Part Six
After the Parliament meeting, Charlotte came out talking to another woman -- she caught Clarisse's eye then walked away with Leonore Quincey, still talking animatedly. Nicholas introduced Adrian to Joseph and Clarisse, then Mia came up and they all went in for supper and a visit. Charlotte never appeared again, although Clarisse had left a message for her to join them in the library later.
When they had settled in the library that evening, Clarisse asked Adrian if he had any brothers or sisters, or if he, too, was an only child as the rest were.
"I'm an only child as well," chuckled Adrian. "Obviously it's the thing to be in Genovia these days!"
"Are we not to know YOUR full story?" asked Joseph. "After all, we have regaled you with ours!"
"Believe me, if mine were as exciting as yours, I'd gladly share it! But alas, my life story is all too mundane."
"Did you used to live in Genovia?" asked Mia. "I mean, I'd love to know how a high-powered divorce lawyer from Philadelphia became a Viscount of Genovia ... particularly the Viscount Mabrey when your name isn't even Mabrey! It must be as exciting as a teenager from San Francisco becoming a princess of Genovia!"
Adrian laughed. "To be honest, I don't know the whole story myself, but it's my understanding that Grandfather Nicholas never changed his will after his first three children were born. The will stated that if his eldest son, Arthur, died without sons, then my father, Charles, would become the Viscount and inherit the estate. Any sons Charles had would be Viscount after him. Hence the title came to me. Had I not been born, the title and estate would have gone to Nicholas' father, and then Nicholas would have been the Viscount."
"And the name change? Why were Grandfather Nicholas and Uncle Mabreys, but I am a Deveraux and you are a Whidden?" Nicholas asked.
"I can't answer that," Adrian said.
"I can, to a point," Joseph said quietly. "I discovered that when your grandfather's first wife died, the three boys were all grown up and married. You, Adrian, were two years old."
Clarisse stared at Joseph. When had he learned this?
Joseph continued. "Your grandfather married again. A family feud erupted, and the only son to remain loyal to his father and the new Viscountess was Arthur."
"Ah! So THAT is why my parents changed our names to my mother's maiden name of Whidden!" said Adrian.
"And MY parents became Deveraux," added Nicholas.
"Precisely." Joseph said.
"No more? Nothing about ... later?" Clarisse asked, unwilling to say anything about Charlotte.
"No," Joseph sounded regretful. "Perhaps there are papers somewhere in the Mabrey manor that Adrian will be able to read to clear up any other matters."
"I'll be sure to look when I get a little more organized!" promised Adrian. "Anyway, my family moved to England when I was two, and I grew up and attended school there. I married a girl there, then our family moved to the States. Two months later, I lost my wife. But they say all endings are also new beginnings. I may have lost love, but I gained drive and ambition to be the best I could be!"
"Just as long as it isn't cynicism which is gained," observed Joseph, noting the faint bitterness in the younger man's face.
"In my business, I've learned that love rarely lasts, whereas money and power DO," said Adrian.
Clarisse shifted uncomfortably in her seat. He was beginning to sound too much like the Viscount Mabrey she had known and disliked. Then Adrian smiled at her. "Forgive me, your Majesty, I didn't mean that the way it came out. And you, Nicholas, and your lovely bride-to-be, Queen Mia. Please pay no attention to my cynicism. As Joseph said, it seems all too easy to become cynical and bitter when love is lost. At least you two are of age, so you don't need parental consent for your marriage. The age shifts around some, but in some places it was twenty-one not long ago!"
"It used to be sixteen in Genovia, actually," Clarisse said. "It's eighteen now."
"England as well, I believe, just recently changed from sixteen to eighteen," Joseph said.
"No," said Adrian quickly. "Not THAT recently. When I got married twenty years ago, it was eighteen."
"Are you sure?" Joseph questioned.
"As sure as if my life as I know it depended upon it!" Adrian said.
"Hmmm," Joseph thought that over, speculation rife in his eyes as he considered Adrian.
"So now you have no wife or children?" Clarisse asked diffidently.
"Sadly, no," Adrian's face hardened imperceptibly. "My marriage was shortlived, as I said, and I never married again."
Clarisse would have loved to delve into what he meant, as she still wasn't sure whether or not his wife had died, although it certainly sounded like it. Still, it seemed clear that his wife had been English, not Genovian, and had gone to the States with him for a couple of months. She sighed as she let the conversation drift into other channels. So much for her wonderful idea that Adrian was Charlotte's long-lost husband! Still, she supposed that would have been too easy.
The next day while they were working in the office, Clarisse asked Charlotte to join them for the evening meal. Mia eagerly seconded the invitation, but Charlotte made her apologies, saying she had already agreed to go out Shades.
