Part Three
It didn't taken as long as Clarisse and Mia had feared it might to integrate women into Parliament. Of course, the one member both had been sure would complicate matters, the Viscount Mabrey, had been noticeably absent since his nephew had publicly declined the throne and had thrown his support fully behind Mia. Clarisse wondered occasionally what the man thought when Mia and Nicholas were seen together, but the Viscount seemed to have dropped out of sight. She couldn't say she missed him. Ever since he had been instrumental in forcing Parliament to enact the old marriage law for queens, and had offered to marry her, Clarisse had shuddered inwardly when he was around. He had been rather vocal upon hearing that women were to become members of Parliament, and had pointedly stayed away in protest. Now that she thought about it, Clarisse realized she hadn't heard ANYONE mention that he was missed! Nicholas was in Parliament, of course, being a Lord in his own right from his mother's side. Sebastian Motaz had been mentioning that if the Viscount continued to disdain Parliament, it might be wise to consider passing his seat to the next in line. However, until the Viscount actually left, the matter was out of their hands.
One morning, near the end of the summer, Clarisse and Joseph were walking down the hallway towards a meeting with some French diplomats. The young security intern, Lionel, was doggedly tagging Joseph who had been trying in vain to shake him since the young man had started at the beginning of the summer. As Sebastian's nephew, Lionel had been accepted for the summer job without any other references. He was returning to school next week, but had already applied to come back the following summer, much to Joseph's dismay. Clarisse had scoffed at her husband, saying the boy was just a little too earnest, but was harmless.
"He idolizes you, Clarisse. THAT'S why you think he's harmless. He worships the ground you walk on," Joseph had growled.
"So do you, don't you?" Clarisse had chuckled. "Perhaps that is something that goes with the territory of security? Don't tell me you are JEALOUS of him! Oh Joseph, he's just young. And we should hire him for Sebastian, if for no one else. After all, we owe Sebastian, don't we?"
"We do, indeed, and for that I will even put up with Lionel. After all, I am no longer Head of Security. Shades has the problem now!" and Joseph had kissed her passionately, driving all thoughts of Lionel out of her mind.
Now Clarisse rubbed her neck, wincing slightly as she touched a sore muscle. Charlotte had offered to massage it out, but there hadn't been time as Joseph had come to say that the diplomats had arrived. Charlotte had gathered up her pad and pen and followed Clarisse and Joseph, walking beside Lionel. She was only half listening to the young man's loudly-voiced regrets that he had to return to school in a few days and his equally loud announcements that he would be back next summer.
Joseph glanced at Clarisse and, resigned, she lowered her hand and explained, "I have a pain in my neck."
Obviously she had been partially overheard by Lionel, because almost immediately she heard him saying wretchedly to Charlotte, "Queen Clarisse means me, doesn't she?"
Clarisse had to smile, as did Joseph, but neither said anything. Charlotte merely soothed the young man and pointed out where he could stand to guard the door while they were in the meeting. Clarisse found herself thinking that Charlotte would have been a good mother, and she realized that Lionel was about the age of Charlotte's son. So, of course, were Mia and Nicholas, and Charlotte was very adept at dealing with them, too. Clarisse hoped fervently that she would have success in locating the missing 'child', and she began to wonder if Joseph might have any more luck in the search. She resolved to ask Charlotte later if she could enlist in Joseph's aid.
When the brief meeting was over, with Joseph and Clarisse promising to make a return visit to France in the autumn, Joseph hurried off with Lionel trailing behind him as usual. Clarisse smiled as she watched them go, and Charlotte said in an undertone, "When Joseph put Shades in charge of Lionel, the first thing Shades did was to assign Lionel to bodyguard duty for Joseph. I think it was to get back at Joseph for making Shades look after the young man when he first started the job."
Clarisse chuckled. "I'm quite certain that would be why. Joseph complained to me the very first day of Lionel's summer. But Lionel is so earnest and he tries so hard."
"It's a shame he isn't more like his uncle," Charlotte said. "But he's young yet. He'll learn. He has great potential."
"Yes, indeed. Oh, Charlotte!" Clarisse suddenly stopped in her tracks, a stricken look on her face.
"What is it?"
"I just remembered why Joseph and I shouldn't go to France in October! That's when the opening of the Children's Centre has been scheduled! Why didn't you remind me?"
"Because the Children's Centre is something Mia wanted and has worked for, and, well, I'm sorry, but I was afraid your presence might ... detract from her," Charlotte said, rather timidly.
Clarisse considered that for a moment, then nodded, not missing the look of relief which crossed Charlotte's face. "Very well," she said, at last. "But I WOULD have liked to have been here that day."
"We'll get it on camera so you and Joseph can watch it when you get back." Charlotte promised. "You know, of course, that Mia has asked me to help with the organization?"
"Yes," Clarisse shot a keen glance at her assistant. "Are you all right with that?"
Charlotte dropped her eyes, but said, "Oh yes, of course. The young man in charge of the orphans right now was an orphan himself, he said. He had been adopted, but his adoptive parents passed away when he was six. He has done quite well, considering the rather hard start he had."
Clarisse pondered that information for a moment. "How old is he?" she asked suddenly.
Charlotte smiled. "I admit I wondered the same thing," she confessed. "But he's not my son. He's twenty-five now."
"I just keep hoping we'll stumble across him," Clarisse sighed. "and find out he's someone we have known for a long time!"
"That would be wonderful, but highly unlikely. My life hasn't been much of a fairy-tale so far, so I can't expect that this would turn out happily-ever-after either," and Charlotte's mouth drooped slightly.
