulter felt a warmth within her chest at the compliments and thoughts. However, she also found a bit of sadness for she realized she couldn't claim credit to how lovely Lyra has turned out to be so far. She hadn't raised her after all, she had missed five years of her own child's life. All because she didn't care for her as an infant and let her be sent away.
Her daughter, her baby, was sent away to be raised by strangers. Marisa found herself staring off in thought as her emotions and memories overtook her mind as she weighed past decisions heavily on her heart.
Suddenly within her thoughts, a feeling overtook Marisa as a sound that would be hard for everyone else in the park to have heard over the background noise of all the screaming and cheerful children.
It was a screaming cry, a cry that struck her soul as familiar. Her motherly instincts that Marisa hadn't noticed existed surfaced.
Marisa's head snapped towards the direction of the cry within seconds, pinpointing it right away. There Marisa saw Lyra upon the ground clutching her bleeding little knee to her chest and crying her little heart out loudly in pain. Tears streamed down her face as she screamed and moaned from her emotions.
The golden monkey found himself running before even Marisa could stand up from the bench following and cry out loudly.
"Lyra!"