"Shades?" Mia was astonished. "I thought ..." she broke off at her grandmother's quick frown.
Charlotte smiled, but wouldn't look either queen directly in the eye, which made Clarisse wonder about the younger woman's veracity. However, before she could voice her suspicions, Charlotte had made up an excuse to leave, and was gone. Mia looked after her in surprise, then at her grandmother. "So she IS interested in Shades?"
"It does appear that way," Clarisse said, slowly. "Or else she's trying to throw me off track ..."
"What do you mean? Off WHAT track?" Mia asked.
"Oh, nothing," Clarisse shook her head. "Forgive an old woman's rambling ..."
"Right. An old woman. Grandma, I can't see you EVER growing old!" and Mia hugged her tightly. "Now, we should probably get to work on some of this stuff. I'd like to have NOTHING to do over Christmas, so I can concentrate on Nick ... AND my family, of course."
Clarisse smiled at her. "It'll all work out, you'll see. Charlotte will take care of everything. She always does. By the way, have you decided whether or not you want to ask her if she'll stay on as your assistant?"
"Oh, I knew THAT from the beginning. I just wanted her to get a taste of it ... you know, what it would be like to organize the lives of the TWO of us plus her own. Of course I'd like her to stay on. But, well, if she's really serious about Shades, she may not WANT to work for me as well as you and do her own thing. I guess I should really think about getting someone trained who could help me, huh?"
"I suppose you should," Clarisse grimaced at Mia's language, but forbore saying anything about that. "It would be nice for you to have someone younger ... someone Charlotte could train."
"Someone like Marissa Motaz," Mia said, pondering the possibilities.
Clarisse was surprised. "Marissa? She's MUCH too young! Isn't she only about twelve or thirteen?"
"Fifteen. Almost sixteen. Remember?" Mia said. "Sebastian said she has been begging him to bring her to the palace more, especially during the holidays, so that she can work. She'll be sixteen and a half next summer, and has asked for a job here."
"Doing what, for heaven's sake?"
"What Charlotte does. Don't you remember when we were over there for dinner a couple of weeks ago, and Sheila said Marissa WANTED to be my aide? Yes, she's young, and she still has to finish whatever schooling she wants, but we can certainly give her summer jobs, and maybe even get her started this Christmas vacation, so that Charlotte has a bit of time to herself, too!"
"You know, Mia, that's a wonderful idea!" Clarisse's smile blossomed. "I can't see Charlotte complaining. She has always enjoyed visiting with Marissa."
"And it will give Charlotte more time with Shades over the holidays, if Marissa is helping her! Marissa and Lionel can team up, and Shades and Charlotte!"
"Well, we shall see, I suppose!" Clarisse didn't know why she didn't like thinking of Charlotte and Shades together now when she had been so happy about it earlier, but supposed it was because she remembered Charlotte's expression and tone of voice when speaking about her husband ... and how she had tried and failed to love both Philippe AND Shades. She couldn't have done such an about-face already, could she?
When the idea of training Marissa on the teenager's school vacations was broached with Charlotte the following day, Charlotte seemed quite enthusiastic. "Of COURSE I'll take her as a trainee." Then she smiled a little shyly, "It also gives me the assurance that you want to keep me on long enough to finish training her, which could be another six or seven years! Am I right about that?"
"Charlotte, don't tell me you were afraid I was going to tell you to take a hike and replace you?" Mia said. "You KNOW Grandma and I couldn't function without you! You're a tradition! You deserve a sainthood for putting up with us. Well, me, anyway."
"Thank you," Clarisse said, dryly. "I wasn't aware that I was that difficult to deal with."
"Oh, you're NOT, Clarisse! Nor are you, Mia. I was just, well ..." Charlotte had tears in her eyes, and she finally admitted in a small voice, "I was scared I was going to be out of a job ... I'm sorry I'm so emotional. I know it's not like me, but I haven't been sleeping well the last couple of nights."
"I've noticed you seem more on edge than usual. I wondered if it had anything to do with your new seat mate in Parliament." Mia grinned. "How are you getting along with Adrian, Charlotte?"
Clarisse almost held her breath at how Mia, without knowing the situation, was asking the very question she herself was wanting to ask!
Charlotte looked down and fiddled with her pen. "He seems very ... personable." she said at last. "I haven't really spoken with him much ..."
Mia glanced at her watch. "Oh, that reminds me! Nick and I are meeting Adrian for lunch. Catch you two later! Hey, Charlotte, why don't you come for supper tomorrow night? Adrian's coming over again ... we can do more planning for the wedding."
"I, oh, I ... I'm afraid I'm busy tomorrow night, too," Charlotte mumbled, her face flushing slightly as again she avoided meeting either queen's eyes.
