Chapter 17. Facing the Music

Linda called Robert the week after the memorial service for Papa. She invited him to come to New York, telling him there were things they needed to discuss about their daughter's future. Linda was not too surprised when Karen was standing at Robert's side when she opened the door to her apartment. "Robert, good of you to come," she motioned them to enter. "I'm glad you're here as well Karen."

Karen smiled at Linda unsurely. "Thank you."

Jeremy was in the parlor, and he offered a hand to Robert, "I am glad you're both here." He said firmly, turning to Linda. "I'll go get Sarah."

Karen took a seat beside Robert on the couch; "Is Sarah alright?"

Linda took a seat in a chair, "I think it's best if I let her tell you."

Sarah came into the parlor; her eyes were dark and had circles under them. She looked worried and pale. "Hello Daddy, Karen. "She greeted her father and his second wife. "Thank you for coming." She took a seat and moistened her lips before speaking. "I could beat around the bush here and make all kinds of silly excuses for why we asked you here…" she sighed deeply. "But that would do no good…So here it is…I'm pregnant, and the father is not in the country, and we don't see to be having any luck finding him to let him know."

Robert flushed; turning a shade of red, then went calm. He leaned forward looking at her with worried eyes. "Have you seen a doctor?" He asked.

"Yes," Sarah nodded.

Reaching out a hand he patted hers. "Good. Now… what would you like to do?" His voice was calm, too calm. "Would you like to come home?"

"Daddy," Sarah shook her head. "There are some things in this world I can't run from."

"Run from?" Robert looked confused. "How is coming home running from something?"

Karen shook her head, "Robert, really!" she huffed but turned to look at Sarah. "What would you like to do, Sarah?"

"I'd like to stay here and finish up my classes." Sarah said calmly.

"You can't go to school," Robert interrupted. "You're having a baby!"

Karen glared at her husband, as did Linda, both of them turned on him with a "Who says she can't go to school?"

Jeremy moved back, staying out of the fray of anger. "I've a suggestion." He said when the women stopped calling Robert obscene names. "I've a friend who runs one of the ad agencies here… he's always looking for good voices for voice overs for radio work."

Robert, always the pragmatist looked at Jeremy. "Does it pay well, she's going to have a lot of bills to cover… my insurance won't cover this."

"It pays very well, and if she's given a contract, they will give her insurance." Jeremy directed his answers to Robert. "Sarah's got a wonderful voice, and she'd be a shoe in."

Robert thought about it, "Would you like that?" He asked his daughter.

"Yes, I would." She confided. "Jeremy told me about the voice over work, and he's made an appointment for me to meet the agency people."

"Robert, I think this would be good for her." Karen confided. "I really do." She looked over at Sarah. "Are you planning on staying here with your mother?"

"That's one of the reasons I wanted to see you, Robert." Linda moved to the desk and picked up an envelope. "I received this in the mail, and I need your help." She handed the official looking envelope to her ex-husband. Robert opened the envelope, and after placing his glasses on his nose began to read. Linda watched him go though the legal document. "Well?"

He looked up at her, "I'd say off hand it's on the level. Do you even recall this person? This Margret Montage?"

"I think she was my mother's second or third cousin." Linda sighed. "But why would she leave anything to me? I mean I had other cousins, I have no idea if any of them were given anything in the will…."

"Does not matter, this was a trust fund set up for you when you were a baby." He said reading the page again. "And the allocations added upon this Margret's death can't be touched by anyone but you." He looked over at his ex-wife. "What do you want to do with this?"

"I'd like to take some of the money and buy the brownstone." Linda said with a smile. "The owner's sons are getting after her, they would like her to move in with them… and I'd love to own the place. Sarah can then have this apartment, and I can live downstairs."

Robert looked at the old apartment, critically. "With this money you could buy a new house."

"I don't like new houses, Robert." Linda reminded him coldly. "I'm the one who found the Victorian, remember?"

Karen on the other hand looked about and smiled. "I think this place has a lot of charm to it, and I can see Sarah is happy here."

Sarah, who was not quite prepared for Karen to be her champion sat with her mouth open.

Linda turned to Karen and smiled wickedly. "You like to shop?"

"I love it," Karen winked.

Robert stared at one wife and then the other. "Are you two out of your minds?"

Linda sat down, "I know thrift stores here in the city were you can get anything and everything! Right down to some very classy furnishings!"

"Oh we can decorate!" Karen sounded almost giddy.

Robert held a hand up, "I can see I'm being given the heave ho, ladies. Linda, have you talked to the landlord?"

"No, not yet," Linda sighed. "I wanted to be sure this was all above board." She pointed to the legal document still in Robert's hand. "I also want you to do all the legal work on this… and to draw up papers putting the house in trust for Sarah and her child."

Jeremy took a seat on the arm of Linda's chair, placing a kiss upon her head. "What a wonderful idea."