"Well, I'm not giving up yet," Clarisse announced. "After all, I got MY fairy-tale ending and I had to wait a lot longer than you have waited so far."
"True enough," smiled Charlotte.
Just then, running footsteps were heard, and the two women turned. Mia came flying around the corner. "Grandma! Charlotte! We need your help!"
"What is it?" Clarisse's heart was suddenly in her throat.
"Nick and I decided we should get our Genovian driver's licences, and we need our birth certificates, and neither of us have them!" Mia said, looking tragic. "I think Mom has mine in San Francisco ... and Nick said he has never even SEEN his! He thinks his uncle has it, well, he HOPES he does, but he's afraid to ask. Can you pull some strings and get us our licences without having the birth certificates? I mean, it's obvious we were BORN ..."
Charlotte and Clarisse both relaxed and chuckled. Charlotte said, "I'm afraid I can't help you circumvent the law, but I CAN speak with your mother and arrange with the Genovian Consulate to get yours sent over tomorrow."
"What about Nick?"
"I'm afraid he'll have to speak with that snake of a man, unless one of the maids happens to know where it is in the house. Perhaps he can try that," suggested Clarisse.
"Yes, it was ... Gretchen, wasn't it? ... who helped him get to the church in time to prevent his uncle from having Lord Nicholas named the heir to the throne? If Lord Nicholas asked her, she might very well know where it is." Charlotte said.
"It's just Nick, Charlotte," Mia grinned, "and I'll tell him. He might be willing to ask HER. Thanks!" She turned to leave, then swung back, flashing a smile at Clarisse. "I know princesses never chase chickens, Grandma, but now that I'm a queen, can I chase a fraidy-cat? I TOLD Nick he'd have to speak with his uncle sometime!" Then she was gone.
Clarisse shook her head, smiling wryly at Charlotte. "I think perhaps you absorbed more of the princess lessons than Mia did, Charlotte!"
"She's just fine, Clarisse. I think the only one who worries about her is you. You did a wonderful job teaching her how to be a princess and now a queen. She's just ... exuberant!"
"She is, indeed," sighed Clarisse. Then she mused, "I DO wonder why Nicholas doesn't have his birth certificate. I find that odd."
Joseph approached the two women at that point, shooting a quick glance behind himself to make sure Lionel was nowhere in sight. "What is odd, my dear?" he asked, taking Clarisse's hand and pulling her close to him.
"That Nicholas has no birth certificate." Clarisse smiled at him.
Joseph thought for a moment. "I believe I remember hearing something about some confusion around the time of his birth. There were about six Mabrey offspring, if I remember correctly, as the old Viscount had married twice. Arthur was the eldest of, I think, just three boys. And there was a big age gap between the families. When the old Viscount married again, at least one of the boys changed his name in protest, saying he did not want anything to do with the old Viscount OR the new Viscountess. Charles, I believe, but I can't remember what name he and his wife took. I think it was around the time of Nicholas' birth that the second Viscountess died and the younger children were dispersed to relatives outside of Genovia. Arthur and Edmund, Nicholas' father, were the only two children to remain in contact with their father. There were rumours of an illegitimate child, an illicit romance, an adoption, a quarrel with both families involved ... something to do with one or more of the children, or possibly even grandchildren. I just can't remember."
"A scandal in Viscount Mabrey's family?" Clarisse was astounded. "I don't remember ever hearing any of this! I had thought there were only the two boys, and that Nicholas was the only grandchild."
"I DO think there was a Charles, but he dropped out of public life after the old Viscount's second marriage. And around the time of the scandal, you and King Rupert were somewhat pre-occupied. It was during the couple of years that Pierre was trying to convince you both that his vocation lay with the church, not the throne of Genovia, and Philippe was in America falling in love with Helen."
"Was everything resolved in the Mabrey family?"
"Resolved if you mean the remaining brothers took different names, hence the present Viscount remained a Mabrey which goes with the title, but young Nicholas is a Deveraux instead of a Mabrey because Edmund took his mother's maiden name. At least, it is ASSUMED that Nicholas is a Deveraux. Without a birth certificate, we cannot be sure of anything, including his date of birth. And as far as I can recall the story, he does not have a birth certificate. Only Arthur Mabrey would know for sure, I expect, now that Edmund and his wife are gone."
Clarisse shot a quick glance at Charlotte. "So Nicholas might not be twenty-one, you mean? Surely there are records ...?"
"There was a fire in the Pyrus hospital records room in 1985, and all the records were lost," Charlotte said in a voice that trembled slightly.
"Charlotte is correct," Joseph said, eying the younger woman keenly. Charlotte kept her eyes downcast. Joseph looked questioningly at Clarisse who shook her head slightly. Nodding, Joseph then said, "At any rate, I suppose we shall have to do something to get Nicholas his driver's licence, or Mia will be simply insufferable to the poor boy! I'll go make sure that what they are planning is legal!" and he kissed Clarisse lightly on the cheek before heading down the hall.
"Charlotte?" Clarisse asked gently when Charlotte remained silent.
Charlotte looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. "I know my husband's name, Clarisse. At least, I know what it was at the time. It was not Mabrey OR Deveraux. I ... Nicholas CAN'T be my son ... at least, I don't THINK he can be ... Although there is something ... familiar about him. But if he IS ... then he's almost a year younger than he thinks he is. That can't be possible, can it?"
"We'll keep checking into it," Clarisse said, firmly. "I, for one, am VERY curious about this story Joseph was telling us!"
To Be Continued ...