"Another date?" Mia asked mischievously. "With Shades?"
"Y-yes ..."
"Hmm. Does he never work?" Mia grinned, unable to resist teasing Charlotte.
Charlotte's head shot up. "Of COURSE he does!" she defended him swiftly.
Mia laughed. "Just teasing. See you tomorrow, Charlotte! Have fun on your hot date! See you later, Grandma! Have fun with Joe this afternoon! He said something about you both needing afternoon naps fairly often now. Does he think I'm an idiot?"
"MIA!" Clarisse was flushing now, too, and Mia's laughter floated back as she hurried out the door.
Clarisse and Charlotte sat still, not speaking for a few minutes. Then Clarisse stood up. "Sometimes I wonder if Mia will ever be grown up enough and steady enough to rule Genovia!"
Charlotte smiled. "She has been trained by the best, Clarisse."
"Hmmm. You?"
Now Charlotte laughed. "Hardly. I don't behave like a queen. I just keep track of your appointments. It's not really a difficult job. That's why Marissa will catch on easily!"
"She'll be heading off to England to school soon, won't she? What age do children usually go?"
"Well, I went when I was sixteen, but was only there a few months before ..." Charlotte stopped.
"You were in ENGLAND when you got married?" Clarisse almost gasped. "I thought you were here!" Suddenly Clarisse's thoughts were racing again. It was no longer impossible that Adrian was ... "I don't want to keep guessing, Charlotte," she said firmly. "Tell me the truth, please. Was it Adrian Whidden you married?"
Charlotte shook her head, and said vehemently, "No, Clarisse. Really, I'm telling you the truth. Adrian is NOT the same man I married! Please believe me!"
Clarisse could see that she was not lying, but Charlotte wouldn't meet her eyes, either. Clarisse couldn't help but wonder if Charlotte was really saying that Adrian had changed a great deal, as had the younger woman herself, so they were two different people now, and Adrian was NOT the same man she had married! Sighing inwardly, Clarisse could only accept Charlotte's words at face value right now, however disappointing they were for her.
At that moment, a knock came at the door, and the footman came in with a message for Charlotte that she was needed down in the security room. Charlotte thankfully escaped, leaving a somewhat frustrated Clarisse alone.
In the days that followed, Clarisse attempted to find time to talk with Charlotte alone again, but couldn't seem to manage it. Mia kept both women occupied with preparations for the wedding, and Charlotte herself appeared to be avoiding Clarisse. The days were so long and Clarisse was so busy that she fell into bed exhausted every night, and barely had time to kiss Joseph before she was asleep, let alone find an opportunity to ask if he had discovered more about Charlotte and Adrian. She could only hope her husband would have said something to her had he heard anything at all. At first it bothered Clarisse that she never saw those two talking, or beside each other at all. Rather, Charlotte suddenly seemed to have become very closely attached to Shades. What was THAT all about? Adrian was a bit of a loner, although he spent as much time with Nicholas as possible. Clarisse finally resigned herself to being left in the dark at this point, and became absorbed in Mia's affairs. Her only grand-daughter's much-anticipated wedding was very exciting, and both had learned much from the previous summer's fiasco with Andrew.
The day before Mia's mother, stepfather and brother flew in with Lilly for the wedding and the Christmas vacation in the mountains, Joseph reported to Clarisse that Adrian had spoken with him about the relationship between Charlotte and the Head of Security.
"I wonder if that means he's interested in her, too?" Clarisse mused. "But why do they never speak with each other? Mia says that even in Parliament, Adrian talks often to Jerry Crawley and Charlotte speaks with Leonore Quincey who sits on HER other side ... yet Adrian and Charlotte both behave as if the other doesn't even exist!"
"Perhaps that is because they don't know each other and don't really CARE to know each other!" Joseph said. "We might have to reconcile ourselves to that fact. Meanwhile, Shades and Charlotte appear to be getting closer and closer."
"I know, and that bothers me, too." admitted Clarisse.
"Why?"
Clarisse shrugged. "Just from something Charlotte said last week. That she had tried to love Shades, and couldn't. Yet now ... now she has given in to him?"
Joseph drew her closer. "I seem to recall a certain beautiful woman declaring she didn't have TIME to think about her relationship to someone who loved her deeply. This same woman turned around only two days later, took pity on the poor gentleman, and asked him to accept her hand in marriage."
"Oh, Joseph ..." Clarisse cupped his face gently in her hands, smiling lovingly at him. "I love you," she whispered.
"As much as I love you."
Their lips met, and for a short while, Charlotte and Adrian, Mia and Nicholas and indeed the rest of the world were forgotten.
To Be Continued ...