Robert nodded, he was seeing advantages to Sarah staying put. "Alright, if I agree, and I'm saying if… I want guarantees that Sarah stays in school."

"You've got them." Linda said calmly.

Robert looked at his ex-wife. "I'll talk with the landlord." He stood up, "I take it she's home right now."

"Yes." Linda said with a smile, "I believe one of her sons is visiting today, he'll want to be in on that discussion. He's a lawyer too."

Robert stood up, looked at Sarah. "I want a few words alone with you when I'm through."

"Yes, Daddy," she sighed.

Linda looked at Karen, "Tea?"

"I'd love some." Karen said standing up. "May I help?" Linda invited her husband's second wife into her kitchen, as they sat down at the table no one would have thought they were anything but good friends. "Linda, there's some things in the attic of the Victorian; I think Sarah could use them right now, when you move to the ground floor that is." She stirred her tea quietly. "There's some furniture and odds and ends… I think they were yours."

"Or my mother's," Linda corrected. "Yes, we'll have to get a moving truck."

Karen leaned closer. "I'd really like to help, if I can."

Linda smiled at the younger woman. "I'd love it, Karen."

Karen smiled at her, "I want a united front for Sarah's sake."

An hour later Robert returned with a strange look on his face. "They are more than willing to sell to you Linda." He looked at Sarah. "Get a coat; we are going for a walk, alone." He shot a warning look to his wife and ex. Jeremy sat in the parlor quietly reading. Sarah pulled on her dark red wool coat and followed her father out the door and down the flight of stairs. She didn't speak, unsure of what she could say. Robert waited until they were away from the brownstone and strolling through the park. "Sarah," he began with his calmest voice. "Tell me about the father of your child."

"Jay King…" Sarah said the name softly. "He's English, and with the exception of getting me with child, very proper. This was not planned, Daddy… we were friendly of course…just flirting and working… His voice is so wonderful…. And his movements are like poetry…."

"Do you love him?" Robert asked as he took a seat on the park bench that was empty.

"I don't know." Sarah confessed quietly. "I think I must… but I don't even really know him…. It was… like magic, the way we came together. Opening night… I can't really explain it…But I know he cares about me… he gave me this ring and this bracelet…" She lifted her left hand. "I think he'll want to be part of the baby's life." Suddenly she shivered.

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Eyes like storms at sea, looked at the girl and her father's images in the crystal. "You bet your boots I want to be part of my child's life, Sarah." He mused.

Nicole shook her head, "I doubt she'll be pleased when she learns who Jay King is."

"It'll be too late… it's too late already." Jareth stated calmly.

The Fae woman gazed into the orb her 'brother' held. "You're sadistic."

"Thank you." He mused as the orb began to spin.

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Robert reached out his hand, "Sarah?"

"Goose on the grave," Sarah teased. "Daddy, I'm sorry if I disappointed you."

"Nonsense," He scoffed. "I was young once myself…" He looked about and then seeing no one near enough to hear, he confided. "I got caught up not once but twice!"

Sarah laughed, "Daddy!"

He took her hands into his. "Sarah, I'm human… so is your mother, and Karen is too. We know that things sometimes get out of hand… things happen. But honey, we are family, and we are going to get through this."

Sarah nodded, "Can Toby still come for Thanksgiving?"

"I think we'll all be here…" Robert said. "The land lady wants to move next week. Even before the papers are drawn up. So your mother is going to have house guests."

"Oh great, Mom and Karen sharing a kitchen…." Sarah teased seeing in her minds eye the women working on Thanksgiving dinner. When they returned to the apartment, Jeremy was still seated in his chair reading and Karen and Linda were working out the menu for the holiday meal. Sarah turned to her father, "I stepped through the looking glass, right?"

"Damned if I know," He pulled out his pipe, but didn't light it. He took a seat in the parlor with Jeremy who handed him the sports pages of the news paper.

Linda looked at Sarah. "You and I are going back with your father and Karen tonight, and we'll begin sorting and packing… Mrs. Lagans is moving out at the end of the week…." There was excitement in the actress's voice.

"What about your soap role?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, I'm not in any scenes this week." Linda boasted.

"Then Robert, Toby and I will come up a few days before Thanksgiving and help move things around."

"I'm hiring a crew," Robert murmured as he read his paper. "I'm not moving furniture."

"I hear ya," Jeremy whispered turning the page of his section of paper.

Sarah stared at the women. "You're going to stay here? Here in this apartment?"

"Well, no, actually they are staying downstairs with me, and Toby will be up here with you." Linda said calmly, some devil got into her, she turned to Karen. "Hey Karen, how do you feel about threesomes?"

Robert looked at Jeremy who ignored the glare. "Is she kidding?"

"Who knows," Jeremy said looking at the paper.

Karen was giggling madly, and Linda was now laughing breathlessly. Sarah closed her eyes. "I did step through the looking glass."